westislandweather.com

TWO GULFS GETTING INTO MISCHIEF WITH LOW PRESSURE COULD BRING US A POTENTIAL BLIZZARD.

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 15:13:00 +0000

WINTER COULD BE A REAL B******* THIS WEEKEND!
TWO GULFS GETTING INTO MISCHIEF WITH LOW PRESSURE COULD BRING US A POTENTIAL BLIZZARD.

GOES Satellite image 2-03-2014 - West Island Weather Station graphic

WEST ISLAND: Big nor'easters have to run quite the gauntlet in getting themselves together in the fi...rst place, many days if not weeks ahead of time. Two gulfs far apart from each other, The Gulf of Alaska and The Gulf of Mexico could be the breeding grounds for developing low pressure that could eventually merge and organize their energy into one big blockbuster of a coastal storm that could pummel the Northeast later this weekend.
This potential scenario is being discussed with "little to NO confidence" in the future forecast this far ahead of the game. However it's STILL being talked about in the weather circles.
The ingredients are getting in place. The jet stream is ready to deliver this package like the many other storm systems lining up to transit towards the Northeast. Watch for the magic two words: "INSIDE RUNNER", which could mean we get spared lots of snow and get just buckets of rain instead.
This information was compiled from weather discussion comments posted by The National Weather Service. We are at the half-way mark of the winter season this week. See STORM DISCUSSION in the right side-bar pages of westislandweather.com for more detailed and updated info. http://www.westislandweather.com/

LACK OF EVIDENCE FRUSTRATES SEARCH EFFORTS FOR MISSING KAYAKER

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 11:30:00 +0000

File Photo - a small kayak similar to this one was found off Nye's Ledge just 4 hours after Dana Dourdeville was reported missing. MLBaron Photo

  By MLBaron - correspondent.
...
      WEST ISLAND: Dana Dourdeville's cell phone last pinged at a cell tower off County Rd, Wareham in the early afternoon on New Year's Eve. It was never heard from since. A planned hunting trip from the West Island Town Beach with his 9 foot canoe, Dana supposedly had his over and under double barrel shotgun, a gift from his father to go duck hunting. The weather conditions at the time (2 PM) had a steady westerly wind at 14 and gusts to 17 MPH. The temperature was 26.2 degrees. Between 3:34 and 5:44 PM there were brief shifts in wind direction to the west south west at 20 MPH and gusts to 22 MPH. For more details from the weather log at The West Island Weather Station located near the town beach enter this link: http://classic.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KMAFAIRH13&month=12&day=31&year=2013
      The still images taken that day from the weather stations cameras showed normal parking lot traffic with no visible boating activity at all. The camera scans numerous areas and are not focused on one target - as it's purpose is a weather camera system not for surveillance. Dourdeville's van was not captured when entering the lot.

The only tangible facts from this point on are, Dourdeville's van was found by his mother, backed into the parking lot at town beach on the south side which led to a sandy path to the beach around 7 PM. Coast Guard assets were deployed after an initial investigation by a Fairhaven Police officer determined that there was a missing person related to the van parked at the beach.

Nautical chart shows where the kayak was found (red arrow upper right) from where it was allegedly launched 2.3 miles away from the West Island town beach (red arrow lower left) on New Year's Eve.

An empty kayak belonging to the missing boater was later found that same evening after 11 PM by a US Coast Guard helicopter 2.3 miles northeast from the town beach at Nye's Ledge off Mattapoisett (see above map).

At one point the downdraft of rushing air from the helicopter caused the small boat to roll over. One glove and a single oar was found aboard. Some were eager to look inside the small vessel for any traces of sand or mud to indicate when and where Dana may have entered or exited the boat, but apparently that evidence was washed away. The kayak was a fully opened type design. The van was later towed to the Fairhaven Police Station. This is where the case gets cold.
After aggressive search and rescue operations spanning several days from local law enforcement and other agencies including a massive volunteer search Sunday, January 5, 2014.

Hundreds of volunteers combed the beach around West Island for any sign of Dana Dourdeville

A mobile command center from the Bristol County Sheriff's Office and K-9 Units converged at the town beach to coordinate over 250 volunteers searchers, Sunday, January 5, 2014. Nothing was found.

