BBC: Thousands flee Oman storm threat [strongest to hit the Arabian Peninsula since 1945]

BBC ^ | Tuesday, 5 June 2007, 11:57 GMT 12:57 UK | BBC Staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thousands flee Oman storm threat

Muscat residents evacuated as storm clouds gathered

An unusually powerful cyclone has begun battering the coast of Oman with winds of 160mph (260 km/h) and large waves.

The centre of Tropical Cyclone Gonu is heading north-west through the Indian Ocean towards Oman's east coast.

Thousands of residents of coastal regions and the low-lying offshore island of Masirah have been evacuated.

People elsewhere have been told to stay indoors, while schools and public building have been emptied to make room for the evacuees.

The most powerful part of the storm was expected to hit Oman on Thursday, before moving north across the Gulf to Iran.

"It is expected to increase in the coming few hours accompanied by thunderstorms and heavy rainfalls as the cyclone crosses the sultanate," the official news agency of the wealthy oil-exporter said, quoting police.

Reports say Cyclone Gonu is expected to be the strongest to hit the Arabian Peninsula since records started in 1945.

While crossing the Indian Ocean on Monday it reached the equivalent of a Category Five hurricane - the highest category available.

[Marine_Uncle]

Good points which I had thought about just after the comment. If the oil rigs and ports on both sides are damaged, off line, oil/LPG shipping could be in jeopardy, as has been mentioned in these postings.

[toddlintown]

O man! That’s a storm!

[toddlintown]

The wrath of Allah.

[Constantine XIII]

Do you think this song is about you?

LOL!

[steve86]

I believe it is only Cat 2 or 3 right now, based on pressure readings and Dvorak numbers.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Are those ships all in the way? IF so, could they ride out a storm this bad?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That update was May 31st so they could be anywhere by now,,
from what little I know the Navy will move out of the way of these storms,,,they have plenty of room to move,,,
our guys have done this before,,,The iranian navy never even saw a storm like this...;0)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

looky...

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Too late to run - better dig a hole.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Hey WB,,,Got that rite...;0)

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Heck, its only gunna be a cat2 when it hits land - I don’t even put out extra lines for a cat2.

[buffyt]

We have been living in Southern Calif. Just moved back to Lake Jackson Texas this week. We were supposed to move to Italy April 2006, be there two years, then to Muscat Oman for a year. That project, though not cancelled, has been delayed/postponed. Otherwise we could have our house hit here on the Gulf Coast of Texas and be fleeing a cyclone in Oman at the same time. (Didn’t sell our old house here on the coast, our adult son took care of it for the past two years while we lived in LA)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

LOL,,,I gotta wonder what iran’s “gun-boat” navy is goin’
through bout now,,,

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Prolly cleaning their breeches :)

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Hey CM, something happens to a storm somewhere around cat3. Dunno what it is, but the difference between a cat2 and a cat3 is very noticeable. The intensity is notably greater. If you are in the storm, physically standing in it, you can really feel the difference.

Also the boat heels over a lot more and you gotta hold on all the time. :)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

The high surf should make quite a mess of them if the wind don’t...;0)

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Hey CM, something happens to a storm somewhere around cat3. Dunno what it is, but the difference between a cat2 and a cat3 is very noticeable. The intensity is notably greater. If you are in the storm, physically standing in it, you can really feel the difference.

Also the boat heels over a lot more and you gotta hold on all the time. :)

A storm has attitude at cat3 - thats what it is.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Pukin and rollin around on deck (and off) heh heh heh

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Pukin and rollin around on deck (and off) heh heh heh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
True Dat...LOL...FOX NEWS just started reporting on the
“Monster Storm”...;0),,,winds down to 100mph,,,waves at 30ft...

[lentulusgracchus]

Thanks for the map. It'll come in handy, methinks.

[John Valentine]

This area is full of expats and many of them are Freepers. Arabs are a minority in Oman.

But even then, you’ll probably find moore Al Qaeda sympathizers in Jersey City than in Muscat.

I am tired of dumbasses mouthing off about things they know nothing about. This phenomenon has become more pronounced on Free Republic with every passing year.