TIME-LAPSE: Did This House In Florida Survive Irma's Eyewall?
Incredible time-lapse video surfaced that shows Hurricane Irma lashing out on a house in Naples, FL. Notice how the winds increase in strength, followed by calm conditions as the eye passes over. Then winds shift in the other direction as the back side of the storm moved through, but miraculously, the house stood strong...
Video Credit: voki erii
What is a Hurricane?
A "hurricane" is the most severe category of the meteorological phenomenon known as the "tropical cyclone."
Tropical cyclones are low pressure systems that have thunderstorm activity and rotate counterclockwise. A tropical
cyclone that has winds of 38 mph (33 kt) or less is called a tropical depression. When the tropical cyclone's winds reach
39-73 mph (34-63 kt), it is called a tropical storm. When the winds exceed 74 mph (64 kt), the storm is considered
to be a hurricane.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale defines hurricane strength by categories. A Category 1 storm is the weakest hurricane
(winds 74-95 mph or 64-82 kt); a Category 5 hurricane is the strongest (winds greater than 155 mph or 135 kt).
The category of the storm does not necessarily relate directly to the damage it will inflict. Lower category storms (and
even tropical storms) can cause substantial damage depending on what other weather features they interact with, where
they strike, and how slow they move.
Image Credit: NOAA
Anatomy of a Hurricane
Typical hurricanes are about 300 miles wide although they can vary considerably in size.
The eye at a hurricane's center is a relatively calm, clear area approximately 20-40 miles across.
The eyewall surrounding the eye is composed of dense clouds that contain the highest winds in the storm.
The storm's outer rainbands (often with hurricane or tropical storm-force winds) are made up of dense bands of
thunderstorms ranging from a few miles to tens of miles wide and 50 to 300 miles long.
Hurricane-force winds can extend outward to about 25 miles in a small hurricane and to more than 150 miles for a large
one. Tropical storm-force winds can stretch out as far as 300 miles from the center of a large hurricane.
Frequently, the right side of a hurricane is the most dangerous in terms of storm surge, winds, and tornadoes.
A hurricane's speed and path depend on complex ocean and atmospheric interactions, including the presence or absence
of other weather patterns. This complexity of the flow makes it very difficult to predict the speed and direction of a hurricane.
Do not focus on the eye or the track–hurricanes are immense systems that can move in complex patterns that are difficult
to predict. Be prepared for changes in size, intensity, speed, and direction.
-Rick DeLuca
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