Hurricane MARIA Becomes a Super Storm

[NOTE: FEWW DIAG PROPA]

UPDATE: MARIA CONTINUES WNW TOWARD VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO –NHC

[FEWW FORECAST: MARIA sustained winds could intensify to 320 km/h with probability of 60%]

UPDATE: Current Status as of 11:00 AM AST Tue Sep 19
Location: 16.3°N, 63.1°W
Moving: WNW at 10 mph
Min pressure: 927 mb
Max sustained winds: 160 mph

POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE MARIA CONTINUES WEST- NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO, PREPARATIONS AGAINST LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND RAINFALL FLOODING AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION –NHC

Status as of 11:00 PM AST Mon Sep 18

Max sustained winds: 160 mph [~ 260 km/h, Cat. 5 hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale]
Location: 15.5°N, 61.4°W
Moving: WNW at 9 mph
Min pressure: 924 mb

[NOTE: FEWW DIAG PROPA]

• Additional details available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

TD CHEDZA: 4,500 Displaced, Tens of Thousands Affected

Tropical Depression CHEDZA Crossing Madagascar

CHEDZA made landfall in Madagascar as a tropical storm, but weakened into a tropical depression as it crossed the island.

“While Chedza was not as powerful as initially feared, it is still too early to know its impact, especially considering the weeks of heavy rains that have already fallen over Madagascar and the forecast for more heavy rains over the coming days. Preliminary information indicates that 24,968 people have been affected and 4,500 people displaced, including 22,512 people affected and 3,150 displaced in the capital Antananarivo, said UNOCHA.

CHEDZA has damaged dozens of schools, health centers and other public infrastructure across Madagascar.

70,000 People Told to Evacuate as FRANCISCO Pounds Japan

All Izu Oshima island residents told to evacuate

Authorities in Japan have also instructed 19,000 households in seven prefectures to evacuate as Tropical Storm FRANCISCO continues to pound the Pacific coast of Japan.

Heavy rain and high winds brought by severe tropical storm FRANCISCO is expected to batter the island by early Saturday.

Typhoon WIPHA hit the volcanic island of Izu Oshima last week, dumping large amounts of rain, which triggered massive landslides, leaving 31 people dead and at least 13 others missing.

FRANCISCO was located near 29.9ºN, 134.9ºE, about 420 km south of Tanabe, Japan, heading northeast at a forward speed of about 33 km/hr, dumping heavy rains on western Japan.  Some areas have reported rainfalls in excess of 600mm, as of 14:00UTC on Friday, October 25.

Severe Tropical Storm FRANCISCO and Typhoon LEKIMA.  VISIBLE/INFRARED satellite image (FIRE-EARTH Enhancement) recorded at 13:30UTC on October 25, 2013. Original image sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

Related News

Back to the Dark Empire Days

Japan’s desperate Prime Minister Abe’s government is reportedly planning a state secrets act meant to curtail public access to information on wide ranging issues including the Fukushima nuclear crisis and tensions with China, said a report.

Under the act whistleblowers could go to prison for up to 10 years. Journalist and other non-governmental persons would receive sentences of up to  five years for encouraging leaks.

“Japan’s harsh state secrecy regime before and during World War Two has long made such legislation taboo, but the new law looks certain to be enacted since Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party-led bloc has a comfortable majority in both houses of parliament and the opposition has been in disarray since he came to power last December.” The report said.

“There is a demand by the established political forces for greater control over the people,” said Lawrence Repeta, a law professor at Meiji University. “This fits with the notion that the state should have broad authority to act in secret.”

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is running out of options to store radioactive contaminated rainwater as a very wet FRANCISCO approaches.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has started  transferring contaminated rainwater into underground pools, originally deemed too leaky. The precipitation from recent typhoons and extreme rain events have been accumulating in barriers around radioactive waste water tanks, reported NHK.

TEPCO has been storing the most contaminated rainwater in tanks and in the basement of a turbine building. But the tanks are now full, the report said.