Some items of interest were found which included a black knitted skull cap found at Hoppy's Landing and a bright red sweater-type shirt found at Wigwam Beach Sunday about a 100 yards away from the Seaview Avenue boat ramp down Sconticut Neck Rd. The items were later determined not to be connected to the missing kayaker.
Law enforcement sources have contemplated that this boating accident (which has yet to be proven that there actually was one) is not consistent of what usually is found shortly after, in particular a debris field of some kind. One can assume that with a planned hunting trip, one would bring a shotgun, ammo, a hunting bag, perhaps some snacks, etc.

The SEMLEC Dive Team launches from Hoppy's Landing this morning (Jan 8, 2014) in the continued search for a missing kayaker last seen on New Year's Eve from the West Island Town Beach. Wednesday, Jan 8 at 11 AM. MLBaron Video. http://www.westislandweather.com/

Some speculate that maybe Dana made it to shore at some point to go hunting or fetch a duck he just shot, saw his kayak become adrift and tried to go out an retrieve it and succumbed to the elements. But here's where that theory is blown out of the water. Where is his gear along the shore?
Nothing has been found floating about either, not even a soda can or candy wrapper. I know first hand that flotsam along West Island 's east side can linger for weeks going in and out with the tide.
According to close sources, Dana's use of social media was infrequent if non-existent which would include FaceBook, and Twitter etc. Usually one's agendas for the day would be part of the idle chat in these forums which could have been valuable. Analysis of his computer hard drives, email traffic and the usual detective work in a case like this have not yielded anything (that have been made public) to offer any kind of clues in solving the mystery. His dorm room was the same as the day he left it. His focus on the stringent demands of his college education at Brown University as an engineer takes up most of his time. He belongs to "Engineers Without Borders" a group utilizing engineering to augment international goodwill.

Dana Dourdeville

An accomplished cross country runner in High School, Dana Dourdeville is in good physical condition and has been in his kayak solo before. He also did not have any serious relationships that they knew about. Sources indicated.
In a nut shell, as of this time, there is no evidence to indicate that anyone was ever in the kayak, that the kayak was launched from the town beach, who parked the van in the lot, or if the small boat was ever ashore. No shots were heard by the few beach goers - including me - from hunters in the area all afternoon.

The intent of this post is not to bring false hopes, but to provide some perspective of what investigators are up against. This case remains inconclusive and continues to baffle all those involved to find 21 year old Dana Dourdeville of Marion. In part of his speech as valedictorian of The Class of 2011 at Old Rochester Regional High School, Dana addressed his fellow graduating students. In one poignant part of his speech he referred to facing your fears and making the right choice. It is this kind of character that instills so much hope and faith to his family and friends that Dana is out there somewhere and soon will return home safe. Search efforts on a smaller scale continue today January 10, 2014.

A desolate yet peaceful beach at East Cove at the West Island State Reservation as of January 9, 2014 continued to yield no clues of flotsam or evidence of Dana's Dourdeville's disappearance on New Years Eve. This location a favorite spot for duck hunters was probably the last location Dourdeville may have went hunting with his shotgun and kayak on the afternoon of December 31st, 2013. MLBaron Photo.

W2RG Ham Radio Set Up : NOW HEAR THIS....

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 11:25:00 +0000

Elaborate set-up in a field roving HAM radio project at Hoppy's Landing, Fairhaven, MA

By MLBaron Correspondent / KA1WBH / West Island Weather Station

FAIRHAVEN MA : Rich Griffiths, a retired engineer had an interesting career working on advanced wind tunnel experimentation. The focus was on the winds impact and influence of buildings in the big city. Large complex models of cities such as Manhattan and Cleveland were some of the models created in large scale for the research.

W2RG coordinates via radio with another amateur operator in troubleshooting a signal

Today Rich (W2RG) spends a lot of time with one of his favorite hobbies, amateur radio also known as HAM*. There are thousands of amateur radio operators world wide some of which can communicate around the world with their specialized radio and antenna arrays. One of the primary missions of amateur radio is to provide emergency communications, promoting international goodwill, and the continued experimentation with radios built from scratch to the sophisticated levels of satellite use.

