Category 5 Hurricane Michael Far Western Mexico Beach, FL Eye Wall - 10/10/2018

[@stevenmac9158]

I’m watching this in 2024. OMFG! This was insane! I guess the eye passed just west of Mexico Beach? The sound of the wind and the debris “crunching” is so nightmarish! Were you guys ever fearful that the building you were would be swept off its foundation? The image of the cars and debris floating by + the relentless howling of the wind is Academy Award-winning material🏆. I can’t believe you remained so calm throughout 🙌🏽

[@anb7408]

I rank this right up there with the videos of Hurricanes Charley and Dorian as some of the most intense hurricane video I've ever seen. Just when you think the wind couldn't possibly get any stronger, it does!

[@figgiefigueroa8603]

Watching in 1/2020 I was in Jackson, Alabama in that date ,in my 18 wheeler with a press that weighted 34,000 pounds. I parked at a truck stop cause the rain, and I'm assuring you my truck was rocking like a hammock. Finally when it was over higway 10 was closed. Took a short cut thru Thomasville, and the destruction I filmed was unbelievable. So here you guys are in the middle of it. Amazing !!! The footage, the sounds,the surge, the debris. Everything is hair rising!!!

[@ETHANWXCHASING]

Some of the most incredible hurricane footage ever filmed in the United States. The only videos of any storm I've seen that topped this were of Dorian in the Bahamas. Those winds after 30 minutes in are easily Category 5, just an utter whiteout.

[@Vector_Ze]

This was 2018, there was no film involved.

[@tvold9204]

@@Vector_Ze filmed meaning recorded

[@marcgrassullo1440]

😊

[@Postulatedstate]

@@ETHANWXCHASING amen agreed

[@mathensful]

I'll leave the category 4 or 5 debate to the professionals. But there is no other way to say it... This footage is absolutely incredible! How you can go from an empty parking lot to a 12 foot storm surge and vehicles floating by in a minute's time is just incomprehensible. Glad y'all made it out ok, and great work👍

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thanks, Matt! Greatly appreciated!!

[@kennyA33]

I was just thinking the same thing! I mean one minute, the parking lot was empty and the next, the entire lot was underwater. That's insane!!!

[@jasoni4896]

Not just inundated... Houses floating by!

[@dewdrop8626]

I believe it was the professionals that upgraded it to a category 5.

[@maxpower1337]

Amazing footage

[@bash060656]

Good film documentation. Having been in 11 hurricanes in my life the things I'll never forget is what you feel. Your ears sometimes pop, the wind drives a coldness into your bones, how the wind is relentless at trying to knock you off your feet and How painful the rain is, it stings real bad as the drops hit your skin.

[@spencerson7516]

I would leave after all that 😬

[@brandonsvlog5377]

39:24 it looks like they're on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean during a powerful storm

[@juliusnepos6013]

Yeah

[@phamnguyen1795]

Boi you wrong

[@HomeGypsy]

Wow. This is truly historic footage. Watching the storm surge (including that blue house) come in and go out and the winds change direction is amazing. You guys definitely picked the right spot!!! RESPECT.

[@VoiceOfThe]

Time stamp?

[@MoMoMyPup10]

It's actually hard to fathom that this footage is even possible. Cat 5, eyewall, right front quadrant, OUTSIDE filming. It's almost like filming inside a tornado.

[@heelsfantim]

Absolutely some of the most intense tropical cyclone footage ever captured on video in the United States. Insane winds,

[@MoMoMyPup10]

It's actually hard to fathom that this footage is even possible. Cat 5, eyewall, right front quadrant, OUTSIDE filming. It's almost like filming inside a tornado.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

@@MoMoMyPup10 I hope another cat 5 hits the US soon so I can get some good video

[@mr.niceguy2337]

@@markpalavosvrahotes5575 wutth? Duude

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

@@mr.niceguy2337 Yes. I missed Michael live in Florida. Now I am not really a storm chaser but I should have gone to southeast Bay County. I just want another chance. Just hit Florida I dont care where. Avoid Texas and Louisiana. Too far. There is my explanation.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

@@mr.niceguy2337Just so I can get a similar film as this not because I wish death. Believe it or not there were people who swam in this surge and survived!

[@gunghogun-ar-15]

Just announced. Hurricane Michael officially upgraded to a Category 5 at landfall.

[@CosmicStargoat]

And deservedly so. What a monster.

[@viccalubad1136]

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[@viccalubad1136]

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[@viccalubad1136]

MAYAK AT Rodolfo taposna anporseso ng ebenseya Rodolfo NOT TED Google Lavi ENDAPALANET manyak UP PORPEYSOR mahvavayab hantaymo

[@viccalubad1136]

Hendeveyro AN SE raanyu SE Facebook AT Google canser MAG babayab kayu SALAHAT pety peyrako nawal AT yun pag hehehe rako SA Kuwait U.S.planetarium holehenyan AT ekolog

[@DrTLEvans]

Wow! Amazing footage. Goodness gracious. Glad you all made it through safely. My daughter’s campus was impacted by Michael. She told me she thought she could ride it out. No, ma’am!! I drove six hours round trip and picked her up on her birthday, 10/9. She thanked me later. No need. Mama was coming to get her baby.

[@ivanviera4773]

Wow no words to describe those wind speeds and surge. NHC report should come out in the next couple of months.

[@lordvader6481]

Indeed it has.

[@ivanviera4773]

@@lordvader6481 Just upgraded to Cat 5

[@lairdriver]

The ferocity of this storm is unspeakable.

[@lairdriver]

@Edinb. Scotland i know I ruined it :(

[@lairdriver]

@Edinb. Scotland now you must speak on it. I think there is no way to speak of it. How would you describe it to someone who wasn't there? Its like an atomic wind that lasts 2 hours.

[@juliawilson1291]

I lost my home to surge in MB during Michael. This is by far the best footage that I have seen to date of what happened. Thank you.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Hi Julia. So terribly sorry to hear of the loss of your home. Hoping you're able to rebuild, and the same for all the others in the same circumstance.

