Trosum (tropical summary) -- Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Isaac relentlessly pounding the Gulf Coast on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
Image credit: Gibson Ridge
HURRICANE ISAAC
- Isaac continues to have its key characteristic of being very big in size, which is causing impacts to be felt across a much larger area, and be more significant, than would be the case with a small hurricane of the same category. The expanse of Isaac, and its slow movement, are resulting in places experiencing strong winds and bands of heavy rain hour after hour after hour, and those winds are pushing water onshore by way of the storm surge. Fortunately those water levels are overall much lower than they were exactly 7 years ago today, when Katrina made landfall, but there are communities in southeast Louisiana in which levees have been overtopped and water rescues are taking place.
- The relentless winds will cause power outages to continue to accumulate and will create adverse conditions for crews trying to quickly restore power. Expect widespread outages for days; more people will be directly affected by wind than any other impact. Rising water (from surge or rainfall) is dangerous, but so are falling trees and power lines -- be careful!
- Rainfall totals are adding up and will continue to do so, and the risk of flooding will increase. A threat of tornadoes will also exist.
- Very hot air for so late in the season in the northern and central Plains is associated with a strong ridge of high pressure which is blocking the hurricane from quickly exiting. Isaac will slooowly swirl northwestward through tonight and Thursday; then tomorrow night, Friday, and this weekend, what will then be Tropical Depression Isaac and finally just a remnant low will progress to the north and east across the mid-Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley, in a much weaker state but still with locally heavy rain and gusty winds.
ELSEWHERE IN ATLANTIC
- Yet another named storm, Kirk, the 11th of the Atlantic season, has formed but is on a track to stay out at sea.
- There's another one in the pipeline after that in the eastern Atlantic. Latest model trends have it also staying out at sea.
WESTERN PACIFIC
- Tropical Storm Tembin is headed for South Korea tomorrow.
EASTERN PACIFIC
- Tropical Storm Ileana is headed out to sea.
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