Category Archives: Natural Disasters

2009 likely to end with lowest level of natural disasters in a decade

December 18, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

The number of natural disasters in 2009 reached the lowest point in the decade. According to preliminary numbers from the United Nations, there were 245 disasters which is far below any of the past 10 years.

Natural disasters, no matter how many there are, due have a toll in human life and economic impact. The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) said that 8,919 people lost their lives from the events and they affected 58 million. The cost of the damage was put at $19 billion.

Weather-related disasters which exclude geological events like earthquakes and volcanoes were responsible for the lion’s share of the losses. Approximately 7,000 lives our of the total of 8,919 were lost due to weather-related events. Similarly, $15 billion of the $19 billion in damages were weather-related.

Margareta Wahlström, the United Nations Special Representative for UNISDR said, “Statistics this year show lower figures compared to previous years, which is good news for people and countries, however extreme weather disasters remain top of the list and will continue to affect more people in the future as more than half of the world’s population highly exposed is living in coastal regions.”

For the rest of the story including a look at the “top five” disasters of 2009, check out the story at the Natural Disasters Examiner.

CSU team forecasts above normal hurricane activity in 2010

December 10, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

The early forecast for the 2010 hurricane season in the Atlantic basin calls for above normal levels of activity. (NOAA)

The hurricane forecasting team at Colorado State University (CSU) has issued its preliminary forecast for the Atlantic hurricane basin for next year. Generated by Dr. Phil Klotzbach and Dr. Bill Gray, the forecast calls for above normal levels of tropical cyclone activity.

For the 2010 season, Klotzbach and Gray expect an “above-average Atlantic basin tropical cyclone season in 2010 and anticipate an above-average probability of U.S. and Caribbean major hurricane landfall.” In terms of numbers, they forecast 11 – 16 named storms, 6 – 8 hurricanes, and 3 – 5 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger).

An average Atlantic hurricane season has 10 – 11 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes. The 2009 hurricane season wrapped up quite a bit below normal with the fewest storms since 1997. Check out our slideshow below for images from the 2009 hurricane season.

For the first time, the CSU team is issuing a range for the number of forecast storms instead of a specific number. This is more in line with the forecasts that the National Hurricane Center issues.

In terms of landfall probability for a major hurricane, the team also expects an increased chance. They peg the chance of a Category 3 or greater storm striking the U.S. coastline at 64% which is well above the average of 52%. The U.S. East Coast has a 40% chance of sustaining a hit (versus a 31% average) and the Gulf Coast has a 40% chance as well (versus a 30% average).

For more details about the hurricane forecast, whether this is a sign of global warming and a slideshow of hurricanes from the 2009 season, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather, Natural Disasters

Hurricane season ends with lowest level of activity since 1997

December 1, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Hurricane Bill was the most powerful hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season but it never struck the United States. (NASA)

Yesterday marked the end of the 2009 hurricane season and with it comes to a close one of the quietest seasons in recent history. The season featured nine named storms, the fewest since 1997, and for the first time since 2006 no hurricanes made landfall in the United States.

Only two named the storms – Tropical Storm Claudette and Tropical Storm Ida – made landfall in the nation. Those two storms both struck along the central Gulf Coast and brought heavy rain and some flooding but no widespread destruction.

Of the nine named storms, three became hurricanes. Two of those became major hurricanes of Category 3 strength of higher – Hurricane Bill and Hurricane Fred. Bill flirted with the United States East Coast as its waves claimed two lives but turned to the northeast and made landfall in Newfoundland after having weakened considerably. Hurricane Fred rapidly intensified off the west coast of Africa but quickly fell victim to wind shear.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site! For much more on this story including the tracks of the storms and amazing satellite imagery, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Natural Disasters

NASA satellite captures image of Russian volcano’s smoke

November 27, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

NASAs Terra satellite captured this image of a smoke plume coming from the Bezymianny volcano on the the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. — NASA's Terra satellite captured this image of a smoke plume coming from the Bezymianny volcano on the the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. (NASA)

The Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia is a relatively active area for volcanic activity, like much of the rest of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Bezymianny volcano in the east-central part of the peninsula is the smaller of three neighboring volcanoes.

