Cary Mock
@cj-mock.bsky.social
Professor, University of South Carolina, Dept of Geography. Hurricanes, Historical and Extreme Weather Events, Climatology, Meteorology. U Oregon PhD, U Utah MS, UC Davis BS
Current Southern California storm, not quite a Southeast Gale.
November 15, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Current Southern California storm, not quite a Southeast Gale.
Seeing recent buzz on the Aurora Borealis, reminded me of a September 1-2, 1859 event I have seen in S Carolina diaries and newspapers. Here a sample.
November 13, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Seeing recent buzz on the Aurora Borealis, reminded me of a September 1-2, 1859 event I have seen in S Carolina diaries and newspapers. Here a sample.
I think for archive research purposes I'll stick with Pixel 9 for now and not spend the money for 10. I would like a little better resolution but that will probably come with the next improvement.
November 8, 2025 at 4:32 PM
I think for archive research purposes I'll stick with Pixel 9 for now and not spend the money for 10. I would like a little better resolution but that will probably come with the next improvement.
On this date, Nov. 6, in 1954, Typhoon Pamela impacted Hong Kong and Macau as a Cat 1 typhoon. In my records, just 1 of 2 that have done so in the month of November. I got a British log at Hong Kong with a wind observation of 14 of the Extended Beaufort Scale (81-90 knots)
November 6, 2025 at 4:07 PM
On this date, Nov. 6, in 1954, Typhoon Pamela impacted Hong Kong and Macau as a Cat 1 typhoon. In my records, just 1 of 2 that have done so in the month of November. I got a British log at Hong Kong with a wind observation of 14 of the Extended Beaufort Scale (81-90 knots)
One "big" research project I never started (but got a few logs) was USS Navy logs in the Philippines for typhoons. One reason I never did so is the period is mostly confined to 1899 -1941. But a good number of Navy ships with hourly data during this period. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ca...
November 6, 2025 at 12:46 PM
One "big" research project I never started (but got a few logs) was USS Navy logs in the Philippines for typhoons. One reason I never did so is the period is mostly confined to 1899 -1941. But a good number of Navy ships with hourly data during this period. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ca...
Typhoon Kalmaegi now a category 4 typhoon headed for Vietnam.
November 6, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Typhoon Kalmaegi now a category 4 typhoon headed for Vietnam.
Models have shifted in the long run for TD32 to the east of Hong Kong. So Hong Kong and probably Taiwan are longshots. For Hong Kong, I have a number of premodern November tropical cyclones. 1900 and 1954, I believe were full-fledged typhoons.
November 5, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Models have shifted in the long run for TD32 to the east of Hong Kong. So Hong Kong and probably Taiwan are longshots. For Hong Kong, I have a number of premodern November tropical cyclones. 1900 and 1954, I believe were full-fledged typhoons.
Made a plot of the short Yuma, AZ record that I recently keyed in a spreadsheet. Some obvious occasional quirky things, but mostly seems like a good record.
November 4, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Made a plot of the short Yuma, AZ record that I recently keyed in a spreadsheet. Some obvious occasional quirky things, but mostly seems like a good record.
A newspaper instrumental record from Statesburg, SC (Sumter County). Shows during the "Cyclone" around Halloween had cold temperatures down to 49 F. No way that can be tropical.
October 31, 2025 at 9:28 AM
A newspaper instrumental record from Statesburg, SC (Sumter County). Shows during the "Cyclone" around Halloween had cold temperatures down to 49 F. No way that can be tropical.
This an 1881 ship log in the S China Sea that mentioned birds in the eye of a typhoon
October 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
This an 1881 ship log in the S China Sea that mentioned birds in the eye of a typhoon
1780 will always be The Great Hurricane for the North Atlantic. 1703 will always be The Great Storm. www.history.com/this-day-in-...
Freak storm dissipates over England | November 27, 1703 | HISTORY
On November 27, 1703, an unusual storm system finally dissipates over England after wreaking havoc on the country for...
www.history.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:37 AM
1780 will always be The Great Hurricane for the North Atlantic. 1703 will always be The Great Storm. www.history.com/this-day-in-...
No doubt Hurricane Melissa will be in the record books but we shouldn't forget about the Great Hurricane of 1780 in the Caribbean. island.lk/the-most-ext...
The most extreme hurricanes in history
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica with the strongest wind speeds the Caribbean nation has ever experienced. Here’s how it compares to other record-breaking storms. In October 2025, category five Hurricane...
island.lk
October 28, 2025 at 11:32 PM
No doubt Hurricane Melissa will be in the record books but we shouldn't forget about the Great Hurricane of 1780 in the Caribbean. island.lk/the-most-ext...
Randy Cerveny mentioned to me about birds observed in Hurricane Melissa. I recall seeing in some old ship logs of birds in the eye of a hurricane/typhoon, but can't find any offhand. I did see that I have this account of the early Sept. 1841 typhoon near Taiwan.
October 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Randy Cerveny mentioned to me about birds observed in Hurricane Melissa. I recall seeing in some old ship logs of birds in the eye of a hurricane/typhoon, but can't find any offhand. I did see that I have this account of the early Sept. 1841 typhoon near Taiwan.
Was looking at the diary of Thomas Thistlewood for hurricane descriptions, who kept diaries at Jamaica for much of the mid-later 1700s. Descriptions depict him as a ruthless slave owner, the contrast of Reverend Alexander Glennie of S Carolina. Both kept great weather diaries for > 35 years though.
