Newsweek
"California Will Face 'Years' of Recovery From Historic Storms, Mayor Warns"
Story by Matthew Impelli
6 FEBRUARY 2024
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria warned on Monday that parts of California could be facing "years" of recovery from a series of historic storms that resulted in flooding and widespread damage.
"This is not a day or a week-long thing," Gloria said while on CNN's News Central.
"This is a weeks, months, even years recovery."
"That's why we've put out the call for assistance."
"We are not used to this kind of rain in San Diego, we're used to perfect weather and so this is really complicating our response efforts," Gloria added.
The context:
On Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in San Diego warned of severe rainfall and widespread flooding in different parts of the city.
"Rain totals have increased for northern areas, where locally catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is expected for Orange County, western parts of the Inland Empire, and SBD Mtn coastal slopes," NWS San Diego wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
In an update on Monday morning, NWS San Diego said rainfall amounts could reach 14 inches in some areas of Southern California and noted that "locally catastrophic flash and urban flooding impacts are possible across Los Angeles."
"Powerful, damaging onshore winds shift to Southern California tonight."
"Further power outages and downed trees are likely."
"Potentially damaging high surf is expected for the Central and Southern California coasts through Monday," the update added.
What we know:
On Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency for several counties, including San Diego.
"The emergency proclamation includes provisions authorizing a California National Guard response if tasked, facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents, and making it easier for out-of-state contractors and utilities to repair storm damage," Newsom's office said.
Newsweek was directed to Newsom's announcement on Sunday after reaching out to his office for comment.
Views:
The NWS in Los Angeles also issued warnings to residents for flooding and rainfall.
"EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION UNFOLDING IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS AREA AND AROUND THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS," NWS Los Angeles said in a post on X.
"Life-threatening landslides and additional flash-flooding expected overnight tonight."
"Avoid travel if at all possible."
The NWS in San Diego also warned of an atmospheric river causing the storms.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines an atmospheric river as "like rivers in the sky," that "transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics."
"When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow," the NOAA states.
What's next:
Officials across California have encouraged residents to avoid travel if possible amid the storms and to follow evacuation alerts when necessary.
"With severe weather still lingering across the state @CAL_OES encourages Californians to stay off the roads if possible."
"If you must drive, visit QuickMap.dot.ca.gov for the latest road conditions," California's Office of Emergency Services wrote on X.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... 18ec&ei=38
ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
Tribune News Service
"Hurricane Beryl, now Category 4, has Jamaica in its path; potential for Tropical Storm Chris to form near Mexico"
Story by Rafael Olmeda, Victoria Ballard and David Fleshler, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
1 JULY 2024
Beryl became the season’s first major hurricane on Sunday, reaching Category 4 strength as it approached the Caribbean with winds topping 130 mph, forecasters said.
Beryl has strengthened rapidly since forming and is likely to bring “life-threatening winds and storm surge” on its approach to the far eastern Caribbean early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A Hurricane Hunter aircraft investigated the hurricane on Sunday, recording maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 130 mph with higher gusts.
It is forecast to continue strengthening as it sweeps through the Caribbean Sea.
Jamaica, Belize and parts of Mexico were within Beryl’s cone Sunday.
The forecast for Beryl includes “a life-threatening storm surge” of as much as 6 to 9 feet and 3 to 6 inches of rain across Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday into Monday, increasing the potential for flash flooding, according to the hurricane center,
Meanwhile, a tropical storm watch may be issued later Sunday for a portion of the eastern coast of Mexico due to another storm system, forecasters said Sunday.
It’s possible a short-lived Tropical Storm Chris could form from a system moving across the Caribbean and headed toward inland Mexico.
Forecasters also said Sunday that a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic off Africa could become a tropical depression by midweek as it moves toward the eastern and central Caribbean.
Hurricane warnings are in effect across the eastern Caribbean for Beryl, as the islands braced for the first hurricane of what’s expected to be an extremely active storm season.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, the storm was 355 miles east-southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from Beryl’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tobago, and the Grenadine Islands and Grenada, while a tropical storm warning is in effect for Martinique.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica and Trinidad.
“Development this far east in late June is unusual,” the forecasters at the hurricane center said.
“In fact, there have only been a few storms in history that have formed over the central or eastern tropical Atlantic this early in the year.”
Beryl is expected to remain a significant hurricane through the next five days, forecasters said Sunday.
Beryl is not expected to affect South Florida.
Meanwhile, a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic, which could become a tropical depression by midweek as it moves toward the eastern and central Caribbean, was given a 40% chance of developing in the next two days and a 70% chance in the next seven days.
It is expected to move west at 15 to 20 mph, forecasters said.
The system that could potentially become Tropical Storm Chris was given an 80% chance of developing in the two days, forecasters said.
It is forecast to move over inland Mexico on Monday.
Regardless of development, heavy rain is expected to affect portions of Central America and Mexico through the weekend.
After Chris, the next storm to form will be Debby.
The western Gulf of Mexico generated the 2024 season’s first tropical storm last week.
Dubbed Alberto, the system made landfall in Mexico 250 miles south of the U.S. border, but sent storm surge and flood to spots 500 miles away in Louisiana.
The 2024 hurricane season, which officially began June 1, is expected to be extremely active.
In its annual May outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the 2024 hurricane season has an 85% chance of being above normal, with 17 to 25 named storms with minimum sustained winds of 39 mph, and eight to 13 hurricanes.
An average year has 14 named storms and seven hurricanes.
In addition, NOAA has forecast four to seven major hurricanes for 2024, meaning those that are Category 3 or above.
Experts at Colorado State University stated in their 2024 forecast that the U.S. East Coast, including Florida, had a 34% chance of a major hurricane making landfall this year.
The average from 1880-2020 was 21%.
Forecasters say that the record-warm water temperatures that now cover much of the Atlantic Ocean will continue into peak hurricane season from August to October.
That warm water fuels hurricanes.
By early June, the tropical Atlantic was already as hot as it usually is in mid-August — peak hurricane season.
Hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... adf6&ei=83
"Hurricane Beryl, now Category 4, has Jamaica in its path; potential for Tropical Storm Chris to form near Mexico"
Story by Rafael Olmeda, Victoria Ballard and David Fleshler, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
1 JULY 2024
Beryl became the season’s first major hurricane on Sunday, reaching Category 4 strength as it approached the Caribbean with winds topping 130 mph, forecasters said.
Beryl has strengthened rapidly since forming and is likely to bring “life-threatening winds and storm surge” on its approach to the far eastern Caribbean early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A Hurricane Hunter aircraft investigated the hurricane on Sunday, recording maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 130 mph with higher gusts.
It is forecast to continue strengthening as it sweeps through the Caribbean Sea.
Jamaica, Belize and parts of Mexico were within Beryl’s cone Sunday.
The forecast for Beryl includes “a life-threatening storm surge” of as much as 6 to 9 feet and 3 to 6 inches of rain across Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday into Monday, increasing the potential for flash flooding, according to the hurricane center,
Meanwhile, a tropical storm watch may be issued later Sunday for a portion of the eastern coast of Mexico due to another storm system, forecasters said Sunday.
It’s possible a short-lived Tropical Storm Chris could form from a system moving across the Caribbean and headed toward inland Mexico.
Forecasters also said Sunday that a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic off Africa could become a tropical depression by midweek as it moves toward the eastern and central Caribbean.
Hurricane warnings are in effect across the eastern Caribbean for Beryl, as the islands braced for the first hurricane of what’s expected to be an extremely active storm season.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, the storm was 355 miles east-southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from Beryl’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tobago, and the Grenadine Islands and Grenada, while a tropical storm warning is in effect for Martinique.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica and Trinidad.
“Development this far east in late June is unusual,” the forecasters at the hurricane center said.
“In fact, there have only been a few storms in history that have formed over the central or eastern tropical Atlantic this early in the year.”
Beryl is expected to remain a significant hurricane through the next five days, forecasters said Sunday.
Beryl is not expected to affect South Florida.
