Very Tired, so why not post some Hurricane Igor video...

I'm pretty darn tired tonight, so I'll link 3 videos I put together from my trip to Bermuda during Hurricane Igor... I will eventually edit a lot more video later, as this was just a quick rough edit to get things up on youtube... I've posted these videos before, but enjoy again anyways! By the way, Wilmington, NC had almost 22" of rain in 3-4 days! Incredible...

Hurricane Igor Illusion

Hurricane Igor - 1 (Bermuda)

Hurricane Igor - 2 (Bermuda)

North Carolina Flooding...

I talked about the possible big flooding problems in eastern North Carolina yesterday, but I think this pretty much speaks for itself... WOW!

*UPDATE* According to my calculations, Wilmington, NC has now received approximately 19.25" of rain in 3 days! Insane...

000

FXUS62 KILM 300139

AFDILM

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC

939 PM EDT WED SEP 29 2010

.SYNOPSIS...

STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL BRING HISTORIC FLOODING RAIN AND STRONG WINDS TO PORTIONS OF THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. CONDITIONS ARE SHAPING UP PERFECTLY FOR THE WEEKEND AS COOL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE AREA. THESE CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL INTO NEXT WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/...

AS OF 9 PM WEDNESDAY...AN EPIC AND HISTORIC FLOODING EVENT IS ONGOING ACROSS THE CAPE FEAR REGION. RAINFALL RECORDS THAT WERE SET DURING 1999`S HURRICANE FLOYD...A ONCE IN 500 YEAR STORM...ARE GOING TO BE THREATENED OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS A TREMENDOUS STREAM OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO SLAM ONSHORE. REPORTS OF ROAD CLOSURES ARE PILING UP ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED TONIGHT.

AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG UPPER LOW OVER NORTH ALABAMA IS DIRECTING DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE NORTH OUT OF THE CARIBBEAN AND INTO THE CAROLINAS AND MID-ATLANTIC STATES. POES TOTAL PRECIPITABLE WATER IMAGERY CONFIRMS MODEL PROJECTIONS OF PW`S IN THE 2.5 INCH RANGE. A SURFACE FRONT STALLED JUST OFF THE COAST IS ENHANCING LIFT AND LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE...INCREASING PRECIPITATION EFFICIENCY. THE REMNANT CIRCULATION OF FORMER TROPICAL STORM NICOLE WILL NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE REGION TONIGHT...BUT A NEW BAROCLINIC LOW IS DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST AND WILL MOVE NORTH THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. THIS LOW WILL DEEPEN RAPIDLY...AND SHOULD DRAG THE SURFACE FRONT BACK INTO THE CAPE FEAR COUNTIES AFTER MIDNIGHT.

AN ADDITIONAL SIX INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS BURGAW... WILMINGTON...BOLIVIA...AND ELIZABETHTOWN WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BRING STORM TOTALS AT WILMINGTON TO AT LEAST 21-22 INCHES AND MAY ECLIPSE THE 3 AND 4 DAY HURRICANE FLOYD TOTAL THAT IS THE RAINFALL EVENT OF RECORD FOR THIS AREA. FARTHER INLAND RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LOWER...BUT STILL SIGNIFICANT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2-4 INCHES EXPECTED OVERNIGHT.

AS THE FRONT MOVES ONSHORE INTO COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA AFTER MIDNIGHT...WARMER AND MORE UNSTABLE AIR WILL FLOOD ONSHORE WITH STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS. 0-1 KM HELICITY VALUES NEAR 250 M2/S2 COUPLED WITH CAPE AROUND 500 J/KG COULD CREATE A RISK FOR TORNADOES MUCH LIKE ONE WOULD SEE IN A LANDFALLING TROPICAL SYSTEM. REGARDLESS...925 MB WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 50 KNOTS WILL GIVE ANY STRONG CONVECTION THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. SYNOPTIC SURFACE WINDS IN THE 25-35 MPH RANGE WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE EVEN OUTSIDE CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA BEACHES.

A MID-LEVEL DRY SLOT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH LATE TONIGHT...ENDING THE HEAVY RAINFALL. HEAVY RAIN MAY PERSIST ALONG THE NC COAST THROUGH MID TO LATE THURSDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING OFF.

TEMPERATURES INLAND WILL REMAIN NEARLY STEADY IN THE UPPER 60S TO AROUND 70. AT THE COAST...PARTICULARLY THE NC COAST...TEMPERATURES WILL RISE OVERNIGHT WITH THE FRONT APPROACHING AND MOVING ONSHORE. TEMPS COULD RISE AS HIGH AS 76-77 DEGREES NORTH OF CAPE FEAR BY 3-4 AM...WITH A SCREAMING SOUTHEAST WIND.

