September 4, 2004
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Nothing’s stupider than a weather reporter saying that there hasn’t been landfall yet with a hurricane. This is the most inane, stupid remark they can make & it irritates me to no end! Point being that what they’re talking about ‘making landfall’ is the EYE of the storm! This is the part of the hurricane that is subtle, calm… You can even see the sunshine!
With hurricane Frances, the eye alone is now figured at 80 miles across… almost the width of Florida. By the time the eye hits land, hurricane-force winds have already done extensive damage to the areas it has touched. Not less than that are the tornadoes the storm produces at its extremities.
How the ‘meteorologists’ report the current location/effects of the storm often cause people to think they still have plenty of time to do what they need to to prevent injury/deaths. NOT SO! With hurricane Frances, hurricane-force winds extend, as I write this, 75 miles out from its eye! Hello, people! That’s nearly the entire width of the state of Florida! They are saying this storm is nearly the size of Texas!
I’ve been watching the IFR loop on this storm. From what I see, the eye’s most western border is right at the shoreline. They’re now saying the eye is stalled at West Palm Beach.
They are stating that the eye is about 80 miles across & is moving WNW at 5 mph. Personally, I’d think that once the eye enters an area, people who’ve decided to ride out the storm would have time to go outside & secure any loose objects/debris, to prevent this debris from doing further damage to homes, etc. In fact, they’re saying that it’ll be a 4-hour lull.
One thing to be cautious of is fallen power lines. These can kill! I personally wouldn’t worry much about bacterial problems, because it takes time for these to become life-threatening in the face of such a storm. They’d be more likely to infect people days after the storm.
If I lived there & stayed, I’d be out doing cleanup during this massive & slow eye & ‘battening the hatches’ for the recurrence of hurricane-force winds as they come again, going in the opposite direction!
Links:
- Storm loop, Florida: http://radar.weather.gov/radar/loop/DS.p20-r/si.ktbw.shtml
- Storm loop. East Coast: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/watl-ir4-loop.html
- Hurricane Frances Advisory: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/042038.shtml?
People of Florida, I wish you well… Stay safe, our prayers are with you as you ride out this storm. The worst problem with this storm is the duration… how long it’ll hang with its hurricane-force winds over land, along with its rainfall & storm surge causing flooding. Blessings to all in Florida.
I believe that even after it’s left Florida, that won’t be its end. I’m concerned that it will enter the Gulf of Mexico & regain what strength it may have lost, moving as slowly as it is, & continue its devastation in Alabama, Louisiana & especially Texas.
- Storm loop, Florida: http://radar.weather.gov/radar/loop/DS.p20-r/si.ktbw.shtml
Comments (7)
powers at large figure if frances was downgraded from a 4 to 2, it must not be that bad … duh, there are areas in florida that was hard hit with a recent hurricane … can’t image what we in hawaii would endure if this happened to us back to back in less than 1 month … try and enjoy what’s left of this 3 day weekend … laterz!
One thing I forgot about, which has happened, is the eyewall collapsing as the hurricane loses strength over land. They’re still predicting its track as going further north, following the western coast (inland) of Florida. I think they’re nuts. It is showing very little sign of turning more north. I still believe it will cross into the Gulf of Mexico & regain strength before turning more northerly.
What’s even more scary for Floridians (& those in the Bahamas, Haiti, Cuba, etc) is Hurricane Ivan, tracking toward them. A third strike! Yipes! I saw it at the far right bottom corner come into view on the East Coast IFR loop last night. Florida didn’t get cleaned up from Hurricane Charley when Frances moved in. It doesn’t look like they’ll be able to do much before Ivan comes.
Oh, & something MSNBC just noted… Since Pres Bush has had more National Guard activated to go to Iraq, Florida is short-handed for clean-up that would normally be performed by National Guard! GRRRRR!!!!
Was talking to Joe a few minutes ago. Tampa is out of power.
They’ve been out of power since three o’clock yesterday. Winds are crazy … and it’s been like that for two days. They’re getting a little bit antsy …
Indeed, it’s heading for the Pan Handle, and towards the Gulf. Ugh.
It looks like Georgia’s taking a bad hit right now. I’m going to check Ivan’s progress. That’s the last thing the lower East needs right now. From what I see on the lower eastern IFR loop, Frances is curling back toward the Atlantic. According to my sister, there’s supposedly a cold front headed toward it that’s supposed to cause Frances to break up. It doesn’t appear to be affecting Frances at all. Ivan’s picked up speed, by the looks of it, & will be streaking below the Bahamas, heading for Haiti & the Dominican Republic. My thoughts go out to them all.
I never understood why people don’t get the hell out of town if a hurricane is coming. OK, if you are on an island like Hawaii or the Bahamas you have all my empathy. But if your on the mainland and you don’t run, I have little sympathy. With both Charley and Frances I couldn’t believe seeing people surfing and strolling on the beach knowing a hurricane was coming. Duh!
I live in the Midwest in the so called “tornado alley”. Hell, if I could know a day ahead of time my town was going to get hit by a tornado—I’d be so out of here! heh heh
Absolutely, midnight1492! I lived in Texas for several years & saw the results of nearby tornados/funnel clouds & downbursts. Not pretty. Right now, North & South Carolina are facing the tornados. Warnings are in place, but I’m sure most residents are just hunkering down, hoping none hit them. Many residents refuse to leave because of the looters who take advantage of people leaving quickly, leaving everything behind they can’t take with them. I hope God’s rath hits those looters HARD!