Doppler On Wheels Deployed At Hurricane Ike

Doppler On Wheels Deployed At Hurricane Ike

ScienceDaily (Sep. 18, 2008) — The only scientific team to successfully brave Hurricane Ike's knock-down winds and swells in Galveston was the DOW, the Doppler on Wheels mobile weather radar operated by the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) in Boulder, Colo.

"The DOW mission to Ike provided, for the first time, high-resolution radar data collected from the ground of the inside of a hurricane eye strengthening during landfall, and from a hurricane that directly impacted a large urban area," said scientist Josh Wurman of CWSR.

The National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported DOW was deployed on a 35-foot-high overpass in Galveston during the passage of Ike.

"The mission will allow researchers to better understand how phenomena called fine-scale wind streaks and boundary layer rolls, discovered by the the DOW in 1996, affect hurricane evolution," said Steve Nelson, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric Sciences, which funds the DOW. "These rolls may be important in how efficiently heat is extracted from the ocean, and how strongly hurricane winds are slowed by surface friction."

The DOW collected data for 17 hours. The center of Ike's eye passed nearly directly over the DOW, allowing scientists to take measurements of the front and rear eyewalls, and of the inside of the eye.

Deployed with the DOW were two vehicles equipped with instruments to track winds and raindrop size distributions, and ten unmanned "pods," which measured winds at locations so close to the water that human observers could not safely remain in the vicinity.

The vehicles were deployed at raised locations near the ends of the Galveston Causeway.

The pods stood watch in lines on the end of the Galveston Sea Wall and the Texas City Sea Wall, with 500-meter-spacing so the passage of small-scale gusts could be measured.

The DOW observed several mesovortices--swirling winds--in Ike's eyewall, which intensified winds and rainfall as these mesovortices rotated around the eye.

"The mesovortices are likely associated with some of the worst localized wind damage caused by Ike," said Wurman.

"The understanding from the DOW project is essential to improving forecasts of hurricane intensity, path, and rainfall amounts," he said. "It will lead to new insights on the nature of near surface winds in hurricanes, the behavior of hurricane eyewalls and processes inside eyewalls, and processes in hurricane rainbands."

WEATHER NOTE

KATC StormTeam 3 Weather BLOG NWS Post Hurricane Ike Preliminary Report

Ike Damage at Dunes State Park, Indiana

Dunes Creek / Dunes River? Aerial photo shows the collapsed Indiana Dunes State Park main parking lot. The Pavilion is at lower right. The parking lot collapsed during the heavy rains September 13 and 14. Photo was taken by John W. Cripliver, pilot of a Piper Warrior single-engine airplane on Sept. 17. The darker water of Dunes Creek is shown flowing into Lake Michigan at bottom. (Photo provided by John W. Cripliver)

AAHC Releases Guide to Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response

WASHINGTON, Sept 19, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Systems, leadership, management, and communication highlighted

The Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) today released Managing Emergency Preparedness: Academic Health Centers Organize and Innovate, a brief guide to enhancing institutional, system-wide approaches to emergency response.

The brochure provides recommendations on effective ways academic health centers can manage operations and systems to help ensure that institutions, communities, and policymakers can respond to an array of emergencies, including natural disasters and bioterrorism. It also highlights the importance of academic health center resources, and how integration of functions makes a significant difference in the event of an emergency.

Leaders of academic health centers and experienced emergency response experts contributed to the brochure, which provides specific suggestions on fundamental imperatives such as establishing leadership teams, coordinating an organization-wide emergency preparedness plan, and facilitating communication. In light of the critical need to safeguard major university resources, the guide also highlights priorities for protection of life, equipment, and property - including a short checklist to help secure and protect the research enterprise.

"September is National Preparedness Month, and recent disasters remind us of the significant role academic health centers play in preparedness and the need for organization, good management, and collaboration at the community, regional, and national levels," said AAHC President Dr. Steven A. Wartman, adding "Ultimately, we all want to protect the nation's health and well-being."

For more information, visit AAHC's website: www.aahcdc.org

The Association of Academic Health Centers is a national non-profit association dedicated to advancing well-being through leadership in health professions education, patient care, and research.

SOURCE Association of Academic Health Centers http://www.aahcdc.org

The Report: Managing Emergency Preparedness 2008 (pdf)

Weather service confirms a sixth tornado from Ike
By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Saturday, September 20, 2008

A National Weather Service survey team has confirmed a sixth tornado spawned by the remnants of Hurricane Ike and expects to find at least one more, which would make it the second-worst year for tornadoes in Arkansas.

Walgreens Electronic Outdoor Signs Now Deliver Vital Weather Messages at More Than 3,000 Corner Locations Across America

DEERFIELD, Ill., Sept. 9, 2008 – The electronic outdoor signs at Walgreens stores across the country are now a source of critical weather updates. Walgreens has teamed up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) National Weather Service to alert customers and passersby of impending severe weather.

