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Patience Wearing Thin In The Wake of Superstorm Sandy
Now into day five, Friday of the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy’s direct hit on the Northeastern United States and still millions are without power.The system was so large, its tropical storm force winds (39-73mph) went almost 1000 miles from its center. From its origins in the Caribbean as Tropical Depression 18, on October22 to Sandy covering not only the Eastern seaboard but reaching inland to the Great Lakes with reports of 15 to 20-foot waves on Lake Michigan only seven days later. Sandy may go down as the fourth costliest storm in U.S. History with, damage estimates totaling 50 billion dollars.
A satellite picture of Superstorm Sandy on October 28th, just 24 hours before its fateful landfall on October 29th, 2012 when it marched ashore near Atlantic City New Jersey with winds of 90mph.
An estimated 4.1 million households and businesses
remained without power across the Northeast — an estimated 530,000 of them in New York — and authorities warned it could take a week or more to restore electricity for many. ABC News reported Con Ed expects to have all power restored in Manhattan by Saturday.
Looking at pictures of the devastation reveals the sheer power of the storms surge in places like Rockaway Beach New York or Atlantic City New Jersey. A record 14 foot surge combined with the new moon tides attributed to the flood damage in parts of Manhattan, New York.
Adding insult to injury in the clean up rescue and recovery efforts, The National Weather Service said Thursday a nor’easter could develop next week over the mid-Atlantic states into New England.
Superstorm Sandy led to power failures in at least 17 states. 95 U.S. deaths are attributed to Sandy with 67 dead in the Caribbean and two confirmed dead in Canada. At least 41 people were killed in New York City. At least 13 people died in New Jersey, and officials said they feared the toll would rise as additional home searches were conducted. Besides New York City and New Jersey other deaths are in:
- Maryland: 11
- Rest of New York state: 8
- Pennsylvania: 7
- West Virginia: 6
- Connecticut: 4
- North Carolina: 2
- Puerto Rico: 1
Subways and buses rolled again in some parts of New York City Thursday and mandatory water restrictions were in effect across New Jersey after Sandy.The stock market reopened Wednesday, but normalcy is not back by any stretch of the imagination across parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
The White House announced Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will travel to Connecticut and New York to meet with state and local officials, and inspect response and recovery operations.
The storm sparked a fire that took down dozens of homes in Breezy Point, Queens. Mayor Bloomberg said more than 80 homes were destroyed by the overnight blaze that hundreds of firefighters struggled to contain on the western edge of the Rockaway peninsula.
Meanwhile with November 6th Presidential Elections around the corner election officials were ordering generators, moving voting locations and figuring out how to transport poll workers displaced from coastal areas as Tuesday’s presidential election became the latest challenge for states whacked by Superstorm Sandy.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says New York’s trains and subways have been recovering from Superstorm Sandy surprisingly quickly.
Still, frustration is building in the region amid gas lines, food lines, ongoing power outages and even some reports of looting.
Isaac breaches the Levees in Plaquemines Parish
As of 4:55 am CDT 10-12 ft of water was in homes in Plaquemines Parish, WRNO radio has reported at 3:15 am CDT that a levee had been breached in a south parish in
10:00 AM CDT, Wed Aug 29 Isaac was located at 29.6°N 90.7°W. The system is moving slowly Northwest at 6 mph, Min pressure was 972 millibars and Max sustained winds have decreased from 80mph to 75 mph. The flood threat from torrential rains and storm surge will continue through tonight along the North Gulf Coast.
New Orleans as Isaac takes direct aim on southeast Louisiana. Plaquemines Parish has had a levee breach at 3:33 am CDT . The breach was confirmed by Homeland Security at 3:51 am CDT. A breach means the levee is being over-topped.
Isaac is turning out to be a more a significant storm than originally expected as the region observes the 7-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Power companies were reporting more than 500,000 without power across the southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
Mayor Landrieu says 70% of New Orleans was without power as of early Wednesday.
The National Weather Service has reported severe wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph since late Tuesday across the area with numerous trees and power lines down. Some isolated locations have reported wind gusts over 100 mph.
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said part of the roof of his home on the parish’s west bank had blown off. He described wind-driven rain entering his home as “like standing in a light socket with a fire hose turned on.”
Officials said an 18-mile stretch of levees on the east side of Plaquemines Parish was over topped by storm surge.
Meanwhile, on the Mississippi coast, dozens of roads were closed or impassable due to storm surge flooding and heavy rainfall. Trees and power lines were also reported down across roads.
Highway 90 from Gulfport to Biloxi was reported to be experiencing significant flooding, with up to two feet of water reaching the doors of the Hard Rock Casino early Wednesday.
A significant storm surge of 11 feet was reported at Shell Beach, La, late Tuesday while a surge of 6.9 feet was reported in Waveland, Miss., the NHC reported.
Fire officials reported they were unable to get to a home that burned to the ground amid storm surge flooding in the Bay St. Louis area Tuesday evening.
Isaac came ashore Tuesday night near the mouth of the Mississippi River, then went nearly stationary back out over the coastal waters for several hours before making a second landfall in Grand Isle.
T. D. Nine in The Atlantic to become Tropical Storm Isaac, while southeast U.S. Keeps a Watchful Eye
By Ryan Matthew Dernick
According to the National Hurricane Center Tropical Depression Nine formed earlier today in the Atlantic, it is currently about 700 miles east of the
The large and newly formed Tropical Depression Nine Spells immediate concern for the Caribbean and soon thereafter the Southeast United States by as early as Sunday evening. Models forecast the Depression to become Tropical Storm Isaac later today and a Hurricane in 48 hours.
Leeward Islands. Environmental conditions are favorable for intensification and the depression is forecast to become a hurricane by Thursday. Tropical storm warnings are in now effect for the Lesser Antilles and watches have been posted for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
NOAA forecasters earlier this month increased the number of storms forecast and say they expect a total of 12 to 17 tropical storms, with as many as five to eight hurricanes, for the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season from June 1 to Nov. 30. Two to three of storms could become major hurricanes. It was only back in May when forecasters had initially only predicted nine to 15 tropical storms, with as many as four to eight hurricanes
So far this year there have been five tropical storms and three hurricanes with the most recent being Hurricane Gordon that just days ago passed through the Southern Azores. Since then it has become extra tropical as its remnants move ENE though Portugal.
With not one major hurricane to date yet for this Atlantic Hurricane Season
T.D. Nines Projected Path Shows that core of the storm will move westward through the Lesser Antilles while staying just South of Puerto Rico. As it continues to traverse west along the south coast of the Dominican Republic and Hati it will begin to feel the tug northward by the Deepening Trough across the Eastern United States. In response to that strengthening trough the High Pressure Ridge over Florida and Bahamas will weaken turning then Hurricane Isaac Northwest through Central Cuba.
this storm may change that.
South Florida residents and visitors in particular need to remain vigilant on updates According to The National Weather Service forecast Office in Miami, Florida. Weather Models are continuing to indicate it is becoming more likely that South Florida may be directly impacted late this weekend into early next week by this developing tropical cyclone.
Make sure to monitor the latest tropical weather forecasts or news and be prepared before the storm is at your door. Have a Hurricane Preparedness plan in place for you and your family. The up two week supply of essentials are Canned Foods, Bottled Water, Weather Radio, Batteries, First Aid Kit, Multivitamins, Sunscreen,Extra Cash from ATM’s, Bug Repellant, Flashlights, Other non-perishable food items, extra gas for generators or vehicles as gas stations will not work after a storm passes due to power outages.
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