Posts from — August 2015

Position: 17.9N 25.2W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [310°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 70 mph [110 kph].
Wind Gusts: 90 mph [145 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 80 miles [130 km].
Minimum central pressure: 995 mb ↑.

Currently about 55 miles [ 90 km] North of Santo Antao in the Cape Verde Islands.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Sao Vicente, Sao Nicolau, Santo Antao, and Santa Luzia in the Cape Verde Islands.

Fred would appear to have peaked.

At 10PM CDT Fred was downgraded to a tropical storm.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 15.3N 22.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [310°] near 15 mph [24 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 70 mph [110 kph].
Wind Gusts: 90 mph [145 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 80 miles [130 km].
Minimum central pressure: 995 mb.

Currently about 80 miles [ 125 km] East of Praia in the Cape Verde Islands.

The storm is in the eastern Atlantic and was a tropical wave that came off Africa. It good well be a hurricane late tonight.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Cape Verde Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

At 8:30AM CDT Erika was downgraded to a remnant low after crossing the eastern tip of Cuba. It is still over very warm water and may regenerate if the wind shear and dry air conditions decrease. The NHC has designated it Invest 90L and continues to watch it.

I noticed that John Ellis “JEB¡¡¡¡¡¡” Bush is touting his experience with hurricanes as governor of Florida. The only two things he did regarding hurricanes were to approve the promotion of Craig Fugate to Director of Emergency Management in Florida and then got out of the way. Mr. Fugate is currently the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

It wasn’t the storm, it was the levees.

It wasn’t Nature, it was man.

This is the 10th anniversary of the drowning of New Orleans, and almost nothing has been done to rejuvenate the Lower Ninth Ward.

The Weather Underground’s Hurricane Katrina tracking map.

An animation of the National Hurricane Center’s tracking maps. If you stop the animation and step to frame 13 you will see that they had Katrina coming to my house for a while.

Katrina did have top sustained winds of 175 mph with a pressure of 902 millibars, a Category 5 storm, but that was in the central Gulf of Mexico. It came ashore as a Category 3 hurricane to the East of New Orleans. There was minimal wind damage in the city from the hurricane.

Wikipedia has a nice article on Katrina, without going totally technical on the science behind hurricanes.

I have no idea whether illegal alien/immigrant & anchor baby are “politically correct”, but I do know they are derogatory and factually false.

Let’s start with the latest cause célèbre of the bigot class – anchor baby. Like Canada and lot of other countries, US automatically grants citizenship to everyone born here – it is their birthright. The bigots claim that this birthright grants the baby’s parents protection from deportation if they are undocumented and costs taxpayers all kinds of money for the “cradle to grave care provided for US citizens”. Given that US citizens receive minimal help from the government, which is why we have such a high rate of poverty and homelessness, Canada is better deal. Ask a homeless vet how much the US spends on its citizens. Further having a child who is a US citizen does not keep anyone from being deported if they are undocumented.

The biggest problem with calling undocumented immigrants “illegal” is that lacking the proper paperwork is not a criminal offense, it is a civil offense. This is by design to avoid the costs and procedures of criminal trials. With the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, the cost of criminal trials for all of them would be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The undocumented immigrants are deported after a hearing by an administrative law judge, not a trial by a jury, and there is no requirement that they be provided counsel.

“Political Correctness” is right up there with “No offense meant. but…” and “If anyone was offended…” The people who use these terms know they are being jerks, but they won’t mend their ways.

Position: 18.5N 72.9W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 20 mph [31 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 85 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb.

Currently about 40 miles [ 65 km] West of Port au Prince, Haiti.

The storm is interacting with the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola which, in addition to wind shear, is causing disorganization.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Southeastern & Central Bahamas, and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Northwestern Bahamas, the Cuban Provinces of Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, and Guantanamo.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

King of the Honda

Woot!!!!

[Editor: The Great Pumpkin has captured the top of the Honda. In most places it would be King of the Hill, but Florida doesn’t really have hills, so the Honda has to stand in.]

Friday Ark

Position: 16.6N 65.3W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [270°] near 17 mph [28 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb.

Currently about 135 miles [ 215 km] South-Southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for St Martin, St Barthelemy, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the U.S Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, North coast of the Dominican Republic from the northern border with Haiti eastward and southward to Isla Saona, Southeastern Bahamas, and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Central Bahamas, and Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Punta Palenque.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 16.7N 60.2W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 16 mph [26 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 105 miles [165 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb.

Currently about 110 miles [ 175 km] East-Southeast of Antigua.

The storm is having problems spinning up again after the disruption.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Anguilla, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maartin, Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, St Martin, St Barthelemy, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the U.S Virgin Islands, and British Virgin Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Guadeloupe, North coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Cabo Frances Viejo, Southeastern Bahamas, and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

After reading all of the attempts at humor from the amateurs running for office in the US and Canada, take a break for some professionals at the Edinburgh Fringe. I personally thought number 10 was better than the winner, but I’m not British. 🙂

There was a security update to WordPress so I had to update the site. If you notice something weird I would appreciate it if you let me know.

Position: 16.0N 54.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 18 mph [30 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 105 miles [165 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb.

Currently about 495 miles [ 800 km] East of Antigua.

The storm has encountered dry air which is preventing it from strengthening.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Anguilla, Saba, St Eustatius, and St Maartin.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, St Martin, St Barthelemy, Puerto Rico, the U.S Virgin Islands, and British Virgin Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 14.4N 47.7W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 20 mph [31 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 60 miles [ 95 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1003 mb.

Currently about 955 miles [1535 km] East of the Leeward Islands.

As expected, Invest 98L has been designated Tropical Storm Erika.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

As Danny is fading into history Invest 98L follows in Danny’s track and is on the verge of becoming Tropical Storm Erika.

There is a narrow gap in the mid-Atlantic that developing storms have to pass through to develop. If they go too far north too soon, the dry air and wind shear tears them apart.