WxWatcher007

I’m ok. Will do a longer report tomorrow but the eyewall was ferocious and we did have some clearing in the eye, which was incredible to see. The southern part looked ominous with lightning and a howl that the northern half did not have, but in the end the southern half was tame. Definitely chaser convergence here. Everyone from the New York Times to your chaser yahoo. Met some good people. Others not so much. Mike Seidel and I were basically standing in a somewhat protected part of the hotel during part of the eyewall talking tropical. Easily got over 100mph gusts. My minimum central pressure was 950.3mb at 11:30pm, slightly higher than the airport just to my south. I see the airport got to 99 but didn’t have a peak wind. Worse than Idalia visually, which was a damn good eyewall, but Laura remains far and away the most intense TC I’ve experienced. #16 in the books. https://i.imgur.com/MYWgVXF.png Be safe everyone to the north.

I’m ok

#16

And we’re back. That was something. I’m ok.

Power out. Big gusts starting.

On wobble watch here

Wow

I’m good. We’re just getting started.

Things have picked up quickly

Things are about to pick up.

Down to 990mb

Down to 990.2mb

Yeah, not much happening here right now.

Whatever Lake Charles got, we got lol. I ended up in the NE eyewall for hours. It was unreal.

All but certain to stay here. In a strong building and so far the heading looks solid. Even if the eye is a touch west, we’ll likely be in the RFQ. Fully expecting a Laura like event now, which is saying a lot.

As is usually the case, I have support from folks that can let y’all know I’m ok in the likely event I lose signal. For this trip I’ve been conferring with @MillvilleWx & @ORH_wxman. Will update as I can of course. Pressure down to 994.6mb here.

Sky is the limit

With things starting to pick up here, I will no longer be updating wind and pressure in the title of the thread. As is usually the case, I have support from folks that can let y’all know I’m ok in the likely event I lose signal. For this trip I’ve been conferring with @MillvilleWx & @ORH_wxman. Will update as I can of course. Pressure down to 994.6mb here.

Center sonde of 948mb with 8kt wind.

130-136kt FL winds on the east side. My goodness.

Just to level set, the 2am advisory had Helene at 85mph and 971mb. Now, Helene is at 125mph and 951mb, with the deepening rate increasing. Despite all the conversation today, we have objectively met the definition of rapid intensification and done so in 14 hours. How far it goes, who knows, but Helene will be added to our list of rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones on final approach.