Point made, sir! After some quick googling, I found that any hurricane with a central pressure of less than 920 mb, using the Saffir-Simpson scale, was rated as a category 5 storm.
If a cat 5 hit KW directly, there would be nothing left. All those old Conch houses would be splinters. The island has been side-swiped by big ones moving north through the Gulf--Wilma, for example, with a tidal surge that created the worst flood of any hurricane (I think)-- but to my knowledge there's never been a direct hit to KW. Cuba acts like a protective barrier. Thanks, Cuba!
Have you ever read Category 5: The Labor Day Hurricane? It’s an excellent read. Every time I drive by the Alligator Reef lighthouse I’m amazed.
The Overseas Highway/Railroad hurricane. I lost a great-uncle, one of the many railroad builder casualties, to that storm. I have a very good book on it, "Storm of the Century," by Willie Drye. I believe the closest to KW was Irma, which devastated Cudjoe and Big Pine Key, 25 miles from KW. The Labor Day hurricane hit Lower Matecumbe Key, which is 82 miles from Key West.
It was Long Key I think, but still further. The reason I referenced that one though is because it was a cat 5 and the strongest to ever hit the US 185MPH), Irma was a low 4 when it hit the keys. Huge difference in power between the 2. If it had been the distance of Irma, Key West probably would have been leveled, let alone what would have happened with a direct hit.
My parents were kids in Miami at the time. Sailboats way inland and fish on the second floors of buildings kind of stuff.
I doubt this comes to pass, but good heavens. https://x.com/hurricaneaddict/status/1699832598430904663?s=61
For those who haven't been following it, James Spann has (rightfully) been mocking the Tik Tok-er who declared several weeks ago that a devastating Cat 6 (non existent on the scale) would hit Florida on September 6th. I feel like she almost BS'ed her way into people having to ask a lot of questions! Category 6 hurricane? Viral TikTok video claims massive storm to ‘destroy’ Florida. Here are the facts
I read (listened to) Storm of the Century by Willie Drye. Ernest Hemingway's description of the aftermath was incredible. There were also some survivor accounts that were terrifying. Goodreads
Read this one a few years ago. Eye opening Also read American War a few years ago. Very eye opening. Talked about it before. Imagines the Second American Civil War in 2070 in which the South secedes over climate regulation. The US Capitol is in Youngstown Ohio as the coasts are flooded. A cool hobby is scuba diving submerged cities. Lots of casual references to fairly regular "Cat 7s" that blow through such that no one builds structures they consider permanent except of the wealthiest.
I listened to Furious Sky awhile back. Great book. I hadn't heard of American War. Will have to check that out.
The satellite says cat 4 already, we will see if the NHC confirms that in a few, the intensification has been extraordinary. IR Satellite Loop for Hurricane LEE | Tropical Tidbits
Do you not believe the planet is getting warmer, or that it is getting warmer, but isn't caused by humans?
Yep cat 4 now, 130mph. Pressure has gone from 989 at the 5a advisory to 953 now, so 36 mm drop in 12 hours. And it doesn’t appear to be done.
