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Tag: Hurricane

  • Hurricane Amanda Grows Strong, Then Quickly Weakens

    Hurricane Amanda broke records over the weekend and briefly caused concern. Now it appears that the storm will pose little threat to anybody.

    The Weather Channel reports that Hurricane Amanda quickly became the strongest eastern Pacific hurricane for the month of May when it became a category 4 storm on Sunday morning. Those measuring the storm found that its winds reached 155 mph. The last storm of this magnitude was previous record holder Hurricane Adolph in 2001. Its wind speed, however, only reached 145 mph.

    While Amanda may have broken a record, meteorologists find no reason to be concerned. The storm formed Thursday afternoon and has been slowly making its way north-northwest towards Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. It hit a record high on Sunday, but is now quickly weakening as it makes its way to land. Meteorologists expect it to weaken to a tropical depression later this week. As such, it will pose no threat to the mainland.

    That being said, some parts of America may feel the remnants of Amanda later in the week. The Desert Southwest and the Rockies may get a bit of moisture if Amanda doesn’t completely vanish before it reaches land.

    It may not pose a threat, but it’s still an impressive storm. Check out some satellite imagery from NOAA below:

    Hurricane Amanda Grows Strong And Then Quickly Weakens

    Hurricane Amanda Grows Strong and Then Quickly Weakens

    You can see the storm in action below:

    Image via NOAA

  • Hurricane Amanda Threatening The Pacific Coast?

    What began as the first tropical storm of the Pacific hurricane season has since been upgraded to a category-4 hurricane.

    Hurricane Amanda has grown into the most powerful May hurricane in modern history. The monstrous weather phenomenon is reported to have sustained winds of over 150 mph.

    It’s quite clear that this hurricane could truly do a great deal of damage if it came ashore with that amount of power.

    For now weather experts are cautiously optimistic that the brunt of Amanda’s force will not affect residents in Mexico and Baja California.

    There is still a chance the hurricane can cause trouble in other ways.

    Mexico’s National Meteorological Service believes that Hurricane Amanda will bring heavy rains to western and central Mexico. This could mean the region may see major flooding.

    At present, the main body of Amanda is about 740 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California.

    Despite featuring as May’s strongest hurricane, some meteorologists are claiming that there’s evidence that the thunderstorms near the eye of Amanda are weakening.

    If Pacific coast residents are lucky, there’s a chance that Hurricane Amanda will not even be a tropical cyclone by the time it closes in on Mexico.

    The hurricane season for the eastern Pacific typically runs from May until November.

    Though the threat of Amanda seems overblown, the fact that the first major hurricane of the season is so powerful may mean that there’s even worse weather monsters on the way.

    As for the eastern United States, it will cope with hurricanes like Amanda during a window that spans from June until November.

    If you happen to live in a region of the US that is often impacted by hurricanes, it may be a good idea to make sure you “hurricane proof” your home as much as possible and keep abreast of the weather news.

    Image via YouTube

  • Tropical Storm Amanda Should Weaken Quickly

    The first tropical storm for the eastern Pacific 2014 hurricane season has been named.

    Tropical storm Amanda formed about 620 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico and the National Hurricane Center predicts the system will reach hurricane status in strength within the next few days (possibly by this afternoon). However, it is also estimated the storm will start moving north soon after at a lower speed – about 5 miles per hour – away from land and weakening.

    On Friday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami observed the storm having maximum sustained winds of 40 mph while slowly moving west-northwest. Hurricane specialist Robbie Berg indicates that current conditions favor a rapid intensification phase through the weekend. By early morning on Monday, Amanda should have reached a Category 1 hurricane status with winds of up to 75 mph. In an online discussion message, he explains:

    “After 48 hours, a combination of increasing shear caused by the approaching trough and decreasing sea surface temperatures along the forecast track should cause steady to rapid weakening. The new intensity forecast is a little stronger than the previous forecast through 48 hours, and after that it shows a faster weakening than the previous forecast.”

