10 votes

The "dirty side" of a hurricane, explained

5 comments

  1. [5]
    fefellama
    Link
    Cool video, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately it's a topic that a lot of us in Hurricane zones are well familiar with. Milton was a perfect example of this just a week ago. The storm went from...

    Cool video, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately it's a topic that a lot of us in Hurricane zones are well familiar with. Milton was a perfect example of this just a week ago. The storm went from west to east across the gulf, so the hardest hit areas were southwest Florida (just under where it made landfall) and southeast(ish) Florida where that front right quadrant spurred on a bunch of tornadoes, some deadly.

    Side note: I think it's incredible how much better hurricane forecasting has gotten in our lifetimes. Models are getting more accurate, and I think videos like this one (as well as the 24/7 news coverage these storms get) do a decent job of conveying the important bits to the public. I think hurricane parties are (slowly) becoming a thing of the past.

    5 votes
    1. cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      YVW, and yeah it's crazy how much more sophisticated the predictions are these days. Back when I lived in Florida, I remember the news showing just a basic line predicting Dennis (only a Cat 1/2)...

      YVW, and yeah it's crazy how much more sophisticated the predictions are these days. Back when I lived in Florida, I remember the news showing just a basic line predicting Dennis (only a Cat 1/2) making landfall along the northern coast. But it past us clean by, and then it did some really funky loop-de-loop shit off the coast of NC before finally making landfall there. I wonder if the new models would have been better at predicting that sort of aberrant behavior.

      5 votes
    2. [3]
      bl4kers
      Link Parent
      Question I've been wondering: Where do people go when evacuating for a hurricane? Is it just a hotel stay a state or two north?

      Question I've been wondering: Where do people go when evacuating for a hurricane? Is it just a hotel stay a state or two north?

      5 votes
      1. stu2b50
        Link Parent
        You don't really have to go all that far up, in this case even north florida (or even farther south like miami) was safe and projected to be safe. There are also local shelters; these are...

        You don't really have to go all that far up, in this case even north florida (or even farther south like miami) was safe and projected to be safe.

        There are also local shelters; these are hurricane rated buildings in the area (a common one is school gymnasiums, for instance). There'll have supplies and you'll be connected with the government for relief if something were to happen. Isn't going to be a comfortable stay, though; typically you're just... on the floor, in a gym.

        A hotel in a safe area is obviously a more comfortable stay, but cost money and may not be possible at a certain point.

        9 votes
      2. fefellama
        Link Parent
        People evacuate to different places depending on a lot of factors. Many schools serve as hurricanes shelters, as do stadiums and arenas. If your area gets a mandatory evacuation zone (like...

        People evacuate to different places depending on a lot of factors. Many schools serve as hurricanes shelters, as do stadiums and arenas. If your area gets a mandatory evacuation zone (like beachside areas) then a lot of people go to those.

        Another option is with family or friends. If your house is close to the impact zone, you might go spend a few days with a friend who lives more inland and away from the danger zone. Or it can even be a family member close by, if your house is prone to flooding or is kind of old and their house is newer and stronger or whatever. Or maybe they have a generator and you don’t.

        And if all else fails and you really want to get out, then yeah, driving away from the storm and staying in a hotel is a common thing. You don’t even need to go a state or two over (unless you want to, or maybe you live close to the border already). Just going a couple hours north or south usually is plenty to get away from the storm. The issue is that those hotels sell out FAST, so you might end up having to go a bit further than you might want (especially if you have pets and are looking for a pet-friendly one). Also the highways all get clogged up with people evacuating the day or two before a big storm, so evacuating earlier is best if possible.

        5 votes