Weekly Ocean News

WEEK ONE: 29 August - 2 September 2016

Items of Interest:

Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2016 Campaign is underway -- The ninth in the series of GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaigns for 2016 will continue through Friday, 2 September. GLOBE at Night is a worldwide, hands-on science and education program designed to encourage citizen-scientists worldwide to record the brightness of their night sky by matching the appearance of a constellation (Cygnus in the Northern Hemisphere and Sagittarius in the Southern Hemisphere) with the seven magnitude/star charts of progressively fainter stars. Activity guides are also available. The GLOBE at night program is intended to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution. The next series in the 2016 campaign is scheduled for 22 September - 1 October 2016. [GLOBE at Night]
World Water Week in Stockholm is underway -- The 26th annual "World Water Week in Stockholm" is being held from Sunday 28 August through Friday 2 September in Stockholm, Sweden. This week-long global water conference, which is arranged by the Stockholm International Water Institute, addresses a wide range of the world's water, development and sustainability issues and related concerns of international development. This year's World Water Week Theme is "Water for Sustainable Growth." [World Water Week in Stockholm]
A change in seasons -- This Wednesday, 31 August 2016, marks the end of Northern Hemisphere's meteorological summer, the three-month span of June, July and August that meteorologists frequently use for record keeping processes. Meteorological autumn (September, October and November) for the Northern Hemisphere starts the following day, 1 September 2016.
Additional information will be presented in the next several weeks concerning meteorological seasons and the astronomical seasons, such as the familiar autumn season that begins on the autumnal equinox in three weeks on Thursday, 22 September 2016.
Ocean charts, units, location and time -- Please read this week's Supplemental Information…In Greater Depth for a description of a several types of oceanographic charts along with the definitions of some units commonly used in ocean science to locate positions on the Earth's surface and to identify time.
September is National Preparedness Month -- The upcoming month of September has been declared National Preparedness Month (NPM), which is aims to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters. NPM is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), which has provided a toolkit of marketing materials to help promote the month, is the lead on this campaign that was originally launched in 2004. The theme for 2016 NPM is "Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today," with an emphasis on preparedness for youth, older adults, and people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. During this week (28 August-12 September) the theme is "Kickoff to National Preparedness Month."
[FEMA's Ready.gov]
NOAA's National Weather Service is working with FEMA to communicate the importance of emergency preparedness as a key component of its Weather-Ready Nation campaign. [NOAA Weather Ready Nation]
Viewing of Earth from space commenced 70 years ago -- A 1:47 minute video shows a progression of images of planet Earth made from space beginning with the first image of a portion of the Earth along with clouds made at an altitude of 65 miles from a 35-millimeter motion picture camera mounted on a captured V-2 rocket launched from White Sands Missile Range in October 1946. [Forbes.com]

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the Tropics -- The weather across the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere were active during the last week with several named tropical cyclones (low pressure systems that form over tropical ocean waters, with near surface maximum sustained winds that intensify to tropical storm or hurricane force status):

