Eye of the Storm
October 5, 2016 5:34 AM Subscribe
NOAA data buoy 42058, located in the central Caribbean about 200 NM south of Jamaica, records as the eye of Hurricane Matthew passes directly over it.
For posterity's sake: archive.org snapshot of the combined wind speed, gust, and air pressure plot as it appears today.
More plots, forecasts, and warnings about Hurricane Matthew from the National Hurricane Center.
For posterity's sake: archive.org snapshot of the combined wind speed, gust, and air pressure plot as it appears today.
More plots, forecasts, and warnings about Hurricane Matthew from the National Hurricane Center.
Wow! And another source of US-centric info and discussion is at flhurricane.com.
posted by carter at 5:51 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by carter at 5:51 AM on October 5, 2016
> bouy did good
To my ears, "data bouy" sounds like a fit young man who shirtlessly cleans my data while I lounge in the sun sipping a daiquiri. I am constantly envious of the fact that scientists at NOAA have data bouys and I do not.
posted by Westringia F. at 5:55 AM on October 5, 2016 [39 favorites]
To my ears, "data bouy" sounds like a fit young man who shirtlessly cleans my data while I lounge in the sun sipping a daiquiri. I am constantly envious of the fact that scientists at NOAA have data bouys and I do not.
posted by Westringia F. at 5:55 AM on October 5, 2016 [39 favorites]
Or just the torso and head of Brent Spiner floating all alone in the angry ocean.
posted by selfnoise at 5:58 AM on October 5, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by selfnoise at 5:58 AM on October 5, 2016 [14 favorites]
*buoy
Sorry, the misspelling makes my eye twitch.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 5:59 AM on October 5, 2016 [11 favorites]
Sorry, the misspelling makes my eye twitch.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 5:59 AM on October 5, 2016 [11 favorites]
But hey! it lead me to learn of Bouy!
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
DAMMIT. Thank you.
posted by Westringia F. at 6:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Westringia F. at 6:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
I had the eye of a smaller hurricane pass over once, and that pressure drop was really intense and weird feeling.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:02 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 6:02 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
From carter's link:
posted by gwint at 6:12 AM on October 5, 2016
When a hurricane is forecast to take a track roughly parallel to a coastline, as Matthew is forecast to do from Florida through South Carolina, it becomes very difficult to estimate impacts this far in advance. For example, only a small deviation of the track to the left of the NHC forecast could bring the core of a major hurricane onshore, while a small deviation to the right could keep all of the hurricane-force winds offshore. It will likely take another day or so for the potential impacts of Matthew in the United States to clarify.Oy.
posted by gwint at 6:12 AM on October 5, 2016
That graph is pretty impressive. I've been through a few hurricanes over the years, but never had the luck to experience the eye itself. The descriptions of the event are always so surreal it's something I always wanted to see firsthand, though on balance, I think I'll pass. Hurricanes kinda suck.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:14 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:14 AM on October 5, 2016
Mod note: Fixed post spelling.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 6:18 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 6:18 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Whose a good buoy? YOU ARE! YES YOU ARE!
posted by mikelieman at 6:21 AM on October 5, 2016 [26 favorites]
posted by mikelieman at 6:21 AM on October 5, 2016 [26 favorites]
The eye of a storm seems to be the quietest quiet you've ever heard. No winds or beating rain; no birds chirping or vehicle sounds; way off in the distance you hear a single dog bark, twice. Breath in, because the back side of the storm is worse and now, you feel the breeze pick up a little.... it's on the way, so hurry inside.
posted by mightshould at 6:22 AM on October 5, 2016 [18 favorites]
posted by mightshould at 6:22 AM on October 5, 2016 [18 favorites]
That graph is pretty impressive. I've been through a few hurricanes over the years, but never had the luck to experience the eye itself. The descriptions of the event are always so surreal it's something I always wanted to see firsthand, though on balance, I think I'll pass. Hurricanes kinda suck.
We opened the front door when the eye of Fran passed over (and discovered a tree that had previously been upright in the yard was now on top of the house). It was a very weird experience, though I imagine it's more striking if you've been out in the storm prior. It's calm, but eerie and off feeling(mostly due to the low pressure I'd assume). I hate that hurricanes kill and destroy, because from they're fascinating phenomena from a distance and genuinely impressive in person. Growing up in NC, I was fortunate enough never to lose anything bigger than a deck to one, but knowing what they can do, yeah they absolutely suck.
My parents live in Morehead City which could easily be in Matthew's path, which is pretty hard to predict as gwint pointed out. (I'm pretty sure they're in Tennessee right now, but I'm not sure when they're coming back) Hopefully it moves offshore.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:24 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]
We opened the front door when the eye of Fran passed over (and discovered a tree that had previously been upright in the yard was now on top of the house). It was a very weird experience, though I imagine it's more striking if you've been out in the storm prior. It's calm, but eerie and off feeling(mostly due to the low pressure I'd assume). I hate that hurricanes kill and destroy, because from they're fascinating phenomena from a distance and genuinely impressive in person. Growing up in NC, I was fortunate enough never to lose anything bigger than a deck to one, but knowing what they can do, yeah they absolutely suck.
My parents live in Morehead City which could easily be in Matthew's path, which is pretty hard to predict as gwint pointed out. (I'm pretty sure they're in Tennessee right now, but I'm not sure when they're coming back) Hopefully it moves offshore.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:24 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]
Baba buoy, baba buoy, Howard Stern's penis.
posted by dr_dank at 6:25 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 6:25 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
So, I had always assume that a "buoy" is what Americans pronounced boo-ie, but all the boy/buoy puns only work with what I assumed was the UK pronunciation.
Is a boo-ie something else entirely, or is it a region-specific American pronunciation of buoy?
posted by fatfrank at 6:28 AM on October 5, 2016
Is a boo-ie something else entirely, or is it a region-specific American pronunciation of buoy?
posted by fatfrank at 6:28 AM on October 5, 2016
uhhh, I remember being corrected by a salty sailor in my childhood that it's pronounced "boy" so I've gone with that ever since.
Might have pulling my leg, but he seemed legit telling the truth?
posted by Annika Cicada at 6:31 AM on October 5, 2016
Might have pulling my leg, but he seemed legit telling the truth?
posted by Annika Cicada at 6:31 AM on October 5, 2016
In Illinois we always said "boi" for boy but "boo-eee" for buoy. They sound close enough alike that the pun easily makes sense, but they're two distinct words.
posted by Frowner at 6:31 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by Frowner at 6:31 AM on October 5, 2016
He didn't ask if it was correct, he asked if it was American.
posted by biffa at 6:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [17 favorites]
posted by biffa at 6:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [17 favorites]
So, I had always assume that a "buoy" is what Americans pronounced boo-ie, but all the boy/buoy puns only work with what I assumed was the UK pronunciation.
oh good, my nautical childhood was not a sham after all
posted by indubitable at 6:33 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
oh good, my nautical childhood was not a sham after all
posted by indubitable at 6:33 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
/me puts her extra special re-reading hat on
Ah, okay, yeah I guess it's an American pronunciation, to answer what was asked.
posted by Annika Cicada at 6:33 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Ah, okay, yeah I guess it's an American pronunciation, to answer what was asked.
posted by Annika Cicada at 6:33 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Just visited an old lightship at Lewes, Delaware. There was a time when such things were moored along the cost, right in the path of such storms, along with their crews. Imagine being aboard one as such a storm passed over. Lightships had no means of propulsion. Dang.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:34 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by kinnakeet at 6:34 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
Annika - in British english it is pronounced nearly identical to boy, while in American english t is Boo-eee
posted by koolkat at 6:41 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by koolkat at 6:41 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
I've been through a few hurricanes over the years, but never had the luck to experience the eye itself.