Related Links

• Coldest Place on or Near the Earth October 24, 2013
• FRANCISCO Drenches Okinawa, Moves Northeast October 24, 2013
• FRANCISCO to Bring More Rain to Sodden Coastal Japan October 23, 2013
• Crimes Against Nature: Water Overflows from 12 Fukushima Barriers October 21, 2013

• Typhoon FRANCISCO and TD 27 Headed for Tokyo October 20, 2013
• FRANCISCO Intensifying to “Extraterrestrial” Storm Force  October 19, 2013
• FRANCISCO Shifts Up Into Major Typhoon Gear October 18, 2013
• Typhoon FRANCISCO Inching Toward Japan October 17, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Satellite Imagery

Links to Typhoon WIPHA

• Typhoon WIPHA Dumps 800mm of Rain Over Tokyo October 16, 2013
• Typhoon WIPHA Targets Tokyo October 15, 2013
• Typhoon NARI Chased by TS WIPHA October 12, 2013
• Vietnam Evacuates 250,000 ahead of NARI October 14, 2013

TS RAYMOND forms off Mexico, threatens Acapulco with more rain

Tropical storm RAYMOND could dump more rain on storm-battered Acapulco

RAYMOND formed off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Sunday, threatening to dump more heavy rain on the storm-batted resort of Acapulco.

The storm will likely become a hurricane within 48 hours, said the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Mexico has issued a tropical storm watch in Guerrero state from Acapulco, which is still recovering from deadly floods in September, to the port of Lazaro Cardenas.

The storm could dump significant amounts of rain on the region over the next few days causing life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, said NHC.

Tropical storms MANUEL and INGRID converged from the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico in September, dumping record rain on the region, which triggered historic flooding, killing more than 150 people and causing widespread devastation estimated at about $6 billion.

RAYMOND – Tropical Storm Force Wind Speed Probabilities – 120 Hours

Source: NHC

Related Links

• MANUEL and INGRID Kill Dozens in Mexico Posted on September 16, 2013
• INGRID Forces Thousands to Seek Emergency Shelter Posted on September 15, 2013
• Death Toll from Mexico Storms Climbs to 110 Posted on September 23, 2013
• Global Disasters/ Significant Events – September 21, 2013 Posted on September 21, 2013
• The Second Coming of MANUEL Posted on September 19, 2013
• Global Disaster Headlines – September 18, 2013
• Twin Storms Leave 42 Dead, 1.2 Million Battered  September 17, 2013

FL, LA Declare States of Emegency as TS KAREN Progresses

TS KAREN prompts Florida, Louisiana Govs. to declare states of emergency 

Scott declares a state of emergency for 18 Panhandle counties as KAREN approaches

Gov. Scott has declared a state of emergency for 18 Panhandle counties in preparation for Tropical Storm KAREN.

KAREN is forecast to hit the northern Gulf Coast over the weekend as a weak hurricane or tropical storm, dumping up to 8 inches of rain in some areas.

The storm is expected to reach hurricane or near hurricane force by late Friday/ early Saturday, said NHC.

A hurricane watch is currently in effect from Grand Isle, LA, to west of Destin, FL.

TS KAREN – GOES-EAST Satellite Image IR Channel 4 – JSL2 enhancement – recorded at 02:45UTC on October 4, 2013.

Louisiana Gov. declares state of emergency due to TS KAREN

Gov. Jindal has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana in response to the Tropical Storm KAREN. The state of emergency will extend from October 3 through November 1, 2013 unless it’s terminates sooner by the government.

His proclamation reads: “Tropical Storm Karen is currently moving up the Yucatan Peninsula and is moving slowly northwestward toward the State of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, posing a threat of extremely heavy rainfall resulting in very high tides for coastal parishes and the possibility of flash floods for coastal parishes and inland parishes through the weekend of Saturday, October 5, 2013.

“The National Weather Service predicts this storm has the potential to develop hurricane force winds and make landfall between Southeast Louisiana and the Florida panhandle on Saturday.”

Jindal said an emergency declaration was warranted since the National Weather Service “has issued a Hurricane Watch, a Tropical Storm Watch and a Coastal Flood Advisory for the next 72 hours for parts of southeastern Louisiana, placing the lives and property of the citizens of this State in jeopardy.”

Related Links

• Tropical Storm KAREN Forms Over The Southeastern Gulf Of Mexico October 3, 2013

Hundreds of Homes Condemned after Flooding in Orange County, N.C.

