Tag Archives: hurricanes

Natural Disasters

National Hurricane Preparedness Week looks to get coastal residents ready

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Hurricanes are a deadly and devastating annual ritual for much of the Gulf Coast and East Coast of the United States. With June 1st being the unofficial start of hurricane season, President Barack Obama proclaimed this week National Hurricane Preparedness Week.

Hurricane Isabel is seen on September 15, 2003 from the International Space Station. (NASA)
Hurricane Isabel is seen on September 15, 2003 from the International Space Station. (NASA)

Throughout the week the National Hurricane Center (NHC) will be releasing information designed to inform and educate residents of areas that are at risk for hurricanes. This annual event is crucial to ensuring that residents are adequately prepared for hurricane season and the hazards these monstrous storms can present.

In the proclamation, Obama wrote, “I urge individuals, families, communities, and businesses to take time to plan for the storm season before it begins. While hurricane forecasting has improved, storms may still develop with little warning. For Americans in hurricane threatened areas, knowledge and preparation are pivotal to ensure emergency readiness and responsiveness.”

  • Read the complete text of the proclamation below

All indications are that the 2010 hurricane season will be one of the biggest in recent years. Colorado State University’s forecast team has said that there is a 69% chance a major hurricane will make landfall in the United States this year. The National Hurricane Center is already tracking an area of interest that it says has a medium chance to become the first named storm of the season.

For all the latest on hurricanes and all other types of natural disasters, be sure to visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Natural Disasters, World Weather

Queensland, Australia readies for Tropical Cyclone Ului

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Satellite image - Tropical Cyclone Ului poised to strike Queensland, Australia. (ABM)
Satellite image - Tropical Cyclone Ului poised to strike Queensland, Australia. (ABM)

The eastern coast of Australia was on high alert as Tropical Cyclone Ului prepared to make landfall in Queensland. Packing winds approaching 75 mph (165 km/hr), the government has begun evacuations in advance of the powerful storm.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that Ului had shown intensification over the past six hours and was warning it may strike land as a Category 3 storm packing winds to 105 mph (170 km/hr). Very destructive winds are forecast to begin affecting coastal areas late Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Landfall is expected 625 miles north of Brisbane (1000km) between Bowen and Proserpine. As with any cyclone, the wind presents the most immediate danger. However heavy rain raises the risk of severe flooding as 8 to 12 inches is expected in the hardest hit areas.

In advance of the storm, Queensland issued a disaster declaration which clears the way for the government force the evacuation of those at risk. Currently the communities Townsville, Burdekin, Rockhampton, Whitsunday, Charters Towers, Mackay, and Isaac fall under the mandatory evacuation orders. Resort areas along the Great Barrier Reef have already been evacuated.

For the complete forecast map and details, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Natural Disasters

CSU team forecasts above normal hurricane activity in 2010

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

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!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

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

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.

Climate Change, Natural Disasters

Predictions of climate change induced natural disasters falling flat

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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)
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.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!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.