Under the agreement Walgreens is able to access data about approaching storms, then post updates to any of its 3,300 electronic outdoor signs in affected areas. The drugstore chain will link to NOAA’s data feed every five minutes to provide timely and pertinent details as severe weather draws near. Walgreens locations with electronic signs represent more than half of the company’s 6,443 stores nationwide.

“Our highly visible corner locations give us a unique opportunity to provide this valuable service to communities,” said Walgreen director of community affairs John Gremer. “Severe weather warnings are potential lifesavers, and what better place to make this information available than a source that captures the attention of millions of people everyday?”

Walgreens weather alert system is just one of the ways it’s using its electronic signage to provide important information to local communities. In 2005, Walgreens launched its Amber Alert initiative that posts regional bulletins on recent child abductions.

“The use of our outdoor signs for public alerts is well received in communities across the country,” said Gremer. “Because so many of our stores are located in the heart of the communities they serve, we are well positioned to deliver important safety messages. We will continue to seek other opportunities to provide this type of service.”

Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,443 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and cost-effective health care services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems, which is comprised of: Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of 220 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services at 368 employer campuses.

Cruise with Hurricane Ike

MARITIME NOTE:

UK. Maritime And Coastguard Agency reports 6 foreign ships under detention in the UK during August

Friday, 19 September 2008

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced today that 6 foreign flagged ships were under detention in UK ports during August 2008 after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection.

Latest monthly figures show that there were 3 new detentions of foreign flagged ships in UK ports during August 2008 and 3 vessels under detention from previous months. The overall rate of detentions compared with inspections carried out over the last twelve months was 4.4% a slight increase on Julys' twelve month rate.

During the month of August 125 Port State Control inspections were carried out in the UK. A total of 30 vessels had no deficiencies raised against them,55 had between one and five deficiencies, 29 had between six and ten deficiencies 10 had between eleven and twenty deficiencies and there was 1 vessel inspected that had more than twenty deficiencies.

Out of the detained vessels, 1 was registered with a flag state listed on the Paris MOU white list, 1 was registered with a flag state on the grey list, 3 were registered with a flag states on the black list and one was registered with an unlisted flag state.

Vessels detained in August included:

A 17,825 GT Bulk Carrier was detained in Avonmouth for cracks in the port and starboard lifeboat buoyancy chambers and suspected water ingress into the lifeboats. The fire and abandonment drill was sub standard and the crew needed to practice emergency drills or undertake refresher training. The emergency generator was not exciting or developing the voltage and there was no 24v emergency light for the GMDSS batteries to the GMDSS console or Furuno FM 8800 VHF.

The number and nature of the defects identified on board indicated a major failure of the vessels' Safety Management System (SMS).

A 22,466 GT Bulk Carrier was detained in Belfast because of deficiencies relating to the Gyro and Magnetic Compasses which resulted in no effective means of taking a bearing. These deficiencies were against the ISM code sections 7 and 10.

The oil leakage detectors on the generators had temporary wiring or were disconnected and the emergency fire pump was inoperative; as the exhaust was not properly maintained. The high pressure jacketed piping system on the main engine fuel pipe sheathing was missing on one cylinder and loose on another.

In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson's Inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (95/21/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes full details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.

2. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the MCA. Where a ship is found to be deficient or lacks the required documentation, MCA surveyors can take a range of actions leading to detention in serious cases. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as SIReNaC. This allows the ships of flags with poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.

3. Detained ships have to satisfy surveyors that remedial work has been carried out before they are allowed to leave port.

4. When applicable the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on Mandatory Surveys for the safe operation of regular Ro-Ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services (1999/35/EU).
Notes on the list of detentions

Full details of the ship

The accompanying detention list shows ship's name, the flag state and the ship's International Maritime Organization (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship's life and uniquely identifies it.

Company

The company shown in the vessel's Safety Management Certificate or the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.

Classification Society

The list shows the Classification Society responsible for classing the ship and not necessarily the party issuing and/or carrying out surveys for certificates relevant to the defect found.

Recognised Organisation

The "organisation" - responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates, (on behalf of the Flag State).

Defects

The list gives a summary of the main grounds for detention and includes information where the ship has been released to sail to another port for repairs.

