WDRB Weather Blog

Update on Hurricane Maria and Track

The National Hurricane Center gives tropical cyclone updates every few hours. This blog will focus on the 2 pm update from Thursday September 21. Hurricane Marie regained its category 3 status earlier this morning and has strengthened a little bit more in the last few hours (from 115 to 120 mph). It currently has sustained wind speeds of 120 mph and gusting to 140. Pressure is at 960 and it is moving NW at 9 mph. 

The track has not changed since the last update. 

The Bad News: Some strengthening is expected over the next 24 hours, but should stay a category 3 storm, as it moves toward the Turks and Caicos. 

The Good News: Gradual weakening is likely by Saturday morning due to increasing shear and cooler ocean temps. It will remain a hurricane though, for the next five days. 

What does Jose have to do with it? 

As Maria moves northwestward, it will be moving between a mid-level high centered south of Bermuda and a
broad trough extending from Tropical Storm Jose as it sits and continues to churn...

...As a result, Maria is expected to turn gradually to the north-northeastward by the end of the forecast period, keeping it over the waters of the western Atlantic and away from the east coast of the United States. 

To hear more about the updated track of Maria, because we will continue to get updates throughout the evening and tonight, be sure to join Marc this evening on WDRB News. We will be continuing to track Maria for the next several days. Be sure to follow us on social media for updates. The links to my pages are below! 

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-Katie McGraw 

NASA Image of the Day: Maria and Jose Menace the Caribbean and North Atlantic

Less than two weeks after Irma blasted through several Caribbean islands and Florida, another major hurricane is battering the region. Category 5 Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Dominica on the night of September 18 and was headed for landfall on the heavily populated island of Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. At the same time, a weakening Hurricane Jose approached the New England coast as it transitioned into a nor'easter-like extratropical storm.

Satellite data acquired September 19, 2017

Click here for full resolution satellite image!

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 13 (GOES-13 or GOES East) acquired the data for these images at 1:15 p.m. local time (17:15 Universal Time) on September 19, 2017. Data from the high-resolution visible channel (band 1) is overlaid on a MODIS blue marble. The satellite is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), while NASA helps develop and launch the GOES series of satellites.

Hurricane Maria evolved from a category 1 storm to a category 5 storm in less than 18 hours on September 18, just before it blew straight across Dominica (population 72,000). At the time of landfall, sustained winds were reported to be 160 miles (260 kilometers) per hour, with a central barometric pressure of 924 millibars. It is the fifth time on record that Dominica has taken a direct hit from a hurricane.

Early reports described roofs being blown off of many buildings, and most communications have been cut off by the storm. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit described the damage to his nation as “mind boggling.” According to preliminary reports, the neighboring islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique did not appear to be hit as hard, though damage was still extensive.

acquired September 19, 2017

Several meteorologists noted that Maria had a very small, tight eye—sometimes called a “pinhole eye”—that was about 10 miles (16 kilometers) in diameter. Such tightly formed storms have been observed to spin faster. The storm briefly weakened to category 4 after crossing Dominica but then re-intensified to category 5.

At 4 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time on September 19, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Maria was 85 miles (135 kilometers) southwest of St. Croix and 185 miles (300 kilometers) southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Hurricane hunters reported sustained winds of 165 miles (265 kilometers) per hour, and the storm was moving west-northwest. Hurricane-force winds extended for 25 miles (55 kilometers) from the center and tropical storm conditions extended 140 miles (220 kilometers).

Maria was expected to pass over the Virgin Islands overnight and to make landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20 as a category 4 or 5 storm with a storm surge of 6 to 9 feet. Forecasters described it as a “potentially catastrophic” hurricane.

acquired September 19, 2017

 Meanwhile, Hurricane Jose approached the New England coast on the evening of September 19, bringing high surf, strong coastal currents, and tropical storm force winds. The hurricane has been meandering in the Atlantic since September 6. Heavy rain is being forecast for Long Island and southern Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

At 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 19, the Hurricane Center reported that Jose was 270 miles (435 kilometers) east-northeast of Cape Hatteras and 285 miles (460 kilometers) south-southwest of Nantucket. Sustained winds reached 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, and the storm was moving north-northeast. Hurricane-force winds extended for 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the center and tropical storm conditions extended 310 miles (500 kilometers).

Visit the U.S. National Hurricane Center web site for official forecasts and advisories. You can also find more coverage on the NASA Hurricane Page.

