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Weather History Topics
Take A Look Back At Many Different Past Weather Events!

Reflecting on the 5th Anniversary of the Landfall of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Credit: MTSAT Imagery)

11/7/2018

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Super Typhoon Haiyan 5 years ago today in the #Philippines, over 6K died. When I left the US Haiyan was just a tropical storm: https://t.co/4oNegSsA8s

— Jim Edds (@ExtremeStorms) November 8, 2018
DISCUSSION: It goes without saying that 5 years ago today there was history made over in parts of the eastern and central and eastern Philippines. To be more precise, 5 years ago today, the eastern and central Philippines bore witness to the full force of Super Typhoon Haiyan. Super Typhoon Haiyan was an intense tropical cyclone which formed in early November of 2013.  This powerful tropical cyclone was particularly intimidating since this storm had nearly a perfectly symmetric structure associated with it right up to the point of landfall over in the eastern Philippines. To be more precise, this tropical cyclone had developed sufficiently clear characteristics to allow it to be referred to as an annular tropical cyclone. An annular tropical cyclone is a tropical cyclone which has a near-perfect to perfect energy distribution across the entire span of the system from north to south and from east to west.
 
Moreover, Super Typhoon Haiyan was also an incredibly large tropical cyclone which also increased the overall flooding as well as flash flooding threat (i.e., from both heavy rainfall and record-breaking storm surge levels). Having said that, the storm was ultimately quite destructive and unfortunately quite deadly as well in the wake of well over 6,000 people losing their lives during the impacts and aftermath of this powerful tropical cyclone. Thus, it in looking back to Super Typhoon Haiyan, there is absolutely no question whatsoever that this was a storm which will go down in history as one of the worst tropical cyclones of all-time.
 
To learn about just some of the many intimidating details associated with this storm, here is a quote from the article attached below which reflects just a portion of what Super Typhoon Haiyan did. “Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally named Yolanda) made its first landfall at 4:40 a.m. local time (20:40 Universal Time) on November 7. Preliminary reports suggested the storm roared ashore near Guinan (Samar Province), where ground stations recorded sustained winds of 235 kilometers (145 miles) per hour and gusts to 275 kilometers (170 miles) per hour. According to remote sensing data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, sustained winds approached 315 kph (195 mph) just three hours before landfall, with gusts to 380 kph (235 mph).”

Attached above is also a first-person perspective on this event from Award-Winning Storyteller and Cameraman Jim Edds from Pensacola, Florida.
 
To learn more about this historic tropical cyclone event, feel free to learn more about it from the NASA Earth Observatory link, which can be found right here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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The Deadliest Hurricane in U.S. History (credit: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The History Channel)

10/30/2018

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The deadliest hurricane in U.S. history struck the coast of the Gulf of Mexico devastating Galveston, Texas, an island located off the coast of Texas. On September 8, 1900, a category four hurricane reached land from the Gulf of Mexico. The people in the affected area were not aware of the hurricane in time to evacuate. This is due to the lack of weather knowledge during the early 1900’s according to the History Channel.

When the category four hurricane hit Galveston, it had winds greater than 135 mph. At this time, the highest point in Galveston was only 8.7 feet above sea level. Storm surges rose up to 15 feet, flooding the entire island. It destroyed more than 3,600 buildings. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated the death toll to be between 6,000-12,000 people (about 20% of Galveston’s population). Afterwards, Galveston was rebuilt but it did not continue to be a major port of weather call. This is because Houston became the new  port of weather call after many people turned to Houston to rebuild their lives. Houston began to populate and the citizens of Houston provided assistance to Galveston. These rescuers found many survivors trapped under debris. About 30,000 people were left homeless. Not only was the public not aware of this hurricane, but it was a very populated place. From 1875 until the hurricane hit, Galveston was in what’s known as the Golden Era of Galveston. At this time the city’s economy was booming and there was a high population of around 37,000 people. A hurricane can be more devastating to a populated area because the higher the population, the more people affected.   

