Category: Posts EN

Thousands Feared Lost as Cyclone Chido Roars Across West Indian Ocean

Written by Team Morecast

 

Cyclone Chido, a small but very intense tropical cyclone, caused tremendous damage as it moved over islands in the southwest Indian Ocean in the past several days. Chido first slammed Agalega, northern islands belonging to Mauritius, on 11-Dec. It was the strongest storm there in more than 40 years, bringing a deadly 8 m (26 ft) storm surge that reportedly destroyed most of the island’s homes and schools. The cyclone weakened somewhat, offering only a glancing blow to northern Madagascar. However, Chido unexpectedly and rapidly intensified before making another landfall near Bandraboua, Mayotte on 14-Dec.

 

 

 

Mayotte is a small but densely populated island territory belonging to France. According to a 2018 report by the French INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), 84% of the island’s 321,000 residents live in poverty. Many thousands live in corrugated metal shacks with little access to running water. These crowded shanty towns have reportedly been decimated by Chido’s lethal winds and surge. The Dzaoudzi-Pamandzi International Airport reported winds up to 226 kph (140 mph), much more than enough to flatten the poorly constructed dwellings. As of late Monday evening, the death toll on Mayotte officially is only 21, but thousands are missing and feared dead.

 

 

Chido went on to a third landfall in Mozambique, the strongest cyclone there in five years. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses have been severely damaged if not destroyed. Dozens are confirmed dead there and in neighboring Malawi with the toll likely to rise as clean-up efforts begin in earnest. Lead photo courtesy Graham Crumb / imagecity.com

Milton Mows Across Central Florida with Destructive Winds and Surge

Written by Team Morecast

 

Hurricane Milton set a record for the fastest Atlantic storm to reach Category 5 status earlier this week. It was still a dangerous Category 3 hurricane as it roared ashore just south of Tampa on Wednesday evening. Coming just a few weeks after Hurricane Helene swamped the area with severe surge flooding, Milton has added damaging winds, tornadoes, and more than a foot of torrential rainfall.

 

 

 

Milton formed on Saturday, 5-October in the unusually warm waters of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. It intensified as rapidly as any Atlantic hurricane on record. By Monday afternoon it had become one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever with a central pressure of 897 mb. It is incredibly difficult for a hurricane to maintain that intensity even in ideal circumstances. Milton encountered strong vertical wind shear and cooler waters on Wednesday and entered a steady weakening phase. Nonetheless, high winds and tropical downpours starting rolling into central FL on Wednesday afternoon as the seas rose.

 

 

Widespread gusts of 70-100 mph (110-160 kph) brought down trees and powerlines across central Florida, including a gust to 97 mph at Tampa, 102 mph at Saratoga, and 92 mph at the Kennedy Space Center. More than two dozen tornadoes, some of them long-tracked, fast-moving, and intense, caused severe damage across south-central Florida. A band of heavy rains commonly 8-14 inches (200-350 mm) in total have pushed rivers quickly above major flood stages, in some cases to record levels. Storm surge also inundated numerous communities along the Gulf coast up to the roof lines, wrecking homes and businesses.

Catastrophic Flooding as Hurricane Helene Slams the Southeast USA

Written by Team Morecast

 

Rivers are surging to record levels due to three days of torrential rainfall in the mountains of western North and South Carolina. The rainfall has been falling ahead of major Hurricane Helene which made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida on Thursday night. The hurricane brought significant wind damage and surge flooding to the Gulf Coast and adjacent inland areas. However, the most long-lasting and serious impacts are from inland freshwater flooding. The death toll in the region is near 40 as of Friday night and still rising.

 

 

Helene strengthened rapidly on Thursday from a Category One to a dangerous Category Four hurricane. It made landfall around 10 pm local time near Perry, FL. The hurricane then moved rapidly north and weakened through the morning hours. Severe damage occurred in this region due to a storm surge upwards of 10 feet (3 m) as far east as Tampa Bay. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed thanks to widespread wind gusts of 70-100 mph (110-160 kph). The resultant power outages are regionwide and will linger in some spots for days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, Helene will go down in the history books for the catastrophic flooding focused in the mountains of Georgia and the Carolinas. Rainfall approaching 20 inches (500 mm) or even 30 inches (750 mm) in a few spots (see map above) has completely overwhelmed the drainage system. Rivers across the region are in major flood stage with several setting new record levels. In fact the French Broad River at Fletcher, NC is expected to crest tonight more than ten feet above the previous high mark! Whole towns and highways are being inundated and swept away. The sloped terrain is also causing massive landslides and washouts. The dam at Lake Lure in Hendersonville, NC is disintegrating and in imminent danger of failure, forcing thousands to evacuate downstream. The rain and wind are dwindling as Helene finally spins down, but the flooding hazards will continue for several days in the mountains and downstream.

Debby Crawling Along the Southeast Coast, Dumping Torrential Rainfall

Written by Team Morecast

 

Tropical Storm Debby is about to cross back onshore along the coastal Carolinas. Debby originally struck northwestern Florida as a Category One hurricane on Monday morning. The storm quickly weakened to a tropical storm but has also slowed to a crawl. Although some areas saw significant wind damage, by far the most serious and widespread impact has been from flooding.

 

 

 

 

Much of central Florida and coastal Georgia and South Carolina has seen 5-10 inches (125-250 mm) of rain this week. Smaller pockets have been deluged by 10-20 inches (250-500 mm) of rain (see map above). This torrential rainfall has lead to quickly rising creeks and streams. It has also overwhelmed smaller lakes and ponds, leading to dam failures. This tremendous amount of extra water will eventually drain into the larger rivers, leading to major flooding (see map of river gauges below). Storm surge of two to four feet has also affected the immediate coast, disallowing the rain water from draining effectively and exacerbating the flood situation. Additional heavy rains will continue to fall over the eastern Carolinas and points north, prolonging the threat for flooding. Lead photo courtesy US Dept of Agriculture.