In the North Atlantic basin, Tropical Storm Fiona, the sixth named tropical cyclone of 2016, continued to travel toward the west-northwest across the western tropical Atlantic waters as a weak tropical storm at the start of last week. Weakening to a tropical depression, Fiona finally weakened to a remnant low approximately 430 miles to the south of Bermuda by late Tuesday morning. More information and satellite imagery on Tropical Storm Fiona are available on the NASA Hurricane Page.
A new tropical depression formed in the eastern sections of the Atlantic basin approximately 360 miles to the west-southwest of the Cabo Verde (or Cape Verde) Islands at the start of last week, rapidly intensifying to become Tropical Storm Gaston on Tuesday morning (local time). Over the course of last week, Tropical Storm Gaston traveled to the west-northwest and then to the northwest before becoming the third hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. approximately 1200 miles to the west of the Cabo Verde Islands. After a few hours as being recognized as a hurricane, Gaston weakened to a tropical storm. However, by early Sunday, Gaston had become a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it was located approximately 650 miles to the east-southeast of Bermuda. By Sunday night, Hurricane Gaston had intensified to a major category 3 hurricane as maximum sustained surface winds were determined to be 115 mph from satellite estimations. At that time Gaston was located approximately 580 miles to the east of Bermuda. Current forecasts indicate that Gaston would turn to the north on Monday and then toward the northeast and east-northeast on Tuesday. Little change in strength was anticipated during the first two days of the week. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite imagery and more information of Hurricane Gaston.
On this last Sunday morning, the Atlantic's eighth tropical depression of 2016 formed approximately 300 miles west of Bermuda or 400 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, NC. Identified as Tropical Depression 8, this system was traveling to the west toward North Carolina's Outer Banks. Continuing its westward track, Tropical Depression 8 had moved to approximately 355 miles to the southeast of Cape Hatteras. Current forecasts indicate that this system would begin curving toward the west-northwest and then to the north by early Monday morning. Some strengthening was anticipated, with the possibility that Tropical Depression 8 could become a tropical storm* on Monday. Interests along the Outer Banks were advised to monitor the progression of this system.
Another tropical depression formed early Sunday evening in the Florida Straits approximately 55 miles northeast of Havana, Cuba or 60 miles south of Key West, FL. Identified as Tropical Depression 9, it was moving to the west. Forecasts indicate that this system should travel away from the Florida Keys and into the Gulf of Mexico by early Monday morning, followed by a turn toward the west-northwest. Intensification into a tropical storm* was possible on Monday.
*Note the next Atlantic tropical storm to form would be named Hermine, followed by Ian.
In the eastern North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Kay, the eleventh named eastern Pacific tropical cyclone of 2016, continued to travel toward the west-northwest over the waters approximately approximately 400 miles to the west of Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. Over the first two days of the week Kay traveled to the west-northwest as a minimal tropical storm before weakening to a tropical depression and becoming a remnant low by mid afternoon on Tuesday approximately 710 miles to the west of Cabo San Lucas. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite images and additional information on Tropical Storm Kay.
At midweek a new tropical depression formed 260 miles to the southwest of Socorro Island off the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. By early Thursday morning this tropical depression had intensified to become Tropical Storm Lester as it traveled toward the west-northwest. On Friday evening Lester became the hurricane of 2016 in the eastern North Pacific as it was located 550 miles to the southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. On Saturday Lester intensified to a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as maximum sustained surface winds reached an estimated 105 mph. Some weakening occurred on Sunday, with Lester being downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Sunday afternoon as it was located 1020 miles to the west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
Forecasts indicate that Lester should show little change in intensity as it continues to travel generally toward the west on Monday and Tuesday. Consult the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite images on Lester.
The second tropical depression of the week formed on Friday afternoon near the western border of the eastern North Pacific basin, approximately 1300 east of Hilo, HI. This tropical depression strengthened to become Tropical Storm Madeline by early evening as it continued toward the 140 degrees west longitude meridian, the border between the eastern and central basins. On Saturday afternoon Madeline entered the central Pacific basin as it continued to intensify. By midday Sunday, Tropical Storm Madeline was located approximately 885 miles to the east of Hilo, HI, with movement toward the northwest. Current forecasts indicate that Madeline could strengthen slightly on Monday before weakening as to was projected to travel toward the northwest and then toward the west by Monday night.
In the western North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Mindulle lost its tropical characteristics as it passed by the Japanese island of Honshu at the start of last week. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite images and additional information on Tropical Storm Mindulle.
Tropical Storm Lionrock strengthened to become a typhoon (equivalent of a hurricane) by midweek as it traveled to the east of Japan's Ryukyu Islands. Through the second half of the week, Lionrock continued to intensify into a major category 4 typhoon (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) as it traveled in a somewhat erratic path to the south of the main Japanese islands. As of early Monday (local time) Typhoon Lionrock was traveling to the northeast and was located approximately 400 miles to the south of Yokosuka near Tokyo, Japan. Forecasts indicate that Lionrock could make landfall near Sendai, Japan on Tuesday. Satellite images and additional information are available on the NASA Hurricane Page for Tropical Storm Lionrock
Tropical Depression 14W formed near Guam just before the midpoint of last week. However, this tropical depression had a relatively short life as it was absorbed by another tropical low pressure system within two days. Satellite imagery and information concerning Tropical Depression 14W is available from the NASA Hurricane Page.