State of emergency declared in Orange County amid major flood damage

Some 5.13 inches of rain Sunday inundated the county causing severe damage to hundreds of condominiums, local reports said.

Meanwhile, the rains continued Tuesday across central North Carolina, causing wastewater overflow in Chapel Hill area.

Severe weather watches and warnings were in effect for 68 N.C. counties, as of posting.

-oOo-

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Dozens evacuated after flash flooding in Lebanon, N.H.

Rescue teams evacuated dozens of residents from a housing complex in Lebanon, New Hampshire Tuesday after heavy rains flooded the area, reports said.

The flooding has also caused “widespread damage” to roads and other public infrastructure.

NH governor has opened a state emergency operations center, said a report.

-oOo-

Alberta flood waters force Manitoba community into state of emergency

R.M. of Kelsey, home to The Pas and the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, have declared a state of emergency for the region waters continue to rise on the nearby Saskatchewan and Carrot Rivers.

The waters are expected to rise even more when flood waters from Alberta arrive later this month, said a report.

Officials expect water levels to surpass 2011 levels, when major flooding inundated Manitoba.

In June, deadly floods destroyed an entire town, forcing mass evacuations of entire communities.

Related News Links

• Canmore “Wiped Off the Map” amid Historic Alberta Flooding 23, 2013
• Mass Evacuations in W Canada amid Worst Flooding in 90 Years June 21, 2013
• Global Disasters/ Significant Events – 24 June 2013 June 24, 2013
• Disaster Diary – 22 June 2013 June 22, 2013

-oOo-

Tropical Storm Sweeps China Killing Dozens

“Heavy downpours are continuing to batter large parts of the country. Nine provinces and municipalities have been affected, including Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan. The storm has caused 39 deaths so far and 13 are reported missing. North China and cities in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have been hardest-hit.” Full Report.

Rainstorms continue pounding SW China

Meanwhile, rainstorms have been pounding southwest China forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

TS Rumbia Batters S China

Tropical storm Rumbia, the sixth storm to hit china this year, landed in south China early Tuesday, bringing damaging winds and torrential rains.

-oOo-

Aceh Earthquake Update

Death toll from the strong quake that struck Indonesia Aceh Province  on Tuesday has climbed to 22, with at least 220 others injured. The quake has also damaged thousands of houses and business, according to official.

-oOo-

ANDREA Makes Landfall in Florida Big Bend

TS ANDREA brings heavy rainfall

Tropical Storm ANDREA made landfall near the Big Bend of Florida, and continued moving northeast at 17 mph with sustained winds of about 17mph.

Andrea is expected to accelerate as it moves up along the East Coast through Saturday, bringing heavy rainfall, minor storm surge, strong rip currents, and isolated tornadoes, said NOAA.

Tropical Storm ANDREA – 120-hour Rainfall Forecast (inches). Specialized WPC Precipitation Forecasts.

ISSAC: Four Gulf Coast States Declare Emergencies

Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama declare states of emergency, issue evacuation orders as TS ISSAC approaches

Four Gulf Coast states declared states of emergency as tropical storm ISSAC reached the mouth of GoM. Evacuation orders have been issued for the residents in the storm’s path.  The storm was expected to intensify to hurricane strength over the warmer waters.

Tropical Storm ISSAC. VIS/IR Sat Image. See inset for time. Source UW-CIMSS

ISSAC as of 03:00 UTC Sun Aug 26
Location: 24.2°N 82.9°W
Moving: WNW at 14 mph
Min pressure: 993 mb
Max sustained winds: 65 mph

 Tropical Storm Force Wind Probability

TS ISAAC. Tropical Storm Force Wind Probability Chart. Source: NHC/NWS

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• El Salvador.  Powerful Magnitude 7.3 quake struck offshore El Salvador about 133 km (82 miles) S of Santiago de Maria, at 04:37UTC on Monday, August 27, 2012, USGS/EHP reported.
  • The quake was epicentered 12.278°N, 88.528°W and struck at a depth 20.3 km (12.6 miles).
  • A tsunami warning was issued for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico, but no significant wave was reported, as of posting (~ 11:40UTC).

