WEEKLY WATER NEWS

23-27 July 2007

Water in the Earth System will return for Fall 2007 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 27 August 2007. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

Water in the News:

• Eye on the tropics ---
  • In the Eastern North Pacific, the third named tropical cyclone of the 2007 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Cosme, became the season's first hurricane of the 2007 at the beginning of last week. This minimal Category 1 (on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale) weakened in less than a day. At that time, an image from the MODIS sensor on NASA's Terra satellite at the start of the week showed the distinct spiral-shaped cloud patterns circulating around the eye of Hurricane Cosme. [NASA Earth Observatory] The hurricane weakened and was reclassified as a tropical storm and then by this past weekend, a tropical depression, as the system moved across 140 degrees West longitude, passing from the eastern North Pacific to the central North Pacific basin, becoming that basin's first tropical cyclone. Remnants of Tropical Depression Cosme continued to move west, passing to the south of the Hawaiian Islands over this past weekend, producing some locally heavy rainfall, but little significant winds . [USA Today] A visible image from the sensor on NOAA's GOES-11 satellite near the end of last week shows some of the clouds associated with the feeder bands surrounding Tropical Depression Cosme approaching Hawaii's Big Island. [NOAA OSEI]
    Farther to the east, the seventh tropical depression of the season formed in the eastern North Pacific and was moving westward away from the southwestern Mexican coast as Tropical Depression 7-E.
• Wildfire update across the West -- Numerous wildfires continued across the West during the last week and should continue into this upcoming week because of the persistent drought and the dome of hot air across the Intermountain West, the Rockies and the western Plains. Isolated thunderstorms that had little significant precipitation helped initiate wildfires because of lightning strikes.
  • Satellite images show a variety of recent wildfires across the West:  Images from the MODIS sensors on the NASA satellites show wildfire locations and smoke from these fires across Nevada  [NASA Earth Observatory], Oregon [NASA Earth Observatory] and Idaho. [NASA Earth Observatory].  Additional images from the NOAA GOES 11 satellite show a large smoke plume that stretches to the north from a wildfire in the mountains of southwestern California near Santa Barbara.  [NOAA OSEI] and in central Oregon [NOAA OSEI].
  • Forecasters with the National Weather Service and NOAA's Storm Prediction Center are expecting the wildfire situation across the West to worsen during this upcoming week because of several factors including drought conditions, hot weather, gusty winds and high-based dry thunderstorms with little significant precipitation.  The National Interagency Coordination Center has instituted a Planning Level 5, which marks the highest resource planning level. [NOAA News]
  • Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho expressed concern at the end of last week that their resources are being stretched thin due to the continuation of the wildfires and the high preparedness levels.   [Idaho Statesman]
• Drought news not good for late summer and early fall across the West, but better in the East -- Forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center recently released the updated US Seasonal Drought Outlook for the next three months, running through October 2007.  They foresee a continuation and possible intensification of the drought across much of the northern Rockies, the Intermountain West and the Southwest, with little improvement projected for the Upper Midwest, and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.  However, they point to improvement of soil moisture conditions across the Southeast, Middle Atlantic and eastern Great Lakes.  [NOAA News]
• First half of year was warm and dry across much of US -- Scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center report that the temperature across much of the nation for the first six months of 2007 was the 18th highest since dense, systematic climate records began in 1895.  Only Texas experienced a January through June average temperature that was below the long-term average.  The Southeast and the much of the West experienced much below average precipitation during the  first half of 2007, with only the Plains having wetter than average conditions.  Mississippi and Alabama had their driest six-month start to the year in 113 years of record.  The combination of below average precipitation and above average temperatures have contributed to the intensification of the drought and the early start to the wildfire season in the Southeast and West.   [NOAA News] 
• Summer thaw has begun in Greenland -- An image made in mid-July by the MODIS sensor on NASA's Terra satellite shows the annual summer retreat of the snow and ice from coastal sections of eastern Greenland [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Flooding in Kansas presents problems-- A pattern that favored torrential rain  began in late June across the southern and central Plains and continued  through early July, resulting in substantial flooding of some communities, including Coffeyville, a community in southeastern Kansas, where flood waters became contaminated by oil from a refinery.  Images obtained from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite before and after this rainy pattern shows the flooding across the Coffeyville vicinity and the contaminated flood waters from the refinery. [NASA Earth Observatory] A week after the flooding, the US EPA announced that tests showed the water to be contaminated with human waste and with petrochemicals that could pose health risks to the residents of Coffeyville. [US Water News Online]
• Britain experiences flooding -- Torrential rain accompanying storms moving across the British Isles near the end of last week resulted in flooding in sections of Britain that trapped many residents.  [USA Today]
• Deadly storms hit Pakistan -- Storms moving across Pakistan at the end of last week were responsible for the deaths of more than 80 people and the destruction of numerous homes in several remote villages because of lightning and torrential rain.  [USA Today]
• Wind insurance is at a premium along Gulf Coast -- A RAND Corporation study reports that since the major hurricanes of 2005, wind insurance has become costly and scarce for businesses along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.  [EurekAlert!]
• Algae and bacteria color Great Salt Lake -- A photograph made in April by an astronaut on the International Space Station of Utah's Great Salt Lake shows algae and bacteria in the lake giving the water red coloration in the northern sections and a green tinge in the south. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Xeriscaping can save water -- The concept of "xeriscape", a registered trademark of Denver (CO) Water for a water-prudent landscape technique with drought-resistant plants, has begun to gains some acceptance across parched Western communities as a way of reducing the demand for water during the current drought.  However, this type of landscaping has created ill-will in some communities, where some residents continue to demand more traditional landscaping.  [USA Today]
• California's Owens River has been revived-- A judge in California's Inyo County has recently declared that the lower Owens River has been officially revived by the city of Los Angeles after that city had diverted the river flow beginning in 1913 with the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct.  [US Water News Online]
• Alternative farming practices help water quality -- Researchers at the University of Minnesota report that alternative cropping practices that do not require conventional application of fertilizers reduce high nitrate levels in surface and ground water.  [EurekAlert!]
• Legislation enacted to protect stream flow in Maine -- The state legislature in Maine recently approved stream flow protection legislation to protect state water resources from agriculture, industry and urban areas.   [The Nature Conservancy]
• More than two dozen Great Lakes cities agree to conserve water -- A coalition of twenty Canadian and nine US municipalities along the Great Lakes have adopted a goal of reducing water consumption by 15 percent by 2015.  [US Water News Online]
• China experiences extensive flooding --  MODIS images from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites taken in May and July show the substantial increase in Poyang Hu, a lake in southern China, due to the annual flooding caused by torrential rain across the region.  [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Satellite data used to warn of famine -- Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have developed a new method that used remote sensing data collected from satellites to determine crop growth, which will permit the development of forecasts that would anticipate food shortages in Africa caused by drought.  [NASA GSFC]
• Drifting to the North Pole -- An international team of scientists, including a German from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, will be participating with the Russians in research on sea ice and arctic meteorology and oceanography associated with the International Polar Year on the North Pole drifting station, NP-35, which will drift through the ice in the Arctic Ocean and reach the North Pole in eight months.   [EurekAlert!]
• Melt from glaciers and ice caps could dominate sea level rise this century-- Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder claim that ice lost from glaciers and ice caps could contribute more to the projected rise in global sea level than melt from the massive Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.   [EurekAlert!]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
• Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

