Heated up oceans

[mariness]

Back in late July I heard quite a few people scoffing about the current hurricane season. "Thought it was supposed to such a major one. And now look at it."

Look at it indeed.That's four - four - tropical systems to spin up in the Atlantic in the past 11 days alone, with three active systems out there. Now, sure, all this activity could abruptly

Comments

[selfavowedgeek]

I've often told people it's August you got to watch. Never underestimate the Atlantic during that time.

[mariness]

Historically the most active month has usually (not always) been September.

I also distinctly remember various people assuring me that we would never, but never have a major hurricane in October. I even had a friend plan her wedding for the end of October so that she wouldn't run any risks of hurricane interference....and then Hurricane Wilma appeared.

[mdg1]

Looks like Earl will only brush RI. I'm not too paranoid.

[mariness]

Hurricane prediction does, admittedly, improve each year, but I'll just note

[mariness]

Although, fortunately for Rhode Island, Jim Cantorre has headed to North Carolina, so you might well be safe ;)

[mdg1]

I did say "not TOO paranoid" :)

[xo_kizzy_xo]

By the time it hits us up here in MA, it either dwindles to a regular nor'easter or we just get the tail winds.

Of course I may end up having to drive into work in the middle of all this :erk:

[mariness]

A very bad hurricane prediction left me (and many others) having to drive home during the height of Hurricane Irene (and if you are thinking, why were you driving, the answer is, our office building closed down and locked everyone out when a hurricane warning went up, and I had no place to go but home), which dumped about 10 inches of rain during a half hour. The elevated highway was flooded and I literally could not see the lane markings directly in front of me.

Worst driving experience ever, closely followed by my needing to out run a tornado in Jacksonville because thanks to road construction we literally could not pull over, even though the funnel cloud was touching I-95 behind us.

On the other hand, when Hurricane Gloria hit Connecticut, I went out in it :) There's a fairly significant difference between the category one storms (which I'm stupid enough to venture out in) and the category three and higher which, no, you do not go out in, whatever Hollywood might say ;)

[xo_kizzy_xo]

I have family in the Pompano Beach area -- their house was nearly destroyed a few years ago. They've moved further inland since then. I wish I could remember which hurricane it was.

We tend to be a bit lackadaisical up here when it comes to hurricanes, I think. The last one that slammed the Boston area was way back in the 1930s. We've had a few whallops since then, but nothing compared to what you have down there. I think people tend to forget that it could very well happen. Ditto with earthquakes.

Nor'easters, OTOH, are a whole other story. The summer ones may dump a lot of water like the one we had a couple of days ago, but the wind rarely reaches beyond 50-60mph up my way. Winter nor'easters are classic blizzards with roaring wind thrown in for good measure.