WEEKLY WATER NEWS

28 July-1 August 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.

Water in the News:

• Eye on the tropics --- During the last week:
  • In the North Atlantic Basin, Tropical Storm Dolly developed over the western Caribbean Sea and made an initial landfall. Just before making landfall along the lower Texas Gulf Coast near Brownsville last Wednesday, Hurricane Dolly intensified to become a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale. The hurricane weakened as it moved to the west-northwest across southern Texas and northern Mexico. By the weekend, clouds and rain that represented remnants of Dolly had moved into west Texas and adjacent sections of southern New Mexico. Despite the winds, Hurricane Dolly brought much needed rain to the Lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. [NOAA News] A classic visible image from NOAA-17 shows the spiral cloud formation surrounding the relatively clear central eye of Hurricane Dolly just before it made landfall in south Texas. [NOAA OSEI] A MODIS image from NASA's Terra satellite was taken just after landfall. [NASA Earth Observatory] Additional information and imagery on Hurricane Dolly appear in NASA Hurricane Page.
    Tropical Storm Cristobal traveled northeastward off the Eastern Seaboard early last week before becoming extra-tropical. See additional information on the NASA Hurricane Page
  • In the eastern North Pacific, Tropical Storm Genevieve, the seventh named tropical cyclone of the 2008 hurricane season in that basin, formed off the southwestern Mexican coast at the beginning of last week. By midweek, this low-pressure system intensified into the fourth hurricane of the season in the eastern North Pacific last Friday. However, by Saturday, this minimal hurricane began to weaken as it traveled to the west-northwest and it was downgraded to a tropical storm. Additional information concerning Hurricane Genevieve can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
    Hurricane Fausto, which had reached category-2 status during the previous week, dissipated early last week offshore of Mexico's Baja California. Satellite images and additional information concerning Hurricane Fausto appear on the NASA Hurricane Page.
  • In the western North Pacific, Typhoon Fung-Wong developed late last week to the east northeast of Luzon in the Philippines and traveled west, becoming the seventh typhoon (the western North Pacific's equivalent of a hurricane) of 2008 for that basin. On late Sunday (local time) this system had become a category 2 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. As of early Monday (local time) this typhoon was approaching Taiwan.
• A hurricane leaves a telltale trail -- A image of the sea surface temperatures across the North Atlantic basin obtained in early July from data collected by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows a distinguishable trail of cold water following in the wake of Hurricane Bertha as it traveled across the ocean basin. [NASA Earth Observatory] Editor's note: Remnants of Hurricane Bertha finally lost its tropical characteristics and became extra-tropical one week ago and the National Hurricane Center issued its last advisory for this longest-lived July tropical system. [NASA Hurricane Page]
• Hurricane preparedness issues remain -- A new hurricane preparedness survey recently conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health Project on the Public and Biological Security revealed that only one-third of Gulf Coast survivors of Hurricane Katrina claim that they would be adequately prepared for another major hurricane. Major worries voiced by residents of high-risk coastal counties involved availability of drinking water, medical care and gasoline for evacuation. [EurekAlert!]
