Josh Morgerman | |
---|---|
Born | 1970 (age 53–54) New York |
Nationality | American |
Education | Harvard University |
Occupation(s) | iCyclone, co-founder of Symblaze, field correspondent |
Known for | Record successful intercepts of tropical cyclones |
Website | http://www.icyclone.com |
Joshua Morgerman is an American businessman, storm chaser, TV personality, and field correspondent best known for his multitude of tropical cyclone chases. [1] Born in 1970, he developed an interest in meteorology at an early age. After graduating from Harvard University in 1992, he co-founded the digital advertising company Symblaze in 1999. His storm chasing career began in earnest in 2005 with Hurricane Wilma in Florida.
With no formal education in meteorology, all his experience comes from the chases. In all of the years he has been chasing, Morgerman has intercepted 77 tropical cyclones including Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Hurricane Patricia in 2015, and Hurricane Dorian in 2019, all of which were amongst the 15 strongest tropical systems recorded on Earth during the modern satellite era. In total, he has successfully entered the eye of 52 hurricane-force tropical cyclones, with the strongest being Hurricane Dorian since he did not fully cross paths with the eye of Haiyan.
Josh Morgerman was born in 1970 and grew up in Huntington, New York—part of suburban New York City. Living on Long Island, he developed an interest in meteorology at an early age; his mother attributes part of this interest to him seeing The Wizard of Oz when Morgerman was four. In August 1976, Hurricane Belle struck Long Island as a Category 1 hurricane, causing significant damage in his hometown.
At his father's insistence, Morgerman pursued a liberal arts degree at Harvard University rather than focusing on meteorology. In 1991, while attending Harvard, Morgerman went on his first hurricane chase: Hurricane Bob in Rhode Island. [2]
In 1999, Morgerman co-founded the digital advertising company Symblaze alongside his friend Michael Horton. [3] By 2004, he was living in Prague, Czech Republic, to work with Eastern European clientele. [2]
Morgerman has no spouse nor kids, wishing to remain unburdened by family responsibilities to pursue cyclone chases. [2] In his spare time, Morgerman often studies historic tropical cyclones. [4]
Morgerman has expressed his support for Ukraine during their ongoing war with Russia following Russia's February 2022 invasion of the country. [5]
Morgerman has on occasion reached out to on X (formerly known as Twitter) to political commentators such as Mona Charen, Susan Del Percio, and Charlie Sykes to show appreciation for their podcasts or appearances on podcasts. [6] [7] [8]
Since 1991, Morgerman has been chasing tropical cyclones. His goal is to "core punch" the storms and record atmospheric pressure and document the experience. [2] With no formal education in meteorology, Morgerman's cyclone chasing is a passion project. All of his experience is in the field, though he advertises himself as an "adrenaline junkie". In an interview with The Washington Post in 2012, he stated this to be the primary motivator for chasing. [4]
He often relies on his instincts backed up by years of chasing cyclones. Morgerman leads the iCyclone chase team. Members include his "right-hand guy" Scott Brownfield who coordinates logistics or assists on chases, meteorologists Adam Moyer and Jorge González who provide forecasting information, and Cory Van Pelt who serves as the iCyclone technician. [4] In 2013, iCyclone expanded their chase region to East Asia, teaming up with fellow chasers James Reynolds and Mark Thomas. They ultimately intercepted four typhoons in one month including Typhoon Haiyan which devastated the Philippines. [9] Since 2014, his chasing has been funded by multiple media agencies including CBS, the Weather Channel, and WeatherNation. [2] In 2017, Morgerman conducted his first and so far only Australian chase, intercepting Cyclone Debbie in Queensland. [10]
Morgerman collects atmospheric pressure with multiple Kestrel 4500s. The data he has collected has been utilized by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in multiple instances to refine landfall intensities. 2011's Hurricane Rina's landfall in the Yucatán Peninsula was adjusted in light of his observations. [4] In conjunction with satellite intensity estimates, his measurement of 975 mbar (28.8 inHg) within the eye of Hurricane Ernesto in 2012 was utilized to upgrade the hurricane's landfall intensity to Category 2. [11]
