Hurricane Irma Currently hitting Florida
Hurricane Irma is crashing into the state of Florida. While its trajectory has been unpredictable, it is now forecasted to enter the Gulf of Mexico side and ride up the coast, slamming into Key West, Miami, Tampa, Naples, and Orlando. Previously, it was feared that Miami would take the brunt of the force, but that was given to the Caribbean islands instead. Islands like Bermuda and St. Martin’s were flattened to nonexistence, while Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti were ambushed with flooding and destruction. After Hurricane Harvey pounding Texas, Americans are worried about the impact of Irma, considering how she keeps strengthening in categories on her journey. The main cause of this? The position of the Sun and moon.
Not too long ago, the United States experienced a solar eclipse that only impacted its country, from coast to coast. Being a rare sighting, many Americans were overjoyed that they were able to witness this monumental sighting. However, a solar eclipse is unusual with its positioning. The moon passes through the Earth and Sun, blocking the Sun for total darkness. While this is considered fascinating for the average American, it indicates trouble after the event occurs. Usually, the three bodies are able to function with the correct measurement of gravitational pull, keeping the Earth in homeostasis. However, during the event of an eclipse, the Earth experiences a shift in gravitational pull, and the alignment of “traveling” for each body is considered off.
As a reaction, the Sun and Moon must compensate for their interaction. Naturally, the Moon will pull the Earth and vice versa, allowing for the occurrence of tides to take place. Without the Moon’s gravity, the Earth’s oceans would not experience this phenomenon. At the same time, the Sun also pulls on the Earth. Naturally, this occurs thanks to the pattern of orbit and the planet’s requirement to journey around the Sun. With the Sun and Moon tugging on Earth, occasionally, there is a “bulge” in the ocean. Typically, this bulge is found in the Atlantic during this time of year and is the staple hurricane season, but it occurs in the Pacific and Indian oceans as well (this is the monsoon/typhoon season).
Unfortunately, due to the solar eclipse and offbeat pulls from both solar and lunar bodies, the American region has experienced harsh weather as a result. The eclipse begun in late August, and since then, the weather has been unusually brutal to the Americas. Hurricanes are given additional strength with influence from the Sun and Moon, feeding off of the unusual experience. This is why Hurricane Harvey and Irma were catastrophic: they are being given energy from weather patterns and the pulls. Katja is affecting Mexico at the moment, and Jose is right behind Irma, feeding off of the residue she has left behind.