Sunday's tornadoes that
ripped through the Dallas metro area are expected to be the 11th billion-dollar
weather disaster of 2019 in the United States. The Insurance Council of Texas
estimated some $2 billion in losses due to the 10 tornadoes that touched down in North Texas from
about 9 to 11 p.m. CDT Sunday night, the Dallas Morning News reported. The
first in that series of tornadoes was an EF3, which tore an almost 16-mile-long path in
just over 30 minutes through the northern side of Dallas County. The National
Weather Service said it had maximum estimated winds of 140 mph. If combined
insured losses from all 10 tornadoes reach that $2 billion estimate, it would be
the costliest severe weather event in North Texas history, Camille Garcia, a
spokeswoman for the Insurance Council of Texas, told the Dallas Morning News. In
fact, she called $2 billion a "pretty conservative estimate" because
the twisters didn't just damage or destroy homes in the area – they also caused
damage to commercial properties in North Dallas. Sunday night's EF3 was the
strongest tornado in Dallas County since a deadly EF4 tore through Sunnyvale,
Garland and Rowlett on Dec. 26, 2015. That twister caused $1.2 billion in
insured losses, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Historic Halloween Snowstorm
Winter Weather advisories have
been issued for later Wednesday night until early Thursday evening as a storm
bears down on the area. Measurable snow has fallen officially on Halloween just
once before since snow records began in 1885 (0.1” in 2014) but this year
appears likely to obliterate that record!
A Winter Weather
Advisory for 4 to 6-inches of snow will be in effect for counties to the far
northwest of Chicago: Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Ogle, Lee and DeKalb
Counties. It begins at 7 p.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday. A Winter Weather Advisory
for 2 to 4-inches of snow will be in effect for the band of counties extending
from Lake County through Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, Grundy, and Livingston
Counties from midnight until 6 p.m. Thursday. A Winter Weather Advisory calling
for 1 to 4-inches of snow is in effect for Cook and DuPage Counties from 3
a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursday. Two to 4-inches may occur in DuPage and
northwestern Cook Counties with snowfall tailing-off to an inch or less
downtown and southern Cook County. This will be heavy wet snow, complicated
somewhat by northeast winds gusting over 30 miles per hour. Roads will likely become
slushy and slick with dangerous driving conditions for the Thursday morning
commute. The strong winds will build waves on Lake Michigan with 6 to 10-waves
expected to cause flooding in low-lying areas along the Illinois Lake Michigan
shoreline where a Lakeshore Flood Advisory will be in effect from 10 a.m.
Thursday until just after midnight.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Snowstorm to Blanket Rockies, Plains and Midwest as October Comes to a Close
Another round of snow will sweep from the Rockies to the Plains and Midwest as a cold weather pattern grips those regions in the final days of October.
A southward plunge of the jet stream from the Rockies into the central United States has entrenched a pipeline of arctic air over those regions. An area of low pressure will tap into that cold air and produce a stripe of snowfall from the Rockies to the Plains and Midwest.
The Weather Channel has named this system Winter Storm Bessie.Moderate to heavy snow has moved into the Denver metro area for the Tuesday morning commute.
Denver International Airport had already picked up 2 inches of snow between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. MDT.
Tuesday-Tuesday Night
Snowfall from this system on Tuesday will mostly be in parts of northern Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and the High Plains of Nebraska and Kansas.
Snow will continue in Denver much of the day. Roads are expected to be snow-covered and slippery for the Tuesday morning and evening commutes, so plan accordingly.
Overnight, the snowfall and some freezing drizzle will expand south and east toward the Texas Panhandle, much of Kansas, southern Nebraska, northern Missouri and northwest Illinois.
Wednesday
An area from the Colorado High Plains and the Texas Panhandle northeastward through Kansas, southern Nebraska, northern Missouri, southern Iowa and northwest Illinois could see light to moderate snowfall during the daytime.
Snow will wind down in the Rockies early Wednesday.
The heaviest snow from this storm will be in the mountains and adjacent High Plains of Colorado. Denver could pick up another 6 to 12 inches of snow Tuesday into Tuesday night.
The snowfall forecast in the Plains and Midwest is still somewhat uncertain and will depend on how much moisture from the storm system overlaps into the cold air.
At least light to moderate accumulations are possible from the Texas Panhandle and northwestern Oklahoma into Kansas, southern Nebraska, northern Missouri, southern Iowa, northern Illinois and northern Lower Michigan. Most areas will see less than 6 inches of snowfall through Thursday.
