Hurricane Milton (2024)

[Kung Wu]

Looks like this could potentially be a historically bad once-in-a-century hurricane and it's got the Tampa area dead in its sights. It hit Category 5 status yesterday but has weakened to Category 4 today and projected to be Category 3 when it hits landfall. However, one of our favorite restaurants at Indian Rocks outside of Clearwater is already no more due to the last hurricane, but they are saying the peak storm surge this go around could peak at 15 feet(!) if it aligns with the high tide. That's awful and I hope it doesn't come to pass.

Even though it may weaken the destruction could be something else.

[Kung Wu]

JVShocker posted this cool site in another thread. Reposting it here:

https://www.windy.com/25.503/-84.551?waves,25.884,-84.716,7

[Kung Wu]

Now 32 ft waves ... and it's back to a Category 5 with just a couple hundred miles from landfall. This could be ugly folks.

[Kung Wu]

Here are some live cameras from the Tampa Bay area:

https://www.fox13news.com/live-webcams

[Kung Wu]

Tampa Bay's only Level 1 Trauma center is built on an island at sea level. *gulp*

[Kung Wu]

This is a map of live broadcasting storm chasers ... could be interesting tonight:

https://live.highwaysandhailstones.com/

One chaser is currently chasing a tornado that spawned from the hurricane.

[JVShocker]

And reading about some of the bad hurricanes in US history, I ran across a number of articles (obviously) and pictures of the Galveston hurricane (in the year 1900) which killed an estimated 6000-10000 people.

One of the more interesting photos I saw was of the construction of the seawall which serves to protect the city now. Just thought it interesting as I've never been to Galveston and it was an amazing construct by all accounts of this photo from 1908.

[SubGod22]

Coast Guard Rescues Man Found Clinging To Cooler After Hurricane Milton

Today's good news story comes from Miami, Florida.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Miami saved a man clinging to life after Hurricane Milton, approximately 30 miles off Longboat Key.

The mariner, whose vessel was disabled during the violent storm, was found clutching a cooler and wearing a life jacket at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Coast Guard crew airlifted him to Tampa General Hospital, where he is receiving care.

The rescue was the culmination of a harrowing chain of events that began earlier in the week. On Monday, the captain of the fishing vessel Capt. Dave reported engine troubles approximately 20 miles off John's Pass. The Coast Guard quickly responded, rescuing both the captain and a crew member. But after their vessel was left adrift, the captain returned Wednesday morning to make repairs.

The weather, already rough, worsened dramatically as Hurricane Milton approached.

Despite contact with Coast Guard watchstanders, who instructed him to don his life jacket and activate his emergency position indicating radio beacon, communication was lost as the storm intensified. By the time the Coast Guard resumed their search at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, the captain had been battling terrifying conditions overnight.

“This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner," said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, Sector St. Petersburg's command center chief.

"To understand the severity of the hurricane conditions, we estimate he experienced approximately 75-90 mph winds, 20-25 foot seas, for an extended period of time to include overnight. He survived because of a life jacket, his emergency position indicating locator beacon, and a cooler."

There's a brief video of the rescue in the link.

[Kung Wu]

30 miles!?!

[ShockBand]

Coast Guard Rescues Man Found Clinging To Cooler After Hurricane Milton



There's a brief video of the rescue in the link.

I hope he had a few beers in the cooler to help pass the time.

[WuDrWu]

This is a link to the live camera in Clearwater. For anyone that's been to the baseball tournament, this roundabout is the entry point to Clearwater beach proper, and the cam is pointed directly at one of the 2 team hotels.

You won't see it this quiet, ever (as of 11:30am 10-11-24).

[Kung Wu]

This is a link to the live camera in Clearwater. For anyone that's been to the baseball tournament, this roundabout is the entry point to Clearwater beach proper, and the cam is pointed directly at one of the 2 team hotels.

You won't see it this quiet, ever (as of 11:30am 10-11-24).

Link?

[WuDrWu]

Link?

https://www.myclearwater.com/Visit-the-Beach/Watch-Live-Video-of-Clearwater-Beach

Sorry, forgot to paste.

[Kung Wu]

https://www.myclearwater.com/Visit-the-Beach/Watch-Live-Video-of-Clearwater-Beach

Sorry, forgot to paste.

Holy ghost town.