Alex Advisories

[Wnghs2007]

WOW. That is some big time rains. and yall have been having flooding problems. Stay safe.

[Wnghs2007]

I know I know its TWC but they said it never made lanfall just brushed the coast.

[Pebbles]

Looks like a non-landfall from what's being reported on TV ...

[USAwx1]

Well, simple ... not ONE of us expected this to become a hurricane in its incipient stage, let alone Cat 2. Second, we all basically had to play catchup ... which lends to the old addage, that intensity forecasts are ALWAYS the hardest to predict ...

Alex is a small compact storm very susceptible to subtle changes either for or against it ... yesterday, when the s/w ridge built over top of the system, it responded very quickly with a strong burst of convection as the NE Shear relaxed ... (however, there was ENHANCED divergence or diffluent flow which aided in the development of the convection) ... As the s/w ridge became more established, convection was able to build and wrap around the center in a much more organized fashion, and we also saw, the vertical profiles begin to match up instead of the chaotic mess just 24 hours previous, with low level swirls exiting out of the NNE side of the storm, and the MLC meandering ...

Yesterday afternoon, and evening, during the diurnal mininum, we saw convection fade out somewhat but still enough to allow Alex to hold its own. As the afternoon wore on, another very strong burst of convection occurred, and again, an enhancement was caused by a small jet streak in the RRQ of the trough which placed diffluent flow right over Alex, and allowed for another round of intensification. Southwesterly winds increased aloft, but also, the cyclone also responded by picking up speed yielding lesser amounts of shear. The small size of Alex allowed for pressures to come down fairly quickly (but not in the classification of rapid), and also the high Heat Potential in the Gulf Stream makes Alex - "the storm that seized the window of opportunity to the fullest" ...

SF

Agree, and Awesome discussion

[Wnghs2007]

Looks like a non-landfall from what's being reported on TV ...

It barely missed landfall by about half a mile. That is how close this one got. WOW.

[Pebbles]

Looks like a non-landfall from what's being reported on TV ...

It barely missed landfall by about half a mile. That is how close this one got. WOW.

That's gotta make some kinda record ...closest non-landfalling hurricane ever...Alex 2004?

[ncweatherwizard]

Bad news. 2:07PM: Major flooding in Hatteras Village...water from sound over the docks in the marina. Men are trying to tie boats down but ropes are being pulled to max...possible structural flooding. Tides 6 feet above normal and about 1 foot over dock. Winds out of the northeast @ hurricane force.

[ncweatherwizard]

No landfall...it's a direct hit.

[tallywx]

More damage reports...

120 p.m.

Hatteras Village BROADCAST MEDIA

78 MPH WIND GUST.


4 FOOT SOUNDSIDE STORM SURGE. WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND
CARS FLOATING.

WIDESPREAD SOUNDSIDE FLOODING. NUMEROUS HOMES FLOODED.

5 FEET OF WATER ON PARTS OF HIGHWAY 12. WIDESPREAD
SOUNDSIDE FLOODING.

[Guest]

Gettting nailed in Hatteras.

http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/KHSE.html

[Typhoon_Willie]

Wow!

[Josephine96]

I thought it may have made landfall.. But apparently not..

[tallywx]

Damage reports corroborate your reports...


120 p.m.

Hatteras Village BROADCAST MEDIA

78 MPH WIND GUST.


4 FOOT SOUNDSIDE STORM SURGE. WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND
CARS FLOATING.

WIDESPREAD SOUNDSIDE FLOODING. NUMEROUS HOMES FLOODED.

5 FEET OF WATER ON PARTS OF HIGHWAY 12. WIDESPREAD
SOUNDSIDE FLOODING.

[GaryOBX]

I'd say Ocracoke so far has gotten the worst of Alex.

Code: Select all

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
210 PM EDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..


0120 PM     HURRICANE        HATTERAS VILLAGE        35.22N 75.69W
08/03/2004                   OUTER BANKS DARE   NC   BROADCAST MEDIA

            78 MPH WIND GUST.



0140 PM     HURRICANE        OCRACOKE                35.10N 75.98W
08/03/2004                   OUTER BANKS HYDE   NC   BROADCAST MEDIA

            4 FOOT SOUNDSIDE STORM SURGE. WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND
            CARS FLOATING.



0145 PM     HURRICANE        OCRACOKE                35.10N 75.98W
08/03/2004                   OUTER BANKS HYDE   NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WIDESPREAD SOUNDSIDE FLOODING. NUMEROUS HOMES FLOODED.



0200 PM     HURRICANE        OCRACOKE                35.10N 75.98W
08/03/2004                   OUTER BANKS HYDE   NC   BROADCAST MEDIA

            5 FEET OF WATER ON PARTS OF HIGHWAY 12. WIDESPREAD
            SOUNDSIDE FLOODING.



[cycloneye]

03/1745 UTC 13.4N 55.1W T2.0/2.0 02 -- Atlantic Ocean
03/1745 UTC 35.3N 75.2W T4.5/4.5 ALEX -- Atlantic Ocean

In terms of the dvorak numbers of sat estimates no changes from this morning.

[lilbump3000]

Well the atlantic one changed from earlier because it was 1.5/2.0 now its 2.0/2.0

[Josephine96]

Thanks Luis

[HurricaneGirl]

Thanks for the updates Gary!

[soonertwister]

Gettting nailed in Hatteras.

http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/KHSE.html

No report from Hatteras in over two hours, just like with the Diamond Shoals buoy (41025). Looks like all the weather instruments have been put out of service.

[mf_dolphin]

Nothing like reporting from the scene! Thanks for the updates.