• Typhoons can bury tons of carbon -- An earth science professor at Ohio State University and colleagues claim that their analysis of water and river sediments appears to indicate that a single typhoon (or hurricane) passing across Taiwan may bury as much carbon in the surrounding ocean waters as the additional annual rain from all other storm systems combined. [Ohio State University]
• A trip to the beach can be deadly -- Ocean currents generated by a storm earlier last week became treacherous last Friday and Saturday as they claimed four lives in the coastal waters of New York State's Long Island. [CNN]
• New flash flood forecast system tested -- The National Center for Atmospheric Research is currently testing the new the NCAR Front Range Flash Flood Prediction System along Colorado's Front Range that is designed to provide better advance notice of flooding on some of the region's most flood-prone streams. [NSF News]
• An interesting Earth-Moon portrait --An animation provided by sequences of images obtained by NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft from a distance of 31 million miles during late May shows both the Earth and moon over one rotation of the earth. Planetary scientists associated with this mission are attempting to use a variety of images in the visible and the infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum to recognize those signals that indicate the presence of liquid water, considered to be necessary to support life. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Responding to an oil spill in the Big Easy -- An oil spill spread downstream along one of the main stems of the lower Mississippi River following last Wednesday's collision of a 200-foot fuel barge and a 600-foot chemical tanker north of the Crescent City Connector Bridge in New Orleans, LA. A multi-agency Unified Command from the state and federal governments, including the NOAA National Weather Service and NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, responded to this situation by monitoring of environmental conditions, providing trajectory predictions and assessing the environmental impacts. [NOAA News]
• Rich coral reef ecosystem seen from space -- An image obtained from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor on NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite shows the coral reefs and the shallow lagoons of New Caledonia in the western Pacific that boasts the third-largest coral reef structure in the world with rich biodiversity. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Arctic warming may be suppressed by wildfire smoke -- Researchers from the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) report that temperature increases across the Arctic basin could be halted or even reversed if smoke from wildfires currently burning across the northern forests surrounding the basin continues to spread across the region, reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface. [NOAA News]
• New explanation offered for monsoon development -- Researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the National Center for Atmospheric Research have proposed a new explanation for the formation of the monsoon circulation patterns that involves the interaction between tropical and midlatitude atmospheric circulation regimes. This new theory, which is based upon the results of a computer model, represents an overhaul of a more than three-century old theory that involved a gigantic sea-breeze analogue. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• New pressures seen for wetlands -- With the conclusion of the 8th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference in Brazil, the more than 700 wetland experts who attended the conference issued the Cuiaba Declaration that urge policy makers to resist pressure to convert wetlands into croplands because of the major pressures from rising prices for energy and food. Thirteen points were enumerated in this declaration. [EurekAlert!]
• New desalination membrane could help provide clean water -- A team of researchers, including a chemical engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin, has developed a chlorine-tolerant membrane that can be used in the desalination of water. The researchers claim that this new membrane would reduce desalination costs, resulting in increased access to fresh water and possibly reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases. [University of Texas at Austin]
• Hydrothermal vent field found north of Arctic Circle -- Using a remotely operated vehicle, scientists from five nations have found a cluster of five hydrothermal vents on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These scientists claim that they found the northernmost active black smoker vents. [EurekAlert!]
• Flow from Amazon helps ocean capture carbon dioxide -- Researchers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the University of Southern California report that the outflow of water from South America's Amazon River system is providing sufficient nutrients to nourish unexpected plant life for at least 1000 km out into the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in a major ocean capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This finding is contrary to the previously held theory that the Amazon was serving as a source of this greenhouse gas. [NSF News]
• Addition of lime to the oceans could reduce carbon dioxide levels --A group of scientists claim that adding lime to seawater could increase the alkalinity of seawater and reduce the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to levels that predated the Industrial Revolution. [EurekAlert!]
• Satellite surveillance of ocean surface helps in extreme event forecasts -- With the recent launch of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason 2, NASA and NOAA scientists discuss the role that the altimeters onboard its predecessors (Jason 1 and Topex/Poseidon) have had on monitoring the world's ocean surface, increasing the accuracy and timeliness of hurricane and tsunami forecasts. [NASA]
• Autonomous snowmobiles travel the Arctic for ice research -- Based on NASA technology applied to the Mars rovers, engineers and scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau have designed and tested several SnoMotes, unmanned, autonomous, toy-size robots that are to travel across treacherous sections of the Arctic and Antarctic, collecting accurate measurements of the melting ice. [NASA]
• Air pollution seen to create serious impacts to Northeastern ecosystems -- In a report entitled "Threats From Above: Air Pollution Impacts on Ecosystems and Biological Diversity in the Eastern United States" that was recently released by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and The Nature Conservancy, air pollution was found to be degrading every major ecosystem type in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States, including the major estuaries along the Eastern Seaboard. [EurekAlert!]