[@joshmoore4373]

I'm typing this on Oct 13th 2020. Earlier tonight I ran across a video that was taken a few miles away from this one. I had made up my mind there was no possible way that anyone got closer or better footage and boy I was wrong. There was a higher power at play here. I highly doubt there will ever be anyone capture anything like this ever again without being killed in the proces. I hope yall got paid and won some awards for this!!

[@DuvalRypr]

Look up Marsh Habor, Bahamas 2019.

[@jojolafrite90]

What is a "higher power"? I thought that was a religious thing to say.

[@marcgrassullo1440]

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[@marcgrassullo1440]

]!aaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@brandonulloa9687]

Funny how times flies , you wrote this in the middle of Covid

[@LegacyProduction2013]

The rain is legit sand blasting the concrete away. That storm surge was insain, to experience this in person up on that balcony must have be amazing in terms of watching mother nature but could you imagine 200 years ago? Everyone has wood huts and the day after the area looks like people never lived there. Incredible footage thanks for uploading it.

[@deadenddude]

That blue house near the end took it like a champ! Who is that builder? They deserve some props!

[@kathydrake754]

That's our house. It actually survived the storm and was moved back to it's original location - 160 yards away.

[@breesechick]

@@kathydrake754 who was your home builder! We need them.

[@stephencarr4208]

I did chasing in my late teens early 20s in my truck with Ivan, Dennis, and Katrina so wind wise nothing on the caliber but what an experience. After Katrina and seeing cars washing up on I-10 and winds blowing 120 with gusts higher I felt fulfilled and quit taking my chances with nature. Could not imagine something like this must of been a nightmare making it back home. I know it took me forever on the back roads God the amount of trees I had to cut out of the way. I pray you always stay safe and I thanku for the amazing footage.

[@Dunkinwolf]

Hurricane Michael survivor here. I was in the western eye wall myself. Lost almost everything though our car made it through somehow, but does need a new paint job even now LOL so many scruffs and dings, but still drivable. Had to start all over, and I will never forget the sound of that wind.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

And just think the eastern eyewall was even stronger! I wish I would have been there for the storm. It was a beauty!!!

[@JR-pb5dz]

I enjoy watching tornado, hurricane and other crazy nature/weather videos. This is THE BEST. Moore or El Reno is now a close second. Thank you for this video and God rest the souls who perished in this monster.

[@rosannacellini2158]

Lord, this is so frightening! The guys filming are lucky to be alive to capture this awesome footage. 😱🌀

[@StylistecS]

The storm surge at the 35 minute mark was incredible to see.

[@nancyfahey7518]

If I saw that first hand I would think death was imminent.

[@Stephen-xw3ww]

Yea u ain't kidding its nuts. During katrina the water level where we were rose 9 ft in just 1 minutes time. If you're not paying attention you'll die quick, most people don't realize how fast it happens and that's why so many people died. That surge go 30 ft in some places and it happened in just a few minutes which drowned people in their attics. Its sad

[@waltblackadar4690]

​@@Stephen-xw3ww Yeah, most people remember the flooding (due to levees breaking) but Katrina had a record storm surge - 27 feet at Pass Christian, Mississippi.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

@@Stephen-xw3ww I transported some of the same line repair crew down here in Fla. after Irma. They said when they arrived for Katrina they found cows and goats in the tops of trees. Insane surge. They were also finding dead people in homes a year later - it took that long to get to and attend to some of the areas. They worked two years on Katrina repairs. $95 and hour, time and a half OT, 15 hours a day for 6 or 7 days a week. One guy bought a new house cash just from that job. They flock to these devastated areas after each one.

[@phamnguyen1795]

This was scary I uh one day my brother died from high water 😭😭😭😭😭. Prey for my brother

[@kidhoopz1686]

You guys caught some of the best if not the best footage.I feel like Im watching deadliest catch with that surge. Incredible!

[@robert1975031]

truly puts a perspective on the raw power of what should be a cat 5 storm, the sights and sounds of the eyewall and surge speak for themselves. would have to agree this is some of the only video I have seen from mexico beach proper.

[@justinharris5195]

Robert Frederick have you heard? They revised Michael to a cat5.

[@robert1975031]

@@justinharris5195 yes, I wasn't surprised. at least it didn't take as long as it took them to upgrade Andrew.

[@justinharris5195]

Robert Frederick true, honestly though, I still don’t know till this they why it took 10 full years until the NHC finally realized Andrew was a cat5, I mean I know technology was really lackluster back then, but I don’t know.

[@robert1975031]

@@justinharris5195 me neither, the argument has been that the higher the category given, the higher the insurance payout, I'm not sure though. I know that for michael the federal government is using the the 90/10 rule.

[@justinharris5195]

Robert Frederick ok, I’ve done a little research and found that the most likely reason why it took so long for Andrew to be revised is because of mainly two things. 1. The hurricane hunters didn’t had a technology called dropwindsondes, which is a cylinder shaped device that they drop into to the hurricane and eventually the ocean, it measures breaking ocean waves and uses that to determine the wind speed. Of course they didn’t had that during Andrew, but they did have the plane flying into the storm, and it did measure 185mph flight level winds, which would usually equal 145knot wind at ground level. 2. When they did find out Andrew was a cat5, they also found that those cat5 winds were most likely very short lived and in a very tiny area in the northeastern quadrant of the eye wall, which is of course were the strongest winds of most tropical systems are, the cat5 winds likely died out very quickly and were only right on the cost. I think because of that reason alone this is the reason why it took so long to figure out, because those cat5 level winds were so confined in such a small area that the hurricane hunters probably couldn’t even find them, so they had to use ground damage and ground wind monitors to find the evidence. If you’re interested of finding this article just type in,”why did it take 10 years for Andrew to be revised to a cat5.” You should find a Sun Sentinel article that says,” ten years later, Andrew upgraded to cat5”.

[@Hurricane0721]

That’s a brave cameraman! Not only is a category 5 hurricane like a violent tornado that lasts for hours, but Hurricane Michael had a deadly and extremely high storm surge.

