Research on hurricanes and tropical storms. Covers AI storm tracking, wind-damage assessment, warning systems, and Hurricane Hunter data.
NASA's Terra satellite detected a small area of strong storms northeast of Tropical Depression Flossie's center. The storm had cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating its strength.
Hurricane Erick is a small storm with strong thunderstorms holding on, but expected to significantly weaken as it passes Hawaii. The National Hurricane Center forecasts Erick's winds will be 200 miles from the islands.
Satellite imagery shows Tropical Storm Flossie maintaining its structure with little change from July 31 to August 1. The storm is expected to cross into the central Pacific basin late Friday or early Saturday and begin slowly weakening on Saturday.
NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites analyzed Flossie's cloud top temperatures and structure as the storm strengthened. The strongest storms had colder cloud temperatures, indicating potential for heavy rainfall.
NASA used satellite data to analyze Hurricane Erick's rainfall rates and cloud temperatures, revealing coldest cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The heaviest rainfall was found near the northern eyewall of the storm's center, with rates exceeding 40 mm per hour.
NASA analyzed water vapor content and temperature information from Hurricane Erick using MODIS instrument on July 30. The analysis found highest concentrations of water vapor and coldest cloud top temperatures around the storm's eye, indicating potential for heavy rainfall.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected coldest cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating strong storms capable of heavy rain. The storm's center has migrated southward toward the strongest convection, positioning just north of the coldest cloud tops.
NASA's Aqua satellite measures cloud top temperatures of Tropical Storm Flossie, revealing strong storms with cold temperatures of minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The storm is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane on Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds increasing to near 50 mph.
Tropical Storm Erick is strengthening in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, with powerful thunderstorms and cold cloud tops indicating potential for heavy rainfall. The National Hurricane Center forecasts Erick to become a hurricane by Tuesday, with a turn towards the west-northwest expected.
Tropical Depression Dalila is weakening due to cooler sea surface temperatures and dry air. The system is expected to dissipate within a few days, with Dalila becoming a post-tropical remnant low tonight.
Researchers found that cold and dry climates can produce a high frequency of hurricanes, which challenges the long-held assumption that water is necessary for their formation. The study used computer simulations to model hurricanes in extreme environments.
Tropical Depression 3 formed on July 22 and dissipated by July 24, with NASA's Terra satellite capturing an image of its remnant clouds. The depression was centered about 60 miles east-southeast of Daytona Beach, Florida, with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph.
Tropical Depression 3 formed off central Florida's eastern coast, generating heavy rainfall northeast of its center. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission found rain falling at a rate of 25 mm/hour in this area.
A new tropical depression formed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean with strongest storms southwest of its center due to vertical wind shear, indicating potential for heavy rainfall. The depression is moving north at 9 mph and expected to become a tropical storm later today or tonight.
NASA's GPM core satellite analyzed Barry's rainfall rates several hours after it made landfall on the coast of Louisiana. Heavy rain bands were revealed by the data, with rainfall rates exceeding 10 mm/hour in some areas. The storm brought heavy rains and flooding to the mid-Mississippi Valley as it moved through the region.
Radiotherapy patients experiencing hurricane disasters had significantly worse overall survival rates than those completing treatment in normal circumstances. Longer disaster declarations were associated with increasingly worse survival outcomes.
Tropical Depression 4E formed on July 13 with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph, but weakened due to southeasterly vertical wind shear. The depression dissipated into a remnant low pressure area by July 15.
NASA analyzed cloud top temperatures in Tropical Storm Barry, indicating the storm's strength. The Aqua satellite found coldest cloud tops with temperatures near minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit, indicative of strong storms capable of generating heavy rainfall.
Tropical Storm Barry is expected to make landfall in south-central Louisiana, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds. The storm's cloud top temperatures indicate a high level of organization, suggesting heavy rainfall potential.
Tropical Storm Barry's irregular shape and strong thunderstorms were detected using NASA's Aqua satellite, with winds extending up to 175 miles east of the center. The storm is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Sunday, bringing heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding.
The GPM Core Observatory captured estimates of rainfall rates within Tropical Storm Barry, with storm top heights reaching up to 18 kilometers. Flooding due to heavy rainfall is the primary threat, with intense thunderstorm activity expected to strengthen the storm.