NASA's remotely piloted aircraft alerts NOAA's hurricane center on intensification of an Atlantic tropical cyclone -- Weather data obtained by dropsondes deployed from NASA's Global Hawk, an unmanned surveillance aircraft, early last Thursday morning were used by NOAA's National Hurricane Center to upgrade the status of Tropical Storm Gaston to a hurricane classification. Global Hawk took off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Wednesday morning and had deployed more than six dozen dropsondes in the vicinity of Tropical Storm Gaston that was located approximately 1100 miles to the west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Wind data from one of the dropsondes indicated that maximum sustained near surface winds had reached 75 mph, the threshold for classification as a hurricane. This upgrade represents a first time that data obtained from a remotely piloted aircraft was made in the decision making process. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News] Additional information concerning the use of NASA's Global Hawk aircraft as part of NOAA's Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) research project is available. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News]
Hurricanes around the globe can be tracked back for at least 150 years -- As the typical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, the public as well as emergency management officials in possible hurricane strike areas are encouraged to consult NOAA's "Historical Hurricane Tracks," a free online tool to study patterns of where hurricanes may strike along coastal sections of the nation. This Hurricane Tracker contains data for more than 6000 tropical cyclones in all ocean basins around the globe for the past 150 years. The archived positions, sustained winds and minimum central pressure data for each storm are then displayed on geographic information system (GIS) software called ArcGIS Server. [NOAA National Ocean Service News] or [NOAA Climate.gov Maps]
Reasons provided for September peak in Atlantic hurricane season -- A NOAA News feature explains why the frequency of hurricanes in the North Atlantic basin tends to peak during the early part of September. Atmospheric dynamics (especially involving wind shear or the change in wind speed and/or direction with height) and thermodynamics (ocean temperature and atmospheric humidity) play key roles in the explanation. [NOAA News]
National Hurricane Center's storm surge expert is interviewed -- Jamie Rhome, the leader of the Storm Surge Unit at NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) was recently interviewed and provided answers to questions asked about the hazards associated storm surge accompanying with approaching tropical cyclones, especially hurricanes and tropical storms. He also described the experimental storm surge models that have been developed in the last several years along with the information on storm surge from impending tropical systems that NHC will be providing the public with its new Potential Storm Surge Flooding Map and the Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic. [NOAA News]
Experience, gender and politics influence how public perceives stronger hurricanes -- Researchers at Princeton University, Auburn University-Montgomery, the Louisiana State University and Texas A&M University recently reported on their findings based upon a survey of Gulf Coast residents concerning perceived changes in hurricane intensity. During the last several decades, objective measurements of tropical cyclone intensity based upon wind speeds, storm-surge height and economic damage reveal an increase in the destructiveness of North Atlantic hurricanes. The results of the public survey indicate that the severity of the most recent tropical cyclone that a respondent experienced tended to play the largest role in determining whether this person believed Furthermore, options also differed on gender, political affiliation and belief in climate change. [Princeton University News]
Dramatic rescue of 46 crew members from vessel in Bering Sea involves NOAA and satellites -- The following event is an example of NOAA's role in the international Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system. The largest single rescue event in waters around the United States occurred this past July as 46 crew members were rescued from the disabled and sinking fishing vessel Alaska Juris drifting in the Bering Sea off Alaska. Weather detected distress signals from two emergency beacons activated from the vessel were received by NOAA satellites that relayed these distress signals to NOAA's Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, MD, which immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard. As the Coast Guard launched a C-130 aircraft from Kodiak, AK, a resource management specialist with NOAA Fisheries in Juneau, AK monitored the location of the sinking ship using the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and aided by GPS and satellite technology was able to estimate the drift trajectory of the Alaska Juris and alert two nearby "Good Samaritan" fishing vessels who located the sinking vessel and helped rescue more than half the crew members German and Norwegian commercial cargo ships rescued the rest of the crew. [NOAA NESDIS News]
More reliable and coast efficient current sensor is created for mariners -- NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) has created the updated Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) system, an improved and more reliable current sensor system for navigation buoys. This current system collects the data on the current speed and direction and transmits these data by satellite to help mariners more safely navigate busy shipping channels. [NOAA National Ocean Service News]
