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

#weather #northcarolina #southcarolina #ncwx #scwx #podcast

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