DOCSLIB.ORG

Hurricane Andrew and Louisiana's Coast

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hurricane Andrew and Louisiana's Coast HURRICANE ANDREW AND LOUISIANA’S COAST WRITTEN BY National Biological Service Southern Science Center Lafayette, Louisiana ‘Current Address National Biological Service Northern Prairie Science Center Jamestown, North Dakota PRODUCED BY II Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana and 162 National Biological Service {afayette, Louisiana National Sea Grant Depository Pell Library Building - GSO University of Rhode Island Narragansett, RI 02882-1197USA “Hurricane” is the term used to describe Hurricane Camille, with sustained winds of the strongest of the windy, circulating more than 320 kph (200 mph), was the most storms- or cyclones-in the Atlantic and powerful hurricane ever recorded to hit the eastern Pacific oceans; in the western Pacific northern gulf coast. these kinds of storms are referred to as Although difference in wind speed is one typhoons. Most Atlantic hurricanes are born easy way to classify storms, hurricanes have in the southern Atlantic Ocean, off the coast other unusual characteristics. Some storms of Africa, in the months of June through move quickly and produce little rainfall, November each year. while others are slow and generate torrential During this time, winds off the west coast rain squalls with downfalls that often exceed of Africa sometimes converge, circulating 38 cm (15 inches). One characteristic that all counterclockwise. Often, these winds maintain storms share, however, is the location of the a low speed and travel across the Atlantic most powerful and dangerous winds. The Ocean as tropical waves, causing little more forward right quadrant of a hurricane-12:00 than rainfall on land masses they strike. to 3:00 on a clock face-is its strongest and At other times, when water temperatures most dangerous section, because it is fueled are warm enough and atmospheric conditions by the counterclockwise motion of the storm are correct, the wind speeds increase and as well as its forward movement. begin to form around a center, or eye. Hot, As the storm moves along the ocean sur- moist air from the ocean is pulled up into face, it becomes a complex, tight mass of wind the eye of the storm, which is now called a and rain. The eye becomes perfectly clear on tropical storm. As the air rises and cools, satellite pictures; larger hurricanes can have moisture condenses and is released as heavy an eye as large as 56.3 km (35 mi) across. The rain into the torrential winds circling the eye. hurricane’s eye is the area around which the The released energy is pumped into the winds rotate and is actually a calm area in the rotating cloud mass, making it rise and spin center of the storm. People have often been even faster. By the time the winds reach deceived into thinking that a storm had ended speeds of 119 kph (74 mph), the storm has when the eye passed over and were surprised become a hurricane. when destructive winds began again. As the spinning storm moves across the Hurricanes can contain and release ocean, unstopped by land, wind speeds enough energy to supply electricity to the increase. Hurricanes are commonly classified United States for a year. And hurricanes by the strength of their winds into five cate- carry the ocean along with them, bringing gories on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane storm surges as high as 7.6 m (25 ft) above Intensity Scale. The weakest hurricanes, with sea level. Often the accompanying storm wind speeds of 119-153 kph (74-95 mph), are surge and associated floods are responsible referred to as Category I storms and cause for much damage in coastal areas. minimal damage primarily to plants and trees. Storms pursue unpredictable paths toward In 1992, Hurricane Andrew was a Category land. There is no set pattern in the journey IV storm with sustained wind speeds of 225 from their birth places off Africa, although kph (140 mph). Category V storms, such as they frequently move northwesterly to the Hurricane Camille in 1969, are the strongest Gulf of Mexico and eastern coasts of North and responsible for catastrophic damage. and Central America. A Fierce Storm Figure l-Satellite image of Hurricane Andrew over the Gulf of Mexico. strengthened to hurricane force- 120 kph (74 mph). The storm rapidly intensified and by August 23 had become a Category III hurricane (see “How Hurricanes Form,” inside front cover) with winds of 193 kph (120 mph). The next day, August 24, it struck the eastern coast of Florida and passed over the Florida peninsula in only six hours. As an even stronger hurricane with winds of 225 kph (140 mph-a Category IV storm), Hurricane Andrew moved northwesterly across the Gulf of Mexico. As people all along the Gulf of Mexico tried to predict its course, the hurricane’s second landfall was along Louisiana’s coast August 26. n mid-August 1992, television and the U.S. mainland but it was also one It first passed near the barrier radio audiences were alerted to a of the most intense. Figure 1) islands along the central gulf coast of potentially damaging hurricane Hurricane Andrew, with winds of the state with 225-kph (140-mph) that had formed in the Atlantic Ocean. 