In 2014, Morgerman's measurement of 943.1 mbar (27.85 inHg) within Hurricane Odile resulted in the landfall pressure being adjusted to 941 mbar (27.8 inHg) from the operational estimate of 930 mbar (27 inHg). [12] [13] His observation of 937.8 mbar (27.69 inHg) in 2015's Hurricane Patricia, in conjunction with two nearby automated measurements, assisted in more accurately analyzing the hurricane's strength at landfall. Meteorologists at the NHC concluded an approximate minimum pressure of 932 mbar (27.5 inHg), yielding estimated winds of 150 miles per hour (240 km/h); this made Patricia the strongest Pacific hurricane on record to strike Mexico. [14]
Morgerman provided the only observed over-land pressure with Hurricane Willa's Mexican landfall in 2018. He observed a value of 968 mbar (28.6 inHg), corroborating the NHC's landfall intensity of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). [15]
In 2016, Morgerman collaborated with meteorologist Andrew Hagen and Mexican researchers Erik Sereno Trabaldo and Jorge Abelardo González to reanalyze the 1959 Mexico hurricane, then considered to be the strongest landfalling hurricane on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Their analysis determined the storm to have been significantly weaker than originally estimated and resulted in its downgrade from a Category 5 to a Category 4. These revisions were later incorporated into the NHC's Hurricane Database. [16] In 2017, Morgerman co-authored an academic paper published by the American Meteorological Society on the intensity of 2015's Hurricane Patricia. He provided in-situ data describing the structure of the storm and allowing for a more thorough analysis of its landfall. [17]
As of August 2024, he has chased 80 cyclones across Australia, East Asia, and North America. Of his successful core penetrations, five were Category 5, twelve were Category 4, and seventeen were Category 3.
Year | Date | Storm | Chase location | Landfall intensity (SSHWS) | Recorded pressure | Relative position | Team | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | August 9–10 | Hurricane Belle | Huntington, New York, United States | Category 1 hurricane | — | Inside eye | — | [18] |
1985 | September 27 | Hurricane Gloria | Huntington, New York, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 965 mbar (28.5 inHg) | Inside eye | — | [19] |
1991 | August 19 | Hurricane Bob | Providence, Rhode Island, United States | Category 2 hurricane | — | Eyewall | Solo | [20] |
1999 | August 22–23 | Hurricane Bret | Riviera, Texas, United States | Category 3 hurricane | — | Eyewall | Solo | [21] |
2005 | October 24 | Hurricane Wilma | Everglades City, Florida, United States | Category 3 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Tony Brite | [22] |
2007 | August 21 | Hurricane Dean | Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Category 5 hurricane | — | Eyewall | Solo | [23] |
2008 | July 23 | Hurricane Dolly | Port Isabel, Texas, United States | Category 1 hurricane | — | Eyewall | Scott Brownfield | [24] |
2008 | September 1 | Hurricane Gustav | Berwick/Morgan City, Louisiana, United States | Category 2 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Scott Brownfield | [25] |
2008 | September 13 | Hurricane Ike | Texas City, Texas, United States | Category 2 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Solo | [26] |
2009 | September 13 | Hurricane Jimena | San Carlos, Baja California Sur, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Solo | [27] |
2010 | June 30 – July 1 | Hurricane Alex | Guadalupe Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Jorge González | [28] |
2010 | September 17 | Hurricane Karl | Veracruz City, Veracruz, Mexico | Category 3 hurricane | 985.9 mbar (29.11 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [29] |
2010 | October 24–25 | Hurricane Richard | Missed | — | — | — | Solo | [30] |
2011 | September 17 | Tropical Storm Don | Riviera Beach, Texas, United States | Tropical storm | 1,008.2 mbar (29.77 inHg) | Inside diffuse center | Cory Van Pelt | [31] |
2011 | August 27 | Hurricane Irene | Marshallberg, North Carolina, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 953.0 mbar (28.14 inHg) | Inside eye | Keith Nugent | [32] |
August 28 | New York City/Island Park, New York, United States | Tropical Storm | — | |||||
