Hurricane Season 2005

NOAA‘s 2005 hurricane forecast is out and it looks like it’s going to be another busy season this year.

This year’s storm names: Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Dennis, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irene, Jose, Katrina, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rita, Stan, Tammy, Vince, Wilma

Some of the highlights:

For the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season the ACE index is expected to be in the range of 120%-190% of the median. The outlook also calls for 12-15 tropical storms, with 7-9 becoming hurricanes, and 3-5 of these becoming major hurricanes [categories 3-4-5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale]. While it is reasonable to expect this range of tropical storms and hurricanes, the total seasonal activity measured by the ACE index can certainly be in the predicted range without all three of these criteria being met.

Over the North Atlantic, key aspects of the multi-decadal signal expected during the 2005 hurricane season include 1) lower surface air pressure, warmer SSTs, and increased moisture across the central and eastern tropical Atlantic, 2) an amplified subtropical ridge at upper levels across the central and eastern North Atlantic, 3) reduced vertical wind shear in the deep tropics over the central North Atlantic, which results from an expanded area of easterly winds in the upper atmosphere (green arrows) and weaker easterly trade winds in the lower atmosphere (dark blue arrows), and 4) a configuration of the African easterly jet (wavy light blue arrow) that favors hurricane development from tropical disturbances moving westward from the African coast.

Based on the most recent ENSO outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, ENSO-neutral conditions are expected in the tropical Pacific through at least the first half of the hurricane season. Therefore, the ENSO phenomenon is not expected to impact this hurricane season.

NOAA 2005 Atlantic hurricane outlook
NOAA 2005 Atlantic hurricane outlook

Images from NOAA

Make sure you’re ready for the season!

Ribbit…POP!

Oh, this is just gross

One can’t help but have this morbid fascination about what it looks like though.

More than 1,000 toads have puffed up and exploded in a Hamburg pond in recent weeks, and scientists still have no explanation for what’s causing the combustion, an official said Wednesday.

Boy, do I feel welcome!

USCIS sent me not just one welcome letter informing me of my new permanent residency status, but 7 of them! Maybe this is some form of beaurocratic enthusiasm or something. One would have been just fine. But 7? I guess I could frame one, keep another one on file. Maybe friends and relatives would like one.

I’d better just file them away.

So long car!

After 6 years of mostly faithful service, I said good bye to our 91 Honda Accord today. It really hadn’t been getting driven around much at all these past few months, and a few weeks ago decided not to start anymore. Plus there was something causing a slow drain on the battery. We decided that with all the outflow of money from the house, it was probably better to get rid of it. We don’t really need two cars right now anyway.

We ended up donating the car to the American Diabetes Association. I probably could have sold it for a decent price by spending some cash and getting it back up and running, but there’s not much spare cash at the moment to pump into the car to get it up and running. With our time frame for moving, donating the car seemed like it would be the most expedient way of disposing of the car rather than waiting for someone to come around and buy it.

Almost made it to 180 000 miles on the car too.

Did I see a motorcade?

So I’m sitting at the light this morning waiting to get onto the main road so I can head off to work. Just as the light turns green, a couple of motorcycle cops stop in the middle of the intersection, stop traffic in one lane (headed the way I’m trying to go of course), wave traffic through in the other lane. I’m thinking this is a little bit early for a funeral procession and then shortly afterward a caravan of 7 or 8 police cars go through all with lights flashing. Definitely not a funeral procession.

Finally after waiting at the red light again, I’m finally on my way to work. The 8AM news comes on the radio, and they start talking about Bill Clinton (minus Hillary) taking a break down in Kiawah. Nowhere near the Folly Beach direction these police cars were headed from, but maybe he decided to take a jog down Folly or something.

Or maybe it was just a bunch of people headed to where The Bill was going.
Guess I’ll never know…