WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DATASTREME WES WEEK THREE: 19-23 September 2005

Water in the News

(Thurs.) Hurricane Rita is now number 3 -- Hurricane Rita rapidly intensified to a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson Scale Wednesday afternoon as it moved out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The minimum central pressure fell to 897 millibars (26.49 inches of mercury), meaning that Rita became the third most intense Atlantic hurricane in terms of central pressure since records began in the mid-nineteenth century. Maximum sustained winds reached 175 mph. This monumental hurricane should reach the Texas coast later this week. [CNN]
NASA posts images of Rita in Gulf including views of water temperatures and winds. Also earlier images of Rita's Florida encounter are available. [NASA Life on Earth]
(Thurs.) Floods kill 56 in India -- Heavy rains sent rivers over their banks making thousands homeless and devastating area crops. [USA Today]
(Thurs.) Deforestation monitored from space -- Scientists using the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the NASA Terra satellite indicate that widespread deforestation of the tropical forests in Brazil appears to have affected the rainfall across the US and in many other countries. [NASA GSFC] [NASA GSFC]
(Thurs.) Initiatives to combat desertification unveiled -- Representatives from the United Nations, Italy and Algeria recently announced several initiatives intended to combat desertification in Algeria as an attempt to reduce the size of the country's deserts and help reduce related problems such as poverty. [ENN]
(Thurs.) Workshop to focus on Envisat sensors -- A five-day workshop is to be held next week near Rome, Italy, where more than 200 scientists from at least 30 countries will show how they use two types of sensors onboard the European Space Agency's polar-orbiting Envisat satellite to monitor the ocean, land, atmosphere and ice. The Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) takes images of the precise color of the ocean and coastal zones, enabling determination of the biological and sediment loading of the water, while the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) measures global sea surface temperature (SST) to an accuracy of 0.3 Celsius degrees. [ESA]
(Tues.) Rita takes on the Keys -- Rita, expected to become a minimal hurricane, will pass across the Florida Keys on Tuesday. Rita's storm surge could be from 4 to 7 feet while 6 to 8 inches of rain deluge the islands. [USA Today]
(Tues.) Toxic algae bloom blamed on Florida fish kills -- A spokesperson with the Florida Marine Research Institute reported that toxic algae was found in dead fish recently killed in the Gulf of Mexico off the southwest coast of Florida and appears to be associated with the "red tide" bloom that has lingered across the region for much of this year. [ENN]
(Tues.) Shortages in potable water continue following the Indian Ocean tsunami -- A report issued by the UN Millennium Development Goals update indicates that nearly 90,000 residents of the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean are still experiencing shortages in potable water following the disastrous tsunami that hit their islands in December 2004. [ENN]
(Tues.) Mandating snow/ice-free cars? -- In anticipation of this upcoming winter season, a Massachusetts state legislator has proposed a law that would fine or jail lazy or rushed drivers who fail to remove snow and ice from their vehicles before driving. [USA Today]
(Tues.) Ancient plants in Andean ice field reveal climatic change -- A renown glaciologist from Ohio State University has found 20 new non-fossilized plant species that have been exposed under the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru that could be nearly 6500 years old, indicating widespread climatic change. [EurekAlert!]
A review of summer 2005 prepared -- Scientists at the National Climatic Data Center reported that the recently concluded meteorological summer (June through August) was the tenth warmest nationwide since detailed climate records began in 1895, while globally, these three months of Northern Hemisphere summer were the second highest. Precipitation was above the long-term average across the continental US, with some areas experiencing drought conditions. In addition, the four named tropical cyclones that formed during the summer represented a record number, and Hurricane Katrina appears to be the most destructive hurricane to have struck the nation in terms of economic losses. Due to low barometric pressure and wind considerations, Katrina also ranks as the fourth strongest hurricane in the Atlantic and one of the most powerful to hit the continental US. [NOAA News] The scientists also indicated in their US Drought report for August 2005 that 8 percent of the 48 coterminous states were experiencing extreme to severe drought at the end of the month. [NCDC]
News from Ophelia -- The fourteenth named tropical cyclone and the sixth hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, Ophelia, moved brushed along the North Carolina coast late last week after moving northward on an erratic path of the Florida and Georgia coasts:
- Scientists from the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory used a remotely controlled unmanned aircraft, called Aerosonde, for the first time to probe a tropical cyclone when they sent the specially equipped instrument platform into Tropical Storm Ophelia for 10 hours, where it relayed back observations of the near-surface atmospheric environment considered too hazardous for the traditional hurricane hunter aircraft. [NOAA News]
- The National Hurricane Center employed techniques developed at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to monitor Hurricane Ophelia with satellite imagery, to make analyses and then to prepare forecasts of the anticipated track of the system as it moved along the North Carolina coast late last week. [EurekAlert!]