Meanwhile, a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic, which could become a tropical depression by midweek as it moves toward the eastern and central Caribbean, was given a 40% chance of developing in the next two days and a 70% chance in the next seven days.
It is expected to move west at 15 to 20 mph, forecasters said.
The system that could potentially become Tropical Storm Chris was given an 80% chance of developing in the two days, forecasters said.
It is forecast to move over inland Mexico on Monday.
Regardless of development, heavy rain is expected to affect portions of Central America and Mexico through the weekend.
After Chris, the next storm to form will be Debby.
The western Gulf of Mexico generated the 2024 season’s first tropical storm last week.
Dubbed Alberto, the system made landfall in Mexico 250 miles south of the U.S. border, but sent storm surge and flood to spots 500 miles away in Louisiana.
The 2024 hurricane season, which officially began June 1, is expected to be extremely active.
In its annual May outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the 2024 hurricane season has an 85% chance of being above normal, with 17 to 25 named storms with minimum sustained winds of 39 mph, and eight to 13 hurricanes.
An average year has 14 named storms and seven hurricanes.
In addition, NOAA has forecast four to seven major hurricanes for 2024, meaning those that are Category 3 or above.
Experts at Colorado State University stated in their 2024 forecast that the U.S. East Coast, including Florida, had a 34% chance of a major hurricane making landfall this year.
The average from 1880-2020 was 21%.
Forecasters say that the record-warm water temperatures that now cover much of the Atlantic Ocean will continue into peak hurricane season from August to October.
That warm water fuels hurricanes.
By early June, the tropical Atlantic was already as hot as it usually is in mid-August — peak hurricane season.
Hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... adf6&ei=83
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
Newsweek
"Meteorologists Sound Alarm as Hurricane Beryl Strengthens En Route to US"
Story by Anna Skinner
6 JULY 2024
Weather experts are voicing concerns about the forecast track of Hurricane Beryl as the storm nears the United States.
Beryl strengthened into a hurricane last Saturday, becoming June's easternmost major hurricane in the Atlantic.
The storm underwent rapid intensification and became a Category 4 hurricane as soon as its wind speeds reached 130 miles per hour.
It has killed at least nine people, according to The Associated Press.
The system temporarily weakened to a Category 3 before strengthening again, with maximum winds documented at 150 mph when it made landfall in the Windward Islands on Monday morning.
At one point, Hurricane Beryl was categorized as a Category 5, but it has since weakened again to a Category 2, with wind speeds at 110 mph as of Friday morning, when the storm made landfall near Tulum, Mexico.
Although the storm has weakened, some meteorologists are still concerned it could strengthen again once it exits Mexico and aims at the U.S. this weekend.
"Welp... Beryl is strengthening once again."
"Hurricane Hunters sampling pressure that is dropping rather quickly."
"It will weaken over the Yucatán after landfall, but this unexpected strengthening means a stronger Beryl will move into the Gulf on Friday," CBS Austin meteorologist Avery Tomasco posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday night.
Hurricane Beryl also strengthened unexpectedly when its northern eyewall, a ring of thunderstorms that produce heavy rains and typically the strongest winds, hit Jamaica on Wednesday.
In a follow-up post, Tomasco shared a forecast that anticipated the hurricane would hit the Texas coastline as at least a Category 1 storm by early Monday morning.
The Weather Channel also shared a forecast for the storm's impacts in Texas, with impacts affecting Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Houston, Waco and San Antonio.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast shows tropical storm-force winds arriving in Texas overnight on Sunday.
Newsweek reached out to the NHC by email for comment.
A tropical storm warning was in place in the Gulf just south of Texas as of Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS)
"There is an increasing risk of strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall in portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas late this weekend," the NHC forecast said.
"Interests in these areas should closely monitor the progress of Beryl and updates to the forecast."
"Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches will likely be issued later today."
In addition to the storm's impacts, deadly rip currents are expected to begin along the Texas coast later on Friday.
They will continue throughout much of the weekend.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... c6c4&ei=50
"Meteorologists Sound Alarm as Hurricane Beryl Strengthens En Route to US"
Story by Anna Skinner
6 JULY 2024
Weather experts are voicing concerns about the forecast track of Hurricane Beryl as the storm nears the United States.
Beryl strengthened into a hurricane last Saturday, becoming June's easternmost major hurricane in the Atlantic.
The storm underwent rapid intensification and became a Category 4 hurricane as soon as its wind speeds reached 130 miles per hour.
It has killed at least nine people, according to The Associated Press.
The system temporarily weakened to a Category 3 before strengthening again, with maximum winds documented at 150 mph when it made landfall in the Windward Islands on Monday morning.
At one point, Hurricane Beryl was categorized as a Category 5, but it has since weakened again to a Category 2, with wind speeds at 110 mph as of Friday morning, when the storm made landfall near Tulum, Mexico.
Although the storm has weakened, some meteorologists are still concerned it could strengthen again once it exits Mexico and aims at the U.S. this weekend.
"Welp... Beryl is strengthening once again."
"Hurricane Hunters sampling pressure that is dropping rather quickly."
"It will weaken over the Yucatán after landfall, but this unexpected strengthening means a stronger Beryl will move into the Gulf on Friday," CBS Austin meteorologist Avery Tomasco posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday night.
Hurricane Beryl also strengthened unexpectedly when its northern eyewall, a ring of thunderstorms that produce heavy rains and typically the strongest winds, hit Jamaica on Wednesday.
In a follow-up post, Tomasco shared a forecast that anticipated the hurricane would hit the Texas coastline as at least a Category 1 storm by early Monday morning.
The Weather Channel also shared a forecast for the storm's impacts in Texas, with impacts affecting Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Houston, Waco and San Antonio.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast shows tropical storm-force winds arriving in Texas overnight on Sunday.
Newsweek reached out to the NHC by email for comment.
A tropical storm warning was in place in the Gulf just south of Texas as of Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS)
"There is an increasing risk of strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall in portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas late this weekend," the NHC forecast said.
"Interests in these areas should closely monitor the progress of Beryl and updates to the forecast."
"Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches will likely be issued later today."
In addition to the storm's impacts, deadly rip currents are expected to begin along the Texas coast later on Friday.
They will continue throughout much of the weekend.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... c6c4&ei=50
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
RIGZONE
"Hurricane Beryl Leaves Millions in Texas Without Power"
by Bloomberg | Will Wade
Monday, July 08, 2024
More than 2.5 million homes and businesses in Texas lost power and at least one person was killed after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the state, bringing howling winds and driving rain that knocked out electric lines.
Most of the outages are in Houston and areas to the southeast that are close to where the storm made landfall shortly before 4 a.m. local time.
The city is now facing tornado threats, wind gusts as high as 80 miles per hour (129 kilometers per hour), as much as eight inches (20 centimeters) of rain and flooding that has left some of major highways underwater.
Beryl is the latest weather disaster to strike Houston this year after a derecho in May blasted skyscraper windows.
It’s in Harris County, which has been the riskiest county in the US for weather since 1980.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick declared a disaster in 121 counties, including Harris, in advance of the storm.
“We’ve had trailers blown over, lots of trees falling down, even a tree falling down and killing someone,” said meteorologist Wendy Wong, with the National Weather Service in Houston.
More than 80% of those without power are customers of CenterPoint Energy Inc., according to PowerOutage.us.
As recently as April, data from Whisker Labs Inc. showed that the utility operated the most stressed local power grid in the country.
The company warned customers Monday that outages could last several days.
Flights are being canceled at Houston airports, while a nearby liquefied natural gas facility ramped down operations until the storm passed.
European natural gas prices rose in response during trading Monday.
Some oil operations are also at risk for disruption.
Before striking Texas, Beryl crashed through the Caribbean, raking across Jamaica and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and causing at least 11 deaths.
Record warm ocean waters in the Atlantic helped fuel the storm, which was the earliest known to reach Category 5, the strongest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
The storm is now plowing northeast across the state, and the US National Hurricane Center is warning people of the risk of flash floods.
Parts of Texas have already received as much as nine inches of rain, and Beryl may end up dumping a total of 15 inches in some areas, according to David Roth, a meteorologist with the US Weather Prediction Center.
