MEC&F Expert Engineers

Monday, October 3, 2016

Tracking Hurricane Matthew and its Projected Path



Hurricane Matthew upgraded to category 5 storm





Could Hurricane Matthew impact North Carolina?


By Don Schwenneker
Monday, October 03, 2016 09:11AM
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- As Hurricane Matthew, a potentially devastating Category 4 storm, swirls across the Caribbean, many are wondering if it could impact North Carolina.



The speed of a frontal boundary headed our way will determine whether Matthew comes to visit here in the Tar Heel State. The latest plot from the WPC brings a cold front through Saturday into Sunday. That would be GREAT news because that front would push Matthew out into the ocean.


Latest from @NWSWPC shows cold front through on Sunday AM pushing Matthew away. Still a long A LOT of uncertainty. #watching pic.twitter.com/NbGVRZ0Eb3— Don Schwenneker (@BigweatherABC11) October 3, 2016


Some models show the storm hundreds of miles offshore. That would be the best solution but this far out it's all speculation.

Still, the Outer Banks could see some problems even it stays out to sea. And I wouldn't plan on going in the water at the beaches this weekend. Rip currents will be a problem Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

We'll have a much better idea on the path northward by Wednesday. By then, the storm will have passed over Cuba and that could significantly impact the northward path.
============== Updated 33 mins ago
RALEIGH -- Hurricane Matthew is strengthening in the Caribbean and is expected to begin turning north over the weekend.

Rain and winds from the storm whipped at Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao early Friday as it passed north of the islands on a track through a part of the Caribbean that rarely sees such storms.

At 11 a.m Friday, the center of of the storm was located near latitude 13.7 North, longitude 70.8 West and moving toward the west-southwest near 12 mph. A westward motion at a slower forward speed is expected later today and tonight. A turn toward the west-northwest is forecast by Saturday night, followed by a turn toward the northwest by early Sunday. On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will pass north of the Guajira Peninsula later today and tonight and remain over the central Caribbean Sea through early Sunday.

Authorities on the Dutch Caribbean islands had urged residents to reinforce their homes and stock up on emergency supplies. Some streets flooded on Aruba and Curacao in the early hours of the storm's pass-by, though there were no reports of evacuations.

Matthew's approach prompted long lines at gas stations and supermarkets on the so-called "ABC islands." Authorities in Aruba ordered government offices closed Friday and Curacao's parliamentary elections were postponed until next week.

The hurricane also was headed for a brush with the Colombia-Venezuela border area near the Maracaibo oil region on Friday.

After beginning to turn to the north sometime Saturday, Matthew was forecast to head toward Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti. The hurricane strengthened to a Category 3 storm early Friday and forecasters said it could arrive in Jamaica early Monday.

Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday, with officials in St. Vincent reporting a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.

===========

Hurricane Matthew grows to fearsome category 5 storm



Matthew is the strongest Atlantic storm since 2007.

By Chris Hohmann
RALEIGH (WTVD) --
Continuing to gain strength, Hurricane Matthew is now a fearsome category 5 storm with winds of 160 mph.

Forecasters say Matthew has become the strongest storm in the Atlantic since Hurricane Felix in 2007.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Matthew is packing top sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) after gaining new strength Friday. The storm is about 80 miles (125 kilometers) northwest of Punta Gallinas, Colombia, and about 440 miles (710 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.




The center says that as of 11 p.m. Friday, the storm is moving west at 7 mph (11 kph).

Hurricane Hunters flew into the storm this afternoon and found top winds at 150 mph with gusts to 165 mph. The storm is moving to the west southwest at about 10 miles an hour and should take a turn to the northwest and then north over the weekend.

Matthew could strengthen a bit more before it begins to weaken a bit by Sunday. Still, Matthew is forecast to move across eastern Jamaica as a category 3 storm with 120 mph winds. A storm of that magnitude could be devastating.

A Hurricane Watch is now in effect for Jamaica.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm is located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Punta Gallinas, Colombia, and about 465 miles (750 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.




