American Press Storm Blog

First named storm of season mostly bypasses Haiti (8/18)

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:03:53 +0000

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — People in flood-prone Haiti and the Dominican Republic awoke to good news Tuesday as it appeared the first named storm of the Atlantic season had largely spared their shared island. Hurricane Bill, meanwhile, loomed out at sea.

The two countries that share the island of Hispaniola are vulnerable to storms, with many impoverished people clustered along rivers, but there were no reports of major damage from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ana. The system had been downgraded to a tropical depression and then largely dissipated before reaching Haiti and the Dominican Republic but its rains were still considered a potential threat.

“The rain fell but it did not hit anywhere very hard,” said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of Haiti’s civil protection department.

Haiti is particularly susceptible to catastrophic flooding because most of the trees have been stripped away to make charcoal and clear farmland and the bare, mountainous terrain cannot hold back the water. A series of storms last year killed hundreds of people and left thousands struggling to find food.

Authorities warned the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean to closely monitor the progress of Hurricane Bill, which was expected to become a major storm in the next couple of days, with winds topping 110 mph.

Bill, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, was about 700 miles east of the islands with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it appeared likely to move north on a track that would take it toward Bermuda by the end of the week as a major storm.

The U.S. Air Force planned to send a “hurricane hunter” aircraft out to Bill later Tuesday to gather more data about the storm, the center said.

Hurricane Bill revs up on path to Bermuda (8/17)

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:22:57 +0000

MIAMI (AP) — The first hurricane of this year’s Atlantic season was gaining strength far off in the ocean Monday, while the Florida Panhandle and Alabama were soaked by the remnants of a weakening tropical storm.

Hurricane Bill was expected to become a major hurricane in the next couple of days, with winds topping 110 mph as it moved on a track expected to near Bermuda by the end of the week.

In the Caribbean, Tropical Depression Ana was approaching the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Forecasters said Ana was poorly organized and weakening, but its heavy rains could threaten poverty-stricken Haiti, which was devastated by multiple storms last year.

It was too soon to tell if Hurricane Bill would threaten the eastern coast of the U.S., said John Cangialosi, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center. It was not expected to threaten Florida.

“The system is certainly large and eventually will be a powerful hurricane,” Cangialosi said. But colder waters and wind shear could weaken it as heads farther north.

The cluster of three named Atlantic storms after two months with none was no indication of what the rest of the season could bring, forecasters said. The season’s peak is mid-September.

Cangialosi said the way storm systems develop is chaotic: It can be quiet and then get busy. “This is certainly normal,” he said.

Heavy thunderstorms rolled over the northeastern Caribbean as Ana, which had weakened to a tropical depression, approached the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where residents are still struggling to recover from last year’s four devastating storms.

In Puerto Rico, rain from Ana flooded highways in the capital, San Juan, and three schools closed as a precaution in the northern coastal city of Arecibo. The U.S. territory was expecting 2 to 4 inches of rain.

Ana weakened from a tropical storm before passing over the Leeward Islands overnight and no damage was reported. Shops and offices opened as usual in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua, which experienced only brief thunderstorms.

Ana was moving at a relatively fast pace, said Dave Roberts, a Navy hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center. It was expected to move over the island of Hispaniola early Tuesday. Roberts said it potentially could be a big rain event, especially in higher elevations.

Along the Florida Panhandle, Tropical Storm Claudette quickly weakened after it made landfall at Fort Walton Beach, and was downgraded to a tropical depression with winds of about 30 miles per hour.

The storm wasn’t expected to cause significant flooding or wind damage as it moved northwest into Alabama and Mississippi.

A man in his mid-20s died after being pulled from surf as Claudette approached Sunday. In Bay County, authorities searched for another man whose boat ran aground Sunday night, though they believe he eventually made it ashore. Neither man’s identity was released.

After the storm passed east of Pensacola Beach on Monday morning, joggers and tourists seeking sea shells dotted the beach.

Far out in the Pacific, Hurricane Guillermo weakened to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph. Guillermo was centered about 695 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, and moving west-northwest near 18 mph.

Despite the storms, a warmer weather pattern called El Nino over the Pacific Ocean is generally expected to damper the formation of tropical storms in the Caribbean and Atlantic this year, said Brian Daly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile, Ala.

Forecasters revised their Atlantic hurricane season predictions after the first two months of the season passed without any named storms developing.