I was only five when the eye of Gloria passed right over us, but I have a really clear memory of it. One minute, howling wind and rain, the next ... dead silence and everybody walking down the block to gawk at the fallen trees. Surreal.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:56 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
I was only five when the eye of Gloria passed right over us, but I have a really clear memory of it. One minute, howling wind and rain, the next ... dead silence and everybody walking down the block to gawk at the fallen trees. Surreal.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:56 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
> is [boo-ie] a region-specific American pronunciation of buoy?
I think there's regional variation in the US, too. I'm from New England & have always said boi-as-in-buoyant, but a little further south in the mid-Atlantic "boo-ie" is definitely the dominant pronunciation.
And in my experience, even Americans who pronounce the noun as "boo-ie" will still say "boy" for the verb (spirits and markets are boid, not boowied).
posted by Westringia F. at 6:57 AM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
I think there's regional variation in the US, too. I'm from New England & have always said boi-as-in-buoyant, but a little further south in the mid-Atlantic "boo-ie" is definitely the dominant pronunciation.
And in my experience, even Americans who pronounce the noun as "boo-ie" will still say "boy" for the verb (spirits and markets are boid, not boowied).
posted by Westringia F. at 6:57 AM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
Wow, that graph is really something.
posted by Fig at 6:58 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Fig at 6:58 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
This is actually really interesting, I passed it on to my SO who has passed it to the students she teaches about wave modelling and wave states. Our dept even has its own wave buoys, so this is right up her street.
posted by biffa at 7:04 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by biffa at 7:04 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
The buoy is on the quay. No pronunciation is correct.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:04 AM on October 5, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by blue_beetle at 7:04 AM on October 5, 2016 [11 favorites]
And in my experience, even Americans who pronounce the noun as "boo-ie" will still say "boy" for the verb (spirits and markets are boid, not boowied).
Not this American, fwiw.
posted by crookedneighbor at 7:05 AM on October 5, 2016 [12 favorites]
Not this American, fwiw.
posted by crookedneighbor at 7:05 AM on October 5, 2016 [12 favorites]
I clearly need better sampling! (Oh data buoy....)
posted by Westringia F. at 7:15 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Westringia F. at 7:15 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
9 of the most fearsome images of Matthew.
The first one, "the skull" is fairly impressive and is said to be undoctored.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:18 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
The first one, "the skull" is fairly impressive and is said to be undoctored.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:18 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
how "large" are these eyes? i just assumed that they were relatively small, and there would be only a few seconds of silence and calm. on the same plane as seeing a total eclipse.
but from the comments above, it seems that the eyes were large enough and/or the hurricane slow enough that people would be able to step out for a bit...
how long would this silence last? minutes? hours?
posted by bitteroldman at 7:29 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
but from the comments above, it seems that the eyes were large enough and/or the hurricane slow enough that people would be able to step out for a bit...
how long would this silence last? minutes? hours?
posted by bitteroldman at 7:29 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
My wife and I, returning from our honeymoon in Mexico City, rode out hurricane Allen at the McAllen, Texas airport in 1980. It clocked 165 mph winds before landfall and the eye passed directly over us. It is indeed eerie. Suddenly the howling stops and gives way to a clear blue sky with the sun shining , a gentle breeze and the certain knowledge it would be short-lived...
posted by jim in austin at 7:31 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by jim in austin at 7:31 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
The eye of a storm seems to be the quietest quiet you've ever heard. No winds or beating rain; no birds chirping or vehicle sounds; way off in the distance you hear a single dog bark, twice.
I like to imagine that this is exactly true for all hurricanes, leading to sage advice like:
"Yar, it's awfully calm in the eye, but when you hear that second bark, be prepared for wind and wave!"
"What happens if I hear two dogs barking?"
"The second dog is Cerberus, coming to drag you to a watery hell."
"Oh, go on, grandpa!"
"That's how I lost my brother, back in '53."
"..."
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [12 favorites]
I like to imagine that this is exactly true for all hurricanes, leading to sage advice like:
"Yar, it's awfully calm in the eye, but when you hear that second bark, be prepared for wind and wave!"
"What happens if I hear two dogs barking?"
"The second dog is Cerberus, coming to drag you to a watery hell."
"Oh, go on, grandpa!"
"That's how I lost my brother, back in '53."
"..."
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [12 favorites]
The current tracking map is interesting. The projected path has the eye never hitting the coast but blowing out to sea and fading out. Bullseye of closest approach to what could be called landfall looks like Saint Petersberg and Palm Beach.
A lot of storm + a lot of people.
posted by bukvich at 7:40 AM on October 5, 2016
A lot of storm + a lot of people.
posted by bukvich at 7:40 AM on October 5, 2016
Atta boy, data buoy!
posted by Floydd at 7:45 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Floydd at 7:45 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm American and I'm pretty sure the pronunciation is pretty similar depending on context.
YEEEEEAAAAAH BUOY!
posted by explosion at 7:50 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
YEEEEEAAAAAH BUOY!
posted by explosion at 7:50 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
they're good buoys Brent
posted by tobascodagama at 7:51 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by tobascodagama at 7:51 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Bullseye of closest approach to what could be called landfall looks like Saint Petersberg and Palm Beach.
Not really. Here's a link to the National Hurricane Center's most recent forecast cone (the next one is due at 11 am). I'm in St Pete and we are completely out of the cone right now, though I'm pretty sure that will change at some point today. Local meteorologists say Matthew may make landfall around Cape Canaveral.
Side note: Being out of the cone doesn't mean I'm relaxed about this because I know things can change really fast. I was heavily impacted by Charley (one of the reasons I live in the Tampa area now instead of around Punta Gorda where it made landfall) and I'm pretty much 10 minutes away from taking a Xanax at this point.
posted by _Mona_ at 7:51 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Not really. Here's a link to the National Hurricane Center's most recent forecast cone (the next one is due at 11 am). I'm in St Pete and we are completely out of the cone right now, though I'm pretty sure that will change at some point today. Local meteorologists say Matthew may make landfall around Cape Canaveral.
Side note: Being out of the cone doesn't mean I'm relaxed about this because I know things can change really fast. I was heavily impacted by Charley (one of the reasons I live in the Tampa area now instead of around Punta Gorda where it made landfall) and I'm pretty much 10 minutes away from taking a Xanax at this point.
posted by _Mona_ at 7:51 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
how "large" are these eyes? i just assumed that they were relatively small, and there would be only a few seconds of silence and calm. on the same plane as seeing a total eclipse.
They can vary based upon the strength and activity of the hurricane, but a typical tropical cyclone will have an eye of approximately 30–65 km (20–40 mi) across.
Hurricane speed varies, but figure say 20mph and the math from there is easy.
posted by jammer at 7:52 AM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
They can vary based upon the strength and activity of the hurricane, but a typical tropical cyclone will have an eye of approximately 30–65 km (20–40 mi) across.
Hurricane speed varies, but figure say 20mph and the math from there is easy.
posted by jammer at 7:52 AM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
how long would this silence last? minutes? hours?
