The fire chief from Lake Catherine may not have been officially qualified to give wind speeds, but I trust his opinion since he's been through quite a few big storms, plus he was an eyewitness who experienced the storm in the path of the eyewall. He made an official statement for LC residents and insurance companies, however (he stayed in one of the few homes that survived, which was on 20 foot pilings and built to withstand major winds), and his statement said that the wind took nearly every house down BEFORE the surge came. Since the island was virtually wiped clean, it was because the wind took off roofs and tore down walls, scattering debris everywhere, then the surge came and washed it away. He mentioned watching pieces of houses being ripped off by winds, that fell into some fast-moving water which was about 6 feet above normal-- before the true storm surge came through. The Rigolets area experienced winds in excess of 100mph for nearly five hours before the surge. Judging from the damage, it is also suspected there were tornados or waterspouts that hit the island community.

He also said, contrary to non-eyewitness reports, that there was "no gigantic wave" that came and wiped everything out; rather, the water rose and fell rapidly after the eye passed and the wind reversed direction. The water ultimately got on the Rigolets bridge and left grass on the railings, which means the surge at its high point had gone approximately 20 feet above normal water levels. Stories of a gigantic tidal wave moving inland like a tsunami are categorically false. It was more like the water rose and fell very quickly.

M.