• An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, drought, floods, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
• 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 -- [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

• 28 July 1819...A small but intense hurricane passed over Bay Saint Louis, MS. The hurricane was considered the worst in fifty years. Few houses were left standing either at Bay Saint Louis or at Pass Christian and much of the Mississippi coast was desolate following the storm. An U.S. cutter was lost along with its thirty-nine crewmembers. The storm struck the same area that was hit 150 years later by Hurricane Camille. (David Ludlum)
• 28 July 1952...A severe storm with hail up to an inch and a half in diameter broke windows, ruined roofs, and stripped trees of leaves near Benson, AZ. The temperature dropped to 37 degrees, as hail was three to four inches deep, with drifts 46 inches high. (The Weather Channel)
• 28 July 1988...Thunderstorms drenched Wilmington, NC with 3.33 inches of rain, bringing their monthly total 14.46 inches. Seven cities in Michigan and Minnesota reported record high temperatures for the date. Marquette, MI hit 99 degrees, and the record high of 94 degrees at Flint, MI was their tenth of the month. (The National Weather Summary)
• 28 July 1989...Afternoon thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in Massachusetts. Early evening thunderstorms over Florida produced wind gusts to 68 mph at Fort Myers, and evening thunderstorms in South Dakota produced nearly two inches of rain in twenty minutes at Pierpoint. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 28 July 1997...An excessive rain event, with 14.5 inches of rain falling in a 31-hour span ending at 10 PM, led to a 10 to 15 foot wall of water that destroyed 108 homes and damaged 481 in a model home park in Fort Collins, CO. Five people were killed and 40 were injured. Floodwaters flowed through the library at Colorado State University, resulting in 500,000 books being ruined or damaged. At one point during the evening, more than 10 inches fell in less than a five-hour span. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 29 July 1905...Heavy rain in southwestern Connecticut caused a dam break, and the resulting flood caused a quarter of a million dollars damage at Bridgeport. As much as eleven inches of rain fell prior to the flood. (David Ludlum)
• 29 July 1986...Intense thunderstorm belted Rhode Island with 5.57 inches of rain at T.F. Green Airport in Providence, RI along with one-half inch hail. Hail accumulated to 4 inches at Narragansett with 6.03 inches of rain to boot. (Intellicast)
• 29 July 1989...Morning thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest produced more than five inches of rain west of Virgil, SD. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms deluged the foothills and adjacent plains of Colorado with heavy rain. Rains of six to seven and a half inches fell in eight hours north of Greeley. Hail and heavy rain caused several million dollars damage in Weld County. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• 30 July 1979...A forty-minute hailstorm bombed Fort Collins, CO with baseball to softball size hail. Two thousand homes and 2500 automobiles were damaged, and about 25 persons were injured, mainly when hit on the head by the huge stones. A three-month-old baby died later of injuries. (The Weather Channel)
• 30 July 1989...Morning thunderstorms over central Missouri deluged Columbia with 5.98 inches of rain causing flash flooding. Daytime thunderstorms in Kentucky drenched Paducah with 1.73 inches of rain in less than half an hour. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 30 July 2001...For the fifth time in six weeks, a significant flash flood occurred in Madison County, NC. Floodwaters on Big Laurel Creek swept a bridge away and again washed out roads. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• June-August 1998...Flooding that occurred along the Yangtze River basin of south central China, the Gulf of Tonkin area and far northern China along the Russian border killed more than 3656 people, destroyed five million homes and left 14 million homeless. Up to 66.28 inches of rain fell in June and July at Quinzhou. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 31 July 1769...Hail fell 12 inches deep and lasted for 30 hours at Scituate, MA. (Intellicast)
• 31 July 1861...Numerous world rainfall records were set at Cherrapunji, India as of this last day of July. These records include: 366.1 inches for a single 31-day month (during July 1861); 502.63 inches for two months (June-July 1861); 644.44 inches for three months (May-July 1861); 737.72 inches for four months (April-July 1861) and 1041.78 inches for 12 months (Aug. 1860-July 1861). (WMO, NWS)
• 31 July 1976...A stationary thunderstorm produced more than ten inches of rain in just four and one half-hours that funneled into the narrow Thompson River Canyon of northeastern Colorado. A wall of water six to eight feet high wreaked a twenty-five mile path of destruction from Estes Park to Loveland killing 156 persons. The flash flood caught campers, and caused extensive structural and highway damage. Total damage was $35.5 million. Ten miles of U.S. Highway 34 were totally destroyed as the river was twenty feet higher than normal at times. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
