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Tag: tropical storm

  • Tropical Storm Bertha Might Miss US Eastern Coast

    Everyone on the Eastern coast of the United States should keep their fingers crossed: Early projections of the path of Tropical Storm Bertha has it quite possibly missing the United States.

    It’s true that projections are merely educated guesses, but as hurricane season continues it’s not wrong to hope for as little damage as possible.

    Bertha is the second named storm of the 2014 hurricane season. It is currently moving at a speed of 22 mph with wind speeds of 45 mph.

    According to the National Hurricane Center, Bertha is expected to pass over the Bahamas Sunday through Monday.

    A tropical storm warning is in effect for the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile a tropical storm watch is in effect for much of the central Bahamas.

    Once Bertha passes through the region on Monday, it is expected that by Tuesday the storm will turn right and spin out into the Atlantic Ocean.

    By the time the storm becomes a hurricane (which is projected to occur sometime on Wednesday), the National Hurricane Center has the storm well off the coast of New Jersey.

    This early projection will have Bertha missing the United States all together, but making landfall in Canada.

    It will get fairly close to Nova Scotia, but isn’t expected to make landfall again until it briefly passes over the outermost tip of Newfoundland and Labrador.

    By that point, Bertha is expected to have downgraded significantly in power.

    Remember, this is merely what the National Hurricane Center believes will happen at this point; it is still too early to know for sure the exact path or power of Bertha.

    It’s possible that within the coming days, the projected path can change again and Bertha could very well be making landfall in the United States.

    This is why Americans who live in areas which are known to experience hurricane weather are encouraged to take all the necessary precautions.

    It never hurts to be extra careful while at the same time hoping for the best.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tropical Storm Arthur Might Ruin Holiday Weekend

    People across the US are no doubt gearing up for Fourth of July weekend, a time filled with barbecues, fireworks, and rivers of beer flowing freely.

    Unfortunately, it looks like Mother Nature may be looking to rain on quite a few parades.

    Literally.

    The first big storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is moving steadily closer to Florida. Tropical storm Arthur could pose a threat in the near future.

    For now, those in the potential path of Arthur are keeping an eye on the storm while continuing to make preparations for the upcoming holiday.

    As of Tuesday afternoon, Arthur was 90 miles off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. The storm has sustained winds of nearly 40 mph. Arthur is approaching the south eastern coastline at a speed of about five mph.

    With summer in full swing, it’s not too surprising to find the beaches crowded. Everything is fine so long as beachgoers stay ashore. But as winds pick up and waves rise, it may not be a good idea to go swimming.

    A flag system is used in order to warn beach visitors about the safety of swimming as wind and waves turn rough.

    Red flags signify rough surf, and in those instances swimmers should only get into the water in areas where there is a lifeguard nearby.

    A red flag was flying at Daytona Beach as a dozen people were rescued from the water by lifeguards.

    It’s expected that the approaching tropical storm will bring with it tremendous downpours, a swelling surf, and potential rip tides. In other areas, there is the possibility that tornadoes could touch down.

    It’s strongly suggested that those living or vacationing on the east coast of the United States (from Florida to northern Virginia at present) watch out for Arthur. It’s no doubt annoying that bad weather could ruin one’s holiday, but better safe than sorry!

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 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

  • Typhoon Haiyan: Death Toll May Reach 10,000

    The estimated death toll from Typhoon Haiyan has reached staggering proportions. The super typhoon ravaged the Philippines on Friday, leaving devastation in its wake. Officials are projecting that the death toll may reach or even exceed 10,000.

    Leyte and Samar Island were the hardest hit areas. Tacloban is the capital of Leyte and occupies 3/4 of the island. Its city administrator Tecson Lim has said that the death toll in Tacloban alone could reach 10,000.

    Massive communication and power outages have made it difficult to assess the extent of Haiyan’s damage.

    There is still verification to be done, but it’s looking like Haiyan – known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda – may be the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall, with one-minute sustained winds of 195mph. This easily earns it the classification of a super typhoon – one in which sustained winds attain or exceed 150mph. It would also mean that Haiyan’s winds surpassed the 190mph record set by Hurricane Camille back in 1969.

