Tag Archives: National Weather Service

Widespread impacts of slow-moving Tropical Storm Debby

Rainfall-Debby

Important Takeaways:

  • Threat level: The National Weather Service forecast office in Charleston, S.C., summarized the threat in a discussion Monday night: “Historic and catastrophic flooding through mid-week.”
  • Forecasters are calling for this storm to meet or beat past four-day rainfall totals from the biggest events, which would mean upward of 17 inches in the Charleston area.
  • Tropical Storm Debby moving at five miles per hour or less at times
  • The storm’s center is forecast to move back over the ocean, allowing the system to re-intensify to some extent over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream Tuesday and Tuesday night.
  • The center is forecast to then slingshot back over land in northeastern South Carolina on Thursday morning
  • How it works: The storm is moving slowly in an area without much upper-level wind, so it’s not being pushed by anything. It’s spinning around like a top, waiting for something to move it again.
  • What they’re saying: “[Storm] Impacts will be widespread and severe, likely including numerous flooded homes and structures, damage to roadways including washouts, and unprecedented flooding along creeks and streams,” forecasters at NWS Charleston stated Monday evening, continuing the drumbeat of similar wording from earlier in the day.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Five radar-confirmed tornadoes hit New York

Tornadoes-in-New-York

Important Takeaways:

  • Only way to know strength would be through storm surveys by the National Weather Service offices in Binghamton and Albany
  • NBC5 meteorologists were able to use long-established radar technology to identify where tornado debris signatures occurred.
  • One tornado was in Rome, Oneida County, where significant damage was reported. Pictures show a church destroyed and a B-52 bomber literally moved from its position.
  • After that, there was a brief tornado between Old Forge and Inlet, just south of New York Route 28.
  • Then, another tornado hit Hamilton County in a remote area near Morehouse.
  • Two more hit in the vicinity of Wells, in both Hamilton and Warren counties.
  • There may have been a sixth tornado near Edinburg, but the radar data was not beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • Separate from these five radar-confirmed tornadoes, the National Weather Service in Albany found evidence of two other tornadoes that did not produce debris on radar.
  • Most tornadoes locally are not strong enough, or located near enough to a radar, to produce a debris signature, which makes the five listed above special cases.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Nearly 50% of Americans under heat alerts as temperatures skyrocket

Central-USA-Heat-Temps-map

Important Takeaways:

  • It’s uncomfortably hot nearly everywhere this week.
  • The National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Watch for cities including Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New York, where feels-like temperatures could hit 110 through Tuesday.
  • Heat advisories are in place for the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Florida, where dew points will increase the moisture in the air, making it harder for your body to cool.
  • The central U.S. joins in on the sweaty situation with triple-digit feels-like temperatures forecast as the West continues to swelter in deadly conditions.
  • “Basically, anytime you see dew point temperatures in the 60s and 70s, it means it is sticky, muggy and humid. It almost feels like after you get done taking a hot shower and you step outside of the shower, right, you feel all of that moisture. That’s what it feels like when dew points are in the mid and upper 70s. And then we have what’s called a heat index or what it feels like to exposed skin,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Michael Estime said.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Dangerous high temps creating real threat for wildfires in California as homes seen burning

Thompson-Fire-California

Important Takeaways:

  • California is hit by ‘dangerously high temperatures’ of up to 117F as 13,000 are evacuated from fierce wildfires and 90million are under heat alert across country
  • California is sweltering under ‘dangerously high temperatures’, with the mercury set to rise to 117F and thousands of people evacuated as raging wildfires grip the state.
  • The severe heat is only expected to get worse during the Fourth of July holiday week for parts of the United States, with nearly 90 million people placed under heat alerts across the country.
  • The torrid conditions have been caused by a ridge of high pressure just off the West Coast and a separate ridge that spawned heat warnings and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast states, according to the National Weather Service.
  • California’s capital, Sacramento, is under an excessive heat warning expected to last until Sunday night, with temperatures forecasted to reach between 105 degrees and 115 degrees (40.5 and 46.1 Celsius). Meanwhile, Palm Springs is set to see 117F.
  • The heatwave has created perfect conditions for wildfires, with red flag fire warnings issued across the state, with pictures showing the blazes tearing through forests and homes leaving a trail of destruction.
  • About 70 miles (113km) north of Sacramento, crews have been working in scorching conditions to battling a wildfire in Butte County that forced the evacuation of about 13,000 people in and around Oroville.
  • The blaze, dubbed the Thompson Fire, broke out before noon yesterday and sent up a huge plume of smoke as it swiftly grew to more than 3 square miles (7.7 square kilometers) by evening, with zero containment.
  • Firefighters lined roads, trying to keep the flames from reaching homes as helicopters dropped water on the fast-moving blaze.
  • California has had a spate of spring and early summer wildfires feeding on abundant grasses spawned by back-to-back wet winters. The largest current blaze, dubbed the Basin Fire, was 17% contained after charring more than 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of the Sierra National Forest in eastern Fresno County since it was sparked June 26.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Rare flash flood emergency, NWS’s highest flood alert category, issued for parts of Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania-Flood

