NOAA Mission Discovers Historic Shipwreck Off Turks And Caicos Islands; ‘The Story Was Lost To History’

NOAA Mission Discovers Historic Shipwreck Off Turks And Caicos Islands; ‘The Story Was Lost To History’

Maritime archaeologists today announced they have recently identified the wreck of the historic slave ship Trouvadore off the coast of East Caicos in the Turks and Caicos Islands. NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research significantly funded several years of archaeological research leading to the discovery by Don Keith and Toni Carrell, from Ships of Discovery, an underwater archaeology research institute.

The Spanish vessel Trouvadore was participating in the slave trade, outlawed in the British Indies, including the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 1841, after the vessel was grounded on a reef, Caicos authorities arrested the crew, and most of the 192 African survivors settled on Grand Turk Island.

Keith and Carrell believe the African survivors of the Trouvadore are the ancestors of a large portion of current residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands. For example, traditions on the Islands have a recognizable African origin. The Turks and Caicos National Museum is recording these traditions through oral histories and is educating the community about their ancestral history.

“What makes a people different and distinct is their unique history,” said Keith, who has worked in the islands for 30 years. “The people of the Turks and Caicos have a direct line to this dramatic, historic event – it’s how so many of them ended up being there. We hope this discovery will encourage the people of the Turks and Caicos to protect and research their local history, especially the history that remains underwater.”

“Although the sinking of the Trouvadore was a major event on the Island, the story was lost to history over the following century and a half,” said Carrell. “After we uncovered records of the shipwreck several years ago, we were stunned to realize that Turks and Caicos residents had never heard of the shipwreck that brought their ancestors to the Island.”

In 2004, using historical accounts of where the Trouvadore went down, along with remote sensing and visual searches, archaeologists focused on a ship near a local landmark known as the Black Rock. Records showed the vessel had sunk at Breezy Point, approximately two miles from the Black Rock Wreck location.

“But with the wind blowing constantly from the east, and a current running from that direction, the ship would have drifted,” Keith said. “That could have happened after it was lightened by salvage, as well.” Keith and his team used careful measurements of the hull and after years of research to amass compelling circumstantial evidence, concluded in August that the Black Rock Wreck could only be the Trouvadore.

Keith and Carrell knew from the start it would be difficult to find artifacts to identify the ship. “People of these islands traditionally have used resources from sunken ships. There are houses built on Grand Turk from ship remains,” said Keith. “We knew the ship had been salvaged upon sinking, and we weren’t going to find a bell with ‘Trouvadore 1841’ on it.”

The archaeologists learned about the Trouvadore while tracing the current locations of artifacts from the Islands that were sold to museums in the U.S. and Europe over a hundred years ago. Examining records about “African idols” that were sold, they found the account of the Trouvadore wreck.

“It’s rare and exciting to find a wreck of such importance that has been forgotten for so many years,” said Frank Cantelas, marine archaeologist for NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. “By identifying the Trouvadore, Don and Toni have really made a contribution to history and given the Islands’ people a better sense of place.”

Keith and his colleagues also discovered the wreck of the U.S. naval vessel Chippewa, lost in 1816. The researchers discovered a line of carronades, a unique type of cannon carried by the Chippewa, near the reef off Providenciales, which the vessel reportedly struck. The Chippewa and the Onkahye, sunk in 1848, were part of America’s efforts to stop the African slave trade and piracy by patrolling the Caribbean. Keith plans to continue work on the Chippewa wreck site and hopes to discover the Onkahye nearby.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

WEATHER NOTE

Nenana, Alaska, Receives Nation’s 1,000th NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter

Central interior Alaskan residents, visitors, barge captains and railroad operators now have access to weather information anytime, thanks to a new NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards transmitter recently installed on Toghotthele Hill in Nenana, the 1,000th of these transmitters installed by NOAA.

Residents of the Nenana area can tune to 162.4 MHz on NOAA Weather Radio for the broadcasts from NOAA’s Weather Forecast Office in Fairbanks. NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards, known as "The Voice of the National Weather Service," is a continuous 24-hour source of the latest weather forecasts and warnings.

"Citizens can now have weather information available at their fingertips any time in the Nenana area," said John Dragomir, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Fairbanks. "The Nenana transmitter significantly increases the weather service’s ability to reach Alaska’s central interior directly with weather warnings and forecasts. A NOAA Weather Radio in the home, car, truck, boat and other vehicles helps protect families, individuals and property."

This radio broadcast has been made possible through a partnership between NOAA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the city of Nenana. USDA Rural Development provided $39,438 to the City of Nenana for this project. Matching funds and in kind contributions came from the City of Nenana. USDA Rural Development has awarded 97 Weather Radio Transmitter grants for installations in 27 states and Puerto Rico since 2001.

USDA Rural Development acting Alaska state director Chad Padgett said "USDA Rural Development is pleased to partner with the National Weather Service, Nenana mayor Jason Mayrand and our great community supporters of this Program. We are pleased to administer this grant program because NOAA Weather Radio promotes public safety and awareness, and most importantly, saves lives."

"Prior to this opportunity, we had to call the weather service directly in order to receive weather warnings," said Mayrand. "Often we would hear of hazardous weather conditions through the grape vine. With the new transmitter in place not only do Nenana residents have access but also a large population of people that live in more remote regions of Interior Alaska."

"Now that the NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards network has one thousand transmitters, we have the capability to send critical warnings and environmental information to 95 percent of the U.S. population," said Dr. John L. "Jack" Hayes, director of NOAA's National Weather Service. "NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards alerts the public to natural or man-made disasters, and keeps them informed until the danger has passed."

MARITIME NOTE

Safety at Sea

If properly prepared, sailing off-shore can be an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Conversely, if not prepared, it can be miserable and dangerous. Because we prefer 'exhilarating and rewarding', we do everything in our power to be properly prepared. This section is meant to give the reader insight into emergency procedures aboard Vision Quest. The overall plan is to avoid emergencies, but as we all know, 'stuff' happens and you need to be ready!

Of course, the safety and well being of the crew is the highest priority. However, for emergency procedures we must put the boat first. The reason for this can be understood when you think about what would happen to the crew if there was no boat. I am primarily talking about fire and sinking.

Please keep in mind as you read this that these are general guidelines. Every situation is different and requires that the captain and crew adapt the procedures to the given situation. Also note that when a true emergency occurs, an incorrect response often leads to making a manageable situation worse.

Generally speaking, if there is a fire, or the boat is taking on water, the crew must tend to the boat first. This is a higher priority than even aiding a crew member in need. The crew must be disciplined to keep their priorities in order and think before taking action.

an example...

Lets say that you are having a nice sail with your young son or daughter (just the two of you) on a nice summer day a couple of miles offshore. Then the unthinkable happens, your child falls overboard right in front of your eyes! In the first few seconds, your instincts may tell you to jump in to save them. This is where training comes in. You take some time to think about what you need to do and realize that if you jump in after them, chances are you both will drown. You realize that the proper response is to throw floatation and execute your man over board (MOB) procedures. Because you have practiced this a number of times, you are able to bring the boat to your child and save them.

The above example demonstrates that having emergency procedures and practicing them before they are needed saves lives. This is good, but what if you were able avoid the situation altogether? These are some of the things that should have been thought about before ever leaving the dock:

• Should I bring another experienced sailor with me in case something happens?
• Do I have adequate lifelines?
• Should my child be tethered to the boat?
• Can they swim?
• Do they have a life jacket? Are they required to where it?
• What is the weather like? Is it going to change?
• Do I have emergency procedures and know how to execute them?

As you can infer from this example, seamanship starts before you leave the dock. You could even say that seamanship starts before you launch your boat; even before you buy your boat!

Priorities

Priorities need to be kept very simple. The reason for this is that when the weather is rough and the crew is hungry and exhausted, complicated things are harder to remember. So, here's the top three:

1. Don't sink
2. Don't catch on fire
3. Don't fall overboard

Also (not in any order):

• Avoid bad weather
• Know what to do if you can't avoid heavy weather
• Watch for gear failure
• Minimize passage time
• Collision Avoidance
• Keep the crew well fed and rested
• Crew Training
• Avoid injury
• Avoiding Seasickness
• Abandon Ship!

Of course there are many more things to pay attention to, in fact whole books can and have been written on all of these subjects. In the next few sections I will outline some of the things we have done aboard Vision Quest to address these concerns. This is by no means a comprehensive discussion and I will try to keep it to the points that I think people will be most interested in.

Sinking!

Vision Quest is equipped with many features to prevent taking on water. We also have specialized tools and procedures to use if we end up starting to sink.

