Ana is First April Atlantic Tropical Storm in Recorded History
April 22 2003, 3:47 PM
Those of us on the Atlantic have been hearing for months that this was going to be a rough year for hurricanes/tropical storms. Things certainly are starting out interesting:
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MIAMI, April 22 (UPI) -- Subtropical storm Ana developed into a full-blown tropical storm with 50 mph winds Tuesday, but it was located in the open Atlantic and no threat to land.
At 11 a.m., the center of tropical storm Ana was located near latitude 29.8 north, longitude 57.5 west or about 460 miles east-southeast of Bermuda.
The first April subtropical storm since record keeping began developed in 1992 and was known as subtropical storm No. 1. Lawrence said that since then, the decision was made to include subtropical storms in the same naming system as tropical storms and hurricanes.
Subtropical storm No. 1 in 1992 was the only Atlantic-Caribbean storm that year until Andrew, which savaged south Florida Aug. 24.
The hurricane season officially lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30, but there is no month in which a named storm has not occurred. Before 1992, the last exception was April. http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030422-010240-6472r
"Slow Quakes" Prompt Warnings of Next Big Northwest Quake in June 2004
April 22 2003, 3:48 PM
BELLINGHAM, Wash., April 21 — This spring, as people in the Pacific Northwest have gone about their usual drizzly business, an earthquake has been going on for weeks beneath their feet, unbeknownst to everyone but a very few, very excited scientists.
While this quake, which began in early March, lacks any bridge-collapsing punch, scientists say it is of great interest as the latest in a newly discovered cycle of highly regular earthquakes. This cycle is so regular that last year, scientists were willing to predict that the next one would hit the Northwest this spring, as it has.
Perhaps even more important, scientists say these so-called slow quakes may play a role in setting off much more powerful earthquakes. The slow quakes can release as much energy over weeks as the Nisqually temblor that struck the region two years ago.
But the researchers noticed that sometimes some of the stations would suddenly shift and move in the opposite direction, to the southwest, just a few scant millimeters, for a few weeks. Eventually all of the monitors would return to their usual path until some 14 1/2 months later, then the instruments would temporarily shift southwest once again. A blip in the readings almost too small to notice, it turns out, was the signal of the silent quake.
Looking over the past 10 years, researchers have found eight slow quakes in the region. If all goes as expected, Dr. Dragert said the next one should start moving the G.P.S. monitors to the southwest sometime in June 2004. But just how regular this cycle of slow quakes will be remains to be seen. Researchers caution that the most predictable-seeming earthquakes have fooled researchers.
Along what is known as the Parkfield section of the San Andreas fault in California, Dr. Miller said, magnitude six earthquakes occurred every 20 years or so through much of the 1900's, so regularly that scientists made extensive preparations for a 1980 earthquake that never occurred. http://nytimes.com/2003/04/22/science/earth/22QUAK.html
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 hit deep beneath the Olympic Mountains early Friday, jolting much of western Washington.
No damage was initially reported, but the quake was felt across the Olympic Peninsula and in Seattle, 43 miles to the east, said Anthony Qamar, Washington state seismologist.
"Because of its depth, it would cause light damage if any damage," Qamar said. He said he did not expect major aftershocks.
Category 5 Hurricane Isabel Tracking to Chesapeake Bay
September 14 2003, 4:20 PM
When I started this thread, I had no idea that things would be quite so dramatic. Isabel is a Category 5 hurricane -- as big as they come (the last one to hit the Americas killed 11,000 in Central America). The last one to hit the U.S. was Andrew.
Since even small hurricanes affect the weather patterns for the entire coast (in New York we're currently getting the aftereffects of Henri which passed hundreds of miles away with rough surf and rain) this is definitely going to be a big time weather shaker.
I don't think a Category 5 storm has hit this far north this century! The "big one" was the 1938 hurricane in which waves literally split Long Island, NY, and devastated Newport and much of New England. And that storm was a Category 3.
That list is a little misleading because it only includes namded hurricanes, and they hadn't started naming them when a monster hurricane hit Long Island and Rhode Island in 1938. It had wind gusts of up to 180 mph (sustained winds were a lot lower) and a 12 to 18 foot storm surge. Because nobody knew it was coming until it hit land, more than 600 people were killed by it.