Ships detained in August 2008

Date & Place of Detention:01/08/2008 Avonmouth (erroneously recorded in SIReNaC as 31/07/2008)

Vessel Name: ANTIKERI (Bulk Carrier)
GT: 17,825
IMO No: 8200503
Flag: Malta
Company: Amalthia Marine Inc
Classification Society: Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Recognised Organisation: Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Recognised Organisation for ISM: Lloyds Register (LR)

Summary: 32 deficiencies (6) - grounds for detention

This vessel was detained in Avonmouth for 8 days because the port and starboard lifeboat buoyancy chambers were found cracked and water ingress into the lifeboats was suspected. A major non conformity was raised in relation to the maintenance of ship and equipment which was not according to SMS which suggested a breakdown of the ISM safety management system. The ships' personnel showed lack of emergency preparedness during a fire and abandonment drill, a major non conformity was raised in respect of this deficiency. The crew needed to practice emergency drills or undertake refresher training. Other deficiencies identified included: the starboard lifeboat fire extinguisher was showing no pressure and the starboard lifeboat gunwale GRP was wasted. The passage plan was inadequate and the antenna plan required updating also there was no 24v emergency light from GMDSS batteries to GMDSS.
The vessel was released on 08/08/2008

Date & Place of Detention:19/08/2008 Tilbury

Vessel Name: MORNING CHARM (Vehicle Carrier)
GT: 21,757
IMO No: 7729368
Flag: Panama
Company: Univan Ship Management
Classification Society: Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK)
Recognised Organisation: Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK)
Recognised Organisation for ISM: Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK)

Summary: 12 deficiencies (3) - grounds for detention

The vessel was detained in Tilbury for 5 days because the stern ramp was damaged; affecting seaworthiness and the lifebuoys were not ready for use. Other deficiencies included - the passage plan was not as required, DSC test calls were unable to be made and the grinding wheel needed changing. In addition the engine room was dirty.
The vessel was released on23/08/2008

Date & Place of Detention: 29/08/2008 Belfast

Vessel Name: GOKHAN KIRAN (Bulk Carrier)
GT: 22,466
IMO No: 7433696
Flag: Turkey
Company: Pasifik Shipping
Classification Society: Bureau Veritas (BV)
Recognised Organisation: Bureau Veritas (BV)
Recognised Organisation for ISM: Bureau Veritas (BV)

Summary: 41 deficiencies (11) - grounds for detention

This vessel was detained in Belfast because the gyro and magnetic compasses were defective, and there was no means of taking a bearing. The gyro compass was unreadable, and the compass fluid in the magnetic compass was almost empty. The high pressure jacketed piping system on the main engine fuel pipe sheathing was missing on one cylinder and loose on another. The oil leakage detectors on the generators had temporary wiring or were disconnected and the emergency fire pump was inoperative; as the exhaust was not properly maintained. Other deficiencies identified included: the voyage passage plan was not complete: the galley scupper was not hygienic: and the cold room was out of order and dirty.
The vessel was still detained as at 31/08/2008

Detentions carried over from previous months

Date & Place of detention: 23/07/2007 - Falmouth

Vessel Name: OCEAN ALERT (Other)
GT: 1,455
IMO No: 7006780
Flag: Panama
Company: Marr Vessel Management.
Classification Society: Lloyds Register (LR)
Recognised Organisation: Lloyds Register (LR)

Summary: 5 deficiencies (all detainable).

The vessel was detained for failure to comply with the International Safety Management Code, with no safety management system on board or planned maintenance undertaken. The ship was still detained at 31/08/2008

Date & Place of detention: 20/09/2007 - Lowestoft

Vessel Name: ST PIRAN (Other Cargo)
GT: 306
IMO No: 5085407
Flag: Sierra Leone
Company: Charter Shipping Inc
Classification Society: Phoenix Register of Shipping (PRS)

Summary: 18 deficiencies in total, (6 detainable).

The vessel was detained with a significant amount of oil leaking from the silencer drain soaking the exhaust manifold lagging of the main engine, causing an imminent fire hazard. There was no effective fire pump available due to the breakdown of the main engine, and the alternative submersible electric pump was not effective. Also the Aldis signalling lamp was out of order, the VHF radio installation had an incorrect MMSI number and the radio battery charger arrangement and power distribution was incorrect. Other deficiencies included: some inoperative navigation lights as well as improperly maintained emergency batteries and portable fire extinguishers. The ship was still detained at 31/08/2008

Date & Place of Detention 24/07/2008 Immingham

Vessel Name: FENG LI 9 (Bulk Carrier)
GT: 38657
IMO No: 9041021
Flag: Panama
Company: Cosco Wallem Ship Management Co Ltd.
Classification Society: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
Recognised Organisation: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
Recognised Organisation for ISM: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
Summary: 27 deficiencies 2 detainable

The vessel was originally detained in Immingham because the engine room quick closing valves were defective, however further inspection of the ship revealed over 20 deficiencies. There were numerous deficiencies identified which indicated a major breakdown of SMS on board. The fire drill was unsatisfactory and there was no sanitary water on board. The VHF radio installation Sailor D RT 2008 & RM 2002 DSC was not secured and the wiring was hanging loose and three VHF handsets antennas were defective. The engine room hatch on the aft deck was not watertight or secured correctly, bolts were missing and of the wrong size. The engine room damper port side forward ventilator, air operated damper cylinder was leaking so badly it would not operate on its' own. The vessel was released on a single direct voyage in ballast condition, to Amsterdam in the Netherlands to rectify outstanding deficiencies.