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per winds and a storm surge of 2 m (7 ft). Satellite imagery showed a large hour), destroyed urban and other set- A combination of these winds and the swirling mass of clouds rotating around tled areas in Louisiana. It also swept resulting strong waves and storm surge an area of low pressure and heading across a variety of economically eroded 30-40 percent of Raccoon Island toward the continental United States. important natural ecosystems in south as well as the western arm of Whiskey On August 24, this hurricane struck Louisiana, including barrier islands, Island. This erosion reduced the sig- the eastern coast of Florida, passed coastal wetlands, and forested wet- nificant protection that those barrier over the Florida peninsula, entered the lands. A closer look at the life span of islands could offer to coastal marshes Gulf of Mexico, and moved north- this storm shows that its path of and swamps from future storms. westerly until it slammed into the destruction was inevitable. Hurricane Andrew then moved Louisiana coast on August 26. On August 14, satellite photogra- across the water between the islands Hurricane Andrew, as it was named phy first indicated a strong tropical and the Louisiana mainland and struck by the National Weather Service, wave off the west coast of Africa. This coastal marshes near Cypremort Point. caused over $27 billion worth of dam- weather pattern achieved tropical Large sections of marsh in western age in Florida and Louisiana. It was storm strength on August 17 and, by Terrebonne Parish received extensive not only the costliest storm to strike August 22, its winds had further physical damage. Figure Z-Path of Hurricane Andrew over satellite image of Louisiana. NATIONAL l3lOLOGlCAL SERVICE Still very strong, the hurricane traveled through the swamps and forests of the Atchafalaya Basin. Aerial reconnaissance shortly after the storm revealed large tracts of downed and mangled forests. More than 40 percent of the bottomland hardwood forests in Iberia, St. Martin, and St. Mary parishes were severely damaged. By the time the storm neared Baton Rouge, its peak wind gusts were still near hurricane force 113 kph (70 mph). About 24 hours after Hurricane Andrew struck Louisiana, it took a northeasterly track and was finally downgraded to a tropical depression. On August 28, it merged with an advancing cold front and died in of coastal systems, helping alter the and monitored. Headed by the Pennsylvania. shapes of barrier islands, coastal National Biological Service’s Southern In just two weeks the hurricane marshes, and swamps and other wet- Science Center, 23 studies of the eco- created damages of $27.2 billion and land forests. Because scientists, fisher- logical impacts of Hurricane Andrew affected the incomes of many Florida men, and foresters alike have become were planned and completed. These and Louisiana residents for years. increasingly aware of the values of studies examined the short- and long- Hurricane Andrew passed over a these systems, interest in understand- term effects on coastal barrier islands, densely populated area in south ing, protecting, and restoring them wetlands, and swamps and bottom- Florida, which accounted for the bulk has been increasing as well. Recent land hardwood forests in Louisiana of the monetary losses and loss of passages of federal laws such as the and their wildlife. (Figure 2) ( lives. Its landfall in Louisiana was in Coastal Wetlands Planning, a sparsely settled area, but storm Protection, and Restoration Act of damages in the state still reached $2.5 1990 indicate that, among lawmakers billion. The fishery and aquaculture and the people they represent, there industries suffered enormous losses. is a growing appreciation of systems Although memories of the storm are that hurricanes affect. now fading, its impact can still be Three months