Our WeatherSTEM station and sky camera at the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Lab in Franklin County, FL captured this interesting phenomenon.
Before Hurricane Irma’s approach into parts of northern Florida, strong offshore winds caused the water to retreat out of the basin next to the research lab. At one point, the water gets low enough that the moored research vessel looked as if it is sitting on dry land. Once the winds shifted direction, the water quickly returned to the basin.
Watch the video from the FSUCML to see first-hand how the wind direction impacted the water levels during Hurricane Irma.
On the compass, the blue side of the needle indicates the direction the wind is blowing towards, and the red indicates where the wind is blowing from.