MAJOR PORTS BACK IN SERVICE AFTER SHUTDOWNS IN ANTICIPATION OF HURRICANE IRENE...

Ports Open After Irene                                                                                

Created by HButler                                                                                                                      on 8/29/2011 5:31:47 PM

Major East Coast ports re-opened Monday and trucking and railroad companies slowly resumed services as they began making a full assessment of damage to transportation operations that took the impact of Hurricane Irene's march up the coast.

The ports of New York-New Jersey, Baltimore, Norfolk, Morehead City and Wilmington reopened after facing winds of up to 88 miles per hour during the weekend, according to Customs and Border Protection.

The Virginia Port Authority had four container ships at berth at Norfolk Monday morning and other shipping up the East Coast was returning to normal. "There was plenty of wind and rain but we did not suffer major damage," said VPA spokesman Joe Harris. "The cranes and berths all came through it fine."

The Port of New York-New Jersey expects cargo activity to return to normal today, and the Port of Baltimore expects a normal pace of business to resume Tuesday, according to published reports.

Some trucking companies were running limited operations, especially in parts of the Northeast and in New England where heavy flooding closed roads. 

Major highways along the coast, including Interstate 95 and the interstates surrounding New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Norfolk, were clear, but authorities in several states said many side roads still were impassable.

New England Motor Freight said four of its terminals — in Richmond, Va., Bethpage and Albany, N.Y., and Burlington, Vt. — were closed and the carrier said it was restricting deliveries in some areas. "The customers aren't ready," said Tom Connery, NEMF's chief operating officer. "Many are closed or don't have power yet."

On the rails, Norfolk Southern said it would restart operations today at its terminal in Norfolk, Va.

“As Tropical Storm Irene continues to move along its path, CSX employees are assessing impacts to the railroad while removing trees from tracks and deploying generators to areas where electrical service is out,” CSX said Sunday.

- The Journal of Commerce.

http://www.jocsailings.com/MaritimeNews/NewsArticleDetail/tabid/74/ArticleId/11240/Ports-Open-After-Irene.aspx

EXPECT A DELAY ON NEXT ARRIVALS OF BRAZIL MANGOES AS THE PORT OF PHILADELPHIA HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN SINCE SATURDAY AT 4PM DUE TO "IRENE"..MAY RESUME OPERATIONS AUGUST 29, 2011 AFTER A 36 HOUR SHUT DOWN...

SHIPPING 

* The U.S. Coast Guard said the New York Harbor will resume normal operations early on Monday morning after Irene weakened to a tropical storm near New York. 

The harbor will remain on 'Yankee' alert, which means there will be some traffic restriction, through Sunday. [ID:nWEN7657] 

* The Port of Philadelphia remained close as of Sunday.

U.S. Coast Guard shuts port of Philadelphia

27 Aug 2011 20:38

Source: Reuters // Reuters



NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard closed the port of Philadelphia at 4:00 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) on Saturday to all vessel traffic as Hurricane Irene moved north up the eastern seaboard.

Port Condition Zulu, the highest level of security, was set for the port, which means gale force winds are expected within 12 hours.

The port serves about 1 million barrels per day of the region's 1.2 million bpd refinery capacity.

READ FULL REPORT: 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/28/storm-irene-energy-operations-idUSN1E77R03B20110828

AFTER THE STORM: UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) SAMPLING FOR SEDIMENT CAUGHT UP IN THE SURGE...

USGS In the Surge Sampling for Nutrients, Sediment, E. coli, and Pesticides

Released: 8/28/2011 2:39:09 PM

Contact Information:
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Communications and Publishing
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119
Reston, VA 20192 Charles Crawford
Phone: (317) 290-3333 x176

Kara Capelli
Phone: (571) 420-9408






Follow USGS on twitter @USGS to learn where the crews will be each day.
Media: If you would like to accompany a USGS crew during sampling, contact Kara Capelli at kcapelli@usgs.gov.

As Hurricane Irene has left her mark along the East Coast, USGS crews are sampling water for pesticides, E. coli, nutrients, and sediment to document water quality in areas affected by the hurricane. This sampling effort is part of the federal government’s broad efforts to ensure public health and to support the state, tribal, and local response to the storm.

Sampling is taking place along the East Coast. Crews will follow the path of the hurricane where it brought high flows.

