26-30 May 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.

• National River Cleanup Week observed -- This coming week (31 May-8 June 2008) has been declared as National River Cleanup Week across the nation by American Rivers, a national non-profit conservation organization. [National River Cleanup Week]
• Eye on the tropics -- The weather across the tropical oceans was not very active during the past week. Typhoon Halong, which had become a category 1 typhoon (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) passed across the Philippine Island of Luzon and then traveled northeastward over the western North Pacific. The system dissipated early last week as it passed south of Japan. Additional information and images are available from the NASA Hurricane Page.
• Hurricane Preparedness Week -- With the beginning of the official 2008 hurricane season for the North Atlantic Basin beginning on 1 June, next week (25-31 May) has been declared National Hurricane Awareness Week. The National Hurricane Center maintains a hurricane preparedness website that provides information and educational material for the various hurricane hazards to include storm surge, high winds, tornadoes and flooding. (A Spanish version of this website is also available.) The 2008 hurricane season has begun in the eastern North Pacific basin last Tuesday (15 May). A similar hurricane preparedness website is also maintained by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, HI with some information specific for the central Pacific basin.
  Editor's Note: Based upon hurricane records that commence in 1949 for the eastern North Pacific basin, the earliest hurricane of the season for that basin was Hurricane Alma, a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, that formed on 12 May 1990 and reached hurricane status on the 15th. On the other hand, the latest hurricane of the season was Hurricane Winnie, which became a Category-1 hurricane on 6 December 1983 and dissipated a day later. EJH
• Hurricane season outlooks issued --- With the onset of the hurricane seasons in both the North Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific, forecasters with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center have released their outlooks for the upcoming hurricane seasons:
• For the North Atlantic basin, the outlook indicates a better than even chance (90 percent) of near normal to above normal hurricane activity. Specifically, the outlook calls for 12 to 16 named tropical cyclones (hurricanes and tropical storms), including six to nine hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes (Category 3 hurricanes or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale). The forecasts point to a continuation of the warmer than average sea surface temperatures across the eastern North Atlantic and a recent trend toward more active seasons as contributing to the anticipated active 2008 season. [NOAA News] For comparison, Phil Klotzbach and Bill Gray at Colorado State University released an updated forecast of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season in early April calling for 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes, four of which could become major hurricanes. [The Tropical Meteorology Project] Long-term statistics indicate nearly 11 named cyclones, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
• For the Eastern North Pacific basin (east of 140 degrees West longitude), the outlook from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center suggests a better than even chance (70 percent) for a below-normal hurricane season. The outlook would call for 11 to 16 named tropical cyclones, with five to eight hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes. The forecasters indicate that a combination of a lingering La Niña event and the cool phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation may cause a suppression of tropical cyclone activity in that basin. [NOAA News] For comparison, the long-term averages for the eastern Pacific basin include 15 to 16 tropical named cyclones, nine hurricanes and four to five major hurricanes.
• For the Central North Pacific basin (between 180 degrees and 140 degrees West longitude), Forecasters at NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center expect a season with three to four tropical cyclones, which would be slightly below average. The lower anticipated numbers could be related to the weakening La Niña conditions. [NOAA News] A long-term average of between four to five tropical cyclones for the central North Pacific includes nearly two hurricanes, two tropical storms and one or two tropical depressions.
• Future could have fewer, but more intense hurricanes -- Researchers at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory claim that the results of simulations run on a regional model indicate that fewer hurricanes could occur during the last two decades of the 21st century, but these hurricanes could be more stronger with precipitation that would be more intense. They indicate that the projected increases in greenhouse gases would have little impact upon the frequency of tropical cyclones, with changes in the large-scale circulation, such as vertical wind shear, and water vapor appearing to be the dominant factors. [NOAA News]
• "Acidified" ocean water found along West Coast -- Scientists from NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory along with those from Oregon State University, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Mexico's University of Baja California who participated in last summer's North American Carbon Program West Coast Cruise found that the ocean water on the continental shelf along the west coast of North America from Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands south to Mexico's Baja California had become increasingly more acidic than anticipated. [NOAA News] In addition to the research along the Pacific Coast, European ocean scientists are conducting research into ocean acidification as part of the European Science Foundation's EUROCORES (European Collaborative Research) Programme EuroCLIMATE. [EurekAlert!]
