Historic flooding event in process on the mid-Atlantic coast

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Welcome all sky fans!!! I truly appreciate your visit and comments. I might not have time to respond to you, but I will try my best to visit!!!

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By now, most of you have heard of the huge coastal storm that is inundating the mid-Atlantic coast, most likely causing a historic flooding event, as the remnants of Ida merge with a high pressure system, creating a powerful pressure gradient, which is currently generating tropical storm force winds, causing ferocious waves, dropping buckets of rain and raising water levels, leading to flooding. The graphic the the left demonstrates the warnings and advisories being issued by the National Weather Service. You can click on the image for an updated depiction. Currently, there is flooding along the coast of North Carolina and Virginia from the surge combined with high tide overnight. Unfortunately, we expect that trend to move up the coast as subsequent high tides occur and the very slow storm motion, which in and of itself is going to cause rainfall totals 3x greater than a typical total rainfall for a wet November. Almost 10 inches have already been reported in some places.Precipitation

This system is offering basically the most destructive elements of a hurricane, without it being a hurricane. The areas affected will have flooding far inland due to excessive rainfall, which will be bad, but as the water level of the coastal water rises (storm surge--the pressure gradient will be drawing in storm surge), the waves grow in height, and high tide approaches again (4-5PM today), we can expect a devastating flooding event.

THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED DURING THE HIGH TIDE CYCLES THIS AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY MORNING.

Please join me in praying for all those who will be impacted (or have already been impacted) by the system formerly known as Ida, now just a no-name storm.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN™

God bless those involved in the coastal storm.

3:20PM EST Update: Unfortunately, the remnant low of Ida has aligned with high tide to create a nightmare scenario. Fellow storm chaser and Southern Weather Brigade member, Mikey is located about 1/4 mile from the coast in Norfolk. Please include his family and friends in your prayers.

~Dewdrop

Tropical Storm Ida Breezes

Well, you can see on this image that persistent Tropical Storm Ida is bearing down strongly on the Gulf Coast. The expectation is that there will be wind and rain, causing power outages and flooding, a storm surge of 3-5 feet is anticipated. Locally, we are starting to get increased breezes, southerlies and easterlies competing for power in my neck of the woods, as the outer bands of Tropical Storm Ida press inland.
Being in the northeast quadrant of a land falling tropical storm, there is a possibility of some weak and brief spin-ups (tornadoes), but our main concern her is the potential for lots of rain as Ida catches the frontal boundary and hangs a right, which is the forecast.Yep, we are definitely in the cone; looks like rain!

~Dew

We've got Tropical Storm Ida...

We've got Tropical Storm Ida, packing winds of 60mph, but look at this...She's expected to make it to the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen after a wet assault on Nicaragua and Honduras.

~Dew

Don't turn your back on the tropics just yet

Well, looky looky, down in the Caribbean Sea, we have an area of low pressure that the National Hurricane Center has identified as having a high probability of development into a tropical cyclone. It's been a while since we have talked about anything going on in the Atlantic Basin... it's been a dud season, but here we are with a late bloomer, which is actually presenting itself rather nicely on satellite.It looks very well organized to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if after reconnaissance, they skip tropical depression and immediately call it Tropical Storm Ida. You might be thinking... but the season is over... not so, the Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season lasts until November 30, and tropical cyclones have formed beyond that date in the past, so it's mostly just a time frame for expected occurrence.

Yesterday, I was leaving work and there was an amazing contrail that had feathered out to look like a giant spine (crooked like mine) across the huge expanse of sky. It was very cool, so... you know what I had to do...Then, last night, we had a beautiful altocumulus obscured moon with full and brilliant corona. I just sat back and enjoyed it this time.

Have a beautiful day!
~Dewdrop