Free Republic

Hurricane Milton is threatening to reach known maximum limits with wind gusts already topping 200 miles per hour — leading to calls for a new Category 6 designation for such a historic superstorm. “This is nothing short of astronomical,” Florida meteorologist Noah Bergren said late Monday as Milton reached sustained winds of 180 mph and “gusts 200+ mph.” “I am at a loss for words to meteorologically describe to you the storm’s small eye and intensity,” he marveled. “This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth’s atmosphere over this ocean water can produce.” After being a monster Category...

With Hurricane Milton hitting winds of up to 180 miles per hour and at such a high speed, scientists are wondering if the storm defies the five category system and should go up to a Category 6. Florida’s Gulf Coast braced on Tuesday for the impact of Hurricane Milton’s near-record winds and expected massive storm surge, which could bring destruction to areas already reeling from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago and still recovering from Ian’s wrath two years ago. Almost the entirety of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane warning early on Tuesday as the Category 5 storm and...

The Category 6 hurricane’s howling winds accelerate to a startling 200 mph in Miami, mercilessly pummeling a two-story wood-frame house until the roof tears off and the rattling windows explode. And a towering 20-foot storm surge spawns battering waves, swamping the structure and shoving it off its foundation like a doomed dollhouse. Sounds like a scene from a sci-fi disaster movie. But with real-world Atlantic hurricanes pushing the limits of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, Florida International University researchers envision a future mega-wind-water simulator that tests how building components would react under Cat 6 conditions. Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind ScaleStructural-damage details...

While thoughts and prayers are with our Texas FRiends and neighbors, we are at the peak of the Atlantic Tropical Storm season. Hurricane Irma continues its trek from Cape Verde across the pond and toward the Hebert Box (see below). People with interests in the Southeastern U.S. and Gulf of Mexico should be alert to the forecast path updates for this powerful storm. It is important to note that the average NHC track errors are about 175 and 225 statute miles at days 4 and 5, respectively. Hurricane Irma originally had a small wind field. In the past 24 hours,...

Florida Gov. Rick Scott Wednesday urged residents of his state to "be as aggressive as we are" in planning for the approach of monster storm Hurricane Irma. "We're going to have wind, rain, and storm surge," Scott told ABC's "Good Morning America" program. "We don't know where it will hit, likely Fort Myers and Naples, as is Miami. The Keys are already evacuating." The storm will bring wind, rain and storm surge, and "water could cover your house, so I want everybody to understand the importance of this. This is bigger than Andrew," he said, referring to the last Category...

Fowey info is fun to watch when storms like IRMA are looming down on the bouy. Wind speeds etc get pretty intense. While yer looking around at others note the water temps.Warmer than my shower.