• Key sensor is planned for new generation of satellites -- The US Naval Research Laboratory has been selected by NOAA to develop a sensor for the next generation of National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) satellites that would use microwave radiation to construct images and soundings of the atmosphere, leading to improved imagery needed for monitoring and forecasting. [NOAA News]
• A new satellite will help track global sea level -- NOAA scientists recently announced that they will be using data collected from instruments on the Jason-2/Ocean Surface Topography Mission satellite that will be launched in mid-June that will extend the 15-year record of global sea level, which commenced with the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 altimeter missions. This extended record would not only serve to document long-term changes in sea level due to global climatic change, but to the intensities of tropical cyclones and El Niño/La Niña events on shorter time scales. [NOAA News] [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Spring flooding returns to Siberia -- Images taken 10 days apart by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite show the extent of spring flooding on Siberia's Lena River. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Lake forms from Chinese earthquake -- A series of images obtained from the Formosat satellite in mid-May shows the development of a lake in China’s Sichuan Basin following the recent massive magnitude 7.9 earthquake that shook the region and caused thousands of fatalities. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Public input for a lagoon restoration is invited -- Officials at NOAA’s Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuary are seeking public input on the management and restoration of the Bolinas Lagoon, a tidal estuary found along the San Andreas Fault in northern California near San Francisco's Golden Gate. [NOAA News]
• 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.

• 26-27 May 1771...A famous Virginia flood occurred as heavy rains in the mountains brought all rivers in the state to record high levels. As many as 150 lives were lost in the Richmond, VA area in the great James River Flood. (Intellicast) (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders -1987)
• 26 May 1967...A slow moving nor'easter battered New England with high winds, heavy rain, and record late season snow on this day and into the 26^th. Winds 70 to 90 mph in gusts occurred along the coast. Over 7 inches of rain fell at Nantucket, MA with 6.57 inches falling in 24 hours to set a new 24-hour rainfall record. Severe damage occurred along the coast from very high tides. The 24.9 inches of snow that fell at Mount Washington, NH set a new May snowfall record. Other locations in New Hampshire received 10 inches of snow near Keene and 6 inches at Dublin. (Intellicast)
• 26 May 1984...Thunderstorms during the late evening and early morning hours produced 6 to 13 inches of rain at Tulsa, OK in six hours (8.63 inches at the airport). Flooding claimed 14 lives and caused $90 million in property damage. As many as 4600 cars, 743 houses, and 387 apartments were destroyed or severely damage in the flood. (Storm Data) (The Weather Channel)
• 26 May 1987...Thunderstorms in southwest Iowa spawned five tornadoes and produced up to ten inches of rain. Seven inches of rain at Red Oak forced evacuation of nearly 100 persons from the town. Record flooding took place in southwest Iowa the last twelve days of May as up to 17 inches of rain drenched the area. Total damage to crops and property was estimated at $16 million. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 26 May 1990...Flash flooding occurred along Mineral Fork in Missouri's Washington State Park shortly after local midnight. Approximately 100 people had to be rescued from water up to 20 feet deep. Some vehicles washed four miles downstream. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 26 May 2001...The 2000-2001 snowfall season finally came to an end in St John's, Newfoundland, during which time a grand total of 255.3 inches of snow fell. The total snow, which broke a century-old mark, was estimated to have weighed 500 million tons! (The Weather Doctor)
• 27 May 1755...The first municipal water pumping plant in America was installed at Bethlehem, PA., by Hans Christopher Christiansen. The city was supplied from a 70-foot high tank that was filled with water pumped from a spring through wooden pipes. Although Boston, MA, had built a piped municipal water supply from a spring to a 12-foot square reservoir, the installation at Bethlehem was the first to use a pumping plant. (Today in Science History)
• 27 May 1984...Thunderstorms unloaded 8.63 inches of rain on Tulsa, Oklahoma in only 6 hours. The resultant flash flooding killed 14 people and total damage was $89.6 million. (Intellicast)
• 27-31 May 1987...Thunderstorms produced torrential rains in Oklahoma and northern Texas. Five days of flooding commenced in Oklahoma, as thunderstorms produced 10 to 13 inches of rain in central Oklahoma. Up to six inches of rain caused flooding in north central Texas. Oklahoma City reported 4.33 inches of rain in six hours on the 27^th. On the 28^th, Lake Altus, OK was deluged with nine inches of rain. Up to eight inches drenched northern Texas, and baseball size hail was reported north of Seminole and at Knickerbocker. The flooding during the last five days of May in central Oklahoma resulted in an estimated $65 million damage and forced several thousand persons to evacuate their homes, many by boat or helicopter. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 28 May 1963...A cyclone killed about 22,000 people along the coast of East Pakistan.