Underwater habitats around WWII wrecks explored by submersibles -- An expedition involving a collaboration between NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), and North Carolina Studies Institute. Project Baseline is currently underway in the waters of the western North Atlantic off North Carolina's Outer Banks. The research vessel Baseline Explorer and two manned Triton submersibles are on station off Cape Hatteras and will explore the remains of the German submarine U-576 and the Nicaraguan freighter SS Bluefields that sank in July 1942 during the World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. NCCOS will primarily work with the interpreting acoustical information related to benthic habitat mapping and fish habitat characterization. The expedition team will also explore several other submerged World War I, World War II and Civil War vessels that are located nearby. NOAA is currently considering an expansion of the boundaries of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include the wrecks of the U-576, the Bluefields and other historic shipwrecks. .[NOAA News] [Editor's note: Additional information and current updates on this expedition can be viewed on the ["Battle of the Atlantic: Archaeology of an Underwater World War II Battlefield" on NOAA's Ocean Explorer website EJH
Sunken Japanese cargo ship discovered and explored near Wake Atoll -- Earlier this month, the NOAA Okeanos Explorer discovered the submerged Japanese cargo ship Amakasu Maru No.1 that was sunk by the American submarine USS Triton in December 1942 off Wake Atoll in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer, which was deployed from the Okeanos Explorer, explored the Amakasu Maru No.1, with the dive streamed live on the Internet. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News]
Improvements in determining water vapor amounts over land and sea could lead to improved weather predication -- Scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have made new updates to determining the total amount of atmospheric humidity in a column of air from satellite-retrieved data that will enable weather forecasters to make improved predictions of severe weather. The CIMSS scientists developed an update for the "Morphed Integrated Microwave Imagery at CIMSS – Total Precipitable Water" (MIMIC-TPW) algorithm, which had been used in tropical weather analysis over oceans, that permits the determination of the total precipitable water (a measure of the bulk amount of water vapor in an column of air) over land. [University of Wisconsin-Madison News]
Airborne science mission is underway to study climate effects of smoke on clouds over Africa -- NASA scientists and two of the agency's research aircraft recently were dispatched to Walvis Bay, Namibia to participate in ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS), a five year investigation designed to study key processes that determine the climate impacts of aerosols produced by biomass burning in southwest Africa. The Namibian coast of southwest Africa is considered to be a unique natural laboratory with both persistent low-level marine layer clouds and a steady supply of tiny airborne smoke particles from inland fires that mix with the clouds. [NASA Press Release]
Sounds from marine animals may aid in studying coral reef health -- Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and their colleagues have found that marine animal larvae use sounds created by adult fish and invertebrates as a cue to settle on coral reefs. Underwater sounds generated by underwater loudspeakers could be useful for helping steer larvae to damaged reefs. [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution News]
Describing the Pacific Decadal Oscillation -- A blog was written by a contractor for NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) that describes in relatively easy to understand terms the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and how this rhythmic change in sea surface temperature (SST) pattern across the North Pacific Ocean can affect the weather and climate variations over a large section of the Northern Hemisphere surrounding the Pacific basin. A PDO index is defined and the long-term index values commencing at the start of the 20th century displayed. Comparisons are made between precipitation anomalies across the 48 contiguous United States during the cold season (November through March) taken between 1901 and 2014 in terms of PDO events and during El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
Nation's climate normals now being defined in new ways -- In response to concerns voiced by various user groups about the usefulness of the traditional 30-year climate normals (from 1918-2010) in light of current changing climate conditions, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) are now computing "supplementary monthly temperature normals." These new normals, which are available as pdf-files for several thousand stations around the 48 contiguous United States, are computed for monthly maximum and minimum temperatures based upon averages over 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year intervals, along with two additional sets of statistics (the Optimal Climate Normal and the Hinged Fit normals).[NOAA NCEI News]
An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA's National Weather Service, FAA and FEMA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAA/NWS Daily Briefing]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com]