after Hurricane seen and will be felt for years to come. Andrew, the U.S. Congress provided Storms such as Hurricane Andrew funds so that damages to Louisiana’s are significant forces in the evolution coastal resources could be assessed Barrier Islands Figure 3-Overhead view of Isles Dernieres was scoured and breached by waves, shows overwash and island break up. and the plant communities were UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA essentially stripped away. In other areas, substantial overwash and sand deposition of 50-100 cm (20-39 inches) partially or completely buried plants. Deposited sand partially or com- near them, the Isles Dernieres lost an pletely covered plant communities of additional 30 percent of their land area.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wind Speed-Damage Correlation in Hurricane Katrina
    JP 1.36 WIND SPEED-DAMAGE CORRELATION IN HURRICANE KATRINA Timothy P. Marshall* Haag Engineering Co. Dallas, Texas 1. INTRODUCTION According to Knabb et al. (2006), Hurricane Katrina Mehta et al. (1983) and Kareem (1984) utilized the was the costliest hurricane disaster in the United States to concept of wind speed-damage correlation after date. The hurricane caused widespread devastation from Hurricanes Frederic and Alicia, respectively. In essence, Florida to Louisiana to Mississippi making a total of three each building acts like an anemometer that records the landfalls before dissipating over the Ohio River Valley. wind speed. A range of failure wind speeds can be The storm damaged or destroyed many properties, determined by analyzing building damage whereas especially near the coasts. undamaged buildings can provide upper bounds to the Since the hurricane, various agencies have conducted wind speeds. In 2006, WSEC developed a wind speed- building damage assessments to estimate the wind fields damage scale entitled the EF-scale, named after the late that occurred during the storm. The National Oceanic Dr. Ted Fujita. The author served on this committee. and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, 2005a) Wind speed-damage correlation is useful especially conducted aerial and ground surveys and published a when few ground-based wind speed measurements are wind speed map. Likewise, the Federal Emergency available. Such was the case in Hurricane Katrina when Management Agency (FEMA, 2006) conducted a similar most of the automated stations failed before the eye study and produced another wind speed map. Both reached the coast. However, mobile towers were studies used a combination of wind speed-damage deployed by Texas Tech University (TTU) at Slidell, LA correlation, actual wind measurements, as well as and Bay St.
    [Show full text]
  • Texas Hurricane History
    Texas Hurricane History David Roth National Weather Service Camp Springs, MD Table of Contents Preface 3 Climatology of Texas Tropical Cyclones 4 List of Texas Hurricanes 8 Tropical Cyclone Records in Texas 11 Hurricanes of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries 12 Hurricanes of the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries 13 Hurricanes of the Late Nineteenth Century 16 The First Indianola Hurricane - 1875 21 Last Indianola Hurricane (1886)- The Storm That Doomed Texas’ Major Port 24 The Great Galveston Hurricane (1900) 29 Hurricanes of the Early Twentieth Century 31 Corpus Christi’s Devastating Hurricane (1919) 38 San Antonio’s Great Flood – 1921 39 Hurricanes of the Late Twentieth Century 48 Hurricanes of the Early Twenty-First Century 68 Acknowledgments 74 Bibliography 75 Preface Every year, about one hundred tropical disturbances roam the open Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. About fifteen of these become tropical depressions, areas of low pressure with closed wind patterns. Of the fifteen, ten become tropical storms, and six become hurricanes. Every five years, one of the hurricanes will become reach category five status, normally in the western Atlantic or western Caribbean. About every fifty years, one of these extremely intense hurricanes will strike the United States, with disastrous consequences. Texas has seen its share of hurricane activity over the many years it has been inhabited. Nearly five hundred years ago, unlucky Spanish explorers learned firsthand what storms along the coast of the Lone Star State were capable of. Despite these setbacks, Spaniards set down roots across Mexico and Texas and started colonies. Galleons filled with gold and other treasures sank to the bottom of the Gulf, off such locations as Padre and Galveston Islands.