• Rugged companionway door with positive latch
• Positive latches for the cockpit lockers
• Pre-cut window repair boards that can be used to patch a blown out window. These will be mountable from inside the boat.
• High capacity hand operated bilge pump that can be operated from the cockpit.
• High capacity hand bilge pump that can be operated from inside the cabin with all hatches and windows shut.
• Electric Bilge pump
• Buckets!
• Hull breach toolbox with materials that can be used to repair cracks in the hull.
• Procedures for determining the source of the leak - quickly.
• If it is obvious that the boat is going to sink and our attempts to stem the flow of water are not successful then we can begin our abandon ship procedures and take to the life raft.

Fire!

Fire prevention is the key here. All of our diesel fuel is stored in proper fuel tanks and we do not carry any fuel on deck in jerry cans. We will have a small amount of gasoline (1 gallon) for our outboard motor that we will store in a safe place (probably on one of our transom steps). Propane is properly stored in a locker designed for the purpose which vents overboard. The decks and cabin will be kept clean and orderly.

If a fire does break out, we have 4 fire extinguishers located in strategic places to fight it. The extinguisher in the galley is a fairly large one of the ABC type that can also be emptied into the engine compartment via a fire port if we have an engine fire. Procedures will be in place for the various scenarios and we will practice them.

Man Overboard!

Man overboard is more likely than fire or sinking and is an absolutely critical issue. The prevailing wisdom is that if you fall overboard you are going to die. The reason for this is that it is usually dark and stormy when this happens and it is extremely difficult to find someone in the water, let alone get the boat back to them and retrieve them. This is the case even in mild conditions and can be compounded greatly if the victim is unconscious.

Again, the best way to handle this is prevention. The crew will always be tethered to the boat when working on deck and at night. Even sitting in the cockpit during the day, crew members will have to be tied to the boat unless it is very calm and there is more than one person in the cockpit.

If someone does fall over, they will presumably have their inflatable harness on. These harnesses' inflate automatically when they hit the water and have a manual backup should the auto-inflate mechanism fail. These harnesses are also equipped with a strobe light and whistle to help the boat find them. Each crew member will practice retrieving a man overboard using the most accepted techniques in the racing community. So far, I have never seen anyone fall overboard except in sailing videos. I want to keep it that way!!

Weather Routing

It is important to pick your 'weather window' before you leave. The general consensus is that June is the best time to cross because the winter storms are over and percentage of hurricanes is very low.

Weather routing is critical. You want to avoid extreme weather situations while at the same time avoiding areas of little to no wind. These calms are good for ocean going trawlers, but not so for sailboats with a limited fuel supply. Vision Quest likes to have 15-20 knots of wind just aft of her beam and these are the conditions we will be seeking.

We use sophisticated route planning software (Max Sea) and weather chart software (Ocens Weathernet). These tools allow us to get up to date high seas analysis and forecasts for our area. We will also be using a professional weather router whom we will remain in contact with via email. This person will recommend the proper course to steer to get us into favorable weather patterns. If we lose our satellite phone and SSB radio, we will have to watch the barometric pressure, clouds, and seas to try to figure out our best course (just like the old days!). If we can raise a ship on the VHF radio, we can ask them for a forecast as well.

Heavy Weather

As discussed above, we will do everything we can to avoid heavy weather. Regardless, since we are crossing the North Atlantic and we will be out there for over 3 weeks, we will probably encounter at least a gale or two and some squalls. I would rather not get caught in a storm, but we will be prepared for that as well. Rather than get into a long discussion about tactics, I'll just summarize some of the tools and techniques at our disposal.

• Storm Sails made of very heavy orange sail cloth
• Inner Forestay for keeping the storm head sail closer to the center of the boat.
• Drogue and associated tackle for keeping the boat under control while surfing down large waves ('running off').
• Sea Anchor for riding the storm out 'bow to'.
• 'Heave to' techniques
• 'Crew preservation' as mentioned in the crew sections below
• Secure, solid, and simple boat with redundant systems
• Plenty of tools and spare parts for repairs

Gear Failure

Vision Quest has been outfitted in such a way that she can continue on her way when she loses a main system like the engine, rudder, or electrical power. We have spare sails and the ability to patch and mend them should they be damaged. We carry spare rope of all lengths and sizes and all kinds of other tools and materials to repair and patch things as they fail.

There is one thing that has no backup though and that is the standing rigging ...commonly known as the mast and boom for you land lubbers! Losing the mast would put us into a critical situation. Again, this would probably happen when it is rough out. Prevailing wisdom is that when the mast comes down, you need to cut it away and let it sink as soon as possible so that it doesn't ram into the boat and make a hole. This would be an example of one emergency causing another!

In the event that we lose the mast, we would try to build a jury rig with our spinnaker pole and anything else that we are able to salvage. This would hopefully be enough to get us to the nearest point of land. We have enough fuel to motor for 600-800 miles which will help allot but we may be more than 1000 miles away from land. Also, the nearest landfall may be unattainable due to wind and wave conditions. Depending on how much luck we have with the jury rig, amount of fuel we have, and weather conditions, we may very well have to call for help. If this is the case, we would probably be picked up by a ship and have to leave the boat behind.

The good news is that if your rig (mast) is meticulously maintained and inspected by professional riggers and constantly inspected for signs of stress, losing the rig is very unlikely. It is also important not to stress the rig too much in rough and windy conditions; this is done by reducing sail area and not 'beating' the hull too badly in head seas.

Passage Time

The chances for bad weather, gear failure, crew injury, etc go up the longer you are at sea. For this reason, one of our prime objectives is to keep the boat moving toward her destination as fast as safely possible. This is good for moral and keeps the crew busy. Basically we 'pretend' that we are in a race but we temper it with avoiding bad weather and not pushing the boat so hard that something may break. I guess what I'm saying here is that we won't be 'dilly-dallying' around!

Collision Avoidance

It is a big ocean out there, but you would be surprised how closely ships and other yachts pass by you. On Vision Quest, we consider a ship at ten miles range to be a threat and we often track them from twenty or more miles away using our radar.

We carry a radar reflector on our mast which increases the chances of the ship seeing us on their radar. We also have navigation lights on top of our mast which improves visibility at night. This is nice, but we can't depend on a busy ships crew seeing us; we need to be on the lookout for them! When we do spot a ship (or yacht) either by eye, or on the radar, we immediately begin the tracking process.

Basically what you do is watch for a changing bearing. If the bearing to the ship is gradually changing, then you will generally pass well clear of each other. If the bearing is not changing, then you are on a collision course and the ship needs to be contacted on the VHF radio while they are still a fair distance away (miles). This usually works and you mutually decide who will change course and all is well. Sometimes you can't raise them and must change course yourself.

Quick and decisive action is necessary while the ship is miles away ...it is amazing how fast they are going! If we can't get out of their way, and can't contact them, we will begin firing flares and sounding horns, which will hopefully 'snap them out of it' and get them on the radio!

Taking Care of the Crew

The goal is to have a well rested and fed crew that are happy and performing their best. The following list outlines the main things that prevent mutiny!

• Pick well balanced, experienced people that you can get along with. Preferably people that have sailed together before.
• Maximize sleep and relaxation time
• Provide good food that is healthy and satisfying
• Keep the boat clean, dry, and orderly
• Always have dry comfortable clothing
• Dry comfortable pillows, sheets, and blankets
• Regular crew meetings, especially if there is any controversy or 'drama'.

Crew Training

In the case of this voyage, the selected crew all know each other and have sailed together on at least one significant passage. Before leaving and periodically during the voyage each crew member will practice many things including:

• Man overboard recovery
• Sinking drills (a marker is placed where the leak is and they have to find it)
• Abandon Ship / life raft deployment drills
• Fire fighting drills
• Medical emergency training (at least two certified crew)
• Sail reefing and changing drills
• Sea anchor and drogue deployment and retrieval
• Emergency steering
• Emergency hull, sail, engine, and systems repair

Injury & Sickness

The best way to avoid injury is to stay well fed and rested. This way, crew members will remember to move slowly and deliberately and always have one hand available to hang onto the boat. A well fed and rested crew will also make better decisions, thus potentially avoiding an injurious situation. The other thing to keep in mind is to try and avoid severe weather and keep the boat under control. A quick story is in order.

A story: On our way to Bermuda during a celestial navigation course, we spent several days in a strong gale. There were several incidents involving losing balance and items flying across the cabin. The worst one I witnessed was a 'twofold snafu'. One night while the captain was preparing dinner, the boat lurched and a huge bottle of olive oil flew across the cabin. Luckily no one was hit, but is spilled all over the place. After a long time trying to wipe this stuff up (bad for moral) we still had an olive oil 'sheen' on the floor that we just couldn't seem to remove. The next day, one of the crew was making coffee and another lurch ...an entire can of Maxwell House all over the cabin! Now we had coffee grounds mixed into the olive oil that was left over from the night before on the floor ...a wicked mess (bad for moral).