[@scottg6754]

If buy some horrible circumstance I am out in the open.... going for a palm tree.

[@Sayuri-cr8cy]

Tornados have higher wind speeds. A category 5 hurricane has a minimum winds speed the same as an f3 tornado.

[@Tommy27Boy]

@@Sayuri-cr8cy Hurricanes are a constant wind for hours. Tornadoes are just a burst for a few minutes. Also, Hurricanes produce tornadoes as well. Yea Tornadoes cause a lot of damage but usually in small areas as hurricanes are 100's of miles of damage.

[@Tropicalcyclonekg]

@@Sayuri-cr8cy in some hurricanes the wind has reached over 200mph, it literally can, in rare circumstances, have winds equivalent to a violent tornado

[@centuryrox]

Outstanding footage! Insane! That hurricane not only looked like a beast, but sounded like it as well. The whole video has this constant background growl, almost like coming from a monster.

[@candacerutherford3736]

It was a monster. Our ears popped the whole time. Your head felt like it was going to pop off from the low pressure. Scariest thing I've ever lived through and feel lucky to say so.

[@tnut3305]

Wow that’s some insane footage. This is also some of the only footage from the Mexico beach area.

[@kheriashaker852]

Errrwwywwwyewwwueeeteswouewuyeeeireeuussuteewuyewwwuureyueswiyewwuyrerswereyystdwyreetddyrredyfesyfesyyswyueweegtsswuteswwyewwyresuesswyreeeuretsytsssjitsswwiieewwusyrdsieeeiiewwiyeeussuewwiotewwuieeeywiyeeiuewwiewwuiewudssueewiirwwiueisuydsiussiisssiysssossussiyssiisswyeewoiaauyssaiusswidswyourdsiussaiisswioteeioawrsswiywwitsioyhresyswwuuswwiuswwiswurswidwwwwiiyeweiswwutwwuiudwwioretssiusswijfswwuifswiodsitwwwuirwwwiossswsiiuewwwioeeyeeetrsiywwwuitwwourwuowwiuewwiuewwooussauswioyewrloureisewkuewwwiotwwiieewiewiigsiotewwiriooatrssyfdsugssiuddkkutsyesydeeiyreotrposeeryesuiieeelurrejurtietsrssuisssuteeyureeuooeyteewkitreeioitreiostssshoueeeoireepawyssugeeyteejueewiurettssutewwuirewiteeeoewyyewwioirewioyreioewwuueywejtewuiteertesuuesuewuohudroatawfswwihwwwwwopeyeeeuuewwuueeeowwyywwuwwwuuewroywwuuewuooiewuwwyywioewwuueiosswryswwitewwiieeeiortussihssseiyeeuiswwwiieewotewwtiuewwiosygswidssjirewwioueeitewiiwwwiouwwwipswuewwiieewioyewiowuyewwuyeetueeiorsghssuuswweuusweisuussuouwwiyewiorepwyrwwuotwwwuiueuiyyseuuwwiyewuireooytwwuewiiewwwoireisyywwuuswwiueeiihusddrhdsgssuuewuwetgssusauigsaaieehssuudsgesuuwo

[@pookiedookiedoo]

@@kheriashaker852 me too bro

[@MoMoMyPup10]

There's plenty out now, I think by the same Chasers.

[@tnut3305]

@@MoMoMyPup10 where

[@barockhill]

I still hear that howling at night when I sleep. I’ll never forget that noise.

[@DrTLEvans]

Brienn Rockhill bless your heart🙏🏾

[@sherrydalton6516]

Brienn Rockhill I’m so sorry. 😢 Continued prayers! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

It must have been kind of fun. Where were you?

[@Mili_iXIIV]

@@markpalavosvrahotes5575 bruh

[@alexisritchel]

I know how you feel I went through Laura and that night was pretty intense

[@Whileuslept]

i have watched this 5 or 6 times and it stuns me every time, living in NJ i cant imagine being on the 3rd or 4th floor looking down at at a parking lots, some trees, etc one minute than within minutes a river with cars and debris floating by, ive never seen anything like this, incredible footage

[@mgrella63]

WOW Those are some insane winds! Scary!!!! My God the storm surge is nuts!! Cars and debris floating by

[@ivanviera4773]

There was another video taken a little more inland from 15th St & Steve Lane but in this one the winds look even stronger because being closer to the coast its has less land friction.

[@c.rincon7145]

Amazing, amazing amazing !!! I went thru Hurricane Celia in Corpus Christi 1970. I saw things going sideways that wasn't possible.Freaked me out. Wind gauge at airport broke at 165. Hurricane Michael is on another level !!! I don't know how you kept your wits about you !!!

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thanks for the kind words and sharing some of your experience with hurricane Celia! I turned exactly 3 months old the day that probable Cat 4 storm blasted your area. Thanks again!

[@CosmicStargoat]

Cat 5.0 now officially. This storm was insane. I don't ever want to be within 500 miles of one of these things. I was in Memphis when Katrina came through, but the winds were still 60 mph even 400+ miles from the landfall. Unreal.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

I want to.

[@shanedangers]

It's amazing how in hurricanes you can pretty much find certain spots in/around your house/structure from which you can watch the storm safely and being just a couple feet away from the winds/etc..... I'm Floridian and have been thru about 10-15 storms.. One I remember specifically going thru and being basically outside watching it was Frances 2004.. I was living in Palm Bay, Florida at the time, and Frances was only a category 2.. . So sorta fun (a 5 like Michael is NOT fun!). Frances also had a very slow forward speed, which caused my area ..Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie counties, to experience hurricane force sustained winds for about 36 hours! A typical hurricane with "normal" forward speed means affected areas generally have hurricane force winds for about 10-15 hours... so 36 hours... Frances was a long slow but fun storm. The eye was large and passed south of my location which meant in Palm Bay we were getting winds coming from the east blowing to the west.. the garage in my house then faced north, so we had ourselves a hurricane party right there in the garage with the garage door open ... we were safe and shielded but still were able to pretty much experience Frances full fury!!

