Category 6 Isn't Enough

[ysabetwordsmith]

I have said for some time that the current hurricane scale, which has 5 categories, is insufficient and needs a Category 6. Looking at the actual numbers on the scale and in recorded storms, this turns out to be insufficient also. It doesn't need one more category, it needs TWO.


The current categories average a range of about 20, some lower, some higher. Positing a scale that uses categories of similar size would yield something like:

Category 1 = 74-95 mph (range of 22)
Category 2 = 96-110 mph (range of 15)
Category 3 = 111-129 mph (range of 19)
Category 4 = 130-156 mph (range of 27)
Category 5 = 157+ mph [new 157-176] (standard range of 20)
Category 6 = 177-196 mph
Category 7 = 197-216 mph

At that, the revised scale would just barely cover Hurricane Patricia's ominous 215 mph peak sustained wind speed. O_O That means we should be ready to activate Category 8 (217-236 mph) in the foreseeable future.

Now, the government doesn't want to panic people, or get blamed for the fact that climate change is making hurricanes a lot more violent than they used to be and also now clustering. But wouldn't it be useful to know that the official "Category 5" now contains a wider range (58) than Categories 3 and 4 combined (46)? (Some people may argue that we only need three action-based categories: Ignore It, Batten the Hatches, and Run For Your Lives.) Happily, the forecasts customarily include the actual wind speed, so you can simply adjust the scale on your own.

Of course, wind speed isn't the only thing that makes a hurricane dangerous. As mentioned, clustering means they are now more likely to come in twos or threes. Even a sideswipe by a later storm after the first storm has cracked open a city will be more devastating. Global warming seems to increase the storms that show rapid intensification, which can turn a minor storm into a major one with little warning. Rising sea levels boost storm surges. Warmer air also means that hurricanes can dump more rain. Storm surge and rainfall make even the lower categories more destructive.

Don't expect the politicians and the people they direct to give reliable interpretations. Be glad that pretty accurate weather information is available for you to analyze yourself. Here's a list of weather apps and weather websites with varying degrees of detail. For the hardcore weather nerds, you can also get raw data. Explore the parts of a text Hurricane Forecast/Advisory.

Comments

Re: O_O

[(Anonymous)]

Some jobs offer relocation assistance, if you've got the right skillset.

Might be a long shot, but...

Re: O_O

[siberian_skys]

Unfortunately, that's not my situation. I never thought I'd be starting over in my 50s, but considering the pandemic I know I'm not alone. I don't remember the number that I saw the other day, but a huge number of women had to give up their jobs during this crazy time.

Re: O_O

[(Anonymous)]

They are saying women's rights have been set back by what a decade? Two?

I'm a younger person, and all if this makes me even less enthused about a career in the traditional sense - "Come work for me and I'll pay you terribly while restricting your free time, and dont you dare complain, you should be grateful to be working at all!" Ugh.

And 'give up'? That sounds kind of like a choice...maybe we should say 'forced out' instead.

Re: O_O

[ysabetwordsmith]

The government simply declared that work was a privilege that could be revoked from above at any time. Nobody has a right to work. So that's evil, and obviously unsustainable, but people agreed to it so now they are stuck with it. This is among the more blatantly unconstitutional abuses (violating "the right of the people peaceably to assemble") but nobody cared. Good luck getting rights back without a civil war.

Re: O_O

[(Anonymous)]

I think the issue with women's rights specifically is largely that when schools closed, someone had to stay home with the kids and that was mostly women. (Not helped by the fact that grandparents were advised to stay away from...well, everyone.)

Granted, some of the industries that closed were likely predominantly women, and women are more likely to be badly affected by economic hits due to wage disparities the whole glass ceiling/glass elevator thing.

As for the work in general...Godzilla Threshold? Personally, I'm mostly annoyed with:

a) 'poverty is due to laziness, and lazy people deserve to suffer' ... when crossed with the current economic / public health situation where people can't find work or can't find work that wont kill them/their relatives

b) medical advice and economic necessity at odds (this is not a new issue)

c) insisting that essential workers are greedy for wanting pay raises (which was actually discussed in 1351 after the Black Death killed off a chunk of the English serfs)

d) and while we're at it, I wish people would stop screaming at each other - we're all scared, we're all having a hard time, but even if we disagree, we're all mostly trying to do the right thing as best as we can. [Comment directed at the world in general, not anyone specific...]

Re: O_O

[siberian_skys]

I think forced out is the better term.

I've been thinking about what to do that isn't traditional. Since I'm starting over, then I should do something I love and not just put up with.

Re: O_O

[(Anonymous)]

Favorite hobbies? Or anything you've developed skills in and can mentor/consult? (And they're not all obvious: customer service -> peacemaking & deescelation & negotiation, for example.)

I've been toying with writing or art, but havent mustered up the motivation to start anything. (I had a relative who fed his family by making & selling his art through the Great Depression, so it is possible to make a living that way...if somewhat difficult.)

I've also got a crazy idea for a sewing pattern I could try to develop...

Re: O_O

[siberian_skys]

I've actually got a book that I need to get to. It's about turning your hobbies into a job.

The sewing pattern idea is cool. I know people sell those on Etsy, so not so crazy.

Re: O_O

[(Anonymous)]

Huh. I did not know that. Thanks!

Re: O_O

[siberian_skys]

You're welcome. I didn't either until I went looking for fabric scraps.

Re: O_O

[ysabetwordsmith]

Consider:

https://www.mantelligence.com/hobbies-that-make-money/

https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/jobs/odd-jobs-that-pay-well/

https://www.moneycrashers.com/jobs-require-no-experience/

Re: O_O

[ysabetwordsmith]

On that note, check high-need industries. These often have relocation or even retraining programs, and some have signing bonuses. Look both in your current area and in areas where you wish to move.

https://www.udacity.com/blog/2021/02/hiring-trends-for-2021-which-jobs-are-in-demand.html

https://www.kens5.com/article/life/looking-for-a-job-here-are-the-top-10-careers-with-a-worker-shortage/273-6104aa07-11e6-49b7-8f2f-407deb8715c8

A few towns have move-in bonuses -- sometimes as large as a free house! -- in areas that are depopulating. These are ideal for anyone with a portable career: writers, artists, homesteaders, app programmers, etc. It would be advisable to develop some sort of portable career.

https://www.slice.ca/20-surprising-jobs-you-can-do-from-anywhere-2/

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/top-companies-work-from-anywhere-remote-jobs/

https://evergreendimes.com/work-from-home-jobs-for-military-spouses/

https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/digital-nomad-jobs/