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD --

A request: If you have some ocean-related experience that you would like to share with other DataStreme Ocean participants, please send them to the email address appearing at the bottom of this document for possible inclusion in a News file. Thank you. EJH

Concept of the Week: Touring the DataStreme Ocean Website

NOTE: This Concept for the Week is a repeat of that which appeared in last week's Weekly Ocean News.

Welcome to DataStreme Ocean! You are embarking on a study of the world ocean and the role of the ocean in the Earth system. This unique teacher enhancement course focuses on the flow and transformations of energy and water into and out of the ocean, the internal properties and circulation of the ocean, interactions between the ocean and the other components of the Earth system, and the human/societal impacts on and responses to those interactions. Throughout this learning experience, you will be using the RealTime Ocean Portal to access and interpret a variety of environmental information, including recent observational data. The objective of this initial Concept of the Week is to explore features of the RealTime Ocean Portal website.

On Monday of each week of the course, we will post the current Weekly Ocean News that includes Ocean in the News (a summary listing of recent events related to the ocean), Concept of the Week (an in-depth analysis of some topic related to the ocean in the Earth system), and Historical Events (a list of past events such as tsunamis or specific advances in the understanding of oceanography). When appropriate, a feature called Supplemental Information-In Greater Depth will be provided on some topic related to the principal theme of the week.

You will use the RealTime Ocean Portal to access and download the weekly "Current Ocean Studies" that complement Investigations found in your Ocean Studies Investigations Manual. These materials should be available Monday morning. Click the appropriate links to download and print these electronic Current Ocean Studies and answer forms as well as your Chapter Progress and Investigations Response forms.

The body of the RealTime Ocean Portal provides links to the Earth System, information on Physical & Chemical, Geological, and Biological aspects of the ocean, Atmosphere/Ocean Interaction, the Great Lakes, and extras-a glossary of terms, maps and educational links. Following each section is a link to other sites that examine the various subsystems of the Earth system. Let's take a quick tour to become more familiar with the RealTime Ocean Portal.

Under Physical & Chemical, click on Sea Surface Temperatures. This image uses a color scale to depict the global pattern of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) (in degrees Celsius) averaged over a recent 7-day period and based on measurements by infrared sensors onboard Earth-orbiting satellites. (Depending on your browser, you may have to place your mouse cursor on the slide bar to the right and scroll down to view the entire image.) Compare SSTs in the Northern Hemisphere with those in the Southern Hemisphere. Return to the RealTime Ocean Portal.

Under Geological, click on Current Earthquake Activity. The USGS Current World Seismicity page provides a global map of the locations of seismic (earthquake) events color-coded for the past seven days. The size of the squares represents the magnitude of recent earthquakes. Note how earthquakes are concentrated along the margin of the Pacific Ocean. Details of recent earthquakes can be found by clicking on their map squares. Return to the RealTime Ocean Portal.

