How many experienced the eye of a hurricane

This is the general tropical discussion area. Anyone can take their shot at predicting a storms path.

Moderator: S2k Moderators

Forum rules

The posts in this forum are NOT official forecasts and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or STORM2K. For official information, please refer to products from the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service.

Help Support Storm2K
Message
Author
User avatar
x-y-no
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 8359
Age: 65
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:14 pm
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL

#21 Postby x-y-no » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:01 am

Katrina went directly overhead - I'm about a mile west of her landfall point. Front side didn't have more than maybe 50mph sustained, but the backside sure seemed like sustained minimal Cat 1 to me for about three or four minutes at least (with plenty of hurricane force gusts as well). May have been a topographical effect, as the Biscayne Blvd. ramp at Ives Dairy would concentrate a south wind somewhat.

Wilma's eye missed me to the north by a few miles, not sure exactly how much.

I was in the South Miami area for Andrew. Center line of the track was 6 1/2 miles south of me, so the north edge of the eye probably passed 2 miles south or so.

Gotta say, those two near misses were a heck of a lot worse than the direct hit was.
0 likes   

User avatar
Lindaloo
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 22658
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2003 10:06 am
Location: Pascagoula, MS

#22 Postby Lindaloo » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:02 am

Frederic and Elena. I missed the eye of Georges about 7 miles. Which means we were in the NE quad for a very long time.
0 likes   

User avatar
artist
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 9792
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:26 pm
Location: West Palm

#23 Postby artist » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:19 am

I agree - riding the eyewall is far worse than going through the eye. Wilma seemed like a piece of cake versus Frances and Jeanne last year.
0 likes   

Scorpion

#24 Postby Scorpion » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:51 am

The lack of precipation on the west side could be one reason that people watching my video underestimated the wind. My dream one day is to be in a perfect stadium effect eye at sunrise or sunset.
0 likes   

User avatar
windycity
S2K Supporter
S2K Supporter
Posts: 461
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 6:45 pm
Location: P.B.county,Fl.
Contact:

#25 Postby windycity » Sat Nov 12, 2005 2:42 pm

3 eyes. francis,jeanne,and willma.in frances took the dogs out,it was totally still. the back side was worse like willma. with jeanne i dont remember, willma was fairly still for 30 min. hurricanes are wild!!!!!!!!
0 likes   

User avatar
HeatherAKC
S2K Supporter
S2K Supporter
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 2:28 pm
Location: Miami Lakes, Florida

#26 Postby HeatherAKC » Sat Nov 12, 2005 7:49 pm

Since you asked....

The hightlight of my hurricane chasing/tropical living life was going through the eye of Katrina in north Miami Dade.

I never brought it up here because I felt so bad for all that suffered Katrina's REAL wrath. I didn't think is was appropriate at the time.

However, I will tell you it was very exciting and was made all the much better because conditions were not too bad here and I could really experience it without the worry of damages and destruction.

I could see it approaching from my NE as the sky lightened. It wasn't the perfect eye. It was clouded over. My husband and I did go outside and "experience the eye" and wondered in amazment at Mother Nature.

I'm such a weather geek that I e-mailed several family members the NHC update that had my area's coordinates on it when the eye was over us.

Katrina was such an awesome storm for me. Clouded, however, by the fact that sooo many suffered later.

Now in 1992, being 6 miles North of Andrew's eye wall (not a true "eye" experience) is a whole different story...................................And by no means fun.
0 likes   

User avatar
bahamaswx
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 1543
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 1:11 am
Location: Georgetown, Bahamas

#27 Postby bahamaswx » Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:04 pm

Eye of Michelle (2001). She was falling to pieces by the time she passed over Nassau, so it wasn't very impressive.

Also went outside during the eye of Floyd (1999) as he passed over Eleuthera. Truly amazing.
0 likes   

User avatar
vbhoutex
Storm2k Executive
Storm2k Executive
Posts: 29114
Age: 73
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2002 11:31 pm
Location: Cypress, TX
Contact:

#28 Postby vbhoutex » Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:32 pm

Eye of Flossy in 1958 and the eye of Alicia in 1983.
0 likes   

User avatar
hicksta
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 1108
Age: 35
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:16 am
Location: Kemah Texas/ Baton Rogue LA

#29 Postby hicksta » Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:52 pm

Although she wasnt a hurricane... Allison never knew itd be that bad
0 likes   

User avatar
Agua
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 1138
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2003 4:54 pm
Location: Biloxi, Mississippi

#30 Postby Agua » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:02 pm

Georges, dead center.
0 likes   

User avatar
hookemfins
Tropical Storm
Tropical Storm
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 10:56 pm
Location: Miami, FL

#31 Postby hookemfins » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:14 pm

Just missed the center of Katrina by 4.2 miles to my NE when she passed over the NHC.
0 likes   

User avatar
HalloweenGale
Category 1
Category 1
Posts: 377
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2004 7:31 pm
Location: Nantucket Ma
Contact:

#32 Postby HalloweenGale » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:39 pm

Most memorable eyes:

GLORIA: was on leave during the latter part o f her lifespan, was at fire island new york, expireienced TS HENRI just two days prior.

