Hurricane Sandy about to sweep across Jamaica

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Powerful late season storm could affect U.S. East Coast

Hurricane Sandy will engulf Jamaica in the next few hours.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Jamaica is about to take a direct hit from what is now Hurricane Sandy, which is generating sustained winds of 80 mph just off the island nation’s southern coast. Hurricane warnings are in effect for the entire island, where six to 12 inches of rain is expected, leading to dangerous flooding.

Sandy’s storm surge will raise water levels by as much as one to three feet above normal along Jamaica’s southern and eastern coast, along with large and dangerous waves. Hurricane-force winds extend outward about 25 miles from the center of the storm, with tropical storm force winds extending outward up to 140 miles.

A hurricane warning is also in effect for most of eastern Cuba, where the storm surge could reach three to five feet along the southeastern coast. An even more intense storm surge of five to eight feet is expected in the Bahamas, where a hurricane watch is in effect.

A tropical storm watch has also been issued for parts of Florida’s southeastern coast.

Sandy will pass over Jamaica Wednesday afternoon and evening and reach Cuba Wednesday night and approach the Bahamas Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are possible along the southeast Florida coast Friday.

Beyond that, each subsequent forecast model has been pushing the storm closer to the East Coast, where emergency preparations have started. Some tracks show the storm interacting with an approaching cold front and hitting the North East as a powerful non-tropical storm, but the exact path is still uncertain.

 

 

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Hurricane Paul aiming at west coast of Baja

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Storm could bring dangerous surge, flash flooding in the hills

Hurricane Paul, still with a distinct eye, is visible just off the tip of the Baja Peninsula in this NOAA satellite image from Monday afternoon.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Hurricane watches have been hoisted along the southwest coast of Baja, where a rare land-falling storm could bring a dangerous storm surge and the chance flash flooding in coastal hills.

Hurricane Paul is barreling toward the Baja coast with sustained winds still topping 100 mph, although the National Hurricane Center says the storm could weaken significantly before hitting the coast sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday. (more…)

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Tropical Storm Norman aims for Mexico

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Flash flooding possible in coastal mountains of Sinaloa

Tropical Storm Norman is visible at far right as an orange blob of convection along the Mexican coastline. The storm will make landfall in the next 24 hours.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Yet another named eastern Pacific tropical weather system has formed, this time in the channel between Baja, California and the Mexican mainland.

Tropical Storm Norman is generating winds of about 50 mph and is forecast to make landfall somewhere south of Mazatlán within the next 24 hours, then quickly dissipate as it moves inland.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the west coast of Mexico from La Cruz northward to Huatabampo, where rainfall amounts are expected to range between 4 and 8 inches, with up to 12 inches possible in a few spots.

The rain could produce life-threatening floods in Sinaloa and far western Durango, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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Tropical Storm Debby heading north

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Latest forecast suggests the storm won’t move west

Tropical Storm Debby is swirling over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Most forecast models now suggest Tropical Storm Debbie will move north and inland somewhere near the Florida panhandle.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Tropical Storm Debby could continue to lash large stretches of the northern Gulf Coast with huge waves, tropical storm force winds and rain the next few days before heading inland toward the second half of next week.

The storm was also generating tornadoes in northwestern Florida late Sunday afternoon, as well as heavy rain along the northern Gulf Coast. Apalachee Bay could see a storm surge of up to 6 feet, and widespread areas will see 2 to 4 inches of rain.

In its latest update, the National Hurricane Center backed away from a previous forecast model that would have brought the storm westward and possibly into Texas. Instead, the system, now with sustained winds of 60 mph, is expected to meander slowly northward.

Tropical storm warnings extend from the Mississippi-Alabama border to the Suwanee River in Florida, with a tropical storm watch extending all the way to Englewood, Florida. The storm could intensify slightly in the next few days, according to the official NHC forecast.

 

 

 



 

		
					

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Hurricane Carlotta nears Mexico coast with 80 mph winds


				

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Bob Berwyn				


				


					
Storm surge, mountain floods and mudslides expected


Hurricane Carlotta, far left, is growing and strengthening rapidly near the southern coast of Mexico.


Hurricane Carlotta forecast track map
Hurricane Carlotta could move along the coast of southern Mexico the next few days.


By Summit Voice


SUMMIT COUNTY — Hurricane  warnings are in effect for several hundred miles along the Pacific coast of Mexico including Acapulco, as Hurricane Carlotta approaches the area with winds that could reach 100 mph early in the weekend.


The biggest concerns are for a dangerous storm surge that will produce significant coastal flooding, along with powerful and destructive waves. Rainfall totals are forecast to reach 3 to 5 inches in Chiapas and northern Oaxaca, with higher amounts up 10 15 inches in the mountains of southern Oaxaca, where mudslides and flash flooding are possible.


The latest forecast track nudges Carlotta a bit farther north before the hurricane turns west again, which means the storm could weaken and even fall apart if it runs into the high mountains of southern Mexico, but the exact track has been hard to pinpoint. Carlotta could rake a large part of Mexico’s southern coast with high winds and heavy rains.