The heaviest rainfall will focus on southeast Texas, including Houston, and in areas within about 50 miles of the coast.
Radar update 5:54am: Flash flooding ongoing in/around parts of the Houston area. 3-6 inches of rain has fallen & another 2-4 inches are possible as rainbands from Beryl persist across the area. DO NOT DRIVE ON FLOODED ROADS. Avoid driving if possible. #txwx #houwx #glswx #bcswx pic.twitter.com/SEsLprs4dn
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) July 8, 2024
Even though Beryl is now on shore, Roth warned that some of the most dangerous weather can come from rain bands that trail the eye of the storm.
Because the track of the system is bending to the northeast, that means Houston and coastal areas to the south are at risk of drenching rain that can trigger floods.
“The environment doesn’t get much worse than in the wake of a tropical cyclone,” Roth said in an interview Monday.
“Southeast Texas is the real problem today.”
The Port of Houston has been shut down and Houston officials are warning people to stay off the roads and avoid windows and balconies because of high winds.
“There’s a lot to be wary of,” Roth said.
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/hurri ... 7-article/
"Hurricane Beryl Leaves Millions in Texas Without Power"
by Bloomberg | Will Wade
Monday, July 08, 2024
More than 2.5 million homes and businesses in Texas lost power and at least one person was killed after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the state, bringing howling winds and driving rain that knocked out electric lines.
Most of the outages are in Houston and areas to the southeast that are close to where the storm made landfall shortly before 4 a.m. local time.
The city is now facing tornado threats, wind gusts as high as 80 miles per hour (129 kilometers per hour), as much as eight inches (20 centimeters) of rain and flooding that has left some of major highways underwater.
Beryl is the latest weather disaster to strike Houston this year after a derecho in May blasted skyscraper windows.
It’s in Harris County, which has been the riskiest county in the US for weather since 1980.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick declared a disaster in 121 counties, including Harris, in advance of the storm.
“We’ve had trailers blown over, lots of trees falling down, even a tree falling down and killing someone,” said meteorologist Wendy Wong, with the National Weather Service in Houston.
More than 80% of those without power are customers of CenterPoint Energy Inc., according to PowerOutage.us.
As recently as April, data from Whisker Labs Inc. showed that the utility operated the most stressed local power grid in the country.
The company warned customers Monday that outages could last several days.
Flights are being canceled at Houston airports, while a nearby liquefied natural gas facility ramped down operations until the storm passed.
European natural gas prices rose in response during trading Monday.
Some oil operations are also at risk for disruption.
Before striking Texas, Beryl crashed through the Caribbean, raking across Jamaica and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and causing at least 11 deaths.
Record warm ocean waters in the Atlantic helped fuel the storm, which was the earliest known to reach Category 5, the strongest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
The storm is now plowing northeast across the state, and the US National Hurricane Center is warning people of the risk of flash floods.
Parts of Texas have already received as much as nine inches of rain, and Beryl may end up dumping a total of 15 inches in some areas, according to David Roth, a meteorologist with the US Weather Prediction Center.
The heaviest rainfall will focus on southeast Texas, including Houston, and in areas within about 50 miles of the coast.
Radar update 5:54am: Flash flooding ongoing in/around parts of the Houston area. 3-6 inches of rain has fallen & another 2-4 inches are possible as rainbands from Beryl persist across the area. DO NOT DRIVE ON FLOODED ROADS. Avoid driving if possible. #txwx #houwx #glswx #bcswx pic.twitter.com/SEsLprs4dn
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) July 8, 2024
Even though Beryl is now on shore, Roth warned that some of the most dangerous weather can come from rain bands that trail the eye of the storm.
Because the track of the system is bending to the northeast, that means Houston and coastal areas to the south are at risk of drenching rain that can trigger floods.
“The environment doesn’t get much worse than in the wake of a tropical cyclone,” Roth said in an interview Monday.
“Southeast Texas is the real problem today.”
The Port of Houston has been shut down and Houston officials are warning people to stay off the roads and avoid windows and balconies because of high winds.
“There’s a lot to be wary of,” Roth said.
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/hurri ... 7-article/
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
REUTERS
"Texas power outages hinder Hurricane Beryl recovery, delay oil infrastructure restarts"
By Arathy Somasekhar , Marianna Parraga and Curtis Williams
July 10, 2024
HOUSTON, July 10 (Reuters) - About 1.65 million customers remained without power in the U.S. state of Texas on Wednesday, two days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall, as progress to restore electricity was slow the night before, hampering efforts to quickly restart critical oil infrastructure.
The storm made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday near the coastal town of Matagorda, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Houston, lashing Texas with heavy winds that knocked down power lines and damaged property.
"When you don't have power, when it's pitch black at night, when it's as hot as 80 (degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, and you don't have access to food you normally have, it's a miserable situation," Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told a press conference on Wednesday in Matagorda.
State officials promised as many cooling stations as possible to help citizens without power, hospital beds and a plan to remove debris.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday approved a major disaster declaration for Beryl.
Reinsurance broker Gallagher Re estimated that U.S. economic losses from Beryl would be at least $1 billion as damage assessments continue.
Weather forecasting firm AccuWeather issued a preliminary estimate of $28 billion to $32 billion in U.S. damage and economic loss.
About 1.35 million of the 1.65 million people without power are customers of CenterPoint Energy, the state's largest provider.
CenterPoint said on Wednesday it had restored power to some 900,000 customers in the previous 24 hours, adding that it remains confident it will restore 1 million customers by the end of the day.
In a letter to CenterPoint on Wednesday, congresswoman Sylvia Garcia said the company's inability to restore power more quickly was creating a public health crisis.
"Hospitals are now unable to send patients home where they lack power for medical equipment or an appropriately cool environment for their conditions."
RESTORING OPERATIONS
Freeport LNG, the second largest U.S. liquefied natural gas terminal, was preparing to resume processing by Thursday, two sources close to the matter said, as power was being restored.
But LNG exports from the terminal are not expected to restart until the port, which is operating under restrictions, fully reopens for vessel traffic.
A spokesperson for Freeport LNG told Reuters the company "intends to resume liquefaction when post-storm assessments are complete and it is safe to do so."
Ports along the Texas Gulf Coast, which had shut ahead of the hurricane, continued reopening on Wednesday, some with restrictions.
The Port of Freeport said on Wednesday the navigation channel had reopened to vessels with drafts up to 36 feet (10 meters).
The port, which moved its first ship, added that survey would determine when the channel would be cleared for operations without restrictions.
"All Port Freeport entrance gates have resumed normal operating hours."
"Utility crews are on-site making repairs to downed power lines," it said.
The Port of Houston said its eight public terminals had resumed operations on Tuesday for vessel operations, and on Wednesday morning returned to normal start times for gate operations.
Houston Pilots, which provides services to ships entering or departing the port, moved 14 ships inbound on Tuesday and was expecting 25 inbound and five outbound vessels on Wednesday.
At the Port of Galveston, cruise ships began to sail while cargo operations were expected to resume on Wednesday.
The port, which maintains draft restrictions for vessels, experienced relatively minor damage and some power outages, said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director.
"Power remains out for areas of the port and the city."
"Port staff is working closely with the city to get power fully restored," the ports said on a social media update.
Refineries and offshore production sites saw limited damage and largely returned to normal operations.
Some customers have questioned whether CenterPoint had enough crews in place ahead of the storm.
Patrick said on Tuesday that an analysis would be conducted after power is restored.
CenterPoint said its crews were positioned where they would be safe when the storm hit and were deployed on Monday, when the landfall site was known, as soon as it was safe to do so.
With local stores running out of power generators for sale, many Texans resorted to their trucks to power appliances and small equipment at home.
Following power outages from Beryl, a Ford Motor spokesman said the automaker saw a 1300% increase from customers in the Houston region generating at least 1 kilowatt of power with their built-in F-150 pickup truck mobile generators, with people doing so numbering in the hundreds on July 8.
Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar, Marianna Parraga and Curtis Williams in Houston; additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit and Liz Hampton; Editing by Rod Nickel, Bill Berkrot and Josie Kao
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/power- ... 024-07-10/
"Texas power outages hinder Hurricane Beryl recovery, delay oil infrastructure restarts"
By Arathy Somasekhar , Marianna Parraga and Curtis Williams
July 10, 2024
HOUSTON, July 10 (Reuters) - About 1.65 million customers remained without power in the U.S. state of Texas on Wednesday, two days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall, as progress to restore electricity was slow the night before, hampering efforts to quickly restart critical oil infrastructure.
The storm made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday near the coastal town of Matagorda, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Houston, lashing Texas with heavy winds that knocked down power lines and damaged property.
"When you don't have power, when it's pitch black at night, when it's as hot as 80 (degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, and you don't have access to food you normally have, it's a miserable situation," Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told a press conference on Wednesday in Matagorda.
State officials promised as many cooling stations as possible to help citizens without power, hospital beds and a plan to remove debris.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday approved a major disaster declaration for Beryl.
Reinsurance broker Gallagher Re estimated that U.S. economic losses from Beryl would be at least $1 billion as damage assessments continue.
Weather forecasting firm AccuWeather issued a preliminary estimate of $28 billion to $32 billion in U.S. damage and economic loss.
About 1.35 million of the 1.65 million people without power are customers of CenterPoint Energy, the state's largest provider.
CenterPoint said on Wednesday it had restored power to some 900,000 customers in the previous 24 hours, adding that it remains confident it will restore 1 million customers by the end of the day.
In a letter to CenterPoint on Wednesday, congresswoman Sylvia Garcia said the company's inability to restore power more quickly was creating a public health crisis.
"Hospitals are now unable to send patients home where they lack power for medical equipment or an appropriately cool environment for their conditions."
RESTORING OPERATIONS
Freeport LNG, the second largest U.S. liquefied natural gas terminal, was preparing to resume processing by Thursday, two sources close to the matter said, as power was being restored.
But LNG exports from the terminal are not expected to restart until the port, which is operating under restrictions, fully reopens for vessel traffic.
A spokesperson for Freeport LNG told Reuters the company "intends to resume liquefaction when post-storm assessments are complete and it is safe to do so."
Ports along the Texas Gulf Coast, which had shut ahead of the hurricane, continued reopening on Wednesday, some with restrictions.
The Port of Freeport said on Wednesday the navigation channel had reopened to vessels with drafts up to 36 feet (10 meters).
The port, which moved its first ship, added that survey would determine when the channel would be cleared for operations without restrictions.
"All Port Freeport entrance gates have resumed normal operating hours."
"Utility crews are on-site making repairs to downed power lines," it said.
The Port of Houston said its eight public terminals had resumed operations on Tuesday for vessel operations, and on Wednesday morning returned to normal start times for gate operations.
Houston Pilots, which provides services to ships entering or departing the port, moved 14 ships inbound on Tuesday and was expecting 25 inbound and five outbound vessels on Wednesday.
At the Port of Galveston, cruise ships began to sail while cargo operations were expected to resume on Wednesday.
The port, which maintains draft restrictions for vessels, experienced relatively minor damage and some power outages, said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director.
"Power remains out for areas of the port and the city."
"Port staff is working closely with the city to get power fully restored," the ports said on a social media update.
Refineries and offshore production sites saw limited damage and largely returned to normal operations.
Some customers have questioned whether CenterPoint had enough crews in place ahead of the storm.
Patrick said on Tuesday that an analysis would be conducted after power is restored.
CenterPoint said its crews were positioned where they would be safe when the storm hit and were deployed on Monday, when the landfall site was known, as soon as it was safe to do so.
With local stores running out of power generators for sale, many Texans resorted to their trucks to power appliances and small equipment at home.
Following power outages from Beryl, a Ford Motor spokesman said the automaker saw a 1300% increase from customers in the Houston region generating at least 1 kilowatt of power with their built-in F-150 pickup truck mobile generators, with people doing so numbering in the hundreds on July 8.
Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar, Marianna Parraga and Curtis Williams in Houston; additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit and Liz Hampton; Editing by Rod Nickel, Bill Berkrot and Josie Kao
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/power- ... 024-07-10/
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
"Outages persist, more severe weather feared after Tuesday's deadly storms - Gov. Kathy Hochul declares state of emergency as New York faces long cleanup after storm blamed for tornado damage and at least one death."
By Mike Goodwin, H. Rose Schneider, Albany, New York Times Union
Updated July 17, 202
As crews labored to restore power to thousands of people who lost service when thunderstorms hammered upstate Tuesday, meteorologists watched the radar for signs another string of storms could do damage Wednesday.
A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect Wednesday afternoon for parts of Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany and Rensselaer counties.
By early afternoon, radar showed a storm tracking east, and Saratoga Race Course’s first race of the day was canceled due to weather.
More than 30,000 National Grid customers remained without power as 6 p.m. approached, much of those in Saratoga County.
Also Wednesday, the National Weather Service said an EF-1 (86 to 110 mph) tornado touched down in the Hamilton County town of Wells at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday along the west branch of the Sacandaga River.
It produced a 300-yard wide "swath of downed and snapped trees" before dissipating at Dugway Mountain.
Tuesday's chaotic weather, which unleashed two suspected tornadoes, was blamed for killing a person in Madison County.
Utility crews spread across a huge swath of upstate that spanned the Capital Region, the Southern Tier, Hudson Valley, Adirondack Mountains and central New York.
Tens of thousands of upstate homes and businesses lost power in the storms and utility companies were dealing with outages caused by the collapse of trees and limbs that dragged down electric, phone and cable wires.
Widespread outages persisted across eastern and central upstate with nearly half of the utility customers in Hamilton County without power Wednesday morning.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, visited Rome, which was hit by winds and a possible tornado that damaged two churches and leveled parts of other buildings.
State agencies were assembled to assist with storm cleanup.
The storms brought a brief respite from the heat and humidity that have gripped the Northeast for days but the National Weather Service in Albany said more hot and muggy weather could potentially lead to another round of severe thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Much of the Albany area and Hudson Valley were under another heat advisory.
The storms arrived Tuesday afternoon and evening, causing extensive damage in Rome and other communities along the Mohawk River.
The weather service said a tornado hit the Cortland County town of Virgil and suspected a tornado was to blame in Rome.
Syracuse.com reported a person was found dead after the storms ripped through Canastota, a village in Madison County.
One person was injured when a tree fell on them in the Herkimer County town of Salisbury, National Weather Service meteorologist Abbey Gant said.
Several of Rome’s downtown businesses were badly damaged.
A neon sign flew off an art gallery, front windows were shattered in an independent bookstore and a cinema sustained heavy damage, according to posts on Facebook.
Satellite offices for Oneida County as well as the Rome City School District were damaged, and a 172-year-old church’s steeple was ripped away, photos from the Daily Sentinel and Utica Observer-Dispatch show.
Near the city’s former U.S. Air Force base, a B-52 bomber on display was blown off its pedestal.
The Capital Region and the Adirondack Mountains were hit hard.
Storm damage in Glens Falls prompted the declaration of a state of emergency and, in neighboring Queensbury, a video posted on social media showed sparking wires on the ground and behind cars at a local Kia dealership.
A power pole outside the business remained askew with one of its wires hanging down.
Trees and wires remained tangled Wednesday morning near North Shore Drive in Edinburgh.
The storm also battered Edinburg and other communities around Great Sacandaga Lake.
The normally quiet town was buzzing with activity — literally — with tree-cutting, rumbling utility trucks, firefighting and Saratoga County vehicles moving along rural roads, people on golf carts and utility vehicles inspecting the damage.
Many roads remained closed Wednesday morning.
Downed trees made roads unpassable so when fire began in a building on the lake, firefighters used boats to get to the blaze in the neighboring town of Day.
After surveying the storm damage in Day and Edinburg, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett declared a state of emergency, giving government entities the ability to set emergency rules, such as road closures and allowing for an accelerated process to contract for any necessary resources.
It also helps make municipalities eligible for any federal aid that may become available.
