A little after lunch time today, around 1:00 p.m., skies  began to get dark over Putnam County.

A severe thunderstorm moved in over the area producing intense winds, rapid and extreme lightning and thunder, and very heavy downpours.

The conditions became severe in a matter of minutes. The roads filled quickly with water as the rain was coming down heavy rates. Debris blown out of trees into the streets from the heavy winds cluttered the roads as well. With visibility less than a half mile, the driving conditions were exceptionally dangerous.

The lightning was the main event of this storm, coming down rapidly in every direction with thunder following it immediately.

MIAMI - Hurricane Irene has churned into a stronger Category 2 storm and has cut a destructive path through the Caribbean as it heads toward the U.S. coast.
 
Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday night that a hurricane hunter aircraft measured maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph).
 
The storm raked Puerto Rico with strong winds and rain. It is spinning just north of the Dominican Republic on a track that could carry it to the U.S. Southeast as a major storm by the end of the week.
 
The first hurricane of the Atlantic season was a large system. Irene is forecast to grow into a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph (184 kph) over the Bahamas on Thursday.
 

As we all know on the First Coast, Hurricane Season is WELL under way!

With Tropical Storm Irene intensifying extremely rapidly and making it's was towards the Caribbean with it's projected path towards Florida, it is time to start thinking about YOUR HURRICANE SAFETY PLAN.

It is never to late to make preparations, no matter how big or small. Whether you plan to Evacuate, or stay home and "Ride Out The Storm" as locals would say, simple things can be done to prepare for a storm and keep yourself and your loved ones safe and as comfortable as possible in these conditions.