BOB: I was on Block Island at the time, There was a bright spot, but no blue skies, and the system basically went ET on me.

UNNAMED HURRICANE 1991:

I flew into this one, as it moved 180 miles east of Nantucket, it was a weak hurricane, and the eye was lame.

CHRISTMAS STORM 1994:

No matter what the NHC says about the system, it was definently tropical, and there was a very small eye, and below it, there was this beautiful stadium effect in the clouds.

These are my memorable eye expiriences.
0 likes   

Zackiedawg
Tropical Depression
Tropical Depression
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:46 am
Location: Boca Raton, Florida

#33 Postby Zackiedawg » Sun Nov 13, 2005 2:01 am

Hurricane Erin, 1995 - Staying with a friend for 4 days in Vero, I timed it beautifully for the oncoming Erin, a minimal Cat 1 as it came ashore. The storm was a very low 1, and the eye was disorganized and unclear...but it seemed to have passed over us as there was a noticeable lull in intensity for 15 minutes or so, then back up again. Overall, the storm wasn't too organized.

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, 1999 - Here in Boca, Irene was technically the first storm to pass its eye over the city in more than 50 years. Irene came up through the bottom of the everglades after glancing through the Keys as a TS, and grew to a minimal hurricane over the straights and Florida Bay. It snuck up through the swamp, and drifted up the east coast of Florida...the eye first coming over populated space around western Boca Raton and Delray Beach, then drifting out to sea around Jupiter. The storm never brought sustained hurricane winds to populated areas, but apparently measured minimal hurricane winds just offshore, and therefore was classified a Cat 1 throughout its journey up Florida. Wind damage was restricted to several branches and leaves...but rain was intense and flooding was some of the worst we've ever had. Boca Raton received 7-10 inches in a few hours, and flooding was rampant...Boynton Beach received an amazing 17-19 inches.

Hurricane Frances - Well, here in central eastern Boca, we never quite made it into Frances' eye...as huge as it was. We pretty much lingered in the southwestern, southern, and southeastern eyewall for the miserable 2-3 days it took to pass through. We lost power on the Friday before the eye even made landfall, already losing branches...Saturday trees began to fall and rain and wind continued unabated. Sunday AM the eye finally drifted in and we caught the overnight pounding that took down many of the biggest trees and screen enclosures. It took 8 days for us to get power back, and another 2 weeks to clean up. Just in time for:

Hurricane Jeanne - Fortunately we never came near the eye...and the strongest of the southern eyewall was north of us. Still, we caught strong winds and some of the weakened trees that barely made it through Frances finally gave up and came down in Jeanne. I don't think Boca ever measured hurricane force during Jeanne...but gusts probably got close.

Hurricane Wilma - a Boca Raton direct hit. Upper Cat 1, lower cat 2, gusts to cat 3 - call it what you will, but it was the worst beating this town's had since the depression era. The eye, as mentioned, was not bright, sunny, and still as some idyllic hurricanes seem to be. It remained blustery, windy, and menacing...lasting a fairly lengthy 45-50 minutes. The back eye wall could be seen clearly approaching out of the southwest and west...not stadiumed...but clearly banded billows of fast-moving grey clouds, stacked high and blocking any view of sky behind. As these approached, winds picked up and everyone moved inside. The backside, also as mentioned, packed a stronger blow than the front. Some mentioned less rain, but we had at least two periods lasting 6-10 minutes which were complete white outs with rain blasted to a fine mist and obscuring almost everything. The whole back eye lasted maybe 50 minutes at its worst, then trailed off to TS strength winds and no more rain. The entire back eye wall was blowing cold, with the cold front already interacting with the storm to lower the temperatures even within the eye wall. By the time the back of the storm trailed off to the northeast, it was clear and cool.

I posted my album with lots of pics from Wilma I took here in Boca, during and after. I have my house equipped with hurricane glass, so I didn't shutter or board, and was able to watch the whole storm with video cam in hand and still cameras ready. During both eye walls, I ventured outside on either side of the house where the winds weren't blowing to capture clearer shots and get the sound of the howling winds and crunch of debris during the worst microbursts. Check out the album over in the 'Hurricane Recovery and Aftermath Forums":

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=78256

That's it for me on hurricane eyes. I experienced Hurricane David in 1978 which just brushed Florida with tropical storm winds, Hurricane Florence in 1988 which came to New Orleans while I was going to college there, but had fallen to a tropical storm when it came into town, Tropical Storm Beryl in New Orleans that same year (both produced flooding, which was pretty common the 4 years I was there). And I went to St. Thomas a week after Hurricane Marilyn had hit them head-on...and they still had no roofs, sailboats sitting in the main streets in Charlotte Amalie, and no power in most of the island. And I was sideswiped by Hurricane Belle in New Jersey in 1976, which was my first ever hurricane experience (we probably didn't get much more than TS winds, but it did have a storm surge that flooded our coastal cottage with 2 feet of water!).
0 likes   

User avatar
Aslkahuna
Professional-Met
Professional-Met
Posts: 4550
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:00 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ
Contact:

#34 Postby Aslkahuna » Sun Nov 13, 2005 2:28 am

1967- Typhoon Emma-the eye passed overhead and we had calm winds while watching the clouds race around the horizon. I have some old 8mm movie film of Emma.