[@jerradmechals1]

Still the best hurricane coverage I've ever seen

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thank you so much for the incredibly thoughtful words! It was most definitely a harrowing experience. Most grateful to have survived unharmed...except for some hearing loss due to the deafening roar of the Cat 5 winds!

[@pantherzone2008]

With all that destruction in a storm surge and the incredible winds power, I can safely accurately determine the winds speed. The wind speed in this video is 184 mph sustained winds with gusts to an incredible 235 mph. That’ll be enough to overturn the cruise ship large enough to be completely leveled. The building you all are in can sustain up to 350 mph winds, enough to prevent collapse on top of you. Incredible video.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thanks for the kind words, Brian!

[@heatherstub]

That's the speed of an EF5 tornado when you factor in those gusts! I'm curious. How did you figure those wind speeds? (I'm asking because I can only hear this video, and I wondered how you were able to know the actual speed of those winds.) Was it indicated on radar, or was there a wind speed indicator? Thank you so much in advance.

[@pantherzone2008]

Heather stubbs Its wind indicator. To factor into the damage of a large item, like the entire roof floating as a example, that indicates the wind speed calculation. 184 is more of accurate. It’s called microwind, where the wind speed comes into the strength of the eyewall, and the wind measurement went offline, it means that the wind exceeds the calculation. I also heard the background of close to a EF5 sounds, I knew it’s 184 mph sustained winds. No device would measure that type of wind speed in person, out in the open.

[@heatherstub]

@@pantherzone2008 Okay. I wasn't sure about that, but I wonder if you're able to hear infrasonic and ultrasonic tones or sounds? I can hear them, but I didn't know there was a formula to use to figure the wind speed of a storm. I get especially sick and very nauseated when tornadic weather is forming. It's like I feel very drunk and lightheaded, and I even feel as if I could leave the floor. It's not a good feeling at all.

[@MsBabygerber]

Really takes you through the experience ...Good job !!!! Thanks.

[@BartonFarley1]

Thank you for posting this video! Historic footage!

[@kellbell2114]

OMG... Is the best hurricane footage I've ever seen! That's crazy! I'm in Oregon and have never experienced something like that. How did the building you were in withstand that?9

[@kerrystewart3145]

@TheTpanative captain obvious strikes again! Lmao

[@kerrystewart3145]

Here's a captain obvious for you Stephen. Don't build a home where hurricanes hit. Boom! Lol

[@kerrystewart3145]

@Stephen Murphy I hear ya. It doesn't make sense.

[@KaileyB616]

Stephen Murphy it's "ground" not grown

[@ИцоБогдев]

The best hurracane video! Period!

[@shawnmichael2305]

That’s insane! There’s no way this was only a category 4...just look at the wind and the storm surge. Glad you guys made it out safe

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

I totally agree. Not sure the NHC will actually upgrade it, but the totality of the data argues they should. Thanks for the kind words, btw!

[@markpalavos3742]

A high level 4 is extremely dangerous. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was a 4 and that killed 6000 people.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@markpalavos3742 Agree, wholeheartedly, Mark! That said, the data from Recon, radar velocity, and satellite intensity estimates all support a 140 kt category-five classification.

[@markpalavos3742]

@@extremeweathercoverage4683 Well we will see what happens.

[@markpalavos3742]

To me 155 mph suatained sh o uld be cat 5 and cat 6 should start at 190. I was very disappointed that I was not in east Panama City or Callaway. Would have ridden Michael out in my car.

[@hurricanetracker8099]

Unbelievable footage . Best hurricane footage ever taken!!!

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Very high praise, and greatly appreciate your post. It was most certainly an event myself and many others will never forget. Sadly, "Michael" was the last experience of some peoples lives, that fateful day! :(

[@andrewmarsman3294]

Incredible footage. I remember this storm like yesterday. Also impressive dr 1:11:30 to 1:18:00 (where the blue house floats by) you can see the wind change direction

[@689moose]

A couple, who were in their house during this horror show, witnessed that blue house floating by as well. It remained intact, sat on the side of the road for over a year, and was eventually placed back on it's foundation.

[@Vapir87]

I am not sure if you are all part of one crew, but you guys did an amazing job getting some of the most intense footage of a hurricane I have seen! I live in Ohio, and the only real tropical system that impacted my life was Hurricane Ike (almost 90 mph gusts).. I will never forget the sound of the wind!!

[@justinharris5195]

The MerV They are only 5videos in existence that I know of that show legitimate cat5 winds, this one, another video a little farther inland in the same area, the footage that Josh took in Great Abaco during Dorian, another video on a balcony which was also Dorian, and finally a short clip of Irma on one of the leeward islands. Hopefully we won’t see anymore than that.

[@Witch_of_TheWood]

This is wild AF 😮😮 the footage is truly historic and so educational. Thank you for risking your life for this footage 💜💜 that's gonna be a hell of a story for the grandkids 😂

[@alexwhite3158]

Wow, there really aren't many videos filmed with a clear shot and in day light of a strong category 4 or 5 besides this one, Harvey was a 4 but not quite as intense and hurricane Charley is the only other really powerful storm with good footage. I'm really curious do any storm chasers have any info on wind measurements? I know officially Tyndall AFB recorded 130 but went out and the winds here look to easily gust past 130 prob up to 160 with the really intense gusts, but yeah would love to know that.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Hi Alex. Unfortunately, there weren’t any anemometers positioned where this was filmed; at the location of the highest winds. Even if there were, it’s very unlikely they’d survived long enough to record the peak gusts. There was a 139 mph wind gust actually measured near Tyndall AFB by a WeatherFlow/FCMP tower, before it was disabled. As a result, we are left with estimates of those winds. Here’s a link to the RMS Hwind 3-sec wind gust estimate graphic: pbs.twimg.com/media/DxvBhC8X4AADKWB?format=jpg&name=900x900 They estimate peak gusts between 170-180 mph where this footage was captured.