“Significant high water events are important to document, because a storm event like this can flush large quantities of nutrients, pesticides, and bacteria into rivers and also alter sediment flow,” said Charles Crawford, coordinator of the sampling effort. “When looking at long-term water quality trends and year to year variation, this hurricane could be a defining event for 2011, and it’s important that USGS captures a complete picture of what happens this year.”

Excessive nutrients in the Nation’s rivers, streams and coastal areas are a major issue for water managers, because they cause algal blooms that increase costs to treat drinking water, limit recreational activities, and threaten valuable commercial and recreational fisheries. Increased sediment can cause costly changes in shipping channels, where new sediment can require additional dredging.

“The USGS creates models that relate nutrient, pesticide and sediment concentrations to how much water is flowing,” said Crawford.” In order to have the most accurate model, it’s important to document concentrations during a high flow event such as this one.”

Additionally, high flows from the hurricane have the potential to create higher concentrations of E. Coli in areas that use surface water for drinking.



USGS provides science for a changing world. Visit USGS.gov, and follow us on Twitter @USGS and our other social media channels.
Subscribe to our news releases via e-mail, RSS or Twitter.

Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2911&from=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=usgs_releases

THE PERFECT STORM OF HYPE: TURNS OUT HURRICANE IRENE NEVER LIVED UP TO EXPECTATIONS...

Toby Harnden
Toby Harnden is the Daily Telegraph's US Editor, based in Washington DC. Click here for Toby's website. You can email him at toby.harnden@telegraph-usa.com, follow him on Twitter here@tobyharnden and on Facebook here. His bestselling new book Dead Men Risen: The Welsh Guards and Britain's War in Afghanistan, about a Battle Group in Helmand in 2009, is available from Telegraph Books.




Perfect Storm of Hype: Politicians, the media and the Hurricane Irene apocalypse that never was

By Toby Harnden World Last updated: August 28th, 2011




A Cape Cod store owner took precautions but seemed to anticipate that Irene might be more benign than billed. Photo: Toby Harnden

For the television reporter, clad in his red cagoule emblazoned with the CNN logo, it was a dramatic on-air moment, broadcasting live from Long Island, New York during a hurricane that also threatened Manhattan.

“We are in, right, now…the right eye wall, no doubt about that…there you see the surf,” he said breathlessly. “That tells a story right there.”

Stumbling and apparently buffeted by ferocious gusts, he took shelter next to a building. “This is our protection from the wind,” he explained. “It’s been truly remarkable to watch the power of the ocean here.”


The surf may have told a story but so too did the sight behind the reporter of people chatting and ambling along the sea front and just goofing around. There was a man in a t-shirt, a woman waving her arms and then walking backwards. Then someone on a bicycle glided past.

Across the screen, the “Breaking News: Irene Batters Long Island” caption was replaced by stern advice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): “Stay inside, stay safe.”

The images summed up Hurricane Irene – the media and the United States federal government trying to live up to their own doom-laden warnings and predictions while a sizeable number of ordinary Americans just carried on as normal and even made gentle fun of all the fuss.

There was almost palpable disappointment among the TV big guns rolled out for the occasion when Irene was downgraded to a mere ‘tropical storm”. In New York city, CNN’s silver-haired Anderson Cooper, more usually seen in a tight t-shirt in a famine or war zone, was clad in what one wag dubbed “disaster casual”.

He looked crestfallen fell briefly silent when a weatherwoman told him that the rain was not going to get any worse. “Wow, because this isn’t so bad,” he said. “It’s an annoying rain but it isn’t even a sideways rain.”

Then came the press conferences from the politicians, with Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey that his evacuation of the Jersey Shore was “a pre-emptive measure that I am confident saved lives” and there could still be damage worth “tens of billions” of dollars.

Janet Napolitano, the Homeland Security chief, declared that there was ” a ways to go with Irene” but “with the evacuations and other precautions taken we have dramatically decreased the risk to life”. Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York seemed thoroughly delighted with himself, as if he personally had calmed the waters and stifled the winds.

The truth is that the dire warning beforehand suited both politicians and journalists. Just as with the minor earthquake that shook the east coast last week causing no loss of life and virtually no damage, Irene became a huge story because it was where the media lived.

For politicians, Irene was a chance to either make amends or appear in control. The White House sent out 25 Irene emails to the press on Saturday alone.

There were photographs of President Barack Obama touring disaster centres and footage of him asking sombre, pertinent questions. With his poll ratings plummeting, Obama needed to project an aura of seriousness and command. He was all too aware that the political fortunes of his predecessor George W. Bush never recovered after the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005.

