18-minute HIGHLIGHTS VERSION: • CHASING CAT-4 HURRICAN...
*** DAMAGE SURVEY: • IAN's DEVASTATION at C...
Feel free to reach out to me at: huracanado1@gmail.com
** This is the 1hr+ EXTENDED VERSION **
Some thoughts on this incredible experience:
On September 20, I was closely monitoring an area of convective weather associated to a tropical wave located a couple of hundred miles to the east of Trinidad an Tobago. The system moved westward while hugging the north coast of South America without much development during the next 3 days.
On September 23, the system had developed a closed surface circulation, and National Hurricane Center advisories on tropical depression #9 were initiated while south of Hispaniola. Slow development ensued due to moderate northerly wind shear in the wake of Cat-4 hurricane Fiona. Late in the 23rd the system was upgraded to Tropical Storm IAN, and on September 26 the system was upgraded to Hurricane IAN while near the Cayman Islands. Rapid intensification ensued until the eye made landfall in Pinar del Rio, Cuba early on September 27 with sustained winds of at least 125mph.
I made the decision to commit to the chase in the 26th, and began preparations as early as the 25th. I was expecting a landfall between Sarasota and Clearwater Beach, Florida. The forecast model differences made chase planning complicated. A range of scenarios from a weakening low-mid intensity hurricane approaching the Florida Panhandle, to a stronger hurricane impacting the Tampa Bay area or further south made me consider a range of options and timings for my departure from Maryland, chase duration, and return home. This will be a subject of much research to come.
In the afternoon of September 27 I departed Maryland by car as the storm was moving away from Cuba and nearing Florida. My plans to leave during that evening were scrubbed due to additional forecast track changes that brought the storm further south, which made my trip longer, and the landfall time earlier. As a result, I could only stop to fill the gas tank and drive nearly nonstop overnight to the new target area, Venice FL. Even as I crossed into Florida, I had to further shift my target to Port Charlotte. The storm was so close to land that I'd arrive to this area well within the onset of damaging winds & rain. Driving became hazardous after passing Sarasota at around 7am. I arrived to the Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte in the morning of September 28 at 7:45am, after 16 hours on the road, but was denied access to the multistory parking garage by hospital security. The option of accessing a public garage in Punta Gorda was suggested, and I quickly drove the 10 or so minutes across the harbor. Thinking that I had arrived to the public parking lot, I had actually entered the private garage of a mixed residential/commercial building where a couple of storm chasers, including new friends like Meso Hunter (CPL John Peterson) and Dr. Hal Needham, and news crews (including CNN) were located. I got lucky to get access and find a good location to film from relative safety ahead of the impending 155mph extreme hurricane.
The hit was epic, from beginning to end. I got to see the full hit of a Cat-4 hurricane in broad daylight: 1) NE eyewall 2) Eye passage with dead calm, and 3) Extreme W eyewall before sunset.
Estimated peak winds at my chase location: 125-130mph sustained, gusting to near 150mph.
On a personal level, Hurricane IAN ranks just under Cat-4 Hurricane MARIA, and above Cat-3 Hurricane GEORGES, both of which I experienced in eastern Puerto Rico. I believe that the peak winds in my location during IAN met the sustained Cat-4 threshold during a brief period of about 10 minutes in the western eyewall after 6pm. Radar winds peaked at 124kts (143mph) over Punta Gorda at about 5000ft of elevation, suggesting this possibility. A peak gust of 135mph was measured at the airport nearby, and 115mph G132mph were reported at Port Charlotte. These were 1st half observations, and given how much weaker the 1st half appeared to be at my location, it is quite possible that sustained Cat-4 conditions did occur. Winds were in the 130-140mph range according to the NHC advisories as the backside moved over my location. Gusts were quite possibly in the 150mph range, with peak extreme gusts above. I will await further analyses from the NHC, but one thing is sure, winds were at least in the mid-Cat-3 range, and possibly up to low-mid Cat-4 sustained intensity in the backside, with the aforementioned gust estimates.
Chapters:
00:00 The Days Before IAN 04:25
04:26 Driving toward IAN 08:33
08:34 1st Half Increasing 21:54
21:55 NE Eyewall Blast 40:32
40:33 Eye of Cat-4 hurricane 45:41
45:42 W Eyewall Blasts (strongest winds) 1:06:35
01:06:36 Post-eyewall hurricane winds 01:01:19
01:01:20 Damage Survey Teaser 01:12:00
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