Prepare for ton risk this spring

The chance of flooding is booming countrywide as snow melt from heavy winter months mixes with anticipated spring rains. Minor flooding has already been reported in certain areas of the nation, such as the Florida panhandle, Indiana and Illinois, and also the National Weather Service forecasts minor flooding across large regions of the Area and South, with heavier flooding likely within the upper Area and across the lower Mississippi River valley.

"Flooding can happen rapidly, and we have to prepare for this, just like we have to get ready for other weather occasions for example severe weather and tornadoes," stated Sarah Nafziger, M.D., an urgent situation medicine physician in the College of Alabama at Birmingham and assistant condition emergency medical services medical director for that Alabama Department of Public Health.

Nafziger states keeping informed is paramount to remaining safe throughout flooding occasions. Know your risk, give consideration to media reviews, and also have a plan.

"If flooding is anticipated in your town, plan a getaway route leading to greater ground, and make preparations an urgent situation package with first-aid supplies and medicine, batteries, water, lights, and nonperishable food," she stated. "Charge your electronic products, and anticipate to flee."

Nafziger states the nation's Weather Service website is a great source for further recommendations before, throughout after flooding included in this are staying away from ton waters, heeding road closings and cautionary signs, and awaiting the official "all obvious" before coming back to some flooded area.

"The aftermath of ton could be just like harmful because the actual flooding, with disease, electrical hazards as well as displaced creatures as risks," Nafziger stated.

View the original article here

Southeast U.S. should prepare for wild weather from climate change, expert says

People who live in the southeastern United States should begin to prepare for more drastically changing weather conditions -- everything from heat waves to poorer air quality -- caused by climate change, according to a new book, edited by a University of Florida researcher.

The book, which UF's Keith Ingram helped write, is titled "Climate Change of the Southeast United States: Variability, Change, Impacts and Vulnerability." Ingram was the book's lead editor.

Principal authors and editors, including Ingram, unveiled the book Tuesday. Ingram is director of the Southeast Climate Consortium and an associate research scientist with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

"The Southeast already experiences extreme weather events including floods, droughts, heat waves, cold outbreaks, winter storms, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and tropical cyclones. In the future, these events are likely to become more frequent or more severe, causing damage to most of our region's agriculture, stressing our region's water resources and threatening human health," he said. "The sooner we make preparations, the better off we'll be."

As defined in the book, the Southeast includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Specific findings include:

• Average annual temperatures are projected to increase through the 21st century, with the region's interior projected to warm by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit;

• Cold days will become less frequent and the freeze-free season will lengthen by up to a month;

• Temperatures exceeding 95 degrees are expected to increase across the Southeast, and heat waves are expected to become longer by between 97 percent and 234 percent through the end of the century;

• Sea levels will likely rise by an average of 3 feet by the end of this century. Of particular concern is that storm surges will compound impacts of rising sea levels, Ingram said. People will have to raise existing structures and build new structures on filled soil, he said. Many cities and counties will have to build or refit water and sewer plants so they can survive rising waters caused by floods, Ingram said. Many builders, residents and governments are already doing these things, he said.

• While the number of tropical storms is projected to decrease slightly, the number of category 3 to category 5 hurricanes is expected to increase;

• High temperature stresses in summer will become more frequent and damaging to agriculture, and will possibly drive dairy and livestock production farther north. Warm weather during winter months reduces yields of blueberry, peach and other crops that need cool temperatures for flower buds to break, he said.

• Air quality is projected to decline and pollen counts will go up, damaging human health.

Residents of the Southeast should begin to prepare for the likelihood of more frequent extreme weather events, Ingram said.

With 26 percent of the U.S. population living in the Southeast, the region produces 25 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, which are partly responsible for the climate change problem, Ingram said.

"We are a significant contributor, but we can help with the solution," he said.

The Southeast Climate Consortium works with extension agents and farmers to bring them valuable research.

"We work on how to adapt to or mitigate climate change," Ingram said.

Some local governments have agreed to reduce carbon emissions, the authors said Tuesday.

Cite This Page:

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. "Southeast U.S. should prepare for wild weather from climate change, expert says." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 November 2013. .University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. (2013, November 14). Southeast U.S. should prepare for wild weather from climate change, expert says. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 1, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131114113623.htmUniversity of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. "Southeast U.S. should prepare for wild weather from climate change, expert says." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131114113623.htm (accessed February 1, 2014).

View the original article here

Power companies prepare as solar storms set to hit Earth (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Three large explosions from the Sun over the past few days have prompted U.S. government scientists to caution users of satellite, telecommunications and electric equipment to prepare for possible disruptions over the next few days.

