Very Alarming!!!

[bucman1]

I am very alarmed at how peoples perceptions have changed as far as
the way they view for example a catergory 3 hurricane now than what they did 3 years ago.

If it is not a cat 5 people don't worry as much "its only a "3".

Opinons/comments welcomed!

[terstorm1012]

Not sure how true that is given Katrina's intensity when she finally made her final landfall. That 3(not starting the 3/4/5 argument again) killed 1500+ people that we know of and hundreds more still missing.

And the History channel with the Weather channel are showing that "just a 3" at the right(wrong) angle and at the right(wrong) time of the tides will cause severe damage to the southward facing coasts of the New York City area and a good deal of damage to windows in Manhattan's skyscrapers.

I think people do worry about storms even now after what we've seen, IMO. However there needs to be much, much more public outreach especially in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. I did see that New Jersey had a big hurricane drill and test over the weekend at the Atlantic City Airport, so this is a good start, and I heard (though not confirmed) that New York is running public service messages.

[Scorpion]

I disagree. Before, it used to be if it was not a 4 or a 5 people wouldn't be afraid. Now that all these disasters have occured(mainly from Cat 3's) most people are afraid of any major hurricane.

[Evil Jeremy]

I disagee as well. whay do you thinl they call them "Major Hurricanes?" Look at what Wilma did to S. Florida as a Cat. 2!!!

[MiamiensisWx]

Also, most areas in southeast Florida experienced sustained low-end to middle Category One winds during Wilma, with some smaller portions experiencing high-end Category One winds. Look how destructive this was, especially in a highly populated area! ALL storms are destructive.

[Janice]

Hey, I don't want to see a Cat 3 hit Puerto Rico at all. We would get a ton of damage.

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

It only takes cat 2 winds, or sometimes even high end cat 1 winds, to do a lot of damage. Every storm should be taken VERY seriously.

[skysummit]

Heck, look at Cindy. Of course she was upgrade to a Cat 1 cane, but barely. She knocked out power to parts of NOLA for over a week.

[terstorm1012]

It only takes cat 2 winds, or sometimes even high end cat 1 winds, to do a lot of damage. Every storm should be taken VERY seriously.

Heck, Floyd was a tropical storm when he passed us in Philadelphia but did tens of millions of dollars in flood damage.

We had to get a whole new roof it rained so hard, the rain turned the ground on my street to muck and a tree fell over almost on our house. it was propped up by the telephone lines. unfortunately i didn't have a camera then so there's no pics but it was a surreal sight. (

[ROCK]

It only takes cat 2 winds, or sometimes even high end cat 1 winds, to do a lot of damage. Every storm should be taken VERY seriously.

bingo...!!! you win the prize...

[MGC]

Well, years ago it would take a Cat 4 or 5 to cause the damage Katrina did. But, with all the development that has occured on America's coastline, damage numbers have only one way to go....UP! I think Katrina is just the beginning of a upward trend in costly hurricanes to strike America........MGC

[brunota2003]

No...I have to disagree...it only takes a TS to cause a bunch of damage. Isabel, Alex, Charley, and Ophelia...all caused TS force winds no more here in Havelock...there were homes destroyed or had blue tarps because of "only a TS" even TD's can be deadly and damaging...

[cycloneye]

No...I have to disagree...it only takes a TS to cause a bunch of damage. Isabel, Alex, Charley, and Ophelia...all caused TS force winds no more here in Havelock...there were homes destroyed or had blue tarps because of "only a TS" even TD's can be deadly and damaging...

My friend,even a tropical wave moving slowly as the one in October 1985 occured here in Puerto Rico can cause many problems.In that event 86 people died at Mameyes as a mudslide rolled over a village.

[brunota2003]

No...I have to disagree...it only takes a TS to cause a bunch of damage. Isabel, Alex, Charley, and Ophelia...all caused TS force winds no more here in Havelock...there were homes destroyed or had blue tarps because of "only a TS" even TD's can be deadly and damaging...

My friend,even a tropical wave moving slowly as the one in October 1985 occured here in Puerto Rico can cause many problems.In that event 86 people died at Mameyes as a mudslide rolled over a village.

True...I forgot about those as I typically dont have to deal with them...ok...anything with moisture can cause lots of dead and destruction...there...

[luvwinter]

Maybe if they constantly compared them to tornado ratings on the fujita scale people might think more seriously. I would think most people are afraid of tornadoes. Those are over in seconds where as a hurricane's winds last for hours. Didn't Dr. Gray do this a few times last year with the larger storms. I am thinking he did this with Katrina and maybe Rita.

[patsmsg]

Wait until the first announcement of a category 3 in the Gulf this year. The first time the warning area includes New Orleans there is going to be a MASSIVE exodus bordering on public hysteria. People used to hang around, but not any more. Things have changed.

Trust me. The opinions of most people around here have changes regarding category 3 hurricanes. There is no such thing as "just a 3".

My fear is that a few years of near misses (where people leave and then come back when the storm turns) will lead to aggravation replacing the fear, and we will be set up for another disaster down the line when people decide it is not worth leaving again.

[dhweather]

While I believe there were isolated pockets of very top end 3 / bottm end 4 winds in Hancock County, Mississippi, all agree that there were sustained cat 3 winds.

The wind damage from Katrina, a cat 3 in Mississippi, was severe. There is no
such thing a "just a cat 3", if you've ever lived through one.

[terstorm1012]

My fear is that a few years of near misses (where people leave and then come back when the storm turns) will lead to aggravation replacing the fear, and we will be set up for another disaster down the line when people decide it is not worth leaving again.

That might not happen though...unlike with past storms there are literally WEEKS of video of people on rooftops, towns wiped off the map, bodies floating in fetid water.....

although you have Key Westers who have tired of leaving, though I hear there's an exodus out of Monroe Co. Florida....

[Regit]

I think that by far the most alarming attitude when it comes to hurricanes is "Oh, it's not going to hit here." There are a lot of people that are sure a hurricane is not coming to their area based on such scientific data as "the last one turned away." It's like they think the hurricane cares where they live and knows not to come to them. When I hear that attitude, I want to slap the person.

[Extremeweatherguy]

While I believe there were isolated pockets of very top end 3 / bottm end 4 winds in Hancock County, Mississippi, all agree that there were sustained cat 3 winds.

The wind damage from Katrina, a cat 3 in Mississippi, was severe. There is no
such thing a "just a cat 3", if you've ever lived through one.

Well I am not so sure about that statement. May be if you are referring to the immediate coast, but according to the HRD (Hurricane Research Division)...most areas in Southern Mississippi only recieved Cat. 1-2 force winds from Katrina.

Here are the surface winds as Katrina moved across your area:

ftp://ftp.aoml.noaa.gov/pub/hrd/hwind/2 ... l02deg.png

ftp://ftp.aoml.noaa.gov/pub/hrd/hwind/2 ... l02deg.png

ftp://ftp.aoml.noaa.gov/pub/hrd/hwind/2 ... l02deg.png

**The Diamondhead area probably did recieve Cat. 2/3 force winds**