Hurricane Alex is gone, killing at least 24 people

[Pathfinder]

Coastal Watches/Warnings and 3-Day Forecast Cone for Storm Center

Click image to zoom in ? Turn track on ? Download GIS data

Tropical Storm Force Wind Speed Probabilities - 120 Hours
Select a Future Forecast Time Below:
0 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 hours Loop


Click image to zoom in ? Download GIS data: 0.1 degree .shp 0.5 degree .shp
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/150122.shtml?tswind120#contents


Tropical Storm ALEX Public Advisory

WTNT31 KNHC 291431
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM ALEX ADVISORY NUMBER 16
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012010
1000 AM CDT TUE JUN 29 2010

...ALEX NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST WITH WINDS JUST BELOW
HURRICANE STRENGTH...


SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION
-----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...22.7N 93.1W
ABOUT 310 MI...495 KM ESE OF LA PESCA MEXICO
ABOUT 355 MI...570 KM SE OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...70 MPH...110 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 325 DEGREES AT 12 MPH...19 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...982 MB...29.00 INCHES


WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

NONE.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.


DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ALEX WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.1 WEST. ALEX IS NOW
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ALEX WILL APPROACH THE COAST OF
NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY AND MAKE
LANDFALL WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 36 HR OR SO BEFORE
LANDFALL...AND ALEX IS LIKELY TO BECOME A HURRICANE LATER TODAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 982 MB...29.00 INCHES.


HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
RAINFALL...ALEX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN
MEXICO AND SOUTHERN TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20
INCHES. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MEXICO TODAY. THESE RAINS COULD
CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES...ESPECIALLY IN
MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE COAST
WITHIN THE HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREAS ON
WEDNESDAY...MAKING OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.

STORM SURGE...A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY
AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE
COAST NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. THE
SURGE COULD PENETRATE INLAND AS FAR AS SEVERAL MILES FROM THE SHORE
WITH DEPTH GENERALLY DECREASING AS THE WATER MOVES INLAND. NEAR
THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE
WAVES.


NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...100 PM CDT.
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...400 PM CDT.

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT1+shtml/291454.shtml?

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Tropical Storm ALEX Public Advisory - Hurricane warning for the coast of Texas and Mexico

Re: Tropical Storm ALEX Public Advisory - Hurricane warning for the coast of Texas and Mexico

University of Texas at Brownsville

Hurricane Alert - SEVERE

University is under a high emergency threat.

Alert #3

Campus to Close & Employees should prepare areas as per Hurricane Plan
Posted: 6/29/2010 at 3:00 p.m.

A Hurricane warning has been issued for the Rio Grande Valley.

The current emergency level for the campus is Level 5-Severe. The university is under a high emergency threat. Campus will close at 3 p.m. TODAY, Tuesday, June 29.

Based on the 10 a.m. update by the National Hurricane Center, the projected landfall has been changed to 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. This new information indicates that Alex will make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane 12 hours earlier than predicted. Tropical storm winds are expected in our area by 10 a.m., Wednesday, therefore, all preparations both personal and business should be completed before then.

Classes will shut down and employees should prepare their offices and be ready to leave by 3 p.m. Employees should follow the tasks in the Hurricane Preparedness Plan.
Students will be released at 3 p.m. today and all classes beginning at 3 p.m. or after will be canceled. Students will be excused from classes scheduled for Wednesday, June 30 through Thursday, July 1.

Non-essential employees will be released at 3 p.m. Essential employees will continue to work until campus preparations are completed.
Golf carts should be stored first in the Cortez Building hallways. If that space is unavailable, golf carts should be moved to the foyer of SET-B by 3 p.m.

We will continue to monitor the movement of Tropical Storm Alex and we will keep you informed of any changes. Our next advisory will be issued mid-afternoon.

Depending on the impact of the storm, classes could resume and employees could be called back to work as early as Friday, July 2. All essential personnel called in prior to the resumption of normal business should check Information regarding reopening of the campus will be posted on the Hurricane Alert page at www.utb.edu/hurricane and at www.utb.eduand sent by campus e-mail using hurricane@utb.edu.

