Antidote to media hype
/EOS has kept her hurricane post at the top of her blog, and while there are many interesting comments there, many from former Greenwich residents, the most informative are coming from earth scientist Mike Finkbeiner, currently in Clearwater, FL (his Greenwich surveying company's website is here) who actually understands all the data being sent from NOAA—that's in contradistinction from the media's hysterical reporting. Hit the comments and scroll to the bottom to get Mike's most recent reports. For instance, at 9:49 this morning, while national TV was wailing over the deadly 15' storm surge crushing the Keys, it turns out that the eye passed over the Keys at low tide, thereby raising the water height to all of one foot over normal high tide.
Which is not to say that conditions won't get much, much worse as the storm moves north, but I intend to rely on Mike to keep me informed of what's happening, rather than, say, Al Roker.
The eye wall passes west of Vaca Key, about 50 miles east of Key West.
The passage lines up with low tide, so the maximum water height is only a foot or so higher than normal high tide.
Sustained winds at 45 knots, gusting to 67.
Did I mention it will not be reported this way.
Data below is from the NOAA tide station, the only point at which surge measurement is possible according to NOAA.
UPDATE FROM MIKE:
I am not one to pull out the FAKE NEWS label quickly, but this is really getting to be an embarrassment.
Mike Bettis in Naples [current wind speeds 7-29 mph] calling Irmageddon.
Outside my window: happy groups walking dogs, doing the normal Sunday afternoon stuff. Skies bright, rains at drizzle level, winds nil.