The vessel was released on 22/08/2008

RS

Hurricane Ike Tracked By European Space Agency's Envisat

Hurricane Ike Tracked By European Space Agency's Envisat

ScienceDaily (Sep. 12, 2008) —

Residents along the Gulf Coast are bracing for Hurricane Ike as it travels over the Gulf of Mexico after ripping through Cuba and Haiti. ESA’s Envisat satellite is tracking the storm, which is forecast to make landfall on the Texas coast by 13 September.

Knowing the strength and path of hurricanes is critical for issuing timely warnings. Earth observation (EO) satellites are key means of providing synoptic data on the forces that power the storm, such as cloud structure, wind and wave fields, sea surface temperature and sea surface height.

Thanks to Envisat’s unique capability to acquire optical and radar imagery over the same area of the Earth simultaneously, the top and bottom of a hurricane can be viewed at the same time. The unique view of Hurricane Ike on the left is an example of combined optical and radar images, showing the swirling cloud-tops and the shape of the wind-driven sea surface.

Moreover, satellite-based radar instruments have the capability of penetrating heavy clouds and precipitations and can provide day and night high-resolution observations of critical ocean parameters, such as local wind, waves and currents over a 400-km-wide region.

Using these capabilities specific to radar satellites, Dr Bertrand Chapron of IFREMER, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, and Dr Fabrice Collard of France's CLS radar application division in Brest, have developed sets of algorithms that allow data from the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) instrument aboard Envisat to be processed in Near-Real Time (NRT) and to produce state-of-the-art ocean parameters.

Taking advantage of the broad availability of Envisat ASAR wide swath acquisitions taken over the hurricane region, the corresponding sea surface roughness map, wind speed map and surface current are made widely available on the SOPRANO ocean products demonstration website developed with ESA.

"The knowledge of hurricane eye details, the radius of very high winds, details on the swell fields, and the new information on atmosphere feedback to ocean surface velocity will certainly help coupled ocean-atmosphere models to better predict hurricane track and intensity," Dr Chapron said.

As clearly revealed for Hurricane Ike, wind speeds around the hurricane’s eye can far exceed 40m/s (about 80 knots).

The sea surface roughness map clearly shows a minimum in the well-delineated eye where the conditions are relatively calm. Around the eye of the storm, the sea surface velocities also capture the circular direction of the prevailing wind and waves, as visible in this image over Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas on 7 September.

This analysis of the residual Doppler from the radar echoes allows for the retrieval of radial velocities which are used to provide systematically and in Near Real Time a map of the radial component of sea surface velocity.

The colour of the graphics shown in the ‘current’ section is representative of a very strong eastward motion in the southern part of the hurricane and a symmetrical strong westward motion in the northern part. These observations are clearly in line with the hurricane winds turning counter clockwise.

In the future, these combined instantaneous wind speed, wave heights and surface velocity maps will be integrated into models to improve storm track and intensity forecasts.

"Sentinel-1, the follow on to Envisat’s SAR mission, will have an improved instrument capability with dual polarisation and higher imaging resolution, and will benefit from this demonstration to achieve better winds accuracy in extreme conditions," Dr Collard said.

WEATHER NOTE

My good friend at Freaque Waves has an outstanding write on the BBC Freaque Waves progem.

BBC video on freaque waves On November 14, 2002 BBC first shown the long awaited program "Freak Wave" on BBC Two in U.K. I am not certain if it was ever shown in the U.S. But I had an opportunity of watching the video version of the program at a conference in the spring of 2003. For some reason the video was not released for wider commercial distribution. I just realized that the program is now available on YouTube in 5 parts as posted in the following. My sincere appreciation to the one that made these available:

Rest of the post

Demolition team works to clear barges from Texas 73
By RYAN MYERS
September, 21, 2008

PORT ARTHUR - The stretch of Texas 73 between Port Arthur and Winnie could open by mid-week after two barges dropped on the highway by Hurricane Ike are cut apart and removed.

"We're ripping them apart, one chunk at a time, and then we'll haul away the pieces on trucks," said Jeff Fuller with Xtreme Demolition, an Oak Island-based marine salvage company.

Ike's storm surge pushed the tethered barges almost 10 miles from near Sabine Pass, dropping them across the highway near Englin Road. At Sabine Pass, storm surge reached almost 14 feet.

The barges, each about 200 tons and 200 feet in length, were owned by a construction company and used for moving cargo up and down the Intracoastal Waterway, Fuller said. The construction company's insurer is paying for the demolition and removal.

To move the barges, Fuller's team is using a large demolition machine that looks like a tank fitted with a giant can opener.

After gripping a section of steel hull, the machine twists and pulls, slowly ripping the ships into shreds.

To preserve the highway surface, the machine first cuts a hole inside the first ship, Fuller explained, standing beside the demolition project Sunday morning.

"That way, we can cut from the inside out, with our machine actually resting on the floor of the barge, and not on the highway surface," Fuller said.

