IRMA - Wow!

[WheresMyBeer]

Been watching Irma all day. Quite possibly the most fascinating event on the heels of Harvey, which was fascinating in itself. Two incredible storms back to back, and completely different monsters. Harvey was a lurker, like to hang around an check things out. Irma's Hell on a flaming horse with a huge 70 mile wide buzz saw that will blast anything in her way. At one point today, with her wind speeds, she was literally comparable to a 70 mile-wide EF 5 Tornado. Irma will be studied and go down as a once in a 100yrs storm.

The structure and intensity is so nuts. Dropsondes had 195mph sustained and 235 max gusts at one point today. NHC didn't make it official, but they will after months of data collection. It will be one to rival Patricia. Hit Barbuda head on with all its full fury. Barbuda fully exposed in eye - now venturing back into East eye-wall. there will be nothing left on that Island.

Scary part - much warmer waters and low sheer still ahead (FUEL). Heading for Cuba and US. Where will it go?
_            _
  \_("/)_/                                                       


Make sure any family from AL, FL, and Carolinas heeds the warning and get away from the coast. gonna be a big girl.

[Latimeria]

I like how you described the two storms.  I'm a little worried that this one will rip right up Florida and try to take out GA, SC and NC with all the energy it's been accumulating.  Crazy wind speeds and water rising on the buoys!

On a side note, does this hurt or help the fishing out there?  I can't imagine some of the reefs don't get pushed around a little or covered with sand.

[WheresMyBeer]

Bet the fish are fleeing for the shallows in the Gulf of Mexico .. LOL.

Another note of perspective. The previous sustained CAT 5 record holder in the Atlantic side was 18 hours (sustained). It's hard for these storms to maintain that crazy strength due to a number of factors (Cat 4/3 much easier since a cat 5 is 250 times stronger than a cat 4 etc.). This one is going on 34 hours, with another 48hours projected on top. That's a record smasher by a huge number.

And let the global warming conversation intensify after this week. Stronger, more intense storms were predicted several years ago.

[xjchad]

 

[Eric H]

16 yr old kid decided to surf Irma's storm waves.

Got a gnarly close out and was smashed into the rocky bottom.

Was pulled from the water bloody but still breathing.

Later died at the hospital.

[WheresMyBeer]

It was an aspiring pro surfer too, so the kid knew his stuff. Apparently, mother nature can teach hard lessons.

[WheresMyBeer]

Saw a wind model of 155mph wind line moving south to north at landfall, the width of 2/3 florida, moving through the entire bottom half of the State ... only to dropping to 120mph as it continues on. If Cuba doesn't knock this thing down, Florida will look like an H-Bomb went off. This is CRAZY!!

NHC
"157 mph or higher
137 kt or higher
252 km/h or higher   Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months."

[Eric H]

Watching this closely, should strike its hardest tonight.................................................................................