Famous amateur radio operators - some of who have passed on - which are called "a silent key" include Walter Cronkite, Howard Hughes, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor. Bill Clinton, Henry Winkler and Jimmy Carter continue to be licensed HAM operators.

These dishes must be level and fine tuned precisely to receive ditant signals as clear as possible.

A vintage Morse Code telegraph key is used to send signals the old fashioned way

Mr Griffiths, who's FCC callsign is W2RG, takes pride in many of his gadgets that he has built from scratch.

Most of the components in the photos were obtained piecemeal from HAM Radio Flea Markets. His eyes lit up went he received a signal from a fellow operator transmitting a frequency from New Hampshire a few hundred miles away. "This is what it's all about", Rich stated. After building all this from the ground up with many hand tooled components and fittings W2RG's gear was humming with activity. Amateur operators such as Rich set up at strategic locations for a clear "line of sight" to receive and/or transmit signals. They can range from places like Hoppy's to a mountain top in New Hampshire as was the case with this project. They also have amateur radio competition contests such as this on a regular basis. To my surprise, Griffiths had a vintage Morse Code Key and was sending the dots and dashes like a second language. He said when all else fails , Morse Code is still the most reliable communications to get the message out.

Morse Code continues to be the most reliable communications method to this day.

A technology invented before the Civil War, the first transmission was sent from Baltimore to Washington in 1844 with the message "What hath God wrought?". There are many local amateur radio clubs in the area. Those that wish to become a licensed HAM can take classes and earn their call sign, there is no lower or upper age limit. One simply has to pass the license exam.

*The term HAM is said to be derived from a monthly science publication in the 1920's. It was called "Home Amateur Mechanic" For a complete list of famous amateur radio operators and their call signs visit this link: http://users.tellurian.com/gjurrens/WA6FAH.html My Call Sign is KA1WBH.

The Butler Flats Lighthouse Slated For Auction August 1

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:27:00 +0000

NEW OWNERS MUST COMPLY WITH STRICT COVENANTS

Up for Sale: The Butler Flats Lighthouse - USCG Photo

By MLBaron

NEW BEDFORD: The most prominent maritime fixture in New Bedford’s outer harbor will be sold at auction August 1. The GSA (General Services Administration) Boston office that is overseeing the sale has declared 4 lighthouses in Southern New England “not an operational necessity” surplus which includes the Butler Flats Lighthouse. “This is an opportunity for the right person (s) or organization to acquire a unique piece of local maritime history” said Patrick Sclafini, Public Affairs Officer for the GSA Region I.

The Butler Flats Lighthouse - USCG Photo

Built in 1898, the Butler Flats Lighthouse replaced the aging Clark’s Point Light that had been in service since 1804. It was designed by Francis Hopkinson Smith, who is also credited for designing the base for The Statue of Liberty. The “sparkplug” style lighthouse standing 53-feet above the water has a circular tank iron caisson base with an upper brick structure. There a four floors, with the lowest level for storage, the middle 2 floors, 37 feet in diameter are for living quarters and the upper floor is for the light operations and watch decks. The original Fresnel lense the (only 2 of it’s kind ever installed in the US) is now on display at The Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockport, Maine..

Although it was obscure as to who actually owned the property, wether it was The City of New Bedford or the Federal Government., the GSA has made it clear that they own the property but did lease it to the city after it was decommissioned in 1978. Shortly afterwards, the Butler Flats Lighthouse became one of the first automated - solar powered lighthouses in the country.

In 1979 the US Coast Guard granted a revocable license for use of the property by the city as a historic site and private ATON (Aid to Navigation). In 2012 the GSA issued a notice of availability pursuant to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. There were 3 expressions of interest, none of which went any further in filing a formal application.

Arthur Motta, former Director of Tourism in the city expressed concern with the potential new owners of the property. Motta, an avid local historian has received numerous commendations for his efforts in the preservation of the Palmer’s Island and Butler Flats lighthouses along with the late Dr. John B. O’Toole. A strictly enforced covenant stipulating the historic preservation and appearance of the light house will be a standard part of the buyer/seller agreement according the auction sale web site listed at http://www.realestatesales.gov. Sale-Lot Number : BOSTON - 113-019-001. The opening bid starts at $25,000.

