Tropical Storm Noel Beating up the Bahamas

Tropical Storm Noel continues a slow move north through the Bahamas with winds at 60 mph accompanied by heavy rains. You can track the storm's progress here as it heads toward The Bahamas largest island (and passes close to Disney's Castaway Cay where my sister's Disney cruise ship is supposed to dock tonight or tomorrow). Disney doesn't like to disappoint their customers, but I'm having my doubts the island will be open for tourists. E-ticket rides are for roller coasters, not cruise ships.

The storm has made a large mess everywhere it's gone:

PIEDRA BLANCA, Dominican Republic (AP) - Tropical Storm Noel buffeted south Florida with high surf and winds as it swirled slowly toward the Bahamas Thursday after triggering mudslides and floods in the Caribbean that killed at least 81 people.

Forecasters warned of worsening storm conditions in the Bahamas later in the day, and the government issued a hurricane watch for the northwestern parts of the archipelago. On Andros Island, the chain's largest, boat owners tied their vessels down ahead of the storm.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center on Thursday issued a tropical storm warning for the southeastern Florida coast from Ocean Reef to Deerfield Beach. A tropical storm watch was in effect from north of Deerfield Beach to Jupiter Inlet. A warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours while a watch means such conditions are possible within that area.

The deadly storm dumped rains on the Dominican Republic and Haiti Wednesday night, more than two days after it struck the island of Hispaniola, where rescuers were struggling to reach communities cut off by flooding.

As they did, they found a rising toll of death and damage - at least 56 dead in the Dominican Republic, 24 in neighboring Haiti and one in Jamaica.

Apparently Noel didn't get the memo that the hurricane and tropical storm season ended yesterday.