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How? Sandy was more powerful than both Andrew and Katrina at landfall, its IKE was a 5.8 out of 6 (2nd only to Isabelle), and it's the widest hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin, tropical storm force winds extended over 800 miles at the height of the storm. In terms of sustained wind speeds at landfall Sandy falls short of many of the memorable hurricanes, but I can't think of any other reason why it'd be discounted.
Sandy was barely even a hurricane when it made landfall in the NE US. It had winds of 80 mph. Andrew had winds of 165 mph when it made landfall with gusts over 180 mph. The only reason Sandy caused so much destruction is like ILMC90 said, it hit a very highly densely populated area, and it was a rather large storm. A Cat 5 in the NE US is nearly impossible for it to occur.
^not to mention that the native trees in the Northeast are pussbags in comparison to trees in the Southeast. There are videos of massive trees falling over during Sandy. That would never happen in the Southeast, at least in coastal areas.
^not to mention that the native trees in the Northeast are pussbags in comparison to trees in the Southeast. There are videos of massive trees falling over during Sandy. That would never happen in the Southeast, at least in coastal areas.
Yep, exactly. An 80 mph hurricane here wouldn't cause much damage at all. Maybe some downed branches and such.
Higher Wind Speeds ≠ Stronger. Andrew and Katrina weren't as powerful as Sandy at landfall, although their intensities were greater near the core. Sandy's intensity was spread out over much larger area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by alex985
Yep, exactly. An 80 mph hurricane here wouldn't cause much damage at all. Maybe some downed branches and such.
Hurricane Isaac (Cat 1) wreaked havoc on Louisiana in 2012. Sandy's surge would've drowned parts of Miami as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by alex985
I think there's a whole list of hurricanes that were stronger than Sandy at landfall...
There aren't, the only hurricane (of the modern era) that was stronger than Sandy at landfall is Isabelle.
Higher Wind Speeds ≠ Stronger. Andrew and Katrina weren't as powerful as Sandy at landfall, although their intensities were greater near the core. Sandy's intensity was spread out over much larger area.
The only reason Sandy was "powerful" was because it was a large storm. A storm's intensity could be measured by how low the pressure is, and Sandy's pressure wasn't anything to write home about either (lowest was 940 mb and that wasn't anywhere near landfall).
The only reason Sandy was "powerful" was because it was a large storm. A storm's intensity could be measured by how low the pressure is, and Sandy's pressure wasn't anything to write home about either (lowest was 940 mb and that wasn't anywhere near landfall).
A storm's peak intensity should be measured that way, not the entirety of the storm itself. There's a lot more to hurricanes than the maximum sustained wind speed in one spot, which is why I pay little mind to Saffir Simpson scale ratings.
^not to mention that the native trees in the Northeast are pussbags in comparison to trees in the Southeast. There are videos of massive trees falling over during Sandy. That would never happen in the Southeast, at least in coastal areas.
New Orleans during Isaac (Cat 1):
I won't dispute that some trees in the south are better adapted to handle hurricane conditions, Sabal palmetto is prime example, but even that's not a guarantee that they won't come down.
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