Items in the cabin, like big bottles of olive oil, need to be secured at all times! The mess on the floor made the cabin slippery and 'icky'. Although, no one got hurt, they very well could have from the flying olive oil or slippery floor. Another less tangible result was that instead of sleeping or doing worthwhile chores, the off-watch crew had to deal with this mess for hours. Lost sleep and bad attitudes could cause a bad decision later. Again, a manageable incident being compounded into one that was less manageable. We now laugh about this and every time the olive oil comes out, so do the jokes!

Now, back to injury. We carry lots of over the counter medications and first aid supplies. We also carry prescription medications like antibiotics, seasickness medication, epi-pens, etc. We use a land based remote physician service that we can contact through email or satellite telephone. The remote doctors can guide us through the treatment and already knows what medications we have on board (they prescribed them).

Seasickness

Seasickness is a critical safety concern. Many people do recover after a day or two, but some do not. They can become dehydrated and incoherent within a matter of a few days. They are so sick that they can barely move and will definitely make poor decisions if they do decide to do something. If someone get's this sick, medical attention is often required and the remaining crew have to pick up the slack. If two crew get this sick, your ability to handle the boat will be severely compromised. When you are over 500 miles from the nearest land and out of helicopter range, the situation can become critical. You get the idea!

Like most emergencies, prevention is the key. Each crew member needs to have their own plan for dealing with seasickness. If medication is involved, they must have tried it beforehand to make sure that it doesn't cause any adverse effects. These types of medicine are designed to prevent seasickness, not cure it. Therefore, it's good practice to take it before rough weather hits.

If a crew member becomes incapacitated, we will have medications on board and access to a remote doctor over the satellite phone. This will hopefully be enough to get them recovering before the situation worsens.

Abandon Ship

I put this topic last because it is the absolutely last thing we do. In fact, the only time the boat is to be left for the liferaft is if it is almost completely underwater or engulfed in flames.

The key to abandoning ship is to have procedures in place where you simultaneously have someone making 'mayday' calls while others are launching the life raft and retrieving the abandon ship bag (grab bag).

The grab bag is critical. It contains everything needed for short term survival and rescue signaling. Without it, chances of survival are very low. With it, chances of quick rescue are very high. Therefore, the crew must know that our lives depend on that bag ...so don't forget it, don't lose it, and risk your life if you have to making sure you get it!

The links below have the procedures and grab bag contents so I won't go into that here except to say that it contains a device called a GPIRB. This device, when turned on will tell the authorities who we are and where we are and a rescue mission will begin in short order. The GPIRB is the all important key to survival (other than the raft itself of course).

As you can see, the grab bag is an all or nothing proposition. The good news is that in a dire situation where there could be panic, despair, and injury; you only have to remember one thing ...get the bag and don't lose it when getting into the liferaft!

Open Letter From INTERTANKO

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

OPEN LETTER

To President Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea,

From INTERTANKO

We, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, have noted with considerable dismay the Second (Appeal) Decision of the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST) and its findings of fault on the part of the two ship’s officers of the “Hebei Spirit”; Captain Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer, Syam Chetan.

As a responsible and accountable international shipping association, which represents over 80% of independent tanker owner interests worldwide, we first wish to offer all our sympathy to the people of Korea who were so badly affected by the spill of oil which resulted when the runaway Samsung crane barge struck the legitimately anchored tanker “Hebei Spirit”.

We are aware that both Captain Chawla and Chief Officer Chetan were acquitted in the Daesan Court of the First Instance in June this year of all charges of criminal negligence. We are also aware that this Court Judgment is presently under appeal and understand that the Daesan Court of Appeal will be giving judgment as early as Wednesday 10 December.

We are further aware that the First (Inchon) KMST Decision has already been submitted in evidence in the Daesan Court of Appeal proceedings, and that it is likely that the Second (Appeal) KMST Decision will also be submitted in evidence in these proceedings. We are advised that Courts in Korea attach great weight to KMST Decisions. Noting this, and having considered in some detail the Second (Appeal) Decision of the KMST that is now before us as well as the First (Inchon) KMST Decision, we believe them both to be technically flawed and therefore that they draw unjust conclusions.

We wish also to express our concern that the KMST reports have not been produced in accordance with the internationally recognised IMO Interim Guidelines (MSC/Circ 1058) and IMO Code for the Investigation of Marine Casualties and Incidents. One of the cornerstones of this Code is the requirement to co-operate and consult with all interested parties before a final report is made.

We therefore urge the Daesan Court of Appeal to carefully consider all of the evidence, and in particular the judgment of the Daesan Court of First Instance, and not to rely solely on these KMST Decisions when reaching its decision. We also appeal to the Court to pay full respect to all its international treaty obligations to seafarers in rendering its decision. After it has made a careful and balanced review of all the evidence, we hope that the Court will reach a fair and just decision, not just in the interests of Captain Chawla and Chief Officer Chetan, but also as a demonstration to seafarers trading to the Republic of Korea that they can expect the highest standards of fair treatment and justice.

It would be highly regrettable if the outcome of these proceedings were to prove detrimental to Korea’s international reputation and to its status as a tanker shipping nation, to its shipyards which rely on business from international tanker owners and to its refining and chemicals industry whose oil is delivered by the international tanker fleet.

With the greatest of respect,
INTERTANKO,
8th December 2008.

5 more days til Christmas!
Have one really great weekend!

RS

It Could be Possible to Stop Hurricanes with Supersonic Jets

It Could be Possible to Stop Hurricanes with Supersonic Jets

Hurricanes, as we've seen, can wreak serious havoc when they strike populated areas. We've never had control over them before, but one researcher thinks they could be broken up with F-4 fighter jets.

In theory, sending in a pair of the jets to do loops around the eye of the hurricane while it's still out over the ocean, creating sonic booms, would break it up before it hits the shore.

Jet fighters flying at supersonic speeds along special trajectories with a hurricane/typhoon at various altitudes would create supersonic booms. In one such embodiment, the trajectories for the supersonic booms of the present invention are counter to the rotational component of the hurricane and/or typhoon being targeted. As such, supersonic booms can be tailored and/or designed to partially and/or fully -negate the basic rotational contribution in a hurricane by slowing down a hurricane's/typhoon's rotation. Additionally, when supersonic booms propagate downward to the surface of the ocean they also destabilize a hurricane's/typhoon's structure by increasing the pressure in the central part of a hurricane's/typhoon's eye.

WEATHER NOTE

Storm planners reflect on hurricane season

Lessons learned after Katrina and Rita may have saved lives in 2008

NEW ORLEANS - In New Orleans, a dire warning to flee emptied the city before Hurricane Gustav in early September. In Houston less than two weeks later, a plea to "hunker down" might have kept evacuation routes from clogging before Hurricane Ike struck.

The strategies were different but the results largely the same: Both cities avoided repeating disastrous evacuations that cost lives during the deadly 2005 hurricane season.

Many Gulf Coast cities overhauled their disaster plans after hurricanes Katrina and Rita three years ago. With another destructive storm season ending Sunday, emergency planners are reflecting on lessons learned from Gustav and Ike to get ready for next year.

Retired Lt. Col. Jerry Sneed, New Orleans' emergency preparedness director, said residents deserve much of the credit for a successful Gustav evacuation.

"The number-one reason we succeeded for Gustav is that our citizens listened to us," he said.

Following catastrophic failures in evacuating people before and after Katrina, Louisiana emergency planners developed a model system using public transportation. It paid off for Gustav, the first time it was used.

'Mother of all storms'
Two days before Gustav made landfall, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation for what he called the "mother of all storms" and warned residents they wouldn't get emergency services if they stayed.

In a mass migration orchestrated by state officials, an estimated 2 million residents of coastal Louisiana evacuated before Gustav crashed ashore 90 miles southwest of the city Sept. 1.

The number of people left behind was minimal compared to Katrina, when thousands sought shelter at the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans convention center and were stranded for days without food and water.

Gustav was blamed for 46 deaths in Louisiana and caused $1.9 billion in insured losses, numbers dwarfed by Katrina's death toll of more than 1,600 and $41.1 billion in property damage.

"To our knowledge," Sneed said, "no city has ever evacuated their entire population, and we feel 97 percent of the city's population did evacuate."