&&

TD #16...

Quick post tonight! TD #16 is going to be a big rain maker for SE Florida, the Carolinas, and the Mid-Atlantic/NE US... Some areas could see as much as 8 inches of rain according to the HPC... Personally, I think some areas could see over 10 inches of rain! Considering how much rain has already fallen (10 + inches in Wilmington, NC on Monday) across North Carolina recently, this could be a big flooding issue for several areas across North Carolina, especially eastern North Carolina! There will be some gusty winds (40-50mph or so), but I don't see TD #16 becoming much more than a weak tropical storm... Which will be Nicole by the way... Again, flooding rains is the main threat with what "should" become Nicole! More updates to come later...

Hurricane Igor Illusion...

Here is a link to some pretty good video I shot during Hurricane Igor in Bermuda... I titled it, Hurricane Igor Illusion! Here is what I wrote in the video description:

"Before people flip out, this looks A LOT more dangerous than it really is... Mostly an optical illusion! NEVER felt any danger at all... The water in that area was 3-4 feet deep tops! Plus, it is very protected being a bay/lagoon..."

Hurricane Igor Illusion...

Bermuda Adventure!

After getting no sleep, I left my house at 3:09am Thursday morning for Atlanta... I was extremely tired when I finally got to Atlanta, but it was a fairly smooth ride to JFK... I met Devin in the terminal around 4pm... We were excited and ready to get to Bermuda, as our plane was scheduled to take off at 5:25pm... Unfortunately, the weather had other plans! While we were taxing out to take off, you could see a nasty bow echo heading directly at us... This was the same storm that produced tornadoes in Brooklyn with 100mph wind gusts! I would say we easily saw winds gusting to 60-65mph or so... Because the squall line was now to our east, we were pretty much stuck in JFK!

After sitting on the tarmac for almost 4 hours, American airlines took us back to the terminal... Our flight was cancelled until 8am the next morning, and because it was an "act of God", American airlines did NOTHING to make our stay in the terminal a little more comfortable! I understand why we didn't take off, but at least a meal would have been nice! We did meet a really cool girl name Vanessa, so all wasn't lost! We made the best of a bad situation as we had an adventure in the JFK terminal that night! We really didn't sleep that night (second night in a row without sleep for me!), but we finally did take off around 9am the next morning... It was an adventure I'll never forget, and honestly looking back on it, I just laugh because it was actually pretty funny when you think about it!

Flying into Bermuda you could see all sorts of amazing coral reefs! This was my second time to Bermuda, and it was even more beautiful then I ever remembered... We checked into the Grotto Bay Beach Resort around 1pm (second time I have stayed at this hotel), and made our way to the pool area to get some lunch! There we meet follow chasers Michael Laca, Mark Robinson, Tim Millar, and George Kourounis! It was great to meet all the fellow chasers, and it was especially great to finally meet Michael in person since we have talked so much over the internet... They got some scooters to ride around the island on their own, where Devin and I went to meet up with a local Bermudian reporter named Patricia...

We meet up with Patricia and her boyfriend Glenn around 5pm and headed out around the island... I would really like to thank both Patricia/Glenn for everything they did for us! They were both so nice to drive us around everywhere! We saw parts of the island that tourist typically never see! What a great experience! On this particular trip out, Devin and I got some supplies and we also had the chance to see John Smith beach up close! The waves were incredible, and the locals were in complete amazement! Several locals stated that the waves were MUCH higher two days out, then even one day before Hurricane Fabian (120mph) hit in 2003... I know personally, I had never seen the ocean so pissed off up close! We took a lot of pictures/videos before heading back to the hotel...

After FINALLY getting some good sleep, Devin and I headed back out with Patricia & Glenn to John Smith beach around 9:30am... We went to a different spot where huge waves were crashing against a rocky coast/road, shooting 40-50 feet in the air! Another awesome sight! After shooting some videos/pictures we made our way through other parts of Bermuda! Again, it was really cool to see areas of Bermuda you typically would never see as a tourist! Patricia & Glenn were both so great to us, and I can't thank them enough for their kindness!

After getting back, we met up with the other chasers for lunch at the hotel... There is always a lot of great weather/chasing conversations going when you get 6 hurricane chasers together! I've said this before, but hurricane chasers are a tight-knit community! When you think about how many tornado chasers there are compared to how many hurricane chasers there are, it makes a lot of sense... Maybe 50 or so hurricane chasers vs. thousands of tornado chasers (when you think of all the schools, tour groups, locals, etc...)! After lunch I had a chance to talk to Michael Laca about all sort of topics relating to hurricanes, hurricane history, and hurricane chasing! Michael is one of the pioneers of hurricane chasing, and someone that I have always looked up to/considered a mentor... He is a hurricane encyclopedia/hurricane historian, plus he has shot some of the best hurricane footage of all time in my book! We talked for a couple of hours, which is very easy to do when get chasers together like that! It's always great to be around people that share the same passion you do!

