200+ MPH gusts over Cuba from Gustav

[Billy Burnett]

Source: NBC6 Miami

Will try to find link.

Just reported on local Miami NBC6 TV just now.

Max gusts 204 MPH.

Read more: Not yet

[Dr.Phool]

1. WOW!

:wtf:

[OhioChick]

2. Holy Shit!

:scared:

[w8liftinglady]

3. does anyone know what the Max wind gusts recorded are?

this is scary!

[Dr.Phool]

5. 231 mph at Mt. Washington in 1934

http://www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/recordwind.php

[MilesColtrane]

10. Hurricane Camille in 1969 had gusts of 210mph at landfall.

In '97 gusts from Typhoon Paka were recorded at 236mph, but were later deemed to be unreliable readings due to damage to the sensors.

I don't think Gustav will become that strong, but it will still be able to eat your face off.

[Skink]

25. Andrew had gusts of 250.

The 200 mile an hour winds woke me up though.

[MilesColtrane]

27. It may have spawned a tornado that was that powerful, but I don't think there has ever been...

...an official reading of 250mph winds from a hurricane.

[Wednesdays]

20. 318 mph in Oklahoma City

during the May 3, 1999 monster tornado. And that was before the high winds busted the anemometer.

That was for an acute storm, though, and not "sustained" winds like in a hurricane.

[northernlights]

4. a couple hours ago I told a friend

I think they'll need to make a new category for this one. Remembering the ocean temp map someone posted this morning, and that Gustav was cat. 5 so early...it wasn't even close to the warmest water yet...

I fear this will be the end of NO. I truly do. :scared:

[Suich]

8. My son's been a volunteer there for 2 years.

He agrees with your last statement.

[happyslug]

9. I read someplace, that if the wind speed gets over Categories 5, the Hurricane tends to blow apart.

The Rationale is that if the Wind goes over 175 mph, the wind is so powerful it tears the Hurricane apart (In the computer models based on such high wind speeds, I do NOT believe we have ever had a Hurricane with winds that fast, or there is NO records of such high Speeds). Please note I am going by SUSTAIN winds speeds, not gusts. We have had gusts up to 236 mph in Hurricanes, but not on the surface AND not sustain.

Hurricane Categories:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir-Simpson_Hurricane_Scale#Category_5

[MilesColtrane]

16. Maximum recorded sustained winds have (so far) topped out at 190mph.

Cat. Fives over 170mph are becoming more common.

There have been 5 in the past 3+ years. Before that, there were 10 in the previous 80 or so years.

[happyslug]

26. Those are estimates, we do NOT have good records prior to 1940 and none prior to about 1900

Since about 1920 we have been in a trough of low level of Hurricanes, we appear to be coming out of that trough so more and larger Hurricanes are expected. I have NOT seem any data what will happen above 170 mph on a sustain level. Those sustain winds over 175 mph have not lasted a whole day (again going by memory) and we have had gusts up to 236 mph (and probably higher).

Camile in 1969 had 190 mph sustain winds:
http://www.geocities.com/hurricanene/hurricanecamille.htm

Hurricane Records:
http://www.hurricane.com/hurricane-records.php
http://www.geocities.com/hurricanene/gulfcoast.htm

"But physics dictates there must be a limit. Based on ocean and atmospheric conditions on Earth nowadays, the estimated maximum potential for hurricanes is about 190 mph, according to a 1998 calculation by Kerry Emanuel, a climatologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology."
http://www.livescience.com/mysteries/080829-llm-category-6-hurricane.html

Kerry Emanuel home page:
http://wind.mit.edu/~emanuel/home.html

His paper limiting Hurricanes to 892 mbars in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, but 910 as you get close to the Southern US Border of the Gulf (Camile was 909 mb when it hit the US with its 190 mph winds):
http://wind.mit.edu/~emanuel/holem/holem.html
Remember these are guidelines not deadlines so Camile was 909 mb exceeding the 910 mb on the map in Figure 5 of his paper is within any error rate of measurement of the mb AND the error rate of the calculation. The Calculation also shows that the mb will be lower near Cuba (And the lower the mb, the more severe the storm and the higher the wind speed).

Don't take Dr Emanuel paper out of its limitation, even Dr Emanuel says Global warming may drop these numbers permitting even more severe storms, but at present 910 is the approximate bottom for Gustav which should limit the winds to about 190 mph.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Hurricane Camille had sust. winds of 190mph...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Camille

It maintained hurricane force winds for 10 hours after landfall. The devastation continued through the mid-Atlantic states. I remember heavy floods in MD and VA.

