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https://freedium.cfd/https://medium.com/aha-science/hurricanes-are-off-the-charts-eb4927690693>
'Hurricane Helene's rapid intensification this week and its ultimate power of
destruction through record storm surges, high winds and an utter deluge
hundreds of miles inland are all reflections of the changing climate, and
strong signs of worse superstorms to come.
Helene became a hurricane on Wednesday, Sept. 25. By Thursday night—roughly 36
hours later—it had intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm
with top sustained winds of 140 mph, before slamming into Florida's Big Bend
coast. "Helene is the 9th strongest hurricane since 1900 to make landfall in
Florida based on minimum sea level pressure," said longtime hurricane
forecaster Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University.
And it's "the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend of Florida"
since modern record-keeping began in 1851, he said.
Helene created record storm surges along the Florida coast, leveling some
towns, and generated hurricane-force winds nearly as far north as Atlanta.
After picking up tremendous amounts of moisture from the unusually warm Gulf of
Mexico, Helene caused landslides amid record flooding in North Carolina and
Tennessee, more than 300 miles from where the storm made landfall. More than 40
inches of rain were recorded in two gauges south of Asheville, North Carolina.
Flash flooding was reported across many parts of Florida, Georgia and North
Carolina and Tennessee, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains. Several
dozen deaths have been reported as of this writing.
Helene was the second storm this year to intensify with shocking rapidity and
become unusually powerful.
During what's normally a relatively quiet month for hurricanes, on June 28,
2024, tropical storm Beryl formed in the Atlantic with top sustained winds of
35 mph. Within 24 hours it strengthened into a hurricane. A mere 24 hours
later, Beryl had intensified into a major Category 4 storm with sustained winds
of 150 mph — the first Cat 4 ever in June.
The powerful storm made its way from the Atlantic into the Caribbean, and on
July 2 grew into a monster Category 5 hurricane — the earliest Cat 5 ever in
the Atlantic basin. Its ultimate top winds of 165 mph set a record for the
strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in July. Beryl's winds ultimately
subsided to "just" 80 mph before it made landfall in Texas.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
