Hurricane Michael exploded in intensity this week, from a rather nondescript tropical depression Sunday with winds of 35 mph to a Category 4 monster Wednesday with 155 winds.
When it hit land, it became the most powerful hurricane on record to slam Florida's Panhandle and the third-strongest U.S. landfall of all time.
Along with other weather factors, Michael's rapid intensification was fueled in part by unusually warm sea water in the Gulf of Mexico. Warm water of at least 80 degrees fuels hurricanes, and the water in the eastern Gulf this week was as much as 4 to 5 degrees warmer than normal.
Although random weather patterns certainly played a role, the warm waters in the Gulf have a “human fingerprint” of climate change, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate and hurricane expert Jim Kossin.
(Pictured) A family sits by a lantern outside their antique shop during the power outage in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael on Oct. 11 in Panama City, Fla.
Penn State University climatologist Michael Mann told ThinkProgress that "once again we see a storm undergoing extreme rapid intensification over unusually warm ocean waters. We saw this pattern last year with Harvey and earlier this year with Florence and now, with my namesake, Michael.”
Weather.us meteorologist Ryan Maue said "there's no doubt the ocean water encountered by Michael was quite warm compared to the last three decades, especially near the coast."
Maue analyzed early October water temperatures in the eastern Gulf and found that when comparing data from 1985-2005 to data from 2006-2018, the average temperature rose nearly 1 degree.
He said the cause of the rise is still a research puzzle and that "more detailed climate analysis is needed to better understand what has happened over the past 12 years across the Gulf of Mexico."
Several recent scientific studies say that hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly than they used to. One study this year in Geophysical Research Letters said that since 1986, the rate of intensification of storms like Michael has increased by about 13 mph.
A 2015 study on how ocean temperatures affect hurricane intensity in the North Atlantic found intensification increases by 16 percent for every 1.8 degree increase in average sea-surface temperatures, ThinkProgress reported.
Regardless of the cause, “Michael saw our worst fears realized, of rapid intensification just before landfall on a part of a coastline that has never experienced a Category 4 hurricane,” University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said.
Thanx Doyle Rice
Crusader Jenny , Nanook & Knight Mika
This is only the beginning--------------------
Well now, didn't we just know climate change had something to do with the destructive power of that hurricane? You bet we did. It should scare the poop out of people that climate change can have that kind of power. And you would expect them to be all fired up to do something to help. I guess we just have to be patient until the dumb ones catch up.
ReplyDeleteMichael flattened peoples' homes or blew them away completely. It killed people and injured hundreds. I saw so many of them crying and looking so heart broken on TV and all we can do is send blankets and food. I hope Mr Trump helps them. I bet his home in Florida did not get blown away.
That was a great article Crusader. Well done.
Love Knight Aunt Jeannie
You can tell some people why the storms , tornadoes, hurricanes are more severe they get a very dumb look on their face , some time Aunt Jeannie they look so comical you can't help but laugh.
DeleteMichael blew some debris through an upstairs window into a girls bedroom window killing her. Some are fired up Aunt Jeannie , uncle Jon says the media don't report about them as much as they should , we won't let them discourage us , we must keep pushing forward .
Charles and Charlene's Reno Knights are doing collecting food , Water , blankets to send to Florida , I asked daddy to call uncle Glenn , tell him to rent them a truck , put a big sign on both sides that says from 'The Reno Knight Tree Huggers' and to support , ask them do they need anything and give them help or I will come there personally and give him a go for or I might send mama . Aunt Jeannie uncle Glenn don't want no part of mama when it comes to climate change .
Mr. Trump has no idea what's happening unless it is something stupid .
Aunt Jeannie , if they stop him from using twitter he will start crying like a 2-year-old that you taken his candy away .
Thank you very much
Love Crusader Jenny , Nanook & Knight Mika
October 12 ,2018
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