Hurricane IRENE Eyes New England, Cape Cod, Boston

Update, Latest IRENE path – track – map

(updated Saturday, 8/27)

Given the latest information, the title should now read, ‘Hurricane IRENE Eyes New England, Cape Cod, Boston …and New Jersey, New York City, Connecticut‘.

The National Hurricane Center forecast prediction, originally based on 8/24, (which has since changed slightly) for Hurricane IRENE indicates that landfall, the eye, could pass over southern New England this weekend, perhaps Sunday evening, and wreak havoc across Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.

If the hurricane track of IRENE remains somewhat close to the current one, New Englanders better get ready now, especially those that live on Cape Cod, Long Island, south-east Rhode Island, and Boston (update: add NYC, the Jersey shore and CT). The northeast quadrant of a hurricane possess the highest wind speeds, so, areas that are located just to the east of the hurricane eye-wall will be devastated the worst.

If this forecast holds true, there will certainly be very wide spread damage and power loss in southern New England. IRENE will have had not passed over much of any land on its way up the coast, or will have skirted the coastline, and therefore will not have lost much strength due to that scenario. The ocean surface waters are a bit cooler in southern New England, however, given the speed of the hurricane, it likely will not have lost too much strength by the time it roars over the coast.

Stay tuned for updates to the present hurricane track, and prepare yourself to survive on your own, for perhaps weeks – depending…

Update, Thursday, August 25, 2011
The National Hurricane Center has shifted the projected track of IRENE slightly to the west, bringing New York City and the Jersey shore more into the danger zone. Long Island will be affected badly no matter what… This latest projection brings IRENE into New England across the Connecticut shoreline. Cape Cod is still in high danger, especially due to storm surge which will be magnified by extra high tide of the new moon.

Update, Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hurricane IRENE Timing of worst part of the storm

Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 12 PM – Saturday
Atlantic City, New Jersey, 6 AM – Sunday
New York City, New York 9 AM – Sunday
Waterbury, Hartford, Connecticut, 11 AM – Sunday
Springfield, Worcester, Boston, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1 PM – Sunday
Manchester, New Hampshire, 3 PM – Sunday
Portland, Maine, 5 PM – Sunday

(Timing subject to change, and will be changed as new data comes in)

A question will be, ‘What will the hurricane category-number be by the time it makes landfall’.
Currently, it looks to be a Category 1, but don’t let that fool you because the central pressure of the storm is very low, this particular hurricane is huge as far as coverage, and the winds and rains spread very far and wide beyond the eye.

Coastal Flooding Potential for Cape Cod

Hurricane storm surge typically causes more damage and casualties than the wind.

J.G.Titus and C.Richman, 2000, “Maps of Lands Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise: Modeled Elevations Along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.”

Coastal Flooding Potential for Long Island

Hurricane storm surge typically causes more damage and casualties than the wind.

J.G.Titus and C.Richman, 2000, “Maps of Lands Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise: Modeled Elevations Along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.”

Coastal Flooding Potential for New Jersey Shore

J.G.Titus and C.Richman, 2000, “Maps of Lands Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise: Modeled Elevations Along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.”

National Data Buoy Center

(This new buoy position is approximately 8.22 miles WSW of Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower, NC)
Location: 33.436N 77.743W
Conditions as of: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:50:00 UTC
Winds: NNE (30°) at 33.0 kt gusting to 44.7 kt
Significant Wave Height: 27.6 ft
Dominant Wave Period: 15 sec
Mean Wave Direction: SSE (147°)
Atmospheric Pressure: 29.13 in and falling rapidly
Air Temperature: 80.6 F
Dew Point: 78.4 F
Water Temperature: 82.8 F

Hurricane IRENE Satellite Image (Latest)

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