Officially, wind speeds are forecast to reach 90 mph by Friday evening and 100 mph by Saturday morning as the center nears the coast.

		
					

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Tropical Storm Carlotta a potential threat to Mexico


				

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Bob Berwyn				


				


					
Storm could make landfall Saturday with 80 mph winds


A NOAA satellite image shows Tropical Storm Carlotta gathering strength over the southeastern Pacific.


Tropical Storm Carlotta track, hurricane carlotta
Tropical Storm Carlotta is likely to reach hurricane strength by Friday and poses a threat to the southern coast of Mexico.


By Summit Voice


SUMMIT COUNTY — Carlotta, the season’s third tropical storm of the season has formed over the far southeastern Pacific and is strengthening rapidly, with sustained winds of 50 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.


Tropical Storm Carlotta is forecast to reach hurricane strength and become a threat to the southern coast of Mexico by Friday. A hurricane watch is already in effect for the Mexican coast between Barra de Tonala and Punta Maldonado, and hurricane warmings are likely in the region soon.


It’s not exactly clear how far north the storm will move before heading back out to sea due to a ridge of high pressure building to the north. The NHC says the storm could stall in the general vicinity of Acapulco during the weekend.

		
					

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Tropical Storm Alberto no big threat to land


				

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Bob Berwyn				


				


					
First Atlantic tropical storm of season expected to weaken and move away from coast


Tropical Storm Alberto.


A May 19 satellite true-color view of Tropical Storm Alberto.


By Summit Voice


SUMMIT COUNTY — Alberto, the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic, continued to swirl off the coast of South Carolina with sustained winds of 50 mph and strong thunderstorms clustered around the center of circulation.


The system may graze parts of the Carolinas the next couple of days before weakening and speeding off to the northeast, but should pose any significant problems or threats to the southeast coast. In fact, the storm could bring some beneficial rains to some of the dry areas in the Southeast. But the 1 to 3 inches of rain expected on a small section of coastline won’t bring significant drought relief.


The National Hurricane Center forecasts the storm to linger near its current position for another 24 hours before an approaching trough picks it up and carries it away from the coast.


The storm only has a 5 to 10 percent chance of reaching hurricane strength but could deliver some rough surf and gusty winds to beach areas the next couple of days. Dry air near the storm, wind shear and shift in position over cooler waters will likely inhibit development, according to the NHC’s latest forecast discussion.


 

		
					

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Hurricane Hilary now a Category 3 storm in the Pacific


				

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Bob Berwyn				


				


					
No landfall expected; but Hilary brings tropical storm conditions to parts of the southern Mexico coastline through the weekend




Hurricane Hilary
Hurricane Hilary is a small but powerful storm off the coast of southern Mexico. NOAA SATELLITE IMAGE.


By Summit Voice


SUMMIT COUNTY — Hurricane Hilary, moving above the warm waters of the tropical Pacific Ocean off Mexico, has quickly intensified to a category 3 storm during the past 24 hours, with sustained winds of 135 mph making one of the stronger hurricanes of the 2011 season so far.


The latest satellite images show a small, distinct eye surrounded by very cold cloud tops and could intensify a bit more during the next 24 to 36 hours before moving over cooler water and starting to weaken toward the end of the forecast period. The official forecast from the National Hurricane Center is for periodic weakening and strengthening in a cycle driven by eyeball replacement. (more…)

		
					

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Hurricane Maria makes landfall in … Newfoundland


				

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Bob Berwyn				


				


					
In 2006, Hurricane Wilma became the strongest Atlantic Hurricane on record, with wind speeds reaching 175 mph. SATELLITE IMAGE COURTESY NASA.


Often viewed only as disasters, hurricanes play a key role in regulating global climate and sustaining coastal ecosystems


By Bob Berwyn


SUMMIT COUNTY — After starting way back on Sept. 5 as a cluster of thunderstorms moving off the hot tropics of Africa, Hurricane Maria is breathing its last gasp in the North Atlantic, where warnings are in effect for parts of the Newfoundland coast.


Maria still has sustained winds of 75 mph and could bring some extra-large and potentially destructive waves, along with one to three inches of rain, as it passes near or over southeastern Newfoundland sometime Friday. The National Hurricane Center forecasts Maria to become extra-tropical Friday night but will continue to pack a punch as it races across the North Atlantic, possibly bringing another round of stormy weather to northern Ireland and Scotland. (more…)

		
					

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Tropical Storm Nate forms in southern Gulf of Mexico


				

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Bob Berwyn				


				


					
Tropical Storm Nate doesn't yet look like much over the Bay of Campeche, but could develop into a hurricane by Friday before heading west into Mexico. Click on the image to see the animated NOAA map.


Latest storm forecast to track north, then west into Mexico


By Summit Voice


SUMMIT COUNTY —  The National Hurricane Center upgraded the tropical disturbance over the Bay of Campeche to Tropical Storm Nate Wednesday afternoon, and forecast that the storm could reach hurricane strength by Friday.


A preliminary forecast track taking the storm north, then west — with most models suggesting the storm will stay too far south to bring any significant relief to parched Texas. (more…)

		
					

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