The list also puts Hurricane Agnes down as a Florida hurricane, but it was such a costly storm because of the flooding it caused in Pennsylvania. It crossed over Florida, then went into the Atlantic, built itself up, and hit the northeast, creating all time flooding records in the Susquehanna Valley. If this one comes right up the Chesapeake, it could challenge Agnes' records.
Most of the projections for what is being as the most catastrophic Northeast storm ever are sending the hurricane in a beeline for Washington, DC -- except one which sends it on a beeline to NYC.
USS Mount Whitney To Weather Isabel in Hampton Roads Port
September 16 2003, 3:38 PM
Hampton Roads Ships Sortie to Evade Hurricane Isabel
Story Number: NNS030916-01
Release Date: 9/16/2003 8:23:00 AM
Commander, 2nd Fleet ordered ships based in Hampton Roads to get underway Sept. 16, to avoid potential damage to ships and piers from anticipated hurricane force winds and high tidal surges. Ships currently underway will stay out to sea until Hurricane Isabel passes.
Forty Hampton Roads-based ships and submarines will get underway Sept. 16 and remain at sea until the threat from the storm subsides.
Forty Hampton Roads-based ships and submarines will get underway Sept. 16 and remain at sea until the threat from the storm subsides
The following ships will not sortie, so extra precautions are being taken to avoid potential damage to these ships and their crews
USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20/JCC 20); Navy Newstand
While my life hasn't been impacted by Isabel like those
in North Carolina's coast, I did run into the after-effects of this storm during my north-east highpointing trip these last two weeks. Friday the 19th I was hoping to hike up Killington and Camel's Hump in VT - however, with the high winds (and large tree branches coming down) I retreated partway up the Bucklin trail and took the Winger's advice and visited the Ben & Jerrys factory near Stowe. I was able to get up Mansfield the next day, but there was no view, some rain, and many slick rocks.
Anyone else trying to highpoint during this storm?
8.0 Japanese Quake Prompts Tsunami Watch for Tonight for West Coast
September 25 2003, 5:06 PM
Only a wave watch is in effect for the Aleutians but less powerful waves are scheduled to hit the entire west coast tonight following a 8.0 quake at
LOCATION: 42.1N 143.6E - HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION http://wcatwc.gov/message.txt
This message has been edited by dipper on Sep 25, 2003 5:07 PM This message has been edited by dipper on Sep 25, 2003 5:07 PM
Mount Fuji lets off steam but no sign of volcanic activity
TOKYO (AFP) Sep 26, 2003Japanese seismologists said Friday they had detected faint streams of steam rising from Mount Fuji but no sign of volcanic activity beneath the country's highest and most revered peak.
"Very weak steam" has been detected from three small vents at about the middle level of the mountain's northeastern side in the past five days, the Meteorological Agency said.
The announcement came hours after a massive earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale rocked the northern Japan island of Hokkaido, reportedly injuring more than 400 people. The two events were deemed unrelated.
Two of the holes were found in a small area of subsidence, 15 metersfeet) by 10 meters (33 feet) and up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) deep. There were also three smaller patches of subsidence in the area, the statement said.
The 3,776 meter (12,461 feet) high Mount Fuji, last erupted in 1707 and has been under scrutiny since 2000 when low-frequency tremors started to be felt there, confirming that the mountain is still an active volcano. Terradaily.com
Nathan made an astute observation over the weekend.
If, by chance, the Boston Red Sox (AL wildcard) and the Chicago Cubs (NL central division champs) should end up facing each other in the World Series, the world will come to an end, since obviously neither of them can win the Series...
The seventh game will be a 20 inning 0-0 game. All pitchers will be used up. Commish Selig will then declare the game a draw and both teams share the championship. Everyone will be happy. The trophy can be carted up Greylock and Charles Mound.
I'm just venturing a guess, but I would figure that CU-Boulder would have the highest field in Division I College football. Watching their game with UCLA earlier this season, the commentators said that the field elevation was almost 7000' (I know Colorado Springs is close to this elevation as well, so AFA may have the highest).
I was thinking Div. I-A football. NAU in Flagstaff plays Div. I-AA ball but it is division I. So they'd be the second highest. I'm certain that Wyoming is the highest in Div. I.
Lurking beneath Yellowstone National Park is one of the most destructive natural phenomena in the world: a massive supervolcano.