Information will also be sent to the following local media outlets:

Newspapers, please read:
? The Brownsville Herald
? The Valley Morning Star
? Mid-Valley Town Crier
? McAllen Monitor
? San Benito News
? Port Isabel Press
? Island Breeze

On television, please watch:
? Channel 4, KGBT-TV,
? Channel 5, KRGV-TV,
? Channel 2/40 KTLM-TVTelemundo
? Channel 3/48, KNVO-TVUnivision
? Channel 8/23 KVEO-TV
? Channel 10/60-KMBH -TV

On radio, please listen to:
? AM 710 (KURV)
? AM 1530 (KGBT
? FM 98.5 (KGBT)
? FM 100.3 (KTEX)
? FM 104.1. (KBFM)
? FM 88.1 & 88.9 (KMBH-KHID)
? FM 106.3 (KHKZ)
? FM 94.5 (KFRQ)
? FM 96.1 (KBTQ)

You can also find more information at the following links:

UTB/TSC Hurricane Plan/ Alert Page
www.nhc.noaa.gov/
www.utb.edu

We will continue to monitor the movement of Alex and will keep you informed of any changes.


http://www.utb.edu/ba/hurricane/Pages/default.aspx

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Tropical Storm ALEX Public Advisory - Hurricane warning for the coast of Texas and Mexico

Re: Tropical Storm ALEX Public Advisory - Hurricane warning for the coast of Texas and Mexico

<TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom; WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=0 sizset="22" sizcache="7"><TBODY sizset="22" sizcache="7"><TR sizset="22" sizcache="7"><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" sizset="22" sizcache="7">South Padre Island officials closing beaches

by Action 4 News Staff

</TD></TR><TR sizset="23" sizcache="7"><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom; HEIGHT: 20px" sizset="23" sizcache="7">Posted: 1 hr, 49 mins ago


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Authorities are planning on closing South Padre Island beaches as Tropical Storm Alex grows in strength and is set to hit south of the border in Tamaulipas.

Town officials said South Padre Island beaches will be closed as of 5 pm Tuesday and will remain closed until officials feel the beach is safe.
South Padre Island Mayor Bob Pinkerton said based on the information received, there will be no mandatory evacuation for residents.

Citizens and visitors are asked to continue to monitor updates through radio, television, the Internet and the city's website www.southpadretexas.gov.

Authorities reported that the Queen Isabella Causeway remains open.

Any change in the status of the causeway is the responsibility of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Their decision is based on wind speed.

Empty sandbags are available at the Public Works garage behind 4501 Padre Boulevard. Residents may receive up to five bags while businesses can receive up to 10 bags.

The distribution hours are 8 am-8 pm.

Special needs residents requiring assistance in relocating off the Island should call 956-761-6456for assistance.

Hurricane reentry stickers are no longer available from the South Padre Island Fire Department.

http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=476396

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Tropical Storm ALEX Public Advisory - Hurricane warning for the coast of Texas and Mexico

Re: Tropical Storm ALEX Public Advisory - Hurricane warning for the coast of Texas and Mexico

<TABLE class=full cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=full><TABLE class=full cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=full>Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas



</TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Updated: 3:26 PM GMT on June 30, 2010


</TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=full cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="vaT full">
Hurricane Alex continues to intensify as it slowly bears down on the coast of northeastern Mexico. Brownsville long-range radar shows the spiral bands of Alex, which has dumped heavy rains of up to four inches in northeastern Mexico and near Brownsville, according to satellite estimates of rainfall. The Brownsville airport received 0.78" of rain in the hour ending at 8am CDT, and 0.61" in the hour ending at 9am CDT. Floods from Alex have already killed ten people--six in Nicaragua, and two each in El Salvador and Guatemala.

Figure 1. Snapshot of the Brownsville long-range radar showing Hurricane Alex approaching the coast.

The 7:12am CDT eye penetration of the Hurricane Hunters found a central pressure of 959 mb, a modest 2 mb drop from the reading four hours previous to that. They noted a very tiny eye, ten miles in diameter, with a gap in the northwest side. Tiny eyes like this tend to be unstable, and in the 9:05am CDT eye penetration, the Hurricane Hunters found that the inner eyewall had collapsed, and the pressure had risen 2 mb, to 961 mb. A new, much larger eye will form today as the day progresses. During these "eyewall replacement cycles", a hurricane will typically weaken a few millibars , and the strongest winds will spread out over a larger area as the hurricane conserves angular momentum. Thus, the hurricane still has about the same amount of destructive power, it is just spread out over a larger area. This tends to increase the hurricane's storm surge, but lessens the wind damage, since the extreme winds of the inner eyewall are no longer present. Satellite loops show a large, well-organized storm with increasing amounts of low-level spiral bands forming, and improving upper-level outflow. Data from last night's flight of the NOAA jet showed an unusually moist atmosphere surrounds Alex, so dry air is no longer a problem for it. It's a good thing Alex has less than a day before making landfall, or else is would be a large and very powerful major hurricane.

