ScienceDaily: Hurricane and Cyclone News

Impacts of strong solar flares

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:35:35 EDT

Given a legitimate need to protect Earth from the most intense forms of space weather -- great bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes stream from the sun -- some people worry that a gigantic "killer solar flare" could hurl enough energy to destroy Earth, but this is not actually possible.

More hurricanes for Hawaii?

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:59:59 EDT

Hawaii, fortunately, has been largely free from hurricanes, only two having made landfall in more than 30 years. Now a new study shows that Hawaii could see a two-to-three-fold increase in tropical cyclones by the last quarter of this century.

New metric to measure destructive potential of hurricanes

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Researchers have developed a new metric to measure seasonal Atlantic tropical cyclone activity that focuses on the size of storms in addition to the duration and intensity, a measure that may prove important when considering a hurricane’s potential for death and destruction. Just ask the survivors of Hurricane Sandy.

Superstorm Sandy shook the U.S., literally

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:39:39 EDT

When superstorm Sandy turned and took aim at New York City and Long Island last October, ocean waves hitting each other and the shore rattled the seafloor and much of the United States – shaking detected by seismometers across the country, researchers found.

Ten times more hurricane surges in future, new research predicts

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:15:15 EDT

How much worse will the frequency of extreme storm surges get as temperatures rise in the future? How many extreme storm surges like that from Hurricane Katrina, which hit the U.S. coast in 2005, will there be as a result of global warming? New research shows that there will be a tenfold increase in frequency if the climate becomes two degrees Celsius warmer.

Changes in heart attack timing continue years after Hurricane Katrina

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:44:44 EST

The upheaval caused by Hurricane Katrina seems to have disrupted the usual timing of heart attacks, shifting peak frequency from weekday mornings to weekend nights, in a change in pattern that persisted a full five years after the storm, according to new research.

Higher heart attack rates continue 6 years after Katrina

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:42:42 EST

New Orleans residents continue to face a three-fold increased risk of heart attack post-Katrina -- a trend that has remained unchanged since the storm hit in 2005, according to new research.

More storms like Sandy? Arctic ice loss amplified Superstorm Sandy violence

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:51:51 EST

Researchers have shown that the severe loss of summertime Arctic sea ice – attributed to greenhouse warming – appears to increase the frequency of atmospheric blocking events like the one that steered Hurricane Sandy into the US Northeast.

Restoration planned for shoreline protecting NASA's Kennedy Space Center infrastructure

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:59:59 EST

Late last October, one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the United States bashed the beaches of Brevard County in Florida, including the shoreline of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Scientists are assessing damage along a 1.2 mile stretch of shoreline near Launch Pads 39A and B and developing restoration plans.

The big picture: Getting a better look at Sandy's wake of destruction

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:06:06 EST

In New Jersey, along Hurricane Sandy's path of destruction, engineers are using infrared and ultraviolet imaging technology and acoustic emission testing combined with low-altitude aircraft photography to generate detailed maps for recovery workers to triage their efforts.

Satellite visualization tool for high-resolution observation review (thor) accessible from any location with internet access

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:02:02 EST

With minimal coding effort an Earth-observing satellite tool can be converted into a practical web-based application. In addition, a 3-D visualization technique has been developed.

2012 was warmest and second most extreme year on record for the contiguous U.S.

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:11:11 EST

According to NOAA scientists, 2012 marked the warmest year on record for the contiguous United States with the year consisting of a record warm spring, second warmest summer, fourth warmest winter and a warmer-than-average autumn. The average temperature for 2012 was 55.3°F, 3.2°F above the 20th century average, and 1.0°F above 1998, the previous warmest year.

Will the world end on December 21, 2012? What we know and don't know about forecasting natural disasters

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:03:03 EST

Based on interpretations of the ancient Maya calendar, some people are predicting the world will end on December 21, 2012, Others believe that instead of doomsday and destruction, the day will mark a new era for humanity and will be a time for celebration. Such beliefs aside, what we know with certainty is that Earth has a tremendous capacity to generate natural disasters on any day of any year. For this reason, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists continue to look for ways to better forecast a wide range of natural hazards and protect our communities.

Internet outages in the US doubled during Hurricane Sandy

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:31:31 EST

Scientists who track Internet outages throughout the world noted a spike in outages due to Hurricane Sandy, with almost twice as much of the Internet down in the US as usual.

Northeast U.S. sees second driest November in more than a century

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:23:23 EST

Even though Hurricane Sandy helped create wet start, November 2012 went into the record books as the second-driest November since 1895 in the Northeast. With an average of 1.04 inches or precipitation, the region received only 27 percent of its normal level. The record driest November was 1917 when the Northeast received only 0.88 inches of precipitation.

