SpursWoman
09-23-2004, 12:11 PM
Ivan Reforms in Gulf; Hurricane Jeanne Eyes Southeast
By MICHAEL GRACZYK, AP
HOUSTON (Sept. 23) - Ivan is making an encore appearance in the Gulf of Mexico, this time as a tropical storm that could come ashore along the coasts of Texas or Louisiana.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Jeanne appeared to be zeroing in on the southeast U.S. coast Thursday, and forecasts put Florida firmly in the deadly storm's sights with landfall possible this weekend.
After hitting Florida on Sept. 16 as a hurricane, Ivan weakened and broke apart as it traveled north, drenching southern and mid-Atlantic states before returning to sea. Its remnants then swung southward, growing slightly as it traveled over warmer waters.
The regenerated storm was expected to make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday night, and could bring 50 mph winds and 5 to 10 inches of rain.
Ivan already has kicked seas up several feet, posing a threat to fragile barrier islands and their beaches in both states, and forced some offshore oil and gas crews to head home.
''It looks like from what they told us earlier that probably we'll see some minor coastal flooding, beach erosion sometime tomorrow,'' said Tesa Duffey-Wrobleski, Galveston County's emergency management coordinator.
In Louisiana, Cameron Parish leaders were keeping an eye on the storm, but hadn't issued any evacuation orders yet, said Emergency Preparedness Director Freddie Richard Jr. The swampy parish is located in the southwest corner of the state.
''We're just advising people in low-lying areas in Cameron Parish to prepare to move to higher ground if the tides come up,'' he said.
The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the Gulf of Mexico shoreline from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana west to Sargent, Texas.
Ivan was upgraded to a tropical storm Wednesday evening after sustained winds were measured near 40 mph. The Hurricane Center said the storm could strengthen before landfall.
Forecasters said the center of the storm was poorly organized. At 5 a.m. EDT, Ivan had top sustained winds near 40 mph and was about 180 miles southeast of the upper Texas coast, forecasters said. It was moving north-northwest at about 15 mph.
The first round of Ivan and its remnants were blamed for at least 52 deaths in the United States and 70 in the Caribbean. Much of the destruction was caused by flooding.
Also Wednesday, North Carolina officials warned coastal residents they may have to evacuate as early as Sunday if Hurricane Jeanne continues on its projected path.
Jeanne sits several hundred miles east of the Bahamas, but is already causing high swells, dangerous rip currents and some erosion problems in North Carolina.
Several meteorological models used by the National Hurricane Center show the storm making landfall somewhere between Georgetown, S.C., and the Cape Fear River early next week. Other models show Jeanne affecting the Savannah, Ga., area.
While meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Jeanne and its 100-mph top sustained winds could hit as far north as the Carolinas, storm-battered Florida was a more likely target than it was a day earlier, said Eric Blake, a meteorologist at the hurricane center.
''It's time for Floridians to seriously pay attention,'' Blake said.
At 5 a.m. EDT, Jeanne was centered about 475 miles east of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. It was moving west near 3 mph, a speed that would bring it near Florida by Sunday. An eventual turn to the northwest was predicted, but it was unclear if that would happen before Jeanne reached Florida.
Jeanne could first pass over the northwest and central Bahamas; those areas were under a tropical storm watch. Blake said it seemed less possible that Jeanne would curve back out to sea and avoid land.
Jeanne was blamed for more than 1,070 deaths in Haiti, where it hit over the weekend as a tropical storm and caused flooding. It moved out to sea before looping back toward land.
Many Floridians hoped that they were done with hurricanes this year. Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan hit the state over a span of five weeks this summer, causing billions of dollars of damage and more than 60 deaths.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Karl stayed on an open-ocean course that only threatened ships, while Tropical Storm Lisa moved slowly far out in the Atlantic.
Karl, the seventh hurricane this season, had top sustained winds near 125 mph, up from about 110 mph a day earlier. It was expected to weaken as it moved over cooler waters. At 5 a.m., Karl was centered about 1,150 miles west-southwest of the Azores and was moving north-northeast near 23 mph.
At 5 a.m., Lisa had top sustained winds near 50 mph. The 12th named storm of the season was centered about 1,180 miles west of the Cape Verde islands and was moving west near 2 mph. Lisa was expected to turn toward the northwest, possibly following Karl's path in open seas.
