Lion of the Blogosphere

Florence, only a 4

Last year, Hurricane Irma reached, unofficially, Category 6, and even Hurricane Maria was a strong Category 5, so a Category 4 hurricane isn’t that exciting anymore.

Written by Lion of the Blogosphere

September 11, 2018 at 8:27 AM

Posted in Weather

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13 Responses

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  1. Hurricanes are about more than just wind. Katrina was the most devastating American Hurricane in our lifetimes and that was only a Category 1.

    PerezHBD

    September 11, 2018 at 8:37 AM

    • Because half a million people live in a port city that’s under sea level.

      Richard

      September 11, 2018 at 1:22 PM

    • The Saffir-Simpson scale is obsolete. Given the current level of coastal development, even a “weak” storm can inflict substantial property damage.

      In 2005, Hurricane Wilma struck the west coast of Florida as a Category 3, then crossed the peninsula and swiped the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area as a strong Category 1/weak Category 2. Damage was surprisingly heavy. Numerous homes and businesses lost their roofs, and the streets of downtown Miami were littered with shattered glass from the blown-out windows of the towering skyscrapers.

      One guy I knew was sitting in his living room when a bolt of lightning struck a transformer near his house. He had to scramble for cover as sparks flew from every single electrical outlet in his home, frying all of his appliances.

      And even a weak storm can spawn numerous tornadoes.

      (Note that we are not even addressing the issue of rainfall. A slow-moving tropical storm can dump several feet of rain over a couple of days.)

      During Hurricane Irma, the Miami area experienced only tropical-storm-force conditions (between 39 and 74 mph). But some areas, such as Pinecrest (an upper-middle-class suburb), were without power for almost two weeks.

      Stan Adams

      September 11, 2018 at 5:38 PM

    • Katrina was a 5.

      Jokah Macpherson

      September 11, 2018 at 6:09 PM

      • Most of New Orleans experienced Category 1-level winds.

        Stan Adams

        September 11, 2018 at 10:23 PM

    • Yeah, the storm surge/flooding is going to be disastrous with this one. They’re predicting over two feet of rain in some parts of the Carolinas. The bigger risk factor with this kind of storm isn’t the wind speed by the speed of the storm itself. The slower it is, the more rain it’s going to dump in each area.

      Fred12

      September 12, 2018 at 1:40 AM

  2. A category 4 hurricane is a very serious storm. All of the beaches along the Carolina coast are going to be totally decimated. Billions and billions of dollars of damage.

    Two in the Bush

    September 11, 2018 at 12:05 PM

  3. Florence might still reach category 5.

    In any case, once it makes landfall it looks like it’ll be a slow mover, so it’ll be pretty devastating no matter the windspeed. Wind wasn’t the main cause of damage with Harvey last year.

    JayMan

    September 11, 2018 at 12:23 PM

  4. I’m throwing a hurricane party and all the drinks will be served in Florence flasks.

    Jokah Macpherson

    September 11, 2018 at 6:34 PM

  5. It’s totally sexist to categorize female hurricanes with a number. When Florence wrecks the Carolina coast it will be a victory for women everywhere.

    Jokah Macpherson

    September 11, 2018 at 6:36 PM

  6. Good video showing the differences between category 1, 2, 3 etc. in terms of damage to a typical house: https://youtu.be/lqfExHpvLRY
    “Only a 4” is still enough to irreparably damage homes.

    Weather Flannel

    September 11, 2018 at 6:43 PM

    • The storm surge from a category 3 hurricane can knock a house clean off a concrete slab. I’ve personally witnessed this in Louisiana after Rita.

      Two in the Bush

      September 11, 2018 at 10:17 PM


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