Tropical Storm Cosme formed over the weekend of July 6 and 7, weakening to a remnant low pressure area within days. NASA's Aqua satellite captured the storm's decline, revealing a wispy ring of clouds devoid of strong thunderstorms.
Hurricane Barbara is being torn apart by winds outside its storm, with a weakening trend expected. The storm's eyewall structure is disintegrating, and cooler sea surface temperatures are ahead of the storm.
NASA's GPM core satellite detected the heaviest rainfall rates in Hurricane Barbara, exceeding 50 mm per hour around the eye. The storm is expected to weaken, transitioning from a category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm on Friday.
NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites detected Barbara as a powerful hurricane with maximum sustained winds of near 130 mph (215 kph). The storm is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 25 miles from the center.
Tropical Storm Barbara formed on June 30, intensifying with heaviest rainfall rates northeast of its center. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission detected rain falling at 41 mm/hour, part of a band of thunderstorms surrounding the low-level center.
Tropical Cyclone Vayu is weakening due to increasing vertical wind shear, causing it to elongate and potentially intensify into a hurricane. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicts landfall near the India/Pakistan border by June 17.
Researchers found that early-season hurricanes result in a 70% increase in disease cases due to stagnant water and disrupted health infrastructure. Mosquito populations boom after heavy rainfall events, putting people at risk of infection.
System 91L is a tropical low pressure system located in the Bay of Campeche, spanning across Mexico's Yucatan state and surrounding states. The system has a 40% chance to develop into a depression over the next two days, producing heavy rainfall over eastern Mexico, southeastern Texas, and the Lower Mississippi Valley.
A Rutgers study found that 65% of economically vulnerable Sandy survivors plan to take active steps to protect themselves and families in advance of the next major disaster. The researchers recommend public awareness campaigns, community focus groups, and better-equipped evacuation shelters to help these communities prepare for future ...
Tropical Cyclone Fani, a Category 4 hurricane, is being closely monitored by NASA's Aqua satellite using infrared analysis. The satellite data revealed cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating strong storms capable of creating heavy rain.
Scientists investigate how tropical species are adapting to the newly formed pass in St. Joe Bay, a critical ecosystem with seagrass meadows and diverse marine life. The research aims to understand potential changes in seagrass consumption and its impact on juvenile fish, crabs, and shrimp.
A recent study found that over 7% of surveyed children in Puerto Rico exhibited clinically significant symptoms of PTSD, with 45% having damage to their own homes and 58% experiencing a friend or family member leaving the island. Social connections and timing of surveys may be protective factors against higher PTSD rates.
Tropical Storm Lorna's maximum sustained winds reached 60 knots near April 26. The storm was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane and then begin transitioning into an extra-tropical cyclone by the weekend of April 27-28.
Radiation oncologists provide guidance on preparing for and responding to natural disasters, including creating emergency operations plans, providing patients with access to treatment plans via flash drives, and identifying alternative sources of power. The tips aim to minimize treatment delays during a disaster.
A new study finds that Hurricane Maria's extreme rainfall was due to human-caused climate warming, making a storm of its magnitude nearly five times more likely to form now than during the 1950s. The research analyzed Puerto Rico's hurricane history and found that Maria produced the largest maximum daily rainfall of those 129 storms.
Researchers used satellite radar data to map the extent of standing water and measure land subsidence in the Houston-Galveston area, revealing large flooded areas fell outside FEMA designated flood zones. The study highlights the need for revising flood hazard zone maps and resilience plans in coastal regions.
A new study finds that Hurricane Maria's damage to trees in Puerto Rico was unprecedented, with big, old trees suffering the worst. The study suggests that more frequent storms whipped up by a warming climate could permanently alter forests across the Atlantic tropics.
Tropical Cyclone Idai was detected by NASA's Aqua satellite on March 11, 2019, with powerful thunderstorms wrapping around an eye obscured by high clouds. The storm was forecast to make landfall near Beira, Mozambique as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 knots.
A study found that Hurricane Maria led to a significant increase in viral load and decrease in CD4 counts among people living with HIV. Access to care was also reduced by over 22 percent, with those not virally suppressed before the hurricane having fewer medication adherence and more hospital visits.
Tropical Cyclone Wutip strengthened into a powerful super typhoon, with NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite capturing a clear eye 25 nautical miles wide. The storm is expected to weaken due to an eyewall replacement cycle and increased vertical wind shear.