Only a handful exist in the world but when one erupts the explosion will be heard around the globe. The sky will darken, black acid rain will fall, and the Earth will be plunged into the equivalent of a nuclear winter. It could push humanity to the brink of extinction.
It's even got a link to Ian Gurney's "The Cassandra Prophecy" in which he reveals the actual date of "Judgement Day." I wonder if that has any relation to "Judgment Day"<g>?
Hey, where's Hal Lindsey when we need stuff like this clearly explained?
BTW, the date in the title is when the Millerites predicted the world would end. Perhaps it did, but apparently no one noticed.
I was hoping for another California World Series so that Gov. Schwartzenegger could carry the World Series trophy to the summit of Mount Whitney.
It looks like the Marlins are trying to spoil the Cubs' plans for the World Series, but the World Series trophy can't get very high in Florida, as Britton Hill (345 ft.) is lower in elevation than many Major League ballparks.
Signs of the end of the world for Cubs at Wrigley Field last night?
October 15 2003, 10:02 AM
With the Cubs leading 3-0 in the eigth inning of Game 6 of the NLCS and needing only five outs to reach the World Series for the first time since 1945, the Cubs' fortunes descended as quickly as a mountaineer falling off a cliff. The Marlins capitalized on an avalanche of Cubs' misfortunes to score eight runs in the inning to earn an 8-3 victory to tie the best-of-seven series at three games apiece.
Game 7 at Wrigley Field begins tonight at 7:18 pm CDT. The winner advances to the World Series.
It's sickening how the fans have reacted to the one guy who basically did what anyone else would have done if a ball was coming their way- try to catch it. The ball was in the stands, not over the field, and Alou had maybe a 50-50 chance of making the play. The Cubs just fell apart for a variety of reasons.
The Cubs have played up the "lovable loser" moniker for years. Frankly, they're just losers. Go Florida. Whup the Cubs and then the Yanks.
It completely looked to me like the ball would have dropped outside of the railing and into the field of play. There were two fans with arms outstretched and leaning forward. The ball struck in the vicinity of their hands when they were over the rail.
While I think this guy is a putz, he doesn't really deserve all the negative reaction he had last night. There are no instructions (as far as I know) that delineate where a fan can/cannot catch a ball in flight. Until this is defined somehow, people can be pissed at him but shouldn't fault him.
As we New Englanders like to remind Oakland Raider fans, the Raiders didn't have to fall apart on defense after the infamous "tuck rule" play. My apologies to Cubs fans, but I presume this guy didn't proceed to give up 8 runs?
Signed: a Yankee fan from Massachusetts (we're on the Endangered Species List).
Fans can touch balls out of play, and cannot touch balls in play. The only grey area here is whether in Wrigley field the demarcation point is a) the outer edge of the wall, b) the railing atop the wall, or c) the inner edge of the wall. The replays looked to me like the fan was ok to touch the ball unless the answer is c).
Didn't anyone notice that the winning runs were all scored with 1 out? Even IF Alou had caught that ball or the ump had ruled interference, still Florida would have scored all but one of those runs that mattered...only with 2 outs instead of 1 out.
Score would have been 3-3 if foul fly had been caught
October 15 2003, 7:58 PM
Jeff Conine drove in the tie-breaking run (fourth of the inning) with a sacrifice fly. Had Moises Alou caught the foul fly from Luis Castillo that the fan deflected while over the railing, then Conine's fly ball would have been the third out of the inning, and the score would have been tied at 3-3.
You are forgetting that shortstop Gonzales muffed a double-play grounder about two batters later that would have ended the inning and the Cubs up front.
Cubs eliminated from playoffs, but Red Sox win to force seventh game
October 15 2003, 11:43 PM
Congratulations to the Florida Marlins, National League Champions of 2003. The Marlins defeated the Cubs 9-6 in the decisive seventh game of the National League Championship Series to advance to the World Series.
In the World Series, the Marlins will face the winner of Thursday's seventh game of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, beginning at 8:18 pm EDT.
Well, with the Cubbies out, the Apocalypse watch can relax until next season.
...and it would have been so interesting to see the world come to an end with two out in the bottom of the ninth, seventh game between the Cubs and the BoSox, score tied, Sammy Sosa at bat...
