Wilma's Eye Over SFL 1 year ago.

[Blown Away]

Around lunch time 1 year ago I was driving around in Wilma's calm eye thinking the damage was minimal from the front half of the storm, boy did I learn a lesson that afternoon when the back half moved through.

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

Hard to believe that was a year ago.

I remember that week how the Media was hyping Wilma as the "Storm of the Century", for the whole East Coast. Everyone was convinced that she would phase with the Nor'Easter, and turn into an Super Bomb. Glad they were wrong.

[HURAKAN]

As a coincidence this cold front that came through is similar to the one that swept after Wilma making life after the hurricane a lot better than compared to Katrina's passage in the steamy August weather.

[Derek Ortt]

A cat 1-2 over a major American city is enough of a bomb

[jpigott]

make that major American cities

Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm are fairly good sized also

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

A cat 1-2 over a major American city is enough of a bomb

Well I certainly see your point, and Wima was indeed one of the worse hurricanes to ever hit the mainland no question about that. However if a composite of Wilma and the Nor'Eastern had battered the whole East Coast, from Florida to Nova Scotia, for 48-72hr as a super bomb, things would have been much much worse.

[Derek Ortt]

Wilma showed just how vulnerable our cities are

Had the flight level winds have had the usual 90% reduction factor, instead of the Katrina/Rita 80% factor, Miami and Lauderdale would have been in the RFQ of a major hurricane.

Miami probably would have escaped with only a little more damage than it received since the eyewall missed (maybe instead of sustained winds of about 80 with gusts to 110, we would have had sustained 85-90 with gusts to 120-125). However, parts of Lauderdale could have been leveled by major hurricane conditions (sustained of 115 with gusts over 150 mph... doesn't matter how good the codes are then, there is only so much that the codes can protect against... see Cayman with Ivan where a place built like a fortress, far better than SF, was leveled by the wind)

[HURAKAN]

Believe it or not, in my point of view, meaning, my experience through Wilma and Katrina, I have to say Katrina was much more worse. Of course, when Wilma came anything that was easy to demolish, Katrina had already done the work. Also, Katrina went right over me @ 9 PM, and Wilma passed miles away in the morning. I think psycologically it's more menacing a cyclone during the night than during the day when you can see what is happening. Furthermore, Katrina's impact was during August fierce heat while Wilma came with a nice cold front (BIG DIFFERENCE!!!). Nonetheless, Wilma had a more extensive impact than Katrina and caused more damage.

[Derek Ortt]

be glad Katrina came in when it did and not 18 hours later in the daytime.

We probably would not be posting from Miami had Katrina doddled offshore for another 18 hours

[Jim Cantore]

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=90587

[windycity]

Sobbering thoughts,espeically coming from you, Derek. Ypu always tell it like it is, thats why i always respect what you have to say. Thank you.

[Jim Cantore]

be glad Katrina came in when it did and not 18 hours later in the daytime.

We probably would not be posting from Miami had Katrina doddled offshore for another 18 hours

Amen, we might add another few billion dollars on to it's already staggering total. Category 2, maybe 3

[Derek Ortt]

a few billion if Katrina had waited?

Try somewhere near 50-100 billion more. Katrina would have struck Miami as at least a cat 3 had it had more than 18 hours.

Of course, had Wilma not lost its inner-core over the Yucatan, it probably would have hit Florida as a 4 or a 5 and would have been even worse. We would have had strong cat 3 winds then in the Lauderdale area with cat 2 in Miami and West Palm

[Jim Cantore]

If Katrina sat for 18 hours, wouldn't it upwell itself?

[MGC]

I'm headed down to the Key West tomorrow for Fantasy Fest. On the way, I'm stopping in Ft. Lauderdale to visit my sister. It will be interesting to see the recovery efforts in S Fla as compared to S Miss. Yep, I think Katrina would have been much stronger in S Fla had she had another 12 hours over water....MGC

[Cyclenall]

a few billion if Katrina had waited?

Try somewhere near 50-100 billion more. Katrina would have struck Miami as at least a cat 3 had it had more than 18 hours.

I don't remember Tropical Storm Katrina rapidly strengthening before the 1st landfall in Florida. That would be 10 knots more strength every 6 hours plus another 5 knots...I'm not sure if that would have occurred. I noticed it started strengthening faster before landfall though.

If Katrina sat for 18 hours, wouldn't it upwell itself?

Maybe he means more time over water in general and not staying in the same spot for 18 hours.

[Jim Cantore]

Katrina looked like it wanted to go as it hit Florida.

[Derek Ortt]

Katrina was at 45KT the mroning of Aug 25. When it crossed the coast at about 23Z, it had increased to 70KT and a tight inner-core had formed.

Despite crossing the Peninsula, Katrina was a cat 2 with 90KT winds about 18 hours after Florida landfall

Instead of weakening from 70 to 60KT while crossing the peninsula in 6 hours. Had it maintained, that would have brought about a marginal 3. Had it used that 6 hours to intensify, Katrina would have been an upper 3 or a cat 4 at landfall

Even so, had Wilma's core not have collapsed, many more people would have received destructive conditions than would have received a major Katrina

[Jim Cantore]

If Wilma would've went through the Yucatan Channel then into SW Florida it easily would've been a category 4.

[Normandy]

If Wilma would've went through the Yucatan Channel then into SW Florida it easily would've been a category 4.

No doubt.
It was almost a 4 when it hit as it is.