When I was a kid, I was told that part of the reason the 1915 Galveston hurricane killed so many people was because people left their homes during the eye, thinking the storm had passed. Not sure if that's true, wikipedia doesn't say anything about it.
posted by dismas at 7:56 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
When I was a kid, I was told that part of the reason the 1915 Galveston hurricane killed so many people was because people left their homes during the eye, thinking the storm had passed. Not sure if that's true, wikipedia doesn't say anything about it.
posted by dismas at 7:56 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm in the cone (West Palm Beach). All the big-box stores are out of bottled water and bread (but I managed to score some of each at Trader Joe's, woo-hoo!)
posted by Daily Alice at 8:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Daily Alice at 8:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [6 favorites]
One day as I was a-trimmin' the glim
Humming a tune from the evening hymn
A voice from the starboard shouted, "Ahoy"
And there was me mother a-sittin' on the buoy
We sang this in elementary school in New England, and had lots of arguments because we all knew that it was pronounced boo-ie, but that didn't rhyme with ahoy, so ...?
posted by Melismata at 8:14 AM on October 5, 2016
Humming a tune from the evening hymn
A voice from the starboard shouted, "Ahoy"
And there was me mother a-sittin' on the buoy
We sang this in elementary school in New England, and had lots of arguments because we all knew that it was pronounced boo-ie, but that didn't rhyme with ahoy, so ...?
posted by Melismata at 8:14 AM on October 5, 2016
A harbour pub I knew in Sussex had 'Buoys' and 'Gulls' (with appropriate illustrations) on the WCs.
It was that sort of pub.
posted by Devonian at 8:19 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
It was that sort of pub.
posted by Devonian at 8:19 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
All the big-box stores are out of bottled water and bread
How's the Nutella supply?
posted by thelonius at 8:29 AM on October 5, 2016
How's the Nutella supply?
posted by thelonius at 8:29 AM on October 5, 2016
I'm at the Cape now. This one is going to be a doozy.
posted by aurelius at 8:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by aurelius at 8:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've spent the last couple of weeks preparing for a household survey near Les Cayes, in Haiti's southern peninsula. That area was already so fragile, and got hit so hard, that we still have no idea about the extent of the destruction. Communications are down, as are the only roads into the peninsula. Loss of infrastructure could reignite the cholera epidemic. 1.5 million people live there. This could be really, really bad.
posted by theodolite at 8:36 AM on October 5, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by theodolite at 8:36 AM on October 5, 2016 [13 favorites]
Hurricanes, buoy, I don't know.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:42 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:42 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
Oh data buoy.... the wind, the wind is calling
From wave to wave, and down Atlantic coasts.
The summer's gone, and all the waters foaming,
It's you, it's you must float and I must bide.
posted by sfenders at 8:50 AM on October 5, 2016 [11 favorites]
From wave to wave, and down Atlantic coasts.
The summer's gone, and all the waters foaming,
It's you, it's you must float and I must bide.
posted by sfenders at 8:50 AM on October 5, 2016 [11 favorites]
i am leaving melbourne beach now. traffic is already bad, and some places are out of gas. right now: blue skies, partly cloudy, gentle breeze. strange.
posted by j_curiouser at 8:56 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by j_curiouser at 8:56 AM on October 5, 2016
Video of Matthew from the International Space Station.
posted by peeedro at 9:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by peeedro at 9:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
The translation of the French Wikipedia Bouy says that it is the very first city to have a city-to-city plane flight.
posted by eye of newt at 9:13 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by eye of newt at 9:13 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
And in my experience, even Americans who pronounce the noun as "boo-ie" will still say "boy" for the verb (spirits and markets are boid, not boowied).
Nah, my spirits are totally booied up when I see a booie.
I do say boy-ant though. And until this thread I'd never noticed buoy and buoyant are related.
American, raised in central Illinois, rest of the time on the west coast.
Good luck, everybody.
posted by leahwrenn at 9:20 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nah, my spirits are totally booied up when I see a booie.
I do say boy-ant though. And until this thread I'd never noticed buoy and buoyant are related.
American, raised in central Illinois, rest of the time on the west coast.
Good luck, everybody.
posted by leahwrenn at 9:20 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
There's an old Warner Brothers cartoon where some sort of animal is hugging a buoy and crying "It's a boy!", so that's the pronunciation I learned.
posted by maxsparber at 9:31 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by maxsparber at 9:31 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Heading inland. Wouldn't take much for people here to panic. They're already wiping out grocery stores and fuel on the coast.
posted by aurelius at 9:36 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by aurelius at 9:36 AM on October 5, 2016
Yikes, this thing is really gonna mess with some already fragile systems. Good luck everybody.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:50 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by aspersioncast at 9:50 AM on October 5, 2016
I'm not worried if it hits Palm Beach. Palm Beach is a tough town. One of the toughest.
posted by staggering termagant at 9:50 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by staggering termagant at 9:50 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Oh, boy, it'll be super great when the storm surge brings all the algae and bacterial blooms from the Okeechobee agricultural run-off inland.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:18 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by tobascodagama at 10:18 AM on October 5, 2016
The scariest of the computer models has Matthew hanging out off the East coast of Florida for a while. Then after flooding it finally loops around and crosses the state to visit the Gulf of Mexico. There it goes back up to full power and smashes into New Orleans.
posted by humanfont at 10:19 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by humanfont at 10:19 AM on October 5, 2016
As another data (buoy) point: the pronunciation I learned was closer to "boy" - "bo-ee" rather than "boo-ee". The two syllables are run together a bit, somewhere between the diphthong of "boy" and the more sharply defined "bow-ee" of the knife or the recently deceased British singer.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:20 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:20 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
I lived in Florida when a hurricane grazed us, a year or so after Katrina. I remember the panic, especially at the stores (although beer sold out before water) but what I really remember was the amazing speed with which the storm surge hit and caused not just the ocean water level to rise, but everything else as well, leading to widespread flash flooding. There was a lake out back of my place which overflowed with the water level rising about 4-5 feet within minutes, not just because of the torrential rain but because the storm surge was seeping up out of the porous limestone everything rests on in southern Florida. I really hope this stays out to sea.
posted by feloniousmonk at 10:36 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by feloniousmonk at 10:36 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
Seafood restaurant, 1962, somewhere in America.
Down the hall, there are two choices:
posted by Herodios at 10:45 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]
Down the hall, there are two choices:
_______ _______
| | | |
| Buoys | | Gulls |
| | | |
| o | | o |
| | | |
__|_______|_____|_______|___
posted by Herodios at 10:45 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]
Greg_Ace: I was taught that Jim Boo-ee (famed for the knife) and David Boh-ee (famed for, among other things, "Fame") pronounced their last names differently.
posted by hanov3r at 10:49 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by hanov3r at 10:49 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Also:
My Work is Largely Unappreciated
by Atta Buoy
On sea I working. Important work I. Watch weather working me. Close on sea storm. Storm close hit. On I. Me working still I. To storm I almost hit. . . .
posted by Herodios at 10:54 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
My Work is Largely Unappreciated
by Atta Buoy
On sea I working. Important work I. Watch weather working me. Close on sea storm. Storm close hit. On I. Me working still I. To storm I almost hit. . . .
posted by Herodios at 10:54 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
As a Matthew, I feel proud/guilty about the potential shown by my namesake. If this turns out to be a really bad storm I look forward to reading that, "Matthew has been retired."
posted by Midnight Skulker at 11:02 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Midnight Skulker at 11:02 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yeah, the UK pronunciation of "buoy" is much closer to "boy," leading to the lines from King Lear in the Dover cliff scene that no one playing Edgar wants to say:
posted by Pallas Athena at 11:12 AM on October 5, 2016 [6 favorites]
The fishermen that walk upon the beachIf you, as Edgar, can say those lines without making anyone in the audience giggle you have passed the Edgar Test and are worthy to inherit the kingdom.
