The Winter Without Mercy

GOES Satellite Image of the March 8 Nor'easter

Another Powerful Nor'easter Batters The Coast

By M.L.Baron Correspondent / westislandweather.com

WEST ISLAND - Some say this season is turning out to be "the Winter without mercy."   
     A series of powerful storm systems along the East Coast followed by Hurricane Sandy - which earned the title of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history has raised concern.  Insurance claims are staggering and continue to flow in from multiple weather events across the country. Ultimately , insurance rates are expected to rise along with deductibles to recoup huge payout claim losses. 

     Record breaking snowfalls are in sharp contrast to a relatively quiet season last year. Some of these storms have transited through an already battered region that was decimated by Sandy. Many remain homeless while others have severely damaged homes along shore. Tent dwellers waiting to move back in to their homes since October have been exposed to  extreme conditions. 

     Is this active weather trend expected to continue for months or maybe even years? Some experts have theorized that this could be considered the "new normal".  These well-defined comma shaped systems have been very organized having an  abundant supply of moisture from The Gulf to feed and energize them into historical weather catastrophes that books are written about. The geography of the United States in general is a perfect breeding ground for weather of all kinds that can rival the rest of the world. 

     Over 45% of the U.S. has some kind of snow cover. With the suns strong rays this time of the year the snow will soon be a memory.  Considering this active weather pattern over the past few months, one can only speculate what the upcoming Atlantic Hurricane Season will be like. 

Blizzard Breaks Uneventful Winter Weather Trend

NASA Satellite Imagery 2-8-2013

By M.L.Baron Correspondent

WEST ISLAND - It’s been over 2 years since the area was hit by a major snow storm with accumulations that can be compared to last weekend’s blizzard. On January 12, 2011, 22 inches of snow fell in Acushnet and 19" inches in Fairhaven followed by a virtually snow-less winter last year.

One of the lucky residents of West Island that had a snow blower

    Snow totals varied across the region with the highest depths measuring 40" in Hamden, Conn.  to 21.5" in Acushnet. NSTAR crews were out in force restoring power to over 18,000 customers in the New Bedford area alone. Evacuation centers were opened but had only a few takers. SkyWarn weather spotters across the Northeast reported in their observations to The National Weather Service throughout the blizzard. Many local super markets and restaurants in town had to dump ice cream, seafood and many other frozen food products because of the power loss during the storm.

West Island Weather Station Tower encrusted with snow and ice 

The Weather Channel Causes Friction with The National Weather Service

    Will we remember this storm as the Blizzard of 2013 or “NEMO”? The National Weather Service still remains rather tepid in acknowledging named storms other than tropical storms and hurricanes. The Weather Channel now owned by Comcast devised this idea some theorize as a marketing strategy to get more viewers to tune in. This approach in programming during the winter doldrums could be more attractive to advertisers with much needed revenue. NBC, also owned by  Comcast appears to be the only media outlet aggressively referring to named winter storms including “Nemo” for the 2013 Blizzard.

West Island Weather Station Snow Man Cam image

    However other media outlets such as  MTV, Twitter and Verizon have joined in the fad of what could be considered one of the “one-hit wonders” of 2013.  Bizarre names (much to the annoyance of The National Weather Service) remaining on the 2013 winter storm list include: ORKO - PLATO -  Q - ROCKY -  SATURN - TRITON -  UKKO - VIRGIL - WALDA - XERXES -  YOGI - ZEUS. Some of these names so flippantly contrived are even rejected by spell checkers on the average PC.

A large amateur radio antenna hangs by its coaxial cable

Here are some numbers for the Blizzard of 2013:

    Storm data log recorded at the West Island Weather Station for this blizzard event on 2/09/2013:
The Barometer bottomed out at 29.34 at 12:40AM / High Wind Gust 67MPH NE est Town Beach 1:00AM / High Temp 30.4F at 12:00 AM / Low temp 15.3F at 11:50PM/ Snow 11.5" with drifts over 4FT.

