hurricanes

Dennis Mersereau · 11/08/15 10:28PM

Tropical Depression Twelve formed near the Bahamas on Sunday evening, likely to become Tropical Storm Kate on Monday before it swiftly jets out to sea and away from the United States. This will probably finish off the strange 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season, but tropical systems can and have formed as late as December.

Hurricane Patricia Makes Landfall on Mexico's West Coast With 165 MPH Winds

Dennis Mersereau · 10/23/15 07:03PM

Hurricane Patricia is making its way inland this evening after making landfall on Mexico’s west coast about 55 miles northwest of Manzanillo. The storm had astonishing winds of 165 MPH at landfall. Patricia became the strongest hurricane ever recorded after it maxed-out with 200 MPH winds for about 18 hours on Friday. The storm is also one of the strongest to ever make landfall in North America.

At 200 MPH, Hurricane Patricia Is Now the Strongest Tropical Cyclone Ever Recorded

Dennis Mersereau · 10/23/15 04:07AM

Shortly after midnight on October 23, 2015, a group of courageous men and women flew into the center of Hurricane Patricia and landed in the history books. With measured winds of 200 MPH, Hurricane Patricia became the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded anywhere on Earth. Let that sink in for a moment.

Hurricane Patricia Smashes Record for Most Intense Storm Ever Recorded in Eastern Pacific

Dennis Mersereau · 10/23/15 12:54AM

Astonishing meets record-breaking. Category five Hurricane Patricia exceeded all odds early Friday morning, with a Hurricane Hunter aircraft recording maximum sustained winds of 185 MPH and a minimum central pressure of 892 millibars. By air pressure, this is now the strongest storm ever recorded in the eastern Pacific, and it ties with 1997’s Hurricane Linda as the basin’s strongest storm by one-minute sustained wind speed.

5 Incredibly Dangerous Weather Myths That People Actually Believe

Dennis Mersereau · 10/12/15 02:55PM

Myths are fascinating. It’s incredible what kind of stuff people will believe if you make it sound authoritative enough (see: chemtrails), but some of those myths are downright dangerous. Here are five popular weather myths that could kill you one day if you actually believe in them.

Category Two Hurricane Joaquin Skirting Bermuda

Dennis Mersereau · 10/04/15 03:49PM

Bermuda is under a hurricane warning this afternoon as Hurricane Joaquin makes a very close call with the tiny island that sits 650 miles east of the United States. It’s rare for hurricanes to make a direct landfall on Bermuda due to its tiny size; last year, however, two hurricanes—Fay and Gonzalo—made landfall on the island in one week.

Joaquin Heading Out to Sea, But Extreme Rainfall and Major Coastal Flooding Still Likely

Dennis Mersereau · 10/02/15 02:59PM

Good news! We’re pretty sure that Hurricane Joaquin is going to head out to sea, with the chance of landfall on the United States fairly low at this point. The bad news is that there will still be more than a foot of rain in parts of the Carolinas, and stiff onshore winds and high waves will create coastal flooding in the Mid-Atlantic much like a storm surge would.

Here's a Satellite Loop of Joaquin's Eyewall Lashing the Bahamas for 15 Hours on Thursday

Dennis Mersereau · 10/01/15 08:11PM

This 5.50 megabyte GIF shows a 15-hour infrared satellite loop of Hurricane Joaquin as it slammed the Bahamas between 5:15 AM and 8:15 PM EDT on Thursday. The hurricane is a category four on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with sustained winds of 130 MPH, and it could strengthen a bit before weakening on Saturday. Joaquin is the strongest hurricane to hit the Bahamas since Floyd in 1999, which raked the island chain with sustained winds of 155 MPH.

More Than a Foot of Rain Is Possible on the East Coast With or Without Hurricane Joaquin

Dennis Mersereau · 10/01/15 02:24PM

While we’ve stressed over the eventual track of powerful Hurricane Joaquin over the next few days, a concerning number of people may not be aware that a significant—potentially devastating—flash flood event will take place with or without the hurricane coming close to land. Many spots could see more than a foot of rain this weekend.

Dennis Mersereau · 10/01/15 12:17AM

Hurricane Joaquin is a category three hurricane tonight with 115 MPH winds, and all indications point toward further strengthening. The 11:00 PM advisory from the NHC says it’ll be a category four with 140 MPH winds by this time Thursday. There’s still a decent chance it could make landfall along the East Coast this weekend. We’re going to see a major flooding event regardless of Joaquin’s whereabouts—a potential landfall will only make things much worse.

Hurricane Joaquin Is Threatening the East Coast: Here's What You Need to Know

Dennis Mersereau · 09/30/15 02:40PM

The latest forecast for Hurricane Joaquin puts it on an unnerving path toward the East Coast, but the track is far from certain right now. This week was going to be a flooding nightmare anyway—the hurricane is just rubbing salt in the wound. You need to prepare now for a significant, potentially life-threatening weather event later this week and this weekend.

Dennis Mersereau · 09/28/15 10:53PM

Tropical Storm Joaquin formed in the western Atlantic Ocean this evening. The cone of uncertainty covers the coast from North Carolina to Connecticut, and there is considerable uncertainty in the storm’s future track. We have to watch this system very closely. I’ll have an update on Tuesday once the morning models roll in and we have a better idea of what’s going on.

Despite El Niño, Atlantic Ocean Keeps Cranking Out Tropical Cyclones

Dennis Mersereau · 09/08/15 02:35PM

This Saturday is the climatological peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s been a weird year with about seven storms so far, and we still have more than two months until it’s over. The season could have been worse if it weren’t for El Niño conditions out in the Pacific Ocean, which saves the butt of many coastal residents around the Atlantic during this time of the year.

Deadly Flash Flooding Possible as Tropical Storm Erika Aims for Puerto Rico

Dennis Mersereau · 08/27/15 05:43PM

Tropical Storm Erika is a mess today, barely holding itself together as it draws closer to Puerto Rico. Despite its ragged appearance, the storm is producing very heavy rain along its path; devastating flooding on the small island of Dominica killed at least four people last night. Erika is still a threat to Florida, and current forecasts show the storm closing in on the Sunshine State as a hurricane early next week.