Gums wrote:Salute all!
The counties west of the landfall came out really well, with minor flooding in the very low places ( as usual) and some wind damage.
As with Kate back in 85, and some others like ivan ( I saw that on west side helping my folks), the wind was much lighter than the graphics you see that show the extent and magnitude. Was 20 miles east of impact for Erin, Opal and Juan, and the wind was almost exactly what NHC graphics portrayed, I guess that's due to surface friction versus a dropsonde measurement or other sensors on the recce bird. Am I close on that?
One great item that Dawg posted was that "Fist of God" phenomena.
We personally witnessed it in both Opal and Erin. Especially Erin. I had garage door open, facing south, and wind had already started to come from east-northeast. Wind was down to maybe 30-40 mph, like a strong summer thunderstorm. I heard a semi coming down the state hwy about a quarter mile south of me and wondered what he was doing in this storm. That's what it sounded like, a big truck with knobby tires. Suddenly all the trees to my east started leaning over big time and WHAM!!! Tree thru roof from behind me!
So those mesovortexes or whatever are real and more responsible for the house next door going away and your place is fine. The Dawg nailed it. My folks place just north of New Orleans was sameo, sameo. a dozen big trees down on their roof and two houses away were just fine. They and neighbors described the noise and their ears popping. Must be the pressure change, huh?
If you don't leave or can't leave, then that sound is a good clue to "duck and cover", as debris could come right thru your wall or roof.
Lastly, all should look at the videos and such now coming out. Note that there are no leaves on the trees! This only happens with Cat 3 or higher storms, and I saw it after Camille at Biloxi, and again when very close to impact point of Opal. Our wind only got to 110 sustained, gusts to 130, but we retained most of the leaves on the oaks and other deciduous (sp?) trees.
Gums sends...
The sound is tornado sound. I believe it. Those "mesovorteses" whatever, to me are mini-TORNADOES, and they spawn up in hurricanes....the winds are swirling so fiercely. Totally explains the "my house destroyed/your house fine" syndrome.
Freight train noise, always describes tornadoes. Ears popping....as in sudden DROP in baro-pressure. It's quite low to begin with (as hurricanes are just GIANT low-level tornadoes (like f-0) anyway) my opinion. Then when they spawn up a BIGGER tornado, the pressure drops EVEN MORE! Explains why you'll see the water in a toilet bowl literally
SUCKED OUT of the pipes in the worst of it.
We saw it here in Charley. Like that boat storage place they showed this morning on TWC....we had a hurricane shelter where the roof PEELED BACK, and 1500 people had to be evac'd across the street to the local High school - IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORST OF THE STORM - to safety. Several blocks due WEST of there, a restaurant where the roof was ripped off, but all the table setting, salt/pepper shakers, utensils and NAPKINS still sitting on the tables! THAT's not hurricane winds coming in, or EVERYTHING would have been blown away.
Oh, yeah, add: NO LEAVES ON TREES: Saw this in Andrew in S. FL. Not completely in Charley.
Cleo - 1964, Betsy - 1965, David - 1979, Andrew - 1992, Charlie (Francis, Ivan, Jeanne) - 2004, Irma - 2017, Ian - 2022