The press mostly reported the message the White House had carefully crafted: “Obama takes charge” read the headline of one wire service story.

At the state level, Irene was a chance for political redemption. Christie had been lambasted around the start of the year for taking a holiday during one of the worst snow storms in New Jersey history.

Bloomberg, who ordered a mandatory evacuation of residents in low-lying areas during Irene that thousands ignored, had been widely criticised for inadequate clean-up plans during the same blizzards.

There was some loss of life during Irene, though significantly less than during dozens of other weather events across the US this year.

Preparation for the worst-case scenario makes sense and could have saved hundreds during Katrina. But the worst-case scenario was largely portrayed as inevitable. Some of the footage of television reporters putting themselves in the most extreme position possible just to get the best “stand-up” live shot was beyond parody.

First prize went to Tucker Barnes, a reporter for Fox 5, who went live from Ocean City, Maryland amid a strange, brown foamy substance. He reported that it “didn’t taste great” and had a “sandy consistency”. Apparently, it was raw sewage:

As Howard Kurtz notes, The media and politicians enjoy a symbiotic relationship during possible impending disasters. The resultant perfect storm of hype over Irene runs the risk of making Americans even more like to ignore warnings in the future.

By lunchtime on Sunday, the sun was peeking through over New York. The TV anchors were expressing their relief at the good news that the east coast had “dodged a bullet” and Irene had not been the apocalypse they had predicted.

Perhaps it would be a bit too much to hope that they and certain politicians felt a little sheepish too.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyharnden/100102355/perfect-storm-of-hype-politicians-the-media-and-the-hurricane-irene-apocalypse-that-never-was/

FLOODING EXPECTED TO CAUSE BIGGEST IMPACT IN AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE IRENE...

Irene's Legacy May Be Record Inland Flooding


By Bill Deger, Meteorologist
Aug 28, 2011; 8:47 AM ET




Major flooding is expected well inland across the Northeast in the wake of Irene, with several large rivers likely to remain above flood stage for days.

All-time records could even be approached on a few rivers, rivaling stages recorded during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Heavy rain from Irene will continue to soak millions across the eastern mid-Atlantic through today, expanding north across New England into tonight. By early Monday, Irene's heaviest rain will have exited to the north into southeastern Canada.

Rainfall totals will continue to be excessive and impressive. Many areas from the mid-Atlantic into New England will get 3 to 6 inches of rain, with localized amounts above a foot.

Similar rainfall totals were observed on Saturday as Irene passed near eastern North Carolina and the Delmarva region.

The heavy rain is the last thing many locations across the Northeast want to see. Record rainfall has already caused flooding headaches across the region during the month of August.

While flooding along streets and in low-lying areas will be worse in the interim, river flooding will worsen in the hours and days after the rain stops falling.



This hydrograph from the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia indicates that major and near-record flooding is forecast. For a larger version, visit the AHPS website.
The Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania, the Passaic River in northern New Jersey and the Winooski River in northern New England are among the waterways that will likely experience major flooding.

Current forecasts indicate that some rivers and creeks may approach all-time records. The Perkiomen Creek near Graterford, Pa., could come within a foot of the all-time record of 18.3 feet, while the Hoosic River near Bennington, Vt., will approach the record of 12.0 feet.

While millions will experience significant flooding today, those along creeks and rivers should not hesitate to head to higher ground to escape rising floodwaters.

Roadways around and over these waterways will flood as well. Never drive through floodwaters and always heed the advice of officials and barricades.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/54333/hurricane-irenes-legacy-may-be.asp

HURRICANE IRENE BEFORE SHE UNLEASHED HER FURRY OVER NORTH CAROLINA....

HURRICANE IRENE MAY BE DOWNGRADED...BUT DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN...POSSIBLE SURPRISES IN STORE...

7 Surprises Hurricane Irene May Have In Store

Aug 26, 2011 2:13 PM ET

By Brett Israel, OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer







Credit: NOAA/NASA.



Imagine this scenario: A hurricane has made landfall in a nearby town. You look outside but all you see outside is rain. No lightning. No thunder. No sign of the apocalypse. Then all of a sudden there's a big, fat tornado on the horizon.


People usually have days to prepare for a hurricane, but hurricane-spawned tornadoes (yes, hurricanes can and do spawn tornadoes) can catch people off guard. Hurricane Irene might not be a repeat of Hurricane Beulah, a 1967 storm that spawned more than 100 tornadoes across Texas, but the threat is real with any hurricane that makes landfall.

