WEEKLY WATER NEWS

21-25 August 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:

• Alaska flooding blocks rail and highway traffic -- Heavy rain across south central Alaska at the end of last week resulted in flooding and mudslides that forced the closing of the Alaska Railroad and the Parks Highway, two major links between Anchorage and Fairbanks. [USA Today]
• Flooding causes problems across the Southwest -- Recent heavy rain across the Rio Grande Valley of west Texas and New Mexico have resulted in flooding in the El Paso, TX metropolitan area. This city was declared a federal disaster area by President Bush. [USA Today] [USA Today]
• Search continues for Ethiopian flood survivors -- Emergency workers continued to search for survivors of major flooding that swept across southern Ethiopia earlier this month, leaving as many as 900 people dead. [USA Today]
• Water shortages cause problems in China -- While typhoons (counterparts to hurricanes in the Western Pacific) have produced flooding in eastern and southeastern China, a developing drought across western China have left 18 million people without adequate water. Hot weather has also exacerbated the drought conditions, reported to be the worst in 50 years. [USA Today]
• North Korea to receive flood aid from South -- The Red Cross in North Korea recently agreed to accept aid from South Korea for recovery from this year's disastrous floods that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of North Koreans and left millions homeless. [USA Today]
• Bacteria problems plague New England beaches -- A record number of bacteria warnings and advisories have been posted for beaches in coastal New Hampshire and Maine this summer, in part due to heavy early summer rain and high tides that have flushed pollutants from salt marshes. [USA Today]
• Action is considered for Mediterranean oil spill -- A meeting was held last week with UN officials and representatives from the European Union, Lebanon, Syria, Greece and Turkey in an attempt to form a strategy to clean up the oil that had spread out into the Mediterranean Sea following the bombing of a Lebanese power plant during the recent hostilities between Lebanon and Israel. [BBC News] An image from the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite shows the oil slick on the surface of the Mediterranean Sea off the Lebanon coast in mid August, the result of an oil spill from a power station during the military conflict between Lebanon and Israel. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• An important indicator of coastal ecological health is found -- Scientists with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science recently announced that grass shrimp appear to be an important biological indicator of human impacts on the ecological environment of US coastal systems, including estuaries, coastal wetlands and coral reefs. [NOAA News]
• Complaints of no typhoon warnings are made -- Residents of southern China have accused the Chinese government of not providing adequate warning before the powerful Typhoon Saomai made landfall earlier this month. They also claimed that the death toll is at least three times higher than the 319 people that the official report indicates. [USA Today]
• Tropical waters warm as peak hurricane season approaches -- Images obtained from Japan’s Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite taken in early and mid August document the two-week increase in sea-surface temperatures to at least 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) across the tropical North Atlantic, the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, reaching the threshold needed for hurricane formation across that oceanic basin. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Hurricane intensity related to warming sea surfaces? A scientist at Florida State University claims that his analysis of data indicates a link between more intense hurricane activity and the 50-year increase in near surface air temperatures along with Atlantic sea surface temperatures during the hurricane season (June through November). [EurekAlert!]
• Hurricane relief mapping is undertaken -- A geography professor at Florida State University had receiver a grant to develop new spatial models for hurricane disaster relief. [EurekAlert!]
• A space-age view of the Channel and the White Cliffs of Dover -- An image made from data collected by the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite shows variations in color of the water from white to royal blue in the narrow portion of the English Channel called the Strait of Dover and the white outline of the famed White Cliffs of Dover. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Green chemistry solutions are applied to a major problem -- Researchers at Queen's University in Ontario have developed what they claim is an environmentally friendly method of separating oil and water mixtures, thereby providing a useful solution in extracting oil from tar sands and the cleaning of oil spills. [EurekAlert!]
• Increased wildfires, droughts and floods foreseen -- Climate scientists at the University of Bristol and the University of Southampton contend that more wildfires, drought and floods could occur in the next 200 years across many areas of the planet, including Eurasia, North America and South America, the result of higher global temperatures that they foresee due to increased human activity. [EurekAlert!]
• Erosion of Alps could have been due to climate change -- Scientists at the University of Washington, the University of Bern and the University of Bologna have proposed that the erosion of the Alps from their highest elevations resulted from major erosion due to a sudden drop in the level of the Mediterranean Sea along with a warmer and wetter climate. A blockage of the Mediterranean from the other world oceans and evaporation were responsible for the drop in sea level, which then allowed for increased riverine erosion due to a steeper gradient. [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:

• 21 August 1986...Toxic gas erupted from volcanic Lake Nyos in the West African nation of Cameroon, suffocating over 1700 people and 3000 cattle. The gas was carbon dioxide which, being denser than air, hugged the ground and flowed down valleys. The cloud traveled as far as 15 miles from the lake, moving fast enough to flatten vegetation, including a few trees. (Wikipedia) (Today in Science History)
• 21 August 1997...High winds and torrential rains from one of the worst typhoons to batter China in a decade caused the death of at least 140 at Zhejiang and Jiangsu. (The Weather Doctor)
• 22 August 1994...Hurricane John while about 390 miles south of Hilo, HI was found to have winds at 170 mph and pressure down to 920 mb, making it the strongest hurricane ever in the Central Pacific. It was the third category 5 storm in this area in a month, unprecedented since records began. (Intellicast)
• 23 August 1933...The Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane made landfall over Nag's Head, NC and moved over Norfolk, VA, Chesapeake Bay and Washington, DC. Winds gusted to 88 mph at Norfolk, VA. A tide seven feet above normal flooded businesses in Norfolk, and damage in Maryland was estimated at seventeen million dollars. Sixty percent of Atlantic City, NJ was flooded as was 10 square miles of southwest Philadelphia, PA. Forty seven people were killed and damage was estimated at $47 million (in depression-era dollars) (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
• 23-24 August 1992...Hurricane Andrew on its way to Florida with winds of 150 mph, struck northern Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. The storm surge reached 23 feet. Total damage on the islands topped $250 million. At about 5 AM on the 24^th, Andrew made landfall near Homestead, FL with a central pressure of 922 millibars (27.22 inches). Fowey Rocks coastal marine buoy recorded maximum sustained winds of 141 mph and a peak gust of 169 mph and the National Hurricane Center in Coral Gables had sustained winds of 115 mph with a peak gust of 164 mph. A record storm surge of 16.7 feet occurred in Biscayne Bay. Homestead AFB was practically wiped out. More than 120,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, leaving 250,000 homeless. Forty one died and damage exceeded $25 billion, making Andrew by far the most costly hurricane in U.S. history. Andrew was the third most intense hurricane to strike the mainland behind Camille (1969) and the Labor Day Hurricane (1935) (Intellicast)
• 23-24 August 1998...Almost 18 inches of rain deluged Del Rio, TX between 8 AM on the 23^rd and 6 AM on the 24^th because of stalled remnants of Tropical Storm Charley. Violent flash flooding from San Felipe Creek left residential lots swept bare of homes, with asphalt streets gone. Nine people were killed and 150 injured. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 24 August 1906...A cloudburst deluged Guinea, VA with more than nine inches of rain in just forty minutes. (David Ludlum)
• 24 August 1988...A tropical depression drenched the Cabo Rojo area of southwestern Puerto Rico with up to ten inches of rain. San Juan received 5.35 inches of rain. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• 24-29 August 1785...Hurricane ravaged the Eastern Caribbean Sea from St. Croix, Virgin Islands to Cuba during the last week of August. Over 142 people were reported dead from the storm's impact. (The Weather Doctor)
• 25 August 1885...A severe hurricane struck South Carolina causing 1.3 million dollars damage at Charleston. (David Ludlum)
• 25 August 1927...The August Gale, a hurricane, raged across the East Coast, crossing the Cabot Strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the early morning hours. Hundreds of small boats in Newfoundland ports were among the storm's victims. (The Weather Doctor)
• 25 August -7 September 1979...Hurricane David crossed the island of Dominica on the 29^th, with winds to 145 mph. Roseau, the capital, was devastated. Fifty-six people were killed on Dominica and 60,000 of the island's 80,000 residents were made homeless. About three-quarters of the coconut and banana crop were destroyed. The central pressure in David fell to 924 millibars (27.28 inches) on the 30^th as it moved south of Puerto Rico. At that time, highest sustained winds reached 173 mph. On the 31^st, winds of 150 mph from Hurricane David brought over $1 billion in damage to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, killing over 1200. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 25 August 1987...Morning thunderstorms produced heavy rain in eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa. Stanton, IA reported 10.50 inches of rain. Water was reported up to the handle of automobiles west of Greenwood, NE. Rainfall totals for a two-day period ranged from 7 to 14 inches across southwestern Iowa. Crop damage was in the millions for both states. Subsequent flooding of streams in Iowa the last week of August caused millions of dollars damage to crops, as some streams crested ten feet above flood stage. A new record for monthly rainfall was set at Chicago when a storm brought the total to 15.73 inches erasing the previous record for any month which had been 14.17 inches in September, 1961 (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
• 25 August 1989...Morning thunderstorms drenched Spencer, IN with 4.10 inches of rain in three hours causing extensive street flooding. Evening thunderstorms in eastern Kansas produced up to six inches of rain around Emporia, and four inches of rain in just forty-five minutes near Parsons, and also produced wind gusts to 70 mph at Lake Melvern. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 26 August 1883...Krakatoa Volcano exploded in the East Indies. The explosion was heard more than 2500 miles away, and every barograph around the world recorded the passage of the air wave, up to seven times. Giant waves, 125 feet high and traveling 300 mph, devastated everything in their path, hurling ashore coral blocks weighing up to 900 tons, and killing more than 36,000 persons. Volcanic ash was carried around the globe in thirteen days producing blue and green suns in the tropics, and then vivid red sunsets in higher latitudes. The temperature of the earth was lowered one degree for the next two years, finally recovering to normal by 1888. (David Ludlum)
• 26 August 1949...A hurricane made landfall at Delray Beach, FL. Winds reached 153 mph at the Jupiter Lighthouse before the anemometer failed. The hurricane caused 45 million dollars damage to crops, and also caught the Georgia and South Carolina coast resulting in another two million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)
• 26 August 1992...Hurricane Andrew made its second landfall along the Louisiana coast near Burns Point, as a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Morgan City recorded wind gusts of 108 mph. Hammond was deluged with nearly a foot of rain. Total additional damage was estimated at 1.8 billion dollars. Andrew, which had made its initial US landfall in South Florida on the 24^th, was the most costly natural disaster in US history, with total damage reaching up to $30 billion. Additionally, record hurricane evacuation of 2.4 million people took place in Florida and Louisiana. (Intellicast) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 27 August 1973...The largest documented Canadian hailstone fell at Cedoux, Saskatchewan. The stone weighed 0.55 pounds and measured 4.5 inches across. (The Weather Doctor)
• 27 August 1881...As many as 335 people were lost in the Georgia Hurricane, especially severe at Savannah and Charleston, SC. (Intellicast)
• 27 August 1893...The first of three great hurricanes that year struck South Carolina drowning more than 1000 persons in a tidal surge at Charleston. Landfall was just south of Savannah, GA where sustained winds hit 120 mph. (David Ludlum)
• 27 August 1964...Hurricane Cleo battered Miami and the South Florida area, marking the first direct hit for Miami in fourteen years. Sustained winds of 100 mph gusted to 135 mph, and the hurricane caused 125 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)
• 27 August 1970...Elko, NV was deluged with 3.66 inches of rain in just one hour, establishing a state record. (The Weather Channel)
• 27 August 1995...Remains of Tropical Storm Jerry unloaded 12.32 inches of rain in 24 hours in Greer, SC, a record for 24 hours, for a rain event and for August. At Antreville, 17.00 inches fell in 24 hours, setting a 24-hour rainfall record for the Palmetto State. (Intellicast)
• 28-30 August 1839...A hurricane moved from Cape Hatteras, NC to offshore New England. An unusual feature of the hurricane was the snow it helped produce, which whitened the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Considerable snow was also reported at Salem, NY. (The Weather Channel)
• 28 August 1898...Torrents of rain accompanied by a furious wind upset the rain gage at Fort Mohave, AZ. However, water in a wash tub set out on the mesa, clear of everything, measured eight inches after the 45-minute storm. (The Weather Channel)
• 28 August 1911...Saint George, GA was deluged with 18.00 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a state record that was subsequently broken by the current record of 21.10 inches in July 1994. (The Weather Channel)
• 28 August 1966...As much as 3.78 in of rain fell in one hour at Porcupine Mountain, Manitoba. (The Weather Doctor)
• 28 August 1971...Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Doria caused devastating floods in central and northeast New Jersey resulting in 138 million dollars damage. Newark set an all-time 24-hour record of 7.84 inches. The Princeton area had 11 inches in 36 hours. In southeastern Pennsylvania, high winds downed trees and power lines, and in New York City, heavy rains flooded streets and subways. Doria made landfall on western Long Island with wind gusts of 75 mph in southern New England. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
• 28 August 1988...Tropical Storm Chris spawned a tornado near Manning, SC, which killed one person, and spawned three tornadoes in North Carolina. Chris produced one to two foot tides, and three to six inch rains, over coastal South Carolina. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• August 1813...Hurricane devastated Martinique, causing more than 3000 deaths. (The Weather Doctor)

Return to DataStreme WES Website

Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2006, The American Meteorological Society.