Appear like mice, and yond tall anchoring bark
Diminished to her cock; her cock, a buoy
Almost too small for sight.
posted by Pallas Athena at 11:12 AM on October 5, 2016 [6 favorites]
I'm in The Cone too - good luck to everyone who may be affected! /goes back to putting up shutters and bringing potential projectiles indoors.
posted by gatorae at 11:13 AM on October 5, 2016
posted by gatorae at 11:13 AM on October 5, 2016
One model this morning had Mathew rolling up the Florida Coast to South Carolina then shifting south-east back over the northern Bahamas, then back towards the Florida coast again and then going SOUTH along the coast.
posted by Mitheral at 11:22 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Mitheral at 11:22 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
I was taught that Jim Boo-ee (famed for the knife) and David Boh-ee (famed for, among other things, "Fame") pronounced their last names differently.
Well, if the Internet can retcon GIF to be pronounced with a hard 'g' despite the inventor of the format's claim to the contrary, surely it can retcon "bow-ee knife"!
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:30 AM on October 5, 2016
Well, if the Internet can retcon GIF to be pronounced with a hard 'g' despite the inventor of the format's claim to the contrary, surely it can retcon "bow-ee knife"!
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:30 AM on October 5, 2016
Jokes aside, I want to comment on the actual chart.
Those curves give me a migraine, what with the bary pressure dropping precipitately (hah!) to just over 27.8 inHg.
The highest reading of atmospheric pressure ever was 32.06 inHg at Tosontsengel, Mongolia in 2001.
The lowest readings at sea level are usually taken, as here, when the eye of a cyclone storm passes. The record low reading is 25.69 inHg, taken during Typhoon Tip in the Western Pacific ocean in 1979.
This is no record setter, but it's a pretty low reading and a nice slope, going from 29.2 to 27.8 in six hours, then back up to 28.9 in the next six.
Ouch.
posted by Herodios at 11:31 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Those curves give me a migraine, what with the bary pressure dropping precipitately (hah!) to just over 27.8 inHg.
The highest reading of atmospheric pressure ever was 32.06 inHg at Tosontsengel, Mongolia in 2001.
The lowest readings at sea level are usually taken, as here, when the eye of a cyclone storm passes. The record low reading is 25.69 inHg, taken during Typhoon Tip in the Western Pacific ocean in 1979.
This is no record setter, but it's a pretty low reading and a nice slope, going from 29.2 to 27.8 in six hours, then back up to 28.9 in the next six.
Ouch.
posted by Herodios at 11:31 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
boy
buoy
Bowie (knife)
Bowie (David)
All different pronunciations, though buoy (boo-ee) and Bowie knife (boo-wee) are very close.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:53 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
buoy
Bowie (knife)
Bowie (David)
All different pronunciations, though buoy (boo-ee) and Bowie knife (boo-wee) are very close.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:53 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm also in the Cone and went yesterday to stock up on supplies (I always have some around, but the strength of this storm made me feel I needed that extra gallon of water and box of crackers) and I saw in the grocery store a woman with a jug of water in one hand who was shoving her two small kids (each holding a box of Pop Tarts) with the other hand while screaming "THERE'S NO TIME! THERE'S NO TIME!" Must be her first hurricane.
posted by Servo5678 at 11:54 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 11:54 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
The city in Maryland is in the same ballpark at the knife and buoy.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:57 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:57 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Mandatory evacuation order in place for Florida's St Johns County starting tomorrow morning at 6am. Northeast Florida hasn't seen anything like this since Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 (though there was Tropical Storm Fay in 2008. It doesn't seem like this one is Dora-level, but who knows). Stay safe, First Coast Mefites! I just read that the Alligator Farm (<3 u gomek) is moving their birds into the komodo dragon building, which is probably set up for such a thing, but reads like the reptile equivalent of stocking up on canned goods.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 1:25 PM on October 5, 2016 [16 favorites]
posted by everybody had matching towels at 1:25 PM on October 5, 2016 [16 favorites]
Okay Hollywood I've got a great idea for a horror movie, but you'll have to be willing to commit to a serious movie where all the protagonists are birds.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:27 PM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:27 PM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
But could the buoy dance? This is vital scientific information.
posted by ckape at 1:30 PM on October 5, 2016
posted by ckape at 1:30 PM on October 5, 2016
I called my mom today, who lives in Jacksonville, where I'm from. She had just gotten back from the grocery store.
"How was it?" I asked her.
"Well, the usual," she said. "No bread, no water, no batteries."
"What'd you get?" I asked her.
"Artichokes."
"Artichokes?"
"Yes, four artichokes, and a couple of bottles of wine with screw tops on them. Since I've torn my rotator cuff I haven't been able to use a corkscrew. Listen, I have to go soon because I have to take all of the patio furniture off the deck and throw it in the yard."
"Oh, because you don't want the furniture to turn into projectiles."
"No," she said, "Because it's Wednesday."
Mom's going to be fine.
posted by staggering termagant at 1:45 PM on October 5, 2016 [38 favorites]
"How was it?" I asked her.
"Well, the usual," she said. "No bread, no water, no batteries."
"What'd you get?" I asked her.
"Artichokes."
"Artichokes?"
"Yes, four artichokes, and a couple of bottles of wine with screw tops on them. Since I've torn my rotator cuff I haven't been able to use a corkscrew. Listen, I have to go soon because I have to take all of the patio furniture off the deck and throw it in the yard."
"Oh, because you don't want the furniture to turn into projectiles."
"No," she said, "Because it's Wednesday."
Mom's going to be fine.
posted by staggering termagant at 1:45 PM on October 5, 2016 [38 favorites]
I'm glad we had this buoy discussion
It'll come in handy if we have a hurricane discussion
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 2:26 PM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
It'll come in handy if we have a hurricane discussion
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 2:26 PM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
Storm Watch As Hurricane Matthew Nears U.S., Residents Get Warning: Prepare [The New York Times]
• Hurricane Matthew [NOAA.gov], a deadly storm with maximum sustained winds of more than 115 miles an hour, was forecast to start inflicting significant rain and wind damage in southern Florida beginning late Thursday, before working its way up the coast.- FEMA Urges Residents to Know Their Evacuation Routes, Take Direction from State, Local, and Tribal Officials Ahead of Potential Landfall by Hurricane Matthew [FEMA]
• The governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina declared emergencies, and more than 7,800 National Guard soldiers were activated or placed on alert.
• In Haiti, the storm was blamed for the deaths of five people and widespread destruction, leading the country to postpone elections.
• New York Times journalists assigned to cover the storm include Lizette Alvarez in Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Nick Madigan in Miami; Frances Robles in Cocoa Beach, Fla.; Les Neuhaus in Jacksonville, Fla.; Alan Blinder in Atlanta; Richard Fausset in Charleston, S.C.; and Jess Bidgood in Wilmington, N.C.