There were some flaws: Evacuees were taken to shelters without showers or adequate medical care; a state contractor who was supposed to provide 700 buses for the evacuation only delivered 311; and victims endured long lines for disaster food stamps.

Thomas Sanchez, a University of Utah professor who studies evacuation planning, said cities can't plan for disasters in a vacuum.

"This kind of planning really has to happen on a regional basis, and that's not what we're finding," Sanchez said. "It's more than about a city figuring out how to take care of itself."

‘Hunker down’
Texas learned that the hard way. In 2005, before Hurricane Rita struck, its evacuation plan required Houston to wait until 2 million people on the Gulf Coast had moved past the city, which sits 50 miles inland. But city leaders ordered Houston to evacuate early anyway.

Hundreds of thousands jammed the freeways in sweltering late September, stalled for days. Some 110 people died in accidents or from exposure or heart attacks. Only a handful died in the storm itself, which missed the Houston area and hit mostly rural southeast Texas.

By the time Hurricane Ike's path was apparent — a direct hit on Galveston Island and Houston — mandatory evacuations were ordered for coastal counties and a few Houston ZIP codes along waterways sure to flood. Everyone else was ordered to stay put.

"We are still saying: Please shelter in place, or to use the Texas expression, hunker down," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the county's chief administrator, said at the time.

This time, the freeway was jammed leading away from Galveston immediately after the order, but by late afternoon on Sept. 12, the day before Ike arrived, many evacuees had made it north of Houston.

"'Hunker down' definitely got the message across," said Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for the Harris County emergency management office.

Still, in part because of the direct hit on Galveston and Houston, Ike was blamed for at least 72 deaths, including 37 in Texas, and caused $8.1 billion in insured losses, eclipsing the $5.6 billion in damage attributed to Rita.

The 2008 hurricane season was one of the most active on record, with 16 named storms, including eight hurricanes, forming in the Atlantic. Five of the eight hurricanes were at least Category 3 strength.

MARITIME NOTE

When the Great Lakes Aren't So Great Anymore

Rise in Pollution, Carp Could Signal Trouble for Freshwater Lakes

By GEORGE TOMBS

Dec. 6, 2008—

On a starry night, the 730-foot Canadian Leader, the last bulk-carrying steamship built on the Great Lakes, slips silently past illuminated buoys near Montreal on a five-day voyage up to Thunder Bay, Ontario, on Lake Superior.

After unloading titanium ore at the St. Lawrence River port of Sorel, the ship is proceeding empty toward the upper lakes. With the recent economic downturn, there is less demand for her typical upbound cargo of iron ore pellets. Capt. George Wheeler, a 40-year veteran of the sea originally from Northern Ireland, has taken on freshwater ballast from the river, to maintain the ship's stability and maneuverability.

Taken together, the Great Lakes are a vast inland sea representing over one-fifth of all surface fresh water on the planet. More than 40 million Canadians and Americans draw their drinking water from the lakes, which play a vital role in public health, the environment, industry, commerce, and leisure.

But there are causes for concern: invasive species, declining water levels, uncertain quality of drinking water, and pressures to divert water from and into the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin. Signed into law by President George W. Bush Oct. 3, the Great Lakes Compact takes effect Dec. 8. The binational agreement, the fruit of regional initiatives, obliges eight American states and two Canadian provinces to work together to protect the lakes system.

"The Great Lakes Compact is an awesome victory," says Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for Healing Our Waters  Great Lakes Coalition. "No one predicted it could have happened so quickly. We can't protect the Great Lakes if there's no water in them. The cocktail of assaults may be pushing the Great Lakes toward a tipping point, an irreversible change in the food web."

Part of this assault is the introduction of 182 invasive species such as the zebra mussel, which began disrupting the food web on Lake St. Clair in 1988 and has clogged many water intake pipes since, at an annual cost running in the billions of dollars.

Typically, "salties" (oceangoing ships) reaching the Great Lakes from overseas via the St. Lawrence River have discharged invasive species along with their saltwater ballast once they reached lake ports. Lakers have unwittingly transported these invasive species in their freshwater ballast, from one point on the lakes to the next.

Zebra mussels have made lake water look cleaner than before. But for Mr. Skelding, the clarity of water is a problem. "Sure, zebra mussels filter water," he says, "but when the water is clearer, sunlight penetrates deeper, and organic material proliferates and absorbs much-needed oxygen in the water that is needed by fish and microorganisms." The result: "Dead zones."

Now a new pest is closing in on the lakes: Asian carp from the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers have nearly found their way through the Chicago River to Lake Michigan.

"What gets into the Great Lakes can work through the country like a computer virus and dismantle the biology of systems," says Cameron Davis, president of the Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes (AGL), a citizens' group of 6,000 professionals and volunteers working for clean water in the Great Lakes. The choke point is a 10-mile stretch of the Chicago River, the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal. "The bad news is," Mr. Davis continues, "even if we know where the choke point is, we are having a hard time taking action."

The Great Lakes Compact is expected to give federal, state, and provincial governments more muscle to take preventative action against invasive species.

Storms and Surges a Danger

Venturing "light ship" (without cargo) across the stormy lakes of autumn can be unsettling. When 50-knot northerly winds lash the surface of Lake Erie, sending some lakers into sheltered anchorages, Captain Wheeler decides to maintain course. Lake Erie is shallower than the other great lakes and more likely to be whipped up by storms. Ships at anchor off Toledo, Ohio, may suddenly find themselves aground when a short-term natural effect called "seiching" (pronounced "SAY-shing") drives surface water towards Buffalo, N.Y., at the eastern end of Lake Erie.

Despite a few seasonal blips, a 30-year trend shows that water levels are declining. This is one of the main reasons the Great Lakes Compact was rushed into law. Canadian and American entrepreneurs alike had been seeking ways to commercialize the freshwater resources of the Great Lakes, hoping to send it by pipe or ship to thirsty markets in the US Southwest and overseas.

Still, the Healing Our Waters  Great Lakes Coalition predicts that lake levels could drop this century by one foot on Lake Superior, three feet on Lakes Michigan and Huron, 2.7 feet on Lake Erie, and 1.7 feet on Lake Ontario.

Water levels are also a challenge for American ship operators, the largest of whose vessels are "1,000 footers" designed to carry 70,000 tons. The largest Canadian bulk carriers, like the Canadian Leader of the Upper Lakes Group, carry only half that much.

"Water levels are very important to us," says Glen Neksavil, vice president of the Lake Carriers Association, a trade association based in Rocky River, Ohio, which represents 16 American companies operating 63 vessels exclusively on the lakes. "When water levels were high back in 1997, some of our ships were carrying 70,000 tons of cargo per trip. This year, they are carrying 66,500 tons&. Our largest ships lose 270 tons of cargo for each inch in draft caused by lower water," he says.

"The US Army Corps of Engineers estimate they have a backlog of 17 million cubic yards of sediment in virtually every US port on the Great Lakes," says Mr. Neksavil. "That would cost $230 million to dredge. The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is funded by a tax on cargoes, and currently has a surplus of $4.8 billion, which I think the government is using to balance its books."

Drinking-Water Safety an Issue

The Canadian Leader slows at Ambassador Bridge, on the Detroit River between Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, long enough to pick up mail for the crew. Tundra swans and snow geese laze on the sparkling water.

Detroit draws its drinking water from the river, and the concentration of ships, steel mills, and car plants here reminds one how dependent Great Lakes communities are on freshwater resources.

"Drinking water from the Great Lakes is the envy of the world," Davis says.

But a series of scientific reports has raised concerns about drinking water in Detroit and other communities. Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals flushed down toilets have found their way into river water. Byproducts of chlorine treatment and disinfection, coliform bacteria, and lead also pose health risks. Canadian petrochemical plants at Sarnia on the St. Clair River are also a concern.

Sewage overflows are a major problem. "During heavy rainstorms," Davis says, "it's easy for treatment plants to risk being overwhelmed. There are two things we can do to help: conserve water, so that we're not using as much, and use 'green infrastructure,' like rooftop gardens, to cut the amount of stormwater that needs to be treated."

On to Thunder Bay, Ontario

Under cover of night, the Canadian Leader transits the Soo lock on the St. Mary's River between Michigan and Ontario, passing a huge windfarm on the Canadian side. Then it's 18 hours of steaming out of sight of land, across glittering Lake Superior, before docking at a grain elevator in Thunder Bay to pick up a 28,000-ton load of durum wheat.

Lake Superior's temperature is rising, says Jay Austin, an oceanographer at the Large Lakes Observatory of the University of Minnesota at Duluth. "Temperature is the most important environmental variable" in a lake, he says. It determines "the chemical reaction rates, the metabolism rates of fish, phytoplankton, and zooplankton, and the spawning rates of fish."