More intense North Atlantic tropical storms likely in the future

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:16:16 EST

Tropical storms that make their way into the North Atlantic, and possibly strike the East Coast of the United States, likely will become more intense during the rest of this century.

Thousands of natural gas leaks discovered in Boston

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:18:18 EST

The City of Boston is riddled with more than 3,000 leaks from its aging natural-gas pipeline system, according to a new study.

America's ancient hurricane belt and the U.S.-Canada equator

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:37:37 EST

The recent storms that have battered settlements on the east coast of America may have been much more frequent in the region 450 million years ago, according to scientists.

Tracking post-Sandy sewage

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:12:12 EST

With millions of gallons of raw sewage dumping into New Jersey waterways following Hurricane Sandy, scientists are using satellites to help predict the sludge’s track into the ocean.

Super storm tracked by European Space Agency water mission

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:41:41 EST

When millions of people are bracing themselves for the onslaught of extreme weather, as much information as possible is needed to predict the strength of the impending storm. The European Space Agency's SMOS mission again showed its versatility by capturing unique measurements of Hurricane Sandy. As its name suggests, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite was designed to measure how much moisture is held in soil and how much salt is held in the surface waters of the oceans.

Hurricane Sandy changes coastline in New Jersey

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:20:20 EST

On October 29, 2012, lives were changed forever along the shores of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and in the two dozen United States affected by what meteorologists are calling Superstorm Sandy. The landscape of the East Coast was also changed, though no geologist would ever use the word "forever" when referring to the shape of a barrier island.

Children, teens at risk for lasting emotional impact from Hurricane Sandy

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:40:40 EST

The unseen emotional aftershocks of Hurricane Sandy may linger for children who were in the storm's path. A psychologist discusses why children may experience PTSD and how parents and caregivers can help.

Children's preexisting symptoms influence their reactions to disaster coverage on TV

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:14:14 EST

After a natural disaster occurs, we often find ourselves glued to the TV, seeking out details about the extent of the damage and efforts at recovery. While research has shown that exposure to this kind of coverage is associated with symptoms of traumatic stress in youths, new research suggests that the relationship isn't so simple: the amount of exposure to disaster coverage matters but children's preexisting symptoms also play an important role.

Superstorm animation shows Sandy's explosive development

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:01:01 EST

A computer animation shows the explosive development of Hurricane Sandy, the superstorm and its unusual track.

Disaster defense: Balancing costs and benefits

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:19:19 EDT

Do costly seawalls provide a false sense of security in efforts to control nature? Would it be better to focus on far less expensive warning systems and improved evacuation procedures? A father-son team have developed new strategies to defend society against natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy and the effects of climate change. The approach, which considers costs and benefits while identifying the best solution, is based on a mathematical technique called optimization.

Overcoming Hurricane stress: Getting a grip after Sandy leaves town

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:13:13 EDT

The upheaval brought about by a natural disaster the likes of Hurricane Sandy forces us to reorganize how we see the world.

Climate change affecting overall weather patterns, may affect water availability, in California

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:20:20 EDT

Climate change is affecting overall weather patterns, scientists say, and could affect water availability in California.

NASA adds up Hurricane Sandy's rainfall from space

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:21:21 EDT

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM, satellite acts as a rain gauge in space as it orbits the Earth's tropics. As TRMM flew over Hurricane Sandy since its birth on Oct. 21 it was gathering data that has now been mapped to show how much rain the storm dropped along the US eastern seaboard.

Hurricane Sandy: Power outage prediction model was accurate

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:34:34 EDT

A team of researchers spent days tracking Hurricane Sandy's power outage potential as the storm made its deadly march up eastern seaboard. The researchers fed weather forecasts as well as real-time and historic hurricane data into a computer model to predict the total number of power outages. How'd they do? Their predictions were accurate overall, when compared with figures released by the federal government on actual outages.

NASA/NOAA's Suomi NPP captures night-time view of Sandy's landfall

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:42:42 EDT

As Hurricane Sandy made a historic landfall on the New Jersey coast during the night of Oct. 29, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite on NASA/NOAA's Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite captured a night-time view of the storm. This image provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison is a composite of several satellite passes over North America taken 16 to18 hours before Sandy's landfall.

Satellite captures the life and death of Hurricane Sandy on Halloween

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:42:42 EDT

Hurricane Sandy is giving up the ghost on Halloween over Pennsylvania. As the storm weakened to a remnant low pressure area the NASA GOES Project released an animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery covering Hurricane Sandy's entire life.

Seniors particularly vulnerable in Hurricane Sandy's aftermath

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:55:55 EDT

Older adults left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy will likely suffer disproportionately in the days ahead, based on data from other recent natural disasters.