“The time to prepare is now. Residents in potentially affected areas should learn their evacuation routes and monitor weather conditions,” said FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate. “Storm tracks can change quickly and unexpectedly. Residents and visitors in areas from Florida through the mid-Atlantic in potentially at risk areas, including inland areas, should continue to monitor local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information. Follow instructions of state, local and tribal officials, and make sure you’re taking steps to prepare your home, family or business.”- Hurricane Matthew: What You Need to Know [Whitehouse.gov]
1. Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the local hurricane evacuation route(s) to take and have a plan for where you can stay. Contact your local emergency management agency for more information.- Florida Emergency Information Line -- 800-342-3557 [FloridaDisaster.org]
2. Put together a disaster supply kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, first aid supplies, and copies of your critical information if you need to evacuate.
3. If you are not in an area that is advised to evacuate and you decide to stay in your home, plan for adequate supplies in case you lose power and water for several days and you are not able to leave due to flooding or blocked roads.
4. Make a family emergency communication plan. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to think about the following situations and plan just in case.
5. Many communities have text or email alerting systems for emergency notifications. To find out what alerts are available in your area, search the Internet with your town, city, or county name and the word “alerts.”
The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) is a toll-free hotline activated at the time of an emergency to provide an additional resource for those in Florida to receive accurate and up-to-date information regarding an emergency or disaster situation impacting the State of Florida.- South Carolina Emergency Management Division [SCEMD.org]
Governor Nikki Haley today issued an executive order declaring a State of Emergency and asked residents to prepare for a potential evacuation of the South Carolina coast in advance of any impact from Hurricane Matthew. As state officials continue to monitor weather conditions, the governor will update residents about preparations for Hurricane Matthew, including the need for an evacuation of coastal areas, during a news conference tomorrow, Wednesday, October 5, at 9:00 AM. Schools and county and state government offices in the following counties will be closed starting Wednesday, October 5, 2016: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Berkeley, Beaufort, Calhoun, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lee, Lexington, Marlboro, Marion, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, and Williamsburg counties.- State of Emergency Declared for Central and Eastern North Carolina [NCDPS.org]
While much uncertainty still exists about Hurricane Matthew’s storm track, meteorologists have cautioned that the southeastern areas of the state could see gusty winds and rain bands as early as Friday morning. Current forecasts are predicting rainfall amounts of three to five inches across much of the east with tropical storm force winds between 39 and 73 miles per hour extending nearly 200 miles from the center. With grounds already saturated from recent heavy rains, emergency officials are preparing for downed trees and power outages.posted by Fizz at 2:57 PM on October 5, 2016 [14 favorites]
If you were wondering, "Wouldn't it be great if 90,000+ people traveled into north-central Florida this weekend for the Florida-LSU football game?" STAY TUNED:
As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the game is still scheduled to be played on Saturday at noon at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. A final decision on the start time of the game will be made by 1 p.m. on Thursday as we continue to monitor the storm.posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:43 PM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
The game will not be moved out of Gainesville.
"Wouldn't it be great if 90,000+ people traveled into north-central Florida this weekend for the Florida-LSU football game?" STAY TUNED:
WHAT THE HELL?!!
I will never understand how crazy people get about college football. That people are willing to risk their lives in order to watch a ball move up and down the field. Here's hoping the right decision is made and no one is put in harm's way.
posted by Fizz at 4:03 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
WHAT THE HELL?!!
I will never understand how crazy people get about college football. That people are willing to risk their lives in order to watch a ball move up and down the field. Here's hoping the right decision is made and no one is put in harm's way.
posted by Fizz at 4:03 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
We are Just north of Jacksonville, Fl and relocated from our [rental] place, which is less than a quarter of a mile from the beach on Amelia Island, to housesit a friend's place that's a few miles inland.
Still a location that is, theoretically, under a mandatory evac (as of 6pm tomorrow) but also much better built, stocked, and in a neighborhood that took a tornado direct hit less than 2 months ago (so all the trees are down already). We're also on the list of folks for local officials to keep an eye out for, whatever that's worth.
Well be riding the storm out here as it, hopefully skirts the coast and goes on up to hammer the Carolinas. I'll keep y'all informed!
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:02 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Still a location that is, theoretically, under a mandatory evac (as of 6pm tomorrow) but also much better built, stocked, and in a neighborhood that took a tornado direct hit less than 2 months ago (so all the trees are down already). We're also on the list of folks for local officials to keep an eye out for, whatever that's worth.
Well be riding the storm out here as it, hopefully skirts the coast and goes on up to hammer the Carolinas. I'll keep y'all informed!
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:02 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
What in the holy hell? A fair number of models (GFS and Euro being the biggies) have Matthew tracking inland towards Orlando and Gainesville after making landfall around Vero Beach. If the weather system forecast to move east out of the PNW is at all slow in doing so, that is a likely track.
With a 1 in 5 or better chance of something along those lines happening I can't believe they are going ahead with the game, or at least not moving it elsewhere. That's crazier than the people who waited until today to get supplies. (Personally, I did my shopping Sunday and Monday and just picked up a few extras today)
Thankfully for me, barring a big eastward wobble, Miami will only see 40-50 mph winds. In other words, an average day in Oklahoma. I really don't want to be without power and Internet for a week or more. One hopes that the power grid here is resilient enough to deal with tropical storm winds.
posted by wierdo at 6:07 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
With a 1 in 5 or better chance of something along those lines happening I can't believe they are going ahead with the game, or at least not moving it elsewhere. That's crazier than the people who waited until today to get supplies. (Personally, I did my shopping Sunday and Monday and just picked up a few extras today)
Thankfully for me, barring a big eastward wobble, Miami will only see 40-50 mph winds. In other words, an average day in Oklahoma. I really don't want to be without power and Internet for a week or more. One hopes that the power grid here is resilient enough to deal with tropical storm winds.
posted by wierdo at 6:07 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
On not-preview, good luck RolandOfEld. It's looking like Jacksonville is gonna get hammered. If you're near a river or swamp you may want to reconsider not evacuating. It's looking like a 10' surge is a distinct possibility up there around Yulee/Fernandina. If you're up a creek, it could easily be higher due to terrain effects.
A friend of mine has a house up there that I'd totally trust in the wind, but it's low enough I wouldn't stay there for anything even though it's a couple of miles inland.
The funny thing about the whole deal is that right now the weather is the nicest it's been since March. I can finally sit outside without sweating.
posted by wierdo at 6:16 PM on October 5, 2016
A friend of mine has a house up there that I'd totally trust in the wind, but it's low enough I wouldn't stay there for anything even though it's a couple of miles inland.
The funny thing about the whole deal is that right now the weather is the nicest it's been since March. I can finally sit outside without sweating.
posted by wierdo at 6:16 PM on October 5, 2016
By the way, I find this Navy site to have excellent forecast maps. Extra handy because the wind radii are overlaid on the forecast points.
posted by wierdo at 6:20 PM on October 5, 2016
posted by wierdo at 6:20 PM on October 5, 2016
Yea, if it looks to take a direct turn towards us we are at least past the place where we'd be trapped like rats (the only bridge on/off the island, which closes when winds hit 39mph) and we are also much closer to the interstate which, by all accounts we have heard from locals, turns into a death march of 3 miles in 3 hours. We also have a standing invitation to shelter with the local head of emergency comms for the county, at the command center where they will be for the duration, at a location that we could get to easily if things get seriously hairy. So, we shall see.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:27 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:27 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
NRL! good stuff.
here's a project out of the New Orleans metro to track the different government feeds, including road closures and shelter openings. There's also social media posts.