• Kuril Islands, Russia. The Ivan Grozny (“Ivan the Terrible”) volcano on Iturup Island (Kuril islands group) erupted again, early Monday.
  • The volcano first erupted Thursday morning spewing a column of ash onto the surrounding towns of Goryachiye Klyuchi (10 km) and Kurilsk (25 km).

Other Storms

• TEMBIN Could Hit Taiwan Multiple Times Posted August 24, 2012

Related Links

• Satellite imagery
• Hurricane Warning
• U.S. Tornado Potential

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Dozens killed in South Asian Storm

Powerful tropical storm pummels coasts of India’s West Bengal and Bangladesh, killing 100 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes.

Winds of 120 km/hr blew away the roofs of buildings, uprooted trees and cut off electricity and telephone lines, killing at least 100 people and injuring hundreds more.

Freeze frame from West Bengali TV showing damage to houses. Image may be subject to copyright.

The storm struck in the middle of a major heatwave in the region that has affected more than a third of India’s 29 states, leaving at least 47 people dead.

“The storm has left a trail of destruction everywhere,” West Bengal minister of state for civil defense Srikumar Mukherjee said on a televised appearance.

Some 50,000 houses had collapsed or were damaged, and hundreds of people received severe injuries, he said.

“Most of the victims were buried under the collapsed walls of their homes.” The minister added.

The officials described the storm as an extreme form of what is locally called a “nor’wester” – a weather system that develops over the Bay of Bengal during summer.

“The storm has damaged more than 11,000 mud, tin and concrete homes in Rangpur district alone – many of the houses were completely demolished. It was a huge storm and we are still assessing the damage,” AFP quoted Rangpur district administrator BM Enamul Haq as saying.

Related Links:

• Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Mudslides 2010
• 2010 Disaster Calendar – APRIL
• 2010 Likely the Most Disastrous Year on Record: FEWW
• 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters
• Storms, Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Landslides

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Serial No 1,573. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by the authorities/Google in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Tropical Storm GELANE – UPDATE 4 (Feb 21)

GELANE Out of Steam Much Sooner than Expected

Tropical Storm GELANE weakened rapidly and is now expected to dissipate as a significant storm up to 36 hours sooner than previously forecast (within the next 48 hours).

Tropical Storm GELANE Visible/IR Satellite Image. Source: UW-CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.

Tropical Cyclone GELANE (TC 16S) Details

• Date/Time: 20 February 2010 –  03:00 UTC
• Position:  Near 21.5ºS, 61.5ºE
• Sustained Movement: 190  degrees
  
• Forward speed:  13 km/hr ( 7 kt)
• The system has been tracking  SSW.
  

Current Wind Distribution:

• Maximum Sustained winds: 113 km/hr (61.0 kt)
• Maximum Gusts:  ~ 140 km/hr (~ 75kt)
• GELANE is currently a Tropical Storm on FEWW New Hurricane Scale

Wave Height and Location:

• Maximum significant wave height: ~ 7m (21 ft)
  
• Location: TC GELANE was located about ~ 625 km EAST (97 degrees) of  Saint-Denis, Réunion, and about 435 km EAST (110 degrees) of  Port Louis, Mauritius.
  
• Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others

See also: UW- CIMSS Cyclone Portal

Related Links:

• Cyclone GELANE – UPDATE 3 (Feb 20)
• CYCLONE GELANE: AVOID ME IF YOU CAN
• Cyclone GELANE UPDATE 2 (Feb 19)
• Cyclone GELANE (TC 16S) UPDATE 1 (Feb 18)
• Cyclone GELANE (TC 16S)
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale

Possible Tropical Cyclone Forming Near Luzon

Tropical Depression Tino Moving Towards N. Luzon

At 12:00 UTC, today, Tropical Depression “TINO” was near 17.3°N, 123.9°E, or about 200 km East of Tuguegarao City, moving West at 11 km/h.

• Maximum sustained winds: 60 kp/h
• Significant Wave heights: Up to 7.5 meter (23 feet)

“Strong to gale force winds is expected to affect the seaboards of northern and central Luzon,” Philippines DOST PAGASA said.