Trees and downed power lines were a common sight 

 Comments: Wind shift into the SW at 2:00PM / Temperature rose to 32F at 330PM on 2/10.
Power out 2/08 at 710PM - restored at 2/10 -5PM.Several large branches / wires down along with some   trees. Large shrubs / wires weighted down by heavy snow and ice accretion. No significant structural damage observed. The Causeway was passable at all times.

 Island recent storm damage comparison:  Tropical Storm Sandy Oct 29-30, Nor’easter Nov 7-8, 2013. Tropical Storm Irene Aug 28, 2011.

SkyWarn Spotter MLBaron prepares to venture out and assess storm damage

    Forecasters predict milder temperatures with the possibility of measurable snow by the weekend followed   by more unsettled weather over the next few weeks.
    There are 33 days left of winter until the first day of Spring which arrives March 20th at 7:02 AM.

ENTER HERE: For more photos of The Blizzard of 2013 from West Island, Fairhaven, MA

At the Height of WW II, The Hurricane of 1944 Claimed Most of Its Lives at Sea

By M.L.Baron westislandweather.com

FAIRHAVEN: Some local survivors will argue that the hurricane that struck near midnight on September 14, 1944 was more destructive than the infamous‘1938 Hurricane six years prior. To a certain extent they were right. The category 3 hurricane impacted a smaller land mass, but for the areas that got hit, the damage was incredible. It appears that wind damage had more of a destructive feature than the tidal surge. In a town report, the Fairhaven tree warden reported more trees fell in town than in 1938. The newly erected radio tower in1940, for WNBH-WFMR at Crow Island had 225ft snapped off leaving a 120ft stub at the base. Although the death toll reached 46 on land it was much higher at sea.

    WW II Navy veteran Antone “Tony-Tex” Teixeira, 91 of North Fairhaven (right) recalled being right in “the middle of hell” with a naval task force steaming south down the east coast en route to the Panama Canal.
    After just completing several dangerous missions in The Battle for The Atlantic, they were re-assigned to head into the Pacific theatre. The convoy ran smack into the hurricane that had 75 foot seas and 150 mph gusts. Radio silence was strictly enforced, so if any ship got into trouble they were mostly on their own.
    Mr Teixeira recalls as a sailor on board the destroyer escort USS ORLANDO, that the Captain decided at one point to reverse screws and let the storm push at them with less resistance, rather than let the ship face it head on.
    As the ship tossed about, the stern would rise out of the sea and the engines would rev up as the propellers spun rapidly out of the water. With the ocean this intense it could easily break a good sized ship in half. Somehow they made it and the convoy proceeded to the war in the Pacific.


    However, 5 ships sank which included the 381 ft. USS Warrington DD 383 about 450 miles east off Vero Beach, Florida with 248 lost out of a crew of 321. (Above: The USS Warrington DD 383 with crew on deck in New York harbor.1939 US Navy photo )
A minesweeper, along with 2 Coast Guard cutters - the Bedloe and Jackson - that were escorting a torpedo damaged liberty ship into port were sunk, drowning 85 sailors off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

    The 128 ft. Vineyard Sound Lightship (US Navy photo below) took all 11 of its crew to the bottom 3 miles off Cuttyhunk Island. In a 1963 expedition to the Vineyard Sound, divers found bow plates punched in were the ships center storm anchor may have come loose and was tossed about freely during the height of the storm creating a gaping hole in the hull that quickly sank the ship. Ships of this type lacked any real water tight bulk heads. One diver described the sunken wreck as they approached it. The ship still sits upright in sixty feet of water as if in a perpetual vigil. When inside the wreck, greenish rays of sunshine glisten eerily through the hole as fish swim in and out of the ship. It’ is a haunting yet beautiful and peaceful sight. He said. This storm is referred to as The Great Atlantic Hurricane. Named hurricanes began in the early 1950's. The first named hurricane to strike New England was Carol on August 31, 1954. For more info on The 1944 Hurricane visit westislandweather.com.

A Series of Isolated Thunderstorm Events This Summer Has SouthCoast In Its Sights

By MLBaron / westislandweather.com

What appears to be a summer pattern of strong thunderstorms, another surprise thunderstorm impacted the Greater New Bedford area this weekend which was recovering from a stifling heat wave. Beach goers at several local beaches were caught off guard as the storm moved in quickly early Saturday afternoon.

