Tropical Storm Noel Entering the Bahamas

We've been getting heavy wind and rain off and on since yesterday morning but it now appears that within the next several hours or so that Tropical Storm Noel will begin entering the Bahamas in full force. Winds are currently at 50mph and may increase as Noel gets closer. Based on past experience, I don't think wind damage is going to be much of an issue here. Much more problematic will be the torrential rains that are accompanying Noel. Given that the Bahama islands are relatively flat, we will not experience the mud slides and such as was the case in the D.R., Haiti, and Cuba. But since water does not easily drain off of flat surfaces, we are expecting flooding in low lying areas. Of course, there is a good possibility that electrical power, phone service, and internet access will go down before this is all over so my blogging activity may well be interupted. Further storm updates, of course, will be contingent upon my ability to access the internet. If you don't hear anything, don't worry about us. We're safely waiting out the storm in our hilltop apartment building. No news, at least in this case, probably doesn't mean bad news, just no internet connection.