The ocean is home to a wide variety of habitats and organisms. Under Biological, click on Ocean "Color" (Productivity). This is a satellite-derived (SeaWiFS) color-coded map of biological productivity in the surface waters of the world ocean is averaged from October 1978 to date. Orange and red indicates the highest productivity, while dark blue and violet indicate the lowest productivity. Note the vast areas of relatively low productivity over the central regions of the subtropical ocean basins. Individual months within this period may be chosen for viewing. Now return to the RealTime Ocean Portal.

Under Atmosphere/Ocean Interaction, click on TRMM/GPM Tropical Rainfall. The TRMM/GPM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) page includes color-coded maps of the Monthly Mean Rainrate (in mm per day) across the tropics for the last 30 days ending on the present date. Changes in rainfall are linked to large-scale shifts in the atmosphere/ocean circulation in the tropics. Now return to the RealTime Ocean Portal.

Take a few minutes when you have time to browse the other data and information sources available via the RealTime Ocean Portal. Return frequently to learn more about the many resources on the ocean in the Earth system. Bon voyage!

Concept of the Week: Questions

The latest global sea surface temperature map indicates that SSTs are generally higher over the [(western)(eastern)] tropical Pacific Ocean.
The USGS map of Current Earthquake Activity indicates that earthquakes appear to be more common along the [(east)(west)] coast of North America.