2011 | October 11–12 | Hurricane Jova | Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | 985.2 mbar (29.09 inHg) | Eyewall | Jim Edds | [33] |
2011 | October 27–28 | Hurricane Rina | Paamul, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Tropical storm | 996.5 mbar (29.43 inHg) | Inside center | Solo | [34] |
2012 | August 7–8 | Hurricane Ernesto | Buenavista, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | 975.0 mbar (28.79 inHg) | Eyewall | Solo | [35] |
2012 | August 28–29 | Hurricane Isaac | Galliano, Louisiana, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 970.0 mbar (28.64 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [36] |
2013 | September 16 | Hurricane Ingrid | Lavaderos, Tamaulipas, Mexico | Tropical storm | — | Eyewall | Jorge González | [37] |
2013 | October 5–6 | Typhoon Fitow | Miyakojima, Okinawa, Japan | Category 2 typhoon | — | Eyewall | James Reynolds, Mark Thomas | [38] |
2013 | October 7 | Typhoon Danas | Oku, Okinawa, Japan | Category 4 typhoon | 950.6 mbar (28.07 inHg) | Inside eye | James Reynolds, Mark Thomas | [39] |
2013 | October 11 | Typhoon Nari | Baler, Aurora, Philippines | Category 3 typhoon | — | Eyewall | James Reynolds | [40] |
2013 | November 8 | Typhoon Haiyan | Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines | Category 5 super typhoon | 959.9 mbar (28.35 inHg) | Eyewall | James Reynolds, Mark Thomas | [41] |
2014 | July 8 | Typhoon Neoguri | Miyakojima, Okinawa, Japan | Did not make landfall | 964.8 mbar (28.49 inHg) | Outside eyewall | James Reynolds, Mark Thomas | [42] |
2014 | September 14–15 | Hurricane Odile | Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico | Category 3 hurricane | 943.1 mbar (27.85 inHg) | Inside eye | Steve Crighton | [43] |
2014 | October 14 | Typhoon Vongfong | Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan | Tropical storm | 975.5 mbar (28.81 inHg) | Inside center | Steve Crighton | [44] |
2015 | August 8 | Typhoon Soudelor | Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan | Category 3 typhoon | 952.8 mbar (28.14 inHg) | Inside eye | Anthony van Dyck | [45] |
2015 | August 23 | Typhoon Goni | Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan | Category 3 typhoon | 944.2 mbar (27.88 inHg) | Eyewall | Solo | [46] |
2015 | September 28 | Typhoon Dujuan | Su'ao, Yilan County, Taiwan | Category 4 typhoon | 958.3 mbar (28.30 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [47] |
2015 | October 23 | Hurricane Patricia | Emiliano Zapata, Jalisco, Mexico | Category 4 hurricane | 937.8 mbar (27.69 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Sereno | [48] |
2016 | July 8 | Typhoon Nepartak | Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan | Category 3 typhoon | 957.7 mbar (28.28 inHg) | Eyewall | Solo | [49] |
2016 | August 3–4 | Hurricane Earl | Belize City, Belize District, Belize | Category 1 hurricane | 982.2 mbar (29.00 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [50] |
2016 | September 1–2 | Hurricane Hermine | Hampton Springs, Florida, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 986.2 mbar (29.12 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [51] |
2016 | September 5–6 | Hurricane Newton | Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico | Category 1 hurricane | 984.3 mbar (29.07 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [52] |
2016 | September 27 | Typhoon Megi | Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan | Category 3 typhoon | 949.2 mbar (28.03 inHg) | Inside eye | Anthony van Dyck | [53] |
2016 | October 6 | Hurricane Matthew | Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas | Category 4 hurricane | 977.8 mbar (28.87 inHg) | Outside eyewall | Solo | [54] |
2016 | October 19–20 | Typhoon Haima | Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Philippines | Category 4 typhoon | 942.0 mbar (27.82 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [55] |
2017 | March 28–29 | Cyclone Debbie | Gregory River, Queensland, Australia | Category 3 cyclone | 958.7 mbar (28.31 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [56] |
2017 | August 6 | Typhoon Noru | Toi, Miyazaki, Japan | Category 1 typhoon | 977.1 mbar (28.85 inHg) | Eyewall | Solo | [57] |
2017 | August 9–10 | Hurricane Franklin | Vega de Alatorre, Veracruz, Mexico | Category 1 hurricane | 990.4 mbar (29.25 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [58] |
