OK, at this point it’s only a tropical storm. But there it is, in thre freakin’ Gulf of Mexico again, apparently headed for the Louisiana-Texas coast.
When last seen, on Saturday, Sept. 18, it was a loosely organized tropical depression over Virginia, after having traveled hundreds of miles overland.
Where the heck was it between last Saturday, and last night? How did it get from the Eastern Seaboard back to the Gulf of Mexico? Has this ever happened before?
Definitely weird stuff.
Yeah, we got some rain the other day and someone told me it was from Ivan. WTF was my response as well. As I heard it (definite hearsay) is that one of the feeder bands came around, down into the Gulf, and formed into a tropical storm. I’m on record for some time now saying this was going to hit Texas, but like the mighty one, I had no idea it was going to take so long.
Also heard on the news this morning that Jeanne (sp?) is expected to hit Florida, which will be the most hurricane strikes in one season for our Og-forsaken little sandbar.
Neither storm will be too bad though. Ivan will spawn a few tornadoes…
I have a great idea for an epic horror movie. Ivan goes back out into the Gulf. Somehow it travels through the Panama Canal and reaches the Pacific. It goes out into the Pacific, strengthens into a monsoon, awakens Godzilla and Mothra who have been sleeping unbeknownst to us at the bottom of the Pacific. Monsoon Ivan, Godzilla and Mothra decide to have Tokyo for Sunday lunch.
Ok, who’s ready to work on the synopsis for the sequel? 
Ivan started into the Atlantic up in New England. A high pressure formed west of Ivan. The circulation around a high is clockwise so the winds from the high were to the south out in the Atlantic where Ivan was and it moved south with the winds. By the time Ivan was off the Cost of Florida the high had moved to its north making the circulation to the west. This took Ivan over the center of Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened into a tropical storm and then a hurricane.
It has probably happened before but I don’t think it is common. Usually the storm becomes disorganized and disappears over land. Ivan managed to retain its organization long enough for the high push it south into warmer water where it could maintain itself until it got into the Gulf where is strengthened.
I hope you’re right about that, Barbarian (the not being too bad part, not the tornado part). About an hour ago I heard that Ivan’s heading toward Galveston, Texas. My aunt and uncle live in a mobile home in Houston. I’m very worried about them right now.
As for Jeanne, my office was out of commission for a week after Frances. I don’t want to go through that again!
i mentioned his return in the other ivan thread.
what a storm! i guess he heard shibboleth and me talking about texas and la and decided to see those places for himself.
i’m glad he isn’t getting the chance to strengthen up to the cat 4 & 5 he was.
4 our of the 5 current (Th pm) computer models project Ivan turning back into the Gulf. Apparently hitting Texas as a TS just isn’t fun enough for Ivan and he wants yet another go.