Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
At least 80 dead, 11 girls from camp still missing after catastrophic flooding in Texas. Read the latest Chevron right
Chantal moving inland after making landfall in South Carolina. Get details Chevron right

Columbus, OH

89°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

89°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Hurricane

Reed Timmer recounts his top 5 most memorable hurricane interceptions

The extreme meteorologist counts down the wildest and most memorable hurricanes that he's encountered during his more than three decades of storm chasing.

By Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Jun 7, 2023 11:21 AM EDT | Updated Jun 7, 2023 11:21 AM EDT

Copied

Reed Timmer breaks down his top 5 hurricane intercepts.

On top of chasing tornadoes, extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer has also been chasing and intercepting hurricanes for nearly 25 years. Since 1999, Timmer has covered dozens of hurricanes and tropical storms as they crashed ashore. Timmer has gone inside the eye of the storm — literally — and witnessed these incredible forces of nature in a way that few others would dare attempt.

From Hurricane Floyd in 1999 to Hurricane Ian in 2022, Timmer recently recounted his five most memorable hurricane interceptions.

No. 5: Category 5 Hurricane Michael

Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer reports from Florida during Hurricane Michael in 2018. The strong, ferocious winds make it hard for the camera to stay still. (Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer/AccuWeather)

On Oct. 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, as a monstrous Category 5 hurricane. Michael was one of the most destructive and powerful storms in recorded history. The storm had a minimum central pressure of 27.13 inches of mercury (918.73 millibars) when it made landfall, which made it the third-most intense U.S. landfilling hurricane — right behind Katrina in 2005 and Andrew in 1992.

According to Timmer, this was the most powerful hurricane he's ever experienced.

"I rode it out in my Subaru right in the middle," Timmer said as he described what it was like feeling the winds go up and over his vehicle.

Michael was originally listed as a Category 4 hurricane at landfall, but a post-storm analysis conducted by forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) determined Michael slammed ashore with a wind intensity of 160 mph, which is consistent with Category 5 strength.

No. 4: Category 4 Hurricane Laura

Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer reports in Louisiana after Hurricane Laura made landfall and created widespread damage in 2019. (Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer/AccuWeather)

After rapidly intensifying hours before making landfall, Hurricane Laura slammed into the coast of Louisiana on Aug. 22, 2020. Laura brought destructive 150-mph sustained winds as it barreled ashore as one of the strongest hurricanes in Louisiana's history.

"Hurricane Laura made landfall in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, and slammed Lake Charles head-on," Timmer said, explaining that the eyewall moved right over the Lake Charles area.

The eyewall is just outside the eye and is the most intense part of a hurricane. The strongest winds are found within the eyewall.

Footage from Timmer during the hurricane showed buildings being gutted in downtown Lake Charles by Laura's hellacious winds. Destructive winds from the storm knocked the radar that services that region out of service.

No. 3: Category 4 Hurricane Harvey

Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer reports from Texas during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. (Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer/AccuWeather)

Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 25, 2017, near Corpus Christi, Texas. The storm stalled over the middle of the Texas coast and dropped more than 40 inches of rain across the region.

The highest rainfall total from Harvey was measured in Nederland, Texas, where 60.58 inches of rain fell.

Harvey was the most significant tropical cyclone rainfall event in recorded United States history, both in scope and peak rainfall amounts, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The record-breaking rainfall led to a "megaflood disaster," according to Timmer. Entire stretches of highways were submerged underwater.

"That was a very intimidating feeling," said Timmer. "Being trapped right in downtown Houston and just seeing the flooding disaster play out around us in the days after [Harvey made landfall.]"

No. 2: Category 5 Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina shortly after landfall

A GOES-12 visible image of Hurricane Katrina shortly after landfall on August 29, 2005. (NOAA/NASA GOES Project)

When he was just 25 years old, Timmer intercepted Hurricane Katrina as it barreled down on the Louisiana coastline.

Katrina made its first landfall along the southeastern Florida coast on Aug. 25, 2005, as a Category 1 hurricane. It then traveled across the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening into a robust Category 5 hurricane.