Historical Events

29 August 1583...The Delight was wrecked on Sable Island, Nova Scotia during a heavy gale, blinding rain and thick fog. This was Canada's first recorded marine disaster, taking 85 lives. (The Weather Doctor)
29 August 1979...Winds associated with Hurricane David reached 145 mph as the hurricane crossed the island of Dominica. The capital city, Roseau, was devastated, with 56 fatalities and 60,000 out of a population of 80,000 left homeless. About three-quarters of the coconut and banana crops were destroyed. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
29 August 1988...The remnants of Tropical Storm Chris drenched eastern Pennsylvania with up to five and a half inches of rain, and produced high winds that gusted to 90 mph, severely damaging a hundred boats in Anne Arundel County, MD. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
29 August 1994...Hurricane John, also known as Typhoon John, lasted 30 days as it affected both the northeast and northwest Pacific basins making it the longest lasting tropical cyclone. It formed in the northeast Pacific, reached hurricane force there, moved across the Dateline and was renamed Typhoon John, and then finally recurved back across the dateline and renamed Hurricane John again. (National Weather Service files)
29 August 2005...Hurricane Katrina, the costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in US history, made landfall along the Louisiana Gulf Coast southeast of New Orleans as a category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale after reaching category 5 status. Massive destruction was reported in coastal Mississippi and in New Orleans. As many as 1833 people reportedly died from Katrina in the US. (National Hurricane Center)
30 August 1913...The US Navy tested the Sperry gyroscopic stabilizer (automatic pilot). (Naval Historical Center)
30 August 1942...A hurricane weakened in moving 160 miles across south Texas from landfall at Matagorda to San Antonio, winds still gusting from 50 to 70 mph at San Antonio for more than five hours. Seventy of 75 planes were damaged at the city airport. Many trees were destroyed, but the famed Alamo's walls withstood the storm. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
31 August 1842...The U.S. Naval Observatory was authorized by an act of Congress. (Today in Science History)
31 August 1954...Hurricane Carol swept across eastern New England killing 60 persons and causing $450 million damage. It was the first of three hurricanes to affect New England that year. (National Weather Service files)
1 September 1858...The first transatlantic cable failed after less than one month of service. (Today in Science History)
1-2 September 1935...Perhaps the most intense hurricane ever to hit the U.S. struck the Florida Keys with sustained winds of over 155 mph with gusts exceeding 200 mph. On the 1^st, the "Labor Day Hurricane" formed rapidly over the Bahama Islands and intensified into a Category 5 hurricane (on the Saffir Simpson Scale) with sustained winds of over 155 mph and gusts exceeding 200 mph. On the next day, this hurricane generated a 15-foot tide and waves 30-ft high, as it became the first known Category 5 hurricane to hit the U.S. Mainland. More than 400 persons perished in the storm on that Labor Day, including many World War I veterans building a bridge from the Keys to the mainland. The barometric pressure at Matecumbe Bay, FL hit a record low for the U.S. at 26.35 inches of mercury (or 892 millibars). (David Ludlum) (The Weather Doctor)
1 September 1974...Navy Lieutenant Judy Neuffer became the first woman to pilot a plane through the eye of a hurricane. (Northern Indiana NWSFO)
1 September 1985...A joint French-American expedition headed by the American explorer, Robert D. Ballard, located the wreck of the sunken liner RMS Titanic on the floor of the North Atlantic using an experimental and unmanned submersible craft Argo. The wreckage of the Titanic, which sank in April 1912 on its maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg, was found at a depth of about 13,000 feet and approximately 400 miles west of Newfoundland. (The History Channel)
1 September 2002...Typhoon Rusa was the most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in over 40 years as 132 people were reported dead or missing. Winds gusted up to 127 mph and up to 36 inches of rain fell in eastern and southern South Korea. (National Weather Service files)
2 September 1752...The British Empire adopted the Gregorian Calendar, nearly two centuries later than most of western Europe (primarily 1582). To correct the imprecise leap year correction in the Julian Calendar, 11 days were dropped making the following day 14 September. (Wikipedia) (Today in Science History)
2 September 1775...The 1775 Newfoundland hurricane, also known as the "Independence Hurricane", was a hurricane that hit the Colony of Newfoundland in September 1775. It is believed to have killed at least 4,000 people, making it one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes of all time. The death toll in Virginia and North Carolina was 163 lives. (National Weather Service files)
2 September 1935...The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, one of the most intense hurricanes to ever hit the U.S., struck the Florida Keys, packing 200-mph winds and killing between 408 to 600 people. The hurricane produced a 15-foot tide and storm surge waves 30 feet high. The barometric pressure at Matecumbe Bay, FL hit a United States record low of 26.35 inches of mercury (892.4 mb). (National Weather Service files)
3 September 1821...A hurricane made landfall at Long Island, near the current J.F. Kennedy Airport and then moved through western Connecticut. The hurricane produced a record high tide at New York City. (David Ludlum)
3 September 1930...A Category 4 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) devastated Dominican Republic on this day. This hurricane killed more than 8,000 individuals, which is it the fifth deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. (National Weather Service files)
4 September 1954...Icebreakers, USS Burton Island (AGB-1) and USCG Northwind, completed first transit of the Northwest Passage through McClure Strait. (Naval Historical Center)
4-6 September 1970...Moisture from Pacific Tropical Storm Norma led to heavy rain and severe flooding over a three-day span. Unprecedented rains caused rivers in central Arizona to rise five to ten feet per hour, sweeping cars and buildings as far as 30 to 40 mi downstream, leading to the greatest natural disaster of record for Arizona. Flooding claimed the lives of 23 persons, mainly campers, and caused millions of dollars in property damage. Water crested 36 feet above normal near Sunflower. Workman's Creek was deluged with 11.40 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a 24-hour precipitation record for the Grand Canyon State. An estimated six inches of rain fell at Bug Point, UT, setting a 24-hour precipitation record for the Beehive State. (The Weather Channel) (NCDC)
4 September 2004...Former Category 4 Hurricane Frances made landfall in Florida as a Category 2. Over a foot of rain soaked parts of the Sunshine State.(National Weather Service files)
4 September 2007...Hurricane Felix came ashore in the pre-dawn hours as a Category 5 storm on the Miskito Coast in Nicaragua. At the time of its landfall, the maximum sustained surface winds were approximately 160 mph. Felix killed at least 130 people along the Miskito Coast, with damage in Nicaragua totaling $46.7 million dollars.(National Weather Service files)