Bezymianny was thought to be extinct until it erupted from 1955 to 1956. Prior to that, it had experienced a period of 1,000 of dormancy. The 1956 eruption was comparable in size to the Mount Saint Helens eruption in 1980 and resulted in a horseshoe shaped crater that has since been filled by other, smaller eruptions and pyroclastic flows.

On Wednesday, Novebmer 25, 2009, NASA’s Terrra spacecraft captured an image of a smoke plume emanating from the volcano. Using the craft’s Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), the plume is clearly seen as is its shadow.

For a larger image of the volcano, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Natural Disasters

New movie ‘2012’ adds a new scale to the disaster movie genre

November 10, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

The new movie 2012 depicts natural disasters on a global scale. In the scene depicted above, the USS John F Kennedy is carried on a tsumani and about to crush the White House. (Columbia Pictures) — The new movie "2012" depicts natural disasters on a global scale. In the scene depicted above, the USS John F Kennedy is carried on a tsumani and about to crush the White House. (Columbia Pictures)

Natural disasters have long been a staple of the big screen and a new movie set to hit theatres this week takes the genre to a new height. “2012” by director Roland Emmerich depicts cataclysmic disasters on a global scale brought about on December 21, 2012 – the mythical end of the Mayan calendar.

Disaster movies have shown tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis but rarely has a film been made that included every type of disaster imaginable. “2012” brings all disasters together with scenes of California falling off into the ocean, fireballs raining from the sky, the Sistine Chapel collapsing on devout worshipers and even the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy being dumped ashore on top of the White House by a giant wave.

An all-star cast featuring John Cusack, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Amanda Peet depict man’s struggle to survive the incredible calamity. As one of the movie’s fictional characters says, “Our mission is to ensure the continuity of our species.”

For more about the movie, how it ties into the Mayan calendar and to watch the trailer, see the rest of this story on the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Climate Change, Natural Disasters

Predictions of climate change induced natural disasters falling flat

November 6, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Former vice president Al Gore famously used an image of Hurricane Katrina to illustrate his argument that natural disasters will increase in intensity and frequency. Empirical data howeverhas shown that is not the case. (An Inconvenient Truth)

Manmade climate change is said to present humankind with some of its greatest challenges in the planet’s history, not the least of which is an alarming increase in frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Massive flooding, super-powered hurricanes, endless tornado seasons and more have all been said to be the direst of consequences of global warming.

In his movie “An Inconvenient Truth”, Al Gore famously proclaimed that, “Temperature changes are taking place all over the world and that is causing stronger storms.” Standing with Hurricane Katrina as a backdrop, the former vice president issued a cautionary tale of disaster in the making, all due to our irresponsible handling of the atmosphere. As recently as February Mr. Gore was giving a presentation showing flooding, drought and wildfires saying, “This is creating weather-related disasters that are completely unprecedented.”

President Barack Obama, in a town hall meeting in April echoed the Nobel laureate’s comments saying, “You’re now looking at huge, cataclysmic hurricanes, complete changes in weather patterns.” He followed that in September when in a speech before the United Nations he claimed, “More powerful storms and floods threaten every continent.”

But what if you predicted global natural disaster catastrophes and they didn’t happen? Does that invalidate your entire message? This is the conundrum faced by climate change alarmists as many of their predictions begin to fall flat.

Learn more about the evidence and find out why even some alarmists say these claims of ‘doom and gloom’ are hurting their case on Examiner.com.

Natural Disasters

Where are the tornadoes? 2009 tornado reports well below normal levels

November 5, 2009 Thornton Weather 3 Comments

Tornado activity so far in 2009 has been well below normal. This has researchers wondering what has happened to the tornadoes?

