I survived Ivan here in Destin, but what a storm..........

#1 Postby **Dean4Storms** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:49 pm

Hello everyone, just got my Cable back on along with my internet access. Ivan was a monster, the devastation from roughly Destin, FL westward is jaw dropping. I've seen 40' yachts evidently taken by the storm surge and left wedged in tree's 10'-15' off the ground alongside someones residence across the street from property along the bay. Everything along the Gulf is damaged to some extent or the other. I personally rode out the storm and recorded 91mph gusts at my home suffering tree damage, roof damage and nerve damage.

Having been somewhat in the dark (had a generator but only ran my Frige, fan and lights) for a while now, can anyone tell me what the highest official wind speed recorded in Ivan was?

Hope everyone around me was safe and came through alright!

Lindaloo · #2 Postby **Lindaloo** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:51 pm

Welcome back Dean!! Glad you are safe and sound!!

djti · #3 Postby **djti** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:51 pm

i believe the highest gust recorded was 114.....dont quote me on that...

there has been plenty of discussion about the official landfall windspeed to say the least!!

ill stick with 110mph...strong cat 2. the surge represented a strong cat 3.....

let the debate begin.....i mean continue

#4 Postby **vbhoutex** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:55 pm

DEAN!!!! So glad you are finally back!!! I thought you may have been washed out to sea!!!! :eek:

I have not seen an "official" highest recorded wind published with Ivan yet, but NHC was reporting 127 kts. with a dropsonde just prior to landfall if I remeber my numbers correctly. All of the instruments along th e caost lost power and quit recording at about 102 mph. I f someone else has got some official wind mesurements please post them.

otowntiger · #5 Postby **otowntiger** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:56 pm

djti wrote:i believe the highest gust recorded was 114.....dont quote me on that...

there has been plenty of discussion about the official landfall windspeed to say the least!!

ill stick with 110mph...strong cat 2. the surge represented a strong cat 3.....

let the debate begin.....i mean continue

I really am surprised that was the highest gust recorded during Ivan onslaught. Undoubtedly this is a result of failing anenometers. I just can't belive that Orlando had almost as high gusts during Charley (105)

caneman · #6 Postby **caneman** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:00 pm

Dean4Storms wrote:Hello everyone, just got my Cable back on along with my internet access. Ivan was a monster, the devastation from roughly Destin, FL westward is jaw dropping. I've seen 40' yachts evidently taken by the storm surge and left wedged in tree's 10'-15' off the ground alongside someones residence across the street from property along the bay. Everything along the Gulf is damaged to some extent or the other. I personally rode out the storm and recorded 91mph gusts at my home suffering tree damage, roof damage and nerve damage.

Having been somewhat in the dark (had a generator but only ran my Frige, fan and lights) for a while now, can anyone tell me what the highest official wind speed recorded in Ivan was?

Hope everyone around me was safe and came through alright!

While the wind was bad, you guys got slammed with an incredible storm surge. Don't remember the actual heigth so perhaps someone else could post.

GalvestonDuck · #7 Postby **GalvestonDuck** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:00 pm

Glad to see ya back, Dean!

SouthernWx · #8 Postby **SouthernWx** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:13 pm

All of the official wind measuring equipment in the eastern eyewall of Ivan at time of landfall was apparently destroyed...at Pensacola FAA, Pensacola NAS, Hurlburt Field, and Whiting...that fact alone tells me this was a very powerful hurricane (because Hurlburt recorded 144 mph gusts during Opal).

From damage photos I've studied....it appears that peak gusts in the Orange Beach/ Perdido Key/ Pensacola Bay area were 160 mph or higher...possibly as strong as 180 mph in a few areas; wind damage consistent with a F3 tornado.

Several hi-rises along the beachfront have large sections of exterior walls missing...50-100' feet in the air (where no storm surge would reach). There were complete building failures even in Pensacola....one family interviewed by an Atlanta tv news crew said "it was like a bomb went off...we heard the wind coming and our house came apart". This wasn't a tornado....not in the eyewall at time of landfall, but the damage to their frame home appeared to be consistent with a 160 mph tornado (F3).

Reviewing the radar data, it appeared the north and eastern eyewall became more intense as the hurricane moved onshore....and apparently the core wind field did as well.

