TAMPA, FL – SEPTEMBER 10: Residents inspect the extreme receding water in Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Irma on September 10, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
This seems so out there, but some think it might actually work. We know that one big contributing factor to the most powerful hurricanes is that they have warm water to travel over. Well, what if the water wasn't as warm? A viral video that made the rounds on the internet a couple years ago poked fun at "A Florida Man" who suggested we drop ice cubes in the water. Well one scientist has what seems to be a more logical way to chill hurricanes out: bubbles.
The Tampa Bay Times today has a report about how a retired submarine officer has developed a plan that he thinks might weaken hurricanes before they reach us. The basic idea: stick pipes in the ground that would bring the cold water at the bottom of the ocean to the top. Bubbles would draw the frigid water to the surface. Critics say warm water is only part of the issue with hurricanes. In fact, the idea has been "floated" already to drag icebergs into the gulf. They say these storms are just too powerful to combat.
The idea isn't too far fetched though. They say in Norway, this exact idea has been used successfully to do the opposite thing - to heat water up so that ice doesn't form during winter. Sounds like it might be just crazy enough to work? Those behind the plan say the bubbles idea wouldn't knock hurricanes out, but even just softening the blow to the Florida coast could save lives and millions of dollars in damage. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Some of Tampa's most incredible hurricane photos...
Remember when the water along Bayshore Boulevard disappeared?