Images and information courtesy NASA

WDRB Meteorologist Jeremy Kappell

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WATCH: Videos of Destructive Hurricane Maria Making Landfall in Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico today, September 20th. Maria is responsible for the deaths of at least nine people in the Caribbean. It is one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Puerto Rico. Puerto Ric0 Office of Emergency Management claim that 100% of the U.S. territory is now without power. Maria is the 3rd category 4 hurricane to make US landfall this year, after Irma and Harvey. They will all mostly likely be retired names after this year.

Videos have been pouring in online as Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico. Check out some of these compilations below and see the destruction she is leaving behind.

Video Credit: Associated Press

Video Credit: AsKa News

The winds of a category 4 hurricane are vicious. This video below of CNN reporter Leyla Santiago is quickly making the rounds on the internet because the whipping winds almost blew her away.

And before Maria moved over Puerto Rico, she was out east in the Lesser Antilles.  Aerial footage shows the destruction on the island of Dominica.

Video Credit: Guardian Wires

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-Katie McGraw 

Category 5 Maria Bearing Down USVI and Puerto Rico!

Category 5 Hurricane Maria continues to strengthen in the Eastern Caribbean as it begins to bear down on the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 

As of the 5 pm update, the storm was located about 80 miles southeast of the island of St. Croix and about 175 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  

Pressure had fallen to 916 mb and highest sustained winds had reached 165 mph making this a very dangerous category 5 storm!

The current forecast track from the National Hurricane Center takes the eye of the storm south of St. Thomas and very near St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands late this evening and overnight.  

By morning the storm is expected to slam into Puerto Rico as a category 5 hurricane making this one of the strongest, if not the strongest, hurricane every to make landfall on the Caribbean Island.  

The only other cat-5 to visit the US territory occurred on September 13, 1928 when the "San Felipe II" hurricane ravaged the island on a path that could be very similar to this storm some 89 years ago!

Credit: Sheila Murphy, USGS. Public domain

"San Felipe" made landfall in Southeast Puerto Rico in the vicinity of Guayama-Arroyo at around 2 PM AST September 13th with officially estimated sustained winds of 160 mph and a measured pressure in Arroyo of 27.50 in/hg or 931 millibars (It is not known if this pressure was actually measured in the eye). For the next eight to ten hours the eye of the hurricane crossed Puerto Rico from southeast to northwest without losing much strength, still with category 5 intensity when it left the northwest side of the island in the vicinity of Aguadilla at around 10-11 PM AST September 13th. The wind report from San Juan was of sustained 160 mph at around 1 PM AST before the instrument was destroyed by the winds. Stronger winds were probably felt after the instrument was destroyed, these were the highest sustained winds ever reported in Puerto Rico.

 

The strength of Maria currently matches if not exceeds that of the San Felipe hurricane and some additional strengthening is possible overnight.  Anyway you look at it, this will be a VERY BAD storm for both St. Croix and Puerto Rico with a 6-9 foot storm surge expected and rainfall that could reach up to 25 inches!

From there, the Maria could have an impact on portions of the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands.  

It's too soon to say for sure whether the US East Coast will be spared.  

Thoughts and prayers are with our friends in the Caribbean tonight. 

WDRB Meteorologist Jeremy Kappell

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EARTHQUAKE ROCKS MEXICO CITY: Video Compilation...

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico Tuesday afternoon according to the USGS. The epicenter was near the town of Raboso, about 76 miles southeast of Mexico City. Dozens are dead, multiple buildings collapsed, and bad news keeps pouring in by the moment. Earlier in the day, the city held preparation drills for the anniversary of the 1985 earthquake. It was an 8.0 that caused massive damage to parts of the city and left thousands dead. Unfortunately, this date delivered disaster to Mexico City yet again. It breaks my heart to watch some of these videos that have surfaced from today's earthquake... 

Video Credit: Edgar Romano

Video Credit: Storm News

 

Video Credit: Fresh Tube

Video Credit: Eduardo De Sales

 

 

-Rick DeLuca

https://www.facebook.com/RickDeLucaWeather

Did You Feel The Earthquake?

From Jude Redfield...

    Did you feel it this morning?

    The U. S. Geological Survey confirms a 3.8 quake was centered near Albion, Illinois at 7:47 a.m.  That's about 145 miles west of Louisville. 

Several people notified WDRB in Louisville and in New Albany, Indiana that they felt the tremor. According to the Richter Scale which measures earthquake intensity, a 3.8 quake is comparable to the vibration of a passing truck. 

According to the USGS, the quake was part of the Ozark Dome Region, which borders the New Madrid seismic zone.  It covers parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois. Missouri and Arkansas.  And it stretches from Indianapolis to St. Louis and south to Memphis.