Mr. Austin and his colleague Steve Colman are deploying an array of moorings at different depths in Lake Superior, from just below the surface to some 1,300 feet down, just above the lake bottom. "Surface water in Lake Superior is warming faster than the air temperature," he says. "Lakes Michigan and Huron also seem to be experiencing the accelerated warming phenomenon, although not Lake Erie."

Less ice cover in winter means more evaporation, which in turn lowers water levels, stressing ecosystems. Austin says change on this scale is hard to ima¬gine, much less control. The warming of the Great Lakes is its latest challenge, he says  perhaps its most serious one.

U.S. Coast Guard Responds To Healy Tragedy, Opens Regional Dive Facilities; 'We Will Not Accept Preventable Loss Or Injury'

Underwatertimes.com News Service
December 11, 2008 16:22 EST

San Diego, California -- On Aug. 17, 2006, two active duty military members' lives were cut short during a cold water familiarization diving accident in the Arctic aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy.

The Coast Guard initiated an immediate administrative and safety investigation into the circumstances which contributed and ultimately led up to the regrettable deaths.

In a statement included in the investigation report, Adm. Thad Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said, "We cannot prevent every Coast Guard casualty. Despite the professionalism, bravery and dedication of our workforce, in rare cases we suffer serious injury or death in the line of duty. As Coast Guard men and women we accept this risk, but we will not accept preventable loss or injury.

The investigation into this accident revealed failures in oversight at every level aboard Healy, as well as numerous departures from standard Coast Guard policy. This mishap further highlighted the need to improve diving expertise at units with dive capabilities and missions, address shortfalls in training and experience, and elevate program managements and oversight on par with other high-risk, training-intensive Coast Guard operations such as aviation."

Another goal of the Coast Guard's study was to initiate several new policies and procedures to prevent future diving mishaps while finding a cost-effective method for increasing the safe execution and reducing the risks of such a dangerous operation.

Consequently, the Coast Guard established regional dive lockers on the East and West coasts of the USA, staffed with highly-trained, professional divers capable of responding to apportioned or emergent operations.

"After tragically losing two of our shipmates and fellow divers, it was important to set up the regional dive lockers to provide the management, oversight and inspection process needed to meet all Coast Guard diving missions in the safest manner possible," said Lt.j.g. Andrew Younkle, deployable operations group(DOG) diving force manager in Arlington, Va.

Not only will the regional dive lockers help the Coast Guard execute vital diving missions more safely, but the missions are also expected to assist in the war on terrorism.

"The dive lockers are going to make America safer by deterring terrorists and smugglers who look at sub-surface operations as a means to hurt our country," emphasized Younkle.

Younkle also said the dive lockers and teams will be supporting the Coast Guard's Polar Class Icebreaker missions, District 14 buoy tender missions, maritime security missions and provide needed services to the captains of the ports in all major U.S. cities.

"During ice breaking missions, divers can provide pitch calibrations and emergency services to assist in keeping the polar class icebreakers at peak performance. When the cutter is performing well, it opens key shipping lanes thus improving our economy. Also, when requested by Coast Guard Buoy Tenders, the dive lockers can augment the collateral-duty divers currently serving aboard the buoy tenders. The Dive Locker personnel can help with in-water inspections and maintenance of aids to navigation in District 14," he said referring to the Coast Guard's operational area in Hawaii and surrounding Pacific Islands.

The dive lockers, which became fully operational Oct. 1, 2008, are staffed with a dive officer supervisor who is responsible for three primary-duty, six-person dive teams that focus solely on dive operations.

"Prior to the dive lockers, we were running minimally manned dive teams," said Lt. Trevor Hare, command diving officer stationed at regional dive locker west in San Diego.

Hare said the old diving units had the collateral-duty divers doing so many things at different times that when it was time to execute a dive the divers were too tired from other missions and not focused on the dive.

"Another safety concern was that the collateral duty divers weren't staying current on their qualifications, and even if they did, they weren't really used to diving. Now, with the lockers, we have enough personnel to man the dive site optimally instead of minimally," said Hare, who has been diving for three years.

Aside from the safety aspect the dive lockers bring to the Coast Guard, dive teams will be able to focus on the mission and complete a dive in a timelier manner.

"Having more personnel on site is going to enable us to knock out a mission much quicker than before. These are guys who dive all the time - the focus on diving every day - and that's all they do for the Coast Guard, so you know they do it professionally, efficiently and safely," Hare said.

The dive teams are comprised of Coast Guard members from all rates whose minimum qualification is the 88-day Second Class Diver Course at the Naval Diving Salvage Training Center (NDSTC).

"We have about every rate you can imagine, and they are coming from every single unit via maritime safety and security units, polar divers and buoy tender divers. It gives us such a wide range of experience, and it's good diversity for our unit," said Hare, referring to the dive team in San Diego.

Hare also said divers must maintain diver currency by completing 13 annual and 13 semi-annual training tasks, complete at least four re-qualification dives and pass two physical fitness tests annually.

"The training tasks and re-qualification dives were determined by the Coast Guard to be the minimum necessary items to maintain proficiency and certification in the Coast Guard diving community. We dive to serve America, and we train and PT to serve as safely and effectively as possible," he said.

Hare said the training is crucial because the classroom, dive side and physical training tasks keep divers sharp with respect to dive side protocol, diving medicine, diving physics, practical diving performance, in-water proficiency and physical conditioning pertinent to military diving.

The Coast Guard is creating a process for selecting potential candidates for the regional dive lockers. Until that process is established, a Coast Guard member can compete for diver selection by sending his or her dive package to NDSTC after obtaining command approval.

"The dive billets are typically three years," said Younkle. "However, many of our divers seek follow-on assignments to buoy tenders, NDSTC or the DOG to continue diving for the Coast Guard."

According to the final action memo from the Coast Guard cutter Healy's mishap investigation, Allen identified areas of the dive program management that needed improvement and reevaluation.

The establishment of the regional dive lockers improves the Coast Guard dive program and enables the mission to be accomplished.

RS

Satellites Flying In Formation To Help Improve Understanding Of Earth

Satellites Flying In Formation To Help Improve Understanding Of Earth

ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2008) — Based on the outstanding success of the first tandem mission between ERS-2 and Envisat last year, ESA has paired the two satellites together again to help improve our understanding of the planet.

ERS-2, ESA’s veteran spacecraft, and Envisat, the largest environmental satellite ever built, both carry Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments that provide high resolution images of the Earth's surface.

By combining two or more SAR images of the same site, slight alterations that may have occurred between acquisitions can be detected. This technique, known as SAR interferometry or InSAR, has proven to be very useful for applications such as glacier monitoring, surface deformation detection and terrain mapping.

ESA engineers configured the first SAR tandem mission, which took place from September 2007 to February 2008, and the current one, which began on 23 November, to ensure that the satellites both acquire data over the same area just 28 minutes apart.

This short time separation allows for changes that occur quickly to be detected. Fast-moving glaciers, for instance, move more than 200 m per year and can move as much as 1 cm in 30 minutes. The ability to detect these small changes occurring on the ground between acquisitions is also allowing scientists to understand better and improve the quality of the SAR interferometry technique.

The current tandem mission, scheduled to run until 27 January 2009, is continuing the work of the first tandem mission with respect to measuring the velocity of fast-moving glaciers, detecting land-ice motion and developing elevation models over flat terrain.

However, based on the first mission’s proven ability to provide precise elevation information over flat regions, data from the current mission will also be used to identify natural carbon sources and sinks in Kazakh Steppe and wetlands in permafrost regions.

A challenging configuration

ESA engineers had to overcome many challenges in order to put Envisat and ERS-2 into a tandem flight configuration. For instance, in 2001 ERS-2 lost the ability to be manoeuvred in the usual way by onboard gyroscopes, navigational tools that allow mission controllers to maintain the correct position of satellites.

The operational lifetime of satellite missions is normally determined by the functioning of onboard gyroscopes. Without them, the ESA team had to work out a way of positioning the spacecraft by operating onboard sensors in a new way.

Part of their creative solution involved using a device called the Digital Earth Sensor (DES), which is designed to provide the horizon line to allow basic checks on the spacecraft’s position, and analysing Doppler frequency shifts in the signals of ERS-2’s radar instruments.

ERS-2, launched in 1995, and Envisat, launched in 2002, have exceeded the time they were intended to stay in orbit. Since they remain operational and continue to provide quality data about our planet, engineers are trying to use as little fuel as possible so as not to shorten their lifetimes.