(Author’s Note:) If only the Butler Flats Lighthouse could tell it’s story. It would recall how it has seen countless ships of all kinds enter and depart New Bedford Harbor from Whale ships, fishing vessels that evolved from sail to motor, from wood to steel, ships of war, and many vessels and crew that passed it by never to return to port again. It greeted The USS Constitution in 1933 and bid a sad good-bye to The Charles W. Morgan in November 1941.

It has endured through the most severe weather nature could throw at it, from nameless nor’easters, to the pounding waves and winds of The Hurricanes of 1938, 1944, Carol 1954, Donna 1960, Gloria 1985, Hurricane Bob 1991 and many other powerful storms. Most old lighthouses can tell similar stories but this one is ours, an indelible place in the hearts of local generations of fishermen, seafarers and beach goers alike. One can only hope that The Butler Flats Lighthouse that has faithfully served our mariners will continue to shine it’s light for another 115 years.

There are a few web sites on the history of Butler Flats Lighthouse including one at this link: http://www.lighthouse.cc/butler/history.html

FAIRHAVEN FIRE DEPARTMENT HEROES 89 YEARS AGO

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 13 May 2013 01:03:00 +0000

Burned to the water line, the Ferry Steamer "Sankaty" lies at the bottom along side The Charles W. Morgan at Union Wharf, in Fairhaven, MA.

FAIRHAVEN FIRE DEPARTMENT HEROES 89 YEARS AGO

By MLBaron Correspondent westislandweather.com

On June 30, 1924 a huge pier fire lit the skies of New Bedford harbor. Bales of hay, barrels of kerosene, and other goods bound for the islands from the Steamship Dock near Pier 3 provided the fuel for a fire that ravaged out of control. This dockside conflagration lit the night sky and glowed for dozens of miles away. Onlookers watched along the shores of Fairhaven and New Bedford.

The fire burned off the lines to the steamer "Sankaty" and the ship caught fire and drifted into the middle of the harbor. It was like a giant floating fire ball drifting slowly towards Fairhaven and eventually along side the Charles W. Morgan, that was tied up at Fairhaven Union Wharf. The Morgan's port side began to get scorched by the intense fire. Smoke and steam began to consume the historic whale ship.

Through the heroic efforts of The Fairhaven Fire Department the Charles W. Morgan was saved. Story compiled from recollections of the late Fire Chief Lindsay Gifford who was there. From The MLBaron Historic Archives.

New Bedford Yacht Club Final Moments

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:04:00 +0000

A rare look at The New Bedford Yacht Club c1905. Photo taken of the south facing part of the building. Photo Courtesy of The Claire T Carney Library UMASS Dartmouth.

The New Bedford Yacht Club in it's heyday looking east on Rt 6 towards Fairhaven. Old postcard photo c1910

By MLBaron Hurricane Historian and westislandweather.comThe final moments of The New Bedford Yacht Club at Pope's Island during the 1938 Hurricane. People can be seen looking out the windows on the top floor. (photo below)

"Some were having a "hurricane party" including some students from the recent FHS Class of '38" stated one graduate, the late Mary Battainy of Fairhaven. She told me that she was one of those looking out the window. Just minutes after this photo was taken from Marine Park looking towards the club everybody ran from the club as high winds exceeding 110MPH caused the building to lean back and sway. A huge wave then crashed into It and disintegrated into a large debris field that scattered across RT 6 and into the parking lot across the highway.

The remains of The New Bedford Yacht Club among the wreckage of demolished cars after the '38 Hurricane

Nothing was left of the legendary NB Yacht Club and it was never replaced. All survived, but one naked man was seen clutching to the top of a broken mast as it headed underneath the New Bedford Fairhaven Bridge and blown up the Acushnet River, nothing was ever heard of him again. Standard-Times photo from The MLBaron Historic Archives.

THE TITANIC DISASTER WAS A WEATHER RELATED INCIDENT

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:40:00 +0000

By MLBaron Correspondent

As we recognize the 101st anniversary of the sinking of RMS TITANIC, the fascination of that disaster still persists. I have been researching RMS TITANIC for years and have an extensive library on the ship. I went to the extent in 1997 to build a couple of six foot models of the hull and simulate the sinking in my kids swimming pool. I punctured small holes on the starboard bow and along side. As the water came in and filled up one compartment to another and eventually spill over above E deck to the fifth - the ship was doomed. My models broke in half and sank according to theories right by the book.