    [Show full text]
  • Hurricane and Tropical Storm
    State of New Jersey 2014 Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5. Risk Assessment 5.8 Hurricane and Tropical Storm 2014 Plan Update Changes The 2014 Plan Update includes tropical storms, hurricanes and storm surge in this hazard profile. In the 2011 HMP, storm surge was included in the flood hazard. The hazard profile has been significantly enhanced to include a detailed hazard description, location, extent, previous occurrences, probability of future occurrence, severity, warning time and secondary impacts. New and updated data and figures from ONJSC are incorporated. New and updated figures from other federal and state agencies are incorporated. Potential change in climate and its impacts on the flood hazard are discussed. The vulnerability assessment now directly follows the hazard profile. An exposure analysis of the population, general building stock, State-owned and leased buildings, critical facilities and infrastructure was conducted using best available SLOSH and storm surge data. Environmental impacts is a new subsection. 5.8.1 Profile Hazard Description A tropical cyclone is a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or sub-tropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. Tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes are all considered tropical cyclones. These storms rotate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere around the center and are accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] 2013a). Almost all tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic basin (which includes the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea) form between June 1 and November 30 (hurricane season). August and September are peak months for hurricane development.
    [Show full text]
  • Hurricane Irma Storm Review
    Hurricane Irma Storm Review November 11, 2018 At Duke Energy Florida, we power more than 4 million lives Service territory includes: . Service to 1.8 million retail customers in 35 counties . 13,000 square miles . More than 5,100 miles of transmission lines and 32,000 miles of distribution lines . Owns and operates nearly 9,500 MWs of generating capacity . 76.2% gas, 21% coal, 3% renewable, 0.2%oil, 2,400 MWs Purchased Power. 2 Storm Preparedness Activities Operational preparation is a year-round activity Coordination with County EOC Officials . Transmission & Distribution Systems Inspected and . Structured Engagement and Information Maintained Sharing Before, During and After Hurricane . Storm Organizations Drilled & Prepared . Coordination with county EOC priorities . Internal and External Resource Needs Secured . Public Communications and Outreach . Response Plan Tested and Continuously Improved Storm Restoration Organization Transmission Hurricane Distribution System Preparedness System Local Governmental Coordination 3 Hurricane Irma – Resources & Logistics Resources . 12,528 Total Resources . 1,553 pre-staged in Perry, Georgia . 91 line and vegetation vendors from 25 states . Duke Energy Carolinas and Midwest crews as well as resources from Texas, New York, Louisiana, Colorado, Illinois, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Maine and Canada . 26 independent basecamps, parking/staging sites Mutual Assistance . Largest mobilization in DEF history . Mutual Assistance Agreements, executed between DEF and other utilities, ensure that resources can be timely dispatched and fairly apportioned. Southeastern Electric Exchange coordinates Mutual Assistance 4 5. Individual homes RESTORATION 3. Critical Infrastructure 2. Substations 1. Transmission Lines 4. High-density neighborhoods 5 Hurricane Irma- Restoration Irma’s track northward up the Florida peninsula Restoration Summary resulted in a broad swath of hurricane and tropical Customers Peak Customers Outage storm force winds.
