1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

2021 hurricanes

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, May 21, 2021.

Page 3 of 4
  1. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,103
    10,036
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Skimming through the wikipedia article, this section jumped out at me. What is old is new again.

    1900 Galveston hurricane

    "On September 4, the Galveston office of the Weather Bureau (as it was then called) began receiving warnings from the Bureau's central office in Washington, D.C., that a tropical disturbance had moved northward over Cuba. At the time, they discouraged the use of terms such as "tornado" or "hurricane" to avoid panicking residents in the path of any storm event. The Weather Bureau forecasters had no way of knowing the storm's trajectory, as Weather Bureau director Willis Moore implemented a policy to block telegraph reports from Cuban meteorologists at the Belen Observatory in Havana – considered one of the most advanced meteorological institutions in the world at the time – due to tensions in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War. Moore also changed protocol to force local Weather Bureau offices to seek authorization from the central office before issuing storm warnings.

    Weather Bureau forecasters believed that the storm had begun a northward curve into Florida and that it would eventually turn northeastward and emerge over the Atlantic. As a result, the central office of the Weather Bureau issued a storm warning in Florida from Cedar Key to Miami on September 5. By the following day, a hurricane warning was in effect along the coast from Cedar Key to Savannah, Georgia, while storm warnings were displayed from Charleston, South Carolina, to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, as well as from Pensacola, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana. Cuban forecasters adamantly disagreed with the Weather Bureau, saying the hurricane would continue west. ..."
     
    #41 fuzzy1, Aug 27, 2021
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,686
    48,936
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    are windmills hurricane proof?
     
    #42 bisco, Aug 27, 2021
  3. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Louisiana has abundant offshore wind potential (one can read) but large spinners not yet installed. OTOH there are many offshore oil wells that normally have staff evacuated at times like this. Those structures are also being considered as platforms to build wind turbines on.

    H. Ida is now expected to undergo rapid intensification, possibly to cat 4, before Louisiana coast.

    ==

    Large wind turbines (as an apparently general rule) place themselves in survival mode when winds exceed 55 mph. Lock the rotor and feather the blades. 'Feather' means set angle to lowest wind resistance. At some wind speed damage would occur anyway but I don't think that has been reported. Hurricane winds are very uniform - I would think a vortexy Midwestern tornado could do prompt disassembly better.
     
    #43 tochatihu, Aug 27, 2021
    Merkey likes this.
  4. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    #44 tochatihu, Aug 27, 2021
    Merkey likes this.
  5. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    #45 tochatihu, Aug 29, 2021
  6. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    #46 tochatihu, Aug 29, 2021
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,686
    48,936
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    not looking good so far, stay safe all!
     
    #47 bisco, Aug 29, 2021
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,121
    15,387
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    This afternoon we’re getting scattered storms trigger by Ida. Not bad at 4 PM but overnight, it should be entertaining.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #48 bwilson4web, Aug 29, 2021
  9. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    About half of near-coastal rain may have already fallen. Hard to be certain. So far the improved levees and improved pumps of New Orleans seen to be keeping up.

    Most of wind damage is west of New Orleans because that's where the eye is tracking. I can watch New Orleans "Fox 8" tv from here. They have video teams out. Very drama. It seems unknown to these professionals that a tree that still has its leaves has not had steady wind above 50 mph. That a tree that still stands has not had steady wind above 100 mph.

    Trees are good at many things including being anemometers.

    Power outages through much of Metro New Orleans, but tv has not shown wider areas (while I have watched). One interesting report is 22 barges have broken free on Mississippi R. No images presented, maybe nobody will go out for a while.
     
    #49 tochatihu, Aug 29, 2021
  10. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Onshore barometers in 'lucky' spots are down to 940 millibars about 27.7 inches mercury. Pressures lower than those are extremely rare.
     
    #50 tochatihu, Aug 29, 2021
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,686
    48,936
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    my bil is in nashville, looks like a direct hit. then marching toward the northeast by end of week
     
    #51 bisco, Aug 29, 2021
  12. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    #52 tochatihu, Aug 29, 2021
  13. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    In western Pacific Taiwan, Chanthu will presently draw a strong south-to-north line. Hurricanes/typhoons/taifeng are common visitors there.
     
    #53 tochatihu, Sep 12, 2021
  14. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,673
    6,492
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I can report that they grow them bigger out there too....
     
    #54 ETC(SS), Sep 12, 2021
  15. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Taiwan gets strong-storm resets most frequently, although Philippines makes its case. It is only in Taiwan that I have worked with forest-studiers to develop research in how such frequent haircuts influence forest structure.

    Short and cautious. Maybe with more carbon offered to below ground. Carbon investments are relatively safe there.
     
    #55 tochatihu, Sep 12, 2021
  16. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    In the North Atlantic, Hurricane Sam now spins, currently as a '4'. Sam is beginning to recurve as most there do, looks to churn Bermuda, and folks there have no doubt planned for its thrills.

    And yet, the internet click machine says 'risk to US eastern coast', or things like that. I simply wonder if peoples' interest could be drawn to what most of these storms actually do.

    Low-latitude excess heat gets transported to higher latitudes by hurricanes. There are not many alternatives to this transfer. Hurricanes, while killing lots of birds 'today', also churn up deep-water nutrients, and then plankton etc. happen, and larger (fish and) bird populations are supported 'tomorrow'. This trade off has not been examined and may be beyond powers of ecological study.

    Regardless, storms keep coming. Only few cross coastlines and 'waste' their spin energy on built structures, but only those few merit clicks. Those, and other ocean wanderers that get noticed because maybe they will hit something.
     
    #56 tochatihu, Sep 27, 2021
  17. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,673
    6,492
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Internet click machine generates revenue.....
    A former employer (actually, 2 of 'em) used to be interested in how these autumnal blows affected sound propagation, but our next fight is going to be in shallower water - so these curiosities may die of loneliness.

    In addition to BIG warder, they grow storms pretty big out in WestPac, so big in fact that they stand apart from their diminutive Atlantic cousins by employing a different name.
    These heat engines played a non-minor role in a number of human conflicts going all the way back to the late 1200's.

    One wonders if history will repeat.....or just sort of rhyme a little.....
     
    #57 ETC(SS), Sep 27, 2021
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2021
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,686
    48,936
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    #58 bisco, Oct 5, 2021
  19. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,673
    6,492
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    It pays more to have a hurricane when the otha folks are running things....

    You get more media sympathy that way.
     
    #59 ETC(SS), Oct 6, 2021
  20. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,995
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    2021 pre-season prediction (from first post):

    "Named storms 18, hurricanes 8, major (cat 3 to 5) hurricanes 4."

    Season outcome (if it's over):

    Named storms 20, hurricanes 7, major (cat 3 to 5) hurricanes 4.
     
    #60 tochatihu, Oct 16, 2021
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 3 of 4