Tropical Disturbance, Tropical Storm and Hurricane

Hurricane Watch
Introduction to Tropical Storms
And Then Comes the Hurricane

Hurricane Watch Friday, November 5, 2010 am PDT
The wide ranging tropical storm system Tomas is carrying some elements of hurricane winds, but in general the storm's most damaging parts are thunderstorms and heavy rains.
The system's path is lining up with yesterday's predictions with hurricane warnings for Haiti and parts of the Bahamas including the Turks and Caicos Islands. However, Tomas has already accounted for some loss of life in Haiti and a plane crash in Central Cuba. Hopefully the early hurricane warnings were taken seriously and will keep the loss of life to a minimum.

Hurricane Watch Thursday, November 4, 2010 am PDT
Tropical Storm Tomas, in its move to the west, has prompted forecasters to issue hurricane warnings for Haiti and parts of the Bahamas including the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Heavy rain and thunderstorm activity in this system poses a potentially dangerous flooding situation for the people living in Haiti's tent cities.

Hurricane Watch Wednesday, November 3, 2010 am PDT
The tropical system called Tomas has cycled through depression, tropical storm and hurricane – now it's back to a tropical depression status. What next? It's a guessing game. Hurricane Hunter aircraft have searched the system and find no true center, although there are thunderstorms, heavy rain and winds measuring about 35 mph.
Forecasters are expecting the storm to once again regroup and strengthen to a Category 1 Hurricane. The Hurricane Center has issued a Hurricane watch warning for parts of Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti.
Stay alert to this erratic and potentially dangerous storm system.

Hurricane Watch Tuesday, November 2, 2010 am PDT
Tropical Storm Tomas is spread over a wide area and generating winds of 50 mph with gusts to 65. Forecasters expect Tomas to strengthen and move in the direction of Haiti. But it is too early to plot a definite course at this time.
All islands in the Eastern Caribbean should stay alert

Hurricane Watch Monday, November 1, 2010 am PDT
Tomas weakens to a tropical storm, but is expected regain hurricane status later in the week. Just exactly where it's going is a bit iffy, several computer models have the storm moving to the northwest which would put Haiti in its path while others show a westward track with Central America the most likely target.
We'll have to wait and see.

Hurricane Watch Sunday, October 31, 2010 am PDT
Hurricane Tomas, with its 100 mph winds and rain, caused chaos in Barbados and the Windward Islands leaving scores of damaged homes and downed power lines.
Tomas is now tracking toward the north northwest toward the Caribbean. Warmer waters in its path could mean a sustained growth and what has already proven to be a troublesome storm could mean danger to islands in its path.
Stay tuned to your weather channels.

Hurricane Watch Saturday, October 30, 2010 am PDT
Tropical Storm Shary is not likely to make a direct hit on Bermuda, but it's still on track to deliver tropical storm force winds and rain to the island as it stays in open Atlantic waters.
In the meantime there is trouble to the south as yesterday's system off the Windward Islands has cycled through depression and tropical storm status, and late this morning into a full blown hurricane. All that growth happened within a 24 hour time frame.
Hurricane Tomas as a Tropical Storm ripped through Barbados with high winds and rain causing damage to buildings and power lines. The storm is expected to make a direct hit on the Windward Islands later today and then is expected to strengthen as it moves across open waters toward the Caribbean.
Satellites and Hurricane Hunters are following this, potentially dangerous, hurricane and transmitting data to the Miami Hurricane Center for analysis.
Stay alert, and watch your weather channel.

'Gentlemen welcome to Masters Field, Squadron 114.'
Following a long silence, the commander tapped on the mike and said, "Now you all have a general idea as to why we're here. We'll be conducting long-range patrol flights sometimes to a general area where hurricanes are known to originate. But for the most part we'll be going to a specific location where a weather station or a ship has given us data on low barometer readings, sea and wind conditions indicating a tropical depression or a coming storm. If a storm develops, our job will be to go out and find it, then follow along and take down all the data we can."
Then he looked at his notes and said, "Now, for your information we have a sister Squadron VPB 114 that is operating out of Boca Chica, Key West. And we will be coordinating some of our activities with them. They will also be searching weather patterns, but at generally lower altitude levels than our operation calls for. They will have meteorologists onboard and will be attacking the problem from a meteorological and scientific point of view.
He took a sip of water smiled and looked out at his audience. "I expect some of you have questions, and I think the best way to answer them is just to open this thing up to a Q&A session. Feel free to ask any thing you want to about the operation and I'll do the best I can to provide you with the answers."
A dozen hands shot up and the commander pointed to a guy in the middle of the room.
"Why are we here? I mean whose idea was it to go chasing hurricanes?"
"Actually it started with the National Weather Bureau. They approached the Navy and of course the Navy did a study and eventually put a pilot program together. That was the beginning and for a couple of seasons they used the PBM Mariner. But as it turned out, the plane was too slow and because of its bulky size vulnerable to winds when they got too close to the storms." The commander then looked at the questioner and shook his head. "I'll get you an answer in a bit. Last year we had a large storm that tripped along the Atlantic Seaboard doing considerable damage. That got the attention of the folks in Washington. They went back to the drawing board and determined that a warning system was needed. That's when they decided a land-based operation was the way to go. They chose the PB4Y-2 Privateer because of its durability, speed, and range and when fitted with the new turbo superchargers are capable of attaining very high altitudes. In theory, they figured the higher altitudes would give us wider coverage from our radar and maybe a better visual prospective of the storm from above. Now, to get back to your first question, why are we here? Meaning of course why am I here? It seems that logic won out there. As it happens the largest pool to draw from was our VB-4 OTU-2 outfit at Jacksonville. We had more planes and crews trained in Privateer operations than any other unit in the East."
Another hand shot up and the guy asked, "Why did they choose this small group and not some of the others. It's certainly not because of our rank and years of experience, because there's a dozen fellows back in our old outfit that outrank most of us.”
"Why it's because you are the expendables, didn't you know that?" Then he chuckled and said, "No, that 's not it at all, and we may not be the smartest either. They didn't pick you for your IQ, although they expected all of us to be smart enough. They actually picked you for your common sense, diligence and painstaking insistence to detail. For months your crew chiefs have been filing reports on the communications skills of the radio operators. The plane captain's were chosen for the consistent and dogged attention you paid to preflight checklists, onboard load limits, alert in flight inspections as well as the critical fuel transfers needed for long range patrols."
(To be continued)

Tropical disturbance, Tropical Storm – Hurricane
What was once just a collection of tropical clouds showing up on a weather satellite continues to grow in size. The overall shape becomes more circular, then the band of clouds begin to rotate around a center. When those wind speeds grow past 39 mph your ordinary tropical depression becomes a tropical storm. And without ever becoming a hurricane a tropical storm can inflict damage with its high winds and rain.
The next level of this extraordinary weather phenomenon is a hurricane, which is a tropical storm with a lot more punch. The air pressure will continue to drop and your satellite images will begin to show a clear and open center. Then what was only a cluster of clouds a few days ago has developed into what could become a monster hurricane.

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Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
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