In 1900, the Weather Bureau (now known as the National Weather Service) was only 10 years old and did not have a well-organized communication system. They were still developing the company and communication was extremely limited. After the hurricane hit and caused its devastation, the Weather Bureau began to improve their communication system nationally and internationally so that this never happens again.    

This is a very important time in history because it was the beginning of hurricane science advancement. It is necessary for meteorology to be advanced so the public can be aware of the natural disasters and everyday weather that can affect their lives.  

To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!    

​©2018 Weather Forecaster Brittany Connelly

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How Hurricane Florence Set Two U.S. State Rainfall Records (credit: Meteorologist Michael Lowry)

10/2/2018

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Two state tropical cyclone rainfall records set in two days. Just incredible. My heart goes out to all affected by this disaster. #Florence #ncwx #scwx https://t.co/aPeNgFZodl

— Michael Lowry (@MichaelRLowry) September 16, 2018
DISCUSSION: Though it has already been a couple of weeks since Hurricane Florence barreled into the North Carolina and South Carolina coastal regions, there is still a ton of information which needs to be and is yet to be processed. It goes without saying that despite an incredibly accurate 5-day future track forecast for Hurricane Florence, major flooding concerns continued to loom over the Carolinas in the days leading up to the final approach and ultimate landfall of Hurricane Florence. The combination of a prolific storm surge as well as heavy rainfall led to widespread regional flooding and flash flooding over the course of several days.
 
In diving a little deeper into the story behind the impacts of hurricane Florence, it is important to note just a few more reasons for why Hurricane Florence will undoubtedly go down in history as of one of more historic U.S. natural disasters in recorded history. When it came to trying to anticipate the most likely flooding potential scenario associated with Hurricane Florence, the majority of forecasters had a very good inclination that there would most certainly be many areas across North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond which would end up receiving prolonged periods of heavy rainfall. However, what was not foreseen in the majority of rainfall forecasts was the scenario wherein adjacent U.S. states (i.e., North Carolina and South Carolina) would each break respective tropical cyclone event rainfall records. In fact, this is precisely what would end up happening across those respective states. This is reflected in greater detail by the context of the graphic suite attached above (courtesy of Meteorologist Michael Lowry).
 
With or without this tropical cyclone event rainfall record being broken, the flooding in and of itself was horrifying and the lasting impacts as well as aftermath of this tremendous flooding event has left many people in a state of disrepair and shock. The lasting message which can be taken from the impacts of Hurricane Florence is that even though Hurricane Florence only made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane (as previously stated many times recently across social media but absolutely deserves to be re-stated), this never meant that there was any less of a storm surge or flooding threat from Florence as everyone in the path of this storm went on to find out first-hand. Thus, as said many times before but bears repeating, it only takes one storm to make a life-changing difference for someone and everyone should always respect the natural power of an approaching tropical cyclone.

To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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The Anniversary of Hurricane Irma's Cuban Landfall. (credit: Meteorologist Brian McNoldy)

9/8/2018

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One year ago tonight, #Irma made landfall on the northern Cuba coast as a Category 5 hurricane, their first in 93 years. Full radar loop from Cuba at https://t.co/ucPbEPtNBf pic.twitter.com/ou1SqoriXv

— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) September 8, 2018
DISCUSSION: With as busy as the tropical Atlantic hurricane season has now gotten here in September of 2018, it is almost crazy to contemplate what was going on just a year ago today.  More specifically, one year ago tonight, the heart of Hurricane Irma lashed out at the northern half of Cuba as a roaring Category 5 hurricane with sustained wind speeds along the immediate northern coastline in excess of 160 mph with even higher gusts at times. Moreover, look into this horrific tropical cyclone anniversary in even greater detail (courtesy of the Tweet from Meteorologist Brian McNoldy) this was the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall anywhere on the island of Cuba in a whopping 93 years. Thus, it goes without saying that this is not a common occurrence for Cuba by any stretch of the imagination. 