• 31 July 1978...A 50-yard wide waterspout came onshore at Kill Devil Hills, NC and destroyed a small house. One person died and four were hurt. Waterspouts are typically considered relatively benign. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 31 July 1982...Flash floods resulting from more than six inches that fell on Knoxville, TN caused three million dollars in damage. The World's Fair in Knoxville was hard hit by floodwaters on Second Creek. Water was waist deep at the Fair's north gate. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 31 July 1991...Roswell, NM closed out the month with a total of 6.68 inches of rain to set a new record for the month. (Intellicast)
• 1 August 1954...Mount Rainier in Washington State was still covered with sixteen inches of snow at the 5500-foot level following a big snow season. (David Ludlum)
• 1 August 1969...Severe hailstorm pummeled Montreal, Quebec. Hailstones measured from 0.5 to 0.75 inches in diameter. (The Weather Doctor)
• 1 August 1977...Excessive rains at Muduocaidang, China were responsible for establishing two world records, to include 33.07 inches in 6 hours and 55.12 inches in 10 hours. (WMO, NWS)
• 1 August 1985...A nearly stationary thunderstorm deluged Cheyenne, WY with rain and hail. Six inches of rain fell in six hours producing the most damaging flash flood of record for the state; a 24-hour precipitation record for the Cowboy State was also established with 6.06 inches. Two to five feet of hail covered the ground following the storm, which claimed twelve lives and caused 65 million dollars property damage. Ten of the deaths occurred along Dry Creek when people were swept away in cars while trying to cross flooded roads. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (Storm Data)
• 1 August 1986...A powerful thunderstorm produced 100-mph winds and large hail in eastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri causing 71 million dollars damage, and injuring nineteen persons. It was one of the worst thunderstorms of record for Kansas. Crops were mowed to the ground in places and roofs blown off buildings along its path, 150 miles long and 30 miles wide, from near Abilene to southeast of Pittsburg. Hail 3 inches in diameter fell at Sun City and Belvidere. (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
• 1-3 August 1989...Hurricane Chantal made landfall along the Upper Texas coast about sunrise on the 1^st. Chantal deluged parts of Galveston Island and southeastern Texas with 8 to 12 inches of rain. Unofficial totals ranged up to twenty inches. Winds gusted to 82 mph at Galveston, and reached 76 mph in the Houston area. Tides were 5 to 7 feet high. The hurricane claimed two lives, and caused 100 million dollars damage. The remains of Hurricane Chantal also deluged north central Texas with heavy rain. Up to 6.50 inches drenched Stephens County, and Wichita Falls reported 2.22 inches of rain in just one hour on the 2^nd. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 2-3 August 1922...A typhoon hit the China Coast at Swatow on the night of the 2^nd. The wind and the storm surge killed as many as 50,000 of the city's 65,000 residents. Barometric pressure at landfall had dropped to at least 932.3 millibars (27.53 inches). (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 2 August 1954...Severe thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail for thirty minutes in north central Kansas. One drift measured 200 feet long, seventy feet wide and three feet deep. (The Weather Channel)
• 3 August 1898...Philadelphia, PA had one of its worst thunderstorms ever when 5.84 inches fell in just 2 hours. The hydraulic pressure in the city sewers due to the force of the accumulated runoff caused overflows in toilets, basins and sinks to rise to second-floor levels in some cases. (Intellicast) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 3 August 1970...Hurricane Celia made landfall near Port Aransas on the Texas coast, producing wind gusts to 161 mph at Corpus Christi, and estimated wind gusts of 180 mph at Arkansas Pass. Even at Del Rio, 250 miles inland, Celia produced wind gusts to 89 mph. The hurricane was the most destructive of record along the Texas coast causing 454 million dollars damage as 8950 homes were destroyed on the Coastal Bend. Celia also claimed eleven lives and injured 466 people. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
• 3 August 1987...A severe thunderstorm moved across Cheyenne, WY during the midafternoon. The thunderstorm produced hailstones up to two inches in diameter causing more than 37 million dollars damage. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• 3 August 1995...South Bend, IN received 4.83 inches of rain in 24 hours to set the city's greatest daily rainfall record. (Intellicast)
• 3-4 August 1978...The remnants of Tropical Storm Amelia produced up to 32 inches of rain on Schackelford County in Texas, an incredible amount of rain for a far-inland and non-mountainous area. A twenty-foot wall of water killed six during the evening of the 4^th in Albany, resulting in 89 percent of the city being covered by water. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)

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Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2008, The American Meteorological Society.