The extremely wet and windy Nor'easter that plowed across the northern tier of states has left moderate to major flooding in its wake over both the Midwest and Northeast. In the Northeast, the storm dropped more than five inches of rain in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and moderate to major flooding is occurring in these states. Flooding was particularly severe in Rhode Island on the Pawtuxet River in Cranston, where the river crested a record six feet over flood stage, forcing evacuations. Major flooding was also occurring in New Jersey, where the Passaic River at Little Falls is cresting at five feet over flood stage.
In the Midwest, snow melt and heavy rains have swollen the Red River in North Dakota and Minnesota to near flood stage, and the river is expected to crest two feet above major flood stage by Sunday morning, and one foot above one of the permanent dikes on the river. In Fargo, ND, the Red River is expected to crest Saturday at 38 feet, three feet below the record of 41 feet set last year. Many rivers in Iowa are in flood and expected to crest above major flood stage on Thursday or Friday this week, including the Des Moines River in northern Iowa. In Des Moines, flooding on the Des Moines River is expected to be moderate, but a levee that failed in the floods of 1993 and 2008 is leaking, and residents of the area are evacuating, according to media reports.

Figure 1. Estimated precipitation for the seven day period ending at 8am EDT Monday March 15, 2010. Image credit: NOAA.
Tropical Cyclone Tomas roars through Fiji Islands
Tropical Cyclone Tomas roared through the eastern portion of the Fiji Islands as a major Category 3 storm with 130 mph winds yesterday. Tomas sideswiped the two largest islands in the chain, destroying 50 buildings, causing extensive power outages, and claiming one life. The cyclone made a direct hit on several of the smaller islands to the east of the main islands, and the extent of damage on these islands is unknown, but undoubtedly very heavy.
Tropical Cyclone Ului weakens, may threaten Australia
The first Category 5 tropical cyclone of the year, Tropical Cyclone Uliu, has weakened from its impressive peak as a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds to a low-end Category 4 storm with 132 mph winds. Ului is over the open waters of the South Pacific, east of Australia, and is projected to significantly decay as the week progresses, due to high wind shear. Ului may be a threat to the Queensland coast of Australia by the end of the week, but should be at tropical storm strength by then.

Figure 2. Tropical Cyclone Ului (left) and Tropical Cyclone Tomas (right). Over the Solomon Islands, Tropical Cyclone Ului had maximum sustained winds of 130 knots (240 kilometers per hour, 150 miles per hour) and gusts up to 160 knots (300 km/hr, 180 mph). Over Fiji, Tropical Cyclone Tomas had maximum sustained winds of 115 knots (215 km/hr, 132 mph) and gusts up to 140 knots (260 km/hr, 160 mph). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites captured both storms in multiple passes over the South Pacific on March 15, 2010, local time. The majority of the image is from the morning of March 15 (late March 14, UTC time) as seen by MODIS on the Terra satellite, with the right portion of the image having been acquired earliest. The wedge-shaped area right of center is from Aqua MODIS, and it was taken in the early afternoon of March 15 (local time). Image credit: NASA.
Portlight looks to build permanent shelters in Haiti
On February 26th, torrential rains brought more than five feet (1.5 m) of flood water into the streets in the coastal city of Les Cayes, Haiti, an area unscathed by the massive January 2010 earthquake. Eleven people were killed during this storm, with the rainy season still two months away. This deadly flood serves as a reminder that the people of Haiti are highly vulnerable to disastrous flooding during this year's rainy season. A vast number of the survivors are living in "tent" cities where most of the "tents" are really nothing more than bed sheets draped over ropes and sticks; the potential for a second humanitarian disaster is significant. With this in mind, Portlight.org has been exploring fast, inexpensive methods of providing solid, permanent, safe shelter for survivors of the earthquake. They have found a number of groups looking at using shipping containers for this purpose. Shipping containers are steel-reinforced boxes used for shipping goods overseas. Portlight's on-site coordinator in Haiti, Richard Lumarque, has identified an engineer that has come up with a number of designs for converting these containers into dormitories, offices, medical facilities and individual homes; his plan for a dormitory container is below. Portlight is looking to help with this effort; please visit the Portlight.org web site to learn more and to donate to this worthy cause.

Figure 3. A proposed design for a simple dormitory that can accommodate twelve people, built from a shipping container.
I'll have a new post on Wednesday or Thursday.
Jeff Masters
2010 NorEaster Flood in Manville, NJ
Small bridge in Haddonfield flooded at Cooper River along Kings Highway on 3/13/10
Lower Berkshire Valley Rd.