Bill, Ana cause concern in Atlantic (8/15)

admin — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:25:10 +0000

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Bill formed in the far eastern Atlantic on Saturday, and the government of the Netherland Antilles issued a tropical storm watch for St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius because of Tropical Storm Ana.

The National Hurricane Center said Saturday evening that Ana had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and was moving west near 17 mph. It was about 805 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands.

The Hurricane Center said residents there and in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor Ana’s progress.

Tropical Storm Bill also had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and was moving west near 16 mph. It was expected to get stronger within 24 hours and was about 820 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

For more details, see Sunday’s print edition of the American Press.

Tropical Storm Ana, new depression strengthen in Atlantic (8/15)

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:41:36 +0000

MIAMI (AP) — A new tropical depression has formed over the Atlantic behind Tropical Storm Ana, and both are expected to slowly strengthen over the next couple of days.

The National Hurricane Center said Saturday that the third depression of the Atlantic season had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and could soon become a tropical storm with winds of at least 39 mph.

Tropical Storm Ana, the first named storm of the Atlantic season, had winds of near 40 mph at 10 a.m. CDT. The Hurricane Center says residents in the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor the storms’ progress.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Guillermo is still swirling in the open Pacific as a Category 3 storm with winds near 115 mph. Guillermo is expected to weaken as it heads over cooler waters.

See Sunday’s edition of the American Press for more details.

Felicia weakens to tropical storm near Hawaii (8/10)

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:28:07 +0000

Hawaii braced for Tropical Storm Felicia, taking no chances even though the storm weakened rapidly as it moved toward the islands.

Felicia was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph with higher gusts. It’s expected to weaken even more before hitting Hawaii, probably before daybreak Tuesday morning as either a tropical storm or depression.

“It continues to weaken and we expect that trend to continue,” Raymond Tanabe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said early Monday. “But the threat is not zero. You could still see some pretty good winds and rainfall.”

The storm was expected to bring high winds and heavy rain to the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai on Tuesday morning, with Felicia likely to wash ashore on the island of Oahu on Tuesday evening, Tanabe said.

“Maui and Oahu will get the highest impact and the most rain,” he said.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center said the storm’s center was about 285 miles east-northeast of Hilo and about 450 miles east of Honolulu as of 8 a.m. HST Monday. The storm was moving west at about 12 mph.

Most of Hawaii was under a tropical storm watch.

Tropical storms and depressions aren’t as organized as hurricanes, so the strongest winds aren’t necessarily in the center, or the eye, Julie Kelly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Sunday. Therefore, even if the storm stays on course or tracks away, several islands could experience heavy winds and rains.

One of Hawaii’s most popular attractions, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, closed most of its roads and campgrounds until “after tropical storm conditions have passed.” Several beach parks on Hawaii’s Big Island were also closed Sunday afternoon because the storm was increasing wave heights. A building swell generated by the storm was hitting eastern shores of the eastern Hawaiian islands, according to the Hurricane Center.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense advised Big Island residents to be on alert for sudden increases in surf heights and tie down loose items outside their homes. A flash flood watch was issued for the Big Island starting Monday.

Kelly said the arriving high surf was generated when the storm was much stronger, so people need to be cautious and prepare.

Felicia peaked Thursday as a Category 4 storm with winds topping 140 mph.

On Sunday, it was another relaxing day in paradise for many tourists, who were enjoying the sunny skies and calm before Felicia’s arrival.

“We’ve been watching the Weather Channel every day, but never thought to change our plans or anything,” said Lee Binschus, who was vacationing on the Big Island with his wife and two teenage daughters. “We just hope it won’t mess up our plans for our water tour on Tuesday.”

Being from the Pacific Northwest, the Binschus family said it is used to rain. “Actually, I think it would be cool to see a hurricane,” daughter Casey said.

Some of the islands’ stores were a little less peaceful. Residents stocked up on emergency items and staples, such as bottled water, rice, Spam, batteries, toilet paper and flashlights.

Retired school teacher Elsie Uechi was shopping for lanterns, water and canned meat.

“But I hope it passes, like always,” Uechi told KITV. “Maybe we will be lucky again this time.”

Flossie, the last hurricane to threaten Hawaii, brought heavy rains and high surf to the Big Island in 2007 but caused no damage.

Storm season forecast adjusted (8/5)

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:50:14 +0000

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado State University researcher William Gray has slightly downgraded his forecast for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.