• 23 July 1788...A weather diary kept by George Washington recorded that the center of a hurricane passed directly over his Mount Vernon home. The hurricane crossed eastern North Carolina and Virginia before moving into the Central Appalachians. Norfolk, VA reported houses destroyed, trees uprooted, and crops leveled to the ground. (David Ludlum)
• 23 July 1898...A two-hour thunderstorm deluged Atlanta, GA with 4.32 inches of rain. More than a foot of water flooded Union Depot. Many streetcar motors burned out while trying to run through flooded streets. It grew so dark before the afternoon storm that gaslights were needed. (The Weather Channel)
• 23 July 1923...Sheridan, WY was drenched with 4.41 inches of rain, an all-time 24-hour record for that location. Associated flooding washed out 20 miles of railroad track. (22^nd-23^rd) (The Weather Channel)
• 23 July 1987...Thunderstorms produced a record ten inches of rain in six and a half-hours at Minneapolis, MN, including 5.26 inches in two hours. Flash flooding claimed two lives and caused 21.3 million dollars damage. Streets in Minneapolis became rushing rivers, parking lots became lakes, and storm sewers spouted like geysers. A tornado hit Maple Grove, MN causing five million dollars damage. Baseball size hail was reported at Olivia, MN. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 23 July 1997...Thunderstorms over Nevada's Shoshone Mountains produced flash flooding in washes under Nevada Highway 844. Sixteen miles northeast of Ione, a culvert and adjacent roadway that washed out earlier in the day were again washed out as repairs were being made. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 24 July 1609...A fleet of ships carrying colonists to the New World met with a hurricane near Bermuda, resulting in much loss of property but little loss of life. (Northern Indiana NWSFO)
• 24 July 1886...Rain fell at Lawrence, KS for the first time in four weeks. Rain fell over much of the state of Kansas that day relieving a severe drought that began in May. The very dry weather ruined crops in Kansas. (David Ludlum)
• 24 July 1964...An eight to ten-foot wall of water roared through a picnic site six miles south of Buena Vista, CO. A car was washed into the Arkansas River, as mud and debris covered other vehicles. A downpour of rain in an unusually dry upper gulch caused the flash flood. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 24-25 July 1979...Claudette, a weak tropical storm, deluged southeastern Texas with torrential rains. The Houston suburb of Alvin received 43.00 inches, a 24-hour precipitation record for not only the Lone Star State, but for the U.S. Freeport reported a total of 30 inches. Total damage from flooding was over $400 million. On the 27^th, a van loaded with people on their way to a church camp stopped on Texas Highway 7 due to a flooded bridge just west of Centerville. A truck rammed the van, pushing it into the flooded creek, resulting in five people drowning. (Intellicast) (David Ludlum) (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 24 July 1989...Afternoon thunderstorms produced some flash flooding in New Mexico. Albuquerque was deluged with an inch and a half of rain in forty minutes. Evening thunderstorms soaked White Pine, PA with two inches of rain in one hour. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 24-26 July 1996...Although thousands of miles from southern California, an intense South Pacific storm south of Tahiti produced seven to ten foot surf with some sets up to 12 feet along the southern California coast. Lifeguards participated in more than 500 rescues along the beaches. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 25 July 1956...The Italian ship Andrea Doria sank in dense fog near Nantucket Lightship, MA. Ten hours earlier, the ship was rammed by the Swedish-American liner, Stockholm, forty-five miles off the coast of Massachusetts. Fifty-two persons drowned, or were killed by the impact. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
• 25 July 1986...Tremendous hailstones pounded parts of South Dakota damaging crops, buildings and vehicles. Hail piled two feet deep at Black Hawk and northern Rapid City. Hail an inch and a quarter in diameter fell for 85 minutes near Miller and Huron, piling up to depths of two feet. (The Weather Channel)
