Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

[fuzzi]

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, we are glued to Cyclocane.com - I've been reading spaghetti maps and intensity forecasts for years now.

 

[Sally PB]

Hurricane question: How quickly do wind speeds drop off as you get away from the eye of the storm?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hurricane question: How quickly do wind speeds drop off as you get away from the eye of the storm?

Depends on topography and the land mass its drawing air over, among other factors. Florida is essentially flat, narrow, and low, with a huge body of warm water to feed it in the form of the Gulf, and plenty of warm water on the other side as the Atlantic. Unless it draws in a huge amount of dry air from the central US, I expect it will go 80 MI +/- before it drops a Cat.

 

[NanaK]

Each storm is different.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hurricane question: How quickly do wind speeds drop off as you get away from the eye of the storm?

unless you are talking about the size of the wind wall - last update, hurricane force winds extended about 25 mi from the center. Tropical storm force beyond that about 320 miles further.

So, in practical effect, all things being equal, theoretically, this thing hits the coast as a cat 4 in the center and pushes most of 80 miles inland before its downgraded to a Cat 3. But those thirty miles to either side of the path see no hurricane force winds (though they could see hurricane force gusts) - and by the time its downgrade to 3, chances are good that the hurricane force wind field will also shrink in diameter.

But as @NanaK says above, every storm is different. We've had "weak" hurricanes with huge fields of hurricane force winds, and "strong" hurricanes with very narrow fields of hurricane force winds, and everything in between.

Its currently hard to guess, and impossible to know. At best, you play the probabilities, and hope it does as most do.

 

[fuzzi]

Each storm is different.

This

Sometimes they suddenly intensify, jump a couple categories, or they will veer away from the expected path. Some have circled around and hit the same landfall twice.

 

[NanaK]

Some have circled around and hit the same landfall twice.

Yes. We had one rake the coast make a loop in the Atlantic and come right back in. Crazy. Some are more unpredictable than others.

 

[Sally PB]

@U_Stormcrow, thank you. I think I was asking both questions.

For me, hurricanes are "something on the news."

Lake effect snow? The road being drifted shut? Being snowed in for a week? Yeah, I know about that firsthand.

The powers of nature are awesome.

 

[Molpet]

For me, hurricanes are "something on the news."

Lake effect snow? The road being drifted shut? Being snowed in for a week? Yeah, I know about that firsthand.

The powers of nature are awesome.

Same here.
I wouldn't move to somewhere with hurricane, earthquake or volcano

But I have to deal with snow and tornadoes