It also goes without saying that the majority of people across the United States and the world more so remember Hurricane Irma being one of the infamous trio of storms (i.e., the namely trio being Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria) which all went on to impact the United States and/or United States territories at some point during their respective existence. In addition, people also remember Hurricane Irma for being the storm which earlier on was thought to be more of a threat along the eastern coastline (i.e., the Atlantic-side) of Florida.  However, as the story went on to be written, Irma ultimately took a path towards northern Cuba and then up through the Florida Keys and on towards southwest and then western Florida before moving inland and dissipating before too long.

If nothing else, this 1-year anniversary of the landfall of what was a Category 5 Hurricane Irma in northern Cuba before moving on to the United States just goes to show that one storm can make all the difference in the world and to always be prepared regardless of the intensity of a given storm. 

To learn more about other historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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Remembering Hurricane Katrina                          (credit: Meteorologist Brian McNoldy)

8/30/2018

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Radar coverage of #Katrina approaching the Gulf coast 13 yrs ago. When Katrina made landfall, it generated the largest storm surge ever recorded in the U.S.: 27.8 feet in Pass Christian, MS. It also still holds the record for the costliest hurricane in U.S. history. @UMiamiRSMAS pic.twitter.com/wafzR4KVjh

— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) August 28, 2018
DISCUSSION: It is hard to believe that it has been a little over 13 years since a good portion of the Gulf Coast of the United States experienced prolific and historic impacts from the full force of Hurricane Katrina.  Hurricane Katrina left an unforgettable set of horrific memories for many millions of people who lied in the path of that historic tropical cyclone back in August of 2005. Hurricane Katrina began in a very modest fashion as a weak hurricane in Florida by around 25 August 2005 and was originally expected to re-curve into parts of northeast Florida. However, the course of this historic tropical cyclone was forced to change as a result of an area of high-pressure which built in across parts of the Mid-Atlantic United States between 25 and 27 August which forced Hurricane Katrina to take a track further west across the central Gulf of Mexico.

As Hurricane Katrina continued moving across the central Gulf of Mexico, it gained substantial strength and size which made it a large and incredibly dangerous hurricane which would go on to make a historic and terrifying track into Louisiana which will never be forgotten.  Between a record-breaking storm surge, powerful onshore winds, and intense as well as persistent tropical rainfall, Hurricane Katrina went on to compromise the strength of the levee system guarding the city of New Orleans to the point that they gave way to the power of the rushing ocean water into Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana. As a result, New Orleans and surrounding area experienced an unprecedented flooding event unlike anything the city had ever experienced before in recorded history.  Furthermore, as shown above in the text caption (courtesy of Meteorologist Brian McNoldy), Hurricane Katrina still remains to be the costliest hurricane in recorded U.S. history which is likely a recorded that will not be broken for quite a long time considering the extent of Katrina's impacts.

To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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Learning From Past Flooding Tragedies (credit: Glen Barber at The Denver Post)

8/1/2018

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DISCUSSION: As the age-old phrase goes, it is always critical to take the time to learn from the past, so we are not doomed to make the exact same mistakes in the future. In looking just beyond 2 days and 32 years ago today, a prolific and somewhat isolated stationary thunderstorm event generated more than ten inches of rain which funneled into the narrow Thompson River Canyon which is located out in northeastern Colorado. As a result of this heavy rainfall event, there were documented reports of a wall of water measuring up to or possibly over six to eight feet high moving through various cities across portions of northeastern Colorado. This major flooding event unleashed an absolutely horrific twenty-five-mile path of destruction from Estes Park to Loveland which ultimately ended up taking the lives of 144 civilians. As part of this tragic flooding event, the flash flood caught campers and caused extensive structural and highway damage.

The results of this tragic flooding (and perhaps flash flooding) event is a truly crucial reason to always live out the words of wisdom which goes by "turn around, don't down" and "always respect the natural power of Mother Nature."  When you are under the gun of an ongoing flooding and/or flash flooding event or situated in a location wherein there is a viable short-term threat for a heavy rainfall event, it is imperative to respect the natural power of quickly rushing rainfall run-off and not attempting to "simply pass by" or "just gun through it."  Hence, never underestimate the natural power of running water and always treat heavy rainfall events with tremendous respect.