    In other words, the winds will likely reduce this storm. Wind shear (created by winds moving in different directions or speeds that blow above the ocean) can potentially rip storms apart and diminish their strength – and that’s exactly what’s expected to transpire with Amanda after Monday.

    By the early part of next week, Amanda should weaken as it accelerates northward. By Wednesday, predictions are that it should have fallen back to tropical storm status. The spaghetti plot generated by the National Hurricane Center demonstrates the most plausible direction storms like Amanda might take, based off a series of possible tracks for different conditions.

    While predictions based on a system’s strength are more difficult to estimate than its direction, specialists have no reason to expect that tropical storm Amanda should pose a threat to North American land.

    To keep following this storm, you can check in with www.nhc.noaa.gov.

    Image via Youtube

  • Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter Dies at 76

    Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a former middleweight boxer best known for having been wrongfully convicted for a shooting murder, passed away at his Toronto home Sunday morning. He was 76.

    Carter had spent almost 20 years in prison after being convicted of a triple homicide that occurred at the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey in 1966. The conviction was overturned in 1985, and from 1993 to 2005, Carter served as executive director of the Association in Defense of the Wrongly Convicted. Carter had also formed the nonprofit organization Innocence International in Toronto, which likewise worked to help free wrongly convicted prisoners. Carter had been battling prostate cancer at the time of his death.

    Carter became a professional boxed in 1961, after serving stints in various institutions for crimes including muggings and for receiving an “undesirable” discharge from the U.S. Army, after failing to complete his three-year term of enlistment. While a bit shorter than the average middleweight fighter at 5 ft. 8 in., in the ring Carter was known for his ferocity, often resulting in early-round knockouts. He was a charismatic crowd-pleaser, and was remembered for his goatee, shaved head, mean mugging and a powerful left hook.

    Bob Dylan wrote a song about Carter in 1975 called Hurricane, and in 1999 director Norman Jewison filmed a biopic entitled The Hurricane, which was Golden Globe-nominated for Best Motion Picture. Denzel Washington played the role of Carter, which garnered him an Oscar nomination.

    Here is the trailer:

    While in prison, Carter penned his autobiography, The 16th Round, which was published in 1974. The book related the events surrounding his 1966 arrest. Holes in the case included little physical evidence and the fact that police took no fingerprints at the crime scene or any paraffin test for gunshot residue. No eyewitnesses pointed to Carter as a shooter. Still, he was convicted in 1967 and 1976 for the murders regardless, though both jury verdicts were overturned on various grounds of prosecutorial misconduct. After the second conviction was overturned in 1985, prosecutors chose not to try the case for a third time.

    Carter is remembered on Twitter:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Typhoon Haiyan Leaves Philippines in Ruins

    One of the strongest typhoons on record, Typhoon Haiyan, stormed through the central Philippines, crushing everything in sight on Friday.

    The super-storm ravaged the islands with winds reaching between 150 and 190 miles-per-hour. So far, the death toll has reached more than 138 people, but the end results could be staggering. The hardest hit island, Leyte Island, is responsible for at least 118 of those deaths that have been accounted for. Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang estimates the toll to rise over 1,000. “The devastation is, I don’t have the words for it,” Roxas said. “It’s really horrific. It’s a great human tragedy.”

    Interior Secretary, Max Roxas, says it is too early to know just how many people have lost their lives in this storm. “The rescue operation is ongoing, we expect a very high number of fatalities as well as injured,” he said. “All systems, all vestiges of modern living – communications, power, water – all are down. Media is down, so there is no way to communicate with the people in a mass sort of way.”

    Richard Gordon, Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, says many of the deaths were caused by the high and quickly moving waters. “The waves and the rain were aplenty,” Gordon said. “They are strong, they move fast, but it was the surging seas along the coastline that killed a lot of people.”

    With the Philippines in utter desperation, the United States is offering any help they can provide. Secretary of State, John Kerry, released a statement to offer aid to the islands.

