Ida's remnants pounding North and South Carolina; El Salvador flooding toll at 160
The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida have pushed off the coast of Georgia, and are adding fuel to a developing extratropical storm that is pounding North and South Carolina with heavy rain and high winds. Over two inches of rain has fallen across much of the region, and NOAA's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (Figure 1) predicts that up to eight inches of rain could fall in coastal North Carolina by Saturday. Adding to the rainwater flooding problems from all this rain will be coastal flooding from tropical storm-force winds of 40 mph expected to build tonight through Thursday along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. High tides up to four feet above normal are expected from the strong winds. North Carolina will end up getting a more severe pounding from Ida's remnants than Ida gave to the Gulf Coast. You can follow the storm with our Severe Weather Page.
Figure 1. Forecast precipitation for the 5-day period ending at 7 am EST Saturday November 14, 2009. Image credit: NOAA/Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
Invest 98L no threat
Another extratropical storm (Invest 98L), currently spinning over the Atlantic a few hundred miles northwest of Puerto Rico, is showing no signs of development, and will be entering a region of very high wind shear of 30 - 40 knots on Thursday. It currently appears that 98L will swing northward and northeast out to sea on Friday and Saturday, and not merge with the extratropical remnants of Ida currently pounding North Carolina.
Gulf Coast cleans up after Ida
Tropical Storm Ida left mostly minor damage across the Gulf Coast, with the heaviest damage being reported on the west end of Alabama's Dauphin Island. Roads there were covered with sand and water, and moderate beach erosion was reported. At Gulf State Park at Orange Beach, Alabama, the new fishing pier--the longest on the Gulf of Mexico--suffered heavy damage, and will be closed indefinitely. The pier was replaced after being destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and just opened in July. "We may have significant losses," said Phillip West, Orange Beach coastal resources manager, discussing beach erosion from Ida. "Not catastrophic or devastating, but significant."
In the Florida Panhandle near Pensacola, Ida washed huge amounts of sand over Fort Pickens Road in Gulf Islands National Seashore, and over heavily traveled J. Earle Bowden Way, which connects Pensacola and Navarre beaches. Both roads are closed indefinitely. Fort Pickens Road was washed out by Hurricane Opal in 1995, and moved to a new location. Hurricane Ivan washed the road out in 2004. It was rebuilt, but was destroyed and rebuilt three more times in 2005, thanks to Tropical Storm Arlene and Hurricanes Cindy and Dennis. The most recent rebuilding of the road put it at a lower elevation, to allow sand to wash over it. It is hoped the cost of this latest repair will be under $1 million.
Editorial comment: perhaps having a low-lying road along a barrier island that regularly washes out, requiring millions in taxpayer repair money to fix, is a bad idea?? Seems to me like this is taxpayer money ill-spent. The 1988 Stafford Act, authorizing the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure after presidentially declared emergencies, has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money being spent to rebuild infrastructure damaged by tropical storms and hurricanes on barrier islands. In an era of rising sea levels, and with the U.S. in the midst of an active hurricane period expected to last at least another decade, the Stafford Act just doesn't make sense. Those living in areas subject to a very high level of repeated coastal hazards should pay the bills for their willingness to live in harm's way, rather than depending on Uncle Sam.
In a interview in the New York Times after the last time Fort Pickens Road was washed out, Dr. Orrin Pilkey, professor emeritus in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and author of the excellent 2009 book The Rising Sea, said, "People say, 'What are you going to do, let the road fall in? The correct answer, of course, is yes."
Food shortages in El Salvador after floods kill at least 160
A tropical disturbance that dumped up to 17.4" (442 mm) of rain in 24 hours over central El Salvador on Sunday has triggered the need for urgent food aid after flood and landslides destroyed huge swaths of crops during harvest season, according to the U.N. World Food Program. The storm killed at leat 160 people, with dozens more still missing. About 13,000 people are homeless after the disaster.
Figure 2. Collapsed bridge at Santa Cruz La Libertad, El Salvador, with people trying to cross the river. Image credit: Wunderphotographer DiegoSagrera
For those interested in making a donation to assist in disaster relief for El Salvador, Portlight.org has a Paypal donation page set up for this. All funds raised will be forwarded to José Luis Escobar Alas, Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador, and used to assist flooding victims at the discretion of the Archbishop.
Jeff Masters
Tuesday morning as Ida passes through.
