Jamaica/Cuba - Cat5 Hurricane Melissa - aftermath vid P5

It will be absolutely devastating and there will be lots of further loss of life. People just don’t understand the power of the wind or the storm surge. It is the irresistible force and there are NO immovable objects in Jamaica.

The worst of it will be on the NE side (1-3 o’clock) of the eye, where the winds whip around, so if any part of the island gets that, it’ll be getting the strongest winds, the most rain and the highest storm surge all in one.
 
cleavers said:
The travellers might not have been told, but the tour companies knew. I've just checked the reports from NHC, and at the start of last Thursday it was a 50 KT tropical storm, but was forecast to be 115 KT hurricane by 28/0000, but it would have cost them money to cancel or move them somewhere else.
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That was my recollection. Pretty sure I read something at Heathrow on Thursday.
 
ChicagoBlue said:
It will be absolutely devastating and there will be lots of further loss of life. People just don’t understand the power of the wind or the storm surge. It is the irresistible force and there are NO immovable objects in Jamaica.

The worst of it will be on the NE side (1-3 o’clock) of the eye, where the winds whip around, so if any part of the island gets that, it’ll be getting the strongest winds, the most rain and the highest storm surge all in one.
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Thank you for that very interesting and informative. The power of nature never fails to amaze me.
 
Gray said:
Thank you for that very interesting and informative. The power of nature never fails to amaze me.
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Having sailed through a couple when I worked at sea I know only too well the power of the sea. One trip a freak wave ripped off a solid steel outer door which was battened down with dogs, flooding our accommodation out. I was on emergency stations at 3:30 am, my cabin knee deep in water. I have seen water bend solid steel beams.
 
Felt sorry for that BBC reporter who they obviously put on the wrong side of the island and had to put him against a wall as it wasn’t even that windy where he was!
 
ChicagoBlue said:
It will be absolutely devastating and there will be lots of further loss of life. People just don’t understand the power of the wind or the storm surge. It is the irresistible force and there are NO immovable objects in Jamaica.

The worst of it will be on the NE side (1-3 o’clock) of the eye, where the winds whip around, so if any part of the island gets that, it’ll be getting the strongest winds, the most rain and the highest storm surge all in one.
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I think you mean NW, Montego Bay, Negril are all west of the island.
 
The Jamaican government did issue a warning about crocs, and rightly so, the storm surge will have pushed them out of their habitat, and into areas flooded where people live, so going into flood water in low lying areas could be dangerous, as crocs do walk on land, and will hide in water, fresh or salt.

The shark thing was fake though, and any washed into rivers by the surge, will find their way back to their own environment as they won't like fresh water.
 
balotellishaircut said:
I think you mean NW, Montego Bay, Negril are all west of the island.
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No, I was not referring to any specific town, I was referring to the area of a hurricane that usually sees the most devastation.

Having flown into Montego Bay quite a few times (the airport is just to the east of the bay), I’m familiar with its location. If the eye went to the west of it, it’s in the danger zone. If the eye went to the east of it, it would get storm surge, but shouldn’t be as bad for the rain and winds as the NE, or right front, quadrant, which is the most severe.

You made me look it up…

The Weather Channel says:

The most dangerous quadrant of a hurricane is the right-front quadrant, relative to the storm’s forward motion.

This quadrant experiences the strongest winds because the hurricane’s counterclockwise rotation combines with its forward movement, intensifying wind speeds in this section.

The right-front quadrant also typically has the highest storm surge, as the winds push ocean water toward the shore most forcefully here.

Additionally, it carries the greatest risk for tornadoes inside the hurricane’s rain bands. The combined effects of high winds, storm surge, and tornado potential make this quadrant the most hazardous during a hurricane’s landfall in the Northern Hemisphere.
 
paulchapo said:
Having sailed through a couple when I worked at sea I know only too well the power of the sea. One trip a freak wave ripped off a solid steel outer door which was battened down with dogs, flooding our accommodation out. I was on emergency stations at 3:30 am, my cabin knee deep in water. I have seen water bend solid steel beams.
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What does ‘dogs’ mean in this context, mate?
 
All hurricanes produce life-threatening winds, but hurricanes rated Category 3 and higher are deemed major hurricanes.

  • Category 1: 74-95mph. Very dangerous winds will produce some damage
  • Category 2: 96-110mph. Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage
  • Category 3: 111mph-129mph: Devastating damage will occur
  • Category 4: 130mph-156mph: Catastrophic damage will occur
  • Category 5: 157mph+ Catastrophic damage will occur
 
BlueHammer85 said:
All hurricanes produce life-threatening winds, but hurricanes rated Category 3 and higher are deemed major hurricanes.
  • Category 1: 74-95mph. Very dangerous winds will produce some damage
  • Category 2: 96-110mph. Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage
  • Category 3: 111mph-129mph: Devastating damage will occur
  • Category 4: 130mph-156mph: Catastrophic damage will occur
  • Category 5: 157mph+ Catastrophic damage will occur
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They should merge Category 4 & 5.
 
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