[@tinobenfante7315]

Supposedly Tyndall AFB recorded a peak gust of 172 mph, I guess they probably had an anemometer with data that wasn't publically available during the hurricane

[@jimmyf9545]

@@extremeweathercoverage4683 That's what I was thinking. Between 170 and 185 mph. This is what a F4 tornado is like, I would imagine.

[@jimmyf9545]

2004 Hurricane Charley, similar development as Michael. Smallish, intense eyewall development, going from Cat 2 to Cat 4/5 within 24 to 36 hrs. This tops anything I have ever seen videoed, by far. Just next level wind intensity. Unreal.

[@JPVideos81]

Fantastic footage

[@DodgyDaveGTX]

Every time you rubbed the camera lens dry I pictured it like an old-school-cartoon character doing a double-take by rubbing their eyes in absolute disbelief 😵 toward what they see... Considering the actual content of the video - it seemed quite an appropriate response.

[@OneBlueFroggy]

Awesome video, but scary. Glad you made it through all that Tony ! And thank-you for your nerves of steel and great camera work. 📸

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thank you for the very kind words and taking the time to share them!

[@rencechannel2240]

Nerves of titanium instead

[@brianpatterson1827]

Just mind blowing insane power from Mother Nature

[@Sputz3]

1:17:18 Crusing down the street in my 6 (rooms) 4 (bathrooms).

[@kidpagronprimsank05]

This is by far, the most terrify cyclone video I see. That sheer wind speed alone and house floating by. Never seen before

[@maxsteiner8268]

It really starts getting fun at at 59:28. House floats by at 1:17:18.

[@christadawnwheeler2696]

This is the stuff of nightmares. Great footage! I considered moving to PCB when some friends who were also locals told me to look at hurricane Michael. I'm now reconsidering.

[@kerrystewart3145]

The weather channel just said Hurricane Michael has been upgraded to a cat5. Like we didn't know that already lol

[@lordvader6481]

Post analysis can take a while. The data must have been inconclusive until recently.

[@kerrystewart3145]

@@lordvader6481 I hear ya

[@deniseolso9385]

As I viewed the palm trees blowing back and forth, I remember being in boot camp on Parris Island. The wind was whipping around that brick building so, and it woke me up! I remember the look on that young drill instructors face...had, I not been a yankee, I might've stayed awake. I'm in the great northwest now, no palm trees, no great blowing winds. Just rain and more rain. Great job you guys !

[@emilythegermanshepherd7425]

I can guarantee you somebody did some soul-searching as they watch that house Float by

[@jtm12180]

Yep. Many non religious people would become very religious by that point...lol

[@WoodyHolzfan]

Just found your channel - I have never seen footage like this and thankfully not experienced a hurricane of this kind myself, really frightening. Stay safe my friend

[@pmfg875]

There is a guy in the uk going around saying people who have endured hurricanes are mentally ill for calling for help

[@alexlubbers1589]

Holy crap, the part at the 1 hour mark is nuts. Very hard to tell but id ballpark those winds at least 160, maybe 165-170. What a monster.

[@StylistecS]

StormChasingVideo you think they may upgrade it in the near future?

[@justinharris5195]

StylistecS I would say definitely, there is more evidence of Michael being a cat5 then there Is of it being cat4, and this video is just one of those evidences.

[@StylistecS]

Justin Harris yeah even around the 23:30 mark, it looks like a cat 4 and that isn’t even the strongest part of the video.

[@lisarhodes968]

It was a CAT 5~

[@justinharris5195]

Alex Lubbers hurricane Michael is now officially a cat5, 160mph, you were right on the money with this bro👍

[@sherrydalton6516]

I live in Gulf Breeze, FL. (Just south of Pensacola). We really dodged a bullet with this one. 😳 I’ve been in a few hurricanes before, but I’ve never seen anything like this!! I can’t believe how fast that storm surge came up!! 🤯 I just got done watching your Hurricane Katrina video too. You guys get some AMAZING footage!! I’m so glad y’all made it out ok! Thank you for sharing!! ♥️ Continued prayers 🙏🏻 for the people of Mexico Beach, Panama City, & Port St. Joe!

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

I hope to see a storm like this in person one day. If another one hits the US coast and I hope it does as cat 5 I’m going right to the core. What is your opinion of that?

[@heatherm2324]

I could not imagine being in this storm. It seems like it never ends. Great video!

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

It is a very cool video and a very wonderful storm but short.

[@lisarhodes968]

I lived through it. Anybody in the eyewall would have told you it was a Cat 5!

[@mandrews1192]

I'm glad u lived through it I lived in Callaway at the time

[@lisarhodes968]

Andrew Mason , I grew up in Callaway. It really took a hard hit! It’s sad to drive through Callaway and Parker and see so much massive destruction after all these months.😢

[@jessicagarcia7558]

Went through Hurricane Harvey. No I thought that was scary but when I saw the footage from this. Just topped it.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

@@lisarhodes968 If I had to do it all over again I would have gone to Callaway and ride it out. I think there will be another cat 5 somewhere in the US in the next ten years.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

@@peggygibbons479 No I was not. I was near Talahasee. Even there we had hurricane conditions.

[@markstewartsbreakingthecha3531]

Although I would not do this myself, it is good that we have individuals willing to. Capturing eyewall footage on the ground of a cat 4 or 5 is not only stunning, it hopefully puts to rest the idea of a "hurricane party". The only thing you should be doing if you are in the path of one of these is leave or prepare, not party.

[@tommyhedden]

And I thought Sandy was terrifying but this is way more terrifying

[@carmine_]

It is but if any bad hurricane hits New York with the way it is and Long Island being on the water it will be really really bad even a minor hurricane .. I’m saying this like ur from New York I’m not sure cause it hit a few places obviously but I’m jus sayin

[@KEB7300]

Kudos to you Tony Brite and massive amounts of RESPECT.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thank you for the very kind words!

[@anb7408]

48:10 Holy crap! That’s even more intense than the famous Hurricane Charley eyewall video. You can actually hear the building around them being ripped apart. Wow.