Tornado activity in the United States for 2009 is reaching unusually low levels according to statistics from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC). By its latest count as of Sunday, November 1st, 1040 tornado reports have been received this year placing it in the 10th percentile since 1954 (see chart below).

Tornadoes occur in every month on the calendar but 2009 started with far below normal numbers for the first three months of the year. As the traditional severe weather season approached during the spring, tornado numbers returned to near average but have since fallen into a decline.

Similarly, tornado deaths in 2009 are far below the average. The three year running average from 2006 to 2008 saw an average of 91 fatalities per year. Over the longer term, the United States experiences 80 per year. Thus far in 2009 only 22 deaths have been reported as a result of twisters. There was nearly a five month period from May 13th to October 9th when there were no deaths at all recorded.

Why so few tornadoes? For some possible answers and how this ties into global climate change, get the full story on Examiner.com.

Natural Disasters

Hurricanes MIA – Tropical cyclone activity at 30-year low

November 3, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Tropical cyclone activity continues to decline despite beliefs that it would increase as a result of global warming. (NOAA)

For the third year in a row, tropical cyclone activity sits near a 30 year low and the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season is showing low levels not seen since 1997. Researchers at Florida State University said that despite what has appeared to be an active season in the Pacific, continual declines in activity are being realized across the globe.

A year ago researcher Ryan Maue documented ‘a remarkable downward trend’ and that trend has continued to flirt with historic lows. Using a measurement called the Accumulated Cyclone Energy index (ACE), Maue said that “2009 as a whole is still well behind normal climatology.”

The ACE index is the standard for measuring tropical cyclone activity. It combines the frequency, duration and intensity of the storms into a numerical index that can be used for historical comparisons.

Through October 2009, the global ACE index for the year sits at 525 – well below the norm of 769. Similarly, if looked at separately both the northern and southern hemisphere activity show well below average numbers. Breaking it down further by basins, the North Atlantic, Western Pacific, Eastern Pacific and North Indian basins are seeing below average ACE as well.

Get the rest of this story and find out how this relates to climate change on Examiner.com.

Why do we link to Examiner.com? Click here to find out.

Natural Disasters, Severe Weather

Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers premieres Sunday

October 15, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Sean Casey, Josh Wurman, Reed Timmer next to Storm Chasers vehicle, TIV2. (Discovery Channel)

Storm Chasers is the Discover Channel’s hit show that tracks a team of tornado chasers across Tornado Alley as they hunt for twisters. Entering its third season, the season premiere is this Sunday, October 18th at 8:00pm MDT.

This season the team features a number of changes over year’s past. Josh Wurman and his team of scientists manning the DOW (Doppler On Wheels) radar returns but now he is participating in the VORTEX2 project as well. Sean Casey and the TIV2 (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) return as well.

Last season’s new addition, the TornadoVideos.net team with Reed Timmer, join with an impressive new piece of hardware – the Dominator. Lastly, world renowned storm chaser Tim Samaras joins the show as he continues on his lifelong hunt and scientific quest.

Here is a preview video for the coming season. Be sure to tune in on Sunday!

Natural Disasters

The Natural Disasters Examiner – The place for all the latest on the events that affect us all

October 7, 2009 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

The Natural Disasters Examiner provides news, information and education on disasters across the globe.

Following on our announcement of our writing the Climate Change Examiner, we are pleased to announce that we are now also writing the Natural Disasters Examiner. From earthquakes to tsunamis and hurricanes to tornadoes the Natural Disaster Examiner covers natures events that affect all of our lives.

We cover these type of events on a local scale here on ThorntonWeather.com and in our Denver Weather Examiner pages. However, the Natural Disasters Examiner expands that scope to include the globe.

We will examine all natural disaster type events no matter where they occur and we will provide more than just the news. On the Natural Disasters Examiner’s site we will provide education on the science behind these disasters and practical information on how you can protect yourself and your family.

We encourage you to check out the Natural Disasters Examiner on Examiner.com by clicking here.

We also have provide links to it and the Denver Weather Examiner and Climate Change Examiner below the menu on the left.

Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.