Hurricane Irene

[Berkut]

Some years ago I was hunting in Wareham, Mass. We were on a river bank not too far from where the river empties into the ocean. It was raining, normal storm, but there was a storm tide that we didn't realize. High tide came but the water kept rising fast. Pretty quickly the entire land area around us was covered in water. We used a canoe to get out of there, and that was tricky enough, being careful to keep to calmer water until we got to higher ground. Parts of the neighborhood nearby was flooded out. My friend's car was ruined due to being immersed in water. Just a mess all around. That was my introduction to how bad a storm tide could be, and this was really not a big storm, else we wouldn't have gone hunting in the first place.

Did FEMA step in and help out?

[Arvoreen]

Some years ago I was hunting in Wareham, Mass. We were on a river bank not too far from where the river empties into the ocean. It was raining, normal storm, but there was a storm tide that we didn't realize. High tide came but the water kept rising fast. Pretty quickly the entire land area around us was covered in water. We used a canoe to get out of there, and that was tricky enough, being careful to keep to calmer water until we got to higher ground. Parts of the neighborhood nearby was flooded out. My friend's car was ruined due to being immersed in water. Just a mess all around. That was my introduction to how bad a storm tide could be, and this was really not a big storm, else we wouldn't have gone hunting in the first place.

Did FEMA step in and help out?

Only if they managed to declare it a disaster area

[HisMajestyBOB]

The major killer from hurricanes is storm surge and flooding. Yes, Cat 5s have much bigger of both than Cat 1s, but Cat 1s are no picnic either. Especially since a lot of the northeast already had a lot of rain, and Vermont experienced lots of flooding back in the spring.

[MadImmortalMan]

Now people are checking the measurements, and some are saying Irene was never actually a hurricane.


Edit: Wind peaked at 57 knots on Cape Hatteras. How fast does it need to be? 65?

[DGuller]

Now people are checking the measurements, and some are saying Irene was never actually a hurricane.


Edit: Wind peaked at 57 knots on Cape Hatteras. How fast does it need to be? 65?

No, it doesn't need to be as high as 65 knots.  Just 64 knots would do.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Now people are checking the measurements, and some are saying Irene was never actually a hurricane.


Edit: Wind peaked at 57 knots on Cape Hatteras. How fast does it need to be? 65?

The NHC uses very specific criteria for measuring hurricane winds:

The Hurricane Center uses a 1 min averaging time for reporting the sustained (i.e. relatively long-lasting) winds. The maximum sustained wind mentioned in the advisories that NHC issues for tropical storms and hurricanes are the highest 1 min surface winds occurring within the circulation of the system. These "surface" winds are those observed (or, more often, estimated) to occur at the standard meteorological height of 10 m (33 ft) in an unobstructed exposure (i.e., not blocked by buildings or trees).

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/D4.html

If Fucktard McTeaparty is measuring the winds at ground level, they're going to be much lower due to trees and houses blocking them.

When the hurricane is over the ocean, winds are measured using hurricane hunter aircraft, although I believe they also estimate them using data from satellites. The NHC does review the hurricane season's data at the end of the season and upgrade/downgrade accordingly. For example, a tropical depression in 2005 was upgrade to tropical storm status after the season review: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Azores_subtropical_storm
But that happens after the end of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if Irene was reduced to a TS earlier, but it certainly was a hurricane when it first impacted the coast. It's highly unlikely NHC mistook a TS for a Cat2.

[Zanza]

I am sure the people who lost their house care a lot whether it was a category 1 hurricane or just a very bad tropical storm.

[DGuller]

I am sure the people who lost their house care a lot whether it was a category 1 hurricane or just a very bad tropical storm.

They actually may care for insurance reasons.  If they had a policy with a hurricane deductible, and the trigger for the hurricane deductible was that the storm were at least Cat 1, then they pay a higher deductible if it was in fact a hurricane.

[MadImmortalMan]

I know the difference between a 4.9 earthquake and a 5.0 made a lot of difference to insurance rates around here.

[KRonn]

Some years ago I was hunting in Wareham, Mass. We were on a river bank not too far from where the river empties into the ocean. It was raining, normal storm, but there was a storm tide that we didn't realize. High tide came but the water kept rising fast. Pretty quickly the entire land area around us was covered in water. We used a canoe to get out of there, and that was tricky enough, being careful to keep to calmer water until we got to higher ground. Parts of the neighborhood nearby was flooded out. My friend's car was ruined due to being immersed in water. Just a mess all around. That was my introduction to how bad a storm tide could be, and this was really not a big storm, else we wouldn't have gone hunting in the first place.

Did FEMA step in and help out?

Those basties were nowhere to be found! 

[Rasputin]

I am sure the people who lost their house care a lot whether it was a category 1 hurricane or just a very bad tropical storm.

They actually may care for insurance reasons.  If they had a policy with a hurricane deductible, and the trigger for the hurricane deductible was that the storm were at least Cat 1, then they pay a higher deductible if it was in fact a hurricane.

actually most property insurance will actually turn on whether it was a "named storm" thereby making it irrelevant whether it was actually a hurricane at landfall

[DGuller]

I am sure the people who lost their house care a lot whether it was a category 1 hurricane or just a very bad tropical storm.

They actually may care for insurance reasons.  If they had a policy with a hurricane deductible, and the trigger for the hurricane deductible was that the storm were at least Cat 1, then they pay a higher deductible if it was in fact a hurricane.

actually most property insurance will actually turn on whether it was a "named storm" thereby making it irrelevant whether it was actually a hurricane at landfall

Probably, but it depends on the precise language on the policy, and the requirements of insurance regulators.

[MadImmortalMan]

If only Pat Robertson was there.  He drove off a Hurricane before.

Pat makes WONDERFUL pancakes.

He's also a terrific dancer.

[Eddie Teach]

actually most property insurance will actually turn on whether it was a "named storm" thereby making it irrelevant whether it was actually a hurricane at landfall

I actually think you could have thrown in another "actually" or two.

[CountDeMoney]

Katia is on her way.  Same starting point, same trajectory, estimated at Cat 3 by Monday.

Figures.  Just like a high-maintenance Russian chick, all full of herself.