Research on Twitter use during natural disasters highlights the importance of targeting average users with meaningful networks to spread life-saving information. Average Twitter users with small local networks increase their activity more than those with larger networks in disaster situations.
A new study published in GSA Today reveals that Hurricane Maria triggered more than 40,000 landslides in at least three-fourths of Puerto Rico's municipalities. The study assesses the factors contributing to these extreme events and aims to enhance landslide susceptibility analyses and risk management efforts.
Tropical Cyclone Gelena is strengthening off Madagascar's northeastern coast, with forecasters predicting rapid intensification and a close passage to Mauritius. The storm will reach peak winds of 120 knots on Feb 9 as it approaches Rodrigues Island.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Funani revealing a small pinhole eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. The storm rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 115 knots.
Tropical Storm Funani is experiencing heavy rainfall southwest of its center, with rain falling at a rate of 1.2 inches per hour. The storm is rapidly strengthening and will intensify to 105 knots within two days before weakening.
A study from Tufts University found that cardiovascular disease hospitalization rates rose precipitously after Hurricane Katrina's landfall, lasting more than a month. The increase was higher among the older black population compared to the older white population.
New research by Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business finds that when bad things happen to good people, people are motivated to help, but only in a nominal way. When good things happen to bad people, people are reluctant to act, preferring to wait for karma to catch up.
Tropical Cyclone Cilida rapidly intensified off the coast of Mauritius, with maximum sustained winds reaching 135 knots. The storm is expected to strengthen before weakening in four days, transitioning into an extra-tropical cyclone.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite observed two Category 2 hurricanes, Tropical Cyclone Kenanga and Tropical Cyclone Cilida, in the Southern Indian Ocean on Dec. 20, 2018. Both storms were sporting an eye and had maximum sustained winds near 90 knots (103.6 mph).
Tropical Cyclone Cilida showed a cloud-covered eye with powerful thunderstorms circling its 18 nautical mile wide center. The storm intensified rapidly by 55 knots in 24 hours due to warm sea surface temperatures and light outside winds.
A Clemson University field study found that tree species grow optimized leaves to compensate for hurricane damage, capturing carbon dioxide at higher rates. However, some trees' lower-quality new leaves may reduce lifespan and energy production.
A year-long field study examined the effects of Hurricane Maria on tropical dry forests in Puerto Rico, revealing that trees adjust key characteristics of their newly grown leaves to compensate for damage. The study found that 11 of 13 species increased CO2 intake and changed leaf shape to efficiently extract gas from the atmosphere.
Researchers found a significant increase in nitrate flowing downstream after the storm, posing risks to coastal ecosystems. The study also revealed that Hurricane Maria killed twice as many trees as previous storms, altering forest compositions and potential carbon cycles.
Researchers at UNH found unprecedentedly high levels of nitrate in streams and watersheds of Puerto Rico for a year after two consecutive major hurricanes in 2017. This excess nitrate may harm forest recovery and threaten ecosystems along Puerto Rico's coastline by escalating algal blooms and dead zones.
Hurricane Maria caused widespread destruction in Puerto Rico's forests, with 40-60% of tall trees damaged. The island's energy grid also struggled to recover, with rural areas experiencing longer power outages. NASA research has provided new insights into the storm's impacts on communities and critical infrastructure.
A study found that homes in hurricane-hit areas of the US are being rebuilt with larger footprints, often exceeding pre-storm sizes. This trend increases coastal risk and puts strain on subsidized insurance funding for properties in at-risk areas.
A University of Kansas researcher investigates how elevated residential buildings performed during Hurricane Michael, finding wind damage could be greater for housing elevated between 3 and 7 feet. The study aims to inform building codes and standards for vulnerable areas, particularly in the mobile home industry.
Researchers recreated Hurricane Harvey using computer models and weather data, finding that urbanization led to a wetter hurricane with higher flood peaks and more damage. The study highlights the need to consider urban development when calculating hurricane risk and preparing for hurricane damage and recovery.
Researchers found that recent hurricanes like Katrina, Irma, and Maria experienced increased rainfall of 5-10%, while projected future storms could have even more intense rainfall and stronger winds. A warmer climate may also alter storm structures, with the inner part robbing moisture from the outer edges.