Hurricane Talk, Flooding and a Return

Gosh it's been over a month since I've posted an entry on here, so long that it is technically Fall . I unexpectedly took a break from posting entries and there's been a lot going on with the weather and the environment. The 2009 Atlantic Hurricane season is still active until November 30 and the actual peak for this season has come and passed. Since I last posted an entry there have been two named storms. Erika and Fred. Erika became a tropical storm on September 1 after forming northeast of the Leeward Islands. The storm gained a greater potential as it moved across the Atlantic, strengthening to 60 mph. The next day however, the storm decreased in intensity and and was downgraded to a tropical depression the following day. Six days later, on September 7, a tropical wave of the coast of Cape Verde, formed what would later become Tropical Storm Fred, by the end of the day. The tropical storm quickly gained strength and became a category 1 hurricane in the early morning of September 8. The storm continued to gain intensity throughout the evening, becoming a category 2 hurricane, six hours after first becoming a category 1 hurricane. Fred made history not once but twice. The first is because of its location. The storm is the strongest storm to ever be recorded, to be captured so far south and east in the Atlantic by satellite imagery. Hurricane Fred is also one of only three hurricanes which were east of 35°W where it gained intensity to a category 3 hurricane. Due to vertical wind shear, the storm weakened to a remnant low on September 12. It remained a remnant low until September 20 (Two days before the first day of Fall) when it dissipated near Bermuda. As a remnant low Fred caused some havoc in the southeast, and produced widespread heavy rainfall. As a result, Fred caused historic flooding in Georgia, with a reported 20 inches falling near Atlanta, Georgia and caused over $250 million dollars in damages.

The Atlantic is currently brewing another storm as well. Tropical Depression Eight formed earlier today from a tropical wave off the coast of Cape Verde. The minimum central pressure is 1008 mb and it is moving northwest at 14 mph, with winds at 35 mph. Below is the five day forecast cone for the storm:


If this storm is named, the next name in on the storm names list is Grace. Now I know it's a far stretch but this years list also provides the name Kate, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we get at least five more named storms so I can bug my best friend Kate, by possibly this season's storm with her name :-)

I'm back and I will definitely be posting more entries. Check back and stay safe!