Hurricane Bertha 1996

[Cookie]

Just thought Id share this with a really stunning image of hurricane Bertha in 1996 enjoy

Here is Hurricane Bertha north of Puerto Rico, as photographed by the GOES-8 weather satellite at 0115 UTC (9 pm ADT or 8 pm EDT), 9 July 1996. This type of infrared image detects varying levels of moisture in the upper troposphere (roughly above the 400 mb pressure level).

In this enhanced water vapor image, color progressions from gray thru bright blue to deep blue indicated more moisture; while black through deep red means drying. Often, areas of strong drying correspond to sinking motion in the upper levels; and areas of high moisture content signal rising motion. Such is cearly the case with this image of Bertha, where tremendous amounts of moisture are being pumped high into the atmosphere near the center of the hurricane. The bright blue dot is the eye, which contains much less moisture than the surrounding CDO (Central Dense Overcast).

Note the broad arc of banded, gray-and-blue enhanced material (cirrus clouds) arcing northward out of the hurricane. This is an upper-level outflow channel, marked by the cirrus arc. This cirrus arc was spiraling outward, away from the storm. As large and intense low pressure areas, hurricanes in the northern hemisphere rotate cyclonically (counterclockwise) from the surface up through most of their depth. However, the very top portion is an anticyclonically (clockwise) rotating high! This is the most efficient way for a hurricane to ventilate itself, releasing air through its top in an outward-spiralling (divergent) anticyclone. In the southern hemisphere, the sense of rotation would be the opposite.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/coolimg/bertha1w.htm

[Roo]

Hehe...I remember that well. I was caught in that one on Nevis (very minor side swipe, but my goodness it was scary: mainly down to the huge preparations which made us realise how bad it could have been).

Edited February 27, 2009 by Roo

[Somerset Squall]

You can clearly see the dreaded pinhole eye there, classic sign of a potent hurricane.

Very lucky it was a side swipe indeed Roo, sustained winds were at 115mph at peak, with gusts around 125mph- scary indeed!

[Louby]

tis almost a work of art!

[Cookie]

You can clearly see the dreaded pinhole eye there, classic sign of a potent hurricane.

Very lucky it was a side swipe indeed Roo, sustained winds were at 115mph at peak, with gusts around 125mph- scary indeed!

very much so

[Roo]

very much so

Yep...that was when I realised that weather can sometimes be terrifying!

We were on a tiny island (about 5 miles by 3), all the boats and planes were sent off two days before the storm hit and we were stuck at the full mercy of whatever was coming. The power and water was also turned off two days before. We had some plywood and load of nails and a short wave radio. Oh, and a useful map in the front of the local phone book to plot the course of the storm!

I remember at one stage it looked as if we would get a direct hit, but it jinked off north. We only got 70-80mph, but it still did tons of damage. I can only imagine what 115 would have felt like.

I have never felt so vulnerable and had so much respect for my local friends who took it all in their stride.

Edited March 1, 2009 by Roo

[Somerset Squall]

I have never felt so vulnerable and had so much respect for my local friends who took it all in their stride.

Indeed, I can't imagine living somewhere at risk of seeing these things regularly, there's a lot of respect from me too!

Really interesting to hear your account of the storm Roo, thanks.