NASA satellites capture Hurricane Sandy's massive size

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:32:32 EDT

NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image Sandy's massive circulation. Sandy covers 1.8 million square miles, from the Mid-Atlantic to the Ohio Valley, into Canada and New England.

Superstorm Sandy: Eight to ten million cumulative power outages predicted

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:22:22 EDT

An engineer is predicting power outages for 8 to 10 million people in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

Economists weigh in on Sandy's impending financial fury

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:22:22 EDT

In addition to the immediate physical impacts Hurricane Sandy promises the Northeast, economists say the storm also will bring intrinsic financial effects that are sure to unfold over the next few days and linger through the coming months.

New England poultry producers may see effects from Sandy

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:22:22 EDT

Instead of an early snowfall this time of year, farmers along the eastern seaboard are dealing with flood waters and wind damage from Superstorm Sandy, which is expected to affect everything from poultry production to grocery prices.

NASA examines Hurricane Sandy as it affects the Eastern U.S.

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:38:38 EDT

On Monday, Oct. 29, Hurricane Sandy was ravaging the Mid-Atlantic with heavy rains and tropical storm force winds as it closed in for landfall. Earlier, NASA's CloudSat satellite passed over Hurricane Sandy and its radar dissected the storm get a profile or sideways look at the storm. NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared view of the cloud tops and NOAA's GOES-13 satellite showed the extent of the storm. The National Hurricane Center reported at 11 a.m. EDT on Oct. 29 that Hurricane Sandy is "expected to bring life-threatening storm surge and coastal hurricane winds plus heavy Appalachian snows."

NASA's TRMM Satellite analyzes Hurricane Sandy in 3-D

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:26:26 EDT

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite, can measure rainfall rates and cloud heights in tropical cyclones, and was used to create an image to look into Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 28, 2012. Owen Kelly of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. created this image of Hurricane Sandy using TRMM data.

NASA satellites see Sandy expand as storm intensifies

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 11:11:11 EDT

Hurricane Sandy is a Category 1 hurricane on Oct. 28, according to the National Hurricane Center. Sandy has drawn energy from a cold front to become a huge storm covering a large area of the eastern United States. NASA satellite imagery provided a look at Sandy's 2,000-mile extent.

Sandy to erode many Atlantic beaches

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:40:40 EDT

Nearly three quarters of the coast along the Delmarva Peninsula is very likely to experience beach and dune erosion as Hurricane Sandy makes landfall, while overwash is expected along nearly half of the shoreline.

USGS storm-surge sensors deployed ahead of Tropical Storm Sandy

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:39:39 EDT

Storm response crews from the U.S. Geological Survey are installing more than 150 storm-tide sensors at key locations along the Atlantic Coast -- from the Chesapeake Bay to Massachusetts -- in advance of the arrival of Tropical Storm Sandy.

NASA satellites see Sandy become a hurricane again and strong winds expand

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:05:05 EDT

Sandy weakened to a Tropical Storm and strengthened back into a hurricane early on Saturday (Oct. 27), and its pressure was dropping, meaning that the storm is intensifying as it becomes an extra-tropical storm. NASA's TRMM satellite identified heavy rain falling within the system and NOAA's GOES satellites provided a picture of Sandy's massive size.

Hurricane Sandy looks as 'Frankenstorm' approaching U.S. East Coast

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:33:33 EDT

NASA's TRMM satellite revealed Hurricane Sandy's heavy rainfall and the storm is expected to couple with a powerful cold front and Arctic air to bring that heavy rainfall to the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern US. Some forecasters are calling this combination of weather factors "Frankenstorm" because of the close proximity to Halloween.

NASA sees power in Hurricane Sandy moving toward Bahamas

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:08:08 EDT

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Hurricane Sandy as it was moving over eastern Cuba early on Oct. 25. The AIRS instrument captured an infrared image of Sandy that showed a large area of very high, cold cloud tops indicating the power within the storm. Sandy is now headed toward the Bahamas and warnings and watches have already been posted for the mainland US.

Could a hurricane ever strike Southern California?

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:57:57 EDT

There's an old adage (with several variations) that California has four seasons: earthquake, fire, flood and drought. While Californians happily cede the title of Hurricane Capital of America to U.S. East and Gulf coasters, every once in a while, Mother Nature sends a reminder to Southern Californians that they are not completely immune to the whims of tropical cyclones. Typically, this takes the form of rainfall from the remnants of a tropical cyclone in the eastern Pacific, as happened recently when the remnants of Hurricane John brought rain and thunderstorms to parts of Southern California. But could a hurricane ever make landfall in Southern California?