Reader Comments
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 — Blog Index
In a interview in the New York Times after the last time Fort Pickens Road was washed out, Dr. Orrin Pilkey, professor emeritus in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and author of the excellent 2009 book The Rising Sea, said, "People say, 'What are you going to do, let the road fall in? The correct answer, of course, is yes."
Yes! Yes! Yes!
If your Bored today.. go to Any Legion, or Army Navy Airforce Club... and throw so money on the Bar and buy a Vet a beer.
AOI
AOI
AOI
AOI
The 8 inches looks reasonable to me especially how the models are having it move very slowly up the coast almost stalling.
Were you thinking somehow that computers are smart? They only give as good as they get and they only do what you tell them to. Computers do not think, they do not catch mistakes (unless it's written into their programming) and they do not work well when given conflicting orders (typically called a crash). We programmers have an acronym: GIGO (Garbage in, Garbage out)...bad data results in bad conclusions
i've always felt that honorably discharged veterans should not have to pay income taxes as they've already paid their due...
its just pouring between here near richmond and charlottsville....numbers adding up quick....
what about people who live in tornado prone areas, or earthquake prone areas, or drought prone areas, or wildfire prone areas? no matter where you live there is something that could happen. we are all tax payers even us on the coast. while i do not think that we should be repairing roads that are low lying, maybe we should be raising them. like they built the building to sway in earthquake prone areas, we need to do it right and have no more low lying roads. raise them once and only have to do ware and tare repairs from then on. as much stuff as they waste our tax dollars on, having to repair stuff after a disaster should be last on the list of things to complain about. its a waste of tax payer dollars if they just put it back the way it was, but its worth it if they make it better, or in this case higher. always remember a disaster can happen anywhere.
some more totals
Conditions at CHYV2:
Wind Direction (WDIR): NE ( 40 deg true )
Wind Speed (WSPD): 35.9 kts
Wind Gust (GST): 39.0 kts
Atmospheric Pressure (PRES): 30.01 in
Air Temperature (ATMP): 57.9 °F
There's been several gusts to 44 kts.
**POOF!**
I agree...
ROFL!!! I was waiting for you to say it!
Goldsboro NC
Seems to me like this is taxpayer money ill-spent. The 1968 Stafford Act, authorizing the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure after presidentially declared emergencies, has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money being spent to rebuild infrastructure damaged by tropical storms and hurricanes on barrier islands. In an era of rising sea levels, and with the U.S. in the midst of an active hurricane period expected to last at least another decade, the Stafford Act just doesn't make sense. Those living in areas subject to a very high level of repeated coastal hazards should pay the bills for their willingness to live in harm's way, rather than depending on Uncle Sam.
YES!!! All government should be reduced to almost nothing. Let individuals take care of themselves, and live with their choices.
Hey bone, good seeing you again...
Check your mail...I don't want to be banned for talking about it in the open blog...LOL
1st, the entire blog rule, unedited (bold is mine):
Keep it civil. Personal attacks, bickering, flaming, and general trollish behavior will not be tolerated. Disagreements are fine, but keep them civil and short.
One online definition of bickering:
To engage in a petty, bad-tempered quarrel; squabble.
And so, seems okay to disagree with Dr. Masters, just keep it down to a dull (and civil) roar.
National sales tax (oh no, he said it!!!). While that would still hit vets (they could be issued cards that exempt them), it would be fair and no one could possibly say that anyone was paying less than anyone else. You buy something, you pay sales tax
Well put, Awake...you're taking over my place as the voice of reason (LMAO)
Well, you'd have to limit that to career military. Otherwise, everybody would do a 4-year stint after high school and we wouldn't have any money to pay them.
LOL! I worked with many re-employed veterans, aka "double-dippers" in other gov. agencies. Really, there are some agencies that might not run without them. But believe me, you want them to pay their taxes, as they are still youngish when they retire (forty-ish) and can easily be currently making $80- to 100,000 in DC/MD/VA. So they'll have two retirement incomes. Most I know are pretty happy folks, worked hard, have good lives and know they're blessed...and don't gripe about paying taxes any more than the rest of us!
I will as I always do; my family has done this for many years
looks like that 8+ inch QPF the computer spit out was right on track
Did I hear FAIR TAX. I know where Boortz lives and where he is moving to. I will just keep it to myself. I have listened to him for almost 20 years.
Viewing: 1 - 51
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 — Blog Index