    “I know that these horrific acts of nature are a burden that you have wrestled with and courageously surmounted before,” he said. “Your spirit is strong. The United States stands ready to help, our embassies in the Philippines and Palau are in close contact with your governments, and our most heartfelt prayers are with you.”

    Image via NDN

  • Typhoon Yolanda Makes Landfall in Philippines

    The Philippines has been hit by  powerful pacific storm, Haiyan, which is classified as a super typhoon. The typhoon brought sustained winds that were measured at more than 195 miles per hour before making landfall. The storm sustained one minute winds producing powerful puffs of 230 miles per hour.

    This typhoon is the most powerful typhoon to make a landfall in 2013 and is extremely catastrophic. The South East Asian country has been affected by the super typhoon in Central Visayas, Layet, and Samar provinces. It is estimated that the potential landfall area of this typhoon will likely be along Northern Leyte by Friday.

    Residents living in Bicol Region, Northern Mindanao and Northern Quezon are asked to remain vigilant as they monitor the approach of this destructive typhoon. Emergency and disaster management plans are now in place. Warnings have been issued regarding heavy damages likely to affect the communities, which includes power disruptions and serious agricultural losses, as well as infrastructural damages.

    When the landfall occurs, heavy to intense rainfall will be expected and the typhoon’s diameter is expected to extend to 600km. So people are asked to postpone all travel, especially to the affected areas.

    Meanwhile, Philippines’ Disaster Government website has been hacked.  According to Ibtimes, Cyber pirates infiltrated the website of Dina, a government disaster management websites and redirected visitors to an adult site. “A server where we upload was hacked,” said council executive director Eduardo del Rosario.

    The website was launched to offer real-time information to Filipinos on natural disasters like floods, tsunamis, landslides, and typhoons, among others. Rosario told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the website would “educate the general public on disaster preparedness”.

    According to reports, the group responsible for the website attack is believed to be hacktivist group known as Anonymous. The hackers have already said that they have hacked several government website as a global protest against the government’s action to censor information and engage in corruption.

    (image via weather.com)

  • Tropical Storm Sonia Headed For Mexico

    Tropical Storm Sonia, named Saturday, is expected to hit mainland Mexico by early Monday. Sonia is currently about 205 miles south of Los Cabos, at the edge of California’s Baja Peninsula. The storm is traveling north at 14 miles per hour.

    According the the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Sonia’s maximum sustained winds are reaching 45 mph, and she is expected to subject much of western Mexico to heavy rainfall and, potentially, deadly flooding and mudslides.

    The Mexican government issued a hurricane watch yesterday for an area of the coast extending from the port of Topolobampo down to La Cruz. The warning also includes the mainland areas from Mazatlan through Altata. The water commission suggested that as many as seven other states, both western and northern, could expect to receive heavy rainfall, as well.

    Western Mexico has already experienced heavy rains and flooding in recent months, and will now likely be hit again. September brought two tropical storms, Manuel and Ingrid, which caused the deadliest flooding on record in the country, and approximately $6 billion worth of damages. Combined, Manuel and Ingrid killed a total of more than 150 people. Then, last month, Hurricane Raymond hit Mexico and caused more flooding, though no fatalities were reported.

    The National Hurricane Center describes the Atlantic hurricane season as being June 1 – November 30, and the Eastern Pacific season as May 15 – November 30.

    You can follow the storm’s path on the NHC’s Web site, www.nhc.noaa.gov.

    Main image courtesy @CNNweather via Twitter.

  • Hurricane Raymond is Now a Category 3 Storm

    Many areas on the Pacific coast of Mexico are still recovering from hurricane-related damage and flooding from last month, and it looks like more trouble is on the way as Hurricane Raymond continues to strengthen. Hurricane Raymond rapidly progressed to a Category 3 storm early Monday, which is reportedly the first major Category 3 rated hurricane in the eastern Pacific this hurricane season.