Katrina made a second landfall along the southeastern Lousiana coastline as a Category 3 hurricane on Aug. 29, 2005. It then continued eastward and made its third and final landfall as a Category 3 hurricane along the Mississippi coastline.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  •   Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

After the levees surrounding New Orleans were breached by floodwaters from Katrina, the city experienced extensive flooding. The flooding continued even after Katrina's landfall. Two days after landfall on Aug. 31, at least 80% of the city was underwater, according to the NHC.

"The floodwaters and the storm surge of Hurricane Katrina were very intimidating, very intense" Timmer recalled. "You had water that was about 15 feet deep."

No. 1: Category 5 Hurricane Ian

Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer reports from Florida during Hurricane Ian in 2022. (Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer/AccuWeather)

Just over 18 years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Timmer intercepted the most extreme hurricane he's ever experienced. With more knowledge and better technology, Timmer was stationed on Pine Island, which is a barrier island off Florida's west coast.

"Hurricane Ian is the top most extreme hurricane chase I've ever had in my career," Timmer said.

Hurricane Ian made landfall as a powerful and destructive Category 4 hurricane on the barrier island of Cayo Costa, Florida, on Sept. 28, 2022.

"I was getting that raw Category 4 to Category 5 eye wall just ripping off the Gulf of Mexico," Timmer said.

Top wind gusts recorded near landfall far exceeded 100 mph. The highest wind gust was in Grove City, Florida, where a 128-mph reading was measured by a WeatherFlow weather station. Other areas recording gusts over 120 were recorded on Captiva Island at Redfish Pass and the Punta Gorda Airport.

On top of the hellacious winds, Ian brought a deadly storm surge to Florida's west coast. Barrier islands were completely inundated with water as the storm surge climbed to 15 feet in some places.

Winds and storm surge from Hurricane Ian pummel the coastline on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Pine Island on Florida's Gulf Coast. (Reed Timmer/AccuWeather)

The combination of storm surge and hurricane-force winds knocked out the bridge to Pine Island, which stranded everyone, including Timmer, who stayed on the island during the storm.

"I got to experience the 15-feet-plus storm surge, a couple of days of survival mode on Pine Island as well as the bridge was completely knocked out," said Timmer.

A post-storm analysis from the NHC found that the peak winds in the eyewall of Hurricane Ian reached 160 mph while traveling across the Gulf of Mexico, meaning the storm briefly obtained Category 5 status before it crashed ashore.

More Hurricane Week coverage:

AccuWeather’s Hurricane Week: An inside look at these destructive forces
This metric is a reliable measure of hurricane season’s intensity
Why people are flocking to one state often struck by hurricanes
What do animals do when hurricanes approach?

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

At least 80 dead in Texas, 11 girls at Camp Mystic missing in flooding

Jul. 6, 2025
video

Rescue operations underway after deadly Texas flooding

Jul. 6, 2025
video

What led to the deadly flooding in central Texas?

Jul. 6, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

At least 80 dead in Texas, 11 girls at Camp Mystic missing in flooding

1 hour ago

Hurricane

Chantal moving farther inland after making landfall in South Carolina

3 hours ago

Weather News

Severe weather to storm through Plains, Upper Midwest this week

3 hours ago

Severe Weather

Storms kill 3 in New Jersey, knock out power across Northeast

2 days ago

Weather Forecasts

Heat, humidity return to the East

3 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Weather News

Wildfires are tearing through a popular tourist hotspot in Greece

2 days ago

Weather News

‘Shark Whisperer’ swims its way into our shark obsession

2 days ago

Travel

Fourth of July gas hasn’t been this cheap since 2021

5 days ago

Weather News

France leads Europe in saying au revoir to beach and park smoking

3 days ago

Health

There is no safe amount of processed meat to eat, new research shows

3 days ago

AccuWeather Hurricane Reed Timmer recounts his top 5 most memorable hurricane interceptions
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...