MTSAT – IR Still Image – Time and Date as Inset. Click image to update.

Tropical Depression TINO [local name]  Moving ENE toward northern Luzon. MTSAT IR1. Still Image on 2 November 2009, timed at 12:30UTC. Dost Pagasa. Click image to enlarge and update.

Philippines  Cyclones Since August 2009

• 30 Oct: Typhoon Mirinae Struck Quezon, leaving up to 20 dead or missing.
• 3 Oct: Typhoon Parma’s triggered floods and landslides killing more than 200.
• 26 Sept: Tropical Storm Ketsana dumped more water on Manila and neighboring provinces than ever recorded, killing up to 400, and leaving a quarter of a million people homeless.
• 7 Aug: Typhoon Morakot swept northern Luzon, killing more than 10 people.

Related Links:

• TS MIRINAE – UPDATE 31 October 2009
• MIRINAE: Another Cyclone Heading Philippines Way
• Typhoon MIRINAE “In-Touch” with LUPIT

Previous entries:

• MIRINAE: Another Cyclone Heading Philippines Way
• Typhoon MIRINAE “In-Touch” with LUPIT

Source Page: FEWW Satellite Imagery

MTSAT/ NOAA

• Tropical West Pacific – Water Vapor
• Tropical West Pacific – Visible
• Tropical West Pacific – Infrared
• Tropical West Pacific – Enhanced IR

• West Pacific/South China Sea – Water Vapor
• West Pacific/South China Sea – Visible
• West Pacific/South China Sea – Infrared
• West Pacific/South China Sea-  Enhanced IR

Loops/Animations (MTSAT/NOAA/SSD)

• West Pacific – Infrared
• West Pacific – IR (Aviation Color Enhancement)
• West Pacific – Water Vapor
• West Pacific – Visible
• West Pacific – Visible (Colorized)
• West Pacific/South China Sea – Infrared
• West Pacific/South China Sea – Enhanced IR
• West Pacific/South China Sea – Water Vapor
• Tropical West Pacific – Infrared
• Tropical West Pacific – Enhanced IR
• Tropical West Pacific – Water Vapor
• Tropical West Pacific – Visible

• West Central Pacific – Water Vapor
• West Central Pacific – Visible
• West Central Pacific – Visible (Colorized)
• West Central Pacific – Infrared
• West Central Pacific IR (Aviation Color Enhancement)

Related Links:

• Manila Flooding Could Trigger Quakes

• Philippines: Worst Floods in Living Memory
• Philippines Worst Ever Flood Casualties Climb a Notch
• How Much Can a Single Natural Event Affect You?
• Floods leave 2.5% of Colombia’s population homeless
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion
  

• Remember this Image!

• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar
• World Problems: The Root Cause Matrix
• First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Giga Trends
• World CO2 Emissions

• Wall Street Cognitive Dissonance
• Failing Ecosystems
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs

Previous Storms:

• Photo of LUPIT Near Northern Luzon

• UPDATE: Typhoon LUPIT Arrives
• Typhoon LUPIT: Cruel, Harsh, or Wicked?
• Super Typhoon LUPIT: The Sauntering Storm
• Typhoon LUPIT Update – 17 Oct 2009
• LUPIT: The Mercy Storm?

• Parma Hampers Recovery Efforts in Vietnam
• Philippines Still Flooded
• Philippines Terminally Impacted?

• Images of the Day: Super Typhoon Melor
• Could Typhoon Melor Drag Parma Back to Philippines?
• When Will Global Food Shortages Begin Biting

• “Twin-engine” hurricanes, “Supercharged” Typhoons
• Super Typhoon Parma May Churn Manila to Vanila
• Philippines Extreme Rain from TS Ketsana

• Manila Flooding Could Trigger Quakes
• Philippines: Worst Floods in Living Memory
• Philippines Worst Ever Flood Casualties Climb a Notch

• Earth undergoing significant geophysical disturbances
• Typhoon Melor Leaves a Trail of Destruction in Japan
• Typhoon Melor Arriving in Japan, Leaving Lasting Impression

Related Links:

• Typhoon MIRINAE “In-Touch” with LUPIT
• MIRINAE: Another Cyclone Heading Philippines Way

Meet Bill and Ana, 2009 First Named Storms

2009 Tropical Storm Season Off to Busy Start

The red shaded area covering about a half of Florida panhandle is small area of low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico centered about 130km SW of Tampa, which according to the  NWS TPC/National Hurricane Center is becoming better organized with the possibility of developing a “closed surface circulation” with a more than 50 percent probability of developing into a Tropical Cyclone later today.