• 25 July 1994...Hurricane Gilma, like Emilia a week earlier, reached Category 5 strength in the Central Pacific. (Intellicast)
• 26-27 July 1819...Twin cloudbursts of fifteen inches struck almost simultaneously at Catskill, NY and Westfield, MA. Flash flooding resulted in enormous erosion. (David Ludlum)
• 27 July 1926...A hurricane came inland near Daytona Beach, FL. The hurricane caused 2.5 million dollars damage in eastern Florida, including the Jacksonville area. (David Ludlum)
• 27 July 1989...Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains in the southwestern U.S. Yuma, AZ experienced their most severe thunderstorm of record. Strong thunderstorm winds, with unofficial gusts as high as 95 mph, reduced visibility to near zero in blowing dust and sand. Yuma got nearly as much rain in one hour as is normally received in an entire year. The storm total of 2.55 inches of rain was a record 24-hour total for July. Property damage due to flash flooding and high winds was in the millions. (Storm Data)
• 27-28 July 1984...Unprecedented rainfall fell at Alvsbyn in Sweden (approximately 62 miles south of the Arctic Circle), which was remarkable for such a northern location that is at about the same latitude as Fort Yukon, AK. On the 26^th, 5.51 inches fell and on the 27^th, an additional 5.63 inches were recorded. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 28 July 1819...A small but intense hurricane passed over Bay Saint Louis, MS. The hurricane was considered the worst in fifty years. Few houses were left standing either at Bay Saint Louis or at Pass Christian and much of the Mississippi coast was desolate following the storm. An U.S. cutter was lost along with its thirty-nine crewmembers. The storm struck the same area that was hit 150 years later by Hurricane Camille. (David Ludlum)
• 28 July 1952...A severe storm with hail up to an inch and a half in diameter broke windows, ruined roofs, and stripped trees of leaves near Benson, AZ. The temperature dropped to 37 degrees, as hail was three to four inches deep, with drifts 46 inches high. (The Weather Channel)
• 28 July 1988...Thunderstorms drenched Wilmington, NC with 3.33 inches of rain, bringing their monthly total 14.46 inches. Seven cities in Michigan and Minnesota reported record high temperatures for the date. Marquette, MI hit 99 degrees, and the record high of 94 degrees at Flint, MI was their tenth of the month. (The National Weather Summary)
• 28 July 1989...Afternoon thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in Massachusetts. Early evening thunderstorms over Florida produced wind gusts to 68 mph at Fort Myers, and evening thunderstorms in South Dakota produced nearly two inches of rain in twenty minutes at Pierpoint. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 28 July 1997...An excessive rain event, with 14.5 inches of rain falling in a 31-hour span ending at 10 PM, led to a 10 to 15 foot wall of water that destroyed 108 homes and damaged 481 in a model home park in Fort Collins, CO. Five people were killed and 40 were injured. Floodwaters flowed through the library at Colorado State University, resulting in 500,000 books being ruined or damaged. At one point during the evening, more than 10 inches fell in less than a five-hour span. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 29 July 1905...Heavy rain in southwestern Connecticut caused a dam break, and the resulting flood caused a quarter of a million dollars damage at Bridgeport. As much as eleven inches of rain fell prior to the flood. (David Ludlum)
• 29 July 1986...Intense thunderstorm belted Rhode Island with 5.57 inches of rain at T.F. Green Airport in Providence, RI along with one-half inch hail. Hail accumulated to 4 inches at Narragansett with 6.03 inches of rain to boot. (Intellicast)
• 29 July 1989...Morning thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest produced more than five inches of rain west of Virgil, SD. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms deluged the foothills and adjacent plains of Colorado with heavy rain. Rains of six to seven and a half inches fell in eight hours north of Greeley. Hail and heavy rain caused several million dollars damage in Weld County. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

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Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2007, The American Meteorological Society.