Hurricane Karl

Post Landfall 2 | Summary
Posting Date: September 17, 2010, 7:00:00 AM

Overnight, Hurricane Karl strengthened rapidly from Category 1 to Category 3 on the Saffir Simpson Wind Scale amidst favorable environmental conditions and warm sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Campeche. As of the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) 11:00 AM EDT (10:00 AM CDT) advisory, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and is located approximately 25 miles from Veracruz, Mexico, moving west at 8 mph. Karl is currently expected to make landfall within the next several hours at Category 3 strength, and additional strengthening is not likely prior to landfall. Karl is a very compact storm, with hurricane force winds extending to only 25 miles from the storm center. A hurricane warning is in effect on the coast between the cities of Veracruz and Cabo Rojo. Karl is expected to create dangerous oceanic and storm surge conditions, with large and destructive waves riding on top of a surge of 5 to 10 feet. After landfall, Karl is expected to dissipate quickly as it crosses central Mexico’s mountainous terrain north of Mexico City. While the landfall region is sparsely populated and does not contain significant insured exposure, heavy rains are expected to persist well inland along the track, and flooding and mudslides are a major concern. Karl is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches in the affected area, with 15 inches possible in isolated mountainous pockets. Another source of concern is whether heavy rainfall will persist until the remnants of Karl arrive in the Mexico City area. Additional information on Hurricane Karl will be made available after landfall.

Post Landfall 2 | Downloads
Posting Date: September 17, 2010, 7:00:00 AM