October 27, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Was looking at the diary of Thomas Thistlewood for hurricane descriptions, who kept diaries at Jamaica for much of the mid-later 1700s. Descriptions depict him as a ruthless slave owner, the contrast of Reverend Alexander Glennie of S Carolina. Both kept great weather diaries for > 35 years though.
This from Kerry Emmanuel's book "Divine Wind" on the track of the October 1780 Savannah-la-Mar Hurricane that killed 3000+ people at Jamaica. Similar track as Melissa. May have been a Category 4. This was a different hurricane than the Great Hurricane that killed 20,000 people in the Caribbean.
October 27, 2025 at 1:29 PM
This from Kerry Emmanuel's book "Divine Wind" on the track of the October 1780 Savannah-la-Mar Hurricane that killed 3000+ people at Jamaica. Similar track as Melissa. May have been a Category 4. This was a different hurricane than the Great Hurricane that killed 20,000 people in the Caribbean.
From William Reid's Law of Storms that shows a British log in Jamaica during a hurricane on October 3rd. 1780.
October 27, 2025 at 12:50 PM
From William Reid's Law of Storms that shows a British log in Jamaica during a hurricane on October 3rd. 1780.
Interesting novel on the next big California flood(s). I may buy it. www.kqed.org/arts/1397574...
In a Flooded Future San Francisco, Care Is All We Have | KQED
In Susanna Kwan’s debut novel ‘Awake in the Floating City,’ climate catastrophe creates makeshift family.
www.kqed.org
October 25, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Interesting novel on the next big California flood(s). I may buy it. www.kqed.org/arts/1397574...
Quite a bit on the Jamaica October 1815 hurricane at jamaica-history.weebly.com/--1815.html
- 1815
The hurricane viewed from Kingston:
jamaica-history.weebly.com
October 25, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Quite a bit on the Jamaica October 1815 hurricane at jamaica-history.weebly.com/--1815.html
No Category 5 hurricanes for Jamaica that I know of, but a very slow moving hurricane with a bunch of rain, hit Jamaica in October 1815.
October 25, 2025 at 10:42 AM
No Category 5 hurricanes for Jamaica that I know of, but a very slow moving hurricane with a bunch of rain, hit Jamaica in October 1815.
Potential legendary hurricane for Jamaica. I talked with Mike Chenoweth in this a while ago. He knows a lot more about the historical Jamaica hurricanes than anybody. Modern record as I always say is just too short, even though some people shoot down the older stuff.
October 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Potential legendary hurricane for Jamaica. I talked with Mike Chenoweth in this a while ago. He knows a lot more about the historical Jamaica hurricanes than anybody. Modern record as I always say is just too short, even though some people shoot down the older stuff.
On historical Jamaica hurricanes, this book is a fascinating read. #hurricane #Jamaica www.jstor.org/stable/20020...
The 18th Century Climate of Jamaica: Derived from the Journals of Thomas Thistlewood, 1750-1786 on JSTOR
Michael Chenoweth, Thomas Thistlewood, The 18th Century Climate of Jamaica: Derived from the Journals of Thomas Thistlewood, 1750-1786, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Series, ...
www.jstor.org
October 24, 2025 at 7:57 AM
On historical Jamaica hurricanes, this book is a fascinating read. #hurricane #Jamaica www.jstor.org/stable/20020...
I mentioned the Cuba-Hatteras Hurricane of late October 1837 a short time ago, here is my take on it. A major hurricane in Cuba. Melissa likely won't [but I did not say definitely not] duplicate it nor go as far west, as this was a very unusual late season hurricane.
October 22, 2025 at 2:11 PM
I mentioned the Cuba-Hatteras Hurricane of late October 1837 a short time ago, here is my take on it. A major hurricane in Cuba. Melissa likely won't [but I did not say definitely not] duplicate it nor go as far west, as this was a very unusual late season hurricane.
Peter Skene Ogden and James Douglas correspondence on weather and snow in western Washington in January 1847.
October 22, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Peter Skene Ogden and James Douglas correspondence on weather and snow in western Washington in January 1847.
Melissa very likely to be a strong hurricane eventually. Long-term -- most likely will not affect the USA East Coast, but it's hard to forecast that far in advance. A few Euro model left outliers bear some similarity to the Cuba-Hatteras hurricane of Oct. 26-29, 1837.
October 22, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Melissa very likely to be a strong hurricane eventually. Long-term -- most likely will not affect the USA East Coast, but it's hard to forecast that far in advance. A few Euro model left outliers bear some similarity to the Cuba-Hatteras hurricane of Oct. 26-29, 1837.
For S Carolina, I have just 2 Hurricanes after October 20: 1835 (Oct. 28-30) and 1792 (Oct. 30-31). The 1835 could have been post-tropical but for now I am keeping it as tropical. Similar for 1792. I do not have the 1861 Expedition Storm as a Hurricane (and definitely not 1899) for the Carolinas.
October 21, 2025 at 3:43 AM
For S Carolina, I have just 2 Hurricanes after October 20: 1835 (Oct. 28-30) and 1792 (Oct. 30-31). The 1835 could have been post-tropical but for now I am keeping it as tropical. Similar for 1792. I do not have the 1861 Expedition Storm as a Hurricane (and definitely not 1899) for the Carolinas.