Tornado warnings came in waves on Tuesday with people in Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties getting phone alerts about approaching storms.
The wind brought down trees around the region.
Countless power lines were down and road closures were widespread including Warren Street in Glens Falls where city police said power lines were down.
The severe storm is a familiar scenario.
Nearly 29 years ago to the day, the North Country was rocked by the Ontario-Adirondacks Derecho, a widespread wind storm that tossed trees the size of tractor-trailers around like toothpicks with 100 mph winds.
Five people were killed.
“This is the closest I’ve seen to that in 30-ish years,” Warren County spokesman Don Lehman said Wednesday.
The storm damage is widespread in the county.
Power outages are expected to last for days, Lehman said.
The biggest hindrance is the downed, live wires tangled in fallen trees that have blocked roads and damaged buildings.
“Until those lines are made safe, the (Department of Public Works) crews aren’t going to go into there,” Lehman said.
A list of cooling centers is available on New York State’s website, Lehman said.
He advised calling ahead to ensure the locations have power.
National Grid said 59,577 customers remained without power Wednesday afternoon across the Capital Region, central New York and the Adirondacks.
The utility reported 39,128 customers were without service in the Capital Region.
Locally, Montgomery and Warren counties were hit particularly hard with nearly 6,000 people without power in Montgomery County and another 16,000 without service in Warren County.
National Grid was still working on determining restoration times Wednesday, but the harder hit areas would likely see multi-day outages, spokesman Patrick Stella said.
Downed trees and poles, as well as more severe weather Wednesday, could complicate power restoration.
New York State Electric & Gas faced thousands of power outages, too.
Most were concentrated in central New York and the Southern Tier, but thousands of customers in Columbia and Rensselaer counties lost service, too.
Central Hudson crews were working on hundreds of outages scattered around Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.
The high winds and heavy rains came amid tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings that were in place into the early evening.
It came after another blisteringly hot day that reached a high of 94 degrees at 3:30 p.m. in Albany, just 2 degrees shy of the 1997 record for a July 16.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and U. S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency approve any state request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which would open up grant funds for storm cleanup.
The weather service said it received reports of wind damage and one wind gust measured at 87 mph in Glens Falls by New York State Mesonet as the storm moved east.
That’s fast enough to rip roofs off buildings, Gant said.
Throughout the region, wind speeds ranged from 30 to 60 miles per hour.
The weather service cautioned residents to move to a safe interior place as the storms approached.
The National Weather Service is working Wednesday to determine if any tornadoes touched down in the region.
“Whether it’s a twister or a straight line, 87 miles per hour is just a beast to deal with,” Lehman said.
Gant said thunderstorms Wednesday could bring more damaging winds, but not to the magnitude of Tuesday’s storms.
The following days will offer some relief, with clear skies and cooler and drier weather going into next week.
“It should be a lot better than what the weather has been recently,” Gant said.
Tim Blydenburgh and Wendy Liberatore contributed to this article.
https://www.timesunion.com/weather/arti ... ews&stn=nf
By Mike Goodwin, H. Rose Schneider, Albany, New York Times Union
Updated July 17, 202
As crews labored to restore power to thousands of people who lost service when thunderstorms hammered upstate Tuesday, meteorologists watched the radar for signs another string of storms could do damage Wednesday.
A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect Wednesday afternoon for parts of Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany and Rensselaer counties.
By early afternoon, radar showed a storm tracking east, and Saratoga Race Course’s first race of the day was canceled due to weather.
More than 30,000 National Grid customers remained without power as 6 p.m. approached, much of those in Saratoga County.
Also Wednesday, the National Weather Service said an EF-1 (86 to 110 mph) tornado touched down in the Hamilton County town of Wells at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday along the west branch of the Sacandaga River.
It produced a 300-yard wide "swath of downed and snapped trees" before dissipating at Dugway Mountain.
Tuesday's chaotic weather, which unleashed two suspected tornadoes, was blamed for killing a person in Madison County.
Utility crews spread across a huge swath of upstate that spanned the Capital Region, the Southern Tier, Hudson Valley, Adirondack Mountains and central New York.
Tens of thousands of upstate homes and businesses lost power in the storms and utility companies were dealing with outages caused by the collapse of trees and limbs that dragged down electric, phone and cable wires.
Widespread outages persisted across eastern and central upstate with nearly half of the utility customers in Hamilton County without power Wednesday morning.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, visited Rome, which was hit by winds and a possible tornado that damaged two churches and leveled parts of other buildings.
State agencies were assembled to assist with storm cleanup.
The storms brought a brief respite from the heat and humidity that have gripped the Northeast for days but the National Weather Service in Albany said more hot and muggy weather could potentially lead to another round of severe thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Much of the Albany area and Hudson Valley were under another heat advisory.
The storms arrived Tuesday afternoon and evening, causing extensive damage in Rome and other communities along the Mohawk River.
The weather service said a tornado hit the Cortland County town of Virgil and suspected a tornado was to blame in Rome.
Syracuse.com reported a person was found dead after the storms ripped through Canastota, a village in Madison County.
One person was injured when a tree fell on them in the Herkimer County town of Salisbury, National Weather Service meteorologist Abbey Gant said.
Several of Rome’s downtown businesses were badly damaged.
A neon sign flew off an art gallery, front windows were shattered in an independent bookstore and a cinema sustained heavy damage, according to posts on Facebook.
Satellite offices for Oneida County as well as the Rome City School District were damaged, and a 172-year-old church’s steeple was ripped away, photos from the Daily Sentinel and Utica Observer-Dispatch show.
Near the city’s former U.S. Air Force base, a B-52 bomber on display was blown off its pedestal.
The Capital Region and the Adirondack Mountains were hit hard.
Storm damage in Glens Falls prompted the declaration of a state of emergency and, in neighboring Queensbury, a video posted on social media showed sparking wires on the ground and behind cars at a local Kia dealership.
A power pole outside the business remained askew with one of its wires hanging down.
Trees and wires remained tangled Wednesday morning near North Shore Drive in Edinburgh.
The storm also battered Edinburg and other communities around Great Sacandaga Lake.
The normally quiet town was buzzing with activity — literally — with tree-cutting, rumbling utility trucks, firefighting and Saratoga County vehicles moving along rural roads, people on golf carts and utility vehicles inspecting the damage.
Many roads remained closed Wednesday morning.
Downed trees made roads unpassable so when fire began in a building on the lake, firefighters used boats to get to the blaze in the neighboring town of Day.
After surveying the storm damage in Day and Edinburg, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett declared a state of emergency, giving government entities the ability to set emergency rules, such as road closures and allowing for an accelerated process to contract for any necessary resources.
It also helps make municipalities eligible for any federal aid that may become available.
Tornado warnings came in waves on Tuesday with people in Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties getting phone alerts about approaching storms.
The wind brought down trees around the region.
Countless power lines were down and road closures were widespread including Warren Street in Glens Falls where city police said power lines were down.
The severe storm is a familiar scenario.
Nearly 29 years ago to the day, the North Country was rocked by the Ontario-Adirondacks Derecho, a widespread wind storm that tossed trees the size of tractor-trailers around like toothpicks with 100 mph winds.
Five people were killed.
“This is the closest I’ve seen to that in 30-ish years,” Warren County spokesman Don Lehman said Wednesday.
The storm damage is widespread in the county.
Power outages are expected to last for days, Lehman said.
The biggest hindrance is the downed, live wires tangled in fallen trees that have blocked roads and damaged buildings.
“Until those lines are made safe, the (Department of Public Works) crews aren’t going to go into there,” Lehman said.
A list of cooling centers is available on New York State’s website, Lehman said.
He advised calling ahead to ensure the locations have power.
National Grid said 59,577 customers remained without power Wednesday afternoon across the Capital Region, central New York and the Adirondacks.
The utility reported 39,128 customers were without service in the Capital Region.
Locally, Montgomery and Warren counties were hit particularly hard with nearly 6,000 people without power in Montgomery County and another 16,000 without service in Warren County.