    [Show full text]
  • Background Hurricane Katrina
    PARTPART 33 IMPACTIMPACT OFOF HURRICANESHURRICANES ONON NEWNEW ORLEANSORLEANS ANDAND THETHE GULFGULF COASTCOAST 19001900--19981998 HURRICANEHURRICANE--CAUSEDCAUSED FLOODINGFLOODING OFOF NEWNEW ORLEANSORLEANS •• SinceSince 1559,1559, 172172 hurricaneshurricanes havehave struckstruck southernsouthern LouisianaLouisiana ((ShallatShallat,, 2000).2000). •• OfOf these,these, 3838 havehave causedcaused floodingflooding inin NewNew thethe OrleansOrleans area,area, usuallyusually viavia LakeLake PonchartrainPonchartrain.. •• SomeSome ofof thethe moremore notablenotable eventsevents havehave included:included: SomeSome ofof thethe moremore notablenotable eventsevents havehave included:included: 1812,1812, 1831,1831, 1860,1860, 1915,1915, 1947,1947, 1965,1965, 1969,1969, andand 20052005.. IsaacIsaac MonroeMonroe ClineCline USWS meteorologist Isaac Monroe Cline pioneered the study of tropical cyclones and hurricanes in the early 20th Century, by recording barometric pressures, storm surges, and wind velocities. •• Cline charted barometric gradients (right) and tracked the eyes of hurricanes as they approached landfall. This shows the event of Sept 29, 1915 hitting the New Orleans area. • Storm or tidal surges are caused by lifting of the oceanic surface by abnormal low atmospheric pressure beneath the eye of a hurricane. The faster the winds, the lower the pressure; and the greater the storm surge. At its peak, Hurricane Katrina caused a surge 53 feet high under its eye as it approached the Louisiana coast, triggering a storm surge advisory of 18 to 28 feet in New Orleans (image from USA Today). StormStorm SurgeSurge •• The surge effect is minimal in the open ocean, because the water falls back on itself •• As the storm makes landfall, water is lifted onto the continent, locally elevating the sea level, much like a tsunami, but with much higher winds Images from USA Today •• Cline showed that it was then northeast quadrant of a cyclonic event that produced the greatest storm surge, in accordance with the drop in barometric pressure.
    [Show full text]
  • RE-ANALYSIS of 1969'S HURRICANE CAMILLE COMPLETED Catastrophic Hurricane Now Ranks As Second Strongest on Record
    RE-ANALYSIS OF 1969’s HURRICANE CAMILLE COMPLETED Catastrophic hurricane now ranks as second strongest on record A re-analysis of the database for Hurricane Camille, an extremely intense hurricane that devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast on the night of August 17, 1969, has been completed. Based upon this reassessment, Hurricane Camille is indicated at landfall on the Mississippi coast to have been a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with peak sustained winds of 175 mph and a central pressure of 900 mb. This is the same category as analyzed originally, but the peak sustained winds were reduced from 190 mph and the central pressure lowered from 909 mb. Camille is also reanalyzed to have undergone genesis as a tropical cyclone 18 hours earlier than first indicated on August 14, 1969. When comparing Camille with the two other known Category 5 hurricanes that have struck the continental United States since 1900, Camille (900 mb and 175 mph) ranks between the 1935 Labor Day hurricane (892 mb and 185 mph) and 1992’s Andrew (922 mb and 165 mph) as the strongest hurricanes on record at landfall. Hurricane Camille on the afternoon of August 17, 1969, from the ESSA-9 polar orbiting satellite. Revisions to the Camille’s database were accomplished by obtaining the original observations collected – mainly by ships, weather stations, coastal radars, Navy/Air Force/Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) Hurricane Hunter aircraft reconnaissance planes, ESSA/NASA satellite imagery – and analyzing Camille based upon our understanding of hurricanes today. (The agency ESSA is now the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA.) Margie Kieper, Jack Beven, Hugh Willoughby, Chris Landsea, and the NHC Best Track Change Committee all made substantial contributions toward the reanalysis of this devastating hurricane.
    [Show full text]
  • Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy
    Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force HURRICANE SANDY REBUILDING STRATEGY Stronger Communities, A Resilient Region August 2013 HURRICANE SANDY REBUILDING STRATEGY Stronger Communities, A Resilient Region Presented to the President of the United States August 2013 Front and Back Cover (Background Photo) Credits: (Front Cover) Hurricane Sandy Approach - NOAA/NASA (Back Cover) Hurricane Sandy Approach - NOAA/NASA Cover (4-Photo Banner) Credits - Left to Right: Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey - FEMA/ Rosanna Arias Liberty Island, New York - FEMA/Kenneth Wilsey Seaside Heights, New Jersey - FEMA/Sharon Karr Seaside Park, New Jersey - FEMA/Rosanna Arias Hurricane Sandy Letter from the Chair Rebuilding Strategy LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Last October, Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast with incredible power and fury, wreaking havoc in communities across the region. Entire neighborhoods were flooded. Families lost their homes. Businesses were destroyed. Infrastructure was torn apart. After all the damage was done, it was clear that the region faced a long, hard road back. That is why President Obama pledged to work with local partners every step of the way to help affected communities rebuild and recover. In recent years, the Federal Government has made great strides in preparing for and responding to natural disasters. In the case of Sandy, we had vast resources in place before the storm struck, allowing us to quickly organize a massive, multi-agency, multi-state, coordinated response. To ensure a full recovery, the President joined with State and local leaders to fight for a $50 billion relief package. The Task Force and the entire Obama Administration has worked tirelessly to ensure that these funds are getting to those who need them most – and quickly.