The darkening skies didn’t intimidate many until vivid lightning and thunder suddenly overtook the area. Bathers scrambled with their beach blankets and umbrellas to the safety of their cars.

Although the storm passed in less than 45 minutes, numerous trees were downed including a few confirmed lightning strikes. Brockton, Plymouth, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket reported trees down from lightning and/or wind. One strike apparently set a house ablaze in Tiverton. One of the last utility poles at the end of Wilbur’s Point in Fairhaven was struck and the top half was blown off.

As the storm cell exited off South Dartmouth and into Buzzards Bay, The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm marine warnings and to The Elizabeth Islands, Cuttyhunk and Martha’s Vineyard. (above photo) The West Island Weather Station AXIS weather cam captured the impressive wall of heavy showers off shore and what appeared to be the early stages of a funnel cloud formation. This is the sixth significant thunderstorm to southeastern MA with damage reports since the Tornado outbreak in Springfield, MA on June 1. Other storms impacting the region include June 9, July 8, July 12, July 13 and this weekend on Saturday July 23. “Although thunderstorms are common during the dog days of summer, the destructive intensity of these isolated storms concentrated in the local area is rather unusual.” stated MLBaron of westislandweather.com The West Island Weather Station recorded .10 of rain with a wind gust of 22 MPH out of the ESE as the storm skimmed by the island by about 1 mile to the west. The sun returned just after 2 PM for the remainder of the day.

For more on storm damage reports from The National Weather Service enter this link: http://www.westislandweather.com/Data/latest.nwus51.KBOX%20JUL%2023%202011.pdf

For more storm photos visit: http://www.westislandweather.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=11964490

For storm video from the West Island Causeway visit: http://www.westislandweather.com/apps/videos/

Hurricane Donna Doesn’t Get the Credit She Deserves.

By M.L.Baron westislandweather.com

When SouthCoast refers to hurricanes past, the big three usually take the front row seat. The 1938, 1944 and 1954 hurricanes are rubber stamped as a reference point for powerful hurricanes that have impacted southern New England. It is rare that Hurricane Donna that struck the area on Sept 12, 1960 ever gets mentioned up in this neck of the woods. Maybe its because there wasn’t a souvenir hurricane photo book published about it, at least that I know of.

However Donna remains as one of the most volatile hurricanes on record. Donna developed off the Cape Verde Islands, a notorious breeding ground for tropical storms in late August. The storm quickly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane. A Category 3 hurricane is considered intense with wind ranging from 111 mph to 135mph. Tidal surges reach up to 12 ft.

On a westerly track, Donna eventually passed north of Puerto Rico and intensified further. It soon became the main focus of attention to The National Weather Service and meteorologists around the world. Hurricane Donna began its historical trek into infamy as it impacted both sides of the Florida peninsula bringing Category 4 force destructive wind gusts of 150 mph and 13 ft tidal surges. The low lying land mass areas of Florida weren’t enough to down grade Donna.
The hurricane remained a Category 3 as it crashed into the Carolinas with 120 mph wind and headed straight for Long Island with nothing to impede or divert its track. Block Island reported wind gusts to 130 mph and New Bedford 90+ mph sustained. Tidal surges ranged from 5 to 10 feet.

Donna still holds the title as the only hurricane to impact the most states in a single hurricane event. The storm is also the 5th strongest on record with the barometer bottoming out at 27.46 inches.

So with all this information put forth, Donna deserves to be part of the legendary group of SouthCoast hurricanes past. While we’re at it, we have a special place in hurricane history for Hurricane Bob as well. The 20th anniversary from southern New England’s last major hurricane is on August 19, 2011. I will soon be putting together a special on Bob for FNN. For more information visit our expanded hurricane features at westislandweather.com.

In 1954, “New” West Islanders Were the First to

Experience a Major Hurricane Here

1952

150 Cottages Built in 3 Years On Fairhaven's West Island

Car membership badge identified motorists as residents of Fairhaven Estates and were allowed to passage by a guard shack posted on the causeway.

