LESS WIND SHEAR, WHICH MEANS MORE STORMS AS A STRONG HURRICANE IN THE GULF IS SCARY ENOUGH. BUT A STORM THAT UNDERGOES WHAT WE CALL RAPID INTENSIFICATION IS CAUSE FOR MORE CONCERN AND IN RECENT YEARS, IT’S HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. MANY HURRICANES HAVE RAPIDLY STRENGTHENED OVER A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. IN 2007, HURRICANE HUMBERTO INCREASED ITS WIND 65MPH OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD. IN 2020, THE WINDS IN HURRICANE LAURA INCREASED BY 45MPH IN A DAYS TIME, BUT TWO STORMS WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALSO UNDERWENT RAPID INTENSIFICATION. HURRICANE IDA’S WINDS INCREASED BY 60MPH WITHIN 24 HOURS, MAKING LANDFALL AS A DEADLY CATEGORY FOUR STORM AND HURRICANE KATRINA RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED NOT ONLY ONCE BUT TWICE, IN ITS SECOND ROUND OF RAPID INTENSIFICATION, THE STORM’S WINDS INCREASED BY 50MPH IN JUST 12 HOURS. RAPID INTENSIFICATION IS DEFINED AS WHEN THE WINDS OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE INCREASE BY 30 KNOTS, OR ABOUT 35MPH, IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. WHAT MAKES A STORM UNDERGO RAPID INTENSIFICATION? A STUDY PUBLISHED IN 2003 OUTLINED FIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT CAN SERVE AS PREDICTIVE FACTORS IN RAPID INTENSIFICATION. ONE ONE HOW THE STORM’S INTENSITY CHANGED IN THE PREVIOUS 12 HOURS TWO HOW WARM THE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE THREE HOW HUMID THE AIR IS AT SEA LEVEL FOUR HOW MUCH VERTICAL WIND SHEAR IS IN THE STORM’S PATH AND FIVE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ITS CURRENT STRENGTH AND THE MAXIMUM POTENTIAL STRENGTH IT COULD HAVE. FIRST OF ALL, IT TAKES WATER TEMPS OF OVER 80 DEGREES TO FORM AND SUSTAIN A TROPICAL CYCLONE. BUT WHAT’S MOST CONCERNING TO US IS HOW WARM THE GULF OF MEXICO’S WATER TEMPERATURES ARE COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE ATLANTIC. IT’S NOT UNCOMMON TO FIND WATER TEMPERATURES UPWARDS OF 8687 TO 88 DEGREES IN THE PEAK OF THE SEASON. THAT’S LIKE WARM BATHTUB WATER AND PROVIDES AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT CAN BE USED TO FORM A MONSTER HURRICANE WATER TEMPERATURE IS ONE OF THE MOST TELLING OF THE FIVE PREDICTIVE FACTORS TO INDICATE IF A STORM WILL UNDERGO RAPID, INTENSIFYING OCEAN. THAT’S WHY IT’S SO CONCERNING TO US WHEN A YOUNG STORM, OR ONE THAT’S JUST FORMED, ENTERS THE GULF OF MEXICO AND ENCOUNTERS SUCH WARM WATERS, GIVING IT A MUCH HIGHER CHANCE TO RAPIDLY INTENSIFY. SO IT’S SORT OF WHEREVER THOSE CAN GET CONDITIONS KIND OF LINE, EVEN IF IT’S OVER A SMALL AREA. IF THE STORM HAPPENS TO BE IN THAT SPOT, WE CAN SEE IT HAPPEN. EVEN WORSE, IF A YOUNG, RELATIVELY WEAK HURRICANE ISN’T THAT FAR OFF OUR COAST AND STRENGTHENS RAPIDLY, THAT DOESN’T GIVE US MUCH TIME TO REACT. THE MESSAGE IS ALWAYS, YOU GOT TO BE READY EVERY YEAR, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE GULF COAST. FOR THOSE AGAINST SHORT FUZE