Sometimes, dumb fucking luck happens, and an example of that was Patricia being downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical depression. Other times, like in October 2012 with Hurricane Sandy, that famous Daft Punk song that was covered by Soviet-like solders at Sochi 2014 isn't applicable. But what's with these superstorms, stronger than ones of previous recorded eras, per scientific measurement anyway?
The original justification for cutting off the scale at 5 is that no human-built structure could withstand winds above its 155 mph threshold. So essentially there was no point in differentiating between storms once the winds were above 155. Right now, Patricia’s core winds are estimated to be 200 mph—with gusts to 250 mph—as strong as the tornado that destroyed Joplin, Missouri, in 2011, but at least 15 times larger in area. As I wrote earlier today, Patricia, at its current strength, is close to the theoretical maximum strength for a tropical cyclone on planet Earth. In fact, at one point on Friday morning, Patricia actually went above its maximum potential intensity.
How did Patricia get to be so strong? The answer, quite simply, involves human-caused climate change. Hurricane Patricia is exactly the kind of terrifying storm we can expect to see more frequently in the decades to come. Although there’s no way to know exactly how much climate change is a factor in Patricia’s explosive strengthening, it’s irresponsible, at this point, not to discuss it.
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Since higher air temperatures boost evaporation rates, heavier rainfall is also an already-proven side effect of climate change. Higher humidity levels also provide more fuel for developing hurricanes, since intrusions of dry air into the storms’ centers can sometimes slow the intensification process. As Patricia makes landfall, it’s expected to produce up to two feet of rain in just a day or so along the slopes of Mexico’s coastal mountain range—creating a risk of devastating flash floods and mudslides.
Donald Trump says we could "use some global warming." I wonder if he'll be saying that when one of his golf courses is turned to a landfill.
Or let's say one of the Koch brothers is in Florida raising money for Marco Rubio and happens to have the mansion at which he's raising funds for his puppet razed by the storm.
Karma would be nice, but its too expensive and painful for the rest of us. Hopefully, it will get better before it gets even worse.