    According to AccuWeather, Hurricane Raymond is just off the southwest coast of Mexico and will not have any impact on the United States. Hurricane Raymond’s top winds intensified from 40 mph on Sunday morning to 120 mph in just a 24-hour window and, and the storm is currently moving at a snail’s pace of 2 mph.

    Even though some towns on the coast will receive a lot of rain, Hurricane Raymond isn’t projected to linger around for very long and should turn out to the sea on Tuesday. “The cold front coming down is what makes it [Raymond] turn to the left, but that is a model,” David Korenfeld, head of Mexico’s National Water Commission, said. “If that cold front comes down more slowly, this tropical storm…can get closer to the coast.” Check out Hurricane Raymond’s projected path:

    (image)

    Thousands of people in Acapulco, Mexico had to be evacuated last month after Tropical Storm Manuel caused massive flooding, and up to 10,000 people are still displaced. Hurricane Raymond is just 160 miles away from Acapulco, and officials believe that it will be one of the areas to receive heavy rains from Hurricane Raymond. Officials are ready to evacuate residents if needed, but are still waiting. When the tropical storm hit last month, many people were stranded in Acapulco because the heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides, which shut down roads.

    While the hurricane season on the Pacific coast has had eight storms progress to hurricanes, the 2013 hurricane season on the Atlantic coast has been relatively mild so far, with only two hurricanes. Hurricane season doesn’t end until the end of November, but so far, it is on pace to be the “least intense” season for the East coast since 1950.

    Image via AccuWeather

  • Tropical Storm Karen Weakens En Route to Gulf

    Good news for Gulf Coast residents. Tropical Storm Karen has weakened and according to The National Hurricane Center Karen’s maximum sustained winds have dropped to 40 mph, diminishing its potential impact to the region. The center reported on Saturday afternoon that the storm was stalled about 130 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, La .

    A tropical storm warning is still in effect from Morgan City, LA as well as the Gulf region of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Though a storm warning is likely to be in effect through Sunday, forecasters expect the storm’s energy to continue to dissipate. Rain build up is expected to reach 1 to 3 inches over the central Gulf Coast and southeastern U.S. by Monday night, with scattered areas  reaching up to 6 inches.

    At the hurricane center in Miami, forecasters said the storm no longer had a chance of strengthening into a hurricane.

    On Friday at state of emergency was declared in  Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Interior Department recalled workers, that were affected by the government shutdown, to assist state agencies in preparation for the storm. Mandatory evacuation were also ordered by state and local officials – but that was Friday.

    Now that the threat has diminished surfers at Florida’s Pensacola Beach, were taking advantage of the big waves that reached as high as 8 feet. Officials are however, still advising the public to exercise caution.

     

     

  • The “Yankee Clipper” Hurricane of 1938 Remembered

    Today marks the 75th anniversary of the New England Hurricane of 1938, which was also called the “Great New England Hurricane,” the “Yankee Clipper” and the “Long Island Express.” It was the first major hurricane to hit New England since 1869, and is second to Hurricane Sandy of 2012, in regards to a dollar amount on property damage.

    The Yankee Clipper formed near the coast of Africa, and gained a Category 5 strength – by the time it hit Long Island on September 21, it had downgraded to a Category 3. Between 564 and 800 people lost their lives during the storm, and property damage equaled losses of roughly $4.7 billion, adjusted to 2013 inflation. An additional 1,700 were injured and nearly 9,000 homes were destroyed. Only the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 is said to have had a higher landfall intensity.

    The storm’s most powerful wind gust was 186 miles per hour, recorded at Blue Hill Observatory, and storm tides of 14 to 18 feet hit most of the Connecticut coast, with 18- to 25-foot tides seen from New London to Cape Cod. In Providence, the storm surge hit 20 feet, destroying most of the structures along the water. Damage could still be detected in the affected areas as late as 1951. A total of 2,605 fishing vessels were destroyed, with 3,369 damaged; a catastrophic blow to the Southern New England fishing fleet.