To learn more about this particular historic Colorado flooding event, click on the following link: https://www.denverpost.com/2016/07/31/big-thompson-river-flood-1976-photos/.

​To learn more about other past historic weather events, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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How a Satellite Can Give Insights Beyond a Storm's Impacts! (credit: NOAA NWS Aberdeen, South Dakota)

7/4/2018

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DISCUSSION: As atmospheric science continues to evolve with time, there is no question that higher-resolution satellite imagery continues to change the way in which we study and evaluate severe weather events. First off, higher resolution satellite imagery allows atmospheric scientists to make much more precise detections of pre-convective initiation signals as well as the timing of convective initiation itself by way of there being a much clearer and real-time view of severe weather events as they unfold with passing time.
 
Furthermore, much finer detail associated with high-resolution satellite imagery from satellites such as the MODIS and/or MODIS-TERRA satellite platforms allow atmospheric scientists to make much more detailed assessments of severe weather impacts than ever before in human history. Thus, the presence of higher-resolution satellite imagers has forever revolutionized the way in which deep convective storms are analyzed and examined both during their existence and well after their demise. A fitting example for how atmospheric scientists use such high-resolution satellite imagery to enhance their analysis is included above from a recent severe weather event which unfolded on 29 June 2018 (i.e., within the past week).

​As shown above, back on 29 June 2018 there was a potent supercell thunderstorm which traveled a little over 420 miles during its existence which is quite impressive just by itself.  However, to boost such an impressive distance feat, this storm also went as far as to leave behind a solid hail scar in its wake. This hail scar was later observed via the MODIS satellite imager (as captured in the graphic above) to verify the path length and width over which this lengthy hail scar could be found across.
 
Although there were fortunately no fatalities immediately reported in association with this severe weather event, it goes without saying that a severe thunderstorm moving through this region does not bode well for crops since hail can be very damaging to crops.  So, in a sense, even if a severe storm is not directly impacting people, there is always a solid likelihood across the Central Plains states that a severe storm is still indirectly impacting the livelihood or safety of animals or livestock belonging to various families or farmers.  
 
To learn more about other interesting weather history events from around the world, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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When Heat Fights Back: The Battle of Monmouth, 1778 (Photo Credit: worldatlas.com)

6/28/2018

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Discussion: On June 28, 1778, General George Washington led the Continental Army in an attack against the British Army at the Battle of Monmouth in Monmouth County, New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War. In May of 1778, British troops, led by General Sir Henry Clinton, began evacuating from Philadelphia to New York, traveling over land through New Jersey. The Continental Army saw this as a perfect opportunity to strike. Ultimately, this battle ended in a draw as the Continental Army was able to hold the field, but the British were still able to escape to New York. However, this battle is considered a significant battle in the American Revolutionary War, as the Continental Army was able to hold its own against what was considered one of the best armies in the world. Additionally, this battle holds significance in weather history due to the impact heat may have had on the number of casualties in this battle.
 
The weather conditions during this historical battle were less than favorable with extreme heat prevailing throughout the day. For much of the duration of the battle, temperatures were said to have exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit. To put this in perspective, heat stroke can occur when your internal body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Prolonged exposure to hot temperatures in addition to physical exertion can raise your internal body temperature. According to some accounts, an American woman named Mary Hays heroically traversed the battlefield through the rain of musket balls and cannonballs just to bring water to over-heated soldiers. She was even said to have taken her husband’s place at the cannons after he collapsed on the field. Unfortunately, many deaths from this battle were attributed to heat stroke. Some accounts report that the extreme heat may have taken more lives than musket fire. It is hard to say whether the weather influenced the overall result of this battle, but it is clear that the high temperatures on this day did make the conditions of battle that much harder.
 
To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!
 