2017 | August 25–26 | Hurricane Harvey | Rockport, Texas, United States | Category 4 hurricane | 940.8 mbar (27.78 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [59] |
2017 | September 10 | Hurricane Irma | Naples, Florida, United States | Category 3 hurricane | 940.0 mbar (27.76 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [60] |
2017 | September 20 | Hurricane Maria | Palmas del Mar, Humacao, Puerto Rico | Category 4 hurricane | 929.4 mbar (27.45 inHg) | Eyewall | Solo | [61] |
2017 | October 7–8 | Hurricane Nate | Ocean Springs, Mississippi, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 985.5 mbar (29.10 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [62] |
2017 | October 22–23 | Typhoon Lan | Omaezaki, Shizuoka, Japan | Category 2 typhoon | 952.8 mbar (28.14 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [63] |
2018 | August 21 | Typhoon Soulik | Kasaricho Oaza Yo, Kagoshima, Japan | Category 2 typhoon | — | Eyewall | Caroline Menzies | [64] |
2018 | August 23 | Typhoon Cimaron | Muroto, Kōchi, Japan | Category 1 typhoon | 973.7 mbar (28.75 inHg) | Inside eye | Caroline Menzies | [65] |
2018 | September 4 | Typhoon Jebi | Mihama, Wakayama, Japan | Category 3 typhoon | 967.1 mbar (28.56 inHg) | Eyewall | Oli Sloane | [66] |
2018 | September 15 | Typhoon Mangkhut | Buguey, Cagayan, Philippines | Category 5 super typhoon | 942.2 mbar (27.82 inHg) | Eyewall | Oli Sloane | [67] |
2018 | October 10 | Hurricane Michael | Callaway, Florida, United States | Category 5 hurricane | 923.2 mbar (27.26 inHg) | Inside eye | Oli Sloane, Matt Delaloye | [68] |
2018 | October 23 | Hurricane Willa | Palmito del Verde, Sinaloa, Mexico | Category 3 hurricane | 968.0 mbar (28.59 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Sereno, Caroline Menzies | [69] |
2018 | October 30 | Typhoon Yutu | Dilasag, Aurora, Philippines | Category 3 typhoon | 960.4 mbar (28.36 inHg) | Eyewall | Caroline Menzies, James Levelle | [70] |
2019 | September 1 | Hurricane Dorian | Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas | Category 5 hurricane | 913.4 mbar (26.97 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [71] |
2019 | October 12–13 | Typhoon Hagibis | Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan | Category 2 typhoon | 958.5 mbar (28.30 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [72] |
2019 | December 2–3 | Typhoon Kammuri | Legazpi, Albay, Philippines | Category 4 typhoon | 962.9 mbar (28.43 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [73] |
2020 | July 25 | Hurricane Hanna | Port Mansfield, Texas, United States | Category 1 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Solo | [74] |
2020 | August 3−4 | Hurricane Isaias | Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 990.3 mbar (29.24 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [75] |
2020 | August 26−27 | Hurricane Laura | Sulphur, Louisiana, United States | Category 4 hurricane | 948.0 mbar (27.99 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [76] |
2020 | September 15−16 | Hurricane Sally | Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States | Category 2 hurricane | 968.2 mbar (28.59 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [77] |
2020 | October 6−7 | Hurricane Delta | Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Solo | [78] |
October 9 | Estherwood, Louisiana, United States | 975.9 mbar (28.82 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [79] | |||
2020 | October 26−27 | Hurricane Zeta | Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Category 1 hurricane | 979.2 mbar (28.92 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [80] |
October 28 | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States | Category 2 hurricane | 979.6 mbar (28.93 inHg) | Eyewall | Solo | [81] | ||
2021 | August 16 | Tropical Storm Fred | Apalachicola, Florida, United States | Tropical storm | — | Inside eye | Solo | [82] |
2021 | August 19 | Hurricane Grace | Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Category 1 hurricane | 978.4 mbar (28.89 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Sereno | [83] |
August 20–21 | La Guadalupe/El Encanto, Veracruz, Mexico | Category 3 hurricane | 981.4 mbar (28.98 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Sereno | [84] [85] | ||
2021 | August 29 | Hurricane Ida | Houma, Louisiana, United States | Category 4 hurricane | 966.6 mbar (28.54 inHg) | Eyewall | Chris Jackson | [86] |