Tornadoes from Hurricane Irene are just one of the surprising things that people should look out for as the storm threatens landfall along the East Coast. [Infographic: Storm Targets: Where the Hurricanes Hit]

Tornado trouble

Hurricanes are basically a big, swirling mass of thunderstorms. Thunderstorms can spawn tornadoes, and hurricanes are no exception.But for a hurricane to spawn a tornado, the center of the storm needs to come a few hundred miles inland. When a hurricane makes landfall, friction causes winds at different heights in the storm to change directions, creating the wind shear needed to produce tornadoes.

Wide, wedge tornadoes are possible, but the twisters are usually weaker than their Great Plains counterparts, said Eugene McCaul, an atmospheric scientist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

"You don't tend to see these tall majestic tornadoes in land-falling hurricanes," McCaul told OurAmazingPlanet. "They tend to be these low, raggedy things."

Irene looks like it will brush the Carolinas, so a big hurricane-spawned tornado outbreak isn't likely there. If Irene makes landfall in Long Island, areas east of the storm could see some twisters, while New York City would likely see only heavy rains and winds. Irene could continue north, but hurricane-spawned tornadoes are rare in New England, McCaul said.

"I would not expect a huge tornado outbreak with this one," McCaul said.

Storm surge

Irene's strength has dropped to a Category 2 storm, and should not strengthen back to a major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) (major hurricanes are Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane strength). But Irene should still pack a punch, since it has already developed a massive swell of water that it will carry north.

Irene's swell could spill onto low lying areas. Storm surge, an abnormal rise in water, occurs when strong winds push water forward, ahead of a moving storm. Huge waves form on top of the surge, cresting and pounding the coast.

This could be a problem for Long Island, if those north-blowing winds, and the surge they push in front of them, hit it head-on.

A major hurricane (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane strength) could push more than 30 feet (9 meters) of storm surge into low-lying parts of New York City. That's a worst-case scenario; current computer models forecast a small chance of a storm surge of 2 feet (0.6 meters) in the region.

Whopper waves

Storm surge is like a rising tide that doesn't recede. Riding atop the storm surge are massive waves. The U.S. Navy has predicted wave heights of around 30 feet (9 m) for the New York region. The waves will repeatedly crash onto the coast.

Heavy rain

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast around 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain for New York City. Other parts of the region could see up to 15 inches (38 cm).

Flooding

This past spring was sopping wet, so the ground is already saturated. The storm surge and heavy rain could bring widespread flooding across New York and New Jersey. In New York City, subway stations and sewer flooding could be a problem as the heavy rain overwhelms the underground tunnels.

Transit trouble

In an attempt to reduce the threat of subway flooding, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the entire New York City transit system will shut down tomorrow (Aug. 27) at noon.Elevated tracks would also be in danger from high winds.

An MTA spokesman told the New York Times that they cannot guarantee the safety of passengers on trains if winds are above 39 mph (63 kph) for a sustained period. Cuomo added that area bridges will also be closed if wind speeds exceed 60 mph.

Flooding could also be a problem at New York City's coastal airports. As a precaution, JetBlue has already cancelled 880 flights ahead of Irene.

Whipping winds

Category 1 strength hurricanes have winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph). Hurricane force winds are currently felt up to 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the eye. If the storm hits Long Island, tropical storm force winds, or worse, could pound New York City. Windows could shatter, buildings could sway and debris could rocket down the streets.

The New York City Office of Emergency Management advises high-rise dwellers to be prepared to move to the 10th floor or lower if necessary.

6 Tips for Evacuating from Hurricane Irene

Infographic: Storm Season! How, When & Where Hurricanes Form

In Photos: Hurricane Irene
Email OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '>bisrael@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter@btisrael.

HURRICANE IRENE DOWNGRADED...BUT STILL A SLOPPY CAT 2 HURRICANE IS NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT...EXPECTED TO BRING FLOODING AND POWER OUTAGES ALONG EAST COAST...

Hurricane Irene winds diminish, but a sloppy Category 2 still expected


Defying expectations, hurricane Irene weakened Friday afternoon – and opportunity for rebuilding its intensity is limited. North Carolina and the inland northeast remain at high risk for flooding.



David Gagnon (l.) and Sue Gagnon walk the shoreline as waves from hurricane Irene begin to pound Atlantic Beach, North Carolina on Friday, August 26.

