[Mark_]

Looking at the North Atlantic right now with 3 hurricanes (Irma, Jose and Katia) is a surreal experience. Irma with sustained 160 knot winds is downright scary...

Jose is a lightweight following Irma, Katia will pound the Eastern Mexican coast. But Irma...:surprise::surprise:

Be safe out there people.

Time to eat my words. Jose is still intensifying and now has an eye. Forecasters say it will become a major hurricane soon. The *good news* is that it should track slightly North of Irma, so it *should* miss Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, but not by much ! And then they forecast a turn to the North and further weakening.

Jose is a resilient, pesky little bugger ! Still alive, still a Category 1 hurricane... It formed off the African coast on August 31... 16 days ago !

And now it is still being unpredictable, and could come very close to NYC as a tropical storm late tuesday or early wednesday. I hope it stays away and vanishes... finally !

 

[goobnav]

Then there was Lee and Maria, is it 12/1 yet, this time of year always has the Southeast US on edge. Hold on to your ears folks!!

 

[Mark_]

Then there was Lee and Maria, is it 12/1 yet, this time of year always has the Southeast US on edge. Hold on to your ears folks!!

Lee should end soon (facing strong shear winds), but Maria... will become a hurricane in the next few hours, will intensify rather quickly and probably hit St-Kitts, Antigua/Barbuda head on, maybe as a Cat 3, and then on to Puerto Rico... again...

 

[rumrunner]

never underestimate a week hurricane. they're killers

1991 hurricane Bob was a cat 2 when it made landfall near Newport, Rhode Island with winds of 100 mph, the storm quickly weakened as it tracked through Rhode Island and Massachusetts before entering the Gulf of Maine it left extensive damage throughout New England in its wake, totaling approximately $1.5 billion (1991 USD, $2.64 billion 2017 USD). This made it one of the costliest United States hurricanes at the time; as of 2013, it ranked thirty-second in the category. In addition, seventeen fatalities were reported in association with Bob. The loss of life and most of the damage occurred as a result of high winds and rough seas. There were six confirmed tornadoes during its passage. Bob is the most recent hurricane to hit the New England states directly as a hurricane

 

[HawkeyeKL]

Made it through Irma with minimal damage. Lost 2 25' tall cedar trees in the back yard. They didn't reach the house. House did fine. jeep had some leaves on it. went 5 days without power. thank god for generators. Now watching Maria.

 

[Mark_]

Made it through Irma with minimal damage. Lost 2 25' tall cedar trees in the back yard. They didn't reach the house. House did fine. jeep had some leaves on it. went 5 days without power. thank god for generators. Now watching Maria.

You dodged a major bullet there, glad you guys made it out Ok... pheww...

Maria's path past the Dominican Republic has yet to be determined. Fingers crossed it either dies quickly or tracks far from shore... At 8:00 Atlantic time it was 1 mph shy of being a Cat 3 (110 mph), so it's there now I'm sure.

 

[Mark_]

Maria quickly intensified to Cat 4. The *good news* is that for now, hurricane force winds are kept within a small diameter from the now visible eye. Forecasters aren't sure it will remain this small. The islands that got a direct hit from Irma may be just off the track for now... but a direct hit on the Dominican Republic is more than likely (with Haiti next door). Projected track after that is not showing Maria heading to Cuba or Florida, but doing a quick turn up in a few days.

 

[Mark_]

Just a few hours later, and Maria is... a Cat 5 :surprise:

 

[Mark_]

As I look at Maria in Google Earth right now, this is what I see (pic below). The small island of Dominica, between Martinique and Guadeloupe, takes a direct hit, land seen below inside the eye. Steady winds of 160 mph (255 Km/h) will be devastating...

 

[Mark_]

Maria now with sustained 175 mph winds... about 10 mph shy of Irma's most furious moments. Strong Category 5 hurricane.

Current path suggests the eye will come within 30 miles (South) of St-Croix (US Virgin Islands) in a few hours, and slam right into Puerto Rico in the morning... City of Ponce could take a direct hit from what I see (population 160 000+).

You all be safe out there...