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Real-Time Tropical Cyclone Products - 2009 Season
AL042009 - Tropical Storm CLAUDETTE
TC LARRY: 512 km Townsville (Mt Stuart) Radar Loop
Click for full loop.
Storm Surge of 4.9 metres/16.07 feet above the expected tide at Bingil Bay.
Damage to Sugar Cane Mill by Larry.
Banana Plantation damage by Larry. Banana prices hit $25/kg $11/lbs.
Other damage caused by TC Larry.
Innisfail High School
She's just sitting there churning away.
2010:
2009:
The yellow line is the 20-year average temperature, the purple line is of the 20-year “record highs,” and the green line is the 2010 temperature (make your own chart here).
Edit, Thank you.
Sure. (Heres the link for yourself)
-----------------------------------------------
About the same....
2005:
2010:
Freak storms on every continent
Second known tropical cyclone forms in "cooler" South Atlantic, while Red River braces for fourth "ten-year flood" in a row!
March 17, 2010
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“I actually think the science around climate change is real. It is potentially devastating,” Obama told reporters Monday [March 24, 2009]. “If you look at the flooding that’s going on right now in North Dakota and you say to yourself, ‘If you see an increase of two degrees, what does that do, in terms of the situation there?’ That indicates the degree to which we have to take this seriously.“
===================
The media love to focus on the few extreme weather events that they (mistakenly) believe are inconsistent with human-caused climate change [see "Was the 'Blizzard of 2009' a 'global warming type' of record snowfall — or an opportunity for the media to blow the extreme weather story (again)?"]. But will they keep ignoring all the extreme weather that scientists have been predicting for years would become more common as we pour more heat trapping gases into the atmosphere?
It will interesting to see the coverage this year of the impending crest of the Red River in Fargo, which smashed records last year (see Why the “never seen before” Fargo flooding is just what you’d expect from global warming, as Obama warns). It appears all but certain to be the fourth year in a row with at least a “ten-year flood,” the ninth since 1989. They just don’t make ten-year floods like they used to!
Besides Obama, the British and the Chinese understand global warming has driven their record flooding. The United States media? Not so much.
Brad Johnson of Wonkroom, notes “Record warmth on sea and land is helping to fuel extreme weather around the globe. As man takes over from nature as the primary driver of climate, the need to eliminate global warming pollution and mobilize for increased climate disruption grows.” Here’s his roundup of extreme weather:
SOUTH AMERICA Tropical Storm 90Q, also known as Anita, the “second known tropical cyclone to form in the cooler South Atlantic Ocean,” is circling off the Argentina coast. The first known South Atlantic tropical cyclone, Catarina, was in 2004.
The sea surface temperature threshold for powering up a hurricane is around 80°F, so as the oceans warms, South Atlantic hurricanes are likely to become more common. According to NASA, it was the warmest December through February on record (since 1880) for the southern hemisphere.
NORTH AMERICA Weeks after some of the strongest snowstorms ever to hit the East Coast, another powerful winter storm drenches the Northeast, kills eight people, and knocks out power for hundreds of thousands. Record warmth in North Dakota and Minnesota threatens another year of catastrophic flooding.
EUROPE “Hurricane-force winds and widespread flooding battered vast swathes of western France and left more than a million homes without power,” as the storm named Xynthia “killed at least 62 people across western Europe” in Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, and Germany en route to Scandinavia.
AFRICA The death toll has risen to 36 people “and nearly 38,000 left homeless when tropical storm Hubert smashed into Madagascar this week.” Last month, stormy weather wreaked havoc across Egypt, as twenty-foot waves crashed into Alexandria and a hail storm killed four people in Cairo.
ASIA “A severe sandstorm hit Xinjiang’s Hotan Prefecture in northwest China on Friday, reducing visibility to zero.” The sandstorms are sweeping across China, and “are expected to hit Taiwan Tuesday.”
AUSTRALIA-PACIFIC Tomas, a Category Four cyclone, is plowing through Fiji, forcing thousands to evacuate. A “beast of a storm” ripped through Melbourne, Australia last week, “bringing with it hailstones the size of tennis balls” and causing $200 million in damage. Meanwhile flooding “which has smashed all the records known” in Queensland peaked in the country’s northeast, “parts of which have been in drought for almost a decade.”
Jeff Masters notes, “The first Category 5 tropical cyclone of the year, Tropical Cyclone Uliu, has weakened from its impressive peak as a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds to a low-end Category 4 storm with 132 mph winds.”
