Hurricane IRENE Advisory Archive. Hurricane Irene - August 21-30, 2011. Hurricane Irene, August 26-27, 2011. Evolution and Impacts – Hurricane Irene evolved from a tropical wave that exited the African coast on August 15, 2011. With a favorable environment ahead of the wave, a Tropical Depression formed on August 20 as the wave approached the Lesser Antilles. By 23Z on August 20, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Irene. On August 21, the surface center reformed closer to the deepest convection, as an anticyclone aloft provided supportive outflow over the cyclone. With the improved structure, as well as light wind shear and high sea surface temperatures, Irene was forecast to strengthen to near hurricane force prior to landfall in Hispaniola.
Over the subsequent day (August 22), while passing near the island of Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Irene moved toward Puerto Rico, more northward than initially expected, where it underwent a considerable increase in strength and organization. Figure 6. Figure 7. Sources – National Hurricane Center National Ocean Service Wikipedia. Rainfall from Hurricane Irene. Although hurricanes often call to mind raging winds and toppling trees, some of the worst destruction caused by these storms comes in the form of rain. Hurricane Irene, which roared up the U.S.
East Coast in late August 2011, was no exception. Flooding was reported from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to New England. This color-coded image shows rainfall totals from August 22 to August 28, 2011. Heavy rain occurs all along the storm track, and much of the heaviest rain falls over the ocean. At 8:00 a.m. As the storm slowly moved north, heavy rain and news reports of flooding followed. Although related, rainfall amounts and floods do not correspond exactly.
On August 29, CNN reported that Irene was responsible for at least 24 deaths in nine states, and damage could total $7 billion, according to an analysis firm specializing in such estimates. This image is an estimate of the rainfall recorded over a very large area when the satellites are overhead. Instrument(s): Hurricane Irene Breaches Outer Banks. Flood waters from Hurricane Irene sliced through portions of Highway 12 on North Carolina’s Hatteras Island. Highway 12, which extends along the Outer Banks, is the only road connecting Hatteras Island to the mainland. At Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, water and shifting sand damaged the highway in multiple locations. This aerial photo, acquired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on August 28, 2011, is part of a larger project to assess damage from Hurricane Irene along the U.S. East Coast. The largest breach in Highway 12 appears midway down the image where water flows between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.
North and south of this breach, the road has been compromised in other places, by what appears to be a combination of water and sand. Damage to Highway 12 stranded at least 2,500 residents of Hatteras Island, according to news reports. In addition to a breached highway, residents of Hatteras Island also had to cope with downed power lines. The Evolution of Hurricane Irene. The typical view of a hurricane shows cloud structure, but these unique images show the three-dimensional distribution of rainfall within Hurricane Irene.
Made from data from the radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, the images cover Irene’s development from a tropical storm on August 21 to a Category 3 hurricane on August 24. The images also show the locations of TRMM-observed lightning flashes, which are indicated with yellow circles. These views of the storm’s inner core provide insight into the hurricane’s structure, which can help forecasters predict how the storm will develop. For example, lightning in the inner core generally suggests the presence of strong updrafts and large ice particles. By implication, lightning suggests that convective cells are pumping a lot of latent heat energy into the tropical cyclone’s central vortex, which is favorable for intensification.
Instrument(s): Hurricane Season 2011: Hurricane Irene (Atlantic Ocean) Hurricane Season 2011: Hurricane Irene (Atlantic Ocean) Landsat 5 Satellite Sees Irene-Generated Sediment in New York Harbor In the wake of Hurricane Irene’s heavy rains, sediment filled many rivers and bays along the U.S. East Coast. In this true-color satellite image from the Landsat 5 satellite on Aug. 31, 2011, pale green and tan water flows past Manhattan and mixes with the darker waters of New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean.
In the wake of Hurricane Irene’s heavy rains, sediment filled many rivers and bays along the U.S. This image was acquired on August 31, 2011, when Landsat 5 viewed the coast from the Carolinas to New York. In addition to soil and sand, flooding rivers can carry sewage, pesticides, and excess fertilizer. To see the full Landsat 5 U.S. Text credit:Mike Carlowicz, NASA Earth Observatory/ NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. August 30, 2011 Goodnight Irene: NASA's TRMM Satellite Adds Up Irene's Massive Rainfall Totals August 29, 2011 By 11 a.m. 2011 August 27 - Hurricane Irene Forms.
National Weather Service Forecast Office - Burlington, Vermont. Hurricane Irene.