Once the barges are removed, transportation officials will inspect the highway for damage before it can be reopened, said Marc Shepherd, a spokesman with the Texas Department of Transportation.

Shepherd said he did not anticipate any significant damage.

"We got started tearing them apart this morning about 9 or 9:30," Fuller said. "I'm hoping we'll be done in two or three days at the most."

Hurricanes, Hanna and Haiti: What Natural Disasters Illustrate

By Nicole C. Lee, NNPA Columnist
September 15, 2008

The storm brought massive destruction. Flooding was considerable.... Houses collapsed on themselves. The roofs of those that did not became the last refuge for desperate men, women and children. With no food or water, they prayed for help, but it did not arrive.

Katrina is still burned in my psyche as one of the most catastrophic events in recent memory. The harsh divides of class and race and their connection to access were clear. Yet, what I just described is the scene unfolding in Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav and Hanna.

The death toll in Haiti to date well exceeds 100, with thousands displaced and stranded, and President René Préval has called the crisis a "catastrophe." Aid agencies cannot reach the most desperate.

Due to the fierceness of the storm and soil erosion, "lakes" have formed all over the rural areas, making roads impassable for aid trucks. Eyewitness reports state the aftermath is worse than Hurricane Jeanne of 2004.

Reports of the impact of natural disasters on world's most neglected communities always read a bit ironic to me.

Haiti's failing infrastructure is a well-known certainty. For more than 25 years the US and the World Bank gave millions of dollars to dictators for infrastructure creation. Urban roads continued to crumble.

Rural roads remained unpaved. Yet in recent years, the world has withheld money from the democratically elected government to accomplish the same goal. Repeatedly, the Haitian government, community groups and human rights advocates stated that the any major storm would be catastrophic given years of neglect and de-funding coupled with soil erosion caused by deforestation.

Slow to act, the U.S. government has promised a mere $100,000.00 for relief from these hurricanes. While I hope that they will provide more emergency relief dollars and the planning and transport to reach the neediness, once again the long-term impacts of the neglect of Haiti is not acknowledged.

Damage to Haiti's already inadequate food crops will only serve to further amplify the food crisis affecting millions across Haiti. Because roads remained unpaved, the water creates impassable mud lakes. Standing water will only serve to spread water borne infectious diseases. Unlike with Katrina, the displaced have nowhere to go. The U.S. government's policy to return fleeing Haitians to Haiti with little to no due process remains unchanged throughout these disasters.

The paradox of Gustav's appearance on our Gulf Shores was not lost among those fleeing three years ago from Katrina. Yet the entire Diaspora is vulnerable to nature's wrath and humanity's neglect. While Gustav spared the Gulf Coast of the horrors we have experienced and can imagine, more storms are on the way. While many are skeptical of the infrastructure in place in the U.S. for such storms, we know that in countries like Haiti no such systems exist.

No doubt that each day that passes without assistance Haitians and other Caribbean people will suffer alone wondering if anyone will eventually come to help them. Many of them will not survive.

As we invest in our early warning systems and programs, the US also must make investments in the infrastructures of our closest neighbors. Paving roads, planting trees, and sustainable economic development would have a significant impact on the impact of hurricanes in Haiti.

When we see fellow Americans suffering and desperate, it is difficult to turn away and yet we turn away from the suffering of our people only a couple hundred miles away from our shore.

Katrina and Rita illustrated that we can all be vulnerable to need and injustice. In the aftermath of Gustav, Hanna, and now with Ike and Josephine on the way, can Americans address the issues highlighted by natural disasters and demand action?

Nicole C. Lee is the Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum.

GUSTAV and IKE PIX's

Stormer Chaser Steve Miller (TEXAS TAILCHASER'S STORMPAGE!) has just updated his site with pix's of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Take a look...Ike Here and Gustav here.....

Warnings as super storm rolls across NSW (AUSTRALIA)

HUGE storm heading for the New South Wales eastern seaboard, including Sydney, has cut a path of destruction in western NSW with winds over 100km/h tearing roofs off buildings and felling trees.

Emergency crews across NSW are on high alert as the severe thunderstorm from the northwest engulfs most of NSW and moves towards the NSW coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology at 7pm (AEST) said: "Thunderstorms are likely to produce large hailstones and damaging winds over the next several hours.

"Locations which may be affected nclude Port Macquarie, Armidale, Tamworth, Moree, Narrabri and Mungindi.

"A severe weather warning for damaging wind remains current for Sydney Metropolitan and Hunter Districts, Upper Western, Southern and Central Tablelands, ACT, South and Central West Slopes and Plains, South Coast and Illawarra, however, conditions are expected to ease through the night."

Wind gusts of 115km/h were recorded today at Fowlers Gap, near Broken Hill, and wind speeds are surpassing 60km/h in western Sydney, a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) spokesman said.