1974- Typhoon Irma-lost power in the weather station shortly after I took a radar ob of the 27 mile diameter eye east of Clark AB with the base in the right forward eyewall. The most amazing scene was seeing full sunshine on Mt. Arayat while we were still experiencing the wind and rain of the inner eyewall. Winds at Clark dropped to 12 mph in the eye while they were calm at my house 5 miles SE we also saw the Sun shine briefly at the house while in the eye.

1976- Typhoon Olga- a clear calm center passed overhead at night. The leading edge was mostly rain while the backside was a deluge with strong winds as the storm cranked up while stalled offshore just to our west.

1977- Typhoon Kim- eye passed over Clark during the day with calm winds after nearly 12 hours of TS to typhoon force winds. Backside winds came in very strong but dropped off quickly and rain became torrential.

In addition, I've had the centers of several Tropical Storms pass close to overhead with two, Raymond and Lester, being here in SE AZ.

Steve
0 likes   

timNms
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 1371
Age: 63
Joined: Sat Oct 19, 2002 5:45 pm
Location: Seminary, Mississippi
Contact:

#35 Postby timNms » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:17 am

Katrina...nuff said :eek:
0 likes   

User avatar
bvigal
S2K Supporter
S2K Supporter
Posts: 2276
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:49 am
Location: British Virgin Islands
Contact:

#36 Postby bvigal » Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:02 am

natmicstef wrote:The eye came over us in Lenny..it was extremely still and quiet for about 30 minutes. Went outside, turned the gas on to make something hot quickly and get prepared for the back side of the storm. It seemed to go from 0-70 in seconds. In Luis, though we didn't get the eye, the back side of the storm was worse, in Lenny it was about the same or slightly easier. No idea why.

Just curious, where do you live that you describe your experiences with these two storms?
0 likes   

User avatar
weatherwindow
Category 4
Category 4
Posts: 904
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:48 am
Location: key west/ft lauderdale

#37 Postby weatherwindow » Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:38 am

floyd(87), gordon(94), georges(98), floyd(99)..on harbour island, bahamas(ill-timed family visit:)), irene(99), wilma...numerous TS including mitch and marco.....rich :roll:
0 likes   

User avatar
iceangel
Category 1
Category 1
Posts: 478
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 1:17 am
Location: Pensacola, Fla.

#38 Postby iceangel » Sun Nov 13, 2005 4:15 pm

I remember going through the eye of hurricane Erin back in 1995...
0 likes   

User avatar
Tampa Bay Hurricane
Category 5
Category 5
Posts: 5597
Age: 37
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:54 pm
Location: St. Petersburg, FL

#39 Postby Tampa Bay Hurricane » Sun Nov 13, 2005 5:42 pm

Wow...I don't think Tampa
Bay has seen the eye of a hurricane for many many years....
Frances was a strong TS when its eye crossed....

I hope this post of mine doesn't jinx my luck...

But...
Even a storm from far away always seems to send a rainband
that causes moderate damage to my pool screen area (pool area damage
took place during Dennis, Frances, Jeanne, Katrina- yes a rainband from this storm as it exited sw fl did some on the pool screen though nothing
compared to what it did to the Gulf Coast, Rita, Wilma, Charley, Gabrielle,
Gordon)

yup they always give a lashing to my pool screen...
0 likes   

User avatar
Blown Away
S2K Supporter
S2K Supporter
Posts: 10166
Joined: Wed May 26, 2004 6:17 am

#40 Postby Blown Away » Sun Nov 13, 2005 6:06 pm

1979 - David - 2 hours of calm during the day. Actually drove to the beach w/ parents. Blue skies and birds.
1999 - Irene - No true eye, but about 30 minutes of no winds.
2004 - Frances - 4-5 hours of calm during the night. Saw the moon and stars for hours.
2004 - Jeanne - 2 hours off and on calm during the night. It would be calm for 10 minutes then the winds would blow 20-40 mph. I'm no expert but I think Jeanne was doing a eye wall replacement as it moved on shore.
2005 - Wilma - 1-2 hours of calm. It was neat lots of high thin clouds with some blue skies for a few mintues. Then an ominous dark gray wall moved in from the SW.
0 likes   


Return to “Talkin' Tropics”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 83 guests