Non-political 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Megathread

[Reaganfan]

To put Hurricane Harvey's Cat 4 landfall in some perspective:

- Harvey is the first hurricane to hit Texas since "Ike" in 2008.
- Harvey is the first major hurricane (Cat 3,4,5) to hit the U.S. since "Wilma" in 2005.
- Harvey is the first Category 4 hurricane to hit the U.S. since "Charley" in 2004.
- Harvey is the first major hurricane to hit Texas since "Bret" in 1999.
- Harvey is the first Category 4 hurricane to hit Texas since "Carla" in 1961.

In another word, Harvey is the first Cat 4 for the U.S. since George W. Bush's first term, the first major hurricane for Texas since Bill Clinton's second term and the first Cat 4 for Texas since John F. Kennedy was in the White House.

The United States has been exceptionally lucky in recent years to avoid hits from Category 4 or 5 hurricanes.

Cat 4/5 U.S. strikes from 1926-1969 (43 years)

"Great Miami"  - 1926
"Okeechobee" - 1928
"Freeport" - 1932
"Labor Day" - 1935 (Cat 5 - Strongest ever in USA. 892 mb pressure, 185 mph winds)
"Homestead" - 1945
"Palm Beach" - 1947
"SW Florida" - 1948
"SE Florida" - 1949
"King" - 1950
"Hazel" - 1954
"Gracie" - 1959
"Donna" - 1960
"Carla" - 1961
"Camille" - 1969 (Cat 5 - Second strongest ever in USA - 900 mb pressure, 175 mph winds)

Cat 4/5 U.S. strikes from 1970-2017 (47 years)

"Hugo" - 1989
"Andrew" - 1992 (Cat 5 - Third strongest ever in USA - 922 mb pressure, 165 mph winds)
"Charley" - 2004
"Harvey" - 2017

We've been incredibly lucky to have seen as few Cat 4 or Cat 5 U.S. landfalls in the last forty years as we saw the the forty years that preceded.

Indeed, many storms achieve Cat 4 or 5 strength over water, only to weaken to Cat 2 or 3 storms prior to landfall. For example, Hurricane Katrina weakened quickly in the 12 hrs prior to landfall from a Cat 5 to a Cat 3.

Recent storms that were forecast to maintain Cat 4 or 5 strength at U.S. landfall, but weakened:

Opal 1995 (Was Cat 4, weakened to Cat 3)
Bret 1999 (Was Cat 4, weakened to Cat 3)
Lili 2002 (Was Cat 4, weakened to Cat 1)
Frances 2004 (Was Cat 4, weakened to Cat 2)
Ivan 2004 (Was Cat 4, weakened to Cat 3)
Dennis 2005 (Was Cat 4, weakened to Cat 3)
Katrina 2005 (Was Cat 5, weakened to Cat 3)
Rita 2005 (Was Cat 5, weakened to Cat 3)
Gustav 2008 (Was Cat 4, weakened to Cat 2)

We've been lucky. No two ways about it.

[Reaganfan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASKFHeeFlkA