WEEKLY WATER NEWS

18-22 August 2008

Water in the Earth System will return for Fall 2008 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 25 August 2008. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

Water in the News:

• This week is World Water Week -- The Stockholm International Water Institute is hosting an international meeting as part of what is designated as World Weather Week, for this week of 17-23 August 2008. The theme of this meeting is "Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World."[World Water Week]
• Eye on the tropics ---
  • In the North Atlantic basin, Tropical Storm Fay, the sixth named tropical cyclone of the 2008 North Atlantic hurricane season intensified near Haiti late Friday from a tropical disturbance that had formed a day earlier over Puerto Rico. As of late Sunday afternoon, this tropical storm was traveling to the west-northwest across the Caribbean Sea offshore of the southern coast of Cuba. The projected track of this system would cause Fay to turn northward, cross Cuba and the Florida Strait to pass near Key West, FL and enter the eastern Gulf of Mexico by early Tuesday. Intensification to a hurricane was possible. An image and additional discussion of the tropical depression that eventually became Tropical Storm Fay can be found on NASA's Hurricane Page.
  • In the eastern North Pacific basin, Hurricane Hernan, which had become a major category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, weakened and dissipated by midweek. Several images of Hurricane Hernan along with additional information are on NASA's Hurricane Page.
    A weak tropical depression identified as Tropical Depression 10-E formed off the Mexican coast at midweek, but quickly dissipated.
    Tropical Storm Iselle, the ninth named tropical cyclone of the 2008 hurricane season in that basin, formed at midweek off the west coast of Mexico. The tropical storm traveled to the west-northwest, weakening to a tropical depression and then dissipating on Sunday. Several images and additional information on Tropical Storm Iselle are on NASA's Hurricane Page.
  • In the Western North Pacific, Tropical Depression 11W formed in the middle of last week over the waters of the East China Sea south of Korea. This depression reached the coast of South Korea near the end of the week.
    Tropical Storm Vongfong formed late last week over the ocean south of the Japanese archipelago. Over this past weekend, Vongfong was traveling to the east-northeast to the south of the islands. Additional information about and an image of Tropical Storm Vongfong can be found on NASA's Hurricane Page.
    Tropical Depression 13-W formed this past weekend over the western Pacific east of the Philippines and it was moving on a projected path that would take it across the Philippine Sea to the north of Luzon.
• Hurricane forecasting funding quadruples in President's budget request -- The Bush Administration has submitted a budget request for the 2009 fiscal year that includes $17 Million for NOAA's Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project, which more than quadruples the Agency's original request. [NOAA News]
• Another view of hurricanes and climate change -- Recent research conducted at the University of Miami using a new method for evaluating the frequency of hurricane formation indicates that while projected increases in sea surface temperature could cause hurricanes to form more easily and more rapidly, increased wind shear would serve to suppress hurricane formation. [EurekAlert!]
• Weather and climate around the globe in July -- Scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center recently announced that based on preliminary data, the globally averaged land and ocean surface temperature for July 2008 ties this month with the fifth warmest July since worldwide records began in 1880. Neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation conditions returned to the tropical Pacific Ocean following an extended La Niña event. The sea ice across the Northern Hemisphere during the month of July was the fourth smallest since 1979. [NOAA News]
• Drought in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles -- An image of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index for June and July 2008 obtained from data collected by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite shows how the driest year across the Oklahoma Panhandle in more than 85 years has resulted in extensive damage to the vegetation of the crop and pasture lands. [NASA Earth Observatory] An animation of drought status maps generated by the National Drought Mitigation Center shows the evolution of the drought across the region commencing in July 2007. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Evidence of desertification in Africa -- A comparison of the Landsat images made of Mali's Lake Faguibine in the 1970s and in 2005 and 2006 shows the decrease in the size of the lake due to the prolonged drought across the section of Mali located between the Sahara Desert and the Sahel. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Studying possible effects of aerosols upon cloud cover --Scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and colleagues from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Israel's Weizmann Institute are studying anthropogenically generated aerosols and their effect upon cloud cover and climate. They used aerosol and cloud observations from NASA's Terra satellite. [NASA GSFC]
• A maritime heritage expedition is underway in Hawaii -- A research expedition conducted by maritime archeologists from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is currently underway in the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii, with the goal of gaining historical information on shipwrecks and other archeological items in the monument's waters. [NOAA News] During their expedition, the archaeologists from NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries discovered the shipwreck of the British whaling ship Gledstanes that sank in the monument's waters off Kure Atoll in 1837. [NOAA News]
• Hail and farewell -- NOAA recently added a new vessel to its fleet, while retiring its oldest ship:
  • The Okeanos Explorer, called "America's ship for ocean exploration", was commissioned in Seattle, WA. This new vessel will incorporate modern satellite and Internet-based technology to permit land-based scientists to participate in ocean exploration on a real-time basis. [NOAA News]
  • The wooden-hulled NOAA Ship John N. Cobb, a fisheries research vessel, was recently retired in Seattle after 58 years of service that included tuna surveys in the waters of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. [NOAA News]
• Seals dive for climate data -- An international team of French, Australian, US and British scientists have been analyzing ocean data across data sparse sections of the Southern Ocean collected from oceanographic sensors that have been attached to deep diving elephant seals. [CSIRO]
• Rainfall in Middle East could increase due to climate change -- A researcher from Australia's University of New South Wales reports that his research indicates that the projected changes in the global climate would result in increased rainfall across sections of the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East at certain times of the year. While much of the Middle East could see a longer dry season, changes in maximum rainfall locally could affect the region's agriculture. [EurekAlert!]
• Robot scouts seafloor for undersea lab site -- An autonomous submersible developed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has been employed by scientists to help locate two observatory sites, or nodes, for the Regional Scale Nodes Project, a seafloor laboratory that will be located off the Washington and Oregon coasts. [NSF News]
• Countdown begins for upcoming Earth Explorers satellite -- The European Space Agency is preparing for next month's launch from Russia of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite, the first satellite in the Agency's Earth Explorers series that will be placed into low earth-orbit to map the Earth's gravitation field with unprecedented accuracy. This satellite is expected to contribute to oceanography and to climate change studies. [ESA]
• "Dead zones" could be spreading -- Researchers from the College of William and Mary and Sweden's University of Gothenburg report that the number and sizes of the regions of the ocean with too little oxygen to support most marine life, which are also known as "dead zones", have increased during the last decade and are becoming a major stress agent on marine ecosystems. [EurekAlert!]
• Mass extinctions in the oceans foreseen -- An oceanographer from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography warns that the oceans could experience mass extinctions and the "rise of slime" because of the threats to marine ecosystems presented by a variety of factors including overfishing, pollution and climate change. [Scripps News]
• Mass extinction of amphibians documented -- Researchers at San Francisco State University and the University of California claim that large numbers of amphibians around the world have been lost and that human activity has been a contributor to the extinction through changes in climate and through deadly infectious disease being transmitted between species. [EurekAlert!]
• Variations in Antarctic climate linked to tropical Pacific -- A new analysis of Antarctic ice cores by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Washington indicates that the interannual variations in temperature and the century-long temperature increase across West Antarctica appear to be linked with the conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, including periodic events such as El Niño episodes. [UCAR/NCAR]
• Balloons used to study volcanoes -- Researchers from Michigan Technological University and colleagues have been using remotely controlled meteorological balloons to obtain measurements of the temperature, water content and chemical composition of volcanic gases emanating from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano. [Michigan Tech News]
• Unusual molecule helps clean air of acid rain -- Researchers at Purdue University and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a molecule that they claim aids the atmospheric in breaking down those air pollutants such as nitric acid that are responsible for acid rain. This molecule has a hydrogen bonding structure that is similar to the hydrogen bonding that imparts unique properties to water. [Purdue University News]
• Not all green roofs are the same -- A recent study conducted at the University of Texas at Austin warns that different types of green roofs will have differences in the cooling the building and handling the rainwater falling on it. [University of Texas at Austin]
• An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, drought, floods, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
• 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:

• 18 August 1925...During the late morning hours a severe hailstorm struck southeastern Iowa completely destroying crops along a path six to ten miles wide and 75 miles long. The hail also injured and killed poultry and livestock, and caused a total of 2.5 million dollars damage. The hailstorm flattened fields of corn to such an extent that many had to leave their farms in search of other work. It was one of the worst hailstorms of record for the nation. (The Weather Channel)
• 18 August 1924...Record United Kingdom August rainfall of 9.4 inches deluged Cannington (Somerset) England. (The Weather Doctor)
• 18-19 August 1972...Heavy rains led to disastrous flooding on the lower Han River Basin in South Korea. Seoul received 17.36 inches in 22 hours, which represents approximately one-third of its annual average. As many as 500 people were killed and more than 10,000 buildings were washed away. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 18 August 1983...Hurricane Alicia (a category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) ravaged southeastern Texas. The hurricane caused more than three billion dollars property damage, making it one of the costliest hurricanes in the history of the U.S. Just thirteen persons were killed, but 1800 others were injured. The hurricane packed winds to 130 mph as it crossed Galveston Island, created a storm surge of 12 feet and spawned twenty-two tornadoes in less than 24 hours as it made landfall. (The Weather Channel) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
• 18 August 1989...Thunderstorms over the Middle Atlantic Coast Region and the Upper Ohio Valley produced torrential rains in eastern Virginia during the late morning and afternoon hours. Totals ranged up to twelve inches at Yorktown. Williamsburg, VA was deluged with 10.78 inches of rain between 6 AM and 10 AM, with 6.72 inches reported in just two hours. Southern sections of Maryland's Eastern Shore received between 6 to 10 inches of rain, while unofficial reports of 13 to 20 inches were made from southern Delaware. Flash flooding caused nearly twelve million dollars damage in Accomack County, VA. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 18-19 August 2007...A cooperative observer near Hokah in southeastern Minnesota recorded 15.10 inches of rain, establishing a new 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Gopher State. (NCDC)
• 19 August 1559...First recorded U.S. hurricane drove five Spanish ships ashore in Pensacola Harbor along the Florida coast. (Intellicast)
• 19 August 1788...A small but powerful hurricane inflicted great havoc upon forests along a narrow track from Delaware Bay northeastward across New Jersey along the coast to Maine. A similar storm track today would cause extreme disaster in the now populated area. (David Ludlum)
• 19 August 1939...Tuckerton, NJ received 14.81 inches of rain, which established a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Garden State. (NCDC)
• 19 August 1955...Rains from tropical Storm Diane fell on ground saturated from Tropical Storm Connie a week before. Westfield, MA recorded 18.15 inches in 24 hours, to set a statewide record for the Bay State, while the 24-hour precipitation record for the Nutmeg State was set at Burlington, CT with 12.77 inches. Extreme flooding occurred in all of New England. At one point, over 40% of Worcester, MA was underwater. Woonsocket, RI was hit hard as the Blackstone River, normally only 70 feet wide, swelled to over 1.5 miles in width. Eighty-two people died and damage topped $800,000,000. (Intellicast)
• 19 August 1960...The heaviest recorded 24-hour precipitation accumulation to date for the Arctic drenched Mould Bay, Northwest Territories with 1.88 inches of rain. (The Weather Doctor)
• 19-20 August 1969...'Never say die' Camille, an exceptionally strong hurricane that had weakened to a tropical depression as it drifted slowly across the mid-Atlantic states, let loose a cloudburst in Virginia resulting in flash floods and landslides that killed 151 persons and caused 140 million dollars damage. Massies Hill in Nelson County, Virginia received an estimated 27 inches of rain in 24 hours. This amount is an unofficial record for the state, while the official 24-hour maximum precipitation record is 14.28 inches at Williamsburg on 16 September 1999. It was said to rain so hard that birds drowned while perched on tree branches. The James and York River basins in Virginia were especially hard hit. (Intellicast) (David Ludlum) (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 19 August 1989...Early morning thunderstorms deluged southeastern Delaware with six to ten inches of rain in four to six hours, with local reports of 13 to 20 inches of rain. Twenty-six major roads were closed or damaged, and fourteen bridges were washed out. Flooding caused nearly four million dollars damage to local businesses. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• 19 August 1991...Hurricane Bob slammed into New England with 90 mph sustained winds and gusts of 125 mph (at Block Island, RI) and 105 mph (at Newport, RI). It made landfall first at Newport, RI and then final US landfall as a tropical storm at Rockland, ME. A storm surge of 15 feet occurred in Upper Buzzards Bay. Portland, ME had a 24-hour record rainfall of 7.83 inches. Total damage exceeded $1.5 billion dollars and 17 people were killed. This was the worst Hurricane in the Northeast since Donna in 1960. (Intellicast) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 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)
• 21 August 2007…Hail with diameters of up to 5.25 inches fell in southeastern South Dakota, resulting in considerable damage to roofs of buildings. The largest hailstone had a circumference of 18.00 inches and weighed 1.0 pound, which represents the largest documented hailstone in South Dakota since records began in 1950. (NCDC)
• 22 August 1994...Hurricane John while about 390 miles south of Hilo, HI was found to have winds of 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 $17 million. 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 mb (27.22 in.). 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)

Return to DataStreme WES website

Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2008, The American Meteorological Society.