Fuck Matthew.
P.S. what the hell is it doing, a curly-Q up the east coast? very strange. Is this the kind of storm behavior when the cyclone is being driven not by a regional trend in the colder, upper atmosphere, but a really hot sea surface?
posted by eustatic at 7:23 PM on October 5, 2016
here's a project out of the New Orleans metro to track the different government feeds, including road closures and shelter openings. There's also social media posts.
Fuck Matthew.
P.S. what the hell is it doing, a curly-Q up the east coast? very strange. Is this the kind of storm behavior when the cyclone is being driven not by a regional trend in the colder, upper atmosphere, but a really hot sea surface?
posted by eustatic at 7:23 PM on October 5, 2016
Some friends of mine in Nassau shared this with me yesterday, what they've been using to track things headed their way. If anyone wants to geek out on weather patterns and water temp interactions, sheers and such: http://www.tropicaltidbits.com/
posted by danapiper at 7:30 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by danapiper at 7:30 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Latest update from The Cone: My husband, my son, and I put up our storm panels this afternoon, and I chased all over town getting supplies and filling up the cars. We are as ready as we'll ever be, planning to hunker down for the next couple of days.
It took the three of us 3 1/2 hours to put up the panels, and it was seriously hard work of a kind I'm not used to doing. Goodness knows how people who are elderly or disabled are preparing.
posted by Daily Alice at 7:36 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
It took the three of us 3 1/2 hours to put up the panels, and it was seriously hard work of a kind I'm not used to doing. Goodness knows how people who are elderly or disabled are preparing.
posted by Daily Alice at 7:36 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
That graph is really impressive - stay safe, Mefites in the path.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:39 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:39 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Our house is now full of patio furniture, we have potted plants in the shower stall, and I've counted at least three lizards that stowed away on those things and they are now hiding from our cats. But, we are 99% ready so I am now enjoying a gigantic glass of wine (I need the bottle to fill with water, damnit!). It's very surreal since I was 23 for my last hurricane and spent it drinking myself into oblivion with my law school friends without any real responsibilities, and this time I'm 34 and wondering if my children will be too terrified by the wind tomorrow night and will need to sleep with us.
posted by gatorae at 7:40 PM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by gatorae at 7:40 PM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
We brought in a couple of lizards and at least one frog as stowaways on the lawn furniture. At least it should keep the cat amused for a while.
(And yes, after the day's preparations, I am now in Vodka Mode).
posted by Daily Alice at 7:42 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
(And yes, after the day's preparations, I am now in Vodka Mode).
posted by Daily Alice at 7:42 PM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Back to the pronunciation stuff: I have a friend who is English and pronounces the last name of David Bowie as "bow - ie" with bow as in take a bow rather than tie a bow.
posted by Daily Alice at 7:47 PM on October 5, 2016
posted by Daily Alice at 7:47 PM on October 5, 2016
Greg_Ace: I was taught that Jim Boo-ee (famed for the knife) and David Boh-ee (famed for, among other things, "Fame") pronounced their last names differently.--hanov3r
David Bowie came up with the name Bowie (he was born David Jones) by naming himself after Jim Bowie and his knife. I think the problem is that we tend to pronounce the name of the knife differently than Jim Bowie pronounced his own name.
posted by eye of newt at 11:28 PM on October 5, 2016
David Bowie came up with the name Bowie (he was born David Jones) by naming himself after Jim Bowie and his knife. I think the problem is that we tend to pronounce the name of the knife differently than Jim Bowie pronounced his own name.
posted by eye of newt at 11:28 PM on October 5, 2016
In the graph of a hurricane / there is quiet / for just a moment.
wait for it wait for it wait for it
posted by MsMolly at 12:15 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
wait for it wait for it wait for it
posted by MsMolly at 12:15 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Here on the western side of The Triangle we stopped by a Harris Teeter last night to get more milk.
An entire shelf, floor-to-ceiling, of the bottled water was totally cleared out, as was most of the milk. Forgot to check how their toilet paper supplies were holding up.
Still plenty of beer and wine, though, which means people aren't taking this one seriously.
posted by ardgedee at 2:37 AM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
An entire shelf, floor-to-ceiling, of the bottled water was totally cleared out, as was most of the milk. Forgot to check how their toilet paper supplies were holding up.
Still plenty of beer and wine, though, which means people aren't taking this one seriously.
posted by ardgedee at 2:37 AM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
This storm looks to be getting worse and worse (and that's even disregarding some of the more hyperbolic folks at Weather Underground). It now might strike Florida as a Category 5, and still be a 3 by the time it hits Charleston. You all are in my thoughts.
posted by sallybrown at 5:15 AM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by sallybrown at 5:15 AM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Reporting in from the Cone again. I'm as ready as I will be once this last load of laundry finishes running and the dishwasher stops. I stopped at a CVS last night for one last supply (allergy medicine) and the place was moderately busy and people were being courteous and polite. I thought about running down the aisle out the door screaming "THERE'S NO TIME!" but couldn't bear to break the serenity of the store.
I'm part of the inland Cone and even still they are telling us this morning to brace for 100mph winds. Inland. I've lived here for 15+ years (grew up on the east coast before that) and I've seen storms roll through, but never one like this (and of course the storm and I share a name; we Matthews are overachievers). I don't think I can do much else but wait and hope for the best.
Good luck to everyone else in Cone Club. We're going to need it.
posted by Servo5678 at 5:27 AM on October 6, 2016 [6 favorites]
I'm part of the inland Cone and even still they are telling us this morning to brace for 100mph winds. Inland. I've lived here for 15+ years (grew up on the east coast before that) and I've seen storms roll through, but never one like this (and of course the storm and I share a name; we Matthews are overachievers). I don't think I can do much else but wait and hope for the best.
Good luck to everyone else in Cone Club. We're going to need it.
posted by Servo5678 at 5:27 AM on October 6, 2016 [6 favorites]
It's taking its sweet time. It was deader than a Sunday morning until about an hour ago, but now people seem to be going about their business here in Miami. It finally got a bit breezy about that time, ironically. And yes, the storm's pressure has dropped nearly 20mb since last night, although winds haven't caught up yet based on the hurricane hunter reports.
My concern is that with the storm being slower than was being hyped last night on the news, people farther north in Boca and West Palm, where more significant impacts are expected, may end up venturing out en masse today and get caught in traffic trying to rush home as the storm bears down on them. The outermost bands are so weak, it would be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security.
posted by wierdo at 6:39 AM on October 6, 2016
My concern is that with the storm being slower than was being hyped last night on the news, people farther north in Boca and West Palm, where more significant impacts are expected, may end up venturing out en masse today and get caught in traffic trying to rush home as the storm bears down on them. The outermost bands are so weak, it would be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security.
posted by wierdo at 6:39 AM on October 6, 2016
P.S. what the hell is it doing, a curly-Q up the east coast? very strange. Is this the kind of storm behavior when the cyclone is being driven not by a regional trend in the colder, upper atmosphere, but a really hot sea surface?
According to the Capital Weather Gang, "Matthew performs this loop as high pressure — which had been steering it westward — gets pushed out to sea by a cold front that nudges the storm eastward initially. But then a new area of high pressure builds over the eastern U.S. and western Atlantic Ocean early next week, which pushes Matthew south and then westward back toward Florida."