National Grid was still working on determining restoration times Wednesday, but the harder hit areas would likely see multi-day outages, spokesman Patrick Stella said.
Downed trees and poles, as well as more severe weather Wednesday, could complicate power restoration.
New York State Electric & Gas faced thousands of power outages, too.
Most were concentrated in central New York and the Southern Tier, but thousands of customers in Columbia and Rensselaer counties lost service, too.
Central Hudson crews were working on hundreds of outages scattered around Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.
The high winds and heavy rains came amid tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings that were in place into the early evening.
It came after another blisteringly hot day that reached a high of 94 degrees at 3:30 p.m. in Albany, just 2 degrees shy of the 1997 record for a July 16.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and U. S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency approve any state request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which would open up grant funds for storm cleanup.
The weather service said it received reports of wind damage and one wind gust measured at 87 mph in Glens Falls by New York State Mesonet as the storm moved east.
That’s fast enough to rip roofs off buildings, Gant said.
Throughout the region, wind speeds ranged from 30 to 60 miles per hour.
The weather service cautioned residents to move to a safe interior place as the storms approached.
The National Weather Service is working Wednesday to determine if any tornadoes touched down in the region.
“Whether it’s a twister or a straight line, 87 miles per hour is just a beast to deal with,” Lehman said.
Gant said thunderstorms Wednesday could bring more damaging winds, but not to the magnitude of Tuesday’s storms.
The following days will offer some relief, with clear skies and cooler and drier weather going into next week.
“It should be a lot better than what the weather has been recently,” Gant said.
Tim Blydenburgh and Wendy Liberatore contributed to this article.
https://www.timesunion.com/weather/arti ... ews&stn=nf
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
"'A rare day' as five tornadoes hit upstate N.Y. within two hours - Tornadoes struck Hamilton, Oneida, Saratoga and Warren counties within a narrow window Tuesday afternoon"
By Patrick Tine, Staff Writer, Albany, New York Times Union
July 18, 2024
ALBANY — The storms that caused immense damage in central New York before lashing the Capital Region on Tuesday produced five confirmed tornadoes in Hamilton, Oneida, Saratoga and Warren counties, all touching down between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
The fifth tornado, an EF1 on the edge of Great Sacandaga Lake in Edinburg, took longer to confirm because of the difficulty reaching the area in northern Saratoga County due to downed trees and debris.
The four confirmed EF1 tornadoes in the greater Capital Region touched down between 4:29 p.m. and 5:22 p.m. Tuesday.
Both tornadoes in Hamilton County, one which hit near the town of Wells and the other in Oxbow Lake, had maximum winds of 100 mph.
The Oxbow Lake tornado caused minor damage to homes and utility buildings, according to data compiled by the weather service.
The Wells tornado left a 300-yard swath of downed trees in its wake, the weather service said.
The Saratoga County twister hit at 4:48 p.m. Tuesday two miles northeast of Edinburg, damaged a path 50 yards wide and half-a-mile long, and had a maximum wind speed of 110 mph.
The tornado in Warren County that briefly hit Chestertown was weaker, an EF-0 with maximum winds of 85 mph, but it still downed trees and utility poles.
“I wouldn’t say it’s unprecedented but it’s certainly rare to have three confirmed tornadoes in one day,” Joe Villani, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany, said before the fourth local tornado was confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
“It was unusual."
"A rare day in upstate New York.”
Villani described that part of Great Sacandaga Lake that was hit as an area of concern with extensive damage.
“There’s no path, no way anywhere near there,” he said.
Experts look at trees to determine whether an area was struck by a tornado rather than simply strong wind.
In microburst storms and other severe but more routine events, trees tend to be bent in one direction.
Tree limbs twisted in all directions with trees sometimes sheared from the earth are the telltale signs of a tornado, Villani said.
He said corroborated video footage can be helpful in determining whether a tornado touched down, but on-the-ground assessments are always necessary to assess a tornado’s strength.
The tornado that struck Rome in Oneida County at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday was considerably more powerful and longer-lasting than the tornadoes that struck the eastern part of the state.
With winds of 135 mph, the storm was at the highest end of the E2 rating and lasted for 10 minutes as it moved for more than five miles on the ground, Villani said.
Nick Bassill, director of the state Weather Risk Communication Center at the University at Albany, said it had likely been many years since so many twisters touched down in the state.
It has also been an unusually active period for possible tornadoes in the state overall.
On July 10, a record 42 tornado warnings were issued across New York.
“I think more tornado warnings have been issued this year than in the past three years combined,” Bassill said.
The communication center works with the NYS Mesonet to take the network’s data and transmit information to authorities on the ground.
Tuesday’s storms featured the highest wind gust reported by the Mesonet: 87 mph at a station near the Glens Falls airport.
“Granted, (the Mesonet) has only been around about eight years but you’re talking a lot of storms over those eight years and there’s 127 different stations in the state,” Bassill said.
The Mesonet also recorded 73 mph gusts in Edinburg, not far from the site of where the tornado touched down.
Hurricane Beryl likely played some role in the impacts of the storms.
“Beryl produced a lot of rain in New York and while the rain stopped, the water did not go away."
"It was still saturating the ground,” Bassill said.
“So when you have these big wind storms or tornadoes that we had early this week and the ground is really wet, it’s a lot easier to uproot those trees or blow them over and produce more damage.”
Villani described the efforts of his fellow meteorologists while they tracked the storms Tuesday afternoon and evening as they issued alerts to the public and warned people to get to safety.
“We had a lot of severe thunderstorm warnings and the three tornado warnings for eastern New York, in pretty large areas, too,” Villani said.
”It’s the type of day we don’t see every year, for sure.”
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article ... 0headlines
By Patrick Tine, Staff Writer, Albany, New York Times Union
July 18, 2024
ALBANY — The storms that caused immense damage in central New York before lashing the Capital Region on Tuesday produced five confirmed tornadoes in Hamilton, Oneida, Saratoga and Warren counties, all touching down between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
The fifth tornado, an EF1 on the edge of Great Sacandaga Lake in Edinburg, took longer to confirm because of the difficulty reaching the area in northern Saratoga County due to downed trees and debris.
The four confirmed EF1 tornadoes in the greater Capital Region touched down between 4:29 p.m. and 5:22 p.m. Tuesday.
Both tornadoes in Hamilton County, one which hit near the town of Wells and the other in Oxbow Lake, had maximum winds of 100 mph.
The Oxbow Lake tornado caused minor damage to homes and utility buildings, according to data compiled by the weather service.
The Wells tornado left a 300-yard swath of downed trees in its wake, the weather service said.
The Saratoga County twister hit at 4:48 p.m. Tuesday two miles northeast of Edinburg, damaged a path 50 yards wide and half-a-mile long, and had a maximum wind speed of 110 mph.
The tornado in Warren County that briefly hit Chestertown was weaker, an EF-0 with maximum winds of 85 mph, but it still downed trees and utility poles.
“I wouldn’t say it’s unprecedented but it’s certainly rare to have three confirmed tornadoes in one day,” Joe Villani, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany, said before the fourth local tornado was confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
“It was unusual."
"A rare day in upstate New York.”
Villani described that part of Great Sacandaga Lake that was hit as an area of concern with extensive damage.
“There’s no path, no way anywhere near there,” he said.
Experts look at trees to determine whether an area was struck by a tornado rather than simply strong wind.
In microburst storms and other severe but more routine events, trees tend to be bent in one direction.
Tree limbs twisted in all directions with trees sometimes sheared from the earth are the telltale signs of a tornado, Villani said.
He said corroborated video footage can be helpful in determining whether a tornado touched down, but on-the-ground assessments are always necessary to assess a tornado’s strength.
The tornado that struck Rome in Oneida County at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday was considerably more powerful and longer-lasting than the tornadoes that struck the eastern part of the state.
With winds of 135 mph, the storm was at the highest end of the E2 rating and lasted for 10 minutes as it moved for more than five miles on the ground, Villani said.
Nick Bassill, director of the state Weather Risk Communication Center at the University at Albany, said it had likely been many years since so many twisters touched down in the state.
