185 MPH Winds at Princess Juliana International St. Maarten

[gman5250]

Hurricane Irma has become a monster. Cat 6

I ran across this cam footage from TNCM Princess Juliana International. The storm track looks ominous for the Keys and Florida.

For our East Coast and Caribbean members...PLEASE be cautious, take care and keep us informed as to your safety.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA5qYrboTUE

[speedy70]

Sorry Gordon but category 5 is as high as hurricanes are rated.That is catastrophic enough methinks

Cheers Chris

[gman5250]

Sorry Gordon but category 5 is as high as hurricanes are rated.That is catastrophic enough methinks

Cheers Chris

Thanks Chris, I am aware of the SS Cat 5 designation being the highest rating.

The Cat 6 tag has become a bit of a meme to describe the ferocity of this particular storm. I probably should have qualified the Cat 6 reference.

[MaddogK]

I'm reading multiple reports that the airport was destroyed. 60-70% of the buildings on the island were destroyed. The island is without power or drinking water. My prayers for everyones survival. Get gone if your in Irma's path.

[SSI01]

What amazes me about that footage is the glow of electric lights in the background. Here on this island we got wind of a far lesser nature from Matthew and we lost all power for a couple of days.

[b52bob]

Reports from the Governor says that 95% of the island has been destroyed. I hope not, a beautiful island, especially the French side.

[stansdds]

This morning's forecast track indicates it is likely to rip up through the middle of Florida, from the southern tip to the northern border. I remember Andrew, it only crossed the southern tip going east to west. This is going to be an absolute nightmare.

[SSI01]

Gov Deal says we've got to evacuate on Saturday, he's listed 32 (I think) counties in GA as evac. targets. We had friends offer us a spot about 3 hrs west of here and, if the deal still stands today we're taking them up on it. Most of the neighborhood is already gone. Weather here is nearly idyllic, light cool variable breezes, 8/10 cloud. House opened up for the night air for once, wonderful sleeping. Normal sauna bath atmosphere is GONE. Most of the water is gone from Winn-Dixie, bread products too but the rest of the store relatively normal. Very light traffic on the island.

Both cars are topped off, we are leaving one w/friends inland w/practically no trees, taking the van to the temp shelter site. Spent part of the day yesterday filling every suitable container I could find with water and parking them outside where rain run-off from roof will continue to keep them filled. Matthew cost us power for two days, also no water service for three. This time the toilets will flush, anyway.

Going off the air sometime tomorrow, hopefully will be back on the air Tuesday or Wednesday. Storm looks like it will progressively weaken as it heads north so not too terribly worried about its impact by the time it gets near here. No doubt some damage but NOT what happened farther south. Generally they start running out of gas the moment they hit land. Remember one we boarded up for in NOLA one year - can't remember name - that was a cat 5 over Grand Isle and was at weak TS strength by the time it worked its way up to us N of Lake Pontchartrain a few hours later. Sometimes you just can't tell.

BTW going to try that trick with the frozen water in the cup and a coin on top. In the freezer now. Lets you know if you lost power and for how long.

[wombat666]

Plus:
1)
A massive magnitude-8.1 earthquake has hit off Mexico's southern coast, toppling houses in Chiapas state, causing at least five deaths and setting off a tsunami warning, officials said.



The earthquake was the biggest the country has seen in a century, Mexico's President said
At least five people have been killed in the southern state of Chipas
A tsunami is confirmed, with the largest wave at one metre above the tide level




The quake was so strong that it caused buildings to sway violently in Mexico's capital more than 1,000 kilometres away.


2)
Hurricane scientists say they've "never seen anything like this in the modern record".

Satellite images show three hurricanes currently lined up in the Atlantic Ocean threatening to make landfall.
The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) has issued advisories on Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, and Hurricane Katia, all of which have the potential to hit land at the same time.
This is something Eric Blake, an NHC scientist, said is "unparalleled here and totally ridiculous given [the scale of] Irma".