- The visit by Ophelia to the Outer Banks of North Carolina has created more beach erosion and made the situation worse along the coast. [USA Today]
Additional updates on Katrina -- While this former Category 5 hurricane hit the Gulf coast and dissipated three weeks ago, the nation's attention continues to focus on its aftermath:
- While other governmental agencies on the federal and state levels have been criticized for slow response to the disaster wrought by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service appear to be two agencies that had made remarkably accurate forecasts well in advance of the impending landfall. The Director of the National Hurricane Center also made a nearly unprecedented warning call to the governors of Louisiana and Mississippi and to the New Orleans mayor two days in advance. [USA Today]
- In their report of the recently concluded meteorological summer (June through August), scientists at the National Climatic Data Center reported that the four named tropical cyclones that formed during the summer represented a record number, and Hurricane Katrina appears to be the most destructive hurricane to have struck the nation in terms of economic losses. Due to low barometric pressure and wind considerations, Katrina also ranks as the fourth strongest hurricane in the Atlantic and one of the most powerful to hit the continental US. [NOAA News]
- Fisheries scientists from the NOAA Fisheries Service and from several of the Gulf coast states used a NOAA research vessel during the last week to continue studying the effects that Hurricane Katrina has had on the marine resources and ecosystem along the lower Mississippi River and the Gulf coast of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This study is in conjunction with the announcement by the US Commerce Secretary of a formal determination of a fishery failure along much of the country's Gulf Coast. [NOAA News] Researchers and crew onboard this research vessel have found debris carried out into the Gulf. They did note that the oyster beds appear not to have sustained the major damage from silt as previously suspected. However, oil spills could be a problem, with US Coast Guard estimating 7 million gallons of oil that have been spilled from facilities in southeast Louisiana. [ENN]
- NOAA Navigational Response Teams , along with the US Coast Guard and FEMA, are attempting to respond to the hazardous materials in New Orleans flood waters in addition to continuing search and rescue missions. These teams have employed airborne LIDAR instruments and satellite imagery to create detailed aerial maps of the devastated regions and assist in the tracking of the progress of removing floodwaters from the Crescent City. [NOAA News] By late last week, ports on the Gulf Coast and river channels along the Mississippi River were again navigable and safe for ship traffic, in part due to the efforts of the Navigational Response Teams. [NOAA News]
- The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced that new tests of water samples taken daily from the floodwaters in New Orleans following Katrina reveal dangerous levels of sewage-related bacteria and lead, along with high levels of chromium compounds. [ENN]
- A Dutch flood expert is offering advice to his American counterparts concerning preparations in anticipation of another devastating hurricane similar to Katrina, based upon his experiences with how Holland has made changes to its flood control systems following the storm surge that caused flooding and the deaths of over 1800 people in 1953. [CNN]
- Researchers at the Dartmouth Flood Observatory at Dartmouth University have been collaborating with state and federal officials in developing maps intended to aid in the analysis of river and coastal flooding associated with Katrina. [Dartmouth News]
- An ecologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that more rain across New Orleans and adjacent sections of southern Louisiana and Mississippi would be beneficial since the added rainwater would help dilute some of the floodwaters that have a variety of sewage and other harmful pollutants. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]
Modeling the effects of storm surge -- An engineering professor and his graduate students have been using storm surge models to study how the storm surge and coastal flooding caused by a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale could affect the Tampa Bay area along the west coast of Florida. They plan to run similar models for Miami and Jacksonville on Florida's east coast. [University of Central Florida]
Hurricanes appear to be stronger -- Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the National Center for Atmospheric Research report that the worldwide number of major hurricanes, rated Category 4 and 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, appears to have nearly doubled since 1970, while the total number of hurricanes has dropped . [NCAR/UCAR] See [EurekAlert!] for graphic of time series of hurricanes.
Below average monsoon rains in Arizona -- Experts with the Arizona State University and the National Weather Service in Phoenix, AZ report that the official weather station at Phoenix received less than normal precipitation during the recent Southwest monsoon season that appears to have run from mid July to a week ago. [USA Today]
The effects of global change on the Alaskan tundra and native peoples studied -- Several faculty members from the different departments at the University of Cincinnati have been studying the impacts that higher global temperatures appear to have had upon the Inupiaq people of Alaska and the tundra along Alaska's North Slope, including draining lakes, more uncertain Arctic ice packs and thawing permafrost. [University of Cincinnati]
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.

THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX -- The Autumnal Equinox will occur on Thursday, 22 September (officially at 2223Z, or 6:23 PM EDT or 5:23 PM CDT, etc.). At that time the noontime sun will appear directly above the equator, representing one of the two times during the year for such an occurrence, with the other being the vernal equinox in March. The term "equinox" arises from the fact that this time of year represents "equal night" and equal day essentially everywhere. Within the subsequent several days, the length of daylight will become noticeably shorter. This decrease in daylight will continue for another three months to the winter solstice on Wednesday, 21 December 2005.

Concept of the Week: Great Lakes Water Levels

In recent years, Great Lakes water levels declined significantly to near historic lows. In late 2000, Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie experienced their lowest water levels in 35 years with serious implications for lake-based activities. Over the past year or so, however, changes in weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed appear to have somewhat reversed the decline in water levels, but they still remain below long-term averages.

From 1997 to 2001, Lakes Michigan and Huron dropped by 104 cm (40.8 in.) and Lake Erie dropped by 96 cm (37.6 in.), encompassing the greatest three-year drop in lake levels since continuous records began in 1860. This dramatic decline in lake level was due to a combination of weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed. Rainfall, snowfall, and air temperature during winter and spring govern water levels of the Great Lakes in spring and summer. Spring melting of the winter snow pack in the watershed is an important contributing factor as is air temperature that ultimately governs evaporation rates. During 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000, lower than normal precipitation and higher than normal temperatures reduced the winter snow pack, decreased discharge on rivers flowing into the lakes, and accelerated lake evaporation. Although input of water into the Great Lakes was above the long-term average in Fall 2001, lake levels remained well below average because of less than the usual snow melt in the Spring of 2001 and less than normal winter ice-cover in 2001-02. (More open water translates into greater winter evaporation.)

Great Lakes water levels showed signs of recovery during 2002, but in early 2003, all the lakes were lower than the long-term average for that time of year. A cool wet summer in the eastern Lakes region, but dry summer weather across the west meant that lake levels for the upper lakes continued to remain below average, while the lower lakes had levels that returned to near average. The cool summer of 2004 was very similar to 2003, with below average precipitation across the western Lakes and above average rainfall over the eastern Lakes. By mid September 2004, Lakes Erie and Ontario had water levels that were above the long-term monthly average. However, following a dry spring and summer of 2005, lake levels have fallen below long-term averages. Lake Superior is approximately 14 cm (5 in) below the long-term averages and 10 cm (4 in) below one year ago. Lakes Michigan and Huron are about 45 cm (18 in) below the long-term average in September 2005. (The Straits of Mackinac that link Lakes Michigan and Huron are so wide and deep that the levels of these two lakes are essentially the same.) Levels on Lakes Erie and Ontario were slightly below the long-term average (4 cm or 1.5 in)

Low lake levels adversely impact commercial navigation, marinas, recreational boaters, and electric power facilities. Shallower than usual water requires expensive and environmentally damaging dredging to keep shipping channels navigable and ports open. Even with more dredging, some channels cannot accommodate the draft of heavily laden freighters. Reduced carrying capacity impedes transport of grain, coal, ore, and other raw materials to processing facilities and markets. In 2000, Lake Carriers transported 5% to 8% less cargo, sending prices higher. If storm winds cause near-shore water levels to fall, marinas, docks, and boat ramps may be temporarily inaccessible. The Great Lakes supply most of the potable water for lakeshore communities and cooling water for coal-fired and nuclear electric power plants located along their shores. A drop in water level may require costly repositioning of intake pipes. On the positive side, lower lake levels translate into broader beaches and wetland habitats and less shoreline erosion.

For more information on past, current, and anticipated Great Lakes water levels, go to http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/, a web page maintained by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). Records of Great Lakes water levels constitute one of the longest high quality hydrometeorological data sets in North America, dating back to about 1860. Lake level measurements are collected and archived by NOAA's National Ocean Service.

Concept of the Week: Questions

With rising temperatures, the rate of evaporation of water [(increases)(decreases)].
A trend toward snowier and colder winters and springs is likely to cause levels of the Great Lakes to [(rise)(fall)].