"The strategy is to align the tandem start date with an Envisat manoeuvre. Therefore, there is no need to spend extra hydrazine for Envisat. For ERS, the manoeuvre to place it in tandem position is such that the satellite drifts back to its nominal orbit without additional manoeuvre after the tandem campaign," ESA Mission Planner Manager Sergio Vazzana said.

WEATHER NOTE

StormZone Simulation 2008

The Miami-Dade County Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEM&HS) recently hosted approximately 60 students and teachers from South Dade Senior High School in Homestead and Eugenia E. Thomas Middle School in Doral to participate in a simulated activation of the County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

The students, who are involved in a magnet program to study emergency management, role-played elected officials, emergency management coordinators and other key personnel during a fictional Category 3 hurricane that struck Miami-Dade. Three DEM&HS coordinators assisted the students during the exercise. The simulation was coordinated by StormZone, a Miami-based non-profit organization that teaches emergency management to middle and high school students.

Historic September (KLOT) Flooding – Lessons Learned

A series of heavy rain events, partially caused by the remnants of three tropical storms, produced serious and widespread flooding across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana in September.

The first heavy rain occurred on September 4 and 5 when remnants of hurricane Gustav brought two to four inches of rain to the region. Because of dry conditions through much of August, this rain didn’t cause any significant flooding. However, it saturated the ground, increased flows on area streams, and set the stage for more serious flooding later in the month. Moisture from a Pacific tropical storm, Lowell, moved along a stationary front producing a wave of heavy rain across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana on the 13^th.

This was followed by a second wave of heavy rain on the 14^th, as the remnants of Hurricane Ike moved up from Texas. Rainfall totals on September 13 and 14 were 7 to 11 inches, with the heaviest totals in Lake and Porter Counties in northwest Indiana. The total September rainfall for the area was 12 to 16 inches.

The image shows rainfall across the entire Midwest from September 12-15, 2008. This image is courtesy the Midwestern Regional Climate Center in Champaign, IL.

The result of the heavy rain was widespread flooding of roads, creeks, drainage areas, open fields, low lying areas and basements. Small streams such as the North Branch of the Chicago River, Salt Creek, the DuPage River, the Little Calumet River and its tributaries rapidly rose to record or near record levels. These small streams fed larger rivers including the Des Plaines, Fox, Kankakee, and Illinois Rivers. The Des Plaines reached the second highest crest on record at Des Plaines and Riverside, while the Illinois set records at Morris and LaSalle.

Flooding in downtown Des Plaines. Photo courtesy of CLTV.

Flooding at O'Hare International Airport.

Despite two significant tornado outbreaks, on January 7 and June 7, and an intense wind and tornado event on August 4, the flooding of mid September was by far the biggest weather event in the Chicago area for 2008. This event impacted more people and resulted in more damage and fatalities than any event in this area in the last several years. Total estimated damages from the flooding are around 100 million dollars. There were four flood related fatalities, making this the most deadly storm-related weather event in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana since eight people were killed by a tornado in Utica in April, 2004.

Flooding on the Illinois River at Peru.

Historically, about half of all flood fatalities occur in vehicles, when people drive into flooded roads, or get swept off a road by fast moving water. While there were several incidents where people in vehicles were swept away by flood water and had to be rescued, none of the four fatalities in the September flooding occurred in vehicles. Hundreds of cars were also stranded in deep standing water, fortunately with no loss of life. Here is a review of the four fatalities;

· A 28 year old man drowned in a retention pond in Arlington Heights.

· An 83 year old man drowned in a flooded window well at his home in Oak Lawn.

· A 48 year old man and 78 year old man drowned trying to save a boy in a flooded culvert in Chesterton, IN. The boy survived.

Our sympathies go out to the families.

Lessons learned;

· Everyone should have a hazardous weather plan – at home, at work, and at school. The plan should encompass all hazards, not just tornadoes. Chicago area weather hazards include flooding, lightning, damaging wind and large hail, extremes of heat and cold, and winter storms. Make sure everyone in your care is familiar with the plan. Practice the plan by conducting periodic drills.

· A key part of any hazardous weather plan is to have a reliable method of receiving watches, warnings and other weather information. One of the best methods is to use a NOAA Weather Radio. For more information click here; http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=nwr

· Heed warnings. A flash flood warning means heavy rain will lead to rapid flooding of roads, creeks, small streams, drainage areas, low lying areas, and basements. Stay home. Remove valuables from basements and flood-prone areas before the flood.

· Do not drive through flooded roads, especially if the water is flowing swiftly. Even heavy pickups and SUVs with four wheel drive can be swept away by fast moving water that is only one to two feet deep. Turn Around, Don’t Drown! For more information, visit http://tadd.weather.gov/

· Do not let children play near flooded creeks, ditches, or drainage retention ponds. Fast moving water that is only ankle deep can sweep a child away. Victims can be pinned against grates or storm drains by powerful currents.

· Do not swim, wade, or boat in flooded areas. In addition to the potential for drowning, flood water may be contaminated by oil from roadways, chemicals from farm fields, and backup from overflowing storm sewers. Sometimes flood swollen streams are tempting to adventurers in canoes and kayaks, but these streams can be extremely dangerous.

· Do not venture into flooded basements unless power to the building is shut off. There may be an electrical hazard.

Record flooding along the Illinois River at Morris. Photo by Don Lyon.

Finally, the National Weather Service would like to thank everyone involved in the flood event.

· Volunteer weather spotters, amateur radio operators, Cooperative observers, and other volunteers who measure and report rainfall and storm reports.

· State, county, and local government agencies including emergency management, police, fire, and public works/highway departments.

· Partners in the broadcast media, who help disseminate the watches and warnings and keep the public informed.

· Print media, whose news stories provide much of the information that goes into the final StormData publication.

· School administrators who insist on developing sensible, comprehensive hazardous weather plans and conduct periodic drills.

· People who head the warnings and encourage family, neighbors, and coworkers to also take precautions

Have a happy and SAFE holiday season, and rest assured that the men and women at your National Weather Service office in Romeoville are on guard 24/7, watching out for you.

The National Weather Service office in Romeoville has completed the StormData summary of the September flooding in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. StormData is a monthly publication that documents all hazardous weather occurrences. It is available online at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=stormdata.

MARITIME NOTE

Issues You Should Be Aware of on Travel Safety

Travelling is always a fun experience as you get to explore a lot of new destinations and take part in various activities. In fact there is countless number of people on the surface of the earth who consider travelling to be their favourite hobby and go out exploring new places whenever they get time. There are some other people who need to travel a lot not because they are fond of it but they have some professional requirements.

Travelling with family or for education are other two important reasons why people do travel extensively. Whatever be the reason for your travel, you need to extremely careful about the safety while you are not at the home town. The foreign places can at times be very risky. Accidents, robberies and disease are the reasons why you need to take adequate safety measures while travelling.

If you are a frequent flyer and is not aware of the precautions and steps that you need to take while an air journey the n this is time to charge up yourself with all the mishaps that can take place in the sky. Before you board a plane you should make sure that the airlines you have chosen to fly with is a reputed one. This is important because the general ones often do not have ample safety arrangements for their passengers.

They do not carry adequate number of oxygen masks, life jackets and life belts. This is the reason why at the time of any emergency they are not able to help you out. In fact you need to be careful about your health conditions as any negligence can take your life. If you feel that as you are travelling by a ship or a train, you do not need to take care of the travel safety arrangements than you are quite wrong. Because accidents can take place anytime and anywhere.

There are other safety measures that you need to take in order to make sure that you travel safely. If you are going for international tours then never forget to fetch enough information about the rules and restrictions of that country. This will help you to keep away from many unwanted troubles. If this is the first time you are visiting the place then a travel agency can be of help to you.

Always make sure that you have a travel insurance that will cover all sorts of medical expenses abroad. You should be extremely careful about the identity documents you are carrying like the passport and visa loosing which can land you up in jail as this is a criminal offence to intrude into a foreign country without official proof. So be conscious about your safety while going for a tour.

RS

Are Rising CO2 Levels And The Increase In Atlantic Major Hurricanes Since 1995 Related?

Rising CO2 Levels & Hurricane Activity

[Editor's Note: The following is a research article by Dr. William Gray, otherwise known as the "Hurricane Doctor," at Colorado State University. Dr. Gray was the first researcher to regularly forecast the number and intensity of tropical cyclones with accuracy, and continues to lead the way in hurricane research in the Atlantic Basin.]

The official end of the 2008 Atlantic basin hurricane season occurred last Sunday (November 30). This year was an active and destructive season. My colleague, Phil Klotzbach and I were very happy to see that our forecasts for this year’s activity worked out well, as did NOAA’s seasonal hurricane forecast. See our website for a 53-page summary of this season’s activity. Although this is my 25th year of making these seasonal forecasts, Klotzbach should get most of the credit for the success of this year’s forecast.