[Robbien]

6. Cuba News is reporting the storm has passed. 300 kilometers per hour

Is 300 kilometers per hour about 240 mph?

Hurricane Gustav Left Cuban Territory
http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2008/0830gustav_leftcuba.htm

Civil Defense officials in Pinar del Rio said the most significant events during the passage of the hurricane included its strong winds, which at some points reached 300 kilometers per hour, with a severe impact on house roofs and other infrastructure.

Rainfall accumulates were only over 50 millimeters in localities like Viñales and Bahia Honda, while no several injured people have so far been reported, despite the devastating force of the Hurricane during its passage on the locality of Paso Real de San Diego.

However, while the eye of the hurricane abandoned the national territory, winds will continue to blow for the next hours particularly in the eastern part of the western province.

The town of Paso Real de San Diego was almost devastated per this report
http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2008/0830gustav_ravageswesterncuba.htm

[Ellen Forradalom]

11. 300 / 1.6 = 187.5

Still pretty horrendous.

[LeftyFingerPop]

12. Close enough!

:scared: Damn, it is unbelievable.

[Ellen Forradalom]

13. Yeah, at those speeds

who's counting anyway

[LeftyFingerPop]

14. And then we have the likelihood of strengthening...

I'm having trouble getting my head around this.

[Ellen Forradalom]

15. I'm glad NOLAns are getting the hell out

If they do and Gustav breaks apart, they may be inconvenienced but still alive. Beats the alternative.

[LeftyFingerPop]

17. My friends brother lives in the heart of NOLA.

He would have been prone to stay and sit out Katrina, but his gut told him to leave. His life is still not back in order...and now this.

[magellan]

21. 300 km/h = 186.41 mph

Meteorological Conversions and Calculations

The 340 km/h gusts recorded in Paso Real de San Diego are the equivalent of 211.27 mph -- strong CAT 5 force gusts.

Paso Real de San Diego is a rural town 30 km from the coast with a population of less than 9000. There are some photos of it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/garbageman/108577668/ Very basic structures, devastation is likely. I hope there are no fatalities.

:scared:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Thanks for the news. Horrendous. Hope their defense system gets them through this.

They're unique in the world for their ability to cooperate, get everyone to higher ground, save their animals, etc. Hope it doesn't fail them this time.

Michelle nearly did them in when it wiped out their food supply.

[Billy Burnett]

18. Hurricane Gustav strikes Cuba

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24270195-601,00.html

MONSTER Hurricane Gustav has slammed into mainland western Cuba near the town of Carraguao, 100km south-west of Havana, and began crossing the island towards the Gulf of Mexico, the weather service says.

The deadly Category Four hurricane raged ashore between Punta Carraguao and Punta La Capitana in Pinar del Rio province, the service said today.

Gustav's 240km/h winds and lashing rains toppled trees and electricity poles and destroyed several structures in Carraguao, an AFP correspondent witnessed.

Meanwhile, national television reported that the scene in Isle of Youth, a Cuban island where more than 200,000 people live, was one of devastation after the monster storm earlier ground its way across the low-lying island of fishing villages, factories and citrus farms.

Homes were under water, warehouses toppled, and roads washed away on the Isla of Youth, state television said, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.

"So far no deaths have been reported but the situation is really critical, it is just dramatic here,'' a Cuban TV correspondent said by phone.

"The images are striking, many of the businesses on the coast are under water, stores and restaurants and entire warehouses with solid stucco walls have been toppled,'' he added.

Two boats that were docked at the port of Nueva Gerona, the main town on the island, "are in the middle of the city'', and the Cuban phone company's communications tower was knocked down, the correspondent added.

Doesn't sound good at all. :(

[EFerrari]

22. Iirc, Cuba is very good at getting people safe when these storms hit.

I hope everyone is okay. :(

[Billy Burnett]

24. Yes. Link from OXFAM here ...

Cuba has benchmark disaster mitigation programs.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3460992&mesg_id=3461077

[slackmaster]

29. Cuba gets hit by tropical cyclones almost every year

They're experts.

[Billy Burnett]

23. NOAA Miami Weather Radio broadcast link here ...

Get the latest updates and coordinates here ...

This link will open in most players. (iTunes, QuickTime, Flip4Mac, Windoze MP, VLC, and many others)

http://audioplayer.wunderground.com:80/alans/miami.mp3.m3u

[applegrove]

28. That is horrible. Just HORRIBLE. Poor Cuba.

[cliss]

30. Compared with Katrina / Rita ~

How does Gustav compare with these 2 killer storms?

Is it worse? I know it might be too soon to tell, but at this point in time

a) are Gustav's winds more powerful? Faster?

b) what about size.