As Irma pummels the Turks and Caicos islands, two other hurricanes spin in it its flanks.
To the east, Katia spins in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to strengthen as it begins moving toward the coast.
Forecasters said the category one system, which had sustained winds of up to 130kph, could be near major hurricane strength when it makes landfall late Friday or early Saturday.
At the same time, Hurricane Jose is spinning just behind Irma about 1,060 kilometres east of the Lesser Antilles.
Quickly becoming the third major hurricane of this year's Atlantic season, the category three system was moving west-north-west toward the Leeward Islands, including Barbuda and Antigua, where it is expected to pass on Saturday.
While Jose could miss these islands, hurricane watches have been issued. A direct hit would be a heavy blow to the small Caribbean islands which are particularly vulnerable after being battered by Irma.

3)
An estimated 40 million people in South Asia are struggling to rebuild their lives after massive floods devastated the region nearly a month ago.

Entire villages across Bangladesh, India and Nepal remained submerged under water since the floods began in mid-August.
Authorities have described it as the region's worst flood in 40 years, with a metre of raining falling in some areas in the space of days.
The worst-hit areas include Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states in northern India, the Terai region in southern Nepal, and Kurigram and Chimari districts in northern Bangladesh.
In India alone, UNICEF estimated 31 million people were affected by the floods, losing their homes, livelihoods, cattle or property.
In Bangladesh, more than 8 million people were affected, including about 3 million children.

And in Nepal, the number affected was about 1.7 million people.
At least 1.5 million homes are believed to have been destroyed or damaged, along with thousands of schools, hospitals, roads and bridges.
Of the 1,300 people killed, aid agencies said 30 to 40 per cent were children.
In Nepal alone, at least 160 people are dead and 25 missing.

Aid agencies have warned about the heavy toll severe flooding has taken on Bangladesh, saying an estimated 100,000 houses have been destroyed and millions of hectares of crops wiped out.


4)
There is an urgent need for rescue and relief services on the Indian subcontinent as severe monsoon flooding spreads across India, Nepal and Bangladesh, leaving more than 1,200 people dead since the rains started.



UN says 40 million people affected
Building collapses in Mumbai as city floods
Worst flooding in some parts of Bangladesh in nearly 30 years




Oxfam said its Bangladesh staff reported two-thirds of the country was under water and in some areas the flooding was the worst since 1988, creating an urgent demand for humanitarian supplies.
Widescale flooding in an arc stretching across the Himalayan foothills caused landslides and washed away tens of thousands of homes and vast swathes of farmland.
The UN said about 40 million had been affected.


5)
The world is watching aghast as a slow-motion horror unfolds on Myanmar's frontier with Bangladesh.

The total population of Rohingya Muslims inside Myanmar has dropped by almost 10 per cent in a little over a week — and as much as 25 per cent in the past 11 months — giving way to widespread international concern that what is unfolding is less a targeted counter-insurgency campaign designed to drive out militants, and more befitting of the term 'ethnic cleansing'.

A report says that the systematic violation of human rights against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine falls within a defined framework of genocide.



There are several certainties — the scale of devastation can be seen from space.
Entire villages have been razed despite the driving monsoon rains.
More than 165,000 people have arrived in Bangladesh, and the UN estimates this could hit 300,000 before too long.
There are fears of an unprecedented boat exodus.

And we should all take note of the Global Scale of these 'extreme' weather events
Just my 2c worth.
:kilroy:

[gman5250]

I took a look on Earthquake 3D at the Mexico quake. The software shows at least 30 quakes, all of which are in the range of 4.2 to 5.7 in the exact same spot as the 8.1, and all within the last thirty six hours.

[Butcherbird17]

Well as I am in the path of this thing when it hits the U.S. mainland (SoFlo) and we are hoping that it makes it's turn
north before it gets to the southern tip of Florida and skirts up the coast. (eye of the storm offshore) And with all the
other events happening around the world, I can't stop singing this song in my head........

https://youtu.be/Z0GFRcFm-aY

Joe

[SSI01]

News reports 5.3 mag quake in Japan, exact location unknown.

The Mexican earthquake was supposedly felt in Austin, TX, according to DrudgeReport.com.

[wombat666]

News reports 5.3 mag quake in Japan, exact location unknown.

North Korea?:encouragement:

[SSI01]

No, somewhere near Japan, actually. NORK had one a few days ago but it was kinda prompted by something they did on their own just before nature's reply.