Hurricane Irma vs. Hurricane Andrew

As of today, Friday September 8^th, Hurricane Irma is bearing down on Bell Performance’s home state of Florida.  Irma’s unusual size and strength have been well noted

• In terms of wind speed (maximum sustained winds), it is the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma in 2005
• It is the strongest since Hurricane Dean in 2007 in terms of barometric pressure
• Irma has sustained top wind speeds of 185 mph for more than 36 hours, by far the longest such feat on record (the old high was 24 hours by Hurricane Allen in 1980)
• It is tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane as the strongest Atlantic cyclone ever to make landfall (at least, that we know of)

Hurricane Irma has also been noted for its unusual size. Comparison images like those created by meteorologist Eric Holthaus show how Irma’s size dwarfs the size of the hurricane most often compared to it, 1992’s Hurricane Andrew.

If this side-by-side comparison doesn’t look that impressive, note the size of Cuba in both pictures, relative to the two storms.

Luckily, we’ve had enough advance notice that people in Florida have been making lots of preparations. And Hurricane Irma will be a test of the new building codes and laws passed in the wake of Andrew’s historic devastation in the state.

If you don’t have one already, we put together some helpful information for hurricane preparation, in conjunction with the NOAA:  https://www.bellperformance.com/blog/bid/59676/Hurricane-Preparedness-Families-Municipalities-Fuel-Storage

If you’re in Hurricane Irma’s path, we hope you’ll stay safe.  Bell Performance itself will be closed on Monday as the hurricane moves through, and any orders placed through that time will be fulfilled and shipped as transportation becomes available.