Regarding "MAGNITUDE of this storm has to be respected"
MSM need to keep away from the Cat 3 vs Cat 4 vs Cat 5 as if they represented discontinous breaks in intensity or landings up a high rise.
It is a continuous ramping up of speed and force. For example, it would be better to think of an "almost a Cat 5" as a Cat 4.99 rather than a Cat 4.
And they need to hammer home the fact that if you are in the way of anything over a Cat 3, KYAGB
Yup.
Nauti mentioned it yesterday, but it bears repeating. Surge is more a factor of peak intensity than it is the intensity at landfall.
Once a storm pulls all that water in, she doesn't let go of it very easily.