    The storm took meteorologists and residents of the affected areas by surprise. Before computers, iPhones, TV’s, Super Doppler radar systems, etc., a meteorologist would hand-draw a storm system, and try to warn the neighbors. Here’s a rendering of the 1938 storm:

    1938 hurricane

    Lourdes B. Avilés, author of “Taken by Storm, 1938: A Social and Meteorological History of the Great New England Hurricane,” said, “when the storm surge came, the impact caused seismographs to record [vibrations] almost as if it were an earthquake,” adding that the hurricane remains “the one to which all other New England hurricanes are sooner or later compared.”

    I do declare “The Yankee Clipper” is my new rap name.

    Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

  • Acapulco Flooding: Thousands to be Evacuated

    Dozens of people have lost their lives in Mexico after a tropical storm and hurricane ravaged the country back-to-back, and now rescue efforts are underway to help those who have been affected by flooding. Thousands of tourists and residents left stranded or homeless from the Acapulco resort area are being evacuated by emergency flights.

    Hurricane Ingrid made landfall in Mexico on the Atlantic coast on Monday, just after Tropical Storm Manuel hit the Pacific coast on Sunday. While both of the storms have weakened and have been downgraded, rain is still lingering, which has caused massive flooding. According to Voice of America, the Guerrero area “endured four days of non-stop rain that has flooded more than half of Acapulco.” The excess rain has caused mudslides and flash floods that have shut down most roads.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUO273RKNco

    At least 60,000 tourists were reportedly stranded in Acapulco after the torrential rains began. One tourist called the vacation a “mistake,” a sentiment that has been echoed by many who were unfortunate enough to get stuck there, no doubt. “We’ve realized that it was a mistake to come to Acapulco because all we saw was rain, rain, rain,” said Guadalupe Hernandez, a housewife from Mexico City.

    Some residents in the Acapulco area have seen their homes completely destroyed. Natividad Gallegos came home on Monday and found her home buried in a landslide. “When I got home I saw a lot of strangers with picks and shovels, digging where my house used to be,” Gallegos said. One small chapel was mostly buried under mud and rocks after the Acapulco flooding:

    (image)

    Some areas in Mexico have reportedly received up to 25 inches of rainfall over the past few days, causing some of the worst flooding in Mexico on record. At least 38 people have lost their lives so far, and the death toll is expected to continue rising after communications are restored and people are able to get out to check on friends and family.

    Currently there is another tropical storm in the Atlantic basic, Humberto. Tropical Storm Humberto isn’t expected to impact Mexico and should remain at sea, if it continues on its current track.

    Main image via YouTube; Chapel image via Bernandino Hernandez/SFGate

  • Mexico Flooding: Ingrid Upgraded to Hurricane

    Either side of Mexico’s coast is being battered by weeks of bad weather causing landslides, flooding, bridge collapses and multiple deaths. Tropical Storm Ingrid threatens even more damage as it forms about 60 miles off the coast and as of the latest from the National Hurricane Center, the Mexican government has changed Ingrid alerts to a hurricane watch. Forecasts put Ingrid making landfall on Sunday or Monday.

    (image)

    Rainfall from Ingrid is expected to reach up to 15 inches over much of eastern Mexico, and up to 25 inches in some locations, specifically the mountains. The authorities warn of further mudslides and flash flooding. Hurricane force winds will likely affect land starting Sunday.

    Parts of southern Veracruz, an eastern state in Mexico, are under the highest alert possible: orange. No less than three major rivers in the state are flooding or close to overflowing their banks and hundreds have evacuated at-risk areas according to officials.

    On Monday, 13 people were killed when a landslide buried them in their homes due to heavy rains influenced by Tropical Depression Fernand.

    Tropical storm Manuel is looming on the opposite side of Mexico, with anticipation of nearing the southwestern coast by late Saturday or early Sunday. Rainfall forecasts are up to 15 inches of rain over the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, prompting more flash flooding and mudslides.

