Hurricane Melissa has joined the record books with 185 mph winds, devastating Jamaica, Cuba, and The Bahamas before turning toward Bermuda. On this week’s Carolina Weather Group, we discuss Melissa’s Category 5 strength, new video from inside the storm’s eye, and the Outer Banks’ ongoing home collapses — five more this week in Buxton and Avon.
Our guest Peter Forister joins to unveil his new “Most Memorable Hurricanes” map, a fascinating look at which storms stand out most in the Carolinas’ collective memory, county by county. Plus, he gives a final fall foliage color update as the leaves peak across the Southeast.
Later in the show, we preview the Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather Conference with organizer Chris White, highlighting emergency management topics, storm chasing stories, and meteorology education.
📍 Topics Covered
Hurricane Melissa’s record-setting winds & damage path
New video from inside the eye of Melissa
OBX coastal destruction and repeated home collapses
Peter Forister’s “Most Memorable Hurricanes” project
Fall foliage update for North Carolina & Virginia
Upcoming Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather Conference preview
🎙️ Hosts: James Brierton, Frank Strait, Sam Walker
🎧 Guest: Peter Forister, Chris White
📅 Recorded October 29, 2025
⏱️ YouTube Chapter Timestamps
00:00 – Cold Open: Hurricane Melissa headlines & OBX homes collapse
00:43 – Welcome & panel introductions (James, Frank, Sam, Peter)
01:05 – Peter’s new “Most Memorable Hurricanes” map explained
02:20 – How social media crowdsourced storm memories
04:04 – Revisiting the original XKCD hurricane map
05:00 – Helene, Hugo, and the Carolinas’ most recalled hurricanes
06:25 – Sam’s Outer Banks perspective: Irene vs. Isabel
07:45 – Community storm memories and regional impacts
08:45 – How far back storm memories go: Hazel to Camille
10:06 – How to contribute to Peter’s map
11:03 – Fall foliage color update across the Carolinas & Virginia
13:05 – Blue Ridge Parkway road trip & color peak timing
14:00 – Audience comments and storm memory chat
17:00 – Sponsor segment: Queensboro apparel
18:20 – Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather Conference preview with Chris White
20:10 – Storm chasers, emergency managers, and guest lineup
22:15 – Ricky Matthews & Virginia Tech storm chase legacy
23:00 – Ticket deadline and conference info
23:55 – Hurricane Melissa update: 24 hours after landfall
24:15 – Satellite imagery and Hurricane Hunter turbulence
25:18 – Melissa’s record winds and shutdown-impacted missions
27:00 – Could Melissa have reached 190 mph?
29:00 – Sentinel-2 satellite captures Melissa’s eye in detail
31:00 – How high-res satellite imagery tracks storm motion
33:40 – Bermuda’s hurricane warning & storm path ahead
36:00 – OBX impacts expected from offshore Melissa swells
38:30 – Five more homes collapse in Buxton and Avon
40:30 – Highway 12 flooding and overwash footage
43:00 – Why Hatteras Island is so vulnerable to erosion
45:30 – Sam explains geography and failed nourishment projects
46:45 – Six straight weeks of coastal damage updates
47:40 – Outro & closing remarks
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