    [Show full text]
  • Fishing Pier Design Guidance Part 1
    Fishing Pier Design Guidance Part 1: Historical Pier Damage in Florida Ralph R. Clark Florida Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems May 2010 Table of Contents Foreword............................................................................................................................. i Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... ii Chapter 1 – Introduction................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2 – Ocean and Gulf Pier Damages in Florida................................................... 4 Chapter 3 – Three Major Hurricanes of the Late 1970’s............................................... 6 September 23, 1975 – Hurricane Eloise ...................................................................... 6 September 3, 1979 – Hurricane David ........................................................................ 6 September 13, 1979 – Hurricane Frederic.................................................................. 7 Chapter 4 – Two Hurricanes and Four Storms of the 1980’s........................................ 8 June 18, 1982 – No Name Storm.................................................................................. 8 November 21-24, 1984 – Thanksgiving Storm............................................................ 8 August 30-September 1, 1985 – Hurricane Elena ...................................................... 9 October 31,
    [Show full text]
  • Richmond, VA Hurricanes
    Hurricanes Influencing the Richmond Area Why should residents of the Middle Atlantic states be concerned about hurricanes during the coming hurricane season, which officially begins on June 1 and ends November 30? After all, the big ones don't seem to affect the region anymore. Consider the following: The last Category 2 hurricane to make landfall along the U.S. East Coast, north of Florida, was Isabel in 2003. The last Category 3 was Fran in 1996, and the last Category 4 was Hugo in 1989. Meanwhile, ten Category 2 or stronger storms have made landfall along the Gulf Coast between 2004 and 2008. Hurricane history suggests that the Mid-Atlantic's seeming immunity will change as soon as 2009. Hurricane Alley shifts. Past active hurricane cycles, typically lasting 25 to 30 years, have brought many destructive storms to the region, particularly to shore areas. Never before have so many people and so much property been at risk. Extensive coastal development and a rising sea make for increased vulnerability. A storm like the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, a powerful Category 3, would savage shorelines from North Carolina to New England. History suggests that such an event is due. Hurricane Hazel in 1954 came ashore in North Carolina as a Category 4 to directly slam the Mid-Atlantic region. It swirled hurricane-force winds along an interior track of 700 miles, through the Northeast and into Canada. More than 100 people died. Hazel-type wind events occur about every 50 years. Areas north of Florida are particularly susceptible to wind damage.
    [Show full text]
  • Pilotthe Cameron Parish 35¢ June 21, 2007 Vol
    PilotThe Cameron Parish 35¢ June 21, 2007 Vol. 50--No. 37 Cameron, La. 70631 THIS HISTORIC photo was taken from the second or third floor of the Cameron Courthouse on June 27, 1957, the day that Hurricane Audrey devastated Cameron Parish. Several hundred persons in the courthouse survived but about 500 others else- where in the parish perished. This photo was taken by the late Hadley Fontenot, who was Cameron’s county agent at the time. Audrey’s 50th anniversary will be observed Wednesday, June 27 in ceremonies at the courthouse. Audrey’s 50th anniversary to be observed here June 27th By CYNDI SELLERS Hurricane Audrey book; Cameron Parish Library - his- Even as Cameron Parish torical photos; Cameron Pilot struggles to recover from the - archival materials including effects of Hurricane Rita, the the first issue after the storm; tragic and devastating impact KPLC-TV - documentaries of Hurricane Audrey in 1957 and film clips; and the has not been forgotten. On National Hurricane Museum Wednesday, June 27, the and Science Center. parish will commemorate the Corporate sponsors of the 50th anniversary of the dead- commemoration are Cheniere ly storm, which claimed over LNG, Sempra Energy, and 400 lives. Cameron Communications. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on the steps of the Cameron Court House, Oak Grove which sheltered hundreds from the fury of the storm. A speaker told light lunch will be served Brigadier General after the program, and dis- plays of hurricane informa- Robert J. LeBlanc Rev. John Reynolds will be tion, books, and memorabilia guest speaker at Oak Grove will be available for viewing.
