Wilma - just another storm

Well, 3.2 - 3.5 million homes without power (1+ mill. has been restored to date - all the wealthy neighborhhods of course had power within 36 hours of her passing), and more trailer parks destroyed.

Now, Wilma was a very considerate Cat2. She came ashore during daylight hours and passed thru the areas affected (a huge swath) in less than a day. Unlike last years Francis that didn't want to leave or Jeanne that wore out her welcome before she even got here. Also, it is alot cooler than the 90f+ degree weather of last season.

The response to Wilma has been primarily given local responsability, yeah FEMA is out there bungling around - but, local and state personell are taking the bulk of responsability for dealing with it. Jeb Bush even took responsability for things FEMA was suppose to do that failed or were slow in responding or lack of emergency items. So, what?

For those of us affected - it is not just another day at the office. And since Power may not be restored to some of us 'til Thanksgiving (I'm on generator right now) it is a bit more than a nuisance - especially since we are all running out of gas to power our generators and supplys have yet to reach some areas (last year I had to drive over a 100 miles to find gas, waited in line for over 1 1/2 hours for $20 worth - same alotment as today, only $20 buys about half of what it did a year ago). Still, we are becoming old hands at this and most prepare accordingly by storing their own water, gas (20+ gallons and full tank in my truck here), and canned food (I hate MREs - MealsRejectedbyEthipians) - bread is a different matter.

Now, Wilma, tore off trim of my home - tried to lift the roof of my garage (winds were 120mph and the rain was like a sledge hammer for more than a few hours. It was like, just as I thought the worst had passed ... it got worse.), and knocked down a 50 foot fir tree. She tore the roof off a neighbors hanger (landing strip across the road, street from me) and tore tiles from a number of buildings (I got to replace maybe 5 or 6).

Now Indian Town - where more than a few New Orleans residents were sent to - was hammered pretty good. It is a depressed area 30 odd miles East of Okeechobee City (snicker), of migrant and farm (citrus) workers. Thought it ironic that the N.O. people would be sent to another hurricanw region - but, sending them to a place out of sight and mind seems appropro. After all that is what our government has always done - hide the poor; if we ignore them long enough, maybe they will simply go away.

Still, the areas affected do get their 2 minute spot on the news, and the response is being hailed as some kind of success story - vs Katrina's fubars. Of course Wilma was only Cat2 (3 as she came ashore), and Kat was a 5. wilma was a monster for her size and the area affected, but no sunken cities and few if any people being rescued from roofs.

One thing that really bothers me is this new weather cycle someone came up with - you know, the 22year-44year crap. It's bogus. The worse storm to hit this area was during their inactive cycle. And, storms are getting worse. Listened to one "expert" say how the temperature of the Gulf really has no effect on the increase of winds - for every 1/2 degree water temp only amounts to 1mph winds; but them another chimed in "BUT, that expotentially expands the wind forces as the storm unifies." To which the former nodded. Still, not one of these cretins would acknowledge that global warming had anything to do with this new phenom of monster storms or that records are being set on the numbers, their intensity, their established paths, etc. Just once I would like to hear on of them explain the new rules of weather without truing to blame it on some mythical historic cycle of weather patterns.

Truth is, they can find these "cycles" - but they can't seem to explain why they vary. Reason is, they exist only in the minds of those that create them.

Oh, well ..... just another storm. See y'all in a few days. ~D Maybe.

Glad to hear you weathered it relatively well.

The speed with which Wilma moved was a blessing. You wouldn't want something packing those winds to sit on you for 24 hours. Chances are that eventually a strong enough gust will strike each structure, if it is slow moving. The fast movement probably also reduced the storm surge.

Hard to say on the cycles since global air and water circulation patterns could certainly feed them, but having warmer water defintely is a feeder to making the storms that do develop become stronger. And increased water temperature does indeed decrease the minimum theoretical central pressure, as well as increase the theoretical maximum wind speed. Cycle or not, this appears to be the worst year ever, with three phenomenal storms. One would have been enough, but three is truly exceptional and reason for concern.

There is some discussion of adding a Category 6 starting at 176 mph. The warmer water makes 190 mph winds a theoretical possibility (whereas the former threshhold was about 175.) However, as one of the creators of the scale said, it really doesn't matter once you get much above 150 mph. He said that 6 seconds of sustained gust at that speed will cause a rupture of well built housing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KafirChobee

Now, Wilma was a very considerate Cat2.

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Good to see you are still alive and roaring, though this post of yours is a mere Cat1 on the KafirChobee Scale. ~:cool: I totally disgree with you on the cycles, the cretins and the myths. But I totally do not want to discuss global warming again. Stay cool.
:bow:

Huricanes are getting worse and worse. It's very sad...~:mecry:

Much to my surprise and amazement, we (my wee neighborhood of millionaires - me excluded, poorboy here) got our power back within a week. it is an amazing thing, until one realizes the number of cattle and milk farms in the area that needed power (and that support the Republican Party).

I know that seems biased, even prejudiced in its statement. But, all millionaires homes had power within 24 hours of Wilma passing. PGA Blvd and golf course was up within 12 hours. So, anyone wanting to play golf on it? Could on the same day Wilma passed - though the sand traps had moved ... a bit.

It's good to live near the rich. Of course we all knew that. ~D

Better still I live on the same powergrid as 5 major hospitals. Power outage? Whats that? ~D