2021 | September 9 | Hurricane Olaf | San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | 976.7 mbar (28.84 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [87] |
2021 | October 13 | Hurricane Pamela | Mármol de Salcido, Sinaloa, Mexico | Category 1 hurricane | 990.8 mbar (29.26 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Sereno | [88] |
2021 | October 25 | Hurricane Rick | Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | 1,001.5 mbar (29.57 inHg) | Eyewall | Nicola Rustichelli | [89] |
2022 | May 30 | Hurricane Agatha | Mazunte, Oaxaca, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | 978.9 mbar (28.91 inHg) | Eyewall | Erik Sereno | [90] |
2022 | September 19 | Hurricane Fiona | Boca de Yuma, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic | Category 1 hurricane | 979.9 mbar (28.94 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [91] [92] |
September 24 | Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada | Category 2 post-tropical cyclone | 937.3 mbar (27.68 inHg) | Center | Solo | [93] [94] | ||
2022 | September 28 | Hurricane Ian | Punta Gorda, Florida, United States | Category 4 hurricane | 951.2 mbar (28.09 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Fox | [93] [95] |
September 30 | McClellanville/Georgetown/Garden City, South Carolina, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 979 mbar (28.9 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Fox | [96] [97] | ||
2022 | October 3 | Hurricane Orlene | Caimanero, Sinaloa, Mexico | Category 1 hurricane | 991.3 mbar (29.27 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Sereno | [98] |
2022 | October 23 | Hurricane Roslyn | Santa Cruz, Nayarit, Mexico | Category 3 hurricane | 962.4 mbar (28.42 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Sereno | [99] [100] |
2022 | November 2 | Hurricane Lisa | Belize City, Belize District, Belize | Category 1 hurricane | 986.9 mbar (29.14 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [101] [102] |
2022 | November 9−10 | Hurricane Nicole | Stuart/Jensen Beach/Vero Beach, Florida, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 985.6 mbar (29.10 inHg) | Inside eye | Kevin Conrad | [103] [104] [105] |
2023 | August 30 | Hurricane Idalia | Perry/Athena, Florida, United States | Category 3 hurricane | 954.7 mbar (28.19 inHg) | Inside eye | Erik Fox, Parker Sigg | [106] [107] |
2023 | September 23 | Tropical Storm Ophelia | Atlantic Beach/New Bern, North Carolina, United States | Tropical storm | — | Inside eye | Solo | [108] [109] |
2023 | October 5 | Typhoon Koinu | Kenting National Park, Pingtung County, Taiwan | Category 4 typhoon | — | Inside eye | Anthony van Dyck | [110] |
2023 | October 10 | Hurricane Lidia | El Habal, Jalisco, Mexico | Category 4 hurricane | — | Eyewall | Erik Sereno | [111] |
2024 | July 5 | Hurricane Beryl | Akumal/Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Category 2 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Erik Sereno | [112] [113] [114] [115] |
July 8 | Matagorda, Texas, United States | Category 1 hurricane | — | Inside eye | Erik Fox | [116] [117] [115] | ||
2024 | August 5 | Hurricane Debby | Steinhatchee, Florida, United States | Category 1 hurricane | 982.2 mbar (29.00 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [118] [119] |
2024 | August 17 | Hurricane Ernesto | Paget Parish, Bermuda | Category 1 hurricane | 975.2 mbar (28.80 inHg) | Inside eye | Solo | [120] [121] |
On November 7, 2013, Morgerman flew with fellow chasers James Reynolds and Mark Thomas to Tacloban City in the Philippines to intercept one of the most powerful typhoons in the 21st century: Typhoon Haiyan.
They initially planned to ride out the storm south of the city, where the eye would ultimately make landfall; however, owing to a lack of sturdy shelters they opted to stay in Tacloban itself. [9] They set up at a four-story concrete hotel about 26 ft (7.9 m) above sea level. [9] [122] The chasers came prepared with a week's-worth of food and water. Around 6:45 a.m. local time, the northern eyewall began battering Tacloban and winds rapidly became violent. Morgerman described the winds to have a "tornado-like quality" at times. Windows and doors at the hotel blew out and the roof was torn off. Trees in the region were completely defoliated. Around 7:50 a.m. a powerful storm surge swept through the city, with flood waters reaching a depth of 4 ft (1.2 m) at Morgerman's location.
