http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/hurricanes_and_cyclones/ Hurricane News and Research. Read current events articles on hurricanes, hurricanes and global warming, the effect of La Nina on the 2006 hurricane season and more. en-us Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:05:02 EDT Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:05:02 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/hurricanes_and_cyclones/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112101.htm Researchers have developed a low-cost, high-resolution imaging system that can be attached to a helicopter to create a complete and detailed picture of an area devastated by a hurricane or other natural disaster. The resulting visual information can be used to estimate the number of storm refugees and assess the need for health and humanitarian services. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924111015.htm Scientists have released two new studies, including a report finding that climate change will cause significant impacts on Florida's coastlines and economy due to increased sea level rise and hurricane storm surge. Property damage is expected to increase. A second study recommends that the state of Florida adopt a series of policy programs aimed at adapting to these large coastal and other impacts as a result of climate change. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924111015.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925144812.htm Scientists have begun a project to strengthen the Early Warning System for Inundations in the Dominican Republic. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925144812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924190637.htm Counting on wetlands restoration projects to protect storm buffeted infrastructure along the Louisiana Coast is likely to be a "losing battle" that provides "false hope" and prevents endangered communities from clearly planning for their future, says a researcher from Western Carolina University (WCU). Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924190637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926143747.htm A long-term collaboration between Rice University and the Texas Medical Center paid off during Ike when researchers predicted accurately that Brays Bayou would not overflow its banks. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926143747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918091331.htm The only scientific team to successfully brave Hurricane Ike's knock-down winds and swells in Galveston was the DOW, the Doppler on Wheels mobile weather radar operated by the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder, Colo. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918091331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080912101406.htm Hurricane Ike has delayed the scheduled Friday arrival of a Russian Progress cargo ship at the International Space Station 220 miles above Earth. Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080912101406.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080911122529.htm Residents along the Gulf Coast are bracing for Hurricane Ike as it travels over the Gulf of Mexico after ripping through Cuba and Haiti. ESA's Envisat satellite is tracking the storm, which is forecast to make landfall on the Texas coast by Sept. 13. Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080911122529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909154813.htm For the first time in the 2008 hurricane season, there were four tropical cyclones active in the Atlantic Ocean basin on one day (Sept. 2). September is considered the peak of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, and in the first week of September there were four tropical cyclones that forecasters were watching. Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909154813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905072122.htm The development and path of Hurricane Gustav is shown via a sequence of satellite images acquired by Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument on 25 August, 28 August, 30 August and 1 September 2008 (from right to left). Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905072122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134323.htm The theory that global warming may be contributing to stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic over the past 30 years is bolstered by a new study. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903075614.htm Half the residents of New Orleans were suffering from poor mental and physical health more than a year after their homes and community were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, according to new research. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903075614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902171149.htm New research shows that black and white Americans responded differently when exposed to a video presentation that described Hurricane Katrina and then blamed the botched relief efforts on one of two causes: either government incompetence or racism, because the majority of Katrina's victims were black. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902171149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829104949.htm Shortly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the US, engineers studied damage done to offshore drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. If tropical storm Gustav strengthens into a Category 3 hurricane, as forecasters are predicting, the damage could be extensive. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829104949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120320.htm Hundreds of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars could potentially be saved if emergency managers could make better and more timely critical decisions when faced with an approaching hurricane. Now, an MIT graduate student has developed a computer model that could help do just that. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825103529.htm This week, inaugural tests at The University of Western Ontario's 'Three Little Pigs' project at the Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes will get underway. This facility is the first of its kind in the world to subject full-scale houses to pressures that simulate the effects of winds as strong as a category 5 hurricane -- or 200 mph -- all within a controlled environment. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825103529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184428.htm A new analysis of environmental conditions over the Atlantic Ocean shows that hot, dry air associated with dust outbreaks from the Sahara desert was a likely contributor to the quieter-than-expected 2007 hurricane season. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160615.htm Scientists have described a new method for evaluating the frequency of hurricane formation in present and future tropical climates. Compared to other global models currently in use, the new approach uses computer models that provide much more accurate representations of the processes that lead to hurricane formation. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808114131.htm In the August update to the Atlantic hurricane season outlook, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has increased the likelihood of an above-normal hurricane season and has raised the total number of named storms and hurricanes that may form. Forecasters attribute this adjustment to atmospheric and oceanic conditions across the Atlantic Basin that favor storm development - combined with the strong early season activity. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808114131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080730175524.htm A new high-resolution storm surge modeling system will better be able to predict flood levels and when flooding will occur in the New York metropolitan area, information crucial to emergency managers when planning for impending storms. Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080730175524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134455.htm A new survey finds the top worries of respondents threatened or hit by Hurricane Katrina are that they would not have enough fresh water to drink (42 percent very worried) and that they would not be able to get needed medical care (41 percent very worried). Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721153737.htm For humans in the path of destructive hurricanes and tsunamis, an accurate warning of the pending event is critical for damage control and survival. Such warnings, however, require a solid base of scientific observations, and a new satellite is ready for the job. The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason 2 adds to the number of eyes in the sky measuring sea surface and wave heights across Earth's oceans. The increased coverage will help researchers improve current models for practical use in predicting hurricane intensity, while providing valuable data that can be used to improve tsunami warning models. Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721153737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722152609.htm A researcher has proposed a microgrid-based power plant with its own local power sources and independent control as a more dependable, efficient, and cost effective system than traditional telecom power systems. Microgrids would also be a quick and inexpensive way to include renewable energy sources for both existing and developing systems. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722152609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709110842.htm More than ever before, building design and construction can be significantly improved to reduce wind pressures on building surfaces and to help better resist high winds and hurricanes in residential or commercial construction, said one architecture professor. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709110842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708162456.htm A new mathematical model indicates that dust devils, water spouts, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones are all born of the same mechanism and will intensify as climate change warms the Earth's surface. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708162456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610092746.htm When Tropical Storm Gaston hit Richmond, Va., in August 2004, its notable abundance of small and mid-sized raindrops created torrential rains that led to unexpected flash flooding throughout the city and its suburbs. New research from NASA has concluded that tropical cyclones like Gaston produce rain differently than another class of storms called "extra-tropical" cyclones. Making a proper distinction between these systems may be a key to assisting weather forecasters in estimating rainfall intensity. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610092746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080524082543.htm NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has announced that projected climate conditions point to a near normal or above normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this year. The prediction was issued at a news conference called to urge residents in vulnerable areas to be fully prepared for the onset of hurricane season, which begins June 1. For 2008, the outlook indicates a 60 to 70 percent chance of 12 to 16 named storms, including 6 to 9 hurricanes and 2 to 5 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale). Sat, 24 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080524082543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080519134306.htm A new model simulation of Atlantic hurricane activity for the last two decades of this century projects fewer hurricanes overall, but a slight increase in intensity for hurricanes that do occur. Hurricanes are also projected to have more intense rainfall, on average, in the future. Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080519134306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428140002.htm Hurricanes and storms limit the ability of corals in Belize to "recruit" new coral into their communities, according to a new study in Marine Environmental Research. Coral reefs --- which can grow to be thousands of years old --- form and grow when free-swimming coral larvae in the ocean attach to rocks or other hard surfaces and begin to develop. Intense storms can wipe out this "recruitment" process. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428140002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418155002.htm New Orleans residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina were over five times more likely to experience serious psychological distress a year after the disaster than those who did not. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418155002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151807.htm According to new research, some people survived Hurricane Katrina because of quick action from key women who, through pre-existing social networks, were able to mobilize for successful evacuation. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417170213.htm Hurricanes in some areas, including the North Atlantic, are likely to become more intense as a result of global warming even though the number of such storms worldwide may decline, according to a new study by MIT researchers. The lead author of the new study, wrote a paper in 2005 reporting an apparent link between a warming climate and an increase in hurricane intensity. That paper attracted worldwide attention because it was published in Nature just three weeks before Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans. Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417170213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410131548.htm A new technique that helps forecasters continuously monitor landfalling hurricanes, giving them frequent and detailed images of a storm's location, will be implemented this summer. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410131548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414214800.htm Researchers have discovered that vortices created in soap bubbles behave like real cyclones and hurricanes in the atmosphere. Soap bubbles have enabled the researchers to characterize for the first time the random factor that governs the movement and paths of vortices. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414214800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115330.htm Knowing how powerful a hurricane is, before it hits land, can help to save lives or to avoid the enormous costs of an unnecessary evacuation. So far, there's only one surefire way of measuring the strength of a hurricane: Sending airplanes to fly right through the most intense winds and into the eye of the storm, carrying out wind-speed measurements as they go. Researchers think there may be a better, cheaper way of determining how powerful a hurricane is. The technique involves listening for the storms with acoustic sensors. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409133718.htm The Colorado State University forecast team upgraded its early season forecast saying the U.S. Atlantic basin will likely experience a well above-average hurricane season. The team's forecast now anticipates 15 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin between June 1 and Nov. 30. Eight of the storms are predicted to become hurricanes, and of those eight, four are expected to develop into intense or major hurricanes (Saffir/Simpson category 3-4-5) with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater. Long-term averages are 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 intense hurricanes per year. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409133718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311120617.htm While every mode of transportation in the United States will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, says a new report from the National Research Council. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311120617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306094624.htm A 10-pound rodent pest called nutria ravaging southern wetlands in the US, which has been especially damaging to the marshland ecology in the Mississippi Delta following Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, may have finally met its match thanks to molecular science. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306094624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228074324.htm A team of scientists have found that the economic damages from hurricanes have increased in the U.S. over time due to greater population, infrastructure, and wealth on the U.S. coastlines, and not to any spike in the number or intensity of hurricanes. Sat, 01 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228074324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215191428.htm Every year, storms over West Africa disturb millions of tons of dust and strong winds carry those particles into the skies over the Atlantic. According to atmospheric scientists, this dust from Africa directly affects ocean temperature, a key ingredient in Atlantic hurricane development. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215191428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220225939.htm In Sackville, N.B. and the surrounding area, the words Saxby Gale can still inspire shivers of terror. The tropical storm struck overnight on October 5, 1869, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Storm surges 1.8 meters tall, combined with a high tide, sent water rushing over the dykes at the Tantramar Marsh. According to the Canadian Hurricane Center, many people and farm animals drowned in the floods and hundreds of boats were beached when the waters receded. If a storm of the same magnitude were to hit today, "it would cause so much more damage," says a student planning for climate change. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220225939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205100014.htm John Wesley Powell wrote in 1895: "...what a conflict of water and fire there must have been [in western Grand Canyon]! Just imagine a river of molten rock running down over a river of melted snow." Over 110 years later, a synthesis of new and existing dates on these lava flows shows that many are significantly younger than initially thought and all are less than 725 thousand years old. The geochronology data indicates four major episodes when lava flows either erupted into the canyon or flowed over the rim into it. These flows formed lava dams in western Grand Canyon that had dramatic impact on the Colorado River. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205100014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130647.htm The link between changes in the temperature of the sea's surface and increases in North Atlantic hurricane activity has been quantified for the first time. The research shows that a 0.5 C increase in sea surface temperature can be associated with a ~40 per cent increase in hurricane activity. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124115808.htm A warming global ocean -- influencing the winds that shear off the tops of developing storms -- could mean fewer Atlantic hurricanes striking the United States according to new findings by NOAA climate scientists. Furthermore, the relative warming role of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans is important for determining Atlantic hurricane activity. The article uses observations to show that warming of global sea surface temperatures is associated with a secular, or sustained long-term increase, of vertical wind shear in the main development region for Atlantic hurricanes. The increased vertical wind shear coincides with a downward trend in U.S. landfalling hurricanes. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124115808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117140831.htm While flooding in California's Central Valley is "the next big disaster waiting to happen," critical water-related infrastructure issues confront almost every community across the country, according to engineers. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117140831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104112955.htm LSU and Ohio State University will be battling for the BCS National College Football Championship in the Superdome, but if the game was held in the Louisiana wetlands instead, the entire field would disappear before halftime. Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104112955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201954.htm Natural climate variations, which tend to involve localized changes in sea surface temperature, may have a larger effect on hurricane activity than the more uniform patterns of global warming. In the debate over the effect of global warming on hurricanes, it is generally assumed that warmer oceans provide a more favorable environment for hurricane development and intensification. However, several other factors, such as atmospheric temperature and moisture, also come into play. Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210104022.htm Researchers have found that when residents of the US southeastern states look skyward for rain to alleviate a long-term drought, they should be hoping for a tropical storm over a hurricane for more reasons than one. According to a new study using NASA satellite data, smaller tropical storms do more to alleviate droughts than hurricanes do over the course of a season by bringing greater cumulative rainfall. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210104022.htm