Figure 2. Visible light image of Tropical Storm Alex taken at 19:35 UTC (2:35 pm CDT) on June 29, 2010, by NASA's Aqua satellite. At the time, Alex was a tropical storm with 70 mph winds. Image credit: NASA.

<B><BIG>Storm Surge</B></BIG>
Traditionally, a storm's ranking on the Saffir-Simpson Scale--the familiar Category 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 rankings we always talk about--have also been used to quantify storm surge threat. However, large, weaker storms that cover a huge area of the Gulf of Mexico, like Alex, can generate a larger storm surge than a smaller but more intense hurricane with a higher Saffir-Simpson rating. Thus, the National Hurricane Center has formally discontinued use of the Saffir-Simpson scale to characterize storm surge, and is studying the possibility of issuing separate Storm Surge Warnings a few years from now. These would be in addition to their traditional Hurricane Warnings. To give us a better idea of a storm's surge potential, Dr. Mark Powell of NOAA's Hurricane Research Division has developed the Integrated Kinetic Energy scale to rank storms. The scale ranges from 0 to 6, and a parallel wind damage scale that runs from 0 to 6 is also generated. Alex had an Integrated Kinetic Energy of 2.6 on the 0 to 6 scale at 1:30pm CDT yesterday, and its destructive potential rating for winds was just 1.2. Thus, Alex's surge ranked alomst one-and-a-half categories higher in destructive potential than its wind. These numbers have probably increased by a full category since yesterday afternoon. NHC is giving a 40% - 60% chance of a storm surge of at least 3 feet affecting the Brownsville area, and 10% - 30% chance the surge will exceed 5 feet. In theory, a Category 2 hurricane moving WNW at 5 mph can bring a storm surge of up to 8 - 9 feet to the South Texas and northern Mexican coast.

<B><BIG>Other Impacts</B></BIG>
Alex is bringing bands of heavy rain to the coasts of Texas and Mexico, as seen on the Brownsville, Texas radar. Hurricane local statements with projections for how Alex will affect the coast are now being issued by the National Weather Service in Brownsville and Corpus Christi. Flooding damage from the expected 6 - 12 inches of rain from Alex will be the main concern. Wind damage is a lesser concern, since the core of Alex is making landfall in a swampy, sparsely populated region of Mexico. The combined wind, surge, and flooding damage from Alex may be similar to 2008's Hurricane Dolly, which hit near Brownsville. Dolly was a Category 2 hurricane offshore that weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds when it made landfall, and did about $1 billion in damage. Dolly also generated two weak EF-0 tornadoes, and Alex is capable of generating a few tornadoes as well, according to the latest discussion from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. The atmosphere is moderately unstable, there is plenty of moisture, and wind shear at low levels has been increasing this morning. The greatest threat for tornadoes will occur late this afternoon, on the right side of where the storm makes landfall.

<B><BIG>Alex in historical context</B></BIG>
Alex is the first June hurricane since Hurricane Allison of 1995. Allison briefly became a minimal 75 mph hurricane before weakening and hitting the Florida Panhandle as a tropical storm. Alex is the strongest June hurricane since Hurricane Bonnie of 1986, which had 85 mph winds. Bonnie was the first hurricane I flew into as a member of the Hurricane Hunters. Bonnie made landfall along the upper Texas coast, and caused less than $20 million in damage. If Alex strengthens to 90 mph winds, it will be the strongest June hurricane since Hurricane Alma of 1966, which had 125 mph winds as it skirted the Florida Keys. There have been only ten hurricanes in May or June since 1945; only four of these were major Category 3 or higher storms.

<B><BIG>Track forecast for Alex</B></BIG>
All of the models take Alex to the west or west-northwest into northern Mexico by early Thursday morning. However, the steering currents are fairly weak, and Alex could stall and move erratically at times today. I don't anticipate that this weakness in the steering currents will allow Alex to move northward and make landfall in Texas. After landfall, the ridge of high pressure forcing Alex westward should remain in place and strengthen, keeping Alex's remnants over northern Mexico for several days.