©2018 Meteorologist Stephanie Edwards

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The Evolving History of U.S. Doppler Radar Development (credit: This Day in Weather History)

2/16/2018

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DISCUSSION: Over the past 6 to 7 decades, there has undoubtedly been tremendous progress made in the field of radar meteorology.  From the earlier systems (i.e., the Army radar landing systems) which were very basic in terms of their ability to observe the lowest part of the troposphere during the earlier part of the 20th Century.  Attached below are exact excerpts from the "This Day in Weather History" team and the Radarscope team which help to further explain the background behind the history of weather radar evolution across the United States.

"Today, there are over 150, NEXRAD or Next Generation Radars in service across the county. However a mere 71 years ago, there were none. On February 13th, 1947, the Civil Aeronautics Administration asked Congress for funds to install surplus Army radar landing systems at 20 terminal airports. Radar landing systems permit planes to land "blind" in bad weather. The first Weather Surveillance Radar was installed in Washington D.C. in March 1947. By early July 1947, newspapers across the country ran a story about how weather forecasters may be able to track down tornadoes by radar. Today, radars can detect a tornadic debris signature (TDS), often referred to as a debris ball. A TDS is an area of high reflectivity on weather radar caused by debris lofting into the air, usually associated with a tornado."

The next two excerpts are quoted from the article entitled "A Brief History of Weather Radar courtesy of the Radarscope team which is owned by Weather Decision Technologies.

"During the 1960s, the electronics industry underwent a great deal of change. Electronic components could be made smaller due to the transistor. A group of engineers formed Enterprise Electronics Corporation to design and manufacture more advanced radars. Their first radar was installed in 1969 at a television station in Tampa, Florida. A year later, a second radar was installed in Jackson, Mississippi. Funding obtained in 1976 allowed the NWS to replace the older radars with newer radars. These radars became known as the WSR-74C."

Following the deployment of the WSR-74C, two laboratories that were instrumental in radar development, the NOAA National Severe Storms Lab and the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory, combined forces to work on the Joint Doppler Operational Project. The path to the development of what would eventually be called NEXRAD began in 1978. Some 12 years later, the first WSR-88D was installed near Norman, Oklahoma. A total of 158 of these radars are now installed across the country. The WSR-88D was the first radar with Doppler capabilities, which not only allows the radar to detect an echo, but also determine the motion of that echo."

To learn more about the particulars of the article from the Radarscope team, feel free to click here!

To learn more about other past historic flashbacks on major weather or weather-related events from around the world, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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Remembering the Sudden Freeze of 1836 (Image courtesy of Newberry.org)

1/28/2018

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DISCUSSION: This article details the “sudden freeze”, a strange meteorological event in 1836 that caused hardships for pioneers in Illinois. The day was December 20, 1836, central Illinois had been experiencing relatively warm temperatures for the previous few days. That day there was light rain, with some reports claiming snow on the ground was turned into slush due to said rain. Then around noon, a dark cloud, or according to one report, clouds suddenly appeared from the northwest bringing with it a roaring sound and high wind speeds of up to 70 mph. These clouds and high winds were because of an intense cold front that moved through the area. It also brought with it a great drop in temperature, from around 40 degrees Fahrenheit to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of minutes.

This sudden change in temperature apparently caused streams to freeze and thicken in ridges, that’s right, ridges of six to twelve inches in just a few hours. Livestock left out in the open were frozen in their tracks, with several of them freezing to death as no one was there to melt or break away the ice from their extremities. The sudden change took people by surprise, with some far away from their homes or without the resources to build a fire, leading to multiple deaths due to freezing. One report of the event claims that a man who had been riding on his horse in the rain had his wet jacket frozen to him while he was also frozen to his saddle. The front moved through the area with it reaching the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio by midnight, bringing cold weather to those areas as well. The next day, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and parts of Iowa and Illinois experienced sub-zero temperatures.

This sudden change in weather was very disastrous for the people of central Illinois .Especially considering people back then didn’t have modern weather forecasting, radar, air conditioning or heating systems, warning systems, and other modern technology to assist them like have now. Such widespread death of people and livestock could have been prevented had they had these conveniences.

To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Noah Hardy
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