When they say a hurricane is 500 miles wide and 185 mph, that doesn’t mean the entire storm is moving 185 mph. Example
Hurricane Irma in Sept 2017, the eye was 60 miles in diameter. A FEW MILES OUTSIDE of that is where the 185 mph winds are. NOT all 500 miles.  Hurricane Irma downgraded below a Cat 1 as she crossed land — as they do — here in Melbourne/Palm Bay we got 60 mph winds and 90 mph gusts. Florida is only 160 miles wide so we all got high winds for the maybe 12 hours it took her to pass. I’ve lived in Florida all my life and I’ve been through several hurricanes and tropical storms. It’s easy to get caught up in the news hype about approaching storms, so I like to have a reminder here on my blog of the notable storms I most recently recall. My worst experience: I was home through Jeanne on 9-24-04, a category 3 hurricane moving 12 mph, which hit 60 miles south of me and had winds of 115 all night long. I lost power about midnight and was without power for ten days. Just three weeks before, Hurricane Frances hit us and I lost power for 10 days as well. A big oak came down on my back porch during Jeanne. I didn’t hear it since a storm roars loudly, like you’re under an airplane and a train is riding past at the same time. I felt safe inside the house. Burglar bars on all the windows help protect from flying debris, but I shutter them as well. Here are the details of the other storms that affected my area, and at the end are helpful links. I would not feel nervous about staying in my home again through a hurricane with sustained winds of 115mph. The worst I fear is losing power since it means no water, phone or internet, and possibly limited cell phone use. Continue reading →