    (image)

    Earlier tropical events Humberto and Gabrielle weakened over the last day, resulting in no threat to land.

    [Image via National Hurricane Center and CIA World Factbook official website.]

  • Tropical Storm Humberto May Become A Hurricane

    The Atlantic’s first hurricane of the 2013 season may be forming right now. Currently classified as Tropical Storm Humberto, this powerful storm system may see winds reaching as high as 74 miles per hour as soon as Tuesday. According to the National Hurricane Center, the Atlantic hurricane season starts on the first day of June and ends the thirtieth of November. Hurricane season for the Eastern Pacific region runs slightly longer with the first day being the fifteenth of May and the last day being the thirtieth of November.

    While the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season has already seen eight tropical storms, Humberto is projected to be the first capable of having winds reach the level for being classified as a hurricane. Cape Verde Islands received warnings when Humberto was 85 miles south at approximately 11 Monday morning according to New York time. Presently, the storm system is anticipated to move in a northern direction.

    Michael Schlacter, who is the founder of Weather 2000 Incorporated based out of New York, shared his thoughts with Bloomberg about the estimations for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, “There aren’t a lot of hindering forces in the Atlantic right now. The Atlantic is almost like a boiling pot of water and where those heat bubbles are going to come up, no one can say.”

    If Tropical Storm Humberto does not escalate to a hurricane, there still exists the potential for other hurricanes to develop during this season. Dennis Feltgen from the National Hurricane Center said via e-mail, “With records going back to 1851, there are 12 years when the first hurricane materialized on or after today. The all-time record latest is October 8, 1905.”

    [Images And Videos Via YouTube]

  • Tropical Storm Kiko: Last Advisory Issued

    Tropical Storm Kiko: Last Advisory Issued

    As of Monday, 2pm (Pacific), once labeled Tropical Storm Kiko had been demoted to Post-Tropical Cyclone Kiko by the National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, located in Miami, Florida. The advisory stated: “Kiko becomes a remnant low… This is the last advisory.” The graphic above is the one corresponding to the advisory.

    One might almost feel sorry for the anthropomorphized Kiko, described as: “devoid of any significant convection… a shallow vortex embedded in weak low-level steering flow.” Ok, not too sorry.

    Slowly twirling in the Pacific Ocean, by the time of that advisory, Kiko was about 425 miles west of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Maximum sustained winds had reduced to 35 mph from 70 mph yesterday. Movement was toward the west at 1 mph, again, a downgrade from 7 mph on Sunday.

    No coastal watches or warnings had been issued and there is no anticipated threat to the coast. Little motion from Kiko is expected over the next few days, the Center reported.

    For further information on the system, the Center directed readers to the High Seas forecasts issued by the National Weather Service.

    [Image via National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center.]

  • Henriette & Gil: Hurricane, Tropical Storm Pass near Hawaii

    Tropical Storm Henriette graduated to hurricane status this morning, and is actively heading westward through the central Pacific Ocean. Weather.com is currently tracking the development of the storm.

    At last update, the storm was heading west-northwest at approximately 10 mph, and is expected to weaken as it closes on the Hawaiian island chain.

    Strong winds of at least 65 mph are expected to accompany the former tropical storm on its journey to the Hawaiian Islands.

    Although slightly less windy, Tropical Storm Gil is also wreaking havoc throughout the Pacific, currently located a little over 1200 miles east-southeast of Honolulu. Gil was last reported travelling west at about 9 mph. The Christian Science Monitor reports the U.S. National Hurricane center as saying that Gil is projected to strengthen over the next two days.

    The close proximity to the Hawaiian islands has some meteorologists speculating about the possibility that Gil may take a side-track towards Hawaii, like Kristina Pydynowski for Accuweather.com. However, while Gil was labeled hurricane status last week, those same meteorologists noted that tropical storms reaching Hawaii are rare indeed.