Historical Events

18 September 1926...The great "Miami Hurricane" produced winds reaching 138 mph which drove ocean waters into Biscayne Bay drowning 135 persons. The eye of the hurricane passed over Miami, at which time the barometric pressure dropped to 27.61 inches. Tides up to twelve feet high accompanied the hurricane, which claimed 372 lives. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
19 September 1967...Hurricane Beulah deluged Brownsville, TX with 12.19 in. of rain in 24 hrs, to establish a record for that location. Hurricane Beulah made landfall on the 20th near the mouth of the Rio Grande River, where a wind gust of 135 mph was reported by a ship in the port. (19th-20th) (The Weather Channel)
20 September 1845...A tornado, called the "Adirondack Tornado" traveled 275 mi across Lake Ontario, New York and Lake Champlain, after starting as a waterspout over Lake Ontario and then traveling as a tornado through New York State to exit as a waterspout again on Lake Champlain. The treefall in the forest is still discernible. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) (Intellicast)
20 September 1909...A strong hurricane made landfall in southeastern Louisiana. A 15-ft storm surge flooded the Timbalier Bay area. Some 350 people perished. (Intellicast)
20-23 September 1942 -- A torrential rainstorm hit Canada's Maritime Provinces. During these four days, 13.99 in. fell at Stellarton, Nova Scotia and 10.83 in. at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Halifax, Nova Scotia received 9.40 in. of rain on the 21 September. (The Weather Doctor)
21 September 1938...The "Great New England Hurricane" smashed into Long Island and bisected New England from New Haven, CT across Massachusetts and Vermont, causing a massive forest blowdown and widespread flooding. Winds gusted to 186 mph at Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, MA, and a storm surge of nearly 30 ft caused extensive flooding along the coast of Rhode Island. The hurricane killed over 600 persons and caused $500 million damage. The hurricane, which lasted twelve days, destroyed 275 million trees. Hardest hit were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Long Island NY. The "Long Island Express" produced gargantuan waves with its 150 mph winds, waves which smashed against the New England shore with such force that earthquake-recording instruments on the Pacific coast clearly showed the shock of each wave. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
21-23 September 1992...Torrential rains deluged the south of France. As much as 17 in. fell in a 12-hr spell on the 22^nd. A 49-ft high wall of water swept through Vaison la Romaine. Whole trees penetrated houses and vehicles. At least 38 died. (Accord Weather Calendar)
22-23 September 1998... Hurricane Georges raked Hispaniola leaving over 580 dead in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, due mainly to flash flooding and subsequent mud slides in high terrain regions. Damage estimates from the storm exceeded $1 billion (US). (The Weather Doctor)
23 September 1551...The Grand Harbour at Valetta, Malta was hit by a waterspout that then moved inland and caused extensive damage. A shipping armada in the harbor about to go into battle was destroyed by the waterspout killing at least 600 people. (The Weather Doctor)
23 September 1815...One of the most powerful hurricanes to strike New England made landfall initially on Long Island, NY and then again at Old Saybrook, CT before crossing into Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Extensive structural damage resulted. Providence, RI was flooded and six people were killed. This "Great September Gale" was the worst tempest in nearly two hundred years, equal in strength to the Great 1938 Hurricane, and one of a series of severe summer and autumn storms to affect shipping lanes that year. (David Ludlum)
25 September 1939...A West Coast hurricane moved onshore south of Los Angeles bringing unprecedented rains along the southern coast of California. Nearly five and a half inches of rain drenched Los Angeles during a 24-hr period. The hurricane caused $2 million in damage, mostly to structures along the coast and to crops, and claimed 45 lives at sea. "El Cordonazo" produced 5.66 in. of rain at Los Angeles and 11.6 in. of rain at Mount Wilson, both records for the month of September. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
25 September 1997...While much of San Bernardino and Inyo Counties in California are desert, between 1 to 2 inches of rain from former Pacific Hurricane Nora fell across a large portion of these counties. State highway 190 was washed out between Panamint Springs and Stove Pipe in Death Valley National Park. Flooding also shut down many other park roads. (Accord Weather Calendar)
25-26 September 1962...Torrential rains from severe thunderstorms over the hilly regions to the west and north of Barcelona, Spain resulted in flooding and considerable property much damage. Many buildings collapsed. Tarassa was particularly hard hit with approximately 500 deaths. (Accord Weather Calendar)