It was called the Great Hurricane of 1938. The tradition of naming Cyclones had yet not begun, and not since 1869 had a storm of such ferocity hit the US mainland. What had made it unusally unique was the speed with which it had hit landfall, and the damage that it caused in its wake. (60 years on, and people can still recall the frightening grip that it had on their lives for those few days.)
posted by hadjiboy on Jul 12, 2008 - 20 comments

National Hurricane Center and the Likelihood of Hurricanes. In December 2003 the NHC predicted a 68% chance of a major (Category 3-4-5) hurricane hitting the US, in fact there were three major hits on the US (Charlie, Ivan, and Jeanne). In December 2004 the NHC predicted a 69% chance of a major hurricane, in fact there were four major hists (Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma). The odds of that happening are about 0.9% (see link for math), or "statistically very significant evidence" the NHC predictions are understated. Forecast for 2006: 81% chance of a major hurricane.
posted by stbalbach on Mar 15, 2006 - 34 comments

Hurricane Tracker A god-like view of current hurricane activity.
posted by Muirwylde on Oct 23, 2005 - 19 comments

Oh my. This could get very ugly.
posted by guidonDeBascogne on Sep 21, 2005 - 179 comments

Enviromental absorbant products manufacturer, Dyn-O-Mat claims to have removed a cloud from Doppler radar and intends to test their product on a hurricane. They have a patent and everything. The federal government spent two decades on Project Stormfury, an attempt to halt storms by 'seeding' the eyewall of a hurricane. This guy says we are already doing it with the militaries High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. Even if we're not doing it now, we'll definately by own the weather by 2025. That is, unless we're intentionally causing storms.
posted by cedar on Sep 12, 2004 - 24 comments

Hurricane Charley bearing down on the Southwest Florida coast right now. Maybe you'll find the next Dan Rather on WBBH or WTSP., with live streaming video. myweatherguide.com is blogging the hurricane, as are the Weatherbug people. And official information from the National Weather Service here.
posted by calwatch on Aug 13, 2004 - 35 comments

Just think of it as the world's biggest colonic. Hurricanes: Death, destruction and good for the environment? From the WaPo. "A hurricane can dump five to 15 inches of fresh water on a place that desperately needs it, replenishing the aquifer, Marks says. It can also clean out clogged-up and polluted bodies of water. "It flushes out all the garbage," he says. "It cleans out the plumbing, so to speak."
posted by beatnik808 on Sep 19, 2003 - 5 comments

Hurricanes really suck. Luckily our friends at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association have posted a FAQ to answer our questions. No matter how moronic the questions are.
posted by patrickje on Sep 18, 2003 - 15 comments

'Imminent threat', my arse. The U.S. will be attacked tomorrow! Lili is a Cat-4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 MPH and gusts to 180 MPH. She's expected to be of Cat-5 strength tomorrow. (hint: they don't make them any stronger.) The first landfill is expected at Avery Island, (home of Tabasco sauce). New Orleans should be spared the worst of the storm, but Lafayette and Lake Charles may face catastrophic damage and flooding. Lili brings with it an anticipated storm surge of twelve to eighteen feet, which may be exacerabated by landing during high tide. Lili is the first hurricane to hit the US mainland since the category 4 hurricane Floyd in 1999. Floyd did over $1B in damage and killed over 40 people.
posted by insomnia_lj on Oct 2, 2002 - 38 comments

It's big, it's bad, and it's coming your way. Beware Bonnie! No, no, wait. Hide from Hanna! Hmm, nope. Run from Rene! Geez, this naming thing isn't easy. How do you name a tropical storm? Should the name be masculine or feminine? Should it roll off the tongue with ease or be a mouthful? Are there some names you can't use? If a tropical storm was closing in on your neighborhood, what would you call it?
posted by debralee on Sep 12, 2002 - 10 comments