<B><BIG>Intensity forecast for Alex</B></BIG>
Alex is over a region of ocean with moderately high total ocean heat content . Wind shear has fallen to a low 5 knots, and is projected by the SHIPS model to remain in the low range, below 10 knots, through landfall. The combination of low wind shear, moderately high ocean heat content, and plenty of moisture should allow Alex to continue to intensify today. Alex's pressure is already characteristic of a Category 3 hurricane, but the storm is so large that it is taking time for the winds to catch up to the pressure falls. It is unlikely that Alex's winds will be at Category 3 strength at landfall, since the storm is undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle, and does not have time to build a tight inner eyewall with strong winds before landfall. A Category 2 storm at landfall looks more likely.

.../ http://english.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/article.html?entrynum=1515

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

First Hurricane of the Atlantic Season Closes Rigs, Schools

<CITE class=byline>By Brian K. Sullivan and Mark Scott - Jun 30, 2010 </CITE>

Hurricane Alex is seen as it closes in to land near the Mexico-Texas border on June 29, as seen from space of the Gulf of Mexico. Source: NOAA via Getty Images




Hurricane Alex bore down on the oil- rich region of southern Texas and the western Gulf of Mexico, closing energy platforms and the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port as it headed for landfall below the Rio Grande.

About 25 percent of crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and 9 percent of natural-gas output was shut down, the U.S. government reported. Alex was about 190 miles southeast of Brownsville and moving northwest at 7 mph, heading for landfall in northeastern Mexico.
Alex, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and the first June hurricane in 15 years, had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph) at 10 a.m. Houston time, according to a National Hurricane Center bulletin.

?Alex is a large cyclone and hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles,? according to the advisory. ?Alex is a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, but has the potential to become a Category 2 hurricane prior to landfall.?

Tropical storm force winds of at least 39 mph extend 200 miles from the core, just less than the distance between New York City and Boston, according to the hurricane center. Those winds will reach the coast ?soon,? the agency said.

Platforms Evacuated

Three rigs and 28 platforms have been evacuated because of the storm, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement said in a statement on its website. Almost 396,000 barrels of daily oil output were shut-in, along with 600 million cubic feet of gas.
?Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons,? the agency said.

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, which serves tankers in deep water, halted offloading at 6:30 p.m. yesterday because of rough seas, Barb Hestermann, a port spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview. Deliveries are being made to customers from storage and there are no supply disruptions, she said.

Tornadoes are possible in southern Texas today along with dangerous waves on shore as the storm builds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Alex is expected to come ashore late tonight or early tomorrow in the northeastern Mexico-southern Texas border area.

?A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 3 to 5 feet above ground level along the immediate coast to the north of where the center makes landfall,? according to the advisory. ?The surge could penetrate inland as far as several miles from the shore.?

Heavy Rain

The storm is expected to drop as much as 12 inches of rain in northeastern Mexico and southern Texas; some locales may receive 20 inches of rain.

The University of Texas at Brownsville closed its campus yesterday and won?t reopen until the day after tomorrow, according to its website.

Cameron County offices also will be closed until the day after tomorrow.

Yesterday, President Barack Obama declared an emergency in Texas, which allows the state to receive federal aid in dealing with Alex. Texas Governor Rick Perry declared 19 counties a disaster area to free up resources and activated 2,500 National Guard troops, eight helicopters and three C-130 transport planes.

Valero Energy Corp., the largest independent U.S. oil refiner, has three south Texas plants -- two Corpus Christi refineries about 160 miles northeast of Brownsville and one inland at Three Rivers about 70 miles northwest of Corpus Christi.

.../
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-...hurricane-with-winds-of-75-miles-an-hour.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

