I think some of you need to lighten up a bit, and see youthful enthusiasm as the thirst for life experience that it really is.
I have been though many tropical cyclones, having first hand experience of the destruction and mayhem that major systems wreak near where they make landfall.
I will never forget the intoxicating rush of the mix of fear and excitement of being in the outer eyewall of a Cat 5 cyclone approaching landfall while hearing the incredibly loud roar of the winds punctuated by intense crashes as dozens of flying house bricks were smashing the roof tiles above my head, watching cracks running down the joins between the concrete blocks in the walls of the room, and making peace with my Maker being fully aware that I may not be alive by dawn.
It turned out my time on Earth was not up that morning, and I came through the experience with a much greater understanding of the power of nature, the reality of my own mortality, and a deeper appreciation for life.
While I do not wish destruction and mayhem on anyone, I appreciate the sheer beauty and awesome power of mother nature in the raw, and still feel a rush of awe and excitement mixed with apprehension when I see a cyclone forming.
I understand the fear and apprehension that some feel after experiencing a major hit by a cyclone, appreciating the impacts of any material and personal losses that may occur, and the time it may take afterward to work through the issues raised to regain a sense of balance in life.
No amount of youthful enthusiasm or '-removed-' (whatever that is) expressed on this board is going to make an iota of difference to the track or intensity of any tropical cyclone, and trying to suppress such expressions is counter-productive and is a clear signal that one has life-issues that need resolving. - Edit to add: so take a few deep breaths and ignore such posts, as you simply need more time to heal from the effects your experiences.
When youthful enthusiasm turns to foolishness, for example:
Scorpion wrote:I wouldn't mind experiencing a Cat 5...I would want to chase it. I guess I can be qualified as a thrill-seeker.
Scorpion wrote:I would chase it in my car. Get in a concrete parking garage and film the winds. Shouldn't be dangerous.
An appropriate response could be something like:
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Professional chasers are well aware of the danger they are putting themselves in, and they carefully assess the risks they are taking while keeping their own safety in mind, knowing full well that one mistake could cost their life.
A car is not a safe vehicle for chasing any hurricane, let alone a Cat 5:
Geoff Mackley, professional videographer / cyclone chaser, in this page wrote:...Cyclone Vance hit the town of Exmouth in March 1999 and was the most powerful cyclone to make landfall in Australian history. I was in Exmouth when Cyclone Vance struck producing a record wind speed of 267 kph (165 mph)...
...
It was obvious to me at that time that driving around in a Category 5 cyclone would either be a quick way to get killed or at least a good way of destroying an expensive rental car...or both. There had to be a way of achieving this.....
If you wish to see what a custom designed chase vehicle for a region that regularly gets major cyclones looks like, see Geoff Mackley's first custom chase vehicle:
http://www.rambocam.com/archive/madmax.html. After driving this vehicle into several major landfalling cyclones, Geoff realised he needed something better - you can see his latest chase vehicle at:
http://www.rambocam.com/archive/cyclonetruck.html.
If you believe filming a Cat 5 from a concrete parking garage is not dangerous, then you are are certainly not qualified to chase hurricanes, and no qualified chaser would want you anywhere near their team for safety reasons, as your attitude puts both you and anyone with you in mortal danger.