Area of low pressure, Gulf of Mexico, IR image.  Click on the image to enlarge and update.

“THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHWESTWARD OR NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AT ABOUT 15 MPH TODAY.  INTERESTS ALONG THE GULF
COAST OF FLORIDA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.” NHC said.

Meanwhile, back in the ocean, Ana and Bill are moving west across the Atlantic Ocean

TS ANA: Click on the image to enlarge and update.

TS ANA: Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone

Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone. Click on the image to enlarge and update.

Tropical Storm Force Wind Speed Probabilities – 120 Hours. Click on the image to enlarge and update.

TS BILL: Click on the image to enlarge and update.

TS BILL: Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone

Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone. Click on the image to enlarge and update.

Tropical Storm Force Wind Speed Probabilities – 120 Hours. Click on the image to enlarge and update.

FEWW Forecast: Florida, the north and NE Gulf areas may be in for an extremely wet season in 2009.

Norbert Makes Landfall in Mainland Mexico

Norbert Made Landfall in Mainland Mexico after Battering Baja California Sur with Heavy Rains and 166kmph Winds

Hurricane Norbert: JSL2 enhancement satellite image –  Still frame  dated Oct 12, 2008 at 07:30UTC – Source: NOAA/SSDSI

NORBERT MADE LANDFALL AND IS NOW INLAND AND WEAKENING OVER MAINLAND MEXICO

• Source: NHC
• Forecaster: Pasch
• Date and Time: October 12, 2008 at 06:00UTC
• Hurricane warning: A hurricane warning remains in effect for the coast of mainland Mexico from Topolobampo northward to Guaymas.
• Tropical storm warning: A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the coast of mainland Mexico from south of Topolobampo southward to Altata.
• Current Location: At 0600UTC the center of Norbert was located inland near latitude 27.1 north,longitude 108.6 west or about 65 105 km east-northeast of Huatabampo Mexico.
• Category and Wind Speed: Maximum sustained winds have decreased to 120 Km/hr, with higher gusts.  Norbert is a category one hurricane on Saffir-Simpson scale [and on FEWW Hurricane Scale.] Rapid weakening is likely as Norbert Moves over the mountainous terrain of Mexico.
• Direction: Norbert is moving toward the northeast at 33 km/hr and this general motion is expected to continue today.  On this track the center of Norbert will continue moving over northwestern Mexico overnight and during the day on Sunday.  The remnants of Norbert will likely move into the southwestern united states Sunday Evening.
• Wind Force Extent: Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 km from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 280 km.
• Estimated minimum central pressure: 987mb (29.15 inches).
• Rainfall: Norbert is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 10 to 15 cm over portions of northwestern Mexico, with possible isolated amounts of up to 25 cm.  These rains could result in life-threatening flash floods and mud slides. Norbert or its remnants could produce rainfall accumulations of 2 to 5 cm over portions of the southwestern united states through Sunday morning.

Cumulative Wind History

This graphic shows how the size of the storm has changed, and the areas potentially affected so far by sustained winds of tropical storm force (in orange) and hurricane force (in red). The display is based on the wind radii contained in the set of Forecast/Advisories indicated at the top of the figure. Users are reminded that the Forecast/Advisory wind radii represent the maximum possible extent of a given wind speed within particular quadrants around the tropical cyclone. As a result, not all locations falling within the orange or red swaths will have experienced sustained tropical storm or hurricane force winds, respectively. Source: Caption and Image: NHC/NOAA

Gustav spares New Orleans levees

Insured losses could still reach $10 billion

Hurricane Gustav slammed ashore near Cocodrie, Louisiana, about 115 km southwest of New Orleans on Monday.

Gustav weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with 177 kph winds [just 1kph shy of a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale] before landfall and as it moved inland weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with 130 kph winds.