• 28 May 1990...Two to five inches of rain over southeastern Ohio on the 28^th and 29^th capped an exceptionally wet month of May, and triggered widespread flooding. Flooding that resulted claimed three lives, and caused millions of dollars in damage. Numerous roads in southeast Ohio were flooded and made impassable, and many other roads were blocked by landslides. (Storm Data)
• 29 May 1914...Shallow river fog along the St. Lawrence River approximately 185 miles from Quebec City, Quebec contributed to the collision of the CP Liner Empress of Ireland and a Norwegian coal ship, The Storstad. The liner sank in 25 minutes drowning 1024 passengers. (The Weather Doctor)
• 29 May 1986...Hailstones up to 3.2 inches in diameter pounded South Shore in Montreal, Quebec, causing over $65 million in damage. (The Weather Doctor)
• 29 May 1987...Thunderstorms deluged the Texas Hill Country with up to eleven inches of rain. Severe flooding along the Medino, Hondo, Seco, Sabinal and Frio rivers caused more than $50 million in damage. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• 30 May 1948...The Columbia River swollen from snowmelt reached its highest stage since 1894. A railroad bed acting as a dam gave way during a flood along the Columbia River destroying the city of Vanport, which had been Oregon's second largest city during World War II. The nearly 18,700 residents escaped with little more than the clothes on their backs, as the river put the city under 15 feet of water in two hours. Damage was estimated at $101 million and 75 people lost their lives. The city died that day. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 30 May 1961...Thunderstorms dropped over 10 inches of rain in less than an hour at Buffalo Gap, Saskatchewan, breaking a long drought. (The Weather Doctor)
• 30 May 1983...Unusually high temperatures throughout the western United States caused great runoff from snowpack in Rocky Mountains. The flooding washed out bridges and caused mudslides in Nevada. (Intellicast)
• 30 May 1991...Three thunderstorms produced 5.65 inches of rain in a 3-hour period across New Marlboro and Sheffield, MA resulting in severe flooding. Many roads and several bridges were washed out eventually isolating the two towns. About 89 miles of road were damaged. Typical washouts ranged up to 8 feet deep and roads that were 25 feet wide were reduced to only 10 feet. Power outages were widespread and a state of emergency was declared. The flooding was the worst since 1955 for the area and total damage was estimated near $10 million. (Intellicast)
• 30-31 May 1997...As many as 140 people had to be rescued from rip currents off Dayton Beach Shores, FL. One man died in a rip current while trying to save his wife. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 31 May 1889...The Johnstown, PA disaster occurred, the worst flood tragedy in U.S. history. Heavy rains totaling 4 to 10 inches over the previous 36 hours collapsed the South Fork Dam sending a thirty-foot wall of water rushing down the already flooded Conemaugh Valley. The wall of water, traveling as fast as twenty-two feet per second, swept away all structures, objects, and people, practically wiping out Johnstown. About 2100 persons perished in the flood. (David Ludlum)
• 31 May 1911...Violent Derby Day thunderstorms killed four horses on Epsom Downs in Southeastern England. Local flooding/landslides, lightning, and wind gusts inflicted damage across lowland England. Seventeen people were killed in the London area. (The Weather Doctor)
• 31 May-1 June 1941...Thunderstorms deluged Burlington, KS with 12.59 inches of rain to establish a 24-hour rainfall record for the Jayhawk State. (The Weather Channel)
• 1-17 June 2001...The deadliest and costliest tropical storm in US history, Tropical Storm Allison, wandered westward across the tropical Atlantic and crossed over into the Pacific before reversing and moving back into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. On 1 June the tropical wave, which eventually evolved into TS Allison, moved into the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific coast of Mexico after moving westward across the tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean from the west coast of Africa on 21 May. On the 2^nd, a cyclonic (counterclockwise) circulation developed to the south-southeast of Salma Cruz, Mexico, but the low-level circulation became ill-defined as the system moved inland on the 3^rd over southeastern Mexico and western Guatemala. This system intensified again and eventually moved northward to the Texas Gulf Coast and then eastward to the Atlantic before turning into an extratropical storm in mid-June. (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, 2008, The American Meteorological Society.