Very interested to see how TS Nicole is going to fit in to all of this, also.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 6:57 AM on October 6, 2016 [4 favorites]
According to the Capital Weather Gang, "Matthew performs this loop as high pressure — which had been steering it westward — gets pushed out to sea by a cold front that nudges the storm eastward initially. But then a new area of high pressure builds over the eastern U.S. and western Atlantic Ocean early next week, which pushes Matthew south and then westward back toward Florida."
Very interested to see how TS Nicole is going to fit in to all of this, also.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 6:57 AM on October 6, 2016 [4 favorites]
We are situated just south of Jacksonville FL and now patiently waiting for the approach of Matthew some time this evening/tonight, depending on its speed north. Some wind and 1 1/2 ins rain overnight.
Drove down to the St. John's River which is about 3 feet higher than normal but otherwise all quiet.
posted by lungtaworld at 7:06 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Drove down to the St. John's River which is about 3 feet higher than normal but otherwise all quiet.
posted by lungtaworld at 7:06 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I was just looking at the radar -- the eye is so clearly defined, and this storm looks massive, like the entire length of the state of Florida. Crazy. Try to stay as safe as possible!
posted by Fig at 7:47 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Fig at 7:47 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nicole and Matthew will join together and become Voltron.
posted by humanfont at 7:53 AM on October 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by humanfont at 7:53 AM on October 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
Some of the latest forecasts (11am NHC and tropical tidbits) have it completely doubling back on itself and coming back for the parts of Florida it missed. Yuck to say the least.
posted by danapiper at 8:24 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by danapiper at 8:24 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nicole and Matthew will join together and become Voltron.
My name is Matthew. My abusive, gaslighting ex was named Nicole. The NHC is clearly messing with me.
posted by Servo5678 at 8:32 AM on October 6, 2016 [8 favorites]
My name is Matthew. My abusive, gaslighting ex was named Nicole. The NHC is clearly messing with me.
posted by Servo5678 at 8:32 AM on October 6, 2016 [8 favorites]
The other day, I was messing around looking at historical hurricane tracks that hit my hometown before I lived there, and ran across Abby 1968 which has a pleasantly goofy track. Not quite a total loop back on itself, but close.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:56 AM on October 6, 2016
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:56 AM on October 6, 2016
I keep seeing the lone loop perdiction on weather underground where it completely loops, crosses over florida, meanders in the Gulf and goes smack into louisiana.
posted by AlexiaSky at 10:01 AM on October 6, 2016
posted by AlexiaSky at 10:01 AM on October 6, 2016
Good luck Florida, my useless thoughts and prayers are nevertheless with y'all.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:02 AM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:02 AM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Here are some weather cams if you're into that sort of thing.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 10:19 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by everybody had matching towels at 10:19 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Not a D cell to be found anywhere. Not last night, not today. I never have any use for them. Now I miss them so very much.
posted by Splunge at 10:29 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Splunge at 10:29 AM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
danapiper: "Some of the latest forecasts (11am NHC and tropical tidbits) have it completely doubling back on itself and coming back for the parts of Florida it missed. Yuck to say the least."
The first time I heard of this I thought it was a sick joke. It's still sick. But not a joke.
posted by Splunge at 10:30 AM on October 6, 2016
The first time I heard of this I thought it was a sick joke. It's still sick. But not a joke.
posted by Splunge at 10:30 AM on October 6, 2016
Local TV news guy just gave a warning to "anyone infected by Hurricane Matthew"... I really hope he meant "affected".
posted by Servo5678 at 12:02 PM on October 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 12:02 PM on October 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
I'm in Florida, but not in the cone for this one, thankfully. I was in the cone for Hurricane Hermine last month, who was, thankfully, just a Cat 1 and still managed to knock out power for almost a week.
I, however, do have friends and family in the cone, and I'm worried about them. My pals in Ft. Lauderdale are mostly inland and seem to be holding up OK. I have other friends farther north--in the Daytona Beach area, and they've evacuated this morning, most of them.
Traffic here is crazy, because we're getting all of the evacuees. I also think that residents here are still a bit anxious because of last month's hurricane--I went to the grocery store on my way home yesterday--and it was slammed. Everyone in the state is feeling jittery, I think.
posted by PearlRose at 12:58 PM on October 6, 2016
I, however, do have friends and family in the cone, and I'm worried about them. My pals in Ft. Lauderdale are mostly inland and seem to be holding up OK. I have other friends farther north--in the Daytona Beach area, and they've evacuated this morning, most of them.
Traffic here is crazy, because we're getting all of the evacuees. I also think that residents here are still a bit anxious because of last month's hurricane--I went to the grocery store on my way home yesterday--and it was slammed. Everyone in the state is feeling jittery, I think.
posted by PearlRose at 12:58 PM on October 6, 2016
Since I know everyone cares deeply about SEC football: Sanity has prevailed, and the game from upthread has been postponed, with no makeup date currently available.
(Friday's classes were canceled yesterday.)
posted by Huffy Puffy at 1:02 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
(Friday's classes were canceled yesterday.)
posted by Huffy Puffy at 1:02 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
(From the Meta) Growing up, 5 months out of the year was spent watching hurricane and tropical storm forecasts.
Listen y'all, I feel for anyone who is in the path of this thing, I really do, please don't go accusing me of being insensitive, but this statement right here - this statement is why when people go "oh, you live in California? It must be so scary with all of the earthquakes!!" that I do that dog-sideways-head-turn thing and go "huh?"
posted by vignettist at 1:24 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Listen y'all, I feel for anyone who is in the path of this thing, I really do, please don't go accusing me of being insensitive, but this statement right here - this statement is why when people go "oh, you live in California? It must be so scary with all of the earthquakes!!" that I do that dog-sideways-head-turn thing and go "huh?"
posted by vignettist at 1:24 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I do that dog-sideways-head-turn thing and go "huh?"
Understandably. I experienced a ton of earthquakes when I lived in LA, included that horrible 6.7 Northridge earthquake back in 94, which was pretty upsetting, killed 60 to 70 people, did something like $40 billion damage, and scared the crap out of me. That was about as bad as nature got, I thought.
And then I lost almost everything to Hurricane Katrina, which may have killed 2,000 people and definitely destroyed an American city. Earthquakes are bad, but, man, a hurricane is the worst thing I have ever known.
posted by maxsparber at 1:38 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Understandably. I experienced a ton of earthquakes when I lived in LA, included that horrible 6.7 Northridge earthquake back in 94, which was pretty upsetting, killed 60 to 70 people, did something like $40 billion damage, and scared the crap out of me. That was about as bad as nature got, I thought.
And then I lost almost everything to Hurricane Katrina, which may have killed 2,000 people and definitely destroyed an American city. Earthquakes are bad, but, man, a hurricane is the worst thing I have ever known.
posted by maxsparber at 1:38 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's not a contest. They both suck.
posted by blurker at 1:40 PM on October 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by blurker at 1:40 PM on October 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
You know, me describing my personal experience is not me making it into a contest, and please be a little sensitive when somebody describes something that literally displaced them and put them in debt for a decade.
posted by maxsparber at 1:43 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by maxsparber at 1:43 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sorry about that. I'm really on edge about this thing. Family is all in the midst and I'm sitting on my hands safe here in Texas. I didn't mean to sound so curt.
posted by blurker at 1:46 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by blurker at 1:46 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
That's fine. They do both suck. I guess I wound up picking tornadoes, since I am back in the Midwest, and they suck too.
posted by maxsparber at 1:48 PM on October 6, 2016
posted by maxsparber at 1:48 PM on October 6, 2016
it's definitely not a contest (no one wants to win!) and I strongly hope that all mefites and family in the path of this thing stay safe. hurricanes are indeed terrifyingly destructive.
that said, living in California I find the yearly threat and destruction of fires much much more frightening than the worry about earthquakes.
posted by supermedusa at 1:53 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
that said, living in California I find the yearly threat and destruction of fires much much more frightening than the worry about earthquakes.
posted by supermedusa at 1:53 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nature is trying to kill us. Not that I blame it.
