16-20 August 2004

Water in the Earth System will return for Fall 2004 with new Water News and Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 30 August 2004. All the current online homepage products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

• Death toll associated with Hurricane Charley rises -- Hurricane Charley, which developed into a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale earlier last week, made landfall along the Gulf coast of southwest Florida late Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people and more than an estimated $15 billion in damage. [USA Today]
• Undersea mission cut short -- As Hurricane Charley approached the Florida Keys, aquanauts participating in an undersea research mission were forced to leave the NOAA's underwater laboratory Aquarius as a precaution. [NOAA News]
• Deadly typhoon hits China--Typhoon Rananim hit the China coast at the end of last week, killing at least 113 people, injuring 1800 and causing major damage to buildings. This typhoon (the western North Pacific equivalent to a hurricane) had winds over 100 mph and was rated the strongest typhoon to hit China in seven years. [USA Today]
• Another active hurricane season forecast -- Following Bill Gray's updated hurricane forecast last week in which he amended an earlier forecast slightly downward, NOAA scientists issued their forecast maintaining what they think will be an active hurricane season. These NOAA scientists suggest that as many as 12 to 15 tropical storms could possibly form, with six to eight becoming hurricanes, and two to four of these becoming major hurricanes. [NOAA News] For more information on Gray's updated forecast refer to http://typhoon.atmos.colostate.edu/forecasts/
• 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.

• 16 August 1909...A dry spell began in San Bernardino County of southern California that lasted until the 6th of May in 1912, a stretch of 994 days! Another dry spell, lasting 767 days, then began in October of 1912. (The Weather Channel)
• 17 August 1915...A hurricane hit Galveston, TX with wind gusts to 120 mph and a twelve-foot storm surge which inundated the city. The storm claimed 275 lives, including forty-two on Galveston Island, with most deaths due to drowning. Of 250 homes built outside the seawall (which was constructed after the catastrophic hurricane of 1900), just ten percent were left standing. (The Weather Channel)
• 17 August 1969...Camille, the second worst hurricane in U.S. history, smashed into the Mississippi coast, making landfall at Pass Christian, MS with sustained winds of 190 mph and gusts well over 200 mph. Winds gusted to 172 mph at Main Pass Block, LA, and to 190 mph near Bay Saint Louis, MS. The hurricane claimed 256 lives, and caused 1.3 billion dollars damage. Several ocean going ships were carried over seven miles inland by the hurricane. The hurricane produced winds to 200 mph, and a storm surge of 24.6 feet. Complete destruction occurred in some coastal areas near the eye of the hurricane. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
• 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 August 1927...Atmospheric pressure in an unnamed tropical storm fell to 887 millibars (26.18 inches) over the Pacific 460 miles east of Luzon, Philippines. The pressure, which was actually measured on the Sapoerea, was one of the lowest surface measurements on record. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 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)
• 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)
• 20 August 1886...The town of Indianola, TX was completely destroyed by a hurricane, and never rebuilt. (David Ludlum)
• 20 August 1988...Approximately 2 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes on the Calico Mountains of California. A two-foot wall of water roared down a canyon serving as a parking lot for the Calico Ghost Town, bashing 60 vehicles. While no injuries were reported, this flood destroyed approximately half of a 144-space campground and caused substantial mud and water damage. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 20 August 1997...Rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ignacio left a record 0.19 inches of rain at Sacramento, CA. Previously, not even a trace of rain had been recorded on this date during the 120 years of record keeping in California's capital. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 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)

Return to WES Homepage

URL: WES/news.html

Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2004, The American Meteorological Society.