We have been following the preparations for Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Florida.
The storm is apparently generating wind gusts topping 200 miles per hour, as some are clamoring for a new hurricane category designation.
The blistering power of the storm — the second most powerful ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico — prompted calls for a new Category 6 designation.“This is nothing short of astronomical,” Florida meteorologist Noah Bergren said as Milton reached sustained winds of 180 mph and “gusts 200+ mph.”…If the hurricane reached winds of 192 mph, it would have surpassed a rare threshold that just five storms have reached since 1980, USA Today reported.Its exceptional intensity has prompted calls from some meteorologists to expand the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to include a new Category 6 for hurricanes.While no such official category exists, professor Michael E. Mann tweeted that “Milton might have actually breached the 192 mph ‘Cat 6′ cutoff.”
By way of background, 38 Category 5 hurricanes have been officially recorded in the Atlantic Ocean since reliable records began in 1932. These are storms with sustained wind speeds exceeding 157 mph.
The earliest recorded hurricane, for which we have solid documentation, occurred in 1494 near the Caribbean. During his first voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus encountered a storm that’s often considered the first recorded hurricane by Europeans in the Atlantic. This is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
On July 16, 1494, Christopher Columbus ran afoul of a hurricane while sailing south of Cuba during his second voyage to the New World. Having established a new colony on the north coast of Hispañola in April, Columbus sailed westward along what he thought was a peninsula of China for the next four months. After an excursion to explore Jamaica, he was anchored at what is now Santa Cruz del Sur on the 16th when a storm of great ferocity came upon his four ships. He later wrote to Queen Isabella, offering the first recorded description of a hurricane by a European. He assured her that only his dedication to God and to the extension of the Spanish monarchy would compel him to face such dangers.
Of course, such storms have raged on this planet since oceans formed.
MSNBC recently invited “Science Guy” Bill Nye (who has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University) to offer his thoughts on Hurricane Milton and Category 5 catastrophic storms.
The key portion is here:
The other side, as we often call it, as no plans to address climate change. No plans for long-term dealing with the sorts of problems.If you have young voters out there, encourage them to vote. People say, “What can I do about climate change?” If we are talking about it, and associating it with big storms like this, that would be really good. But the main thing is vote.
By “the other side,” Nye clearly means President Donald Trump and his team, who have been organizing private donations and helping with the response to Hurricane Helene.
It must also be remembered that MSNBC is doing everything possible to elect Vice President Kamala Harris.
Category 5 hurricanes have occurred in eras before the use of internal combustion engines. They have occurred during both Democratic and Republican administrations. No matter who wins in 2024, chances are high there will be at least one catastrophic storm in the 4 years that follow.
In the wake of both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, I suspect Americans now would prefer a leader who chooses a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator with effective planning, response, and mitigation related to American natural disasters as the sole priority. You know…its original mission.
This is in contrast to “the other side,” which has steeped its response principles in “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
A few last, related items from Chris Martz, an actual student of meteorology.
Some of our past stories on Bill Nye:
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