    “As discussed during Flossie’s existence, just one tropical storm or hurricane reaching Hawaii in a year is a rare feat in itself. The last such time before Flossie was Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Only once since 1950 have two named storms, with tropical storm or hurricane strength, passed within 75 miles of Hawaii. Gilma and Iwa from 1982 make up that rare occurrence,” Pydynowski wrote in her article.

    If you want to follow the storm’s path via interactive direct satellite, Weather.com has an excellent map that clearly illustrates the positions of Hurricane Henriette and Tropical Storm Gil.

    Image courtesy Weather.com

  • Tropical Storm Flossie Headed Towards Hawaii

    Tropical Storm Flossie is moving toward Hawaii and it should continue on that path for the next week. Flossie was classified as a tropical storm not long after taking shape early on Thursday morning. It is expected that Flossie will gain strength through Friday, with winds reaching 50 miles-per-hour. However, it is believed that the storm will weaken as it makes its way toward land. The storm is not expected to ever reach the status of a hurricane, which to be classified, the storm must reach sustained wind speeds of 74 miles-per-hour.

    Flossie is running out of time for much more strengthening since the circulation will begin to reach cooler waters in about a day.
    Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center

    The storm is still approximately 1,000 miles from Hawaii. According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski, Flossie should reach land Tuesday morning and may weaken to a tropical rainstorm. “That does not mean that Flossie will pass unnoticed across Hawaii,” Pydynowski said. “Enhanced shower activity will spread from east to west across the islands Monday night through Wednesday, threatening to put a damper on outdoor activities.” The National Weather Service wrote that it is “Important to keep in mind that even the remnants of tropical cyclones can sometimes bring copious, excessive rainfall.”

    Another tropical storm has been located in the Atlantic Ocean this week. Tropical storm Dorian, which formed Wednesday, is now traveling west-northwest towards Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Cuba and Florida, with sustained winds of approximately 60 mils-per-hour. Dorian is the fourth tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic Ocean.

  • Tropical Storm Dorian Moves Toward Puerto Rico, Florida

    The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) this week has named a tropical depression that formed over the eastern Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday morning.

    Tropical storm Dorian is now moving west-northwest in the direction of Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Cuba and Florida. An updated advisory on the storm this morning reported that Dorian hasn’t strengthened in the past few hours. The storm currently has sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (95 kilometers per hour).

    The NWS forecasts that Dorian will continue traveling on its current course before gradually turning westward sometime on Friday. No costal watches or warnings have yet been issued for the U.S.

    Lightening up the mood about potentially hazardous weather, the tropical storm’s name has caused a bit of a stir on Twitter. Fans of the sitcom Scrubs have recognized and embraced the name Dorian, which is the last name of the main character in the series. Zach Braff, the actor who portrayed Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian, has acknowledged the tropical storm. Braff tweeted a comment on the name yesterday afternoon, soon after the storm formed:

    Braff is currently working on a movie titled Wish I Was Here. The movie was successfully Kickstarted this spring, raising over 3.1 million and far surpassing its $2 million goal. Wish I Was Here will star Braff, Kate Hudson, and Mandy Patinkin in the story of a struggling actor who is forced to home school his children.

  • Tropical Storm Cosme Gaining Strength

    Tropical Storm Cosme Gaining Strength

    Tropical storm Cosme is reportedly gaining strength in the Pacific, where it is being declared a hurricane.

    The storm is expected to show its full force today and weaken a bit each day throughout the week. Heavy winds could reach up to 75 MPH today.

    Cosme is about 375 miles south of Mexico but is moving northwest, meaning dangerous swells and riptides for California later this week. You can track weather updates here. However, it’s not expected to get close enough to the coast to cause any damage on land.

    There have been five previous storms named Cosme, dating back to 1983. Three of those were hurricane-force, and in 1989 Cosme hit Acapulco, killing 30 people with flooding waters.

  • Google Expands Public Alerts to Japan to Help with Natural Disaster Preparedness

    Google has expanded its new public alert program to Japan, a country that is still feeling the effects of a massive hurricane and tsunami that hit two years ago.

