Cyclone Giovanna 02-12-2012

As this is posted, we are hunkered down inside our beachside home on the north coast of Mauritius, and Cyclone Giovanna is a windy rainy mess.  Before bedtime last night, the authorities declared Giovanna a Category 3 storm, which included the instruction to get inside and stay there.  Driving on the roads is prohibited, and closing all storm shades, shutters, and bringing inside all patio furniture is encouraged. All community activities are cancelled.  Heather, Shelly, and I are fine, with plenty of provisions and things to do. The electricity and water are still on.  The storm is expected to pass nearest us within the next hour, but it now appears that Giovanna's eye will actually pass 160 miles north of us. We will keep friends and relatives posted on the blog or on Facebook.  In the event of outages, we still  have radio communications with other Embassy personnel.  Wheeeeee!  Another adventure!