In addition to a hurricane watch for Jamaica, authorities also issued a tropical storm watch for the southwestern coast of Haiti. The tropical storm watch is in effect from Haiti's southern border with the Dominican Republic to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.




Forecasters say Matthew is expected to turn toward the west-northwest by Saturday night and then toward the northwest on Sunday. The center says the storm's expected path over the central Caribbean is forecast to bring Matthew near Jamaica on Sunday.

ABC11 Meteorologist Steve Stewart says Matthews' movement is WSW and moving north of Colombia. The storm is forecast to make a turn to the north and eventually make it to the Bahamas by next Wednesday. If the storm delays its northward movement, then Florida could get impacts from Matthew.

If the turn is as forecast or quicker, the storm will likely stay out to sea. A front is forecast to move across the Eastern US next Friday. That will likely keep North Carolina in the clear as this storm would stay offshore.

"That's not a guarantee by any means, that's just how it's looking right now. A lot can happen between now and next Wednesday, so we'll keep monitoring closely," said Stewart.

Rain and winds from the storm whipped at Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao early Friday as it passed north of the islands on a track through a part of the Caribbean that rarely sees such storms.

Hurricane Matthew is now a category 4 hurricane

Authorities on the Dutch Caribbean islands had urged residents to reinforce their homes and stock up on emergency supplies. Some streets flooded on Aruba and Curacao in the early hours of the storm's pass-by, though there were no reports of evacuations.

Matthew's approach prompted long lines at gas stations and supermarkets on the so-called "ABC islands." Authorities in Aruba ordered government offices closed Friday and Curacao's parliamentary elections were postponed until next week.

Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday, with officials in St. Vincent reporting a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Posted by at

Idlewild Acres, LLC, and Peter M. Wild, its owner and manager, to pay $22,000 fine and to establish wetlands resolving violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to Cape Cod wetlands.


Cape Cod Owner Agrees to Restore and Preserve Wetlands to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations
10/03/2016
Contact Information:
David Deegan (deegan.dave@epa.gov)
617-918-1017

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached an agreement with Idlewild Acres, LLC, and Peter M. Wild, its owner and manager, resolving violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to wetlands.

The alleged violations occurred when Idlewild Acres and Mr. Wild dredged and filled about 14.7 acres of wetlands and other waterways on property they own in East Sandwich, Mass., without first obtaining a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers. The property had historically been operated as a cranberry farm. The wetlands were filled in order to convert the cranberry bogs at the property to a tree and shrub nursery.

The settlement requires Idlewild Acres and Mr. Wild to successfully establish or maintain approximately 12.7 acres of freshwater wetlands and ponds, including about 3.8 acres of ponds that were constructed in the wetlands. The wetlands will be restored by removing fill, or, for those areas that currently appear to function as wetlands, by maintaining wetland hydrology that already exists. The settlement also requires Idlewild Acres and Mr. Wild to place a conservation easement on the entire 14.7 area to permanently prevent uses other than agriculture or nursery operations. Finally, they will pay a civil penalty of $22,000.

Wetlands are vital to protecting the integrity of our rivers and estuaries, and help to protect the health and safety of people and their communities by providing a natural filtration system for pollution before it gets into our rivers, lakes and ponds, and by preventing flooding after storms. Wetlands also provide valuable wildlife habitat, offering breeding and feeding grounds for a broad array of fish, birds and other wildlife.

"Protecting wetlands is important because they are important ecological areas that provide valuable functions such as protecting and improving water quality, and helping to buffer floods and major storm events," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "When we lose wetlands, our communities lose resources that feed the rivers, lakes and streams we depend on to provide sources of food, transportation, and recreational opportunities."

The Complaint and Consent Decree were filed in federal District Court in Massachusetts on September 30, 2016.

More information:

The settlement agreement is subject to a thirty day public comment period and court approval. A copy of the Consent Decree will be available on DOJ's website (www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees).