TWCBreaking

1. Sustained tropical-storm force winds at South Padre Island: 46 mph gusting to 55 mph 2 minutes ago via TweetDeck
2. New tornado watch to be issued soon for South Texas until 4 a.m. CDT 6 minutes ago via TweetDeck
3. Reports of 2' of inundation on some docks around Port Isabel, TX. Expect 2-4' of inundation right at shorelines of S. Padre thru 12am. 7 minutes ago via TweetDeck
4. Western eyewall is just about to slam into the Mexican coast: http://bit.ly/9zD2XC 9 minutes ago via TweetDeck
5. Local media is reporting an estimated 1200 homes and business across the Rio Grande Valley are without power. 11 minutes ago via TweetDeck
6. NWS is reporting widespread power outages in the city of #Brownsville, TX. #Alex 15 minutes ago via TweetDeck
7. Rough approximation: #Alex central pressure has plummeted 32 mb in about 24 hours! 16 minutes ago via TweetDeck
8. Check out our live stream from south Texas right now: http://www.weather.com/tv/programs/hurricanestreaming.html 25 minutes ago via TweetDeck
9. Latest #hurricane hunters VORTEX fix shows #Alex still strengthening rapidly. Pressure down to 948mb! 35 minutes ago via TweetDeck
10. #Hurricane #Alex is 50 miles NE of La Pesca, MX, or 25 miles east of MX Coast (2 hrs to landfall). Interactive map: http://bit.ly/9zD2XC about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
11. Tornado reported in Brownsville near Boca Chica and Robin Hood at 6:32 pm CDT. Radar: http://bit.ly/aLGvlc about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
12. #Alex (950mb) is now in the neighborhood of Ike ('08), Wilma ('05), Jeanne ('04) central pressures at landfall. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
13. Only one #hurricane in 2009 was stronger (central pressure) than #Alex is now, and that was an AUGUST storm: Hurricane Bill (943mb). about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
14. #Alex (950mb) is now the strongest June Atlantic #hurricane in over 50 years! Last one stronger: Audrey in 1957 (946mb)! about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
15. If #Alex maintains its present forward speed, the center should make landfall in 2-3 hours. Radar: http://bit.ly/d8tcWd about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
16. Alex's 950 mb pressure equals the pressure of Ike (2008), Wilma (2005) and Jeanne (2004) at their landfalls. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
17. Tornado warning until 6:45 pm CDT in southern Galveston County, Texas http://bit.ly/bND7mV about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
18. South Padre Island update: Power outages are spotty and sporadic, minor wind damage to business signs, fences, etc. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
19. We are streaming live video from South Texas as #Alex makes landfall here: http://wxch.nl/bUe3m1 about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck
20. #Alex's pressure of 950mb is in the ballpark of 2009's strongest hurricane, Bill (943 mb), and that one was in August! about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck

.../

http://twitter.com/TWCBreaking

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width=120> Projected Path

Forecast path and timing.

> More​

</TD><TD width=30></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=120> Storm Information

Current location, winds, pressure and movement.

> More​

</TD><TD width=30></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=120> Interactive Satellite

Zoom and pan around on the latest imagery.

> More​

</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width=120> Tropical Storm
Watches & Warnings
See the latest tropical storm watches and warnings.

> More​

</TD><TD width=30></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=120> Hurricane
Watches & Warnings

See the latest hurricane watches and warnings.

> More​

</TD><TD width=30></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=120> More Alex Maps

Find radar, satellite, current winds and rainfall forecast maps.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

.../
http://www.weather.com/outlook/weat...ion-one-storm-hurricane-alex-2010-_2010-06-23

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

Hurricane Alex drenches northern Mexico, Texas

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN (AP) ? 1 hour ago

SAN FERNANDO, Mexico ? Hurricane Alex ripped off roofs, caused severe flooding and forced thousands of people to flee coastal fishing villages before weakening to a tropical storm over northern Mexico.

The Atlantic season's first hurricane largely spared nearby Texas, which had prepared for a possible direct hit. While it brought rain, spawned two tornadoes and caused 1,000 people to evacuate low-lying areas there, state officials reported no injuries or major damage.

Earlier, Alex whipped up high waves that frustrated oil-spill cleanup efforts on the other side of the Gulf of Mexico and delivered tar balls and globs of crude onto already soiled beaches.

The storm made landfall Wednesday night on a sparsely populated stretch of coast in Mexico's Tamaulipas state, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) south of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros.

Much of Matamoros was flooded Thursday morning, said Saul Hernandez Bautista, the city's director of the Civil Protection. He said at least 400 neighborhoods were flooded, some with 12 inches (30 centimeters) of water and at least 2,500 people were in shelters, mostly people evacuated from lowing lying regions outside the city.

Trees were uprooted and electrical posts were down. Hernandez said there were no known injuries or deaths in the Matamoros area but he did not know about the area farther south where the eye of the storm hit.

"The damages are incalculable. The city is practically under water," Hernandez said. "But the most important thing is that there was no loss of life. We took important and opportune measures to evacuate people."

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Alex was pushing inland early Thursday at 12 mph (19 kph) but had weakened to a a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph). It was expected to and dissipate within 24 to 36 hours.