#9 Postby **Dean4Storms** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:14 pm

Thanks guys, gals. My anemometer cups came off and I found them in my neighbors backyard un-broken. I figured either the gust itself pulled them off or perhaps a neighbors shingles hit them. Won't ever know, but we did have gusts here nearly 120 miles east of the center to near 100mph from the destruction I've seen. I've gone as far west as Gulf Breeze, between Navarre and Pensacola on Hwy. 98 and you see complete structure failures, some even block and steel. With this, I would have to estimate some 130mph gusts, but I'm afraid all the nearest anemometers to the coast ended up like mine and were damaged.

I've gotten alot of Pics, will try and post to a site soon and provide a link.

otowntiger · #10 Postby **otowntiger** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:15 pm

caneman wrote:
Dean4Storms wrote:Hello everyone, just got my Cable back on along with my internet access. Ivan was a monster, the devastation from roughly Destin, FL westward is jaw dropping. I've seen 40' yachts evidently taken by the storm surge and left wedged in tree's 10'-15' off the ground alongside someones residence across the street from property along the bay. Everything along the Gulf is damaged to some extent or the other. I personally rode out the storm and recorded 91mph gusts at my home suffering tree damage, roof damage and nerve damage.

Having been somewhat in the dark (had a generator but only ran my Frige, fan and lights) for a while now, can anyone tell me what the highest official wind speed recorded in Ivan was?

Hope everyone around me was safe and came through alright!

While the wind was bad, you guys got slammed with an incredible storm surge. Don't remember the actual heigth so perhaps someone else could post.

Yeah, you're right. This storm I think was a whole lot like Opal. She was an incredible cat 5 in the gulf and weakened to a cat 3 just before landfall. The surge was much more devastating than the winds. I think this is the case in Ivan, even though the winds were plenty destructive.

Hurricane Cheese · #11 Postby **Hurricane Cheese** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:18 pm

130 mph sustained at landfall is what the NHC is going with, and I agree with them on this...

#12 Postby **Dean4Storms** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:19 pm

SouthernWx wrote:All of the official wind measuring equipment in the eastern eyewall of Ivan at time of landfall was apparently destroyed...at Pensacola FAA, Pensacola NAS, Hurlburt Field, and Whiting...that fact alone tells me this was a very powerful hurricane (because Hurlburt recorded 144 mph gusts during Opal).

From damage photos I've studied....it appears that peak gusts in the Orange Beach/ Perdido Key/ Pensacola Bay area were 160 mph or higher...possibly as strong as 180 mph in a few areas; wind damage consistent with a F3 tornado.

Several hi-rises along the beachfront have large sections of exterior walls missing...50-100' feet in the air (where no storm surge would reach). There were complete building failures even in Pensacola....one family interviewed by an Atlanta tv news crew said "it was like a bomb went off...we heard the wind coming and our house came apart". This wasn't a tornado....not in the eyewall at time of landfall, but the damage to their frame home appeared to be consistent with a 160 mph tornado (F3).

Reviewing the radar data, it appeared the north and eastern eyewall became more intense as the hurricane moved onshore....and apparently the core wind field did as well.

I would very much agree with you SouthernWX, I've seen pure metal billboard sign posts as big around as a Yugo snapped off and other signs of winds well over 130mph, brick bldgs demolished, metal bldgs gone, block bldgs gone and on and on!!

#13 Postby **HurricaneQueen** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:22 pm

Welcome back, Dean. Sorry you had to endure what you did but at least you are safe now and will have quite some stories to tell the grandkids someday!!!!

Lynn

dwinpcola · #14 Postby **dwinpcola** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:38 pm

Hey , I am in Milton/Pensacola area and I can tell ya the winds were more than 100 mph as one person posted. I have been here for 30 years and this was one mean storm . I will not stay for another cat 3 or 4. The winds seemd to last way too long for me. I am lucky and did not have much damage unlike many people I know in the area.

dw

quazar · #15 Postby **quazar** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:43 pm

Welcome back Dean and glad to hear you are OK. I live across the street from Perdido Bay and am surprised my house is still standing....maybe the trees leaning on it blocked some wind and held the roof down.

Thanks for the info SouthernWx.

Website · #16 Postby **Brent** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:01 pm

Glad your back Dean.

I survived Ivan here in Destin, but what a storm..........

I survived Ivan here in Destin, but what a storm..........

Re: I survived Ivan here in Destin, but what a storm........

Re: I survived Ivan here in Destin, but what a storm........

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