    [Show full text]
  • Hurricane Andrew in Florida: Dynamics of a Disaster ^
    Hurricane Andrew in Florida: Dynamics of a Disaster ^ H. E. Willoughby and P. G. Black Hurricane Research Division, AOML/NOAA, Miami, Florida ABSTRACT Four meteorological factors aggravated the devastation when Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida: completed replacement of the original eyewall by an outer, concentric eyewall while Andrew was still at sea; storm translation so fast that the eye crossed the populated coastline before the influence of land could weaken it appreciably; extreme wind speed, 82 m s_1 winds measured by aircraft flying at 2.5 km; and formation of an intense, but nontornadic, convective vortex in the eyewall at the time of landfall. Although Andrew weakened for 12 h during the eyewall replacement, it contained vigorous convection and was reintensifying rapidly as it passed onshore. The Gulf Stream just offshore was warm enough to support a sea level pressure 20-30 hPa lower than the 922 hPa attained, but Andrew hit land before it could reach this potential. The difficult-to-predict mesoscale and vortex-scale phenomena determined the course of events on that windy morning, not a long-term trend toward worse hurricanes. 1. Introduction might have been a harbinger of more devastating hur- ricanes on a warmer globe (e.g., Fisher 1994). Here When Hurricane Andrew smashed into South we interpret Andrew's progress to show that the ori- Florida on 24 August 1992, it was the third most in- gins of the disaster were too complicated to be ex- tense hurricane to cross the United States coastline in plained by thermodynamics alone. the 125-year quantitative climatology.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
    FLORIDA HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS 1871-1995: An Historical Survey Fred Doehring, Iver W. Duedall, and John M. Williams '+wcCopy~~ I~BN 0-912747-08-0 Florida SeaGrant College is supported by award of the Office of Sea Grant, NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce,grant number NA 36RG-0070, under provisions of the NationalSea Grant College and Programs Act of 1966. This information is published by the Sea Grant Extension Program which functionsas a coinponentof the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, John T. Woeste, Dean, in conducting Cooperative Extensionwork in Agriculture, Home Economics, and Marine Sciences,State of Florida, U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, U.S. Departmentof Commerce, and Boards of County Commissioners, cooperating.Printed and distributed in furtherance af the Actsof Congressof May 8 andJune 14, 1914.The Florida Sea Grant Collegeis an Equal Opportunity-AffirmativeAction employer authorizedto provide research, educational information and other servicesonly to individuals and institutions that function without regardto race,color, sex, age,handicap or nationalorigin. Coverphoto: Hank Brandli & Rob Downey LOANCOPY ONLY Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms 1871-1995: An Historical survey Fred Doehring, Iver W. Duedall, and John M. Williams Division of Marine and Environmental Systems, Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL 32901 Technical Paper - 71 June 1994 $5.00 Copies may be obtained from: Florida Sea Grant College Program University of Florida Building 803 P.O. Box 110409 Gainesville, FL 32611-0409 904-392-2801 II Our friend andcolleague, Fred Doehringpictured below, died on January 5, 1993, before this manuscript was completed. Until his death, Fred had spent the last 18 months painstakingly researchingdata for this book.
    [Show full text]