[ad_1]
The wall of the eye of Hurricane Katrina caused tornado-like damage to the Mississippi coast. (Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post) (RICKY CARIOTI)
As Hurricane Michael was fast approaching the Florida Pohandle, the National Weather Service released a rare Extreme wind warning, only comes up when it is expected that the wind will reach 115 mph.
The alert, which followed unusually loud winds in Michael's Eyewall, applied to Gulf County and south Bay County, Florida, in the Panhandle and southwest of Franklin County, in the Big Bend area. It has also been expanded to the north in interior counties after Michael came to shore.
"THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR LIFE," said the warning.
The wall of the eye is the most intense part of a hurricane. Here, the winds converge and rise, fueling violent storms. Winds much faster than 100 miles to the hour, blinding rain and tornado-shaped whirlwinds add insult to injury when the eye is blazing a path to destruction.
Extreme wind warnings were issued during landings of Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017, and the affected areas suffered catastrophic damage equivalent to those of a 15-mile-wide tornado.
How to stay safe: Treat the wall like a tornado.
Eye protection winds in major hurricanes such as Michael can produce "considerable damage, similar to that of a tornado". The onset of eyewinds occurs quickly – in just a few minutes.
Find shelter in as far away as possible from all windows. High-speed shards of glass can become deadly projectiles in seconds. Have a blanket, pillows and / or a mattress on hand for extra protection. Cover your face and head first, then place the mattress on your body to protect yourself from possible structural failure or collapse of the wall / ceiling.
If you live near the coastal storm surge or in a continental area prone to freshwater flooding, you may also have to deal with a flood. Do not enter the flood waters to escape the wind. Flood waters can be electrified or contain harmful chemicals or wastewater.
The extreme wind warning was created by necessity as a result of confusion during Hurricane Katrina. The offices of the Louisiana and Mississippi National Weather Service issued 11 tornado warnings, not for tornadoes but for violent winds in the path of Katrina's furious eye wall.
Robert Ricks, chief forecaster of the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, played a crucial role in public communications before and during Katrina. He was in shift when tornado warnings were issued for the eye wall.
"We had a meteorologist visiting / deployed from Melbourne, Florida, who actually issued these warnings," Ricks wrote in an e-mail interview in 2013. "He was instrumental in the initial broadcast and the Such warnings were developed at its Melbourne headquarters during hurricanes Charley and Jeanne in 2004. NWS's policy was to issue "eyewall wind warnings" that more closely resembled Category 3 hurricanes or more.
Cheryl Grabowski, director of emergency management in Osceola County at the time, was quoted by the National Meteorological Service, calling this type of warnings "fantastic" and "genius" for entering the system. emergency alert. favored because they triggered automated interruptions of television and radio through the emergency alert system. The new extreme wind alert will do the same.
[ad_2]
Source link