Important Takeaways:

  • Heavy, relentless rains flooded Pittsburgh-area streets and prompted water rescues Thursday night, as a severe storm system threatened parts of the eastern U.S. into Friday.
  • The heavy rains were triggered by the same storm system that unleashed tornadoes and heavy rains across much of the South and Southeast this week, with flood emergencies declared in three other locations.
  • The National Weather Service received over 200 reports of severe weather from Tuesday night to Thursday evening — with reports of at least 14 tornadoes striking Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
  • Flood watches were in effect in northern New Hampshire and central Maine due to the threat of flash and river flooding.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Northeast expected to reach -40F, while there’s a fresh tornado threat in the south

Luke 21:25,26 “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Important Takeaways:

  • US is hit by fresh winter weather warnings of -40F weather that can cause frostbite in MINUTES, up to a foot of snow in the Northeast, and fresh tornado warnings for millions in the south
  • The National Weather Service warned residents: ‘If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.’
  • Meanwhile, a cold front tearing into mild, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico led to several tornadoes in the southern United States over the weekend, with five tornadoes confirmed to have touched down in southeast
  • Louisiana saw 4,124 outages according to PowerOutage.us,
  • Texas saw 4,010 outages and Michigan saw 3,575 outages.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Thousands without power

Power lines are seen near the Trypillian thermal power plant in Kiev region, Ukraine November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Luke 21:25,26 “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Important Takeaways:

  • Winter storm: Tens of thousands of Virginia residents without power as more snow looms
  • According to Dominion Energy, the largest electric utility company in the state, around 80,000 residents across the state still didn’t have power
  • The National Weather Service is projecting even more snow in many of the already hard-hit areas.
  • “In some localities, the damage is so severe that some areas are not even accessible by foot, in those cases we are using drones to assess”

Read the original article by clicking here.

Pacific Northwest cities grind to a halt in record heat

By Sergio Olmos

PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) – Temperatures were expected to shatter records in the Pacific Northwest again on Monday, bringing the city of Portland to a standstill as residents hunkered down in air conditioned homes or cooling centers.

One day after Portland saw temperatures reach 112 degrees F (44.5 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, the hottest recorded there since daily record-keeping began in 1940, the National Weather Service predicted more of the same for Monday.

“To put it in perspective, today will likely go down in history as the hottest day ever recorded for places such as Seattle, WA and Portland, OR,” the weather service said in its forecast for the region.

The heat has been attributed to a dome of atmospheric high pressure over the upper U.S. Northwest and Canada, similar to conditions that punished California and southwestern states earlier this month.

The Canadian city of Vancouver also set an all-time heat record on Sunday and was not expected to cool off until Tuesday.

Portland, known for rainy weather and sparse sunshine, was especially ill-prepared to handle the high temperatures. Stores sold out of air conditioning units and ice was hard to find.

Bars and restaurants closed because kitchen vents could not keep up with the rising temperatures, creating dangerous conditions for cooks.

Multnomah County, which includes Portland, has opened 11 emergency “cooling shelters,” most of them in public libraries, where residents without air conditioning could escape the sweltering heat.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown, a Democrat, eased COVID-19 restrictions for theaters, swimming pools and shopping malls and residents flocked to public pools and even fountains to cool off.

Some companies with AC stayed open as informal cooling shelters for employees, said Sarah Shaoul, co-founder of Bricks Need Mortar, a business advocacy and consulting group.

In Seattle, Washington state’s largest city, the mercury climbed on Sunday to an all-time high of 104 degrees F, surpassing a 2009 record of 103 degrees.

The state capital of Olympia likewise set a new benchmark high of 105 degrees, exceeding its 2009 record by 1 degree, according to the Weather Service.

The heat wave was expected to ease somewhat west of the Cascade range by Tuesday but persist through the week to the east of those mountains, it added.

Experts say extreme weather events such as the heatwaves that have descended on parts of the United States this year cannot be linked directly to climate change.

But more unusual weather patterns could become more common amid rising global temperatures, NWS meteorologist Eric Schoening told Reuters in an interview this month.

(Reporting by Sergio Olmos in Portland; Writing and additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Alistair Bell)

U.S. Northeast pummeled by one of worst winter storms in years

By Maria Caspani

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Northeast on Monday awoke under a blanket of snow as a powerful winter storm pummeled a vast swath stretching from Pennsylvania through New England, causing widespread disruption in New York City and other major urban centers in the region.

The powerful nor’easter is forecast to bring 1 to 2 feet (31 cm to 61 cm) of snow across the region through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, and snowfall rates could reach 2 to 4 inches (5 cm to 10 cm) per hour during the storm’s peak.

