The Bitter End

Is anything going on at The Bitter End?

Was just in North Sound last week and we took a Dinghy ride past the Bitter End. We did not see any sign of activity there.

Wow, nearly a year elapsed since it was destroyed and no action yet? It might take longer than the 2 years they estimated to repair at this rate. So sad.

I understand that things are in progress. I saw change between February and May. It’s a massive clean up job at the moment.

I think it’s easy for people to forget just how much damage 285mph gusts cause...and how difficult it is to get things cleaned up and rebuilt on some of these very remote places...glad to see progress being made at Saba!!

Winterstale, you made a very good point and thanks for mentioning Saba which was one of my preferred places.

I spoke with representatives of the BEYC at the Newport Boat Show, last fall. They mentioned that it's the family's intention to re-build it. It's a very heavy lift, requiring massive amounts of capital. I know we're all rooting for them to return strong...just have to be patient.

I don’t want to be a nitpicker but there were no gusts of 285mph. I believe max reported sustained. speeds were 165mph on VG. With that gusts might have hit 200mph but even that is doubtful. Most ocean and land based anenometers were destroyed.

Irma’s estimated peak intensity of 155 kt from 1800 UTC 5 September to 1200 UTC 6 September is based on a blend of multiple SFMR surface wind estimates and flight-level winds observed by the Air Force Reserve and NOAA Hurricane Hunters during that time period. The highest unflagged SFMR surface wind estimate from the Air Force Reserve was 160 kt at 1633 UTC 5 September. The flight-level winds measured during that mission were around the same speed. So 160 its = 184.12 MPH. So "not to nitpick" anything over 150 MPH anywhere on the planet is not a good thing. So lets just leave it at that and know there were and still are a lot of people effected by this storm!

I think you are wrong. The issue were the Tornadoes which were in the ring of the storm. These produced very high levels of short burst winds. In any event the South Sound villa is being rebuilt of reinforced 1/2 inch rebar with 4000 psi concrete. Hope it is never tested again. We are casting the first floor of the main building this week

I have been told that the wind indicator at Beef Island Airport blew apart with a gust of 280..do with this what you will, but we were hit by the strongest Atlantic hurricane in history..many of us are still paying the price..

Well I am not wrong, it would be NOAA and the National Hurricane Center that officially put out these numbers. But hey if you really want to spat over some wind speed to make you feel better...ok your right. Islands were still wrecked by the most powerful storm to hit in a 100 years! Unless you want to tell me I am wrong about that too? I just think its silly that 2 of you now really decided to comment about wind speed. Silly

NC Sailor,
I tend to agree, but there are tornados that are formed within the hurricanes and tornadoes are mostly in the 200 Plus.
Although none have recorded the 285 doesn’t mean that there weren’t wind speeds in the tornadoes reaching that or exceeding.
In 1989 Hurricane Hugo hit and wiped out Culebra the Navy had a team there that offially recorded a gust upto 240K

Yup...this is what I heard....

I think that the confusion is that the winds peaked at 285Km/hr which equals 180 Mi/hr

I don’t see the confusion.

https://qz.com/1074185/hurricane-irma-all-the-meteorological-records-the-storm-has-broken-so-far/

Irma had sustained winds 185mph over 30 or more hours.

Gusts would have been higher.

The next link is from weather underground re Barbuda.


https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/199-mph-wind-gust-irma-personal-weather-station-record.

The recording instrument failed at 199mph, so it could have been higher.

Vortex features in the eye wall would have been much higher.
Eyewall mesovortices tornado like and possibly stronger winds

The wind speed thingy broke at Sage Mountain at 245mph