"The magnetic storm that is soon to develop probably will be in the moderate to strong level," said Joseph Kunches, a space weather scientist at the Space Weather Prediction Center, a division of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

He said solar storms this week could affect communications and global positioning system (GPS) satellites and might even produce an aurora visible as far south as Minnesota and Wisconsin.

An aurora, called aurora borealis or the northern lights in northern latitudes, is a natural light display in the sky in the Arctic and Antarctic regions caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere.

Major disruptions from solar activity are rare but have had serious impacts in the past.

In 1989, a solar storm took down the power grid in Quebec, Canada, leaving about six million people without power for several hours.

The largest solar storm ever recorded was in 1859 when communications infrastructure was limited to telegraphs.

The 1859 solar storm hit telegraph offices around the world and caused a giant aurora visible as far south as the Caribbean Islands.

Some telegraph operators reported electric shocks. Papers caught fire. And many telegraph systems continued to send and receive signals even after operators disconnected batteries, NOAA said on its website.

A storm of similar magnitude today could cause up to $2 trillion in damage globally, according to a 2008 report by the National Research Council.

"I don't think this week's solar storms will be anywhere near that. This will be a two or three out of five on the NOAA Space Weather Scale," said Kunches.

SOLAR SCALE

The NOAA Space Weather Scale measures the intensity of a solar storm from one being the lowest intensity to five being the highest, similar to scales that measure the severity of hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.

The first of the three solar explosions from the sun this week already passed the Earth on Thursday with little impact, Kunches said, noting, the second was passing the Earth now and "seems to be stronger."

And the third, he said, "We'll have to see what happens over the next few days. It could exacerbate the disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field caused by the second (storm) or do nothing at all."

Power grid managers receive alerts from the Space Weather Prediction Center to tell them to prepare for solar events, which peak about every 12 years, Tom Bogdan, director of the center said.

He said the next peak, called a solar maximum, was expected in 2013.

"We're coming up to the next solar maximum, so we expect to see more of these storms coming from the sun over the next three to five years," Bogdan said.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Alden Bentley)

View the original article here

How to Prepare for Hurricane Season (ContributorNetwork)

It is a common misconception that a hurricane preparedness checklist only covers the winds and rains associated with the storms. In addition, there is a bit of confusion with respect to the actual beginning and end of hurricane season. What should residents along the Gulf and East coasts know about preparing for hurricane season?

When is hurricane season?

The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) pinpoints hurricane season to fall between June 1 and Nov. 30. Within this time frame, approximately 97 percent of tropical storms occur. Hurricane preparedness should nevertheless be on the minds of residents throughout the year, since some storms have indeed occurred outside of this time frame.

What types of events should residents cover on a hurricane preparedness checklist?

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns to prepare for wind, flooding and storm surges. Before, during and after a hurricane, tornadoes, inland flooding and also extremely high winds may occur. With tornadoes, there comes the danger of lightning and hail. Preparing for hurricane season must take all eventualities into consideration.

Is a safe room effective?

Hurricane preparedness demands that each component of the storm carries its own safety procedures. For example, as outlined by Yahoo! News, the northeastern corner of a basement is safest when a tornado strikes. For flooding, this would be the most dangerous spot to be. Residents must assign a safe area in the home -- or within the neighborhood -- for each of the storm components.

What should be on a hurricane preparedness shopping list?

The FDA urges those residing along the Gulf and East coasts to purchase bottled water and canned goods. Unscented liquid household bleach -- eight drops to one gallon of water -- can make questionable water drinkable. Frozen gel packs and coolers can act as makeshift refrigerators, if the power is out for a prolonged period of time. Placing thermometers in the fridge and freezer alerts the consumer to unsafe temperatures. The FDA considers the safety zone -- perishables at above 40 degrees -- to be two hours.

Are there special instructions for medications?

It is a good idea to have a week's worth of medicines labeled and stocked in a waterproof container. In a pinch, a watertight sandwich bag will do.

Who has information about emergency kits?

The Red Cross offers a collection of must-have items for an emergency trunk. They include blankets, baby and pet supplies. A portable mini-version of this trunk makes for an evacuation kit. Personal papers, emergency cash, medications -- for humans and pets -- and food rations for each member of the family go into this bag.

Going by the book with respect to hurricane preparedness is a must. If not everyone in the family is on the same page, preparing for hurricane season is difficult. Practicing emergency procedures is crucial; especially younger family members should be drilled every so often to ensure that they remember the steps to take -- in the event of an evacuation or the need to visit a safe room.

View the original article here