Non-political 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Megathread

[Mr. Reactionary]

Are such summer storms common in the US?

Not  like this.

[JA]

Are such summer storms common in the US?

Not  like this.

Yeah, this one's particularly extreme. Such storms have certainly happened many times before in our history, but they're definitely not common.

[Person Man]

Are such summer storms common in the US?

Not  like this.

Yeah, this one's particularly extreme. Such storms have certainly happened many times before in our history, but they're definitely not common.

About once every few years...

[J. J.]

Are such summer storms common in the US?
Anyway, I really hope it won't cause too much damage and everyone stays safe.

Yes, the storms are reasonably common.  In 1900, several thousand people dies when a hurricane hit  Galveston, TX, about 190 miles north of Corpus Chisti.  There is a record of one that hit New Jersey in the 18th century.

We keep on getting better at predicting their path. 

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Are such summer storms common in the US?
Anyway, I really hope it won't cause too much damage and everyone stays safe.

Harvey was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005.  But, Matthew did skirt the coast last year and do a lot of damage in the Outer Banks (plus Sandy in 2012 that was no longer officially a major hurricane when it made landfall and Irene in 2011 that stayed just out to sea).

[DFL]

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-Mayor of Rockport

Good god. Can't imagine how terrifying it must have been during landfall.

[KingSweden]

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-Mayor of Rockport

Good god. Can't imagine how terrifying it must have been during landfall.

That's one of the most depressing quotes I've ever read from a public official

[DFL]

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-Mayor of Rockport

Good god. Can't imagine how terrifying it must have been during landfall.

That's one of the most depressing quotes I've ever read from a public official

At first I thought he said it with the intent of scaring more people into evacuating, until I realized he made it not long before landfall. As someone who used to spend weekends in Rockport when I lived in Texas, and whose family is from the Texas gulf region, it's heartbreaking to see the places I grew up with in the state they're in now.

[KingSweden]

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-Mayor of Rockport

Good god. Can't imagine how terrifying it must have been during landfall.

That's one of the most depressing quotes I've ever read from a public official

At first I thought he said it with the intent of scaring more people into evacuating, until I realized he made it not long before landfall. As someone who used to spend weekends in Rockport when I lived in Texas, and whose family is from the Texas gulf region, it's heartbreaking to see the places I grew up with in the state they're in now.

[Crumpets]

Are such summer storms common in the US?
Anyway, I really hope it won't cause too much damage and everyone stays safe.

Storms of this size happen a couple of times a decade - I think Hurricane Ike in 2008 was probably the last one of this scale.

What makes this one different though is that typically hurricanes either travel perpendicular to the coastline and lose strength immediately after making landfall, or they travel up the Atlantic coast into cooler water and naturally lose strength as less water evaporates off the ocean. This storm is both travelling parallel to the shore and staying in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, so you get a storm that is recharging offshore while it simultaneously does damage inland and is making its way up the coast. As destructive as a storm like Hurricane Katrina was, its damage was pretty much contained to the coast around New Orleans. The effects of Harvey, while it probably won't be as destructive as Katrina overall, will be spread over an enormous area, which brings a whole new series of challenges with it.

[Ebsy]

I know most people have checked on Harvey at this point but basically all of Houston is inundated with rising floodwaters at this point. It has been pouring for hours and will continue for the rest of the night. Currently reports of stranded motorists, flooded roadways, overflowing bayous. People are apparently climbing into their attics to escape rising flood waters.

[Ebsy]

Most of the computer models now have Harvey doubling back to the gulf with the potential of building back up to a Cat 1 Hurricane. Can't even imagine the devastation if it swings back around and hits Galveston/Houston.

[riceowl]

Here's my current view. I know a lot of people have it a LOT worse, but here's a window into the situation. And it's not over...

[Koharu]

Another major issue is the intense sprawl/growth of Houston. Prairie can handle large amounts of water. Pavement can't.  When there's this much water in a city, there's just absolutely nowhere for it to go. Praying for everyone in the affect areas.

[Sirius_]

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Yeah, you at least have internet. Hope the worse off people are ok.

[pbrower2a]

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-Mayor of Rockport

Good god. Can't imagine how terrifying it must have been during landfall.

That's one of the most depressing quotes I've ever read from a public official

I have heard statements with the same effect by numerous public officials -- go ahead, see the hurricane, but make sure that we can identify your body -- as a warning not only to evacuate, but even to keep curiosity-seekers and thrill-seekers  from 'greeting' the hurricane in what in many respects is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. End-of-a-lifetime opportunity, of course.

Big Business such as Wal*Mart knows enough to pull back merchandise before a hurricane strikes. There is no reliable business during a hurricane at its worst. Afterward? Of course -- as repair and replacement.

Whatever it takes to save lives from pointless danger is appropriate. If it takes sardonic humor, like a sign that reads

KLAN MEETING AND HURRICANE PARTY HERE

SIGN COURTESY NAACP

or

NAACP MEETING AND HURRICANE PARTY HERE

SIGN COURTESY K-K-K

then such sick humor could be appropriate.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Of course this is still unfolding... I hope the Houston (and other nearby places) posters are staying dry and alive. 

It was such terrible irony that while Harvey was making landfall, Chicago had the most absolute perfect weather (not a cloud in the sky, a dew point around 50F, and temperatures in the mid 70s).

In fact, the two are related.  Gulf hurricane strikes are more common when a strong trough is in place across the eastern U.S. during summer.  This causes a broad northerly flow over the central U.S. which brings dry, pleasant weather.  The same trough also draws the storms into the U.S. rather than Mexico.

When there is a large ridge across the eastern U.S., storms are often drawn into Mexico or Atlantic storms recurve and affect the classic eastern seaboard hotspots (NC).

[ltomlinson31]

So the NWS said 25 inches of rain fell near Houston in 24 hours, and that beats the all time state record in all but four states (saw a tweet about this but I don't have enough posts to post links.

On top of that, the Euro model for the fifth time expects the storm to head back into the Gulf, re-intensify for a bit, and turn and make a near or direct hit on Houston. Another 24-30 inches will fall on top of what has already fallen by next Thursday. This is so bad.

[Ban my account ffs!]

So the NWS said 25 inches of rain fell near Houston in 24 hours, and that beats the all time state record in all but four states (saw a tweet about this but I don't have enough posts to post links.

On top of that, the Euro model for the fifth time expects the storm to head back into the Gulf, re-intensify for a bit, and turn and make a near or direct hit on Houston. Another 24-30 inches will fall on top of what has already fallen by next Thursday. This is so bad.

Yeah that would pretty much be catastrophic.

[riceowl]

Wheeeeeeeeeee.

I'm high and dry. My parents are going to take on water tonight. They've lived in that house 35 years and never came close to flooding.

[BudgieForce]

I expected something like this to happen in Miami or New Orleans, but never Houston.

[GlobeSoc]

Will this cause significant population loss in Houston?

[pbrower2a]

Will this cause significant population loss in Houston?

It could cause businesses to move operations and offices elsewhere, outside the danger of hurricane-based flooding (Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or Fort Worth)  which have exactly the same advantages in taxes.

[pbrower2a]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-tweets-hurricane-harvey_us_59a2cb74e4b05710aa5ccfe2?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

Regrettably the President has been praising his own efforts before anyone can determine the results.

The danger is far from over, and self-praise for incomplete efforts is extremely risky -- and unwise.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Sad pic of elderly residents of a nursing home sitting in water. Thank God they were rescued