ANTARCTICA Okay, so Antarctica has enjoyed a sunny and balmy summer. Unfortunately, with the pleasant skies have come accelerated melting of the ice shelves, causing sea levels to rise, the U.S. Geological Survey and the British Antarctic Survey have found.
As for the science of intense precipitation, in 2004, the Journal of Hydrometeorology published an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center that found “Over the contiguous United States, precipitation, temperature, streamflow, and heavy and very heavy precipitation have increased during the twentieth century.”
They found (here) that over the course of the 20th century, the “Cold season (October through April),” saw a 16% increase in “heavy” precipitation events (roughly greater than 2 inches [when it comes as rain] in one day), and a 25% increase in “very heavy” precipitation events (roughly greater than 4 inches in one day)– and a 36% rise in “extreme” precipitation events (those in the 99.9% percentile — 1 in 1000 events). This rise in extreme precipitation is precisely what is predicted by global warming models in the scientific literature.
Even the Bush Administration, in its U.S. Climate Change Science Program report, Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate, acknowledged:
Many extremes and their associated impacts are now changing…. Heavy downpours have become more frequent and intense….
It is well established through formal attribution studies that the global warming of the past 50 years is due primarily to human-induced increases in heat-trapping gases.… The increase in heavy precipitation events is associated with an increase in water vapor, and the latter has been attributed to human-induced warming.
Indeed, in the northern part of the country, we’re likely to see more snow — see Massive moisture-driven extreme precipitation during warmest winter in the satellite record and An amazing, though clearly little-known, scientific fact: We get more snow storms in warm years! Then we’re going to see earlier snow melts with intense rain storms. And that will inevitably drive more and more severe flooding.
Given that we’ve only warmed about a degree Fahrenheit in the past half century and much of this country projected to warm 9°F or more on our current emissions path, it’s hard to imagine the kind of extreme weather we will ultimately be seen.
looking at them, 2010 is slightly cooler above Cuba, which I am sure will catch up. and there is a cold spot just off the SW coast of Cuba.
hi,
just needed to comment. when i first started posting i was asking questions of someone and someone else emailed me telling me not to bug that person, really meanly if i remember correctly. this main blog here, is just as much yours as it is theirs.
also you got a question, direct it to someone. there is a lot of good people on this blog.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Gulf of Mexico waters stay below average through most of the spring with these late season strong cold fronts and an active subtropical jet continuing over the next couple of months which brings plenty of cloud cover and anonymously higher rainfall. How many times have we seen a very warm Gulf of Mexico during spring to not be of any importance during Hurricane Season because of an unfavorable Upper Level environment? The Caribbean and Tropical Atlantic's SST temperatures is what concerns me at this time, they are running well above average for this time of the year and are noticeably warmer than the past few years at this time. 2005 is the only year that is comparable SST wise and if you look the Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean waters are a bit warmer than 2005, especially in the Eastern Atlantic where SST's are running 2-3C above normal levels. The Gulf of Mexico will have more than enough time in June and July to reach its typical mid to upper 80F SST's when the STJ lifts North and weakens.
Gotta keep monitoring the SST's.
oh well, nevermind...
Yes the world is heating up at the hands of mans arrogance and irresponsibility! Although if you only look at it from a scientific point and dont look at it from a christian point too, you are missing the big picture. I have looked at global warming from scientists that dont believe in God and also from Creation scientists. I like the hope that creation scientists give ! They know that man is never going to change its ways and god is going to step in and come back and fix it! For some reason people never talk about this because for whatever reason its awkward! God made these scientists to give us all this info we need to keep this world safe, and some of us are arrogant enough to believe that we will be allowed to destroy this creation called earth.
===================
1. Earth will not be destroyed - just a fresh boot for all life on the planet! (If it really gets ugly)
2. The church wants a clean environment, same as scientist.
3. Only we(human) can fix this and we need to hurry up. It will just get worse(for everyone).
AOI
AOI
AOI
AOI
Humor in Comments
Red River flooding, caused by excessive snowpack that now has to melt, global warming? Cyclone in southern Atlantic forms over colder-than-normal ocean, global warming? That cyclone formed from favorable upper-level conditons, not warmer air or SSTs.
More moisture due to global warming so hence more rain? Well, guess what, global moisture on EVERY level of the troposphere above 850mb (they don't measure higher than 300mb) is decreasing since 1950, go figure.
*Yawn*
PRIORITY
TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 1
Issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane
Issued at 10:56am EST on Thursday the 18th of March 2010
A Cyclone WATCH has been declared for coastal areas from Cardwell to Yeppoon.
