It pisses me off when someone reports that the Hurricane is now a Cat 5 with 170 mph wind speed, and they NEVER tell you the altitude from which that windspeed is derived. I suspect they are making statement based on Max Sustained Windspeed (avg peek over 1 minute) at flight level (10,000 ft.) At surface level, the max sustained windspeed is going to be much, much less.
But my question is this:
If I look at current Milon windspeed at 10 m above surface, I cannot see anything higher than 68 mpg. Yet YT weather sources are reporting Milton has strengthened to CAT 5 with 170 mph winds.
Even at 10K ft., I only see 90 mph windspeed. I do see Wind Gust speed up to 110 mph, but gust are gust.
Why such huge difference between what Weather people report and what the Satellite's report?
I have done a moderate amount of reading to try and answer my own question. I have read that when storm Max Sustained is reported, the standard is suppose to be 10 m above surface. But I doubt this is adhered too.
Because 68 mph winds don't generate as much fear as 170 mph and they know that no one will bother to check.
I'll let you know Wednesday what my estimate of the actually surface winds on land are as this damn Milton is pretty much predicted to roll directly over the top of my house, and I live four miles from the coast lol.
Did Helene affect you? I'm in upstate South Carolina and Helene winds knocked out power for a week. For us it was mostly a wind event - trees down on roads, powerlines, some houses and vehicles. We did get a lot of rain, but no flooding. I can't imagine being in the Milton path right now, and I'm praying for those who are.
Please stay safe and update us on how you are doing if you can. I'm originally from New Orleans and one of the reasons I chose to live here is because hurricanes are usually weakened substantially by the time they get here. I just couldn't take the stress of hurricane season anymore.
BTW Governor DeSantis never ceases to amaze me. Shut down the port strike and now shut down FEMA closing down landfills for debris. Every state should be so fortunate to have a governor like him.