Rehabilitated Wishcaster

Philly12 · #1 Postby **Philly12** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:46 am

There was a time when I was a wishcaster. I was so intreagued with hurricanes that I needed to experiance one. Year after year all through the 80's I saw canes recurve wondering when I would get my chance. Every wobble to the west was no wobble, it was a trend. Those models are wrong, it has to come here. When would it be my turn to put up the shutters and make a run to the supermarket. We boarded up for David when I was 6. It was very exciting, the watching, the waiting. Ahh, but David turned and hit Palm Beach. I could continue but why bother. August 24, 1992 changed everything. I lived through that hell and consider myself lucky to be alive. We all do. I must admit it was very exciting and dare I say fun the days and hours leading up to the landfall, but I never wan't to go through that again. people I disagree with will be people I disagree with until the big one bites them in the rear. After that those wobbles to the WSW are just that and the models don't lie. PS, we knew at least 2 days in advance that Andrew was headed straight for us. Im tired of hearing that Andrew was supposed to turn and didn't.

#2 Postby **charleston_hugo_veteran** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:49 am

ditto.....mine was hugo!

#3 Postby **Air Force Met** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:50 am

Believe it or not...being from Houston TX...I'm like that with........SNOW! I can pull a 540 thickness line down from Amarillo like nobodies business!

Aimless · #4 Postby **Aimless** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:53 am

...Donna ... Camile... David...Hugo... March 93 Storm .. Fl Tornadoes... I can't move without the dang things following me :-(

Rainband · #5 Postby **Rainband** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:57 am

Why anyone would want a monster storm is beyond me. My concern was for all the rain we have had lately and was very worried about more potential flooding. I am HAPPY!!!!!!! that Florida dodged the bullet and now my concern shifts to whoever will have to deal with Isabel next!! I hope and pray they take her seriously. I guess my doubting the NHC came from Henri..They said we were supposed to get all this rain and flooding and we didn't..I guess I will have more faith in their forcasts..from this point. The Mets on here did a terrific job confronting my doubts and I should have listened. If there is a next time..I promise I will. At least we are in for some awesome weather here as isabel passes to our east. Those in front of her path aren't so lucky. Next time anyone wishes for a Storm..look at all the tragedy and grief they can cause..then count your blessings..your wish didn't come true. :wink:

opera ghost · #6 Postby **opera ghost** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:00 pm

Air Force Met wrote:Believe it or not...being from Houston TX...I'm like that with........SNOW! I can pull a 540 thickness line down from Amarillo like nobodies business!

I saw real snow once (in houston!). I was in the 7th or the 8th grade (this would be '93-'94) and waiting outside of school for my computer calss to start. Out of the cloudy sky little flakes came floating down and it wasn't untill this gaggle of 7th and 8th graders started all- one by one- turning towards the sky that we all realized what it was.

It was over in less than 15 min and not a flake of it stayed on the ground once it hit- but they dismissed our computer class so we could stand out in the courtyard and play in the snowflakes. It was like magic *smiles happily*

And the only time in my entire life I can remember seeing snow fall from the sky... sleet? Sure. Hail- all the time...

Made a special trip to a mountain top in Wyoming when I found out that there was real snow on the ground 365 days a year... it's like magic- mountains, snow and the bluest skies on earth.... on the 4th of July!

As far as -removed- hurricanes- It happens to the best of us

Either wishing them to us- or away from us.

#7 Postby **Air Force Met** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:04 pm

IT was 1994. Where I was the flakes has clumped together into big flakes because it was a little warm and it didn't stick. The last time we had a snow that stuck was 1989.

Rainband · #8 Postby **Rainband** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:04 pm

It actually snowed in Florida once or twice :o I was sleeping one time and the other was last year on the east coast :wink:

There have been more..those are the two I remember. :wink:

jewli · #9 Postby **jewli** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:11 pm

I agree 100% with you philly12 .I was in homestead during hurricane andrew and yes they started evacuations on saturday 48hrs before landfall.on another note I realize there has been a lot of -removed- lately on some of the posts ,but some of us in south fl were genuinely nervous someone made a statement the other day about us being paranoid and I would just like to say that once you"ve been through the eye of a cat5 huurricane you've earned the right to be paranoid.

Rainband · #10 Postby **Rainband** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:17 pm

jewli wrote:I agree 100% with you philly12 .I was in homestead during hurricane andrew and yes they started evacuations on saturday 48hrs before landfall.on another note I realize there has been a lot of -removed- lately on some of the posts ,but some of us in south fl were genuinely nervous someone made a statement the other day about us being paranoid and I would just like to say that once you"ve been through the eye of a cat5 huurricane you've earned the right to be paranoid.

Would never want to go through that!!!! :o At least now you can breath a sigh of relief :wink:

Florida dodged another bullet..as our locals put it

Johnny · #11 Postby **Johnny** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:17 pm

Yep, I was born and raised in Houston and grew up and bonofide 'snow-wishcaster' and always will be. I'm still in the area so my -removed- continues. My wife and I both agreed that if it snowed (accumulation) within 3 hours of the house, we would hit the road and find it. Dallas has alot of sleet and ice at the end of last winter but I wasn't going to get my family out in those conditions. Too dangerous.
Check out 'king of weather's' winter forecast. Could this be the year? Apparently the moisture will definately be there this winter. Man, it's been along time......1989.

