Perry Williams

[Lori]

5 years ago the weather community lost an amazing person as did the fight for childhood cancer. Perry Williams, who had a mind like an encyclopedia about all weather data and a heart to raise money and awareness for children’s cancer.
Many of us think of him during various weather events but lately with the Braves and UGA winning, I know he’d be thrilled, however none of us would begrudge his lack of sorrow and pain or the fact he’s surrounded by all those children that were healed in heaven from their cancers.
We miss you Perry and we will never, ever forget you!!

 

[Casuarina Head]

Whenever I think of hurricane season, I think of my birthplace in South Florida. When I do so, I always think of Mr. Perry Williams.

I definitely remember his many contributions on other fora as well, particularly in regard to tropical-cyclone climatology. He was always warning about peninsular Florida’s vulnerability to a major hurricane, especially South Florida’s. Even after 2004–5 he pointed out how recent storms could have been far worse for Florida in many ways: larger, stronger, slower-moving, impacting a more densely-populated area, and so on. Unfortunately, more than a decade later, I believe that most, if not all, of his observations still hold true in this state, if not elsewhere. Greater Miami still isn’t ready for the likes of 1926, 1928, 1935, or 1947—or that which Irma could have been, had it remained offshore of Cuba.

Back in 2005 on another forum he predicted that the next two to three decades—i.e., the period of 2015–34—would almost certainly feature a minimum of four to five large, powerful impacts on each of the following areas: West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and the Keys (including Key West). Currently the cycle is about halfway through, so we shall see.

I definitely miss his contributions across the Web!