Gray said Tuesday his team now expects 10 named storms, including four hurricanes, two of them major.

In June, the team forecast 11 named storms, including five hurricanes, two of them major.

Gray says the forecast was scaled back because El Niño conditions are expected to intensify.

El Niño conditions suppress hurricane formation.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 till Nov. 30.

This is Gray’s 26th year of forecasting hurricanes.

His predictions are watched closely by emergency responders and others, but many say long-range forecasts have little practical value beyond focusing public attention on the dangers.

Hurricane evacuation corridor now roomier (7/15)

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:46:42 +0000

By ELONA WESTON
AMERICAN PRESS

KINDER — The new and improved U.S. 165 was touted by state officials Tuesday as being a safer means of everyday travel and a more efficient route for hurricane evacuation.

State officials, area leaders and community members braved the heat Tuesday morning for a U.S. 165 celebration ceremony at New Hope Assembly of God Church.

The event, hosted by the Department of Transportation and Development, marked the completion of the newly widened U.S. 165 evacuation corridor from Interstate 10 in Iowa to Alexandria.

On hand for the ceremony were state highway officials, including DOTD Secretary William D. Ankner, who was the event’s key speaker.

Also speaking on Tuesday were Pat Santos, assistant deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness; state police Maj. Joel “Young” Kilpatrick; and state Rep. Dorothy Sue Hill, D-Dry Creek.

Ankner said the highway’s enhancement is part of the state’s TIMED Program, which includes the widening of 536 miles of state highways to four lanes.

The program, funded by a 4-cent gasoline tax, is designed to spark economic development statewide.

“This is a great day for the department and for state government,” Ankner said.

He said state officials are “pleased” that there is another hurricane evacuation route, which will help thousands of residents leave the coast when a storm approaches.

“The extra lanes, along with the widening of I-10 in Lake Charles and U.S. 171, gives the people of Southwest Louisiana more options for emergency evacuation,” he said.

Work on the $387 million project on U.S. 165 included widening a 78-mile segment of roadway from I-10 in Iowa to Alexandria from two to four lanes.

The contractors for the project were Diamond B Construction, Gilchrist Construction and J.B. James Construction.

The 173-mile project to widen the entire U.S. 165 corridor to the Arkansas border is slated for completion by the middle of 2010.

There are reportedly 28.5 remaining miles of highway still under construction.

In July 2007, a similar ceremony was held to dedicate the completed four-laned portion of U.S. 171 through Calcasieu and Beauregard parishes.

The entire four-laning of U.S. 171 is 92 percent complete at present, according to the DOTD.

Video: Disaster Supply Kit

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:43:58 +0000

One way to prepare for hurricane season is to put together a disaster supply kit. Here we show you what you need. Click to load the video

DSS launches "Operation Reconnect"

lcamericanpress — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:55:03 +0000

BATON ROUGE — More than 84,000 Louisiana residents are currently taking refuge in shelters in nine states and the Department of Social Services has created a hotline where loved ones can call to locate family members who evacuated for hurricane Gustav. The phone number is 1-800-957-1601 and it will be activated at noon central time.

Family members who call the hotline will be asked to provide the name of their loved one and operators will search the Department of Social Services database of evacuees as well as the Red Cross Safe and Well list. It is important to note that the Red Cross list will only include those shelter residents who allow their names to be released.

“Our top priority during this time is to ensure the safety of our residents who did as they were asked and sought shelter before Gustav made landfall,” said Department of Social Services Secretary Ann Silverberg Williamson. “I thank our partners at the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Red Cross for helping us to create this hotline to ease the mind of family members searching for their loved ones.”

Callers who are trying to find love ones with critical medical needs will be directed to the Red Cross for assistance. The Department of Social Services will keep a record of every call that comes into the hotline and will work until all families are reunited.

Residents who evacuated Hurricane Gustav are currently in shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Florida.

Turner: Minimal damage in Vernon

lcamericanpress — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:34:31 +0000

BY ELONA WESTON / AMERICAN PRESS

LEESVILLE — Vernon Parish suffered only downed trees and power outages, according to Chief Deputy Calvin Turner of the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Turner said as of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, utility crews were working to restore power to the Pitkin area, which suffered the most outages in the parish.

Turner said thus far, there was only one report of structural damage in the parish.

Vernon sheltered over 400 people during Gustav. Turner said only about 100 residents remained in the parish’s shelters as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.