    After swooping through the Philippines, Haiyan entered the South China Sea where it was downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 typhoon. By the time it hits Vietnam and Southeastern China, it will be Category 1 or 2. Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at US-based Weather Underground warns that the damage Haiyan can still wreck shouldn’t be underestimated:

    “I expect that the 8+ inches of rain that the storm will dump on Vietnam will make it a top-five most expensive natural disaster in their history,” Masters wrote on his blog.

    As US Marines are flying in from nearby Okinawa to assist with search and rescue operations, disaster relief organizations are quickly mobilizing.

    Image via Facebook

  • 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.

     

     

  • Mexico Storm: Tropical Storm and Hurricane Threaten

    Mexico is currently having to deal with two different natural disasters at the same time. Tropical Storm Manuel edged onto Mexico’s Pacific coast earlier today, as Hurricane Ingrid continued to swirl offshore on the other side of the country. Heavy rains and landslides have caused at least 15 deaths and thousands more have been evacuated from the damaged areas. Although it has remained a threat and produced flash floods and mudslides, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Manuel began to weaken as soon as it made landfall near the port of Manzanillo.

    Mexico continues to get attacked on both sides of the country, in an unfortunate situation dealing with the vicious Ingrid and Manuel simultaneously. As a typhoon hits Japan at the same time and in the United States, Colorado just experienced a large amount of flooding, there is certainly something odd going on with the climate around the world right now. It seems hard for people to continue to deny the effects of climate change after drastic and devastating events like these continue to happen.

    Each of these storms continue to grow and have immense power as well. CBS News reports that Manuel winds reached a maximum of about 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving to the northwest at 9 mph (15 kph) late Sunday afternoon. Its center was about 15 miles (20 kilometers) north of Manzanillo. The rain from Hurricane Ingrid has caused landslides that killed three people in the central state of Puebla and a woman also died after a landslide buried her house in the state of Hidalgo.

    Hurricane Ingrid, the second hurricane of the Atlantic storm season, is expected to reach Mexico’s mainland by Monday, after gaining strength from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Officials in the state of Veracruz were forced to evacuate those living on the coast on Friday night, and civil protection authorities said that more than 5,300 people had been moved to safer ground. An orange alert has also been imposed in parts of southern Veracruz, which is the highest possible, according to the Tampa Tribune.

    Image via Youtube

  • Japan Typhoon Man-Yi Surfaces, Endangering Fukushima

    Typhoon Man-Yi has hit southern Japan causing fears that the Fukushima nuclear plant may be impacted. Man-Yi is the 18th typhoon this season, bringing heavy rains and officials are warning citizens in different parts of the country of flooding and very strong winds. Central Japan Railway Co. temporarily suspended their bullet-train services near Tokyo as the vicious typhoon quickly approached the nation’s capital. Around 200 domestic flights have been cancelled as well, mostly those that were planning to depart from Tokyo.

    The tropical storm that is a high threat to Japan’s citizens originated in Pacific waters close to the southern island of Shikoku. It has been increasing in size and at times obtaining wind speeds of up to 144 kilometers per hour. According to the New Zealand Herald, it was on a direct course to hit southern of the main island Honshu on Monday morning. Next on its course, it was predicted that it would head northeast toward the capital, crossing the northeast and the area near Fukushima.

    Fukushima continues to deal with an immense struggle attempting to control the radioactive materials that leaked into the Pacific Ocean during the earthquake and tsumani that hit in 2011. It is a story that has been resurfacing in the mainstream media lately and scaring a lot of people, as it continues to contaminate the water. This has caused the fish in multiple areas to be too dangerous to eat.

    A flood warning was issued to residents near the Kokai river in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. There was also an earlier flood warning for the Meguro river, which has since been lifted, states Bloomberg.com. Before hitting Japan, the storm had already delivered strong winds and heavy rain in the south and east, although no major damage was reported. Warnings for flooding, heavy rain, mudslides and high ocean waves have all been issued by the weather agency to areas along the Pacific coast.