The fast-rising nature of the water incited panic, residents sheltering at the hotel scrambled to the building's second floor and some broke windows to escape their rooms. Morgerman jumped into the water to help people get from flooding rooms to the stairs. Thomas severely injured his leg in the water while assisting trapped people. [9]
Morgerman described the experience as traumatizing, witnessing the total devastation of Tacloban, bodies strewn across the streets, and "a city spiraling out of control". [9] The crew was stuck in Tacloban for three days, eventually "escaping" on November 10 by which time the Philippine military arrived with relief supplies. [122] Morgerman observed a minimum pressure of 959.9 mbar (28.35 inHg) in the eyewall of Haiyan. Extrapolating from his second measurement of 960.4 mbar (28.36 inHg), he estimated the central pressure to have been below 900 mbar (27 inHg). [41]
On November 5, 2023, Morgerman returned to the Philippines and met with Reynolds and Thomas in Tacloban City a day later to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the cyclone hitting the city. [123] They returned to the hotel that they rode the storm out in, and the hotel celebrated their return with a banner welcoming them back to the city. [124] Morgerman revisited locations that were memorable to him from his time chasing Haiyan and reviewed the city's recovery since then. [125] He also visited a burial site where hundreds of unidentified bodies were buried following the storm. [126] The trio also attended a commemoration ceremony at the Tacloban City Convention Center for the cyclone's victims and met with locals who remembered them from their time in the city, and later attended a lunch banquet with President Bongbong Marcos. [127] They also planted mangroves on an island the San Juanico Strait to "replace the ones lost in Haiyan". [128] Morgerman also visited a family who he had met during the storm and whom he had helped rescue their eldest daughter out of the water. [129]
In September 2014, Morgerman intercepted Hurricane Odile in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Successfully entering the eye, he recorded a pressure of 943.1 mbar (27.85 inHg). [43] Operational assessments of the hurricane's landfall intensity were taken into account for the release of catastrophe bonds funded by Wall Street and the World Bank. The bond system guaranteed a payout of $50 million for a storm with a pressure under 932 mbar (27.5 inHg); Odile's operational estimate was 930 mbar (27 inHg). However, his observations "upend[ed] the system" and the bonds were rescinded. This prevented vital recovery funds from being provided to the Government of Mexico. [130] The hurricane caused extensive damage throughout Baja California Sur, with insured losses estimated at $1.2 billion. [131] Industry experts later expressed concern over possible conflicts of interest with storm chasers and the catastrophe bonds. [130] [131]
On August 31, 2019, Morgerman flew to Marsh Harbour, in the Bahamas to intercept Category 5 Hurricane Dorian. [132] Initially staging his chase in Treasure Cay, he ultimate chose to ride out the storm at Central Abaco Primary School—a designated concrete shelter—in Marsh Harbour. [133] [134] At 11:40 a.m. EDT on September 1, Morgerman reported board to be flying off the structures windows and children being wrapped in blankets for safety. [135] After tweeting this information, contact with Morgerman lost for two days before he was able to contact the Weather Channel. [133]
Around 2:00 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Dorian made landfall over the Abaco Islands with maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour (298 km/h), making it the strongest such storm on record in the Bahamas. [136] The eyewall of Dorian proved exceptionally violent, battering the school with "the force of a thousand sledgehammers". [137] He and others sheltering at the school held furniture against window shutters to prevent them from blowing in. [138] The school was largely destroyed in the first half of the hurricane, forcing Morgerman and those sheltering inside to evacuate to a sturdier government building during the calm of the eye. [133] During the eye, he recorded a pressure of 913.4 mbar (26.97 inHg), the lowest in his career. [71] Hundreds of residents, many injured during the storm, sought refuge in the structure for the second half of the hurricane. [133] After living in his car for two days, Morgerman arrived in Nassau by helicopter on September 3 before returning to the United States. He described Dorian as a "nuclear-grade hurricane" and "the most intense cyclone I’ve witnessed in 28 years of chasing". [133] [138]
In October 2018, UKTV announced a new television docuseries starring Morgerman to be aired on the network channel Dave. The eight-episode show, titled Hurricane Man, chronicles Morgerman's chases in 2018 across the world. A film crew accompanied him on his chases. The series is produced by ScreenDog Productions and distributed by BBC Studios. [139] In addition to following Morgerman's experiences, the show also focuses on victims of the storms, sharing their experiences and how they're coping with its aftermath. [140]
Morgerman acted more carefully during his chases with the film crew present, feeling responsibility for their safety. [141] The show premiered in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2019, [140] and June 12 in Australia on BBC Knowledge. [141] The show debuted on September 15 in the United States on the Science Channel. [142] The series' first two episodes focus on 2018's Category 5 Hurricane Michael and its effects in Panama City, Florida. [141]
Typhoon Tip, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Warling, was the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded. The forty-third tropical depression, nineteenth tropical storm, twelfth typhoon, and third super typhoon of the 1979 Pacific typhoon season, Tip developed out of a disturbance within the monsoon trough on October 4 near Pohnpei in Micronesia. Initially, Tropical Storm Roger to the northwest hindered the development and motion of Tip, though after the storm tracked farther north, Tip was able to intensify. After passing Guam, Tip rapidly intensified and reached peak sustained winds of 305 km/h (190 mph) and a worldwide record-low sea-level pressure of 870 hPa (25.69 inHg) on October 12. At its peak intensity, Tip was the largest tropical cyclone on record, with a wind diameter of 2,220 km (1,380 mi). Tip slowly weakened as it continued west-northwestward and later turned to the northeast, in response to an approaching trough. The typhoon made landfall in southern Japan on October 19, and became an extratropical cyclone shortly thereafter. Tip's extratropical remnants continued moving east-northeastward, until they dissipated near the Aleutian Islands on October 24.