A street at a railroad crossing near the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal is flooded as Hurricane Gustav hits New Orleans, September 1, 2008. REUTERS/Lee Celano. Image may be subject to copyright.

Weaker than Katerina on landfall, Gustav spared the levees which were breached by Katrina in 2005 flooding the city killing about 1800 and stranding hundreds of thousands of people.

About six inches of water flooded streets around New Orleans Industrial Canal, and strong winds knocked down trees, but no substantial damage has yet been reported.

In case you wondered what Gustav looked liked! –  Clouds looming over New Orleans looked like a scene right out of “Independence Day.” (Stephen Morton/Getty Images). Image may be subject to copyright.

It is  estimated that Gustav’s insured losses could reach $10 billion. Katrina’s insured losses were reported at about $40 billion and total damage was more than $81.2 billion [2005 dollars.]

Gustav seemed to have caused more damage in the Caribbeans while near full strength. It killed a total of about 100 people in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba. According to Cuban authorities more than 90,000 houses were damaged or destroyed by Gustav. Reuters reported.

As Gustav swept inland over the United States, tropical storm Hanna strengthened to a hurricane near the Bahamas, and Tropical Storm Ike formed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Click here for Gustav’s latest image.

Fay: TS with an Attitude

Will she go north? Will she go west? Will she settle for west-northwest?

Fay is drifting toward the west near 2 mph (4 km/hr). Fay is forecast to move westward or west-northwestward with some increase in forward speed during the next 48 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/hr) with higher gusts are expected.

Fay is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches (25.4cm), across

• Central to northern portion of the Florida peninsula
• Florida Panhandle
• Southern Georgia
• Southeastern Alabama

Isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches are possible!

Tropical Storm FAY QuickLook – Posted: 18:00 EDT 08/21/2008

Tropical Storm FAY beginning to make landfall on Florida’s East Coast near Flagler Beach. As of 08/21/2008 18:00 EDT, water levels from northeastern Florida to South Carolina are elevated about 1.25 to 2.40 feet above predicted. (NOAA-NOS)

• Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are possible across the coastal areas of southern South Carolina.
• Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible over southwest and southern Florida.
• Isolated storm total accumulations of 20 to 30 inches have been observed with this system over the east central coastal areas of Florida.
• Storm surge flooding of 1 to 3 feet above normal tides is possible along the east coast of Florida and Georgia
• Isolated tornadoes are possible tonight over portions of northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia. (Forecaster: Brown/Knabb. NOAA-NHC)

Melbourne Florida: Roads Double as Rivers

Photograph: John Raoux/AP. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

See previous entries for more updated images:

• Fay drops 25 inches of rain on Melbourne

• Fay Heads North Toward SW Florida Coast
• Fay May Strengthen to Hurricane Force
• Tropical Storm Fay Forms
• Weather

Other related Links:

• World Now (Satellite Imagery Index Page)
• Tropical Storm FAY Public Advisory (NOAA – NHC)

Tropical Storm Fay Forms

Sixth Atlantic Storm of the Season

A low pressure area over the Mona Passage became a tropical storm as it moved into the Eastern Dominican Republic, NOAA reported.

Fay is expected to track westward in the direction of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.

[Aug 17, 2008 Update: TROPICAL STORM FAY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NO. 7A]

Tropical Storm Fay – Tropical Storm Floater Imagery (updated periodically) – Aviation color enhancement – NOAA

At 5 pm AST (21:00 UTC) the government of the Dominican Republic issued a tropical storm warning for the Dominican Republic for The entire north coast of the Dominican Republic and for the south coast east of San Pedro de Macoris. A tropical storm warning is Also in effect for the north coast of Haiti from Gonaives
Northward.

At 5 pm AST (21:00 UTC) The government of Cuba issued a tropical storm warning for the provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago De Cuba and Granma, as well as for the provinces of Holguin and Las Tunas.

A Tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area generally within 36 hours.

At 500 pm AST the center of tropical storm Fay was located near latitude 18.5 North, longitude 69.4 West or about 35 miles (55 km) east of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and about 395 miles (635 km) east-southeast of Guantanamo Cuba.

