25 August 2012
Pulling the Trigger: Isaac Chase Begins!

So... I've decided to pull the trigger!

After a string of discussions with Scott, I'm bypassing the Florida Keys scenario in order to really sink my teeth into what could be a red-meat cyclone landfall on the USA's Central Gulf Coast.  I'm leaving for Atlanta in the morning, then driving down. At this point, I'm prepared for landfalls anywhere from Slidell, Louisiana, to Apalachicola, Florida—and ready to adjust as needed.

This will be my first USA chase after a string of challenging Mexican expeditions, and my first USA Gulf Coast chase since 2008. It's interesting: chasing in a foreign country is the chaser's equivalent of altitude training—you learn how to scratch out success in less familiar circumstances, with fewer tools and fewer conveniences—and you come out of these experiences lean, mean, conditioned, and ready to tackle anything. Given this, I'm really excited for what I think will be a slightly easier chase in my own country.

This aside, I'm wondering if Isaac might break the USA's spectacular spell of no major-hurricane landfalls, which started back in October 2005.

Here I come!

—Josh Morgerman

Image courtesy of Weather Underground.