Steve Nesius/Reuters





By Patrik Jonsson, Staff writer 

 August 26, 2011

Beaufort, N.C.

Against predictions, hurricane Irene lost strength Friday afternoon, now registering as a weakening Category 2 hurricane with little chance of revival before it hits North Carolina on Saturday. 

While Irene's wind speeds dropped to about 100 miles per hour, the risks for inland flooding remained high, with the storm expected to drop as many as 8 inches of rain on water-logged parts of the mid-Atlantic and New England.

“With its eyewall collapsed and just 24 more hours over water before landfall, it is unlikely Irene will have time to build a new eyewall and intensify,” writes meteorologist Jeff Masters on Wunderground.com.

 “The storm is too large to weaken quickly, and the best forecast is that Irene will be a Category 2 hurricane at landfall in North Carolina on Saturday, and a rapidly weakening Category 1 hurricane at its second landfall in New England on Sunday.”

The storm's massive 290-mile breadth, however, will mean an oversized storm surge in many coastal areas, including parts of the Northeast, Mr. Masters writes. 

The combination of a new moon high tide and a possible 10-foot storm surge means North Carolina faces the greatest threat of flooding. Major wind damage remains likely especially for coastal Carolina and the Outer Banks. 

Much of the East Coast remains at risk for flooding and power outage.


Hurricane prep: Are you smarter than a storm tracker? Take our quiz

Because of the storm's unusual path and concerns about flooding, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered first-ever evacuations for low-lying parts of the city Friday and a shutdown of the city's mass transit system starting on Saturday.

On Friday, Irene sent 22-foot offshore waves toward North Carolina's Onslow Bay. 

Massive rain bands pounded Beaufort, N.C., which may be the site of the landfall of the storm's remaining center core.

Large parts of the East Coast buzzed with activity, and stores in places like Beaufort quickly sold out of sundries and ice. Residents here completed preparations, including boarding up windows with plywood. 

Officials say such preparation is never wasted, and that people shouldn't drop their guard even if the storm loses strength. 

Nevertheless, many Beaufort residents say a Category 2 designation means that they'd stay and face down the storm instead of evacuating.

“We hope for the best, but we have prepared for the worst,” President Obama said about the federal government's efforts to move supplies and life-saving equipment to staging areas up and down the coast.

Hurricane forecasting has improved since hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005, but Irene's failure to intensify as predicted hints at the challenging realities of getting it right.  

                                                National Hurricane Center director Bill Read on Friday called such forecasting “both science and an art.”

“Irene is a reminder of how much mystery remains in the science of hurricane intensity forecasting,” writes weather blogger Brendan Loy, at Weather Nerd. 

“All of the meta conditions were ripe for her becoming a monster. But disruptions in the storm's own internal structure – the least well understood part of a hurricane – have prevented Irene from getting her act together....” At the same time, he adds, “Those fears of a Category 4 monster were not unjustified hype.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0826/Hurricane-Irene-winds-diminish-but-a-sloppy-Category-2-still-expected?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+feeds%2Fcsm+%28Christian+Science+Monitor+|+All+Stories%29

WAITING FOR HURRICANE IRENE....NEW JERSEY LIFEGUARD WAITS AT THE BEACH AFTER ALL BEACHES WERE SHUT DOWN IN ANTICIPATION OF TOMORROW'S ARRIVAL...

USA EAST COAST PREPARES FOR DANGEROUS CAT 3 HURRICANE IRENE...

'Dangerous' Irene lashes Bahamas, aims at US coast
by Staff Writers
Freeport, Bahamas (AFP) Aug 24, 2011





Hurricane Irene pounded the Bahamas Wednesday with winds of 120 miles (195 kilometers) an hour and churned up heavy seas as it barreled along a path toward the populous US east coast.
The storm became a major category three hurricane, fueled by warm waters in the Atlantic, and spread over a wide area as it swirled over the sprawling archipelago of the Bahamas, picking up intensity.

US satellite images showed Irene churned past the Dominican Republic and meteorologists said its tropical force winds extended out some 230 miles (370 kilometers).

The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said Irene, the first hurricane of the Atlantic storm season, was expected to become a category four storm with winds of 135 miles (217 kilometers) per hour.

It said the eye of the "dangerous" storm was moving between Rum Cay and Long Island in the Bahamas, in an update at 0001 GMT (Thursday).

