He’s baaaaaaaack.
Dorian, the tropical storm I initially pronounced a “survivor,” only to see it struggle, crumble, lay down and die — then threaten repeatedly to return from the dead, earning ex-Dorian the nickname “Zombiewave” as he went through various undead, re-dead and really most sincerely dead phases — has returned.
On Tuesday, having seen the National Hurricane Center declare Dorian’s short-term odds of redevelopment to be 0%, I wrote it off, and stopped checking.
Bad idea. Zombiestorm Dorian does not like it when you ignore him.
Last night, it became apparent that Dorian’s remnants — having traveled a couple thousand miles across the Atlantic since officially dissipating almost a week ago, 500 miles east of the Lesser Antilles — were making one last serious bid for a comeback, off the east coast of Florida.
I was totally unaware of the situation until Yossi Kudan tweeted at me late in the afternoon. As I then frantically checked up on the situation, it quickly became apparent that this could be the real deal:
There’s a good chance #Dorian might reform soon, re-becoming a TS, likely to swing out to sea and not threaten land.
— CaneCast for iOS (@CaneCast) August 2, 2013
#Dorian is already likely a depression, but it will not affect land and won't strengthen much more. http://t.co/WXwKNEgFet
— HurricaneTracker App (@hurrtrackerapp) August 2, 2013
OMG. #ITSALIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!! RT @hurrtrackerapp: The NHC has increased development chances to 50% #Dorian
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 2, 2013
Needless to say, I quickly busted out the Lord of the Rings references:
Zombiewave #Dorian is the Storm-wraith, the Gale-gûl, neither living nor dead.
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 2, 2013
"Lead them on, @JimCantore. A closed circulation is near. Do as I say! Models are no more use here!" #DorianTheWhite
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
#SHEAR #FIRE #FOES #AWAKE MT @hurrtrackerapp: Time running out for #Dorian upgrade. Conditions becoming unfavorable.
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
I even referenced wind shear as the “Dark Lord Shearon,” and was disappointed in myself that I hadn’t thought of that sooner. (This got a pretty funny response from a follower.)
Mostly, though, I stuck with the Dorian-as-Gandalf resurrection meme:
#Dorian is never late, @NHC_Atlantic. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. #DorianTheWhite
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
"Look to my coming…at dawn. Look to the east." #DorianTheWhite MT @WeatherWorks: #Dorian resurrected? Would move NE pic.twitter.com/7PXwyWWq7O
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
“From the lowest trade-wind zone to the highest inversion, I fought him, the SAL-rog of Morgoth.” –#DorianTheWhite on the Saharan Air Layer
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. #DorianTheWhite MT @ericburris Low level circulation looking good in ex#Dorian. Depression?
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
"Dorian…yes…that's what they used to call me." #DorianTheWhite RT @JonK387: #Dorian really getting going this AM! http://t.co/29dIJzlN9a
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
This morning, I awoke to the official news of #Dorian’s re-birth…
Tropical Depression #Dorian advisory 16 issued. #Dorian regenerates into a tropical depression east of florida. http://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
— Natl Hurricane Ctr (@NHC_Atlantic) August 3, 2013
…and I was finally able to publish the geek-tweet I’d been waiting to post for almost a week:
I AM DORIAN THE WHITE. AND I COME BACK TO YOU NOW, AT THE TURN OF THE TIDE!! RT @NHC_Atlantic: #Dorian regenerates. http://t.co/8qF0cmd12a
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
Also this:
“You fell!” “Through dry air and cold water.” http://t.co/QqTN8ADK41 #DorianTheWhite
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) August 3, 2013
I’m being silly about this, by the way, because Dorian poses essentially no threat. It’s headed away from the coast and out to sea. The computer models all agree on that.
And in fact, it appears that Dorian The White, having sent back by the Valar until his task was done (the “task” having apparently been, um, to make some pretty nighttime lightning off the Florida coast??), will head to the Grey Havens and board a ship to the Evermost West (or East, in this instance) quite soon:
11am EDT on 8/3: Tropical Depression #Dorian forecast to become remnant low or merge with frontal trough later today. http://t.co/d6Y2zzJK8V
— Tropical Atlantic (@TropicalATL) August 3, 2013
It’s been a fun ride, though. I daresay Dorian has earned the title I prematurely gave him: he really has been quite the “survivor.”
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