TROPMET.COM (Michael Laca's Website)

By dinner we were started to get some light sprinkles, as the outer bands of Igor were starting to reach Bermuda... We also met fellow chaser Rob Jones... Rob was in Charlotte Harbor when Hurricane Charley hit, so we had plenty to talk about... Funny enough, Rob and Mike helped me find my exact chasing spot during Hurricane Charley using google maps! So instead of me saying near Charlotte Harbor, FL (Port Charlotte), I can now say I was at 21416 Olean Blvd... Which is basically where Jim Leonard was... Kinda ironic! lol...

Exact Hurricane Charley Location (Google Maps)

I got another good nights sleep, even though you could hear the winds picking up a lot overnight! Devin, Rob, Mike, and myself all went get some brunch before things started to really pick up! We had a great view outside, and by the end of brunch, the winds were tropical storm force, so it was about time to go out and shoot... I first shot around the hotel for about an hour, and then Devin, Rob, and I made our way to the dock/lagoon... I got lots of great shots of boats rocking in the bay (A couple that were washed up the next day), and other great action shots on the dock! I actually walked out there a few times which was a really cool experience! Trust me the video looks A LOT more dangerous than it was, as I was never in danger... I keep saying this, but it was mostly an optical illusion... At this time I got a couple wind gusts in the mid 60's range before my kestrel broke! It was pretty darn old, and somehow the water got inside it! Bummer! :-(

After meeting up with the other chasers at the dock, we all made our way to the Causeway around 5pm... Conditions were continuing to get worse, as we were staring to experience strong tropical storm force conditions... I got a lot of amazing video of palm trees blowing in the wind, and waves battering against the walls of the Causeway... I used caution around the Causeway as 4 people died on it back in 2003 during Hurricane Fabian... While I never saw this with my own eyes, a couple of the brick wall sections fell over... We stayed on the edge of the causeway getting all sorts of great shots while staying safe! All us chasers stayed until dark, when we finally made our way back to the hotel...

After drying off some, Devin, Rob, and I got a quick bite to eat at the bar... By then you could hear the hotel starting to "move around" a little as the winds were really starting to howl... I went outside to shoot some move video, and by this time the winds were hurricane force! I would say the worst conditions occurred between 10pm-midnight... Officially, I heard reports of 74mph sustained winds with gusts to 93mph... I believe it too, because I think we saw conditions very similar to that at our location on the hotel... While I couldn't get the best video at night, it was still a great experience! The winds would funnel through the front of the hotel, which was cool to watch... I went to bed around 2am, when the worst of Igor was pretty much over!

For the third night in a row, I got a good nights sleep, even though you could hear the winds blasting at times during the night (especially around 4-5am)... Plus, there was a tree banging against our hotel room for a lot of the night! Regardless, I got some good rest, and woke up fairly late (10am)... By then, the sun was already peaking through the clouds, and it was actually becoming a very nice day! Hurricane Igor was flying towards Newfoundland by this point... There was some minor tree damage and a couple boats did wash up onshore, but overall Bermuda held up very well against Hurricane Igor! The infrastructure in Bermuda is much better built compared to the US... Of course that makes some sense being an island that is affected by a lot by hurricanes! However, it was nice to see, and I would hope to see the US trend that way over time! Of course the structure of the real estate market in the US is much different, but again, any improvements in the infrastructure would be a great thing to see in the long run! If you live along the Gulf Coast, Florida, or the Atlantic Seaboard, it is only a matter of time before you are hit by a major hurricane!

Our flight out Tuesday was cancelled, but it was a beautiful day outside! The trough had moved through taking Igor with it, bringing sunny skies and a perfect north wind for us in Bermuda! Temps were in the upper 70's and I was ready to enjoy a great day! Devin went into Hamlington and I went to lunch with the other chasers... Mike Theiss meet up with us, as he rode out Igor near Elbow Beach... I have always enjoyed Mike's photos/videos over the years, and it was great to meet him in person! The rest of the day I took some underwater videos of fish in the lagoon... I remember swimming with the fish at this very same place back in 1994! It was something I've always remembered, and I really enjoyed doing it again 16 years later! I got some cool video also, which I'll eventually post on youtube! There is just something about crystal clear green/blue water in an island location like Bermuda!

