Hurricane Florence becoming Monster Storm heading into the Mid-Atlantic States

For those of you who never experience a hurricane, I wanted to give some close up photos, charts and information about these devastating natural phenomenon from my perspective close to the edge of the hurricane impact zone.

The circle on the map shows where I live.

Hurricane Florence is a super storm for it is rare a hurricane directly hits the US Mid-Atlantic region without passing over islands, countries like Cuba, or southern states like Florida or Georgia.
 

It will be the first to hit landfall in the US this hurricane season and has the potential to be the strongest in over 50 years.  When it reaches shore there are potential winds of over 100 miles per hour, a storm surge as high as 20 feet, and up to 40 inches of rainfall.

The greatest danger from hurricanes is usually the coastal storm surge and flooding, with high winds and flash flooding as it moves across land.

My preferred source for weather information is Mike's Weather Page http://spaghettimodels.com/.
I have been following the weather for many decades.  You should check it out.

With the storm due to hit land Thursday or Friday morning things will change quite fast.
 

First the massive nature of the hurricane pushing the ocean waters ahead of it into land takes place over several days prior to the actual storm.  I live on the Potomac River just above the Chesapeake Bay so we are in the tidal basin feeding into the Atlantic Ocean.

For the past several days we have been under a coastal flood warning as the boat piers and docks are already under water from the hurricane pushing the ocean.  By Friday or Saturday there will be flooding along the Bay and River that could reach as far as Washington, DC.

Even though the storm is a state away, the massive size, hundreds of miles wide, and power have unleashed extremely high tides and extremely dangerous rip tides which will extend all the way to New England before it is through.

Winds up to 75 miles per hour are expected here as the storm rages across North Carolina and we could get 6-10 inches of rain, compared to the 40 inches of rain that will pound North and South Carolina.

As a mandatory evacuation of millions of people is underway there is a real chance many thousands of people could return to find their home is totally gone, especially those close to the ocean.

More details will be provided as the weekend approaches and we want to encourage all residents of the danger zones to please follow the instructions of the local emergency officials.  This will be no small event no matter how many hurricanes you have survived.

As for those of you far from the ravages of the storm, your prayers for the victims would be most appreciated.

     

The Coltons Point Times: Reporting Live from Hurricane Earl Warning Zone - Southern Maryland Part 2.

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As Earl closes in on North Carolina sometime tonight (Thursday) the Maryland Chesapeake Tidal Basin will get the first impact as it moves up the east coast. So far the President has issued an emergency declaration and the Governor has issued an emergency declaration for our area. The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood warning for the area.

Just before nightfall the sky filled with the advancing clouds of Earl, still a couple of hundred miles away. It is a foreboding sky but we should be just beyond the real danger area. Here at the Potomac basin the tides should be effected when the hurricane winds pass offshore later tonight.

Any flooding should hit by morning and the rains should be less severe than normal hurricanes on the east coast because the hurricane keeps speeding up. It was moving at a speed of 18 miles an hour earlier today and by morning is expected to accelerate to 35 miles per hour, much faster than storms already bigger than the entire state of Florida.

The pictures show the likely path, speed, and shape from various radar and satellite imaging. Just above you can see the two storms following Earl that will be the next threat.  Note the comparison below between the satellite image of Katrina and Earl.

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