WEEKLY WATER NEWS

7-11 May 2007

Water in the Earth System will return for Fall 2007 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 27 August 2007. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

Water in the News:

• Hollings scholarships for 2007 announced -- NOAA Office of Education officials recently announced that 111 undergraduate college students from 38 states have been awarded scholarships within the 2007 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program. These scholarships are meant to provide training and experience as a means for encouraging students to pursue further study in atmospheric or oceanic sciences. [NOAA News]
• A virtual world is launched as a 3-D Earth-Science island -- The NOAA Earth System Research Lab recently launched "NOAA Second Life Virtual World", a three-dimensional virtual world that contains Earth-Science "islands" allowing users to explore and experience a variety of adventures vicariously such as riding through a hurricane on a NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft or taking a trip through an underwater cave in a NOAA submersible. [NOAA News]
• Artist creates commemorative painting for NOAA's 200th birthday -- A commemorative painting that celebrates NOAA's 200 years of science, service and stewardship will be created by Wyland, a highly regarded artist and environmental advocate who is the founder and the president of the Wyland Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world ocean, waterways, and marine life. [NOAA News]
• Rapid retreat of Arctic Ice found -- Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado's National Snow and Ice Data Center claim that their analysis of the observations by satellites, aircraft and ships indicates that Arctic sea ice is melting at a much faster rate than has been projected by any of the computer models used to develop the 2007 IPCC assessments. [UCAR/NCAR]
• High levels of contaminants found in post-hurricane urban sediments -- Scientists from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science and their colleagues have found that the flood waters collected in New Orleans following in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita during the 2005 hurricane season contained high levels of fecal bacteria and microbial pathogens. [University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science]
• Studying the air-sea interface near hurricanes -- Scientists at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science are using data collected as part of the Coupled Boundary Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) – Hurricane field program to develop a high resolution computer model that would simulate the air-sea interactions and such variables as surface air temperature, surface winds and ocean currents before, during and after a hurricane. [University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science]
• Water supply issues converge for San Diego -- Several factors appear to be converging in what some call the "Perfect Storm" in southern California that could cause major water supply issues for San Diego within the next year -- including reduced water supply from a relatively low Colorado River, a smaller than normal Sierra snow pack and increased demand from local as well as regional expansion of metropolitan areas. [voiceofsandiego.org]
• Italy faces a drought emergency -- At the end of last week, Italy declared a state of emergency across northern and central sections of that nation because of fears of an impending drought caused by continued dry and warm weather across the region. [CNN]
• No irrigation water if Australian drought persists -- As a major drought continues, the Australian Prime Minister recently said that if no sufficient rain occurs across southern Australia within the next two months, no water allocations would be available for irrigation along the Murray-Darling rivers, the nation's largest river system. [US Water News Online]
• Distribution of tropical plants limited by drought -- Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama report that drought tolerance appears to be a critical determinant for the distribution of tropical plants. [EurekAlert!]
• A "twilight zone" detected about clouds -- Scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Israel's Weizmann Institute have found that a zone of tiny particles that are neither cloud droplets nor typical dry aerosols surrounds clouds in the region that heretofore had been considered clear air. This transition zone surrounding the clouds could have a significant impact on climate. [NASA GSFC]
• Indonesian agriculture could be threatened by climate change -- Researchers at Stanford University, the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin reported that rice farming in Indonesia could be harmed significantly by changes in the climate. [EurekAlert!]
• Changes in climate could impact life in streams -- Scientists at Cardiff University report that the warming of the streams and rivers in Wales due to changes in climate during the last quarter of a century have affected the aquatic life in these waterways. [EurekAlert!]
• Disastrous Bristol Channel flood of 1607 could have been a tsunami -- Two authors from Australia and the United Kingdom claim that based on analysis of geological features, the reported storm in the Bristol Channel on 30 January 1607 that killed 2000 people and flooded 500 square km of lowland may have been a tsunami. [EurekAlert!]
• US environmental satellites are in jeopardy -- The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Board of Directors recently warned that proposed budget cuts are threatening the fleet of NOAA and NASA satellites used to monitor planet Earth and provide data essential to hurricane monitoring as well as weather and climate forecasting. [EurekAlert!]
• A historical perspective on the Dust Bowl -- Columnist George Will recently wrote an article that describes the conditions across the nation's midsection during the 1930s that led to what is often associated with the "Dust Bowl." [Minneapolis Star Tribune] [Editor's note: An acquaintance of this editor, Greg Johnson of the US Department of Agriculture in Portland, OR, noted that this article describes the situation leading to the formation of the Soil Conservation Service, which is now called the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). EJH]
• Third part of IPCC Report released -- The third part of the four-part report entitled "Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change" prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was released last Friday in Bangkok, Thailand. This part of the IPCC report, which follows the first two parts issued in early February and April, focuses upon the scientific, technological, environmental, economic and social aspects of mitigation of projected climate change; a distilled version of this portion of the IPCC report, a 35-page summary for policymakers, is available in pdf format. [IPCC] Delegates contend that the technology and money are currently available to aggressively act to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, improve fuel efficiency and utilize renewable energy resources such as solar power so as to avoid increases in global temperatures and associated climate-related disasters. [CNN]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, to include 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:

• 7 May 1988...A powerful storm in the north central U.S. produced up to three feet of snow in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming and the mountains of south central Montana. Up to five inches of rain drenched central Montana in less than 24 hours, and flash flooding in Wyoming caused $1 million in damage. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• 8 May 1360...Thousands were reported killed in a severe hailstorm at Chartres, France. (The Weather Doctor)
• 8 May 1784...A deadly hailstorm in South Carolina hit the town of Winnsborough. The following account appeared in the South Carolina Gazette: "hailstones, or rather pieces of ice measured about 9 inches in circumference: it killed several persons. A great number of sheep, lambs, geese, and the feathered inhabitants of the woods without number". Piles of hail were reported still in existence 46 days later. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
• 8 May 1981...The Dallas/Fort Worth area experienced its worst hailstorm of record as baseball to grapefruit size hail, accompanied by 100-mph winds, caused nearly $200 million damage. Two homes were destroyed and many more were damaged. These figures made it the worst severe thunderstorm in American weather history until 1990. Hail accumulated eight inches deep at Cedar Hill, TX. (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
• 8 May 1992...A vigorous upper level low-pressure system stalled out over the Carolinas for the previous three days unloaded tremendous amounts of snow over the western North Carolina mountains above 4000 feet. Mt. Pisgah (elevation 5721 feet) recorded an incredible 60 inches over the 3-day period, tying the all-time single storm snowfall record for the state. Mt. Mitchell (elevation 6684 feet) was buried under 30 inches of very wet snow. On the previous day, the Greenville-Spartanburg Weather Service Office in Greer, SC had snow mixed with rain, making this the latest date and the first time in May that snow had fallen at this location. (Intellicast)
• 8 May 1995...Thunderstorms with torrential rains struck the New Orleans, LA area. Audubon Park recorded 8.5 in. of rain in only 2 hours. Several locations had over 14 in. total ending early on the 9^th. Five people were killed in the flooding and damage exceeded $1 billion. (Intellicast)
• 9 May 1980...A blinding squall, followed by dense fog, reduced visibility to near zero at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida. The Liberian freighter SS Summit Venture hit the bridge piling, causing a 1200-foot section of the bridge to fall 150 feet into the bay. Several vehicles, including a bus, drove off the edge of the span, resulting in 35 deaths. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (Wikipedia).
• 9 May 1990...A tropical cyclone hit the southeast coast of India, killing 1000 people, even though 400,000 people evacuated because of early warning of the storm. More than 100 miles of coast were devastated as winds reached 125 mph and a storm surge measured at 22 feet flooded inland as far as 22 miles. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 10 May 1977...An unprecedented spring snowstorm, hit southern New England and southeastern New York. This storm, which began on the 9^th, was an elevation storm. Twenty inches of snow fell at Norfolk, CT (elevation 1337 feet) while downtown Hartford received only 1.2 inches. The highest total occurred at Slide Mountain, NY (elevation 2600 feet) with 26 inches falling. Extensive damage to trees and power lines occurred with 500,000 people without power following the storm. This was the first May snow in 107 years of records at Boston, MA although only 1/2 inch fell there. However, in the nearby suburb of Bedford, 9.5 inches fell. Of particular interest is the fact that Concord, NH received all rain from the storm, demonstrating latitude farther north played no role in this snowstorm. (Intellicast)
• 10-11 May 1991...Floodwaters from Soldier Creek and White River washed out many roads and bridges, including 20 miles of railroad track and 42 railroad bridges in the Nebraska Panhandle. In Oral, SD, houses were carried several hundred feet by floodwaters. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 11 May 1833...The ship Lady of the Lake struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic while bound from England to Quebec, resulting in the loss of 215 lives. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 11-12 May 1965...The first of two cyclones that struck East Pakistan (now called Bangladesh) during the year made landfall. This system, along with the one on 1-2 June killed about 47,000 people.
• 12 May 1916...Plumb Point, Jamaica reported 17.80 inches of rain in 15 minutes, which set a world record. (The Weather Doctor)
• 12 May 1972...In Texas, a cloudburst dumped sixteen inches of rain north of New Braunfels sending a thirty foot wall of water down Blueders Creek into the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers washing away people, houses and automobiles. The flood claimed 18 lives and caused more than twenty million dollars damage. (The Weather Channel)
• 12 May 1989...Showers and thunderstorms associated with a low-pressure system stalled over New York State drenched Portland, ME with 4.50 inches of rain in 24 hours. Rains of 5 to 7 inches soaked the state of Maine over a four-day period causing 1.3 million dollars damage. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 13 May 1930...A man was killed when caught in an open field during a hailstorm 36 miles northwest of Lubbock, TX, the first, and perhaps the only, authentic death by hail in U.S. weather records. (David Ludlum)
• 13-14 May 1989...Heavy rain and snow fell along Colorado's Front Range and the north central mountains, with 20 inches of snow recorded at Echo Lake. A 30-ton boulder, loosened by the wet weather, tumbled onto Interstate 70 east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)

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.