"It's not one small cell, it's a great large area of strong winds and thunderstorms,'' BOM duty forecaster Peter Zmijewski said earlier today.

"Winds in Sydney have already picked-up in the west.''

NSW Maritime has issued a gale-force wind warning with a forecast of 4m swells off the coast of Sydney and Hunter regions.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Tony Kelly said residents should not underestimate the conditions heading for metropolitan and regional areas.

"This is an unfortunate but timely warning that now is the time for residents and businesses to be prepared."

The State Emergency Service (SES) has had 90 calls for assistance across far-west NSW.

Strong winds and some rain caused a large tree to fall and crush a car at Broken Hill, SES spokesman Phil Campbell said.

Further south at Hay the damage was more severe.

"There, we've had winds gusting up to 104km/h that have totally unroofed one property and have brought down the verandah at the Terminus Hotel,'' Mr Campbell said.

The SES is bracing for much greater damage once the brunt of the storm reaches the coast.

"The biggest risk will come this evening as we do have more populated areas such as the eastern seaboard impacted by these severe weather warnings and destructive winds,'' Mr Campbell said.

He said rain has been less of a factor in the state's west but could be disastrous later on.

"Generally when the rain is falling, it's only very quick according to our volunteers out in the field,'' he said.

"But there is heavier rain due in tonight and if properties get some damage due to wind, rain will exacerbate that damage.''

The SES recommends people secure loose items around houses and properties, keep clear of fallen power lines and unplug computers and appliances.

People should also stay away from windows and keep children and pets indoors.

NSW Maritime is urging boat owners to check their moorings and exercise caution while on the water.

MARITIME NOTES

New study highlights present and future maritime traffic flows in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Sea is amongst the world’s busiest waterways accounting for 15 per cent of global shipping activity by number of calls and 10 per cent by vessel deadweight tonnes (DWT), says new study. Overall vessel activity within the Mediterranean has been rising steadily over the past 10 years and is projected to increase by a further 18 per cent over the next 10 years.

Transits through the Mediterranean are expected to rise by 23 per cent. Increases in vessel activity will be coupled with the deployment of ever larger vessels. Chemical tanker and container vessels will show the highest rates of growth in respect of port callings within the Mediterranean over the next ten years whilst increases in transits will be most pronounced in the product and crude tanker sector.

The full report can be accessed here: REPORT

Storms delay final stages of MSC Napoli salavge

Liz McCarthy - Thursday 18 September 2008

SALVAGE operations for the remaining stern section of the MSC Napoli have been suspended until next year in an effort to cut costs, writes Liz McCarthy.

The decision has been agreed by the ship’s insurers and the Environment Group due to the onset of autumnal storms, in a pragmatic approach to save money.

The MSC Napoli was beached in Devon after taking on water in the English Channel in January last year.

The remaining section of the ship is heavily constructed, and, according to the Secretary of State’s Representative Hugh Shaw, is proving difficult to dismantle.

The engine weighs approximately 1,400 tonnes and an estimated 3,000 tonnes of silt and clay has become trapped inside the ship, adding substantial weight to the structure.

A large cutter that the MCA has been looking to obtain is not available until late October, when the weather is due to become unsuitable.

With many specialist divers on site, long delays caused by bad weather could have cost the insurers a significant amount of money. Other specialist equipment is also needed, but is not due to be available until the spring.

Exact details of when salvage operations will commence are not yet known, but it is thought that the insurers and salvors will have changed the salvage contract accordingly by today.

MARITIME ALERT! MARITIME ALERT! MARITIME ALERT!

USCG – Safety Alert – counterfeit EEBDs

The US Coast Guard issued a Safety Alert stating that counterfeit Unitor model UNISCAPE 15h emergency escape breathing devices (EEBDs) are being sold to ship operators and placed onboard commercial vessels. As explained in the Safety Alert, there are physical differences between the authentic and the counterfeit devices. If in doubt regarding your EEBD, contact the manufacturer. (9/19/08).

On a boat in the middle of Hurricane Ike



Here is another one...



RS

THE TASK: LET'S BRING EM UP ALIVE

THE TASK: LET'S BRING EM UP ALIVE

Special Thanks to: Bud Shortridge U.S. Naval Fighting Ship History Hobbiest

Triumph in Submarine Rescue Operations

The U.S.S. Squalus SS-192 shortly after being launched on September 14, 1938

On May 23, 1939, the new attack sub marine U.S.S. Squalus SS-192 made a "fast dive" test off the Isle of Shoals (near Portsmouth, New Hampshire) and failed to surface. Two day later 33 of the 59-crew were rescued from her forward compartments. The rescue was effected through the use of an innovative diving bell; however 26 men were lost in the aft section of the submarine. This brought the total to 152 officers and men killed in the U.S. Navy's 37- year old submarine service.