President-Elect Barack Obama said last week that “storms are growing stronger with each passing hurricane season” (implying that this is due to CO2 increases). He is repeating what Al Gore has been saying for years and what was implied by thousands of media reports after the damaging Atlantic seasons of 2004-2005. Polls have shown that a relatively high percentage of US citizens think that human-induced global warming has increased hurricane activity.

Yes, the Atlantic has seen a very large increase in major hurricanes during the 14-year period of 1995-2008 (average 3.9 per year) in comparison to the prior 25-year period of 1970-1994 (average 1.5 per year). But, have rises in CO2 been, in any way, been responsible for the recent large upswing in Atlantic basin major hurricanes since 1995?

I and a number of my colleagues believe that this large increase in Atlantic major hurricanes is primarily due to the multi-decadal increase in the Atlantic Ocean Thermohaline Circulation (THC) that is driven by Atlantic salinity variations. These Atlantic multi-decadal changes have also been termed the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). These increases are not a result of global surface temperatures or CO2 increases.

In the quarter-century period from 1945-1969 when the globe was undergoing a weak cooling trend, the Atlantic basin experienced 80 major (Cat 3-4-5) hurricanes and 201 major hurricane days. By contrast, in a similar 25-year period from 1970-1994 when the globe was undergoing a general warming trend, there were only 38 major hurricanes (48% as many) and 63 major hurricane days (31% as many). Atlantic sea surface temperatures and hurricane activity is related to but does not necessarily follow global mean temperature trends.

Multi-decadal Hurricane Cycles

The active hurricane season in 2008 lends further support to the belief that the Atlantic basin remains in an active hurricane cycle associated with a strong thermohaline circulation and an active phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). This active cycle is expected to continue for another decade or two at which time we should enter a quieter Atlantic major hurricane period like we experienced during the quarter-century periods of 1970-1994 and 1901-1925. Atlantic hurricanes (particularly major hurricanes) go through multi-decadal cycles. Cycles in Atlantic major hurricanes have been observationally traced back to the mid-19th century, and changes in the AMO have been inferred from Greenland paleo ice-core temperature measurements going back thousand of years.

The influence of rises in atmospheric CO2 on hurricane activities is likely to be very small and within the noise level of our measurement capability or of any reliable numerical model output. There is no way of telling whether CO2 rises might have a miniscule positive or a miniscule negative effect on hurricane frequency or intensity. It would be unwise for our society to reduce atmospheric CO2 gases under the naïve belief that we would in any way be reducing the damage from these storms.

WEATHER NOTE

Study Finds Weather Conditions Have Significant Effect on PM Concentrations

5 December 2008

Dry winter weather and a low mixing layer height (MLH) for pollutants from vehicle exhausts lead to the highest concentrations of PM₁₀ in cities, according to a team of German scientists writing in the January 2009 issue of the International Journal of Environment and Pollution. Their findings suggest that traffic controls, other than an outright ban for several days at a time, would have little effect on pollution concentrations.

The mixing layer is the portion of the atmosphere close to the surface layer where air pollutants get diluted, without leaving this layer. The height of the mixing layer is a gauge of the vertical dilution of air pollution, and is affected by vertical temperature and moisture profiles in the lower atmosphere.

Jutta Rost of the Meteorological Institute, at the University of Freiburg, and colleagues there and at the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, in Dresden, and the Federal State Institute for Environmental Protection, in Baden-Wuerttemberg, carried out a retrospective analysis of the atmospheric conditions that affected PM₁₀ levels in four cities (Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Stuttgart) in South-West Germany during the period from 2001 to 2005.

The four cities exhibit different emission conditions, particularly various levels of traffic load. For each city, the team obtained PM₁₀ data from roadside stations and urban background (UB) stations within the official air quality monitoring network in the Federal State of Baden-Wuerttemberg (South-West Germany. This provided them with two distinct types of official urban air quality data against which they could validate their findings.

They then looked at atmospheric exchange conditions as represented by sunlight levels, air temperature, wind speed, rainfall, and the height at which PM₁₀ particles and other pollutants are mixing with the atmosphere.

The results of the statistical analysis indicate that precipitation and mixing layer height are the two main meteorological variables that influencing concentrations of PM₁₀ particles at road level within cities. The data from both types of measuring stations gave the same results.

Extremely high PM₁₀ concentrations were recorded during stable stratification and low turbulent exchange during stagnant synoptic situations. The highest PM₁₀ concentrations were observed on days with low h_ML [mixing layer height] values. These situations occurred most commonly in the winter half year, whereas PM₁₀ concentrations only seldom exceeded the short-term PM₁₀ standard of 50 µg m^-3 in the summer half year.

In winter, high pressure situations are characterized by a negative net radiation balance and hence stable stratification even during day-time, while in summer the net radiation balance is negative in the night-time, but positive during day-time. Therefore turbulent exchange is present during summer high-pressure situations leading to moderate PM₁₀ concentrations.

...The impact of the weather conditions on PM₁₀ concentrations is larger than the roadside increment due to the site-specific emission from vehicular traffic. On the basis of these results, it seems to be unlikely that local traffic limitations will have a significant influence on PM₁₀ concentrations. To protect from a potential violation of the short-term PM₁₀ standard at the roadside stations, large areas need to be banned from traffic a few days in advance at certain synoptic situations. These measures would be effective only for short periods of time under stable atmospheric conditions, but most effective contemporaneously to precipitation events.

—Rost et al. 2009

The team hopes to develop a forecasting model of PM₁₀ levels that could be used to advise people at most risk of breathing problems on when to avoid city centres and other urban areas. The work also has implications for ensuring that air quality in urban environments is maintained at levels safe for public health.

Resources

• Jutta Rost, Thomas Holst, Elke Sähn, Matthias Klingner, Katja Anke, Dieter Ahrens, and Helmut Mayer (2009) Variability of PM₁₀ concentrations dependent on meteorological conditions. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 36, 3-18

• S Emeis, K Schäfer, C Münkel (2008) Long-term observations of the urban mixing-layer height with ceilometers. IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1 doi: 10.1088/1755-1307/1/1/012027

MARITIME NOTE

2008 Safety at Sea Awards

Earlier this year Lloyd's Register Fairplay hosted the annual Safety at Sea International Awards in conjunction with Safety at Sea and Marine Electronics Exhibition and Conference in Brighton, United Kingdom.

Safety at Sea Magazine has long supported the Amver award and 2008 was no different. This year the Motor Vessel Prabhu Yuvika was the recipient of the Safety at Sea International Amver Award.

Mr. Benjamin Strong, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, received the award on behalf of the master and crew of the Prabhu Yuvika from Mr. Peter Cardy, Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Maritime and Coast Guard Agency, during the awards dinner.

The Amver participating ship Prabhu Yuvika rescued 11 crew members of the bulk carrier Unicorn Ace which sank in the South China Sea. The Unicorn Ace was carrying lumber products from Malaysia to Taiwan when it encountered bad weather.

The Prabhu Yuvika, an Indian flagged bulk carrier, was diverted at the request of the Hong Kong maritime rescue coordination center. Upon arriving on the scene they discovered a life raft from the sunken vessel and immediately rescued the 11 crew members.

Captain Gurvinder Singh, following instructions from rescue aircraft on scene, continued to carry out search and rescue operations until released by the Hong Kong rescue coordination center, he stated in a message to the United States Coast Guard Amver center. Captain Singh poses (center photo) with surivors of the sunken Unicorn Ace.

The Prahuh Yuvika sailed to Manila where the Chinese survivors were met by Philippine Coast Guard authorities.

U.S. Coast Guard Issues Marine Safety Alert (13-08)

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Newest advisory concerns ventilation closures for fixed gas fire extinguishing systems on small passenger vessels.

This Safety Alert addresses the importance of ensuring proper operation and adequacy of ventilation closure devices for spaces protected by fixed gas fire extinguishing systems on small passenger vessels. Properly operating ventilation closures ensure the effectiveness of the vessel firefighting systems and minimize the spread of fire to other areas of the vessel.

Recent vessel casualty investigations conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into fires aboard small passenger vessels have raised awareness for the need to properly inspect and test ventilation closures for spaces protected by fixed gas fire extinguishing systems.

Federal Regulations require provisions for closing all supply duct cowls or scoops and exhaust duct discharge openings in spaces protected by fixed gas extinguishing systems. All closure devices must be readily available and mounted in the vicinity of the vent. As part of each annual inspection, attending marine inspectors should ensure the adequacy and serviceability of these closure devices in accordance with the CG 840 inspection guide. While observing fire drills in spaces covered by fixed gas systems, marine inspectors should ensure the vessel crews are familiar with these devices and ensure they are utilized properly during the conduct of the drill.