Tropical cyclones are occurring more frequently than before, study shows

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:20:20 EDT

Are there more tropical cyclones now than in the past -- or is it just something we believe because we now hear more about them through media coverage and are better able detect them with satellites? New research shows that there is an increasing tendency for cyclones when the climate is warmer, as it has been in recent years.

NASA's HS3 mission thoroughly investigates long-lived Hurricane Nadine

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:12:12 EDT

NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel or HS3 scientists had a fascinating tropical cyclone to study in long-lived Hurricane Nadine. NASA's Global Hawk aircraft has investigated Nadine five times during the storm's lifetime.

Hurricane Irene polluted Catskills watershed

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:17:17 EDT

The water quality of lakes and coastal systems will be altered if hurricanes intensify in a warming world, according to a new study.

Cutting-edge technology makes NASA's hurricane mission a reality

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:17:17 EDT

Cutting-edge NASA technology has made this year's NASA Hurricane mission a reality. NASA and other scientists are currently flying a suite of state-of-the-art, autonomously operated instruments that are gathering difficult-to-obtain measurements of wind speeds, precipitation, and cloud structures in and around tropical storms.

Civil engineers destroy test levee in the Netherlands

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:52:52 EDT

Civil engineers collapsed a full-scale dike this week in the Netherlands. The test dike was embedded with advanced sensors and traditional measurement instruments, and results of the study are expected to help validate powerful new technologies for monitoring the health of aging flood-control infrastructure.

NASA's Global Hawk investigating atlantic Tropical Depression 14

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:35:35 EDT

NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) airborne mission sent an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft this morning to study newborn Tropical Depression 14 in the central Atlantic Ocean that seems primed for further development. The Global Hawk left NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., this morning for a planned 26-hour flight to investigate the depression.

More accurate method for predicting hurricane activity

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:34:34 EDT

Researchers have developed a new method for forecasting seasonal hurricane activity that is 15 percent more accurate than previous techniques.

NASA's Global Hawk mission begins with flight to Hurricane Leslie

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:49:49 EDT

NASA has begun its latest hurricane science field campaign by flying an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft over Hurricane Leslie in the Atlantic Ocean during a day-long flight from California to Virginia. With the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) mission, NASA for the first time will be flying Global Hawks from the U.S. East Coast.

A slow-moving Isaac brings flooding to Gulf states

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:46:46 EDT

Isaac -- once a Category 1 hurricane and now a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (60 knots) -- continues to create havoc across the Gulf Coast, from eastern Texas to Florida. While "only" reaching Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale upon landfall on Aug. 28, Isaac is a slow mover, crawling along at only about six miles (10 kilometers) per hour. This slow movement is forecast to continue over the next 24 to 36 hours, bringing a prolonged threat of flooding to the northern Gulf Coast and south-central United States.

Mississippi River flows backwards due to Isaac

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:24:24 EDT

Strong winds and storm surge from Hurricane Isaac's landfall forced the Mississippi River to flow backwards for nearly 24 hours on Tuesday, Aug. 28. The USGS streamgage at Belle Chasse, Louisiana, showed the Mississippi River flowing upstream at 182,000 cubic feet per second, surging to 10 feet above than its previous height. Average flow for the Mississippi River at Belle Chase is about 125,000 cfs towards the Gulf of Mexico.

NASA sees Hurricane Isaac make double landfall in Louisiana

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:21:21 EDT

Hurricane Isaac made two landfalls in southeastern Louisiana. Isaac's first landfall occurred in southeastern Louisiana on Aug. 28 at 7:45 pm EDT, second landfall on Aug. 29 at 6 am EDT. NASA's TRMM satellite observed heavy rainfall in this slow moving storm, which leads to higher rainfall totals and flooding.

Cooler waters help diminish Isaac's punch

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:16:16 EDT

Seven years after the powerful Category 3 Hurricane Katrina caused widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast, a Category 1 Hurricane Isaac, with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (70 knots), made landfall Aug. 28 in southeast Louisiana. And one of the reasons why Isaac is not Katrina is the path it took across the Gulf of Mexico and the temperature of the ocean below, which helps to fuel hurricanes.

NASA sees Hurricane Isaac affecting the Northern Gulf Coast

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:17:17 EDT

NASA and NOAA satellites continue to provide detailed information on Hurricane Isaac as the storm bears down on the US Gulf coast. NASA's TRMM and Terra satellites captured imagery, and NOAA's GOES-13 satellite provided animations of Isaac's march toward the coast Aug. 28.

Evaluate children's stress after natural disasters

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:33:33 EDT

Some children, depending on other stressors, may have a harder time recovering from natural disasters.

Tropical Storm Isaac can damage your health

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:10:10 EDT

Drastic climate changes brought on by severe storms can spur allergy and asthma symptoms for sufferers across the country.