"My husband already started getting the shutters together, and we're also packing to get out," said Edna Smith, whose house in Holmes Rock, Grand Bahama, was flooded in the last hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. "We're not staying there. We're probably going to a shelter."

Deborah Rolle rushed to load groceries in the back of her car in Freeport after making last-minute purchases.

"I'm trying to get a jump-start on things, getting everything prepared," she said.

The path of the storm raised concerns along the US east coast, and US officials were closely watching for shifts in its track.

US forecasters said they expected the eye to come close to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina early Saturday, then continue north over water toward the eastern edge of New York's Long Island on Sunday.

Authorities began evacuating tourists from the North Carolinas popular Outer Banks beach resort early Wednesday and have ordered a mandatory evacuation of the Ocracoke and Hatteras barrier islands.

"This could be a very large storm storm, so we are taking it very seriously," said Governor Bev Perdue.

Bill Read, director of NHC, said the track remains uncertain but that "the exact center of the storm may stay close to the coast on Saturday and perhaps become a big threat to New England and Long Island."

He said the storm had become "very well organized overnight" and was growing in size.

"It is in the warmest water and a favorable environment so it could actually get stronger," he told reporters in a conference call.

The NHC said that "interests in eastern North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic states should monitor the progress of Irene."

Craig Fugate, the head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, said emergency personnel were preparing from impact from the Carolinas to New England.

"This is going to be a big storm. Just because it hits one area doesn't mean its not going to cause damage further up the coast," he said.

"The most important thing for people to do right now is to listen to and follow the instructions of their local officials. If you are told to evacuate, evacuate."

Up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rainfall were expected in parts of Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, with a "dangerous" storm surge up to 11 feet (3.3 meters) on some islands.

Airports and businesses closed Wednesday in the Turks and Caicos, where officials said high winds toppled power lines and spread debris in city streets.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that President Barack Obama had been briefed on Wednesday on the hurricane during his vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, which coincidentally could be on or near the storm path in a few days.

He said officials "are looking at the very detailed logistical effort to ensure that we're going to have the proper resources pre-deployed."

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Dangerous_Irene_lashes_Bahamas_aims_at_US_coast_999.html

NASA SATELLITE WILL BE TRACKING RAINFALL ACROSS THE PATH OF HURRICANE IRENE IN 3D...

TRMM gets a look at Irene, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season

by Staff Writers
Greenebelt MD (SPX) Aug 24, 2011


This 3-D perspective of Irene was created from TRMM satellite data taken at 15:57 UTC (11:57 a.m. EDT) on August 22, 2011. It revealed an area of deep convection (shown in red) near the storm's center where precipitation-sized particles are being carried aloft. Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce


The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite has been busy measuring rainfall within Hurricane Irene, and forecasts call for between 5 and 10 inches in the southeastern and central Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands as Irene moves toward them.

It's been a busy season so far in terms of tropical storms with seven named storms already in the Atlantic basin; however, none of them have had a very large impact as they have either been small, short-lived or remained at sea and none of them have intensified into a hurricane until now.

Irene, which originated from a tropical wave that propagated off the west coast of Africa, became the 8th named storm of the season as it approached the Lesser Antilles on the 20th of August and the first hurricane of the season as it was passing over Puerto Rico on the morning of the 22nd. Now back over open water, Irene is poised to pass close to the northern coast of Hispaniola and poses a threat to the Bahamas.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (or TRMM) satellite passed directly over Irene as it was leaving Puerto Rico and captured these unique images of the storm as it moving westward near the Dominican Republic. The images were taken at 15:57 UTC (11:57 AM EDT) on 22 August 2011. One image from TRMM data shows a top-down view of the rain intensity within the storm.

Creating the rain rate image is complicated and involves data from three instruments on TRMM. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rainrates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS).

TRMM reveals that although a hurricane, Irene has not yet developed an eye and is not yet fully organized. The center of the storm was located just to the southwest of an area of heavy rain (as much as 2 inches/50 mm per hour) about midway between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Rainbands, containing light
to moderate rain curved around the storm mainly to the north and east of the center, revealing the presence of the storm's low pressure circulation, but one that is not yet intense.

The TRMM team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. also created a 3-D perspective of the storm. It revealed an area of deep convection near the storm's center where precipitation-sized particles are being carried aloft.

These tall towers are associated with strong thunderstorms responsible for the area of intense rain near the center of Irene seen in the previous image. They can be a precursor to strengthening as they indicate areas within a storm where vast amounts of heat are being released. This heating, known as latent heating, is what is drives a storm's circulation and intensification.