Small passenger vessels built on or after March 11, 1996 and small passenger vessels constructed of wood or fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) must have approved fixed fire extinguishing systems in certain machinery, fuel tank, and storage spaces which are described in 46 CFR 181.400 and 46 CFR 118.400. Vessels of other than wood or FRP construction built prior to March 11, 1996 must have a fixed system in machinery and fuel tank spaces using gasoline or other fuels having a flash point of 110° F or lower, paint and oil rooms, and cargo spaces which are inaccessible during a voyage and used for combustible cargo.

The U.S. Coast Guard strongly recommends that owners and operators, as well as marine inspectors, ensure the adequacy and test the operation of all ventilation closures for spaces protected by a fixed fire extinguishing system including both manual and automatic devices. Automatic closures should be tested and serviced by a qualified servicing facility in conjunction with the servicing of the fixed fire extinguishing system.

The regulations governing ventilation closures for spaces protected by a fixed gas fire extinguishing systems are contained 46 CFR Parts 182.465(h) and 119.465(h). These regulations are available through the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and may be downloaded without cost from the GPO's internet website http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html. A fixed gas fire extinguishing system installed but not required by regulation must still function properly including the operation of ventilation closure devices.

This safety alert is provided for informational purposes only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational or material requirement. Developed by the Office of Vessel Activities, Domestic Compliance Division (CG-5431), United States Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC. Questions should be directed to Lieutenant Commander David Webb at (202) 372-1216 or David.M.Webb@uscg.mil

RS

Keeping an eye on Wilkins Ice Shelf

Keeping an eye on Wilkins Ice Shelf

As the Wilkins Ice Shelf is at risk of breaking away from the Antarctic Peninsula, ESA’s Envisat satellite is observing the area on a daily basis.

The satellite acquisitions of the ice shelf are updated automatically on this website to monitor the developments immediately as they occur.

In late November, new rifts developed on the ice shelf that scientists warn could lead to the opening of the ice bridge that connects the ice shelf to the Charcot island. If the ice bridge were to open, it could put the entire ice shelf at risk of further disintegrating.

The island visible in the upper left of the image is Charcot Island. The Wilkins Ice Shelf is connected to these by an ice bridge which is approximately 100 km long and only few km wide. Should the ice bridge break up due to increasing temperatures in the Antarctic spring, this would remove the stabilising factor that has been keeping the ice sheet grounded to the peninsula.

The above animation is comprised of images acquired by Envisat’s Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) in the Antarctic spring and summer of 2008. The ice bridge is visible as a narrow white strip in the image centre.

The animation will be updated daily as new ASAR acquisitions become available. The individual images that make up the animation are also available in the image archive on the right navigation bar.

WEATHER NOTE

Top billing for maritime disaster site

The site of New Zealand’s worst civilian maritime disaster in Southland has received national recognition with its registration by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT).

The NZHPT Board today approved the Category I registration status, reflecting the special or outstanding historical and cultural heritage significance and value of the site.

In April 1881 the SS Tararua hit Otara Reef off Waipapa Point in Southland, with 131 men, women and children losing their lives. This registration includes the wreck of the SS Tararua, Tararua Acre – the cemetery where 64 bodies, many unidentifiable, were laid to rest – and the Waipapa Point Lighthouse that was built in response to the disaster.

Next month will mark 125 years since the first light was erected on Waipapa Point – 1 January 1884 the first day seafarers were afforded such protection on this part of the southern coast.

Owen Graham, NZHPT Otago/Southland area manager, said the shipwreck, burial site and lighthouse have significant historical value for their association with the tragedy and the resulting response which led to the improvement of maritime safety. The now automated Waipapa Lighthouse still sends out its beam to warn of hazards nearby.

“Having New Zealand’s leading heritage agency recognising this site is fitting,” Mr Graham said.

“For the people of Southland, particularly, this area has special historical and heritage significance given the loss of so many lives. The Tararua Acre remains a significant landmark recalling the wreck and has a plaque commemorating the disaster, put up by members of the local community and supported by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.”

Mr Graham said to ensure the long-term conservation of this site NZHPT would be supportive of the Southland District Council adding it to its schedule of Registered Historic Buildings, Places and Sites and recognising their link to each other of the three heritage features.

“This site met NZHPT criteria for registration in a number of areas – aesthetic, archaeological, architectural, historical and technological values. The community holds this place in high esteem – evidenced by their extensive lobbying for the preservation of the lighthouse – and it is an educational reminder of our early maritime history.”

Maritime New Zealand, who manages the Lighthouse reserve that includes the access road and lighthouse, recently undertook upgrading work on the lighthouse. The Department of Conservation manages the surrounding recreation reserve and is undertaking further development there.

MARITIME NOTE

Injured Seaman Rescued from Ship

A crewman injured on a merchant vessel was rescued by two Royal Navy Sea King helicopters in severe weather from a 14,000 ton cargo vessel.

The ship was roughly 200 miles from the Isle of Scilly when the man was rescued. His injury was a complex fracture to the thigh. While ordinary fractures can be dealt with easily, complex fractures are more difficult s they are open wounds where infection can easily occur.

The 48-year old crewman was injured when he fell through a vent shaft in the ship’s engine room. After receiving medical treatment on the ship, he was lifted onto one of the helicopters and taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

The first helicopter, which had a doctor on board, had to refuel in the Scillies and wait until the ship came into range.

The rescue was particularly difficult due to the severe weather that was in the area at the time.

Support the rescue helicopter

Last summer was the busiest on record for the Westpac rescue helicopter.

With this summer getting into full swing and the prospect of a holiday season similar to last year, demand for the rescue helicopter looks likely to set new records.

"When the sun’s shining we tend to try to get out of town in too much of a hurry, hence the high number of motor vehicle accidents that our crews are asked to attend," says helicopter rescue trust marketing and fundraising manager John Hooper.

"Once people get to their destination safely they dust off their recreational pursuits and, as a natural consequence, accidents happen."

Alastair Mason of Warkworth is not only helping by way of a generous donation to the trust but is also donating items for an auction and raffle being held at Matakana House on December 30.

From noon to midnight, Matakana House is holding its second Matakana Big Day Out where live bands will perform throughout the day and evening.

"It’s only logical that the more people in town, the more rescues the helicopter is going to perform," says Matakana House owner Gerry Pole.

Mr Pole will meet all the operational and overhead costs so all proceeds from the event, including the $5 cover charge, raffle proceeds and any other sponsorships, will go in their entirety to the rescue helicopter appeal.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn to fly a helicopter this would be your opportunity. The Westpac rescue team is bringing along their helicopter simulator to take supporters for a ‘flying lesson’.

"The event raised about $3000 in 2006, and this year the target is $5000 which will fully fund the next mission to the district. When that happens, Mr Pole gets a plaque to share with his supporters setting out the bare bones of the mission on which the money was spent," says Mr Hooper.

Coast Guard Urges “Best Safety Practices” for Upcoming Winter Storms

SAN FRANCISCO - As the winter storm season approaches, the Coast Guard is urging the boating public to exercise responsible practices, and to keep beach safety guidelines in mind.

Each year, the Coast Guard responds to reports of vessels and objects breaking free from moorings, anchorages, and piers. Such derelict vessels may result in a hazard to navigation and become a potential pollution risk.

Mariners are urged to ensure anchor and mooring lines are in good condition, and to remove all oil and hazardous materials from vessels as poor weather approaches. Additionally, all loose materials and supplies left onboard should be securely stowed to prevent shifting, which may cause instability.

Boaters are encouraged to stay off the water if poor weather is forecast. Should it become necessary to leave the dock, mariners should ensure that all safety and navigation equipment, such as lifejackets, marine radios, and distress signals, are in proper working condition. Mariners should always carry registered, 406-Mhz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) as well as cold weather immersion suits to protect against the elements, especially when sailing offshore.

During winter weather, the public should also avoid beaches and rocky shorelines, as the surf will be unpredictable, increasing the likelihood of being swept into the sea.

The public is reminded that Bay Area storms occasionally result in wave heights and wind conditions that can exceed the operating limitations of Coast Guard search and rescue assets, making it difficult and dangerous to respond to situations of distress. The public should always check weather conditions and stay off of the water and away from beaches and rocky shorelines unless to ensure their safety as well as the safety of emergency responders.

For more information on safe boating practices, visit www.uscgboating.org . For updated weather forecasts, check www.weather.gov.

RS