It has also been an unusually active period for possible tornadoes in the state overall.
On July 10, a record 42 tornado warnings were issued across New York.
“I think more tornado warnings have been issued this year than in the past three years combined,” Bassill said.
The communication center works with the NYS Mesonet to take the network’s data and transmit information to authorities on the ground.
Tuesday’s storms featured the highest wind gust reported by the Mesonet: 87 mph at a station near the Glens Falls airport.
“Granted, (the Mesonet) has only been around about eight years but you’re talking a lot of storms over those eight years and there’s 127 different stations in the state,” Bassill said.
The Mesonet also recorded 73 mph gusts in Edinburg, not far from the site of where the tornado touched down.
Hurricane Beryl likely played some role in the impacts of the storms.
“Beryl produced a lot of rain in New York and while the rain stopped, the water did not go away."
"It was still saturating the ground,” Bassill said.
“So when you have these big wind storms or tornadoes that we had early this week and the ground is really wet, it’s a lot easier to uproot those trees or blow them over and produce more damage.”
Villani described the efforts of his fellow meteorologists while they tracked the storms Tuesday afternoon and evening as they issued alerts to the public and warned people to get to safety.
“We had a lot of severe thunderstorm warnings and the three tornado warnings for eastern New York, in pretty large areas, too,” Villani said.
”It’s the type of day we don’t see every year, for sure.”
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article ... 0headlines
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
The New York Post
"Hurricane Debby to bring heavy rains and catastrophic flooding to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina"
By Associated Press
Published Aug. 5, 2024
The center of Hurricane Debby is expected to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing potential record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it moves slowly across the northern part of the state before stalling over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.
Debby was located about 45 miles west-northwest of Cedar Key, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
The storm was moving north-northeast at 10 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Monday.
Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, all of which formed in June.
The storm was expected to make landfall around midday Monday in the Big Bend area of Florida, north of Tampa, the hurricane center said.
A tornado watch also was in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia until 6 a.m. Monday.
https://nypost.com/2024/08/05/us-news/h ... -carolina/
"Hurricane Debby to bring heavy rains and catastrophic flooding to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina"
By Associated Press
Published Aug. 5, 2024
The center of Hurricane Debby is expected to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing potential record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it moves slowly across the northern part of the state before stalling over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.
Debby was located about 45 miles west-northwest of Cedar Key, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
The storm was moving north-northeast at 10 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Monday.
Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, all of which formed in June.
The storm was expected to make landfall around midday Monday in the Big Bend area of Florida, north of Tampa, the hurricane center said.
A tornado watch also was in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia until 6 a.m. Monday.
https://nypost.com/2024/08/05/us-news/h ... -carolina/
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
Associated Press
"Ernesto regains hurricane strength, sends powerful swells, dangerous rip currents to US East Coast"
RON TODT
Updated Mon, August 19, 2024
Tropical Storm Ernesto became a hurricane again Sunday as it churned away from Bermuda and headed further out in the northeastern Atlantic, sending powerful swells toward the U.S. East Coast, generating rip currents associated with at least one death and prompting many rescues.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ernesto’s maximum sustained winds were 75 mph (120 kph), just barely Category 1 strength.
More strengthening was forecast before Ernesto weakens and becomes a post-tropical cyclone on Tuesday, the hurricane center said.
The storm was centered about 520 miles (840 kilometers) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was expected to pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and early Tuesday.
Swells generated by Ernesto were affecting portions of the Bahamas, Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast as well as the Canadian Atlantic coast.
Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely in these areas during the next couple of days, the hurricane center said.
The National Weather Service posted a coastal flood advisory and warned of a high risk for rip currents along the Atlantic Coast through Monday evening, saying they “can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water.”
A warning extended from Florida to the Boston area and portions of Maine.
In periods of high risk, rip currents become more likely and potentially more frequent, posing a danger to all levels of swimmers, not just inexperienced ones, said meteorologist Mike Lee in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
“It’s going to be really dangerous out in the water today,” he said.
At Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey, officials said a fisherman was washed off the north jetty Saturday but was quickly rescued by lifeguards.
The victim had knee and back injuries and a possible concussion and was taken to a hospital, Lifeguard Chief Doug Anderson told NJ Advance Media, and lifeguards rescued at least five other people.
In Ventnor to the south, Senior Lt. Meghan Holland of the city beach patrol said eight people were rescued.
Forecasters, citing local emergency management, said a 41-year-old man drowned Saturday in a rip current at Surf City, North Carolina.
Two men drowned Friday in separate incidents on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, but it was unclear whether rip currents were involved, The Island Packet of Hilton Head reported, citing a lifeguard services spokesperson.
Separately, heavy rains unrelated to the hurricane caused flooding in parts of western Connecticut Sunday, closing roads, forcing water rescues and causing a minor mudslide.
Floodwaters swept two people into the Little River in the town of Oxford, CT Insider reported, but officials weren't able to immediately reach the area because of high waters and had to respond to other emergency calls, said Scott Pelletier, Oxford's fire chief.
Pelletier did not respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking additional details.
Videos posted on Facebook showed severe flooding in Oxford overtaking roads and homes, with at least one video showing a small building being washed downstream.
In Southbury, police asked residents via Facebook to stay home while roads were closed and crews responded to emergencies.
In nearby Danbury, city officials said in a statement that a mudslide prompted the evacuation of a home.
Flash flood warnings were posted for parts of Connecticut and southeastern New York, and flash flood watches and advisories were in effect for areas of Delaware, New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania.
A flash flood emergency was issued to parts of northwestern Suffolk County including Brentwood, West Babylon and Coram until 4:30 a.m.
The rough surf spawned by Hurricane Ernesto contributed to an unoccupied beach house along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina’s Outer Banks collapsing into the water Friday evening.
Seashore officials urged the public Sunday to avoid beaches in parts of the village of Rodanthe where “substantial damage” to several oceanfront structures occurred.
Debris cleanup was expected over the next several days.
On New York's Long Island, East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen said beaches were closed to swimmers on Saturday and Sunday because high tides pushed water right up to the base of the dunes “so you can’t really have people sitting on the beach.”
Many people watched the water from the parking lot Sunday, he added.
“It’s quite a sight to see the water coming up almost to the parking lot, and if you think about it that storm was hundreds of miles offshore so it must have been quite powerful,” Larsen said.
The annual fireworks show that draws thousands was canceled Saturday night and again for Sunday night, he said.
Ernesto had weakened to a tropical storm late Saturday after bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Bermuda.
At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Bermuda Security Minister Michael Weeks said the tiny British territory made it through the hurricane without any injuries or major incidents.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone for taking this storm seriously,” he said.
Steady progress is being made to clear the roads and restore power in Bermuda, he added.
Businesses were beginning to reopen and airport operations were to resume Sunday.
There were no reports of major damage, said Lyndon Raynor of Bermuda’s Disaster Risk Reduction Mitigation Team.
BELCO, Bermuda’s power company, said more than 70% of customers had electricity and more than 7,000 remained without it Sunday.
Ernesto previously battered the northeastern Caribbean, leaving tens of thousands of people without water in Puerto Rico.
The national power company LUMA said it had restored electricity to more than 1.4 million customers, but service data Sunday showed more than 61,000 without power.
After cleaning up and removing debris, the Virgin Islands Department of Education said all public schools would resume operations Monday.
Public school classes also were slated to start Monday in Puerto Rico, nearly a week after the original opening date.
___
Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Cedar Attanasio and Julie Walker in New York and Mariana Martínez Barba in Mexico City contributed.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tropical-sto ... 4070546646
"Ernesto regains hurricane strength, sends powerful swells, dangerous rip currents to US East Coast"
RON TODT
Updated Mon, August 19, 2024
Tropical Storm Ernesto became a hurricane again Sunday as it churned away from Bermuda and headed further out in the northeastern Atlantic, sending powerful swells toward the U.S. East Coast, generating rip currents associated with at least one death and prompting many rescues.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ernesto’s maximum sustained winds were 75 mph (120 kph), just barely Category 1 strength.