The Summer of '52 West Island Estates.

Antone Teixeira and future wife to be, Evelyn catch the summer breeze on the front lawn at his mother's cottage he just built at 47 Alder St. This was one of the first cottages on West Island. Two years later Hurricane Carol struck on Aug 31, 1954. Many houses (photo below)were devastated or destroyed on this street, but the little cottage went unscathed. A West Island Hurricane Carol Photo Album is under construction for this site.

By M.L.Baron westislandweather.com 6/14/2011

WEST ISLAND: With the hurricanes of 1938 and 1944 still fresh in local minds, new West Island residents who began to build summer cottages on the mostly uninhabited island in the late 40's had nobody to tell them what previous hurricanes were like out here. In fact, most of those who bought cottages through developers of Fairhaven Estates in 1952, were from out-of-town inland areas. So many were already oblivious as to what hurricanes could do to coastal property in the first place. On Tuesday, August 31, 1954, they found out.

The island never had this number of structures before that had endured prior hurricanes. In the first 2 years much of the planned 150 summer cottages were already cluttered side by side along the much sought after waterfront lots of Alder and Balsam Streets. (on the west facing side of the island.) Most of this area is about 3 feet above sea level. Some 200 families now occupied the 535 acre island.

Carol, the first named hurricane to impact the northeast arrived Tuesday, August 31, 1954. The Category 2 hurricane brought in tidal surges over 10 feet accompanied by 110 mph winds. Just 10 days later Hurricane Edna struck on September 11th. Edna caused some more chaos to an already dazed SouthCoast. However, the worst damage was more localized to Cape Cod.

Some island residents decided to sell their property after the hurricanes and there were few takers. The asking price ranged from $300 to $500.00 for a vacant lot where their little summer paradise once stood. Some cottages that were dragged off their foundations that remained mostly intact were salvaged and remain standing on their original lots today. To view rare photos of the island damage visit :

West Island Hurricane Carol Photo Album

Note:
Today, for sale signs along this waterfront pop up occasionally. Real estate advertisements hype the lure of the sea and beauty of the ocean, but most shy away from putting in the fine print about the serious vulnerability and dangers that could await prospective buyers.
With all this in mind people will still buy these expensive properties and take a chance. After all they can afford to. The common practice is to bulldoze the little quaint cottage and put a huge “McMansion” on stilts in its place, ruining the aesthetics of the island. Typically, these kind of owners are from out-of-town or state and have no roots or vested interest in the community. They take advantage of the island for what it’s worth during the summer and spend the winter elsewhere.
One corner lot that was sold recently was cleared and every tree chopped down. An enormous box like structure that appears to be a house, (because it has window shutters) was erected.
In the driveway, a little “Prius” hybrid electric car is parked in the shade of this 3 story monstrosity. Now, that’s what I call looking out for the environment.

City's hurricane-barrier wonder of the world

MLBaron comments on Standard-Times article in making the Hurricane Barrier more recreational friendly:
A great concept that is long over due. The recreational aspects of the barrier are well documented in the early planning stages of it's construction. One of the original ideas discussed was to construct the barrier from Clark's Point in New Bedford's South End to the tip of Wilbur's Point in Fairhaven. This would have enclosed more of the outer harbor including the narrow peninsula of Sconticutneck (which may have required a sea wall on the east side as well.) Some of the factors going against this concept may have included the cost of construction in deeper water, the topography of the sea floor and the over all property value that would have been protected. Al least two debates perpetuate today. Could the barrier increase a tidal surge to Sconticut Neck in a hurricane? (some studies have shown vague results) Would this project ever have gotten off the ground today enclosing an entire harbor with the invasive disturbance to the wetlands and coastal environment? With the strict environmental laws now in place that were virtually non-existent in the early 60's.this idea would have been laughed at. It is also historically important to note that The Standard-Times and it's top officials were one of the key supporters of the barrier's construction through a series of editorials and direct involvement in the planning committees. At the time (1957) New Bedford's factories and business were exhausted from a series of 3 major hurricanes in less than 16 years.