The 1975 Pacific typhoon season was one of the deadliest tropical cyclone seasons on record, with nearly 229,000 fatalities occurring during the season. It had no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1975, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the north Atlantic Ocean. An above-average Atlantic hurricane season season, it was the first on record to have a major hurricane in every month from July to November.
The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the north Atlantic Ocean. This Atlantic hurricane season saw a near-record number of named tropical storms. This extremely active season followed four consecutive years in which there was below normal activity. The season officially began on June 1, 1995 and ended on November 30, 1995. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most tropical systems form. The season's first system, Hurricane Allison, developed on June 3; its last, Hurricane Tanya, became extratropical on November 2.
The 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in which fifteen named storms formed. The season officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season's first tropical cyclone, Tropical Storm Allison, formed on June 5 while the season's final system, Hurricane Olga, dissipated on December 6.
The 2002 Atlantic hurricane season was an average Atlantic hurricane season in which twelve named storms formed. Although Tropical Storm Arthur formed on July 14, the season officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin. The season's final storm, Tropical Depression Fourteen, dissipated on October 16.
The 1990 Atlantic hurricane season featured the most named storms of any hurricane season at the time. During the season, 14 tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean became named storms. The season officially started on June 1, 1990, and ended on November 30. These dates, adopted by the convention, historically delimit the period each year when most Atlantic tropical systems form. However, storm formation is possible at any time of the year, as was the case this season, when Tropical Depression One formed on May 24; Hurricane Nana, the season's final storm, dissipated on October 21.
The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual hurricane season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It was well above average, with 19 tropical storms forming. Even so, it was the first season on record in which the first eight storms failed to attain hurricane strength. The season officially began on June 1, 2011, and ended on November 30, 2011, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin. The season's first storm, Tropical Storm Arlene did not form until June 28. The final storm to develop, Tropical Storm Sean, dissipated on November 11.
Typhoon Ida, also known as the Kanogawa Typhoon, was the sixth-deadliest typhoon to hit Japan, as well as one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record. On September 20, Ida formed in the Western Pacific near Guam. It moved to the west and rapidly intensified into a 185 km/h (115 mph) typhoon by the next day. On September 22, Ida turned to the north and continued its quick rate of intensification. Two days later, the Hurricane Hunters observed a minimum barometric pressure of 877 mb (25.9 inHg), as well as estimated peak winds of 325 km/h (202 mph). This made Ida the strongest tropical cyclone on record at the time, although it was surpassed by Typhoon June 17 years later. Ida weakened as it continued to the north-northeast, and made landfall in Japan on southeastern Honshū with winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) on September 26. It became extratropical the next day, and dissipated on the September 28 to the east of the country. Ida caused torrential flooding to southeastern Japan, resulting in over 1,900 mudslides. Damage was estimated at $50 million, and there were 1,269 fatalities.
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. Upon making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the deadliest Philippine typhoons on record, killing at least 6,300 people in that country alone. In terms of JTWC-estimated 1-minute sustained winds, Haiyan is tied with Meranti in 2016 for being the second strongest landfalling tropical cyclone on record, only behind Goni of 2020. As of January 2014, bodies were still being found. Haiyan was also the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2013.
Typhoon Haiyan's meteorological history began with its origins as a tropical disturbance east-southeast of Pohnpei and lasted until its degeneration as a tropical cyclone over southern China. The thirteenth typhoon of the 2013 Pacific typhoon season, Haiyan originated from an area of low pressure several hundred kilometers east-southeast of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia on November 2. Tracking generally westward, environmental conditions favored tropical cyclogenesis and the system developed into a tropical depression the following day. After becoming a tropical storm and attaining the name Haiyan at 0000 UTC on November 4, the system began a period of rapid intensification that brought it to typhoon intensity by 1800 UTC on November 5. By November 6, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assessed the system as a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale; the storm passed over the island of Kayangel in Palau shortly after attaining this strength.
