Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane late Monday morning.
Within hours, Milton strengthened to a Category 2, then a Category 3, then a Category 4 and finally a Category 5.
Milton now ranks as the third-greatest 24-hour wind speed intensification for a hurricane in the Atlantic Basin. (Records are based on data since the satellite era began in the 1960s.)
Relief this morning when looking at the current track. At least I won’t get the core. For now.
This storm has reached 180mph at its peak. Have you ever braced wind at that speed? I’ve ridden at 120mph on my motorcycle (at a drag strip). The wind, even with a full face helmet and visor, was so extreme that it was hard to hold on and my ears were ringing afterward despite having earplugs in. This insanity corresponds to a few seconds of a category 3 hurricane. This hurricane’s winds are like that felt by squids on literbikes doing top speed runs.
To add to what you’ve said: if you’ve ever hit a bug (or anything else) at those speeds you notice it. A junebug will leave a fairly decent bruise on exposed skin, and for comparison a paintball out of a marker travels about 190 mph.
Imagine the random far more substantial debris flying around during a hurricane near those speeds.
…i’ve done a buck fourty-five in my convertible with the top down: it’s LOUD…at one fifty-five, pushing with all two hundred horsepower, my car can’t make any further headway against the wind and buildings are a lot less aerodynamically efficient…
…i’ve ridden out a half-dozen hurricanes but category fives are get-out-of-town devastating…
Florida gonna look like Fallout4 post Hurricane Milton and Hurricane season ain’t even over…
Did Helene not eradicate all the idiots?
How are there more?
Graghhhhhh.