Maria Strengthens into a Cat-4! Update on track and who could be impacted...

Folks in the Caribbean are without a doubt experiencing a very unpleasant case of deja vu.  

Less than two weeks after taking a hit by a Category 4 storm in Irma, parts of the same region are getting it again from an equally strong storm with Hurricane Warnings posted for the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 

As of 5 pm ET, Hurricane Maria has obtained category 4 status with sustained with of up to 130 mph and a central pressure that has fallen to 950 mb.  

The storm is currently located about 50 miles east-southeast of Dominica on the southern end of the Leeward Islands. 

Maria is currently tracking towards the WNW at about 9 mph and is expected to continue to intensify over the next day or two. 

The current forecast track from the National Hurricane Center takes Maria through the Virgin Islands tomorrow and into Puerto Rico as a Cat-4 on Wednesday before lifting it towards the Turks and Caicos Islands.

From there portions of the Bahamas will be at risk and while it's too soon to say whether this storm will have a direct impact on the US mainland, it is a possibility.  

For those that have interests in the region, be sure to stay tuned! 

WDRB Meteorologist Jeremy Kappell

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SHOCKING VIDEO: Tree In Canada Explodes After Getting Struck By Lightning...

Before you watch this video, please turn on the volume so you can hear the power of lightning! I should also warn you that adult language follows the strike, but it has been censored. Lightning struck a tree in Quebec, Canada sending shards of wood flying. It also severed off a huge chunk of the tree that you can see crash down on a nearby holiday lodge at popular Bryson Lake. Without further ado, check out this shocking video...

Video Credit: Weather and Nature Enthusiast

 

Lightning Safety Guidelines

Lightning is one of the most erratic and unpredictable characteristics of a thunderstorm. Because of this, no one can guarantee an individual or group absolute protection from lightning. However, knowing and following proven lightning safety guidelines can greatly reduce the risk of injury or death.

Most lightning victims are not struck during the worst of a thunderstorm but rather before or after the storm reaches its greatest intensity. This is because many people are unaware that lightning can strike as far as 25 miles away from its parent thunderstorm, much farther out from the area of rainfall within the storm!

Therefore, if you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. Seek safe shelter immediately. Remember this lightning safety rule: WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS...and stay there until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder. Do not wait for the rain to start before you decide to seek shelter, and do not leave shelter just because the rain has ended.

 

 

-Rick DeLuca

https://www.facebook.com/RickDeLucaWeather

Do The Dew...Point

From Jude Redfield...

    I knew we'd get smacked around with another shot of heat and humidity. The cold start to September couldn't last forever. The surge of humidity arriving this past weekend intensifies in the coming days. This heat/humidity combo added with a weak cold front touches off a few showers/storms today through Wednesday. Tomorrow gives us nearly a 50% chance for showers and storms(even better chance than today). Locally heavy rain in the form of brief downpours will give a select few amounts in excess of a half inch. Not sure about you, but I could use a downpour at the Redfield ranch. Please see radar as of 10:17am tracking a downpour along I-64. If it holds together some of the rain will make it into Louy Metro by noon.

    It's that time again...time to bring back the muggy meter as we chart the dew point (do the dew...point)

    The rest of the month will shake out with above average temps and humidity. -Jude Redfield-

Trouble Brewing in the Tropics, AGAIN!

The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season has already been a bad one and could get much worse.  

We are currently focused on a pair of hurricanes in Jose and Maria and both could have some impact on the US.  

The latest update on Jose shows the storm maintaining category 1 status with sustained winds of 90 mph as it moves to the north. 

The latest National Hurricane Center forecast keeps Jose on a northward course before turning it towards the east as it gradually weakens into a tropical storm.  

While most of the data says it stays off the US Coast, the cone of uncertainty scrapes parts of New England and a few forecast models try to bring onshore late in the week.  

Even if it comes close, it should be a fairly weak storm.  

Now onto a potentially bigger problem.  Hurricane Maria is quickly gaining strength as it approaches the Caribbean.  

It is now a category one hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph and a central pressure that is dropping.  The storm is moving towards the west-northwest and, like Irma, will impact some of the Leeward Islands over the next 24 hours and could become a very strong hurricane.  

It is currently forecasted to maintain a west-northwest track while strengthening into a Cat-4 possibly impacting, again like Irma, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rick and the Dominican Republic before approaching the Bahamas.  

From there it could turn towards the US Southeast in about a week.  Let's hope not.  

We'll be watching it closely.  

WDRB Meteorologist Jeremy Kappell

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