TS Isaias

[Stormwatcher]

Heads up, fellow east-coast folk, we have incoming tropical mess.  And then we may have a followup, depending what happens to the storm cluster behind Isaias.  Hunker down and stay safe.

[JD]

Your screen name seems eerily appropriate, Stormwatcher!  I echo the sentiment: stay safe, all you who are in the storm's path!  

[Stormwatcher]

:grins: There's a reason for that; I follow the hurricane season almost as devotedly as I follow the thunderstorm season. Both of which have been jumping! I have definitely not been deprived of weather events this year.

Fortunately, Isaias passed through without much damage- moderate wind and about 2-4 inches of rain- though there were some power outages. I'm just glad we decided not to go to Myrtle Beach this year. We would've been leaving right as it was bearing down, and that's a recipe for terrible nerve-racking traffic.

[JD]

Good; glad it didn't affect you adversely!  

[mamabear]

Glad you got out unscathed!

[Stormwatcher]

Thanks! Yeah, this time we were lucky. :crosses fingers: Sooner or later our luck is going to run out and we're going to get a genuine monster. Like Sandy would've been if she'd blasted through in August or Sept instead of October; and goodness knows she did enough damage as it was.... They've just increased the predicted number of named hurricanes for this year, 10 more expected, so I'm feeling a bit more pessimistic than usual.

[mamabear]

I heard there are two hurricanes headed for Texas, and they're predicted to overlap. Hope you're not caught in that mess! If you're in Texas, now would be a good time to not be in Texas. 😆

[Stormwatcher]

Fortunately, Marco, the weaker, has already dissipated, but Laura (!) is there in the Gulf as a Cat-1, and is predicted to be a major hurricane (Cat-3 or higher) at landfall. So yes, this is a very, very good time not to be in Texas, and possibly not in Louisiana as well, as Laura's trending west and north. Or if you are, it's a good time to consider scooting, pronto.

And as I write this, thunder is rumbling outside and rain is bucketing down.

[Stormwatcher]

Aaand overnight Laura has become a Cat-FOUR hurricane, with 140 mph sustained winds. For comparison, that's as strong as an EF-3 tornado. They are predicting it will drop to a Cat-3 before making landfall, but that's still talking 110-130 mph winds. So yes: if you're in Texas and Louisiana, scamper inland and buckle down, because this is going to be BAD.

[mamabear]

I heard about that! Looks like it just barely misses Dallas, where a couple of my cousins live. My brother had a layover there on his way out here, and will have another one there on his way back home.