Titanic could handle 4 compartments flooded but not 5. The 882 ft ship was destined to go to the bottom in two and half hours. On April 14, 1912 flare signal colors had certain meaning. But in a frenzy the crew fired up white flares which meant “keep clear we are maneuvering” to any possible nearby ships. The California just 50 miles away saw the flares but stayed at anchor because of the severe ice flows. Even if the ship proceeded to the scene it couldn’t have maneuvered through the icebergs at full speed and it’s arrival would have been too late anyway. A series of apparent mistakes before the disaster contributed to the ships inevitable fate. The weather was clear and the sea flat calm. The lookout in the crows nest 90ft up couldn’t see any breaking waves on the iceberg they were approaching. Another suggestion indicates the iceberg wasn’t white because it may have flipped over at one time and was opaque and dark green in color making it even more invisible in the calm night sky. Numerous iceberg warnings received by the Marconi Morse Code radio crew on board went virtually ignored. The ship steamed on at full speed at 23 knots.

Some facts about RMS TITANIC

Although the ship was built by 11,000 workers in Belfast by The White Star Line, it was actually an American owned vessel along with its two other sister ships. The Brittanic and Olympic which were built side by side. The project started in 1909. All White Star Line ships had names that ended in IC. Example Brittanic, Gigantic, Baltic, Celtic, Olympic. The competing liner Cunard had their ships names in IA. As Lusitania, and Mauritania. The morse code SOS was used for the first time when the ship sent out a distress signal. Contrary to popular belief SOS didn’t mean “Save Our Ship” It was actually a discernable signal that was easily recognizable by morse code operators. Phonetically the Morse Code beeps sounded like this: DIT DIT DIT DA DA DA DIT DIT DIT. The original distress signal was CQD.After sighting the iceberg a mile away - the ships rudder was too small for its size to steer away at this distance. There were three propellers but only two went into reverse by the huge reciprocating engines. When they engaged in reverse the steering became useless.

The collision was inevitable.The families of the band members that played on deck right to the end received bills for their uniforms from The White Star Line a few months later after the sinking.Although the 1 inch thick iron hull was considered “battleship quality” steel it had a flaw of high sulphur content called “****” which made it and the rivets very fragile in icy waters. Recent deep water expeditions revealed there wasn’t a gash along the hull when it struck the iceberg from previous theories. The iceberg scraped along side and popped the rivets over 300 feet separating the hull plates and allowed thousands of tons of water to pour in.There was discussion with Captain E. J. Smith at the time of the sinking to open all the bulk head water tight doors from bow to stern and flood all the compartments evenly to stabilize the ship and slow it’s list from the bow. Scientific tests of hull models of the ship decades later proved that this procedure could have capsized the ship creating a greater disaster. Most of the 1503 passengers and crew that died did not drown, but succumbed to hypothermia in the 28 degree icy water in their life jackets within about 4 minutes. Only 680 passengers survived on the ships lifeboats and were later rescued by The Carpathia several hours later.

Upon arrival to New York the lifeboats, the last remains of Titanic were tied up first at the dock before the rescued passengers departed.It is estimated that the decent of the sinking 50,000 ton ship may have reached up to 40 miles MPH as it plunged two and a half miles down and buried most of the hull 60feet deep into the sediment of the ocean floor.The RMS initials before the name TITANIC stand for Royal Mail Steamer. For more information on The RMS Titanic visit the Marine Museum in Fall River. This is must see for Titanic buffs where they have the largest model of Titanic on display in the world. It was used in the classic movie of Titanic ”A Night To Remember” 1958. For more info visit this link to the museum: http://www.marinemuseum.org/home.html

I touched a salvaged 25 ton hull section of TITANIC at The World Trade Center in Boston 13 years ago at The Titanic Exhibition where salvaged items from the wreck were displayed. The portholes were still in place and it was an eerie sight. They had an opaque green film and you couldn’t see through. One can just imagine who was the last passenger to peer through them. The iron remains of RMS Titanic are deteriorating and soon will be just an orange rust stain on the ocean floor in decades to come. For more information on future Titanic exhibits and artifact display visit:http://www.titanictix.com/ Illustration / Engraving photo by MLBaron