[@Bwahahahaha1]

Wow! I've seen a lot of storm videos but this is without a doubt the best I've ever seen! I almost felt like I was there. Excellent footage!

[@vonpeedler]

Living through hurricane Charlie, Michael was much more terrifying, looking at this video. The gusts of wind must have been near 200 mph? Best hurricane video I've seen, ever!

[@justinharris5195]

vonpeedler Yes, you’re correct. Cat5 hurricanes standardly have gust at or above 200mph. This one is no different. Seriously, those winds after the one hour mark were beyond total chaos. I’ll rank those winds sustained at 165 to 170mph. The initial onslaught of when the storm surge first arrived with the winds were more like the 160mph sustained winds that Michael’s “official” intensity is at. The total, complete whiteout conditions coupled with the unfathomable ferocity of the wind has only been experienced in the USA three times in recorded history. You can guess what those other three cat5s were.

[@_.-._.-._.-._.-]

I had a 2x4 fly through the wall and into my living room like an arrow. From the outside, it just left a perfect small rectangular hole through the siding - but on the inside it looked like an explosion happened. I have no idea what the wind strength was but I've only seen similar wind damage from tornadoes. I lived in Callaway, which is about in-between where this video was recorded and Panama City. The roof was ripped off my office building and my home was left so slanted/crooked you couldn't open or close any doors on the inside. What was left of it had to be torn down. I've been through multiple high category hurricanes but Michael was something else when it came to wind intensity.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

@@_.-._.-._.-._.- Wish I would have been there.

[@Reauxlee]

Was there any point during the most intense part of the storm that y'all became afraid or did y'all feel pretty safe the entire time because of the structure you filmed at?

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

At the most extreme part of the storm, the roar of the wind was so loud that it caused intense pain in my ears. That coincided with all kinds of flying debris being slammed into the building. This, combined with the incredible ferocity of the wind and not knowing if the water would stop rising...did create a few moments of panic. Although filming from a reinforced concrete structure, there was no guarantee it'd hold up under such tremendous force.

[@justinharris5195]

Extremeweather Coverage I think the fact that Michael was a quick mover really saved you from death because if this hurricane was moving any slower than the building you were in may have collapsed because of to much punishment.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@justinharris5195 Very true, Justin. As bad as Michael was for all the areas impacted by the eyewall, that was a huge benefit...as you so well noted.

[@CosmicStargoat]

@@extremeweathercoverage4683 Thank you so much for this historic video, and most of all for taking the time to answer the questions in the comments. This value added service makes the video that much more impressive. You get 5 *****, just like the hurricane. ✔❤

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@CosmicStargoat My pleasure, and thank you very much for the incredibly kind words and taking the time to watch the video! :)

[@donnielee8556]

Damn! That surge came out of no where! Amazing footage!

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Insane. It was like a "Hurrinami" it came up so quick.

[@mickih35]

That was an amazing yet scary capture... actually, very scary. Thanks for having the bravery for this.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thank you, Micki, for the kind words!

[@RTLorenti]

Naples got hit pretty hard by Irma and this makes Irma look like a Sunday picnic. Powerful winds wow.

[@lawrencebray9623]

Best footage I have ever seen. Wow. So glad you guys made it out. I had sisters who lived in Lynn haven. Went down 2 days afterwards. I was in shock of the destruction

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thanks so much, Lawrence! That entire area from Western-most PC to Pt. St. Joe was devastated, as you noted. Lynn Haven being one of the worst. Glad your sisters survived and hope are doing well!

[@jparker59able]

It's hard to believe that the winds of this hurricane were only said to be 160 mph. It had to be more.

[@YankeesWin123]

I experienced hurricane Andrew as a child and the destruction left behind in southern Miami Dade county was beyond greusome. There was a wind gust measured in Perrine that nearly hit 180mph and gusts were measured at homestead air force base near 190mph.

[@timwhitten5014]

chris pascual They had gust of Michael at 185 190 as well sustained winds at 160 for awhile, scary Hurricane!! Which I live in Parker Florida, that’s about 15 miles west of Mexico beach, Tyndall Air Force base got leveled as well just a beast of a storm that didn’t ever seem to end..

[@timwhitten5014]

And no doubt Andrew was a monster of its own and did a ton of damage!!

[@danielwymer1580]

chris pascual I drove thru homestead a month after Andrew and it was eery looking, not a single leaf on a tree anywhere

[@StylistecS]

For people who didn’t know what Andrew looked like because it hit so early in the morning, this is what it looked like.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

@@timwhitten5014 If there were sustained winds Category 5 strength it was here not Parker and not Tyndall. Also the peak gusts here were around 185 in Parker probably 160 and 175 at Tyndall Airforce bae. Extreme winds.

[@adrian5rs]

Incredible. It boggles the mind that hurricanes actually get stronger than this. What would 175 mph sustained with gusts to 190 look like?? Did you happen to get pressure readings at the height of the storm?

[@justinharris5195]

Rod Smith you just experience that in this video. Seriously I’ve seen super typhoon Haiyan and this footage rivals that.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Unfortunately, the equipment was still in my vehicle when the surge came rushing in, very suddenly, and washed it away. However, the USGS recorded a pressure as low as 925 mb less than a mile from where this was filmed, at the Mexico Beach pier. The lowest pressure with Michael at landfall was likely around 917 mb. Here's a link to the pressure and tidal graphic from USGS: s.w-x.co/wu/micahel-surge-plot.jpg

[@adrian5rs]

I've seen the Haiyan footage as well. That was a stronger storm. High end Cat 5. The location where most of the footage was filmed in Haiyan was actually a little removed from the core of the strongest winds.