Protecting wetlands and CWA Section 404 (www.epa.gov/cwa-404/section-404-permit-program)
Posted by at

BP OIL SPILL: oil was spilled into the water from the BP Clair platform on Sunday morning west of Shetland; Clair platform shurtdown




BP's Clair oil platform shut down after leak

9 hours ago
From the section NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland

BP has shut down one of its oil platforms, about 75km to the west of Shetland, because of a leak.

Oil was released into the water from the Clair platform on Sunday morning.

The size of the leak is unclear, and efforts are under way to ascertain whether it has caused damage to the environment.

BP said it was caused by a "technical issue" and an investigation into what happened was under way.

No-one was injured. It was not clear how long the platform would remain shut down.

A BP spokesman said: "The Clair platform, which is located 75km (46 miles) west of Shetland, has been shut down and the release has been stopped. All personnel have been accounted for and there are no injuries.

"We are investigating the cause of the technical issue and monitoring the situation. All relevant authorities have been informed."

The UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been informed and the industry funded organisation Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) has also been notified.

Lang Banks, director of environmental charity WWF Scotland, said the incident highlighted "the dangers posed on a daily basis" by oil and gas operations off the coast of Scotland.

He added: "In the interests of protecting the marine environment, it's important that we understand just how much oil has leaked.

"The platform should certainly not be allowed to restart operations until a full investigation into this incident is completed."

==========
BP says oil from North Sea spill to disperse naturally



A BP logo is seen at a petrol station in London, Britain January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/File Photo

A technical problem at BP's (BP.L) Clair platform in the North Sea a day earlier resulted in a brief oil spill that will be allowed to disperse naturally into the sea, the British oil major said on Monday.

Production at the platform, located 75 km west of the Shetland Islands, was halted after the incident.

"At present, we believe the most appropriate response is to allow the oil to disperse naturally at sea, but contingencies for other action are being prepared," BP said in a statement.

"The total oil in water volume that was released has yet to be accurately assessed and work to determine this is ongoing."

Britain's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it would hold an investigation to determine the cause of the incident, which is standard procedure.

"We are working closely with BP and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to resolve the incident on the Clair platform," a spokesman said.

There have been no reported injuries, the department added.
Posted by at

A wall and part of roof collapsed at a storage facility on Tramway Road in Sanford, NC


A wall collapsed at a storage facility on Tramway Road in Sanford (ABC11 eyewitness photo/Michael Sheffield)

Sunday, October 02, 2016 06:11PM
SANFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- Emergency crews responded to a storage facility in Sanford Sunday morning after a wall collapsed.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. in the 1400 block of Tramway Road.

The wall collapsing caused part of the roof to fall in. An ABC11 eyewitness sent in a photo from the scene showing debris and materials strewn about.

Authorities say two businesses use that facility. Fire crews told ABC11 the businesses plan to reopen Monday.

No one was injured. No word yet on what caused the wall to collapse.

Tramway Fire Department, the Lee County Fire Marshall, and City of Sanford building inspectors all responded.
Posted by at

$150,000 in damages after the second floor of a townhouse and attic were destroyed by a fire in Schaumburg, IL

 



A fire destroyed a townhouse in the 1000-block of Newport Harbor in Schaumburg.


Sun-Times Media Wire
Sunday, October 02, 2016 08:57PM
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- A fire caused significant damage to a northwest suburban Schaumburg townhouse Saturday.

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire at a townhouse about 11:55 a.m. in the 1000 block of Newport Harbor, according to fire department Battalion Chief Rick Anderson. Fire crews found a female resident of the townhouse on a balcony and were able take her to safety using a ladder. She was transported to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village in good condition to be treated for smoke inhalation.

The fire was put out in under 15 minutes, but a "hoarding situation" presented issues for firefighters inside the townhouse, Anderson said. Crews removed a significant amount of material from the residence to soak with water to extinguish any hidden fires.

The second floor of the townhouse and attic were destroyed by the fire, Anderson said. The damage was estimated at $150,000.

Residents of three other units in the townhouse complex were able to return to the their homes, Anderson said. Only the unit that burned was deemed uninhabitable.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation Sunday evening.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2016.)
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)