By 7 a.m. CDT (1200 GMT), it was located about 55 miles (85 kilometers) west of Ciudad Victoria, and had sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph).

The center said that as winds lessened, the major problem was likely to become heavy rainfall.

To the west of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon state Gov. Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz told the Televisa television network that the approaching storm had already dumped 16 inches (40 centimeters) of rain in some areas. He ordered all schools closed and appealed for people to stay home from all but essential jobs. Medina said at least 2,300 people had been evacuated.

Alex had heavy rains and winds topping 110 mph (160 kph) as it hit land, lashing Mexican fishing villages, whose residents fled inland to the town of San Fernando on buses and in pickup trucks. Hundreds of people filled a storm shelter in a town auditorium.

"We didn't bring anything but these clothes," said evacuee Carolina Sanchez, 21, motioning to two small plastic bags at her feet, as her 3-year-old sister Belen Sanchez Gonzalez clutched a purple and white stuffed toy poodle at the storm shelter.

Her father, a fisherman, was one of many coastal residents who stayed behind to keep watch on their homes and possessions.

Abel Ramirez of San Fernando's Civil Protection and Fire Department said seven fishing villages, with a combined population of about 5,000, were evacuated.

The storm blew down trees and lifted the tin roofs off several homes.

In Texas, officials closed the causeway to South Padre Island, a vacation getaway off the coast, and 9-foot (3-meter) waves were reported on the island's beach.

More than 1,000 people in low-lying Hidalgo and Cameron counties fled to storm shelters and more than 1,000 homes were without power late Wednesday, though the biggest outage was caused not by the storm but by a car that ran into a utility pole, American Electric Power spokesman Andy Heines said.

The main threat as the hurricane begins to fall apart over land will be tornadoes, which could last another day or two, hurricane center meteorologist Chris Landsea said.

The other big threat is rain, Landsea said. Parts of Mexico and Texas are expected to get 6-12 inches (15-30 centimeters) of rain, which could cause flash flooding, he said.

It was the first June hurricane in the Atlantic since 1995, according to the hurricane center.

Flash floods also forced hundreds of evacuations in the southern Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, but hurricane specialist Eric Blake said those rains were only indirectly related to Alex and possibly the residual effects of Hurricane Darby, which has dissipated in the Pacific.

Three people ? a couple and their 5-year-old child ? were killed when heavy rains and winds brought down a wall on their wooden house in Acapulco, state Civil Protection authorities said.

Oil rigs and platforms in the path of the storm's outer bands were evacuated, and President Barack Obama issued a pre-emptive federal disaster declaration for southern Texas counties late Tuesday.

The three oil rigs and 28 platforms evacuated are not part of the Gulf oil spill response.

The storm was far from the Gulf oil spill, but cleanup vessels were sidelined by the hurricane's ripple effects. Six-foot waves churned up by the hurricane splattered beaches in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida with oil and tar balls.

In Louisiana, the storm pushed an oil patch toward Grand Isle and uninhabited Elmer's Island, dumping tar balls as big as apples on the beach. Boom lining the beach had been tossed about, and it couldn't be put back in place until the weather cleared.

"The sad thing is that it's been about three weeks since we had any big oil come in here," marine science technician Michael Malone said. "With this weather, we lost all the progress we made."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVWjsPEiqe1tEu2mhBIRaxxGi8owD9GM8OO81

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

Re: Large and intensifying Hurricane Alex bears down on northeastern Mexico, South Texas

Islanders relieved as Alex bypasses South Padre


By Peter J. Holley - Express-News

Web Posted: 07/01/2010 8:33 CDT

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND ? Tangled clumps of greenish-yellow seaweed, some of it filled with trash and debris, litter the beach Thursday morning, the most visible signs of the major storm that swept through the area the previous night.

As it crawled across the Gulf toward the South Texas coast, Hurricane Alex had the makings of another Dolly, as far as South Padre Islanders were concerned. But memories of the powerful 2008 storm, which scored a direct hit on the island leaving more than $1 billion in damages along the Texas coast, faded quickly.

Alex, now a tropical storm over Northern Mexico, failed to live up to its boisterous billing as it made landfall south of the border late Wednesday.

Despite torrential bursts of rain and steady gusts of wind that topped 60 mph, littering some roads with palm fronds and burying others beneath heaping mounds of newly formed dunes, South Padre Island officials reported no injuries, minor damages to local property and only scattered power outages.