For our last night on the island, Devin, Mike Laca, and myself decided to try to find a Jamaican grill that was supposedly not too far from the hotel... It was an adventure to find the place, and unfortunately when we did, it was already closed... So we went back to the Swizzle Inn (where we went for lunch), which has some good food... We had a great dinner filled with lots of great hurricane conversation! What a surprise! lol... After dinner, we went back to the hotel and tried to get a few hours sleep before our flight out Wednesday morning!

At the airport the next morning we ran into Vanessa again, as she was on the same flight back to JFK... Also, Tim, Mike Laca, and Mike Theiss where there waiting for their flight back to Miami... Everyone said their goodbyes, as it was the end of a great chase!

I would personally consider this chase a GREAT SUCCESS! While Hurricane Igor did weaken to a Cat-1, it was by far the most affects I have ever experienced from a Cat-1... I have never seen surf like that ever before in my life! Being on an island, and so close to the elements was a great experience! The Grotto Bay Beach Resort was a perfect spot to ride out a hurricane, and I'll be back again if another one comes that way... Bermuda is a little expensive, but it is also very beautiful... I would without a doubt come back to visit someday! When considering how small the island of Bermuda is compared to the vast Atlantic, I'm very pleased with our forecast and decision to chase! Hurricane Igor passed about 30-40 miles west of Bermuda, which is almost the perfect track from a chasing perspective! Especially again considering the fact that we were on a 21 mile long island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean! I'm telling you, island chasing is the way to go, and I can't wait to finally get a hurricane in the deep tropics someday soon! I'm very glad I went on this hurricane chase, and it's a chase I'll never forget! Well worth it! :-)

Hurricane Igor Video!

Here are two very raw edited Hurricane Igor videos from Bermuda! The first video is shot on the Grotto Bay Beach Resort property, and the second video is shot near/on the Causeway... Enjoy! Double click on the video to watch full screen...

THE WEATHERVEIN - 15...

Here is episode - 15 of THE WEATHERVEIN... Enjoy!

The Barometer Bob Show!

I promise I'll have my chase recap up on Sunday, but with catching up with work and recording the Barometer Bob Show today, I just didn't finish it... Plus, I don't want to rush it... Tomorrow Devin and I will record another weathervein episode, and again I'll have my Hurricane Igor chase recap up Sunday night! I did want to leave you a link to the Barometer Bob Show Devin and I recorded tonight... We really appreciate the opportunity to share our experience chasing Hurricane Igor on Bermuda! Scroll down to 20:10 to hear the beginning of the interview... It lasts about 20 minutes! Enjoy...

The Barometer Bob Show (Click Here)

Also, here is a few video clips from Bermuda during Hurricane Igor... Will have many more to come!

GREAT Chase Recap!

I literally just got back to my house in Starkville, but I wanted to immediately post a great chase recap of Hurricane Igor by Devin Toporek! Devin and I traveled together, and had an amazing experience hurricane chasing in Bermuda! Devin has become a very good friend of mine, and I would chase with him any day/anytime! The first of many more chases to come!

I would also like to thank all the other chasers at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort! It was such a great experience, and it was nice to finally meet all these chasers face to face! Hurricane chasers are a fairly tight-knit group, and it's always great to be around people that share your same passion! Everyone was really supportive/nice, and I just wanted to thank everyone for that! I'll have my own detailed chase recap up tomorrow night! Click on the link below to get to Devin's chase account!

Hurricane Igor: Storm Chase Recap!

THE WEATHERVEIN - 14...

Here is episode - 14 of THE WEATHERVEIN! Live from Bermuda! Enjoy! (Sorry for the late post)

Last Day in Bermuda...

Still have limited internet, so again when I get back to the US I'll have a VERY detailed chase recap! It really was such an amazing experience, which I'll never forget for as long as I live! Of course I've seen many stronger hurricanes, but this was a special experience being so close to the water! The surf was insane!!! Also, it was great to meet so many other storm chasers on the island! When you see all the video/pictures you'll really start to see how close we were to the elements! Unfortunately, videos/pictures NEVER do it justice, but it will at least give you an idea what it was like!

Today I actually took some underwater video of all the fish that swim with you in the lagoon here at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort! Very cool! I actually stayed here back in 1994, so it has been a long time since I did that! I'll post some of that video also! Before I leave, I'll post two short (10 sec) videos from Sunday... Enjoy!

Hurricane Igor Pictures from Bermuda!

Here are some pictures from Bermuda during Hurricane Igor... I'll have a full chase recap when I get back to the US... It was an incredible chase/experience! Sustained winds 74mph with gusts to 93mph...