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 02:39:00 +0000

The Winter Without Mercy

GOES Satellite Image of the March 8 Nor'easter

Another Powerful Nor'easter Batters The Coast

By M.L.Baron Correspondent / westislandweather.com

WEST ISLAND - Some say this season is turning out to be "the Winter without mercy."
A series of powerful storm systems along the East Coast followed by Hurricane Sandy - which earned the title of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history has raised concern. Insurance claims are staggering and continue to flow in from multiple weather events across the country. Ultimately , insurance rates are expected to rise along with deductibles to recoup huge payout claim losses.

Record breaking snowfalls are in sharp contrast to a relatively quiet season last year. Some of these storms have transited through an already battered region that was decimated by Sandy. Many remain homeless while others have severely damaged homes along shore. Tent dwellers waiting to move back in to their homes since October have been exposed to extreme conditions.

Is this active weather trend expected to continue for months or maybe even years? Some experts have theorized that this could be considered the "new normal". These well-defined comma shaped systems have been very organized having an abundant supply of moisture from The Gulf to feed and energize them into historical weather catastrophes that books are written about. The geography of the United States in general is a perfect breeding ground for weather of all kinds that can rival the rest of the world.

Over 45% of the U.S. has some kind of snow cover. With the suns strong rays this time of the year the snow will soon be a memory. Considering this active weather pattern over the past few months, one can only speculate what the upcoming Atlantic Hurricane Season will be like.

Blizzard Breaks Uneventful Winter Weather Trend

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:47:00 +0000

NASA Satellite Imagery 2-8-2013

By M.L.Baron Correspondent

WEST ISLAND - It’s been over 2 years since the area was hit by a major snow storm with accumulations that can be compared to last weekend’s blizzard. On January 12, 2011, 22 inches of snow fell in Acushnet and 19" inches in Fairhaven followed by a virtually snow-less winter last year.

One of the lucky residents of West Island that had a snow blower

Snow totals varied across the region with the highest depths measuring 40" in Hamden, Conn. to 21.5" in Acushnet. NSTAR crews were out in force restoring power to over 18,000 customers in the New Bedford area alone. Evacuation centers were opened but had only a few takers. SkyWarn weather spotters across the Northeast reported in their observations to The National Weather Service throughout the blizzard. Many local super markets and restaurants in town had to dump ice cream, seafood and many other frozen food products because of the power loss during the storm.

West Island Weather Station Tower encrusted with snow and ice

The Weather Channel Causes Friction with The National Weather Service

Will we remember this storm as the Blizzard of 2013 or “NEMO”? The National Weather Service still remains rather tepid in acknowledging named storms other than tropical storms and hurricanes. The Weather Channel now owned by Comcast devised this idea some theorize as a marketing strategy to get more viewers to tune in. This approach in programming during the winter doldrums could be more attractive to advertisers with much needed revenue. NBC, also owned by Comcast appears to be the only media outlet aggressively referring to named winter storms including “Nemo” for the 2013 Blizzard.

West Island Weather Station Snow Man Cam image

However other media outlets such as MTV, Twitter and Verizon have joined in the fad of what could be considered one of the “one-hit wonders” of 2013. Bizarre names (much to the annoyance of The National Weather Service) remaining on the 2013 winter storm list include: ORKO - PLATO - Q - ROCKY - SATURN - TRITON - UKKO - VIRGIL - WALDA - XERXES - YOGI - ZEUS. Some of these names so flippantly contrived are even rejected by spell checkers on the average PC.

A large amateur radio antenna hangs by its coaxial cable

Here are some numbers for the Blizzard of 2013:

Storm data log recorded at the West Island Weather Station for this blizzard event on 2/09/2013:
The Barometer bottomed out at 29.34 at 12:40AM / High Wind Gust 67MPH NE est Town Beach 1:00AM / High Temp 30.4F at 12:00 AM / Low temp 15.3F at 11:50PM/ Snow 11.5" with drifts over 4FT.