U.S.S. SQUALUS:
A SARGO-CLASS SUBMARINE

The Squalus was laid down at the Portsmouth Navy Yard on October 18, 1937. She was one of five submarines of the Sargo class built over a two year period from 1938-1939. With an 11,000 mile range at 10 knots, these were long-legged submarines capable of extended patrols. Their design further signified preparations for a war with Imperial Japan. The Squalus displaced 1,450 tons, was 302 feet in length, and had a beam of 27 feet. Her three diesel engines could drive her at 20 knots (5,500 shaft horsepower) on the surface and her electric power plant could produce up to 8 knots (2,700 shaft horsepower) submerged. The Sargo class was air conditioned and had sufficient battery power for 2 knots over a 48 hour period. The boat was armed with eight 21-inch torpedo tubes, a 3-inch/50 cal deck gun, and a portable machine guns for surface defense.

The Squalus was launched on September 14, 1938, and commissioned on March 1, 1939, under the command of Lt. Oliver E. Naquin, an Annapolis graduate and expert in submarine operations. During March, April, and into late May 1939, the new submarine went through a series of tests and exercises to work out any builder deficiencies and acquaint the crew with its class.

She carried a crew of 5 officers and 51 enlisted men when she departed Portsmouth on May 23, 1939, for a series of test dives that included fast or emergency procedures. She was also carrying two civilian Navy yard technicians and a company representative from the Winston
Diesel Company, the manufacture of the main propulsion plant.

LOSS OF THE SQUALUS

On May 23 at 7:30 a.m., the Squalus left the Portsmouth Navy Yard for a series of test dives that would include a "fast" descent procedure. The area selected for the exercises was just 5 miles off the Isle of Shoals and approximately 12 miles from the mainland.

The depth of the water varied from 200 to 300 feet, and the sea bottom was described as blue mud. At 8:40 a.m., the submarine radioed the base that she would be diving for a period of one hour and would communicate again when surfaced. Two hours passed with no verification that the submarine had surfaced, so the base began radioing the submarine.

By 11:30 a.m. it was obvious that the Squalus was not responding to repeated contacts; consequently, sister ship U.S.S. Sculpin SS-191 was sent to investigate. Two hours later the Sculpin was at or near the last known position of the Squalus, and a lookout sighted a smoke bomb in the water. The Sculpin maneuvered to the source of the smoke and found a 4-foot-long, yellow painted cylinder which signified that a submarine was in difficulty and could not surface. "SQUALUS" was the name on the cylinder, which was attached by a line to the submarine below. The cylinder also contained a telephone that was linked to the sunken boat. Contact was made at once with Lt. Naquin who indicated that the main induction valve had been open, allowing water to flood both forward and aft engine rooms as well as the aft torpedo room. This was sufficient to sink the boat and she was on the bottom.

He suggested that the best way to save the crew and boat was to have divers close the valve and attach air lines to the boat to provide sufficient buoyancy to surface. He advised against the crew escaping by using the "Momsen" breathing lungs due to the 240-ft. depth and the probably of "bends." Submarine crews received escape training using the lung, but at no more than a 120 ft. depth.

Lt. Naquin attempted to continue with his report, but the cable attached to the marker buoy separated and communication was cut off. The Sculpin immediately anchored over the Squalus and radioed the base for assistance.

Aboard the Squalus 33 men were alive in the forward compartments; however, the 26 men who were in the aft compartments perished by the time the boat hit the bottom stern first. Luckily, five men from the aft part of the boat just made it into the control room as water rushed upward. Electrician's Mate Lloyd Maness dogged the hatch shut just in time to prevent the entire boat from being flooded. As the boat slid downward, the crew made attempts to surface by blowing the forward ballast tanks, but to no avail. The men released the forward marker buoy in the hope that a passing boat or aircraft would investigate. The 33 men, including the commanding officer, began to assess their situation. There was sufficient air for up to 72 hours, including that stored in flasks for emergencies.

Food consisted of emergency rations and various canned items, and lighting came from individual flashlights and lamps. Aside from the fear of being confined in what probably would become their coffin, the cold was intense. The water temperature at 240 feet was 31degrees Fahrenheit, causing the interior of the forward compartment to reach 36 degrees. Blankets were available and the men sat close together, but the outlook was dismal. Periodically, the crew hammered morse code messages on the hull in the hope that someone somewhere would hear.

The U.S.S Falcon (ASR-2) an early submarine rescue ship, situates herself over the wreck site based on information and markers the submarine Sculpin provide.

At 9:45 p.m., the oscillograph (a sound detection system) aboard the Sculpin heard Lt Naquin's signal, "Conditions satisfactory, but cold." Ashore, the Navy summoned every diver available and ordered the rescue vessel U.S.S. Falcon (ASR-2) and the new light cruiser U.S.S. Brooklyn (CL-40) to the scene. By 5:30 a.m. on May 24, 1939, the Falcon was at the site as well as other smaller rescue ships. The Brooklyn arrived alter with 3,000 feet of air hose and was ordered t fulfill the unenviable role as a floating media base.