    Google Public Alerts, first launched in the U.S. following hurricane Sandy, are now available in Japan. Public Alerts provide pertinent information about natural disasters and other emergency situations inside Google Search, Google Maps. and Google Now.

    This is the first country that Public Alerts have reached since its U.S. launch.

    Now, when people in Japan search Google or Google Maps for information pertaining to an earthquake, let’s say, the alert info will appear on both desktop and mobile right at the top of the search. There will be a link inside the alerts that will let users access “more info,” which will include full disaster profiles from the Japan Meteorological Agency, among other stuff.

    “We hope our technology, including Public Alerts, will help people better prepare for future crises and create more far-reaching support for crisis recovery. This is why in Japan, Google has newly partnered with 14 Japanese prefectures and cities, including seven from the Tōhoku region, to make their government data available online and more easily accessible to users, both during a time of crisis and after. The devastating Tōhoku Earthquake struck Japan only two years ago, and the region is still slowly recovering from the tragedy,” says Google.

    The Public Alerts are also featured on Google Now, and are tailored to the user’s location. “For example, if you happen to be in Tokyo at a time when a tsunami alert is issued, Google Now will show you a card containing information about the tsunami alert, as well as any available evacuation instructions,” says Google.

    Google says that they are looking to expand these Public Alerts to other countries soon.

  • Weather Channel on YouTube Still Streaming Hurricane Sandy Coverage

    Hurricane Sandy, the “superstorm” of 2012 hit the East coast of the U.S. yesterday, causing flooding and power outages in highly populated areas such as New York City. The storm is still sitting over the Northeast U.S., dropping rain and snow on places as far apart as West Virginia and Northern Michigan.

    Whether you can’t get enough pictures of flooded New York subway tunnels or you simply love seeing weather reporters standing in Battery Park being buffeted by high wind and rain, continuing coverage of Hurricane Sandy can be seen here on YouTube, where The Weather Channel is streaming 24-hour coverage of the storm.

    Hurricane Sandy has disrupted the lives of millions throughout the U.S. Northeast. A record storm surge contributed to flooding in New York and New Jersey. Photos of a darkened Midtown Manhattan showed up online last night as millions of residents went without power, and a photo of water inundating the One World Trade Center construction site demonstrated the extent of the flooding.

    Though premature reports of flooding on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange proved false, U.S. trading remains suspended for a second day.

    The hurricane has also contributed to blizzard-like conditions throughout the Appalachian mountains. Snow is predicted to fall for at least another day in states such as West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. According to The Weather Channel, at least one county in Maryland has already reported 26 inches of snow. Like many eastern states, a state of emergency has been declared throughout West Virginia, where many residents are without power.

  • New Orleans Levees Hold Fast Against Hurricane Isaac

    Tropical storm Isaac was upgraded to Hurricane Isaac just in time to hit the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that although water rose over a rural levee and flooded some homes, the levees themselves are holding. This is in contrast, of course, to 2005, when Hurricane Katrina broke New Orleans levees and led to disaster for that city. The hurricane is expected to weaken back into a tropical storm sometime today.

    The Army Corps of Engineers no doubt learned lessons from the levee failures during Katrina. An corps spokesperson told the AP that the levee system is performing as expected and that they don’t expect the hurricane to change that. The corps, though, is on “high alert” today.

    In Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana a storm surge pushed water up and over a large stretch of levee, flooding homes. The area is rural, and there have been no reports of injury or death due to the flooding. Still, the AP reports that Plaquemines officials believe there could be people trapped due to the flood, and rescue workers are waiting for the storm to die down before looking for people who may have ignored the evacuation orders issued earlier this week.

    Though flooding and power outages will continue to be an issue in New Orleans and along the coast for a few days, it appears as if Hurricane Isaac has not left a wake of destruction as large as Hurricane Katrina. Evacuation procedures and the Army Corps of Engineers’ methods also appear to have been effectively updated since 2005