Hurricanes and tropical storms

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If you haven't guessed it already from the title, I also am interested in hurricanes and tropical storms (it's one of many, many interests, actually) -- specifically, I enjoy looking at the various forecast models on Mike's Weather Page. He actually gets the forecast right more often than the National Hurricane Centre, IMO. From June to September, I check his website every day, and keep an eye on the tropics. Not because I'm afraid of a hurricane making landfall near home (don't be scared -- just be prepared -- that's my motto), but because tracking them is a fun passtime.

Do you have a hurricane story of your own?
What got me interested in hurricanes (and meteorology in general) was without a doubt Hurricane Juan. It struck Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 28-29, 2003 as a Category 2 storm. It's not only the first hurricane that I remember (there was Earl in 2010, and there have been a few other weaker ones since), it was by far the strongest. I still remember the day before landfall like it was yesterday -- specifically, I remember reading a book called "Amazing Planet Earth" (which I still have, TBH) along with the exact page I was reading (about hurricanes, what else?), and came to the conclusion that we were going to experience a storm of a magnitude I'd never seen before. I can still easily picture what the forest looked like before the storm made landfall, along with where my neighbour's boat was anchored.

I don't remember much about the storm itself (other than the fact that it was extraordinarily loud, and made the entire house shake severely), but I do remember the day after. The forest looked like a warzone. The big, beautiful trees that I'd seen the day before -- all felled. Massive amounts of earth were uprooted (some of which were later pushed back down), and the sailboat had dragged its anchors backwards nearly 50 feet. No power either, and many powerlines had flagging tape on them warning that they were too low for large trucks to pass under. I also remember visiting a nearby trail; trees had fallen across it everywhere, and a sign said "Trail Closed: Hazardous Conditions Ahead." It would take nearly two weeks until the electricity would come back on (and I remember that day too like it was yesterday -- that's testimony to my amazing long-term visual memory for events!).

Do you enjoy tracking hurricanes too? Or do they simply blow you away? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think!

I got interested in the weather as a kid. Back then before computer graphics there was a local TV weatherman who drew the weather maps on a blackboard type device a had a cartoon character he would dress up in rain gear if it was going to rain etc. I used to redraw the weather maps for my dad when he came home from work.

My big initial hurricane experience occurred at just before my third birthday. We lived on the bottom of a hill and it flooded during Hurricane Donna. My mom had to carry me out in waist hish rushing water. The most interssting storm to live through from a purely meterological standpoint was Sandy.

My special interst hurricane is the 1938 New England/ Long Island Express Hurricane. I recommend this book