Hurricane Ike is Affecting Destin and Ft. Walton Beach in the Panhandle

 I live in Ft. Walton Beach, FL and my office is in Destin, FL (on the Gulf Coast in the Panhandle of Florida).  It normally takes me about 10 minutes to get to my office.  This morning, had I gone to the office, it would have probably taken a couple of hours……US Highway 98 between Ft. Walton Beach and Destin is closed due to the storm!  There is water over the road in the eastbound lane and I guess they anticipate it covering westbound, as well, as both directions are closed.  Below are some photos from Okaloosa Island that I took by the pier of the waves.  Keep in mind: if you look at the blog below (“What a Difference a Week Makes”), that’s how flat our seas normally are!