Irma la not so douce: Threat to New England or just to the fish at sea?
Still too early to say - Irma's still a week or so away from North America and hurricane forecasting that far out just isn't reliable - the computer models the National Hurricane Center uses don't yet agree on where it's heading. The latest National Hurricane Center discussion says there are some indications it might not turn into the Mega Killer Death Storm it seemed to be exploding into yesterday - there's now some forecast of "wind shear" (turbulence, basically) that could prevent it from getting quite that bad. Still, the shear won't be too strong, and Irma's going to be moving over some really warm ocean water, which encourages hurricane growth, so, in conclusion, it's still too early to say.
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Nooooo
Steering currents! Steering currents! Fish at sea! Fish at sea!
Possible Replay of Floyd
With the usual unpredictable spin.
The predicted track is pretty close to the 1999 Storm that we got a piece of, but that caused serious problems in the Carolinas and Virginia.
Keep an eye on Irma ... but keep an eye out for others, too. We have a pretty optimal hurricane nursery set up this year, a persistent high over the central Atlantic shooting all those baby lows westward, a feedlot for those lows and others cropping up in the gulf, and we still have two more months to sweat.
MEANWHILE ... prepare for one of these monsters to give us a serious whacking this year. The more there are, the more likely it is! During the last NOAA briefing, they recommended checking out www.ready.gov and www.nhc.noaa.gov (National Hurricane Center) and putting together some supplies for an extra rainy and windy day.
Another storm behind Irma
Forming now off West Africa.
Floyd
I was living in NC for that storm. The flooding was horrifying in the towns down east... I think Princeville ceased to exist at one point thanks to the Tar River.
Storm
So it will rain. I'll pack an umbrella.
Mary Poppins
Is that you?
Better check out the links above, too. Prep for potential hurricane can also be prep for a Nor'Easter or ice storm or other peril.
12 years without any major
12 years without any major hurricanes and now this.
Who let Dr. Evil steal keys to the Pentagon's Weather Machine again?
Where's Agent Powers?!
"Irma"? Seriously, who picks
"Irma"? Seriously, who picks these names?
What's wrong with Irma?
In any case, an answer.
Good night, Irene, Good night Irene
... you flooded out our streams!
It is a six year cycle, alternating apparent genders.
Irma took the place of Irene, who retired in 2011.
That doesn't explain who
That doesn't explain who picked "Irma".
Who here personally knows any living person named "Irma"?
I do
I have two aunts and a cousin by that name. It is more common in areas with people of german descent.
And, by the way, Adam already linked to the organization that does the naming.
You're so smart?
Fine. You pick a woman's name starting with the letter "i". Oh, and it can't be Iris, Isabel, Irene, Ingrid, Inez, Imelda, or Ida...or something similar to those (all retired or currently also in the rotation).
You might make a case with Ivanka.
Ivy
Isla, Io, India, Ilsa, Imogene, Isolde
Ina
But even if she hits Cat 5 I doubt she can wreak the havoc that my ex Irish girlfriend did.
Somebody should be tracking her and seeing where she'll land next.
Then batten down the hatches!
What's in the rotation
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml
The "I"s are Irma, Isaac, Imelda, Isais, Ida, and Ian
I hope the still under remodeling W. Rox Roche Bros.
can give out maps to tell us where the cinnamon and maple syrup are currently hiding...