After Michael, we need a break

  By Mark Sudduth | October 15, 2018 - 8:10 AM |
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Invest 94L over the western Caribbean Sea will move west and in to Central America by tomorrow with minimal development expected. However, it is likely to bring heavy rain and the threat of flooding to the region.

Invest 94L over the western Caribbean Sea will move west and in to Central America by tomorrow with minimal development expected. However, it is likely to bring heavy rain and the threat of flooding to the region.

Now that hurricane Michael has left a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come, the tropics are hopefully going to give us a much needed period of rest.

We do have an area to watch, however, in the climatologically favored western Caribbean Sea – invest 94L. The NHC indicates that it might become a tropical depression before eventually moving in to Central America tomorrow. The main threat here will be heavy rain which can lead to mudslides, flash floods and loss of life.

Otherwise, I see nothing within the long term models to suggest any upticks in activity for the Atlantic Basin over the coming week to 10 days.

On another note, I am back home in Wilmington, NC after an indescribable experience in Mexico Beach, Florida as part of the historic event that unfolded across the region with hurricane Michael. I have an incredible amount of data and video that will be used to unlock some of the secrets of this unprecedented hurricane. It will take time to process it all but rest assured, I am working on it. There is much to learn and through the use of technology, I was able to capture never-before-seen HD video of violent wind, storm surge and the immediate aftermath at point blank range. This will be very important in terms of what we see and discover about the inner core of an intense hurricane. I will keep you posted as I extract the science from the video.

I also want to express my gratitude to all that helped me get through this harrowing experience. My success is your success – we did it together. Whether it was the financial support to make things possible with funding needs or back-end help to ensure the site and our app worked flawlessly; it all mattered and made for the most successful field mission of my career. Thank you.

Hurricane Michael will bring severe impacts to wide area

  By Mark Sudduth | October 9, 2018 - 7:16 AM |
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Michael has not strengthened yet but appears to be ready to do so and is likely to become a major hurricane before the day is out. This is the last full day that folks along the coast have to prepare.

I have posted a new video discussion and in it I talk about not only the coastal impacts but also the far-reaching impacts from Michael for areas away from the coast. The quick movement and intense nature of the hurricane at landfall could mean hurricane conditions all the way in to portions of the Carolinas. So while the rain and flood threat will NOT be anywhere near what Florence delivered almost a month ago, the potential for damaging wind, especially gusts, definitely exists.

I will be working throughout the day to place unmanned cameras and one weather station in the path of Michael. We have an app designed just for this – it’s called Hurricane Impact and is available both on iPhones and Android devices. On the App Store, search Hurricane Impact. For Google Play, click this link. The live cams will be active inside the app beginning later today. I can also post videos and other info right to the app – it’s an amazing tool and helps to support my work to keep you informed.

I’ll have another in-depth discussion posted here later this evening.

In Florida for Michael which could be a catastrophic event for portions of the northeast Gulf Coast

  By Mark Sudduth | October 8, 2018 - 10:45 PM |
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I have made it to Gainesville, FL where I will spend the night tonight. Tomorrow, I will begin setting out equipment such as the live, unmanned cams ahead of what could be a very powerful hurricane.

For now, I have prepared a new video discussion – I will have another in-depth analysis of what’s happening with hurricane Michael by 9am ET Tuesday morning.

Hurricane threat for Gulf Coast, interior Southeast

  By Mark Sudduth | October 7, 2018 - 9:22 AM |
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Here we go again. Another hurricane threat looming for the United States; this time, the Gulf Coast region.

The NHC is issuing advisories on TD 14 situated just east of the Yucatan peninsula in the NW Caribbean Sea. This area is favored for development this time of year and we are actually in a period of even more favorable conditions for the time being.

The forecast from the NHC calls for steady strengthening of the depression in to what will eventually be hurricane Michael. There is potential for it to become quite strong as well and people need to keep this in mind when preparing.

Impacts will be felt across a wide area beginning with what we’re seeing now along the Yucatan and western Cuba all the way up in to the panhandle of Florida and beyond. I think we could see water level rises from areas such as Tampa all the way over to the forecast landfall area near Destin. We will know a lot more about expected storm surge and other impacts over the next day or so – but time is running out, the time to begin preparing is now!

After landfall, the hurricane will be moving quickly and is likely to bring power outages and other major issues to interior portions of the Southeast. Interests from inland areas of Georgia and the Carolinas need to be ready for what’s coming.

I have posted an in-depth, detailed look at what’s happening now with the depression as well as what to look for in the coming days as it moves in to the southern Gulf of Mexico with an eventual landfall along the Florida panhandle around mid-week.