At the time these images were taken, Irene was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds reported at 70 knots (~80 mph) by the National Hurricane Center.

At 8 a.m. EDT on August 23, Irene strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. Irene's center was headed toward the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas. Irene's maximum sustained winds were near 100 mph (160 kmh).

It was located near 20.6 North and 70.6 West, about 70 miles south-southeast of Grand Turk Island and moving to the west-northwest near 10 mph (17 kmh). Minimum central pressure is 978 millibars. Various hurricane and tropical storm warnings and watches are in effect and can be found at The National Hurricane Center's website: www.nhc.noaa.gov.

The rainfall rates seen by the TRMM satellite are reflected in the rainfall forecast totals by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The NHC expects another 1 to 3 inches across Puerto Rico, 3 to 6 inches over northern Hispaniola and isolated amounts as high as 10 inches in higher terrain. The southeastern and central Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands can expect 5 to 10 inches of rainfall as Irene moves toward them.

Irene is expected to be over the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas tonight and near the central Bahamas early tomorrow. Irene is expected to intensify and is expected to become a major hurricane and residents along the U.S. east coast are keeping close watch.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/TRMM_gets_a_look_at_Irene_the_first_hurricane_of_the_Atlantic_season_999.html

IMAGE OF HURRICANE IRENE AS SHE PASSES OVER PUERTO RICO & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...TAKEN FROM SATELLITE IN OUTER SPACE...

An image released by the NOAA made from the GEOS East satellite shows Hurricane Irene on Aug. 23, 2011 as it passes over Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

NOAA/AP

HURRICANE IRENE DUMPING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN ...AS SHE HEADS FOR LANDFALL IN THE CAROLINAS...

Hurricane Irene bears down on Dom. Republic, Haiti

by Staff Writers
Santo Domingo (AFP) Aug 22, 2011





Hurricane Irene raked Puerto Rico and barreled toward Haiti and the Dominican Republic, bringing high winds and rain to that disaster-prone rim of the Caribbean, forecasters said Monday.

Irene reached hurricane strength as it passed over Puerto Rico, and at 1500 GMT packed winds of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center said.

In Puerto Rico, the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season left 800,000 people without electricity, 118,000 without water and over 770 others in shelters.

San Juan, the capital of the densely populated US possession, came within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of the eye of the category one hurricane.

Classes were suspended and businesses shuttered in some areas, according to Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno, who announced a state of emergency to mobilize aid from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Irene was located about 113 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, on a track to hit the northern coast of Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in the afternoon or evening.

The United States also was bracing for a hit in Florida later in the week, where Irene could make landfall as a category two hurricane on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, forecasters said.

Irene was expected to strengthen further as it moves west-northwest at around 21 kilometers (13 miles) an hour, according to the NHC.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the north coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, an impoverished country that was devastated by a catastrophic earthquake in January 2010 that killed an estimated 225,000 people, and then afflicted by a cholera epidemic.

All of Haiti was under a tropical storm warning.

The Dominican Republic set up 2,364 shelters as it braced for Irene, and ordered that vulnerable areas be evacuated and classes be suspended.

A red alert -- the highest -- was issued for 23 provinces and the capital, while the other eight provinces were placed under yellow, or intermediate alert.

"We are ready for the storm and are taking our precautions," said presidential spokesman Rafael Nunez.

The government gave instructions for over two million food rations to be distributed to soup kitchens, and ordered that small and medium vessels remain in port.

Haiti dodged a weather disaster earlier this month when it was brushed by Tropical Storm Emily, but Irene revived fears for the 300,000 people still living in makeshift camps.

In the Haitian capital, the US embassy announced that the naval hospital ship USNS Comfort, which arrived in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, would be forced to cease operations and seek safe haven due to the forecast.

Haiti was the ship's final port of call at the end of a five-month humanitarian aid mission in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The storm was forecast to track northwest toward the Bahamas and Florida coast, with hurricane conditions expected for the southeastern and central Bahamas by late Tuesday.

Irene was expected to dump up an additional five to 10 centimeters (two to four inches) of rain across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, with up to 15 centimeters (six inches) over most of northern Hispaniola and up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) over higher terrain. Up to 25 centimeters of rainfall were also expected in the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

"These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in areas of steep terrain," the US center said.