The hurricane season ends Nov. 30.
By MICHAEL GRACZYK, AP
HOUSTON (Sept. 23) - Ivan is making an encore appearance in the Gulf of Mexico, this time as a tropical storm that could come ashore along the coasts of Texas or Louisiana.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Jeanne appeared to be zeroing in on the southeast U.S. coast Thursday, and forecasts put Florida firmly in the deadly storm's sights with landfall possible this weekend.
After hitting Florida on Sept. 16 as a hurricane, Ivan weakened and broke apart as it traveled north, drenching southern and mid-Atlantic states before returning to sea. Its remnants then swung southward, growing slightly as it traveled over warmer waters.
The regenerated storm was expected to make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday night, and could bring 50 mph winds and 5 to 10 inches of rain.
Ivan already has kicked seas up several feet, posing a threat to fragile barrier islands and their beaches in both states, and forced some offshore oil and gas crews to head home.
''It looks like from what they told us earlier that probably we'll see some minor coastal flooding, beach erosion sometime tomorrow,'' said Tesa Duffey-Wrobleski, Galveston County's emergency management coordinator.
In Louisiana, Cameron Parish leaders were keeping an eye on the storm, but hadn't issued any evacuation orders yet, said Emergency Preparedness Director Freddie Richard Jr. The swampy parish is located in the southwest corner of the state.
''We're just advising people in low-lying areas in Cameron Parish to prepare to move to higher ground if the tides come up,'' he said.
The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the Gulf of Mexico shoreline from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana west to Sargent, Texas.
Ivan was upgraded to a tropical storm Wednesday evening after sustained winds were measured near 40 mph. The Hurricane Center said the storm could strengthen before landfall.
Forecasters said the center of the storm was poorly organized. At 5 a.m. EDT, Ivan had top sustained winds near 40 mph and was about 180 miles southeast of the upper Texas coast, forecasters said. It was moving north-northwest at about 15 mph.
The first round of Ivan and its remnants were blamed for at least 52 deaths in the United States and 70 in the Caribbean. Much of the destruction was caused by flooding.
Also Wednesday, North Carolina officials warned coastal residents they may have to evacuate as early as Sunday if Hurricane Jeanne continues on its projected path.
Jeanne sits several hundred miles east of the Bahamas, but is already causing high swells, dangerous rip currents and some erosion problems in North Carolina.
Several meteorological models used by the National Hurricane Center show the storm making landfall somewhere between Georgetown, S.C., and the Cape Fear River early next week. Other models show Jeanne affecting the Savannah, Ga., area.
While meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Jeanne and its 100-mph top sustained winds could hit as far north as the Carolinas, storm-battered Florida was a more likely target than it was a day earlier, said Eric Blake, a meteorologist at the hurricane center.
''It's time for Floridians to seriously pay attention,'' Blake said.
At 5 a.m. EDT, Jeanne was centered about 475 miles east of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. It was moving west near 3 mph, a speed that would bring it near Florida by Sunday. An eventual turn to the northwest was predicted, but it was unclear if that would happen before Jeanne reached Florida.
Jeanne could first pass over the northwest and central Bahamas; those areas were under a tropical storm watch. Blake said it seemed less possible that Jeanne would curve back out to sea and avoid land.
Jeanne was blamed for more than 1,070 deaths in Haiti, where it hit over the weekend as a tropical storm and caused flooding. It moved out to sea before looping back toward land.
Many Floridians hoped that they were done with hurricanes this year. Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan hit the state over a span of five weeks this summer, causing billions of dollars of damage and more than 60 deaths.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Karl stayed on an open-ocean course that only threatened ships, while Tropical Storm Lisa moved slowly far out in the Atlantic.
Karl, the seventh hurricane this season, had top sustained winds near 125 mph, up from about 110 mph a day earlier. It was expected to weaken as it moved over cooler waters. At 5 a.m., Karl was centered about 1,150 miles west-southwest of the Azores and was moving north-northeast near 23 mph.
At 5 a.m., Lisa had top sustained winds near 50 mph. The 12th named storm of the season was centered about 1,180 miles west of the Cape Verde islands and was moving west near 2 mph. Lisa was expected to turn toward the northwest, possibly following Karl's path in open seas.
The hurricane season ends Nov. 30.