More strengthening was forecast before Ernesto weakens and becomes a post-tropical cyclone on Tuesday, the hurricane center said.
The storm was centered about 520 miles (840 kilometers) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was expected to pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and early Tuesday.
Swells generated by Ernesto were affecting portions of the Bahamas, Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast as well as the Canadian Atlantic coast.
Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely in these areas during the next couple of days, the hurricane center said.
The National Weather Service posted a coastal flood advisory and warned of a high risk for rip currents along the Atlantic Coast through Monday evening, saying they “can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water.”
A warning extended from Florida to the Boston area and portions of Maine.
In periods of high risk, rip currents become more likely and potentially more frequent, posing a danger to all levels of swimmers, not just inexperienced ones, said meteorologist Mike Lee in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
“It’s going to be really dangerous out in the water today,” he said.
At Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey, officials said a fisherman was washed off the north jetty Saturday but was quickly rescued by lifeguards.
The victim had knee and back injuries and a possible concussion and was taken to a hospital, Lifeguard Chief Doug Anderson told NJ Advance Media, and lifeguards rescued at least five other people.
In Ventnor to the south, Senior Lt. Meghan Holland of the city beach patrol said eight people were rescued.
Forecasters, citing local emergency management, said a 41-year-old man drowned Saturday in a rip current at Surf City, North Carolina.
Two men drowned Friday in separate incidents on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, but it was unclear whether rip currents were involved, The Island Packet of Hilton Head reported, citing a lifeguard services spokesperson.
Separately, heavy rains unrelated to the hurricane caused flooding in parts of western Connecticut Sunday, closing roads, forcing water rescues and causing a minor mudslide.
Floodwaters swept two people into the Little River in the town of Oxford, CT Insider reported, but officials weren't able to immediately reach the area because of high waters and had to respond to other emergency calls, said Scott Pelletier, Oxford's fire chief.
Pelletier did not respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking additional details.
Videos posted on Facebook showed severe flooding in Oxford overtaking roads and homes, with at least one video showing a small building being washed downstream.
In Southbury, police asked residents via Facebook to stay home while roads were closed and crews responded to emergencies.
In nearby Danbury, city officials said in a statement that a mudslide prompted the evacuation of a home.
Flash flood warnings were posted for parts of Connecticut and southeastern New York, and flash flood watches and advisories were in effect for areas of Delaware, New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania.
A flash flood emergency was issued to parts of northwestern Suffolk County including Brentwood, West Babylon and Coram until 4:30 a.m.
The rough surf spawned by Hurricane Ernesto contributed to an unoccupied beach house along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina’s Outer Banks collapsing into the water Friday evening.
Seashore officials urged the public Sunday to avoid beaches in parts of the village of Rodanthe where “substantial damage” to several oceanfront structures occurred.
Debris cleanup was expected over the next several days.
On New York's Long Island, East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen said beaches were closed to swimmers on Saturday and Sunday because high tides pushed water right up to the base of the dunes “so you can’t really have people sitting on the beach.”
Many people watched the water from the parking lot Sunday, he added.
“It’s quite a sight to see the water coming up almost to the parking lot, and if you think about it that storm was hundreds of miles offshore so it must have been quite powerful,” Larsen said.
The annual fireworks show that draws thousands was canceled Saturday night and again for Sunday night, he said.
Ernesto had weakened to a tropical storm late Saturday after bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Bermuda.
At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Bermuda Security Minister Michael Weeks said the tiny British territory made it through the hurricane without any injuries or major incidents.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone for taking this storm seriously,” he said.
Steady progress is being made to clear the roads and restore power in Bermuda, he added.
Businesses were beginning to reopen and airport operations were to resume Sunday.
There were no reports of major damage, said Lyndon Raynor of Bermuda’s Disaster Risk Reduction Mitigation Team.
BELCO, Bermuda’s power company, said more than 70% of customers had electricity and more than 7,000 remained without it Sunday.
Ernesto previously battered the northeastern Caribbean, leaving tens of thousands of people without water in Puerto Rico.
The national power company LUMA said it had restored electricity to more than 1.4 million customers, but service data Sunday showed more than 61,000 without power.
After cleaning up and removing debris, the Virgin Islands Department of Education said all public schools would resume operations Monday.
Public school classes also were slated to start Monday in Puerto Rico, nearly a week after the original opening date.
___
Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Cedar Attanasio and Julie Walker in New York and Mariana Martínez Barba in Mexico City contributed.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tropical-sto ... 4070546646
Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN
Fox Weather
"Interstate 40 partially collapses after catastrophic rains in North Carolina"
Story by Andrew Wulfeck
28 SEPTEMBER 2024
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A portion of a major interstate that connects western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee was washed out during catastrophic flooding from Helene, with officials unsure when the highway will reopen.
Photos from the scene showed several lanes of Interstate 40 washed out amid the mountainous terrain, with drivers stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said I-40 was closed in multiple locations between Asheville and eastern Tennessee due to washouts and debris.
No one was reportedly injured in the collapse zone, and transportation officials did not have an estimated restore timeframe.
The agency warned drivers that "all roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed."
The remnants of Hurricane Helene produced hours of damaging wind gusts and flooding rains over the Tar Heel State on Friday.
Observation sites throughout the western part of the state reported between one and two feet of rainfall, causing roadways to washout and towns to be flooded.
In nearby Erwin, Tennessee, floodwaters surrounded a hospital, forcing staff and patients to seek higher ground until being rescued by helicopters.
At least two deaths were reported in the North Carloina as of Friday evening, with officials expecting more as assessments were continuing in the hardest-hit communities.
Interstate 40 is an important east-west thoroughfare that runs through eight states from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California.
According to Google Maps, after the interstate was closed, the best alternative was to use Interstates 81 and 26, which adds an additional 50 miles to a trip.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has yet to publicly comment on resources it could provide to NCDOT officials for repairs of the highway.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is receiving regular updates from the states that were the hardest hit.
"We are getting regular updates from state partners about infrastructure damage from Helene and multiple airports affected by conditions," Buttigieg stated on Friday.
The damage to Interstate 40 appeared similar to a landslide that knocked out State Highway 22 around Jackson, Wyoming, over the summer.
No one was on the highway when it collapsed, but detours lasted for nearly three weeks until emergency repairs could be completed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... 9287&ei=77
"Interstate 40 partially collapses after catastrophic rains in North Carolina"
Story by Andrew Wulfeck
28 SEPTEMBER 2024
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A portion of a major interstate that connects western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee was washed out during catastrophic flooding from Helene, with officials unsure when the highway will reopen.
Photos from the scene showed several lanes of Interstate 40 washed out amid the mountainous terrain, with drivers stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said I-40 was closed in multiple locations between Asheville and eastern Tennessee due to washouts and debris.
No one was reportedly injured in the collapse zone, and transportation officials did not have an estimated restore timeframe.
The agency warned drivers that "all roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed."
The remnants of Hurricane Helene produced hours of damaging wind gusts and flooding rains over the Tar Heel State on Friday.
Observation sites throughout the western part of the state reported between one and two feet of rainfall, causing roadways to washout and towns to be flooded.
In nearby Erwin, Tennessee, floodwaters surrounded a hospital, forcing staff and patients to seek higher ground until being rescued by helicopters.
At least two deaths were reported in the North Carloina as of Friday evening, with officials expecting more as assessments were continuing in the hardest-hit communities.
Interstate 40 is an important east-west thoroughfare that runs through eight states from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California.
According to Google Maps, after the interstate was closed, the best alternative was to use Interstates 81 and 26, which adds an additional 50 miles to a trip.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has yet to publicly comment on resources it could provide to NCDOT officials for repairs of the highway.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is receiving regular updates from the states that were the hardest hit.
"We are getting regular updates from state partners about infrastructure damage from Helene and multiple airports affected by conditions," Buttigieg stated on Friday.
The damage to Interstate 40 appeared similar to a landslide that knocked out State Highway 22 around Jackson, Wyoming, over the summer.
No one was on the highway when it collapsed, but detours lasted for nearly three weeks until emergency repairs could be completed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... 9287&ei=77