WEEKLY WATER NEWS
12-16 June 2006
Water in the Earth System will return for Fall 2006 with new Investigations
files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 28 August 2006. All the current
online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer
break period.
Water in the News:
- Tropical Weather Update -- The first tropical depression of the 2006
hurricane season in the North Atlantic basin (including the Gulf of Mexico and
the Caribbean Sea) formed on Saturday and became the season's first named
tropical storm, Alberto on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, Alberto was moving
northward across the Gulf of Mexico, spreading rain across Cuba and south
Florida. While this tropical storm probably will not intensify to become a
hurricane, it could provide beneficial rain across drought-stricken sections of
northern Florida during this upcoming workweek. [CNN]
See http://www.noaawatch.gov/2006/alberto.php
for the most recent public weather advisories on Alberto.
- First images from CloudSat satellite -- During the last week, NASA
scientists released the first images obtained from instruments including the
Cloud-Profiling Radar onboard the recently launched NASA CloudSat satellite
that has joined the "A-Train' of five Earth Observing System satellites.
These images obtained from radar signals that penetrate clouds provide a
detailed three-dimensional perspective of cloud systems. Even over the first
several days, scientists were able to detect details on several cloud
structures not previously observed. [NASA
Earth Observatory]
- Rises in sea level are documented -- Using a variety of instruments
to accurately measure sea level, NASA oceanographers at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory claim that the average annual rate of sea level rise between 1993
and 2005 was 0.1 inches (3 mm). Measurements of sea level were made from the
TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 and GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment)
satellites, along with those from the Argo float program. The changes in sea
level, which are not uniformly distributed around the globe, are the result of
several factors including thermal expansion, addition of water from melting
glaciers and changes in salinity. [NASA
Earth Observatory]
- Ocean vortex seen from space -- A team of scientists from Australia,
the US, France and Spain have recently discovered a large spiral circulation in
the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. They made their discovery
of the vortex from images produced from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer) instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite, which revealed
high chlorophyll concentrations associated with coastal plankton within the
vortex. [NASA
Earth Observatory]
- Even the sea off Ireland has turned blue-green -- Images produced by
data obtained by the MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite shows a
large phytoplankton bloom off the coast of the Emerald Isle that turned the sea
water a bluish green color. [NASA
Earth Observatory]
- Assessing NOAA's economic worth -- The NOAA Administrator recently
released the fifth edition of the publication "Economic Statistics for
NOAA" that provides a consistent set of economic statistics for various
groups including NOAA management, national policy makers and the public. In
addition to preliminary statistics on the economic impact of recent hurricanes,
the document provides estimates of the potential economic benefits from new
investments in regional coastal ocean observing systems in US waters of up to
$1 billion per year. [NOAA News]
- Rain triggers deadly landslides in China -- As many as 12 people
were killed and 24 injured in southern China last week as torrential rain
resulted in landslides and flooding. [USA
Today]
- More rain in Maine could lead to flooding -- Following one of the
wettest spells in recent history, residents of Maine were subjected to more
rain over the weekend. Flood watches had been issued across a large section of
the state on Friday. As of Sunday afternoon, flood warnings were in effect for
several rivers. [USA
Today]
- Satellite imagery helps online flood forecasting -- Residents of
eastern Canada have been accessing satellite based radar imagery for
forecasting flood events using a service that is funded by the European Space
Agency and the European Union. The flood forecasting service combines satellite
radar images, from the ESA Envisat and the Canadian Space Agency's RADARSAT
satellites with weather forecasts and field observations. [ESA]
- Beavers help downstream ecosystems -- Scientists at Colorado State
University and the US Geological Survey report that a three-year study of
valley ecosystems in Rocky Mountain National Park indicates that beaver ponds
have improved ecosystems downstream of the beaver dams by raising ground water
levels and providing sufficient moisture for plants. [EurekAlert!]
- Desalination "roadmap" updated -- Researchers at the
Sandia National Laboratories have been finalizing an updated "Desalination
and Water Purification Roadmap" called "Roadmap 2" that outlines
the future of desalination in the US and recommend specific areas of potential
water desalination research leading to technological solutions to water
shortage problems. [EurekAlert!]
- Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of
the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods
and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
- Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained
through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
- Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Historical Events:
- 12 June 1983...The state of Utah was besieged by floods and mudslides.