[@justinharris5195]

Rod Smith yea you’re right about having a higher wind speed but believe it or not hurricane Michael had a storm surge of over 20ft in some places. But Haiyan only had over 15ft of storm surge, manly because of the area it hit. But just letting you know that hurricanes aren’t just how strong their winds speeds are. Take hurricane Katrina for example it was a cat5 but weakened considerably to a cat3 at landfall, but it wasn’t the wind that did the damage it was a 28ft storm surge that did 125billion dollars in damage which is way more than Haiyan ever did. But it what it did do was kill over 6000 people, probably because they weren’t prepared.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@adrian5rs It's also important to note that the footage taken of Haiyan was from its second and slightly weaker landfall on Leyete...most of which was from Tacloban; on the northern edge of the eyewall, as you noted. Consequently, the wind speeds in Tacloban were likely a little weaker than where this occurred during Michael. It's conceivable that Michael may have even attained a MSW of 145 kt (165 mph) at landfall; but certainly achieved 140 kt (160 mph). Officially estimated wind gusts were up to 180 mph where this footage was shot.

[@MrZnel52]

Probably the most intense sustained winds I have ever seen in any video of a Hurricane impact. What a freaking beast.

[@justinharris5195]

MrZnel52 the only video that rivals this one is the hurricane Dorian video Josh took in great abaco.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@justinharris5195 Agreed, as the winds in Josh's video seem just a little bit less intense there in Marsh Harbour during Dorian...than those experienced in Mexico Beach from Michael. That said, I can only imagine what those winds were like just another 10 nautical miles further to the N of MH...where Dorian's maximum winds were located. Based on the Doppler radar velocity data, the maximum sustained winds may have actually been 145 kt/165 mph in Mexico Beach.

[@justinharris5195]

Extremeweather Coverage yep, I’ve looked at the radar velocity data for Michael and one measured 183mph flight level. And an NHC report stated that meso vortices within the eye wall had flight level winds of 195knots plus, not to mention multiple SFMR readings over 140knots. So when you think about it, 160mph is a conservative estimate. Just looking at this video and seeing the cars floating so close past the camera completely disappearing in those wind gust still blows my mind to this day. Everyone that watched the Dorian footage thinks they’ve seen 185mph winds, when in reality, Josh definitely was in the “weak” part of Dorian, and it saddens me that I still don’t know what 185mph sustained winds actually look like.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@justinharris5195 I share the same concern that most believe the winds in Josh's video are the estimated peak winds found anywhere within the entire eyewall (185 mph). Such inaccurate assumptions could conceivably lead to future residents attempting to ride out a legitimate 185 mph MSW (if they incur the absolute brunt of such winds), which might be a fatal decision. I'm so grateful Marsh Harbour didn't receive the peak eyewall winds from Dorian, as a great number of additional causalities would've likely occurred. Moreover, a track just slightly further S would've also delivered a greater storm surge over a larger portion of Great Abaco. It was really bad as it was, but still could've been so much worse. Edit: As always, thank you Justin for your thoughtful and very knowledgeable comments!

[@jeromevinessr9496]

I'm just amazed at the power of mother nature we are really at her mercy when stuck and have to ride these storm out 👍 Thanks for the video chasers 👌

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thanks, Jerome, for the nice words! Like you, nature's most extreme weather is awe-inspiring and never ceases to amaze me.

[@bereft9989]

Tony, I had been living on 37th street when Michael hit, and I’ve always wondered what the surge looked like on 37th. I’ve read the surge was 16 feet on my street; can you estimate how deep the surge was at your building?

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Hi! That’s right in line with the estimates for my location as well. Im so sorry to hear you suffered so much as a direct result of this catastrophic event! :(

[@soulandfire9252]

What an extraordinary film, it's a scientific treasure trove for wind velocity, cause and effect, I'm guessing, but at points 160, 170mph!? Thanks for the film, it was thrilling!

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thanks for the very kind words! Given this was filmed in the absolute point of Max wind (inner eyewall), these are the estimated 140 kt (160 mph) CAT 5 sustained winds. Gusts are typically estimated at 120% of those...or greater than 190 mph!

[@VoiceOfThe]

This is awesome footage. Up there with footage on here from Typhoon Haiyan.

[@lynadams2220]

Where were you staying? I know the area really well. It destroyed Toucans. And was concerned about Sharon's. Prayers during and since for all involved...

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

This was filmed from the first floor of the West End Harbor Condos. Thanks for the kind words!

[@lynadams2220]

@@extremeweathercoverage4683 Thank you..and you're welcome! :)

[@puncht37]

I`m from Louisiana. I was there a week later to help clean up. That thing was a badass.

[@Isabella.s414]

What a great video. I’ll rewatch this and hurricane Ian videos so I’ll leave next time. 😮 you’re very brave. It’s so loud. You never get over those sounds💙

[@marycope5858]

Watching this video on 9/16/19, just a couple weeks after hurricane Dorian!,.. Michael was tearing everything up!! The Most Awesome Video I've ever seen from a Storm!! I hope someone got a video just like this of Dorian, and I hope they made it through safely😢🙏🙏 I'm Soo Glad you guys are safe🙏🙏Thank You for sharing this video!!🙂❤

[@justinharris5195]

Mary Cope if you’re looking for a Dorian eye wall video there’s a channel named icyclone, a guy named josh recorded it in a concrete building.

[@marycope5858]

@@justinharris5195 Ohh Great!! Thank You so much🙂I will do that

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments, Mary! :) As Justin noted, Icyclone filmed Dorian in Marsh Harbour in the NW Bahamas. The reason the winds look/are stronger in this video than that one is because he was in the weaker SW portion of Dorian's eyewall, while I was in the absolute max winds of Michael's eyewall. That said, Icyclone captured the best footage of Dorian, nonetheless, with winds at the low end of Cat 5. He was well away from the storm surge, so there isn't any footage of that...However, he also filmed some of the devastating aftermath. Thanks again for taking the time to share such kind words.

[@marycope5858]

@@extremeweathercoverage4683 You're Welcome🙂❤ Did you see Dorian's Eyewall??😍Totally Awesome!! I Love watching these videos!! These people are Extremely Brave to get this footage!! I think Jim Edd's took a Great video of Dorian's Eyewall...BEAUTIFUL😍😍😍

[@ReZiN8R]

Must of been a bit scary being in that car park surrounded by the surge. Good job it didn't get any higher. Great footage you have captured of the raw power of a hurricane. Thanks for risking your life to capture this on video. Good job. Stay safe.