Philly12 · #12 Postby **Philly12** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:20 pm

I think we all just need to sit back and listen to the experts. There aren't many people in this world with the title Hurricane Specialist and there's a reason for it. They are the cream of the crop when it comes to forecasting these storms. They miss every once in a while, usually with a weak immature system, but they are pretty good with mature established canes. I was in S. Kendal for Andrew and wen't through the northern eyewall for what felt like days. I don't blame you for bieng paranoid. I couldn't imagine going without power for weeks again. I have a 2 1/2 and a 10 month old. It wouldn't be fun...

#13 Postby **Air Force Met** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:21 pm

Jewli...and it probably didn't help your nerves one bit when a bunch of people came in who really didn't know what they were talking about and said "it isn't going to make the turn because of x...y...z"...did it? That is another reason we were upset. We knew peple in Florida's nerves would be on edge and there was no reason to jab a knife into it...yet people did. I believe those paranoid comments were not directed at all of you in general...but people who were inventing meteorological processes that do not exist or those who were throwing out the data and the science. We got defensive because their was no reason to add to your already tense state and that is what all that was doing.

louise_l · #14 Postby **louise_l** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:31 pm

opera ghost wrote: I saw real snow once (in houston!).

I have photos of over a foot of snow in my front yard, on my car, and so on in College Station, in either January 1985 or December 1984. As I recall, officially it was only a couple of inches but it was up to my knees in places. That was pretty exciting! There were snowmen all over town and icicles, and I was afraid to drive in it until it melted off the streets.

I am so selfishly glad that Isadore isn't coming into the Gulf. I think anybody who WANTS a hurricane needs his head examined. But that's just my opinion. Death and destruction just aren't my cup of tea.

jewli · #15 Postby **jewli** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:38 pm

I just wanted to say that I stumbled onto this site about a week ago and I'm glad I did. I've always had the utmost confidence in the nhc and and mets on storm2k are great . I'm more of a lurker than a poster but just wanted you to know I love the site . the earlier post didn't bother me I knew everyones nerves were on edge at the time . mets keep up the great work!!!

Agua · #16 Postby **Agua** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:52 pm

Air Force Met wrote:Jewli...and it probably didn't help your nerves one bit when a bunch of people came in who really didn't know what they were talking about and said "it isn't going to make the turn because of x...y...z"...did it? That is another reason we were upset. We knew peple in Florida's nerves would be on edge and there was no reason to jab a knife into it...yet people did. I believe those paranoid comments were not directed at all of you in general...but people who were inventing meteorological processes that do not exist or those who were throwing out the data and the science. We got defensive because their was no reason to add to your already tense state and that is what all that was doing.

That's a good point. It's only after reading tropical forecasting discussions for quite a while that a complete newbie (such as myself) is able to discern the widly off the mark speculation from more legitimate analysis due to the widespread use of meteorological terms that are wholly foreign to us. One comment can *sound* about as legitimate as another when you're completely unfamiliar with the processes and terms.

#17 Postby **Air Force Met** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 1:02 pm

Right Agua. ONe guy talked about gyrodynamics and how the models did not compensate for it. First of all...that is a bunch of bunk...but it sounds good...right? To someone who doesn't know a lot about tropical forecasting they don't know that he is packing a load of garbage. Gyrodynamics has nothing to do with hurricanes. IT's what happens when bicycle wheels spin really fast and don't move off their past. That is not meteorology. It quackery...snake oil. Bahamaswx was dishing it out like sideshow bob at a carnaval.

BTW...do a google search...as most of you know...google gets everything....do a search on gyrodynamics and hurricanes and see how many results you get...just look at the volumes of research done on "gyrodynamics in tropical cyclones"

Sorry...couldn't help myself

#18 Postby **Air Force Met** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 1:02 pm

"past" should read "path"

#19 Postby **Pebbles** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 3:22 pm

The Mom says "Anyone that wants Isabelle is welcome to it..we don't want her to come here" ... She's in New Bern, NC for any that don't know...

As for snow...anyone wishing to see all the snow they want can move in with me for the winter..maybe we get a bonifide blizzard this winter and you can see something that happens ONLY IN CHICAGO.....

Parking Spot Saving Bazaar...it goes like this...there is not allot of parking in Chicago and it's a real pain in the hiney to dig out a parking spot for a car when there's no where to put that extra snow. So everyone uses house hold items to "hold their parking spot" that they dug out. You'll see chairs, tables, crates, odds and ends on the streets basically saying this is my spot and no you can't have it.

Then a couple of weeks later when things start to clear out a bit the Mayor makes an announcement that anyone that doesn't start retrieving these items will lose them because the garbage trucks are making the rounds....*snickers and shakes her head sadly* It's a true Chicago tradition.

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