70 years ago today the bomb went off

[Recurve]

It was a very very small storm in terms of the wind field. Small but incredibly intense.

It wasn't the dark ages. Barometers worked as well then as they do now. As someone posted above, there was considerable scientific examination of the data and instruments, so the reading is considered accurate. Another set of readings comes from the manager of the Long Key Fishing Camp who was a trained weather observer.

The rescue train was washed off the track by storm surge, not blown off by wind, and it only had about 8 passengers -- Keys residents who were picked up as the train headed down the Keys. It was derailed before it reached the WWI veterans, who were living in camps as a work relief project to build highway bridges. They were huddled in the open, waiting for the train when they were killed either by surge or flying debris. In one bit of good luck, several hundred of them had gone to Miami to attend a Labor Day baseball game.

I don't know about it defining "rapid deepening," it almost seems to be in a category by itself. It was an explosion from a disturbance to a Cat 5.

70 years. I just realized that with all my focus on Katrina, I forget to find out if there was a commemoration planned at the hurricane monument in Islamorada on Friday.

[Jim Cantore]

I didnt ask if it WAS rapid deepening

I asked basicly if this was the most dramatic example of rapid deepening ever recorded

[wxmann_91]

I asked basicly if this was the most dramatic example of rapid deepening ever recorded

No.

Typhoon Forrest in September 1983 in the Northwest Pacific Ocean deepened by 100 mb (976 to 876 mb) in just under 24 hr (Roger Edson, personal communication). Estimated surface sustained winds increased a maximum of 15 m/s (30 kt, 35 mph) in 6 hr and 44 m/s (85 kt, 98 mph) in one day (from 33 to 77 m/s [65 to 150 kt, 75 to 173 mph]).

In the Atlantic Hurricane Gilbert went from 960 mb to 888 mb in a 24 hour period for a 3 mb/hr pressure drop. The winds went from 57 to 82 m/s (110 kt to 160 kt, 127 mph to 184 mph) in that 24 hour period. And Hurricane Beulah in 1967 underwent a 6.33 mb/hr drop over a six hour period.

Source: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E2.html

[ericinmia]

NO ONE can doubt the strength of that storm.

There are picture proofs of the wind strength. People went out in the eye, and got caught by the eastern eye wall.... They were SANDBLASTED to their bones. Bodies were found wraped around trees, structures, etc. It takes some SERIOUS winds to sandblast the skin, muscle and fat off of someone.
-Eric

[HurricaneBill]

NO ONE can doubt the strength of that storm.

There are picture proofs of the wind strength. People went out in the eye, and got caught by the eastern eye wall.... They were SANDBLASTED to their bones. Bodies were found wraped around trees, structures, etc. It takes some SERIOUS winds to sandblast the skin, muscle and fat off of someone.
-Eric

One guy got knocked unconscious and when he came to, he saw sparks from the wind blowing sand against objects. With all the sparks, he figured he had died and gone to hell.