The powerful storm sent shockwaves around the globe when it hit the island nations of the Caribbean and left behind devastation and over 7.3 million people without electricity.
But the recent phenomenon is far more sinister than it looks.
According to meteorologists, this unusual occurrence is caused by a strong northeasterly wind, which literally pushes water out of bays and harbors. The fact is that in the center of the hurricane the pressure is really low due to which water is drawn into it making it look like there is no sea.
#HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/4hqRDSrDsh
— Jason Beisel (@JasonBeisel) September 10, 2017
The danger of this lies in the fact that it can cause a storm surge, which is a kind of temporary sea-level rise caused by high winds and low atmospheric pressure.
— KB (@keonavanessa) September 9, 2017
— Jillian Mele (@jillianmele) September 10, 2017
It is a symptom of powerful hurricanes, but in fact it is actually the movement of billions of gallons of ocean water.
#SendItTo7 #HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/ljuTVCams2
— Victoria Wells (@Vick_Savalitta) September 9, 2017
The sight is not only bizarre, but it’s also troubling because when a shoreline recedes so far away to actually show the ocean floor, it’s usually a sign that the water will rush back at tremendous speed causing massive destruction.
Y'all my family in the Bahamas said Irma sucked up all the water. There's literally no water. The beach and ocean are gone😳
— piz (@Piznack) September 9, 2017
Hurricane Irma is one of the longest-lived hurricanes since satellite-based observations began in 1966. It has wrecked havoc for almost nine days. However, it has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but heavy rainfall persists across the southeastern United States.