Fay is moving toward the west near 14 mph (22 km/hr). A general motion toward the west-northwest is expected during the next day. On the forecast track the center of Fay will cross Hispaniola tonight and Saturday and pass near or over eastern Cuba Saturday night and Sunday.

Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone (NHC/NOAA)

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/hr) with higher gusts, mainly over water to the north and east of the center. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles (140 km) from the center.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 MB (29.77 inches).

Tides of 1 to 2 feet above normal can be expected in the warning area in areas of onshore flow.

Fay is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 Inches over Hispaniola and eastern Cuba with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. – Forecaster Beven [Tropical Storm FAY Public Advisory #1]

What’s a Hydrokong?

A Shrinking World Series

Is it a mega-tropical storm system, or an extra-tropical cyclone (ETC), i.e., a non-tropical, large-scale low pressure storm system like a Nor’easter?

“Hydrokong” is a colossal atmospheric phenomenon. It’s an extreme precipitation event which is enhanced by circulation changes that increase and concentrate the distribution of water vapor.

Hydrokong! The Storm System as it appeared over the central United States June 12, 2008 04:15 UTC. The still image is an aviation color enhancement of a satellite image.

Globally, as total precipitation increases, the duration or frequency of precipitation events decreases. However, warmer temperatures and regional variation can significantly affect those offsetting behaviors. For example, reduced total precipitation in one region, the Western United States, can significantly increase the intensity of precipitation in another region, the Midwest. Hydrokongs essentially create two extreme events, droughts in one region and flooding caused by mega-intense precipitation in another. As the global temperatures rise, more hydrokongs should be expected.

Another Hydrokong in the making? A new System as it appeared over the central United States June 27, 2008 04:15 UTC. The still image is an aviation color enhancement of a satellite image.

An aviation color enhancement of a floater [updated periodically] satellite image GEOS Eastern U.S. Imagery, NOAA SSD. For full size image right-click on the image and select “View Image.”

In the words of Brian Pierce, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, describing the aftermath of flooding last week: “We are seeing a historic hydrological event taking place with unprecedented river levels occurring.”

Are Extreme Precipitation Events Earth’s Natural Defense Mechanisms?

Related Links:

• Nature’s Defense Mechanisms
• www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/index.php [Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service!]
  

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Image of the Day: Typhoon Fengshen Over China

Fengshen [Frank] downgraded to tropical storm hits southeast coast of China

Tropical Storm Fengshen is seen in this NOAA-17 image taken at 0210 UTC on June 25 after it made landfall at Shenzhen, Guangdong Province early this morning, bringing torrential rain and high winds. (Source: OSEI)

Photos of Fengshen impact on Hong Kong:

• Typhoon Fengshen

Tropical storm Halong pounds northern Philippines

Halong triggers floods and landslides

Tropical storm Halong lashes northern Philippines with 95 km per hour winds on Sunday, triggering floods and landslides.

Rescuers are seen pushing their jeep through a street submerged by floodwaters in Iloilo City, central Philippines, on May 15. Tropical storm Halong battered the northern Philippines on Sunday with powerful winds triggering floods and landslides and displacing about 6,000 people, relief officials said.
(AFP/File/Tara Yap) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Large areas of the northwestern coast of Luzon, the main Philippine island, experienced a blackout while about 6,000 people were displaced. Residents of low-lying areas and those living near mountain slopes throughout Luzon were urged to “take all the necessary precautions against possible flashfloods and landslides,” as the storm was intensifying the seasonal southwest monsoon winds. (Source)

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• Volcanoes, Santorini Eruption and Crops Failure in China
• Chaitén Volcano Still Active

• Parts of pyroplastic chamber fall around Chaitén volcano
• RESIDENTS IN CHILE VOLCANO ZONE WITHOUT DRINKING WATER
• CHILE VOLCANO ZONE MAY BE PERMANENTLY UNLIVABLE

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• Thousands evacuated as Chile volcano spews ash
• Will one or both of New Zealand islands break up and sink in the south-western Pacific Ocean?

• Chile: Volcano activity prompts mass evacuation
• A Shrinking World: Salmon and livestock removed from Chaiten volcano range

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Ghost towns