A storm surge accompanied by "large and dangerous waves" was also forecast to raise water levels by up to 1.2 meters (four feet) above normal tide levels along the Dominican coast, and up to 1.8 meters (six feet) over the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Further south, Harvey dissipated over the Sierra Madre mountain range in Mexico after driving across southern Mexico with high winds and rain in tow, and striking the coast of Belize on Saturday and lashing Guatemala as a tropical storm.

But the remnants of the storm still posed a threat of flash floods and mudslides in some areas.




http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Hurricane_Irene_bears_down_on_Dom_Republic_Haiti_999.html

HURRICANE IRENE SPARES PUERTO RICO MANGO REGION AND CONCENTRATES ON EASTERN END OF THE ISLAND...

Obama frees up emergency aid for PR

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

President Barack Obama declared Tuesday an emergency exists in Puerto Rico and ordered federal aid to supplement commonwealth and local response efforts in the area struck by Hurricane Irene beginning late Sunday and continuing.



The president's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate named Justo Hernández as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Flood warnings and watches remained in effect over the entire island on Tuesday morning as rains continued to drench Puerto Rico in the wake of the passage of Hurricane Irene.

Most central government workers were back on the job Tuesday, but many students got another day off as cleanup work continues in the wake of Hurricane Irene’s passage across Puerto Rico.

Irene is the first hurricane to hit Puerto Rico since September 1998, when Georges roared across the length of the island as a powerful Category 3 storm.

Hurricane Irene cut power to nearly a million Puerto Rico Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa) clients, downing trees and flooding streets on Monday. There were no reports of deaths or major injuries on the island, but Fortuño declared a state of emergency and urged people to stay indoors to avoid downed power lines, flooded streets and other hazards.

Prepa crews were working around the clock to restore power, but utility chief Miguel Cordero acknowledged it could take several days to finish the job in rural, mountainous areas. Some 100,000 Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer Authority clients lost water service as pumps were idled by the power outages.

Municipal crews were working quickly to clean up hundreds of downed trees.

The recovery work was done despite lingering rains that pushed rivers above their banks in Fajardo, Toa Baja and other areas.

http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=61139&ct_id=1

MAJOR SOUTHEAST USA PORTS OF PORT EVERGLADES, JACKSONVILLE, SAVANNAH & CHARLESTON ON TRACK OF HURRICANE IRENE...

Hurricane Irene to Slam Into the Carolinas


By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist
Aug 22, 2011; 8:57 PM ET


As Irene continues north late in the week, more of a curve to the north with time will open up the window for landfall in the Carolinas. A larger version of this map can be viewed in the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center.

It appears Irene will take a more typical path into the Carolinas, perhaps as a major hurricane this weekend, rather than plow into Florida as a minimal system late this week.

Given the setup in the atmosphere as well as where hurricanes have traveled from similar starting points, negotiating the Antilles, Irene may take a path similar to Hurricane Bertha in 1996.

People in the eastern part of the Carolinas, especially the coastal areas and barrier islands from the Myrtle Beach area on northeast, should begin making preparations for a possible hurricane landfall that brings 100-mph winds or greater, storm surge flooding, torrential rainfall and possible tornadoes.

People in these areas should be prepared to evacuate, in case the order is given.

As we often see with a hurricane moving along this sort of path, the worst conditions will be near, north and east of the center of circulation.



Storms moving in this manner along the East Coast of the United States tend to become lop-sided with dry air sweeping in west and southwest of the center promoting sunny skies.

This sort of setup could deprive some areas of the interior South of needed rainfall.

That being said, there can still be areas of damaging winds 100 miles west of the center with rough surf-related issues along the eastern Florida and Georgia coasts.



A track of this nature is likely to down trees and power lines and can damage buildings, port structures and small craft.

According to Hurricane Expert, Dan Kottlowski, "Since Irene is moving away from the Greater Antilles over warm open waters, the storm is likely to intensify and become a major (Category 3) hurricane."



There are other ramifications as the storm is not likely to stop in the Carolinas. It is very possible strong tropical storm or even hurricane conditions will continue to spread up the Atlantic Seaboard.

If the fast forward motion of the storm continues, it could spread damage, including that of downed trees, power lines and coastal flooding issues, into the mid-Atlantic late this weekend and into southern and eastern New England by early next week.

There is a possibility the center of Irene may try to parallel the Carolina coast at the last minute.

HURRICANE IRENE PASSES OVER/THROUGH DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON HER WAY TO EAST COAST USA...