Streets in downtown Salt Lake City were sandbagged and turned into rivers. The
town of Thistle was completely inundated as a mudslide made a natural dam. (The
Weather Channel)
- 12 June 1991...On the same day that Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines awakened
from its 635-year slumber, Typhoon Yunya crossed Luzon province. Mudslides and
flooding caused many deaths and when added to the impacts of Pinatubo left more
than a million homeless. (The Weather Doctor)
- 12-13 June 2000...With 15 to 20 in. of rain falling on parts of Grand Forks
County in North Dakota, flooding waters washed out a gravel road to a depth of
30 ft west of Larimore. Two men in a vehicle were killed when they drove into
this newly-formed canyon. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
- 13 June 1977...A tropical cyclone crossed the Arabian Sea from near the
Laccadive Islands off southwest India and slammed into the island of Masirah,
sultanate of Oman. Winds reached at least 104 mph and the 24-hour rainfall
total was 16.95 inches. About 99% of buildings were damaged. (Accord's Weather
Guide Calendar)
- 13 June 1996...Thunderstorms dropped 5 to 8 inches of rain on Leverett and
Montague, MA in 4 hours. Thirty miles of roadway were ruined, with all but one
road in Leverett destroyed. Flash flooding destroyed a 200-foot long bridge,
which was replaced by a 50-foot deep canyon. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
- 14 June 1903...The "Heppner Disaster" occurred in Oregon. A
cloudburst in the hills sent a flood down Willow Creek, and a twenty foot wall
of water swept away a third of the town in minutes, killing 236 residents and
causing $100 million damage. (David Ludlum)
- 14 June 1990...Four inches of rain in about 75 minutes on the saturated
headwaters of Pipe and Wegee Creeks and the Cumberland Run in southeastern Ohio
created a wall of water 10 to 30 ft high that devastated the community of
Shadyside. Twenty-four people were killed. One person reported ankle-deep water
running down the side of a hill when he was seeking higher ground. Some bodies
were found in the Ohio River 30 miles downstream. (Intellicast) (Accord's
Weather Guide Calendar)
- 14 June 1998...Flooding from 13.18 inches of rain falling in 24 hours at
Atlantic, IA destroyed 21 homes. Saturated soil around Lake Panorama began
sliding into the lake in the evening. Three homes "cracked" beyond
repair as the ground sank 12 to 18 inches. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
- 15 June 1662...A fast was held at Salem, MA with prayers for rain, and the
Lord gave a speedy answer. (David Ludlum)
- 15 June 1879...McKinney, ND received 7.7 inches of rain in 24 hours, a
state record. This 24-hour state precipitation record has since been broken in
June 1975 with an 8.10-inch reading. (The Weather Channel)
- 15 June 1957...East Saint Louis, IL was deluged with 16.54 inches of rain
in 24 hours, a record for the state of Illinois. In July 1996, this record was
broken when 16.91 inches fell. (The Weather Channel)
- 16 June 1965...Thunderstorms dumped torrential rains along the east slopes
and on the plains east of Denver, CO. Up to 14 in. fell at both Palmer Lake and
Larkspur and 12 in. at Castle Rock, resulting in a wall of water down the west
and east branches of Plum Creek. Damage to roads and bridges in Larkspur,
Castle Rock, and Sedalia was extensive. The flood then reached the South Platte
River near Littleton and proceeded through Denver. Flood waters spread to 1/2
mile or more in width and destroyed homes, trailer courts, and businesses. The
flood caused $230 million damage and eight deaths along the entire South Platte
River basin. (Intellicast)
- 16-18 June 1972...The greatest three-day rainfall in Hong Kong since 1889
produced 25.68 inches and resulted in disastrous landslides and building
collapses. More than 100 people died, while thousands were made homeless.
(Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
- 16 June 1972...The largest single-site hydroelectric power project in North
America (5,248 MW installed, expandable to 9,252 MW) was started at Churchill
Falls, Labrador. (Wikipedia)
- 16 June 1984...Sixty-four cars parked near Westby, WI were swept 0.25 miles
by a flash flood. Some people just "hung on" as they climbed on top
of cars caught in trees. One person said "I had no idea anything like that
ever happening around here." No deaths were reported. (Accord's Weather
Guide Calendar)
- 17 June 1965...Holly, CO was deluged with 11.08 inches of rain to establish
a state 24-hour rainfall record. (The Weather Channel)
- 17 June 1987...Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the south central
U.S. The Edwards Aquifer, which supplies water to San Antonio TX, reached a
record level of 699.2 feet following a record 18.43 inches of rain in thirty
days. Torrential rains between the mid May and mid June sent 8.8 million acre
feet of water down the rivers of southern Texas, the largest volume in 100
years of records. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- 17-18 June 2002...Deadly floods ravaged parts of southern Russia between
the Caspian and Black Seas. Chechnya, Krasnodar and Stavropol were particularly
hard hit, with more than 40,000 homes flooded and at least 200 bridges damaged
or destroyed. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
- 18 June 1875...A severe coastal storm (or possible hurricane) struck the
Atlantic coast from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia. Eastport, ME reported wind gusts
to 57 mph. (David Ludlum)
- 18 June 1991...Atlanta, GA set a new record for the amount of the rain in
one hour as 3.47 inches fell between 6:52 and 7:52 PM EDT. (Intellicast)
- Month of June...According to a 1969 US Army technical report, the average
dewpoint temperature at Ras Andahglie and Assab, Eritrea (Ethiopia) average
slightly more than 84ºF. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
Return to DataStreme WES Homepage
URL: DS WES/news.html
Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email
hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2006, The American
Meteorological Society.