At 10:00 am EST Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului, Category 3 was estimated to be
1140 kilometres northeast of Mackay and
1310 kilometres east of Cairns and
moving south southwest at 6 kilometres per hour.
The cyclone is expected to remain about the same strength.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului is expected to begin moving in a southwesterly
direction tonight towards the Queensland coast.
On current predictions the most likely scenario is for the cyclone to cross the
coast Sunday morning between Cardwell and Mackay. However, it is important to
understand that some uncertainty remains in this outlook period.
DAMAGING winds should develop between Cardwell and Yeppoon during Saturday as
the cyclone approaches the coast.
The windy conditions over much of the Queensland east coastal waters will
continue due to the tight pressure gradient generated by a combination of a high
pressure system situated in the Tasman Sea and Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului.
Seas and swell are expected to increase along much of the Queensland east coast
and produce dangerous surf conditions on the exposed coasts.
People between Cardwell and Yeppoon should consider what action they will need
to take if the cyclone threat increases. If you are unsure about the actions to
be taken, information is available from your local government or local State
Emergency Service.
Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului at 10:00 am EST:
.Centre located near...... 15.0 degrees South 157.8 degrees East
.Location accuracy........ within 20 kilometres
.Recent movement.......... towards the south southwest at 6 kilometres per hour
.Wind gusts near centre... 205 kilometres per hour
.Severity category........ 3
.Central pressure......... 960 hectoPascals
Please ensure that neighbours have heard and understood this message,
particularly new arrivals or those who may not fully understand English.
The next advice will be issued by 5:00 pm EST Thursday 18 March.
Ummm, that plot appears to cover surface up to 900 mb...lowest levels of the troposphere.
Yeah. Bash Levi. Bash myself. Make sure you get all of the regular posters tired of the pseudo-doomsday scare.
No that's from 500mb.....take a gander:
850mb:
700mb:
500mb:
300mb: (highest level that they have humidity data from)
That is a foam alligator head on a 4 year old...
Accurate perception and interpretation is very important, correct?
L8R
Sorry, the resize on my end made the 300 mb look like a 900 mb...
Ok then explain it. Explain why Al Gore (and every other GW scientist for that matter) says heavy rain and snow is increasing on the eastern seaboard due to MORE MOISTURE in the atmosphere. He's clearly wrong. The same graphs for only the New England area don't show any more increase in moisture than the global graph. Link
Use the FORCE LUKE lol
Unless the total moisture content in the atmosphere increases along with the temperature, then it will never be true unstoppable global warming. There will always be a check and balance for it. Why? Because if temps warm and moisture stays constant (or lessens) the relative humidity lowers. If the relative humidity of an air layer lowers, it has to be lifted higher to become saturated. If it has to be lifted higher, it cools more than it would if it had had more moisture to begin with. If relative humidity is decreasing, then the wet-bulbs can't be going up, which means higher temperatures mean drier air and more evaporative cooling, which acts as a check on the warming.
Oh and by the way, remember what I said about a drier air layer having to be lifted higher to saturate? Well guess what, that means storms have to work much harder to produce clouds and precipitation! Did you hear that? It doesn't get easier, especially for hurricanes, which are severely limited when the mid-upper levels are dry.
There's more moisture in the lower troposphere, but less in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. The increased water vapor content is increasing the greenhouse effect at the surface and allowing more precipitation to fall.
Ok then if you know nothing about it then look up an article that explains it for me! You're good at that right? Get an article that explains why they're right even though Al Gore got it all wrong, and he's the biggest face of AGW.
Yes between the surface and 850mb the moisture is rising because of the warm PDO, naturally because of more ocean evaporation. The decrease in mid-upper level moisture isn't yet fully explained. We don't know if it's the dog or the tail, but we know it's happening, and it debunks a lot that the GW people are trying to tell us. Even the IPCC says they can't fully get a handle on the humidity, which is a vital part of climate modeling.
Actualy i dont care about your issue with moist in new england. And i dont want to asnwer your questions, because i dont like your attitude.
You and atmo pretend to be some kind of meterolog but when it comes to climate you guys have no eyes. How comes? Do you work for dirty oil?
Nope, Nope, I see it differently.That is not an alligator. I have CSI on it right now. They think it is something completely different. LoL !
Ului has prompted Watches along the Australian coast
Ok fine keep changing the subject, you didn't read what I said. I happen to know several "real" meteorologists and climate scientists that agree with what I just said, even though you probably think they're biased.
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