Skimming through the wikipedia article, this section jumped out at me. What is old is new again. 1900 Galveston hurricane "On September 4, the Galveston office of the Weather Bureau (as it was then called) began receiving warnings from the Bureau's central office in Washington, D.C., that a tropical disturbance had moved northward over Cuba. At the time, they discouraged the use of terms such as "tornado" or "hurricane" to avoid panicking residents in the path of any storm event. The Weather Bureau forecasters had no way of knowing the storm's trajectory, as Weather Bureau director Willis Moore implemented a policy to block telegraph reports from Cuban meteorologists at the Belen Observatory in Havana – considered one of the most advanced meteorological institutions in the world at the time – due to tensions in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War. Moore also changed protocol to force local Weather Bureau offices to seek authorization from the central office before issuing storm warnings. Weather Bureau forecasters believed that the storm had begun a northward curve into Florida and that it would eventually turn northeastward and emerge over the Atlantic. As a result, the central office of the Weather Bureau issued a storm warning in Florida from Cedar Key to Miami on September 5. By the following day, a hurricane warning was in effect along the coast from Cedar Key to Savannah, Georgia, while storm warnings were displayed from Charleston, South Carolina, to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, as well as from Pensacola, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana. Cuban forecasters adamantly disagreed with the Weather Bureau, saying the hurricane would continue west. ..."
Louisiana has abundant offshore wind potential (one can read) but large spinners not yet installed. OTOH there are many offshore oil wells that normally have staff evacuated at times like this. Those structures are also being considered as platforms to build wind turbines on. H. Ida is now expected to undergo rapid intensification, possibly to cat 4, before Louisiana coast. == Large wind turbines (as an apparently general rule) place themselves in survival mode when winds exceed 55 mph. Lock the rotor and feather the blades. 'Feather' means set angle to lowest wind resistance. At some wind speed damage would occur anyway but I don't think that has been reported. Hurricane winds are very uniform - I would think a vortexy Midwestern tornado could do prompt disassembly better.
Some failures are described here: Offshore wind turbines and hurricanes | Everything about solar energy Onshore turbines with blades snapped: Offshore Wind Farms: Allaying Concerns About Hurricanes and About Fishing | Weather Underground Which reminds me that hurricane passing over complex terrain gets its wind field all jumbled up. A rotor blade being 'advised' to move this way and that may eventually not keep up.
Offshore buoy LOP1 This is what it loos like when your anemometer gives up: NDBC - 5-day plot - Wind Speed, Wind Gust and Atmospheric Pressure at LOPL1
This afternoon we’re getting scattered storms trigger by Ida. Not bad at 4 PM but overnight, it should be entertaining. Bob Wilson
About half of near-coastal rain may have already fallen. Hard to be certain. So far the improved levees and improved pumps of New Orleans seen to be keeping up. Most of wind damage is west of New Orleans because that's where the eye is tracking. I can watch New Orleans "Fox 8" tv from here. They have video teams out. Very drama. It seems unknown to these professionals that a tree that still has its leaves has not had steady wind above 50 mph. That a tree that still stands has not had steady wind above 100 mph. Trees are good at many things including being anemometers. Power outages through much of Metro New Orleans, but tv has not shown wider areas (while I have watched). One interesting report is 22 barges have broken free on Mississippi R. No images presented, maybe nobody will go out for a while.
Onshore barometers in 'lucky' spots are down to 940 millibars about 27.7 inches mercury. Pressures lower than those are extremely rare.
Flood predictions for near future: Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: New Orleans/Baton Rouge hover or click a color symbol and get a graph.
In western Pacific Taiwan, Chanthu will presently draw a strong south-to-north line. Hurricanes/typhoons/taifeng are common visitors there.
Taiwan gets strong-storm resets most frequently, although Philippines makes its case. It is only in Taiwan that I have worked with forest-studiers to develop research in how such frequent haircuts influence forest structure. Short and cautious. Maybe with more carbon offered to below ground. Carbon investments are relatively safe there.
In the North Atlantic, Hurricane Sam now spins, currently as a '4'. Sam is beginning to recurve as most there do, looks to churn Bermuda, and folks there have no doubt planned for its thrills. And yet, the internet click machine says 'risk to US eastern coast', or things like that. I simply wonder if peoples' interest could be drawn to what most of these storms actually do. Low-latitude excess heat gets transported to higher latitudes by hurricanes. There are not many alternatives to this transfer. Hurricanes, while killing lots of birds 'today', also churn up deep-water nutrients, and then plankton etc. happen, and larger (fish and) bird populations are supported 'tomorrow'. This trade off has not been examined and may be beyond powers of ecological study. Regardless, storms keep coming. Only few cross coastlines and 'waste' their spin energy on built structures, but only those few merit clicks. Those, and other ocean wanderers that get noticed because maybe they will hit something.
Internet click machine generates revenue..... A former employer (actually, 2 of 'em) used to be interested in how these autumnal blows affected sound propagation, but our next fight is going to be in shallower water - so these curiosities may die of loneliness. In addition to BIG warder, they grow storms pretty big out in WestPac, so big in fact that they stand apart from their diminutive Atlantic cousins by employing a different name. These heat engines played a non-minor role in a number of human conflicts going all the way back to the late 1200's. One wonders if history will repeat.....or just sort of rhyme a little.....
anyone notice the media isn't complaining that biden isn't doing enough? month-after-idas-landfall-louisianians-decry-third-world-conditions-2021-10-05
It pays more to have a hurricane when the otha folks are running things.... You get more media sympathy that way.
2021 pre-season prediction (from first post): "Named storms 18, hurricanes 8, major (cat 3 to 5) hurricanes 4." Season outcome (if it's over): Named storms 20, hurricanes 7, major (cat 3 to 5) hurricanes 4.
