new way to classify storms

[docjoe]

Based on my recent experience with Ivan, Arlene, Cindy, and Dennis I would like to propose a new way, a more practical way, to classify how severe a storm is. This is not based on wind speed, millibars, storm surge etc. Rather this is based on my being sick and tired of cutting and hauling trees. Storms should be ranked in a given area on amount of debris produced using a highly sophisticated method of eyeballing your debris pile. I recommend giving a level to each 1500 cubic feet of debris. An example ( and this only includes the 40 + trees I lost in Ivan and Dennis, plus the ones from my neighbors on one side.and the debris from the creek flooding 6 feet high in my yard but not my roof) would be as follows. In Ivan I conservatively made 5 debris piles averaging about 75 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high(75*8*8*5)/1500=16. Thus Ivan for me was a Cat 16. My neighbor who had no trees and no roof damage did not even meet criteria for a Cat 1. I estimate Dennis will be a cat 9.6. Hopefully those of you with more experience than me can find a way to factor in roof debris, wet carpet, etc. Any thoughts???

[The Big Dog]

How about "number of TV mets I'd like to punch."

[EDR1222]

Based on my recent experience with Ivan, Arlene, Cindy, and Dennis I would like to propose a new way, a more practical way, to classify how severe a storm is. This is not based on wind speed, millibars, storm surge etc. Rather this is based on my being sick and tired of cutting and hauling trees. Storms should be ranked in a given area on amount of debris produced using a highly sophisticated method of eyeballing your debris pile. I recommend giving a level to each 1500 cubic feet of debris. An example ( and this only includes the 40 + trees I lost in Ivan and Dennis, plus the ones from my neighbors on one side.and the debris from the creek flooding 6 feet high in my yard but not my roof) would be as follows. In Ivan I conservatively made 5 debris piles averaging about 75 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high(75*8*8*5)/1500=16. Thus Ivan for me was a Cat 16. My neighbor who had no trees and no roof damage did not even meet criteria for a Cat 1. I estimate Dennis will be a cat 9.6. Hopefully those of you with more experience than me can find a way to factor in roof debris, wet carpet, etc. Any thoughts???

Not a bad idea.

[WindRunner]

I was just thinking about putting something like this up here, except it was going to be a serious discussion about a new scale based on pressure or size or something, I hadn't really though about it much.

[Astro_man92]

which whould be more intense a small compact cat 3 or a large cat 2 ???

[wxmann_91]

which whould be more intense a small compact cat 3 or a large cat 2 ???

Depends on how fast they're moving. And there is a difference between an Ivan-isque Cat 3 and an 1993 Emily-isque Cat 3. And where they make landfall.

[Hurricaneman]

I guess it depends on the area and size of the storm

[sprink52]

I have to say for me,Frances was worse than Andrew. I went through Andrew in Homestead in '92. He was a small,compact bomb. Andrew was over for us in 4 hours. The impact was confined to south Dade County. Andrew had a hurricane force wind field of about 40 miles and moved very quickly.

Frances on the other hand had a huge wind field, about 100+ miles and took 36 hours to move through. Those of us here in North Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast got beat up with hurricane force winds for 36 hours!! Hey folks, thats a day and a half!! Talk about cabin fever.


Give me a fast moving storm over a Frances any day.

[Frank2]

I think FEMA uses something similar (severity based on amount of actual debris).

Frank

[Ivanhater]

same here with ivan, ivan stayed all night, dennis only took about an hour and was done

[Scorpion]

Yes, Frances was definitely a pain. Its damage was far more widespread and worse than Jeanne just because the prolonged amount of hurricane force winds(even though here I think we only got hurricane winds for an hour or so, and I doubt that south of West Palm any hurricane force winds were experienced). Even hours and hours of strong TS winds can cause damage. Would take a weakening fast 3 any day than Frances.