Hurricane Matthew’s near miss of Florida may result in more widespread damage than a direct hit – according to UF’s Dr. Corene Matyas – who was quoted in an October 7th Tampa Bay Times article. Dr. Matyas’ National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research focuses on rainfall from tropical cyclones.
From the Tampa Bay Times:
“But Florida’s near miss may simply have spread the damage and flooding over a wider swath of the state than a direct hit, warned Corene Matyas, a UF associate professor of geography who investigates the frequency and intensity of hurricanes.
Matthew knuckled along the coast for hundreds of miles, increasing the areas exposed to tropical storm-force winds, storm surge and rainfall, she said.
“The complete picture of damage has yet to emerge,” she said.
Dr. Matyas clarifies that the “Hurricane Matthew tracking parallel to the coast has increased the areas exposed to tropical storm-force winds and water rise from storm surge and wave energy, plus rainfall.”
Read the entire article at the Tampa Bay Times.