    As the storm continues to damage parts of Japan, more contaminated water is expected to seep into the groundwater as well and problem of the radioactive waste from the Fukushima plant is scaring people around the world. If the water continues to be polluted at this rate, it could be unsafe to swim in a matter of a few years.

    Image via Youtube

  • 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]

  • 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.

  • Tropical Storm Andrea Heads Toward Florida

    On Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded Andrea from a tropical disturbance to a tropical storm. The storm has been building recently in the Gulf of Mexico, and is now the first named storm of the 2013 hurricane season.

    A tropical storm warning is now under effect for the west coast of Florida, and particularly the Tampa Bay Area. In addition, a tornado watch is under effect for some portions of the west coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The NHC states that the main threats from the storm are the isolated tornadoes that could spin off throughout the day on Thursday, along with flooding and heavy rainfall. Tampa could be hit with as much as 7 inches of rain, with higher amounts possible in some areas.

    The NHC is advising residents to prepare for the rain and heavy winds by securing outdoor objects and abandoning mobile homes that are not well-anchored.

    Andrea is expected to twist to the northeast over the weekend, hitting most of the eastern coast of the U.S. Tropical storm warnings have also been issued for the eastern coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

  • 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

  • Tropical Storm Isaac Grows Stronger as it Nears Haiti

    Tropical Storm Isaac isn’t yet a hurricane, but it is growing in strength as it nears Haiti. The U.S. National Hurricane Center currently forecasts that the storm will hit the U.S. somewhere on the Gulf Coast. Isaac could land anywhere from Eastern Louisiana to the Southern Tip of Florida.

    While Haiti braces for Issac’s 60 mile per hour (mph) winds, The Bahamas and Cuba have both declared tropical storm warnings for at least some of their provinces. The storm is now moving Northwest at 14 mph.

    Issac’s recent Northwestern turn could be the worst case scenario for Republican National Convention Planners, who are holding this year’s convention in Tampa Bay, Florida. Tampa Bay is well within the probable path of the storm that the NHC has predicted. The worry is that the storm will disrupt travel plans or accommodations for delegates, speakers, and the media attending the convention. Convention planners yesterday issued a statement suggesting that they are in touch with the U.S. National Weather Service and are prepared to respond if Isaac hits Tampa Bay.

    “The Republican National Convention and the Republican National Committee, working in consultation with the Romney/Ryan campaign, are in regular contact with the National Weather Service, Governor Scott and local emergency officials in an effort to track and understand the potential impact of the storm,” said William Harris, president and CEO or the Republican National Convention. “Governor Scott and local emergency officials have assured us that they have the resources in place to respond to this storm should it make landfall, as our primary concern is with those in the potential path of the storm. We will continue to work closely with them and federal officials to monitor the storm and discuss any impact it might have on the Tampa area and the state of Florida. We continue to move forward with our planning and look forward to a successful convention.”

    (Picture courtesy the U.S. National Hurricane Center)

  • Tornado Kills Mom While Protecting Her Daughter

    Tornado Kills Mom While Protecting Her Daughter

    Have you ever heard a parent tell you that they would die so their child could live? A mother in Florida actually did die protecting her daughter on June 25th. As tropical storm Debby was barely anything with just 45 mph winds. A tornado was produced that ripped Heather Town’s house off of its foundation and then proceeded to throw the lady, who had her daughter wrapped in her arms, 200 feet into the nearby woods where they were found covered in debris and barbed wire.

    “I am so proud of my daughter,” Elmer Town, Heather’s father, told WGRZ-TV. “I can picture her holding that little girl of hers. She died for her.” Town added that his granddaughter suffered a broken pelvis and broken ribs.

    Heather Town died at the scene from the injuries that she suffered but her daughter Anne Marie is currently in stable condition at Tampa General Hospital.

    “When they found her, she was literally holding her baby, her little girl,” neighbor Kim Bass told WTVT-TV. “They took the little child from her because she was having a hard time breathing and she had barbed wire on her and was in a very dense section of woods, about 50 feet back there.”

    This was the ultimate sacrifice that this lady made for her child and I hope that little Ann Marie has a happy and productive life!