Sorry, Cubs fans...you can join all of us Cardinals fans in the "TANY" (There's Always Next Year) club...spring training is only five months away...
Congratulations to the New York Yankees, American League Champions of 2003. The Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-5 in 11 innings the decisive seventh game of the American League Championship Series to advance to the World Series against the National League Champions, the Florida Marlins.
Let's see, the Yankees have won 26 World Series; I've stood on 26 highpoints. The Yankees haven't beaten the Marlins in the World Series yet, I haven't bagged FL yet. I'm sooo tempted to tag Britton Hill this year!!!
Yankees win! Theeeee Yankees win!
(Sorry, momentary outburst of joy from a Yankee fan in Red Sox Nation--gloomy around here today.)
and in Chicago and Boston the tears continue to flow. I'm not a big baseball fan (Green Bay, WI. native should tell you something), but the two seventh games were really something, unless you root for the Cubs or Sox. You just knew that when the game went into extra innings that the Sox were doomed. I don't know about karma or curses, but one wonders how much more those teams (and their fans) can stand. What looked like two sure things... gone in an instant! But then, had the Cubs and Sox won, the world would have stopped turning, the universe would have stopped its expansion, and all the highpoints would have been reduced to mole hills,so... maybe it's just as well. Congratulations and condolences. JES
Ken is happy now. He got to write the Yankees' obituary. If I were really petty, I would take this opportunity to point out that his beloved Diamonbacks did not even make it to the playoffs, but why should I be so mean??
As a southerner with only one regional team, I lost all interest once the Braves lost (again).BTW I don't consider Florida part of the south but the sixth borough of NYC. Watching the Braves is almost like watching the Heels of old under Dean Smith. Oh well, college football is here. That means one thing.......
college hoops are coming soon!! (Everyone knows that ACC football is something to occupy ones time while one waits for basketball season to start!!)
In addition to such well-known mountaineering hazards as avalanches, landslides, falls, hypothermia, and frostbite, we can add hurricanes to the list of hazards that mountaineers may encounter when ascending state highpoints. It appears that several state highpoints, such as Britton Hill of Florida and Cheaha Mountain of Alabama, are in the direct path of Hurricane Ivan. See the weather forecasts for Paxton, FL (closest town to Britton Hill) and Delta, AL (location of Cheaha State Park).
State Low Points in The Way (so long New Orleans!)
September 15 2004, 9:47 PM
The big news of course is the Big Easy which is nervous about its dubious position of sitting below the Mississippi River at 9 below sea level. With talks of a 20 foot storm surge, it won't look pretty if there's a direct hit.
NEW ORLEANS - Katrina could turn out to be the perfect hurricane, much to the dismay of south Louisiana residents.
Not only is there little to keep it from strengthening on a dangerous scale, but it is expected to create a dome of storm surge that could flood much of eastern New Orleans, the 9th Ward and Mid-City in New Orleans, swamp much of the West Bank and Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes, and flood north shore areas.
"I don't remember seeing conditions as favorable as this for a strengthening hurricane for a long time," National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield said Saturday.
He was referring to a unique combination of physical and meteorological conditions that are expected to cause Katrina to spin up to Category 4 or 5 strength, like a top accelerates when you pull its string.
Category 5 Hurricane Rita powering across the Gulf of Mexico towards Texas
September 21 2005, 4:52 PM
GALVESTON — As many as 1 million people were ordered to clear out along the Gulf Coast, and hospital and nursing home patients were evacuated today as Hurricane Rita turned into a Category-5, 165-mph monster that could slam Texas by the weekend and inflict more misery on New Orleans.
Forecasters said Rita could be the most intense hurricane on record ever to hit Texas, and easily one of the most powerful ever to plow into the U.S. mainland. Category 5 is the highest on the scale, and only three Category 5 hurricanes are known to have hit the U.S. mainland — most recently, Andrew, which smashed South Florida in 1992.
Death toll exceeds 44,000 in massive earthquake and tsunami disaster in Asia and Africa
December 28 2004, 1:19 PM
All of the readers of this forum have now heard about the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster that has struck southern Asia and eastern Africa. More than 44,000 people in coastal areas have been killed by tsunamis triggered by a massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra that sent powerful waves surging across the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. You can read about in U.S. media reports and in international reports from the affected nations, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Maldives, and Somalia.
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