Gov. Newsom Declares Statewide Emergency Due to Fires, Extreme Weather Conditions
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency on Sunday, due to extreme high-wind events that have resulted in fires and evacuations across California.
The Tick Fire in the Sand Canyon area of Santa Clarita has burned through a total of 4,615 acres as of Sunday morning and destroyed 22 structures, according to a multiagency update released Sunday. More than 900 firefighters remained on-scene at the Tick Fire on Sunday, with more of them ready should further need to arise, officials said.
The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County has burned more than 30,000 acres and has left nearly 200,000 people under evacuation orders, authorities said. There are over 3,000 local, state and federal personnel, including fire responders working on the blaze that destroyed 79 structures.
“We are deploying every resource available, and are coordinating with numerous agencies as we continue to respond to these fires. It is critical that people in evacuation zones heed the warnings from officials and first responders, and have the local and state resources they need as we fight these fires,” Gov. Newsom said.
Earlier this week, Gov. Newsom secured Fire Management Assistance Grants to help ensure the availability of resources for fighting the Tick Fire in Southern California and the Kincade Fire in Northern California.
The governor met with first responders, health officials and residents of Los Angeles, Napa and Geyserville this week to discuss the ongoing fire threats and the need to hold utilities accountable for the consequences of their decisions to shut off power throughout the state, the governor’s office said.
The latest evacuation orders of nearly 200,000 people in Northern California came after Pacific Gas & Electric, the state’s largest utility, shut off power to 2.3 million people across 36 counties starting Saturday evening, authorities said.
Southern California Will Experience Strongest Santa Ana Winds Yet in New Round of Dangerous Fire Weather Conditions
Parts of California will experience their third round of dangerous fire weather conditions in seven days beginning on Tuesday. The setup includes what could be one of the most powerful windstorms in years for the Los Angeles area.
The new round of high fire danger commences Tuesday in Northern California and then spreads toward Southern California Tuesday night into Wednesday. Red flag warnings for the fire danger have been posted by the National Weather Service in these areas.
These dangerous conditions will be triggered by a strong high-pressure system and southward plunge of the jet stream diving into the West from Canada. When this happens, strong offshore flow exists in California, contributing to gusty winds and low humidity.
Southern California is predicted to see strongest Santa Ana winds so far this fall beginning Tuesday night and lasting into Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Wind gusts of up to 80 mph are possible in the mountains and foothills, and relative humidity could drop into the single digits. Gusts could reach 70 mph in other parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
"These winds will result in a significant threat for large fast-moving fires and wind damage (like downed trees, power lines, and broken signs or overhangs)," warned the Oxnard/Los Angeles NWS forecast office.
Fire danger will also increase again in Northern California Tuesday into Wednesday, including the area where the Kincade Fire is burning in the North Bay region.
Winds from this third round of fire danger in Northern California won't be as strong as what happened there this past weekend, but a combination of low humidity and gusty winds will still make conditions hazardous for fire growth. Critical fire weather conditions may cover a large part of the region Tuesday into early Wednesday.
MANILA: A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines Tuesday (Oct 29), killing seven people, cracking buildings and injuring many in a region still reeling from a previous deadly tremor.
Terrified locals ran into the streets after the 6.6-magnitude quake, which hit the island of Mindanao as schools and offices opened for the day.
The shaking lasted up to a minute in some areas, damaging homes, multistorey buildings and classrooms in a region where hundreds are still displaced by a quake that killed at least five earlier this month.
The Philippines suffers regular tremors as part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
The US Geological Survey said the initial 6.6 magnitude quake was followed by a number of smaller shakes, including one measuring 5.8.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/earthquake-mindanao-tsunami-south-philippines-usgs-12042362
Monday, October 28, 2019
Your favorite beaches around the world could disappear because of the climate crisis, development
In many cases, this real estate that is coveted for its proximity to the beach is disrupting natural processes and in many places, increasing the rate of erosion.
Compounding the problem are the jetties, groins and other man-made structures built to keep sand from moving.
"Once you block the movement of sand, it may move to deeper areas offshore instead of replenishing the beach," said Kristina Hill, an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
Combine this with rising seas and more intense storms caused by the climate crisis, and you have an existential threat to some of the best beaches around the world.
"As sea levels rise, that beach wants to be somewhere inland. And in order to try to get there, we expect that it will take away the beach much faster than it is right now," said Orrin Pilkey, director emeritus for the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines."Sea level rise will spare nobody."
8 popular beaches are: Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, Ocean City, Maryland, Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles, Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona, and Ocean Beach, San Francisco
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