Saturday, July 11, 2009
Hurricane Kathleen (1976)
Hurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season. Though rather weak, only a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, it was very destructive. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States causing $610 million in damage. It also took an unusual path.
Meteorological history
A tropical depression formed on September 7. Twelve hours later it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Kathleen. After spending the past day moving slowly, it started accelerating northwards. On September 9, it reached hurricane status and brushed a promontory on the Pacific coast of the Baja California. Kathleen was a hurricane for only six hours, and was a tropical storm, with 50 mph winds, when it made landfall in California on September 10. With its circulation intact and still a tropical storm, it moved inland.
Upon making landfall, Kathleen immediately was downgraded to a tropical depression Tropical Depression Kathleen dissipated on September 11 while over central Nevada as it continued accelerating. Residual moisture from the hurricane hung around over the southwestern United States.[1]
Impact
In Arizona on September 10 and September 11, gales caused considerable damage in Yuma. For a time, the sustained winds exceeded 50 mph, with gusts up to 76 mph. Rains caused severe flash-flooding in Mohave County. One man was killed when the wind blew a palm tree onto his mobile home.[1]Residual moisture brings more severe thunderstorms to the state on September 24 and 25. The Tucson area is particularly hard hit with flash flooding and hail as large as golf balls. Hail covers the ground to a depth of 5 inches on Mount Lemmon It killed a man when a gust of wind blew a palm tree down onto his mobile home. Severe flooding and hailstorms also resulted.[2]While most of the rainfall from the storm fell in California,[3] 2.87 in (73 mm) fell at the Davis Dam on the Colorado River.[4]
California received record rainfall, with 14.76 inches falling on the southern slopes of Mt. San Gorgonio, and 10.13 inches accumulated on Mount Laguna.[5] Flooding caused catastrophic destruction to Ocotillo. Because Ocotillo is situated atop an alluvial fan, the path of the raging floodwaters was wide and changing, with over half of the town being totally destroyed. The waters piled a layer of sand that was over 3 meters high in some places.[2] Three to six people drowned in the mud and waters in that city.[3] Other parts of Imperial County and Riverside County experienced severe flash flooding.[4]
Six to 12 inches of rainfall was observed in the central and southern mountains of southern California on September 10 and September 11.
Flooding disrupted transportation routes in the county. Part of Interstate 8 along the San Diego and Imperial County border was washed out. [5] Three trestles belonging to the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway were destroyed, and five others were damaged. At more than 50 other locations, tracks were buried by mudslides or had the ground under them washed away. After assessing the damage from Kathleen, the Southern Pacific Transportation Company decided in 1977 to abandon most of the SD&AE railway, but in 1978 the Interstate Commerce Commission disallowed this plan and the railway was restored.[6]
Homeowners in Palm Desert received considerable damage from the storm. Many flood control structures throughout the area failed to work.[7] The control structures in the area were rebuilt, and they withstood the next series of flash floods caused by Hurricane Doreen's remnants in 1977.[8]
Kathleen highest rainfall was 14.76 inches in Mt. San Gorgonio.[6] Agriculture was disrupted throughout the area. The area covered by the Salton Sea increased.
In Wyoming, the cyclone is credited with the first known sighting of a White Ibis in the state's history.[7] In Montana, Kathleen dropped locally heavy rainfall approaching 2 inches (51 mm) in localized spots.[8] In Oregon, heavy rain was reported, enough to cause flooding and became the wettest in State's history.
Aftermath
Note:
This is copied from Hurricane Kathleen (1976)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Not so fast
A RECENT BURST OF DEEP CONVECTION OCCURRED VERY NEAR THE CENTER OF
CIRCULATION...SO THE SYSTEM IS BEING MAINTAINED AS A TROPICAL STORM
FOR NOW. THIS IS ALSO CONSISTENT WITH A DVORAK CURRENT INTENSITY
ESTIMATE OF 35 KT FROM TAFB. IT WAS A BIT SURPRISING TO SEE THE
RECENT REJUVENATION OF CONVECTION GIVEN THAT THE SSTS ARE LIKELY
LOWER THAN 24 DEG C. HOWEVER SINCE BLANCA WILL BE MOVING OVER EVEN
COOLER WATERS...IT SHOULD WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION SOON AND
BECOME A REMNANT LOW IN 24 HOURS OR LESS. THE OFFICIAL INTENSITY
FORECAST IS SIMILAR TO THE LATEST INTENSITY MODEL CONSENSUS...ICON.
MICROWAVE AND GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITE FIXES GIVE A CURRENT MOTION OF
ABOUT 300/10...SO THE ANTICIPATED DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED HAS NOT
YET TAKEN PLACE. NONETHELESS...THE WEAKENING MID-LEVEL SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE TO THE NORTH OF BLANCA SHOULD RESULT IN A GRADUAL
DECELERATION OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO...AND A MORE WESTWARD MOTION
IS EXPECTED WHEN THE CYCLONE BECOMES A WEAK LOW. THE OFFICIAL
TRACK FORECAST FOLLOWS MORE OR LESS THE SAME TRAJECTORY AS THE
PREVIOUS ONE...BUT IS A LITTLE FASTER BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT
MOTION.
blanca is now weakening
LOUD TOP TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED CONSIDERABLY AND THE OVERALL
CONVECTIVE ORGANIZATION HAS DETERIORATED RAPIDLY DURING THE PAST
FEW HOURS. LATEST DVORAK T-NUMBERS ARE DOWN TO 2.0 FROM BOTH TAFB
AND SAB. BASED UPON THESE ESTIMATES...THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS
LOWERED TO 35 KT.
BLANCA IS NEARING THE 24C SST ISOTHERM AS IT MOVES ACROSS A
STRONG GRADIENT OF SST. MOREOVER...THE CYCLONE HAS ALREADY
BEGUN TO INGEST INCREASINGLY MORE STABLE BOUNDARY LAYER AIR AND
ENCOUNTER A MODEST AMOUNT OF EASTERLY SHEAR. THESE FACTORS FAVOR A
CONTINUED STEADY DECLINE IN INTENSITY. THE OFFICIAL INTENSITY
FORECAST IS IN CLOSE ACCORDANCE WITH THE LATEST SHIPS MODEL
GUIDANCE. BLANCA IS FORECAST TO BECOME A REMNANT LOW WITHIN 36
HOURS...BUT GIVEN CURRENT TRENDS THIS EVENT COULD OCCUR SOONER.
RECENT VISIBLE SATELLITE FIXES YIELD AN INITIAL MOTION OF 305/10...A
LITTLE TO THE RIGHT OF THE PREVIOUSLY ESTIMATED MOTION. THE TRACK
REASONING WITH REGARD TO BLANCA HAS NOT CHANGED. THE CYCLONE
REMAINS ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF A WEAKENING LOW- TO MID-LEVEL
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE...WHICH SHOULD FAVOR A WEST-NORTHWEST TO
NORTHWEST TRACK WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED PRIOR TO DISSIPATION.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Ignacio 1997 article
Tropical Storm Ignacio (1997)
Tropical Storm Ignacio formed first as a depression in an area of disturbed weather on August 17. 12 hours later, it organized into a tropical storm. Ignacio's location of tropical cyclogenesis was further north and west of where most East Pacific tropical cyclones form. Steering currents pulled Ignacio north, where it encountered wind shear and cooler waters. Ignacio lost tropical characteristics August 19. They were then absorbed by a cyclone associated with the remnants of Hurricane Guillermo.
Ignacio's remnants moved north, bringing gusty winds to California coastal waters before dissipating. They caused rainfall as far north as the U.S. state of Washington. Thunderstorms caused a few power outages in central California. Other than those events, there was no impact.
Meteorological history
Ignacio originated from a large low pressure area that was near the coast of Mexico on August 14. [1] The low began to organize on August 16 and on at 0000UT time the next day it was declared Tropical Depression Eleven-E. The depression showed strong bursts of deep convection, and became Tropical Storm Ignacio 18 hours after forming.[1] Initially, Ignacio became better organized.[1] However, it remained weak. Ignacio peaked with winds of only 40 mph and a peak pressure of 1005 mbar
Southerly wind shear increased, while Ignacio entered colder water. As a result, it weakened to tropical depression status that afternoon. [1] Ignacio transitioned into an extratropical depression 24 hours later. The remnants were absorbed by a much larger extratropical cyclone while just offshore California on August 20.[2] This was the same low that also absorbed the remnants of Hurricane Guillermo four days later.[1] [3] Ignacio's track is unusual since it came very close to hitting California.[2]
Preparations and Impact
No watches or warnings were needed for Ignacio. [1] However, it still impacted land.[1] Ignacio brought heavy rain to the entire West coast. [1] [2] The highest rainfall total was 2.72 inches (69 mm). [1] It produced record rainfall in the Pacific Northwest and eventually impacted British Columbia.[1] [4] [5] Winds were gusty. [2] The power when out in Central California, but no other damage was reported.[1] Severe flooding was recorded along US Highway 97 with a debris flow estimated at 0.5 mi and 7 ft deep.[6]
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k Edward N. Rappaport. "Tropical Storm Ignacio Primary Report". NHC. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1997ignacio.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
^ a b c d Jack Williams (2005-05-17). "California's Tropical Cyclones". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/whhcalif.htm. Retrieved on 2005-10-24.
^ B. Max Mayfield (1997). "Hurricane Guillermo Prelimary Report". National Hurricane Center. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1997guillerm.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
^ David M. Roth. "Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Maxima per State". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/tcstatemaxima.gif. Retrieved on 2006-06-17.
^ David M. Roth. "Remains of Ignacio". HPC. http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/ignacio1997.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
^ Stuart Hinson (1997). "California Event Report: Flash Flood". National Climatic Data Center. http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~283112. Retrieved on 2009-06-29.
Note
This page is from two wikipedia articles. 1997 Pacifc hurricane season and User:Yellow Evan/Sandbox