Hurricane Irene, Florida Update

[ricki]

The eye of Irene is moving towards South Abaco in the Bahamas at present well to the east of Florida. Still, this is a large hurricane and feeder bands have started to rake over parts of Florida. This will likely continue through today and tomorrow. Forecast winds are to increase and shift to the NW later on or offshore in some areas. The feeder bands contain violent squalls, the kind that mess up, even kill kiters. Despite outward appearances to some, this is not a good day for kiting.


Off Jupiter, FL this morning at a pro kiter shoot. Those dark nasty clouds represent embedded squalls in the first outer hurricane feeder band to make Florida. The smart money is on the beach and already well secured. The squalls could be on the beach a mile a minute or in less than 3 minutes from appearances. Some are no big deal, some kill the wind and yet others spike it to 40, 50 or 60 kts. plus. You never know in advance, so secure early.

You want to avoid the squalls. If you have to kite and are well experienced in similar conditions, make sure you have LARGE clear holes between squalls, several hours is best. You can estimate the hole passage from color radar on loop. Having someone on the beach monitoring with the ability to call you in is a very good idea. If squalls are inbound, land and thoroughly secured (lines off, kite ideally rolled up to avoid runaway kite hazards and hassles) EARLY before it strikes. Make sure you aren't rigged too big either. Winds will shift to the west as time goes on. NW winds are side shore further up the coast of Florida but side off and not rideable in most of the SE area. Watch out for offshore windshifts and act early in advance lest you go to the Bahamas the hard way.


Winds off Delray well to the south this morning. Winds seem to be already side offshore there and no longer rideable. Winds rotate counter-clockwise through time with the passage of this storm to the north and off to the east of Florida.

We have already had some gusts to 40 kts. this morning in SE Florida. Guys who stay out or wait too late are begging to get slammed and may just get their wish too. This is a good day to take off from kiting particularly as the feeder bands have started to arrive. Early on that hadn't reached us yet but that is gone for now.


http://www.wunderground.com/
You can see the feeder band slice into the coast just before the last frame in the automated gif


The blue (water) areas represent holes, the green stuff rain and stronger winds, the yellow, orange and particularly red, embedded squalls to be avoided.

This radar is poor but is the best animated loop that I can embed in the web page. You would do better using the NWS radar at: http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?r...01111&loop=yes

We have been getting hit with feeder bands on and off for the rest of the day. Look at what moved in off the ocean at lunch time in Delray.


Click image for full sized photo


We just had a razor thin feeder band run over us for the last hour full of embedded squalls bringing heavy rains and high winds around 4:30 pm today.

Again, this is a good day to not bother kiting. If you are make sure you've been out in similar conditions before, are rigged with the right sized well maintained and checked kite and STAY WELL OUT OF SQUALLS and away from feeder bands. Otherwise we will likely have some injuries today, volunteers?

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