[@kimhartley6059]

it looks like you might have been moving up the stories of the building thru this clip? am I wrong in thinking the last bit is up a higher level than the earlier bits? *subscribed* lol

[@bama3347]

If you think about it, you guys pretty much intercepted and stood in a EF4 tornado for over an hour which is just incredible

[@Spiderheart95]

I have a question my college class is making a documentary on hurricane Michael and I was wondering if we can use some of your footage. We will credit you for the shots as they appear in the film and in the credits.

[@KrissyMeow]

I would use the link in the description to ask. Good luck on your project! Michael was one of the worst hurricanes I've lived through (it is a tie between Opal). Didn't have power for days and I am nearly two hours away from the area filmed here. Tons of people are still without homes and staying in my city.

[@joerussellwx5911]

I recommend emailing them.

[@AlohaChips]

This really is incredible footage. I only wish the autofocus hadn't messed with it so much.

[@lordvader6481]

Anyone else watching this again after they upgraded it to cat 5?

[@justinharris5195]

N Brooks me!! Lol

[@waynewhite30weathervlogs95]

I can’t stop watching this. The best hurricane footage ever.

[@lordvader6481]

@@waynewhite30weathervlogs95 agreed.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@waynewhite30weathervlogs95 Thanks Wayne for such high praise of the footage! Just so thankful to have simply been in the right place, at the right time, and survived, in order to share the absolute worst of Michael's winds and surge!

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@lordvader6481 Thanks as well, N Brooks, for expressing such appreciation for the footage!

[@raykelly2854]

Notice the white suv drive by left to right at 27.35 -maybe another store chaser. Crazy scary video. Thanks for making this video and I know how you risked all.This is the definitive hurricane video. Hope I never have to experience one-this is more than enough!

[@zelkuta]

The footage is incredible, I mean just breathing taking. If you were given a chance to do this again, would you do it ?

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Thanks for the kind words! As crazy as it sounds, I would, but look to get further from the surge. So thankful I was in a very well-built reinforced concrete structure that remained relatively intact.

[@zelkuta]

@@extremeweathercoverage4683 I can't blame you but man, this is really expert level chasing here. What an incredible opportunity to be able to do witness a storm like this and be so close to it. I've got so many questions about this chase, do you guys have any articles or interviews about what this storm was like and what ya'll did to track and prepare for the storm? btw I also got that stadium of the gods picture in canvass hanging on my wall, it's a really great conversation starter = )

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

zelkuta Honestly, since it continued to intensify so rapidly all the way to landfall, none of us really anticipated we’d be dealing with a storm of such historic proportions. One of our chase team members just barely got out of Mexico Beach right before the surge came barreling in, and captured that amazing stadium-effect eye imagery...from about 3 miles to the W of my position. Another filmed it in NE Mexico Beach at a location that they thought was going to be far enough inland to avoid the surge; it wasn’t. Consequently, we each were most fortunate to survive, and be able to document this incredible event!

[@zelkuta]

@@extremeweathercoverage4683 Oh that's right, I totally forgot about how it rapidly it intensified. I went to bed thinking their was gonna be a cat 1-2 storm than woke up to a cat 4 monster. I remember being caught in the NE qaudrant of a cat 1 storm (fran) and that was to this day the most intense storm I've witnessed. Even a cat 1 was powerful enough to destroy most of the trees in our property. This is so far above what fran delivered that this storm almost looks like it's occurring on a different planet. Must have been a damn near religious experience to witness. The sound is what I remember most, and you guys captured it so well here. What did this sound like in person? Was it loud enough to cause hearing damage? Thank you so for this footage and for answering all these questions in the comments, this is truly great and you guys are awesome.

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

@@zelkuta Thanks Zel! It was even more intense in person. As I've mentioned in previous comments, the sound of the wind was so loud that it caused extreme pain in my ears...at the very peak of the storm. It was at that very moment where I felt most anxious and experienced a slight panic attack. Especially, not knowing if the structure would be able to withstand such ferocious wind speeds and if the water was going to keep rising.

[@Lori5564]

🤤 Bless you gentlemen that stayed and filmed this horrifying storm.

[@rj-zz8im]

Absolutely incredible power. I live not far east of there very near the coast and cannot imagine had it struck here, as it was a possibility. Seeing your footage and other's, I am convinced not to stay next time. It's amazing there was anything left.

[@michellecollins-betz9724]

Amazing video, incredible footage, this is very scary, hats off to you all, you must have balls of steel

[@latentheat3956]

41:48 wow. I love that noise. Love hurricanes too

[@bama3347]

Does anybody know what those wind speeds were whenever the surge first comes in and from that same particular period of time ???

[@extremeweathercoverage4683]

Hi! Thanks for the thoughtful comments. The surge came rushing in when winds were probably somewhere in the Category-four range. The strongest winds occurred sometime between 55:00 and 1:19:00 in this video. The highest wind gusts were likely upwards of 190 mph, although Mesovorticies may have produced even higher winds for a brief time! It was truly insane and even more extreme than the video portrays.

[@bama3347]

Extremeweather Coverage wow, I can imagine it was way worse! Thanks for your time and the reply!

[@deep_diver6694]

This is incredible footage...I can't believe you guys were as calm as you were. Where you are in a hurricane makes ALL the difference in the world...by shooting on Mexico Bch you guys positioned yourself directly in the right front quadrant along the entire length of the Eyewall...so you get the most violent winds AND the destructive storm surge (no EYE, no CALM). Pensacola was directly in Michael's path which offered probably a half-hour of nearly peaceful and calm conditions within the eye and saw nothing close to this level of carnage. Unbelievable footage!!!

[@paulspringer3303]

in Mexico Beach, some houses were very old and barely standing as it was. Some new construction was built to withstand this. Most were somewhere in between or as one guy told me, "my house was ok until another house's roof hit it."