Many people are using the term “snow hurricane” for the strong storm that is bringing heavy snow, freezing rain and strong winds onto the Atlantic coastline. The storm is dumping heavy snow on parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and New England.
Natural disasters are inevitable, but the severe damage that they sometimes cause is not. Information and preparation are the keys to minimizing destruction in areas with known geologic hazards. Haiti could benefit significantly by incorporating knowledge about earthquakes, landslides, and hurricanes in their rebuilding efforts.
State Farm Insurance requested a 47% rate increase for providing insurance to homeowners in some of Florida’s coastal areas. The rate increase was denied so State Farm sent cancellation notices to about 125,000 policy holders.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has allowed scientists to view precipitation data from Tropical Storm Magda in 3D. This page shows one of the TRMM images, and also has other information on Magda.
Kathleen Tierney, a professor of sociology and behavioral science director at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder comments on comparisons between the earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina.
NASA satellites have observed winds of 100 knots (115 mph) from Cyclone Cleo, which is expected to lose momentum soon. It is creating huge waves in the Indian Ocean, but should not make landfall.
An article at EarthMagazine.org summarizes the case in which the Army Corps of Engineers was found liable for some flood damages in New Orleans that resulted from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
A simple solution for levee failure has been devised: fight water with water. The Portable Lightweight Ubiquitous Gasket (PLUG) is a flexible tube that is dropped into a flood and partially filled with water. The remaining air in the PLUG allows it to float with the current, which will wedge the device into the breach.
This page has recent news on Tropical Storm Nida, which has been downgraded from typhoon status. There are images of the storm, including some interesting side views made using CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar.
This video shows a brief interview with Jerry Jennings, Division Engineer, North Carolina Department of Transportation, who explains how storm waves have damaged Highway 12 near Cape Hatteras. Although not mentioned in the interview, the video shows a number of buildings that are in jeopardy.
As Tropical Storm Ida approached the Gulf coast energy companies began shutting down drilling platforms and other facilities to avoid damage during the storm.
Tropical Storm Ida is heading to the US Gulf coast where it is expected to dump up to eight inches of heavy rain. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Grand Isle, Louisiana to the Aucilla River of Florida.
Hurricane Ida is moving north through the Gulf of Mexico and a hurricane watch has been issued for Gulf coast areas between Grand Isle, Louisiana and Mexico Beach, Florida. The National Hurricane Information Center will be updating maps of the storm’s projected path on their website.
Typhoon Mirinae is expected to make landfall in the northern Philippines early Saturday morning. Satellites are monitoring the storm’s rainfall to predict possible further flooding of the region.
The Army Corps of Engineers is building a storm surge barrier near New Orleans that hopefully will provide protection against storm surges 20 feet high. This will be one of the largest water control barriers in the world.
Hurricane Rick is a Category 5 storm off the west coast of Mexico. It is expected to weaken slightly but still be a powerful storm when it makes landfall on the Baja California Coast early Wednesday morning.
A Wall Street Journal Article explores the possibilities and potential impacts of sea level rise and a hurricane storm surge striking the New York City region.
Hurricane Jimena is approaching the Baja California Peninsula as a dangerous Category four hurricane. It is expected to weaken slightly as it approaches landfall.
Early in the day on Tuesday Hurricane Jimena is expected to make landfall on the west side of the Baja Peninsula. The National Hurricane Information Center calls Jimena “an extremely dangerous category four hurricane“.
At 9:00 AM PST Hurricane Jimena was a category four hurricane with sustained wind of 135 miles per hour and higher gusts. It is moving northwest off the coast of Mexico and is expected to arrive at the southern end of the Baja Peninsula early Tuesday morning and move parallel to the peninsula. Jimena is expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours.
Tropical Storm Danny is slowly moving northwestward about 300 miles east of The Bahamas with sustained winds of about 45 miles per hour. It is expected to slowly strengthen over the next few days with a projected path that travels north along the United States coastline.
CNN reports that 95% of people do not know what part of a house makes it most vulnerable to hurricane destruction. It’s the garage door. If it fails, wind enters the garage and can lift off the roof. Check it out in this video.
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