With many parking lots flooded, some businesses remained closed Thursday morning. The island's streets remained quiet and empty, though authorities reopened the Queen Isabela Causeway to traffic at 7 a.m.

Thursday, after a fallen light pole was removed, allowing the first few residents to trickle back onto the resort island.

As the clouds broke Thursday morning, the feeling for many island residents was one of relief.

"Given the initial forecasts, which had the storm coming much closer to us, we feel like we dodged a bullet," said Dan Quandt, the Island's emergency public information officer, who noted that authorities had no emergency rescues Wednesday. "We hope this is the last storm of the season, but we'll be prepared if another one comes our way."

Many of the city's roads were under six inches of water early Thursday morning and Quandt said a number of county roads had been inundated by more severe flooding, much of it from chaotic nine and 10 foot waves that continued to push ashore overnight.

There were several breaks in the dunes, he said, as well as damage to some fences and signage.

We are really lucky that nothing major occurred," he said.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...ed_as_alex_bypasses_south_padre_97579424.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Alex weakens to tropical storm, but kills three in Mexico

Alex weakens to tropical storm, but kills three in Mexico

Alex weakens to tropical storm, but kills three

Five-year-old among the dead; thousands evacuated in Mexico

msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated <ABBR class="dtstamp updated" title=2010-07-01T14:15:24 itxtvisited="1">12 minutes ago</ABBR>

Residents are evacuated before the arrival of Hurricane Alex. Streets were flooded in San Fernando in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. (Str / EPA)

Mexican marines look for stranded residents as Hurricane Alex approaches near the border city of Matamoros on Wednesday. (Tomas Bravo / Reuters)

A man drives his car through a flooded street in Matamoros on Wednesday. (Tomas Bravo / Reuters)

Dennis Barrett paddles down Padre Boulevard in his kayak in flooding caused by Hurricane Alex in South Padre Island, Texas. (Larry W. Smith / EPA)

Decontamination equipment sits behind an oil-coated barrier under assault from high surf high on Fourchon Beach in Port Fourchon, La. The workers had been evacuated. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

SAN FERNANDO, Mexico ? Hurricane Alex weakened to a tropical storm early Thursday as it moved over northeastern Mexico, the National Hurricane Center reported.

The hurricane center in Miami said that the storm had sustained winds of 70 mph and is expected to weaken more as it moves farther inland.

By 8 a.m. ET, Alex was located about 55 miles west of Ciudad Victoria and was expected to dissipate within 24 to 36 hours.

The center said that as winds lessened, the major problem was likely to become heavy rainfall.

Alex made landfall late Wednesday at Soto La Marina, Mexico, and killed three people, including a 5-year-old child. The storm ripped off roofs, flooded streets and forced thousands of people to flee coastal fishing villages in northern Mexico.

The deaths occurred when heavy rains and winds brought down a wall over a wooden house in Acapulco, state Civil Protection authorities said.

As the storm weakened early Thursday, Mexico replaced a hurricane warning with a tropical storm warning for the coast from Rio San Fernando to La Cruz. Tropical storm warnings were discontinued on the coast from south of La Cruz to Cabo Rojo and north of Rio San Fernando to the mouth of the Rio Grande.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38030564/ns/weather/

 

[Pathfinder]

Hurricane Alex is gone, killing at least 24 people

<TABLE class=blueTop cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=hCenter>Alex is gone; the tropics are relatively quiet</TD><TD class=hRight>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sLeft>

</TD><TD class=sCenter></TD><TD class=sRight>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=full cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=full>Posted by: JeffMasters, 12:55 PM GMT on July 02, 2010</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Hurricane Alex is gone, killed by the high mountains of northern Mexico. Alex's rains linger on, and will continue to cause flooding problems in northern Mexico today. Alex killed at least 24 people in its week-long traverse of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. One death occurred in the Dominican Republic, and fourteen were killed in Central America. In Mexico, the outer rainbands of the storm killed three in Acapulco, one person in Oaxaca, and one person in Chiapas. Following its final landfall, Alex caused at least eight deaths in Nuevo Le?n, with three persons reported missing. It is possible Alex will have its named retired, though I think it unlikely. One of the countries substantially affected by a hurricane must make a request to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to have the hurricane's name required. Mexico was the country most affected by Alex, and Mexico has been reluctant to make retirement requests in the past. For example, Mexico suffered two landfalls from Category 5 Hurricane Emily in 2005, yet did not request that Emily's name be retired; there will be a new storm named Emily next year.

.../

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html