Hurricane Patricia was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere and the second-most intense worldwide in terms of barometric pressure. It also featured the highest one-minute maximum sustained winds ever recorded in a tropical cyclone. Originating from a sprawling disturbance near the Gulf of Tehuantepec in mid-October 2015, Patricia was first classified a tropical depression on October 20. Initial development was slow, with only modest strengthening within the first day of its classification. The system later became a tropical storm and was named Patricia, the twenty-fourth named storm of the annual hurricane season. Exceptionally favorable environmental conditions fueled explosive intensification on October 22. A well-defined eye developed within an intense central dense overcast and Patricia grew from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours—a near-record pace. The magnitude of intensification was poorly forecast and both forecast models and meteorologists suffered from record-high prediction errors.
Typhoon Meranti, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Ferdie, was one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record. Impacting the Batanes in the Philippines, Taiwan, as well as Fujian Province in September 2016, Meranti formed as a tropical depression on September 8 near the island of Guam. Tracking to the west northwest, Meranti gradually intensified until September 11, at which point it began a period of rapid intensification. Continuing to rapidly intensify, it became a super typhoon early on September 12, as it passed through the Luzon Strait, ultimately reaching its peak intensity on September 13 with 1-minute sustained winds of 315 km/h (195 mph). Shortly afterwards, it passed directly over the island of Itbayat. Meranti passed to the south of Taiwan as a super typhoon, and began weakening steadily as a result of land interaction. By September 15, it struck Fujian Province as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, becoming the strongest typhoon on record to impact the province. Upon moving inland, rapid weakening ensued and Meranti became extratropical the next day, dissipating shortly afterwards after it passed to the south of the Korean Peninsula.
Hurricane Matthew was the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007 and the southernmost Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record. The system originated from a tropical wave that emerged off the west coast of Africa on September 22, and ultimately dissipated as an extratropical cyclone near Atlantic Canada on October 10. Late on September 29, it began a period of explosive intensification that brought it to Category 5 strength early on October 1. It weakened slightly and remained a Category 4 until its landfalls in Haiti and Cuba, afterwards it traversed through the Bahamas and paralleled the coast of Florida until making landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane. Matthew later transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone on October 10.
Hurricane Hector was a powerful and long-lasting tropical cyclone that traversed the Pacific Ocean during late July and August 2018. Hector was the eighth named storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season. It originated from a disturbance that was located north of South America on July 22. The disturbance tracked westward and entered the eastern Pacific around July 25. It gradually organized over the next several days, becoming a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on July 31. The system was upgraded into a tropical storm about 12 hours later and received the name Hector. Throughout most of its existence, the cyclone traveled due west or slightly north of west. A favorable environment allowed the fledgling tropical storm to rapidly intensify to its initial peak as a Category 2 hurricane by 18:00 UTC on August 2. Wind shear caused Hector to weaken for a brief period before the storm began to strengthen again. Hector reached Category 3 status by 00:00 UTC on August 4 and went through an eyewall replacement cycle soon after, which caused the intensification to halt. After the replacement cycle, the cyclone continued to organize, developing a well-defined eye surrounded by cold cloud tops.
During 2018, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 151 tropical cyclones had formed this year to date. 102 tropical cyclones were named by either a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC).
The meteorological history of Hurricane Florence spanned 22 days from its inception on August 28, 2018, to its dissipation on September 18. Originating from a tropical wave over West Africa, Florence quickly organized upon its emergence over the Atlantic Ocean. Favorable atmospheric conditions enabled it to develop into a tropical depression on August 31 just south of the Cape Verde islands. Intensifying to a tropical storm the following day, Florence embarked on a west-northwest to northwest trajectory over open ocean. Initially being inhibited by increased wind shear and dry air, the small cyclone took advantage of a small area of low shear and warm waters. After achieving hurricane strength early on September 4, Florence underwent an unexpected period of rapid deepening through September 5, culminating with it becoming a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Thereafter, conditions again became unfavorable and the hurricane quickly diminished to a tropical storm on September 7.
Hurricane Dorian was the strongest hurricane to affect The Bahamas on record, causing catastrophic damage on the islands of Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, in early September 2019. The cyclone's intensity, as well as its slow forward motion near The Bahamas, broke numerous records. The fifth tropical cyclone, fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, Dorian originated from a westward-traveling tropical wave, that departed from the western coast of Africa on August 19. The system organized into a tropical depression and later a tropical storm, both on August 24.
Typhoon Phanfone, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ursula, was a strong and deadly tropical cyclone which traversed the Philippines on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2019, the first typhoon to do so since Nock-ten in 2016.
{{cite interview}}
: Unknown parameter |agency=
ignored (help)