I'm sorry you had so much loss from Katrina. I'd probably choose tornadoes too if I had dealt with that one.
posted by blurker at 1:55 PM on October 6, 2016
I'm sorry you had so much loss from Katrina. I'd probably choose tornadoes too if I had dealt with that one.
posted by blurker at 1:55 PM on October 6, 2016
Fascinating IRC channel currently covering the storm (via Reddit).
posted by theraflu at 1:55 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by theraflu at 1:55 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nicole has been updated to Cat 1 hurricane
posted by supermedusa at 1:58 PM on October 6, 2016
posted by supermedusa at 1:58 PM on October 6, 2016
I'm hoping the eye passes north of West Palm Beach. I mean, that means it will hit somebody else instead but at least it won't be quite so densely populated and such.
posted by Justinian at 2:12 PM on October 6, 2016
posted by Justinian at 2:12 PM on October 6, 2016
It's rather surreal to have spent this week covering Katrina in class (I'm teaching a course on the social science of disaster this term) while keeping one eye on Matthew's progress. Eric Holthaus (who's worth following on twitter if you are interested in meteorology and climate change) has a good piece up at Pacific Standard on how serious this one could be:
posted by karayel at 2:19 PM on October 6, 2016 [9 favorites]
Simply put: If Florida’s disaster preparedness officials wanted to script a worst-case scenario for the state, it would look a lot like Hurricane Matthew. This is a nightmare hurricane.Meanwhile, Drudge and Limbaugh are speculating that the National Hurricane Center is deliberately manipulating its forecasts to scare people into believing that climate change is real. May they be haunted by the ghosts of every single person this storm kills.
posted by karayel at 2:19 PM on October 6, 2016 [9 favorites]
I guess I wound up picking tornadoes
I originally read that as "picking tomatoes", and was momentarily completely confused.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:33 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
I originally read that as "picking tomatoes", and was momentarily completely confused.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:33 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
I always use the Yiddish word for tomato, pomidor, and my girlfriend always thinks I am putting Elvis' hair in my salad.
posted by maxsparber at 2:50 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by maxsparber at 2:50 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Blurker, I hope that my comment didn't seem tinged with the idea of competition either. It wasn't meant to be. I hope your friends and family are safe.
posted by vignettist at 3:44 PM on October 6, 2016
posted by vignettist at 3:44 PM on October 6, 2016
blurker: "Nature is trying to kill us. Not that I blame it."
While it's human nature to apply intelligence to acts of nature, it's a good practice to ignore that thought. What is happening now is the thing that has happened forever upon the planet Earth. Weather is weather. People, like myself, live in areas that weather happens to. Flood plains are full of settlements. When they flood, people are surprised. Then you hear, 'We will rebuild.'
This is not the fault of the weather, it's the fault of man.
When I moved to Florida I knew that this could happen. I threw my mental dice and said, okay, that's a decent roll. Guess what, I rolled a 1 today. I don't blame the dice. I accept the result. Mother nature is a dice roll. There is a damn good chance that California might slide into the sea. Very soon. Yet millions of people live right on the fault. They rolled their mental dice, and said, yeah that's okay.
Stop blaming mother nature for human nature. We just don't do dice well. YMMV.
posted by Splunge at 4:21 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
While it's human nature to apply intelligence to acts of nature, it's a good practice to ignore that thought. What is happening now is the thing that has happened forever upon the planet Earth. Weather is weather. People, like myself, live in areas that weather happens to. Flood plains are full of settlements. When they flood, people are surprised. Then you hear, 'We will rebuild.'
This is not the fault of the weather, it's the fault of man.
When I moved to Florida I knew that this could happen. I threw my mental dice and said, okay, that's a decent roll. Guess what, I rolled a 1 today. I don't blame the dice. I accept the result. Mother nature is a dice roll. There is a damn good chance that California might slide into the sea. Very soon. Yet millions of people live right on the fault. They rolled their mental dice, and said, yeah that's okay.
Stop blaming mother nature for human nature. We just don't do dice well. YMMV.
posted by Splunge at 4:21 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
In Indiana for family funeral but left pets and apartment in Savannah in the care of a friend. Nervously waiting for this to do what it must do.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 4:23 PM on October 6, 2016
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 4:23 PM on October 6, 2016
Sitting here in Coral Springs (between Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton) and hoping a buoy doesn't fly through the night with the other debris and take out my windshield. However it's pronounced.
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 5:13 PM on October 6, 2016
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 5:13 PM on October 6, 2016
I am really impressed by what a great job Governor Haley did with the SC evacuation. Should be a model for future responses.
posted by sallybrown at 5:17 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sallybrown at 5:17 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
NOAA has this big list of social media accounts of official outlets (local governments and emergency services, etc) for the affected areas, if people are looking for official info for a given town.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:30 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:30 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Meanwhile, Drudge and Limbaugh are speculating that the National Hurricane Center is deliberately manipulating its forecasts to scare people into believing that climate change is real. May they be haunted by the ghosts of every single person this storm kills."
I suspect there will be a lot of cheering when he passes away.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:43 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I suspect there will be a lot of cheering when he passes away.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:43 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
How Hurricane Matthew Could Make the Zika Virus Exponentially Worse: The virus is likely to spread from Florida in the aftermath.
posted by homunculus at 11:31 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 11:31 PM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Thinking of MeFites (and by extension everyone) in the storm's path; hoping you stay safe.
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:34 AM on October 7, 2016
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:34 AM on October 7, 2016
The ranter in chief about the lethality of this storm has been Rick Scott, who is the same person who disallowed the phrase "climate change" in state government. So I think Drudge and Limbaugh may just this once be mistaken.
posted by Don Pepino at 1:14 PM on October 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Don Pepino at 1:14 PM on October 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Holy crap, I just took a peek at Fox News to see if there was reaction to political stories, and ran into a full discussion of climate change describing how road surfaces are being raised in Florida and new buildings are constructed so that the ground-level floor can be abandoned and the next one up take its place. Sea level rise due to melting ice was mentioned, but the hurricane itself or its severity being influenced wasn't.
Of course, this is quarter past 3AM on a Saturday morning.
posted by XMLicious at 12:23 AM on October 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Of course, this is quarter past 3AM on a Saturday morning.
posted by XMLicious at 12:23 AM on October 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
regrats
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:13 AM on October 8, 2016
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:13 AM on October 8, 2016
Storm was mild in Fernandina Beach. Our gate blew open and lots of twigs down.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:04 AM on October 10, 2016
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:04 AM on October 10, 2016
Dead Hogs and the Dirty Ground: America's infrastructure problem is far worse than crumbling bridges and roads.
posted by homunculus at 5:49 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 5:49 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
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bouy did good
* pats bouy on head *
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:47 AM on October 5, 2016 [49 favorites]