09-Sept-2017

[KathyB]

Another hazy day. We have had hazy skies for the past week or so due to the wildfires in Oregon and Montana.

It's headed up to around 90°F today, which is just fine with me, because I have learned to be thankful for a complete lack of humidity (even though it means the there's more chance for fires here).

[Chris L]

I suspect even our British members know that the U.S. is having one of its worst, perhaps the worst, hurricane seasons in its history. Hurricane Harvey hit Texas less than two weeks ago and dumped more rain than the National Weather Service had seen since it began keeping records in the 19th Century, much of it falling on Houston and producing catastrophic floods. Now it's happening again, as the even more powerful Hurricane Irma approaches South Florida.

All of this was inevitable, as global warming produces hotter water in the Atlantic, and this year there have been a perfect storm of reasons for a perfect storm. It looks like we'll get several, with Hurricane Jose following Irma while Katia forms in the Gulf of Mexico

Keep your eyes on Florida, where real estate developers have spent decades building condominiums in hurricane-prone areas without sufficient foundation to attach them to the ground when really powerful winds arrive. Traffic is gridlocked on Florida highways as mandatory evacuations take place and I know at least one person in the south part of the state who can't get out.

To "watch" in real-time, here's a New York Times map that's tracking Irma, Jose and Katia, complete with satellite photos.

[DiveMilw]

I have only just know realized we should have been calling it Hurricane Irma La Douce this entire time!

[MartinG]

Irma la Sauvage 

[Chris L]

I have only just know realized we should have been calling it Hurricane Irma La Douce this entire time!

Since it's the second big hurricane to hit the U.S. this year, it should be Irma La Deuce.

[Chris L]

Or Irma Le Deux.