If it achieves its maximum potential, it would be the first winter storm to generate more than 2 feet of snow in New York City since 2016, when a record-breaking blizzard dumped 27.5 inches (70 cm) on the country’s most populous city, according to the weather service.

Winter storm warnings and weather advisories were in place across the Northeast. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency on Sunday, suspending public bus and commuter rail service for the entire day on Monday.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed restrictions on non-essential travel starting at 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT) on Monday due to heavy snowfall and strong winds expected to batter the city. De Blasio also announced the suspension of in-person learning at the city’s public schools through Tuesday.

The state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, later on Monday declared a state of emergency in the city and in nine other counties due to the storm.

“This storm is no joke and the main concern right now is that the expected snowfall rate of 2 inches per hour this afternoon creates an extremely dangerous situation on our roadways,” Cuomo said.

The stormy weather affected more than just roads and travel as COVID-19 vaccination sites and testing locations were forced to close or change their schedules.

All six vaccine mega-sites across New Jersey were closed on Monday, and vaccine appointments were rescheduled at many state-run sites in New York state. Vaccinations and testing were also suspended at New York City public hospitals and health centers.

De Blasio said that, with the city facing up to 22 inches (56 cm) of snow, vaccinations would be canceled on Tuesday as well. “The storm is disrupting our vaccination effort and we need to keep people safe,” he told a news briefing.

In Boston, health officials announced the closure Monday of a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Reggie Lewis Center, an large indoor sports center.

But many Northeasterners greeted the heavy snowfall with excitement, taking to social media to share photos of streets, parks and backyards blanketed with the white stuff, as well as happy pets playing in the snow.

Even the giant pandas at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington seemed to enjoy the winter weather when it hit the nation’s capital on Sunday.

“Slides, somersaults and pure panda joy. Happy snow day from giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian!,” the zoo wrote on Twitter, with a video showing the furry black-and-white creatures rolling in the fresh powder and sliding down a snow-covered incline.

(Reporting by Maria Caspani, Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

After the floods, assessing Hurricane Sally’s damage

By Devika Krishna Kumar and Jennifer Hiller

GULF SHORES, Ala./HOUSTON (Reuters) – As an Alabama resident, Toby Wallace has seen his fair share of hurricane damage working for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he handles flood insurance claims.

But that did not prepare him for Hurricane Sally, which flipped his camper and pushed it into his home, breaking off the front steps. High winds drove water through vents and roof, flooding a room.

“It’s gonna be a lot of cleaning,” said Wallace, 49.

Wallace and thousands of other residents along the U.S. Gulf Coast are just starting to tally the damage from Hurricane Sally, which could come in anywhere from $8 billion to $10 billion, well above earlier estimates of $2 billion to $3 billion, said Chuck Watson of Enki Research, which tracks tropical storms and models the cost of their damage.

Hurricanes are normally associated with massive wind gusts and rains on the coast, but inland rains causing floods over a vast region can make a storm even worse, as rivers and streams over spill, flooding communities along the way and causing the damage to as much as double.

The storm made landfall at Gulf Shores, Alabama on Wednesday morning as a Category 2 hurricane but continued carrying heavy rain inland as far north as Virginia on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Sally’s immediate impact likely caused around $5 billion in damage and cleanup costs, Watson said. The storm has moved away from the coast but will bring several more inches of rain to the U.S. Southeast before dissipating.

“If you’re sitting on a river five miles inland, you’ve got the wind and two feet of rain dumped on you, then four to six days later a few feet of water comes down the river,” Watson said. Inland rains also could affect cotton and peanut harvesting, as five counties in central Georgia had radar totals over 10 inches in 12 hours, Watson said.

Several rivers in Alabama and Florida have not yet crested and are not expected to reach “major flood” stages until Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Evidence of water damage was rampant as the floods receded along the coast. The facade of an eight-floor apartment building in Gulf Shores was completely blown off, and damaged kitchens and bedrooms were visible, with furniture soaked from the torrential rains that pelted the area on Wednesday.

Wallace of FEMA said that more recently built homes were constructed with some elevation from the ground, so their damage is wind-related.

Numerous buildings had their roofs torn off, and rebuilding electrical, sewage and water systems will cost money.

In Gulf Shores, Paula Hendrickson, 70, evacuated her home near the water and came slightly more inland to her sister’s, thinking it would be safer.

But the wind ripped a fan off the front balcony of her sister’s home and damaged the roof, and Hendrickson’s car ended up flooded by saltwater and is likely a total loss.

“If you’ve been in an airplane that hits turbulence, that’s exactly how it felt. On and off, on and off. All night long,” Hendrickson said, adding, “I’ll never go through it again.”

(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller and Devika Krishna Kumar; editing by Steve Orlofsky)