For those interested in the full article just email me......

WEATHER NOTE

NWS Chicago
Weather Currents Newsletter - Fall 2008





Hurricane Ike Base Map


NOAA Aids with Hurricane Ike Recovery
September 17, 2008

Responders from NOAA are on the move as residents and businesses in Texas and Louisiana recover from the effects of Hurricane Ike.

NRTs early morning survey in Port Fourchon, La..

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

NOAA's Navigational Response Teams are surveying areas critical to the flow of energy related commerce in the impacted region. Hydro surveys of the seafloor detect new obstructions from wreckage, shoaling, and other dangers to navigation. These surveys are being performed in partnership with U.S. Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA.

NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services is working to identify and repair lost or damaged navigational aids such as buoy and tide stations. Restoring these critical navigational tools is vital to operations of maritime commerce in the area.

While teams are working at or below the water level, aircraft are flying overhead taking thousands of aerial photographs to provide imagery of the physical damage to property and infrastructure as well as significant changes to the natural coastline. Photos will be posted online as they become available after each flight.

The National Weather Service Southern Region continues to provide extensive weather briefing support to local and state partners. This information is key to the various agencies involved in the recovery process. As remnants of Hurricane Ike track to the northeast, Weather Service specialists are providing potential river flooding forecasts and hydrologic support to potential areas.

NOAA HAZMAT teams are in place as part of a multi-agency response providing oil spill trajectories and data to protect environmental resources. In addition, NOAA's Fisheries Service is assessing the damage to the fishing industry and is currently working with state partners to evaluate the Texas and Louisiana fishing infrastructure.

2008-09-20 13:10:06 - Giant Wave Impact - China

Posted:2008-09-20 13:10:06 [UTC]

EDIS CODE: GW-20080920-18582-CHN
Date & Time: 2008-09-20 13:10:06 [UTC]
Area: China, Shanghai, , Shanghai

Description:

A migrant worker was crushed to death and 14 were injured after a thunderstorm hit part of Shanghai on Saturday afternoon, municipal flood authorities said. The storm hit the eastern Chinese city's Pudong and Nanhui districts from around 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with precipitation of up to132 mm, the Shanghai Municipal Flood Control Headquarters said. A strong wind accompanied the storm. A 47-year-old male migrant worker died after a two-storey workshop building at a steel factory in Heqing Town collapsed. Another person was injured. Elsewhere, nine persons were injured at two construction sites. Four others were injured when a 100-square-meter market building fell. The headquarters said all the injured had been sent to hospital for treatment and there was no danger to life. The "once-in-a century thunderstorm" also flooded some road sections and more than 60 households, it said.

Event exciting : Severe Weather
Number of deaths: 1 persons
Number of Injured persons: 14 persons
Damage level: Moderate (Level 2)

MARTIME NOTE

W&T Offshore platforms sink because of hurricanes

HOUSTON - W&T Offshore Inc. said late Thursday that two of its platforms and a processing facility for another sank as a result of Hurricane's Gustav and Ike.

The oil and gas company said that initial flyovers after Hurricane Ike revealed the sinkings of its Eugene Island 371 "B" platform and Eugene Island 397 "A" platform, along with the third-party-owned processing facility for its Ewing Banks 949 "Queen of Hearts."

W&T said it's evaluating its options for those facilities and has yet to determine the cost to repair or replace them, or a time frame for when that could happen. Additionally, several of non-operated platforms were lost, W&T said.

The net production volumes from the sunken operated and non-operated platforms totaled about 5 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day, the company said. Production volumes before the hurricanes totaled 308 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day.

W&T said it will have production estimates in seven to ten days after assessing its damage, functionality and delays.

W&T shares rose $3.14, or 10.4 percent, to $33.25 in early trading.

Houston, we have a problem Ships in waiting game outside channel

Wednesday 17 September 2008

MORE than 100 vessels were yesterday waiting outside the Houston Ship Channel, which remained partially closed to ships in the wake of Hurricane Ike, the US Coast Guard said. The channel, which gives tankers access to refineries in Texas City, Baytown and Houston, had vessel traffic service, but navigation aids and shoaling were still being checked, a USCG spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, Hurricane Ike blew life into the tanker derivatives market as oil traders placed bets on the US needing increased gasoline shipments if refineries from the US Gulf were hit.

The International Maritime Human Element Bulletin, Issue 18

The PDF version of issue 18 of the Alert! Bulletin is now available

Autumnal equinox

The autumnal equinox occurs at 1544 UTC on Monday, September 22, 2008. This is commonly referred to as the moment when the sun is directly over the equator. More properly, since the earth revolves around the sun (at least that is what we are taught to believe), it is when the equatorial plane of the earth (extended to the center of the solar system) intersects the sun. Either way, it is the first day of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Take note and celebrate! (9/22/08).

RS