Trees and downed power lines were a common sight

Comments: Wind shift into the SW at 2:00PM / Temperature rose to 32F at 330PM on 2/10.
Power out 2/08 at 710PM - restored at 2/10 -5PM.Several large branches / wires down along with some trees. Large shrubs / wires weighted down by heavy snow and ice accretion. No significant structural damage observed. The Causeway was passable at all times.

Island recent storm damage comparison: Tropical Storm Sandy Oct 29-30, Nor’easter Nov 7-8, 2013. Tropical Storm Irene Aug 28, 2011.

SkyWarn Spotter MLBaron prepares to venture out and assess storm damage

Forecasters predict milder temperatures with the possibility of measurable snow by the weekend followed by more unsettled weather over the next few weeks.
There are 33 days left of winter until the first day of Spring which arrives March 20th at 7:02 AM.

ENTER HERE: For more photos of The Blizzard of 2013 from West Island, Fairhaven, MA

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:48:00 +0000

At the Height of WW II, The Hurricane of 1944 Claimed Most of Its Lives at Sea

By M.L.Baron westislandweather.com

FAIRHAVEN: Some local survivors will argue that the hurricane that struck near midnight on September 14, 1944 was more destructive than the infamous‘1938 Hurricane six years prior. To a certain extent they were right. The category 3 hurricane impacted a smaller land mass, but for the areas that got hit, the damage was incredible. It appears that wind damage had more of a destructive feature than the tidal surge. In a town report, the Fairhaven tree warden reported more trees fell in town than in 1938. The newly erected radio tower in1940, for WNBH-WFMR at Crow Island had 225ft snapped off leaving a 120ft stub at the base. Although the death toll reached 46 on land it was much higher at sea.

WW II Navy veteran Antone “Tony-Tex” Teixeira, 91 of North Fairhaven (right) recalled being right in “the middle of hell” with a naval task force steaming south down the east coast en route to the Panama Canal.
After just completing several dangerous missions in The Battle for The Atlantic, they were re-assigned to head into the Pacific theatre. The convoy ran smack into the hurricane that had 75 foot seas and 150 mph gusts. Radio silence was strictly enforced, so if any ship got into trouble they were mostly on their own.
Mr Teixeira recalls as a sailor on board the destroyer escort USS ORLANDO, that the Captain decided at one point to reverse screws and let the storm push at them with less resistance, rather than let the ship face it head on.
As the ship tossed about, the stern would rise out of the sea and the engines would rev up as the propellers spun rapidly out of the water. With the ocean this intense it could easily break a good sized ship in half. Somehow they made it and the convoy proceeded to the war in the Pacific.

However, 5 ships sank which included the 381 ft. USS Warrington DD 383 about 450 miles east off Vero Beach, Florida with 248 lost out of a crew of 321. (Above: The USS Warrington DD 383 with crew on deck in New York harbor.1939 US Navy photo )
A minesweeper, along with 2 Coast Guard cutters - the Bedloe and Jackson - that were escorting a torpedo damaged liberty ship into port were sunk, drowning 85 sailors off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

The 128 ft. Vineyard Sound Lightship (US Navy photo below) took all 11 of its crew to the bottom 3 miles off Cuttyhunk Island. In a 1963 expedition to the Vineyard Sound, divers found bow plates punched in were the ships center storm anchor may have come loose and was tossed about freely during the height of the storm creating a gaping hole in the hull that quickly sank the ship. Ships of this type lacked any real water tight bulk heads. One diver described the sunken wreck as they approached it. The ship still sits upright in sixty feet of water as if in a perpetual vigil. When inside the wreck, greenish rays of sunshine glisten eerily through the hole as fish swim in and out of the ship. It’ is a haunting yet beautiful and peaceful sight. He said. This storm is referred to as The Great Atlantic Hurricane. Named hurricanes began in the early 1950's. The first named hurricane to strike New England was Carol on August 31, 1954. For more info on The 1944 Hurricane visit westislandweather.com.

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:07:00 +0000

A Series of Isolated Thunderstorm Events This Summer Has SouthCoast In Its Sights

By MLBaron / westislandweather.com

What appears to be a summer pattern of strong thunderstorms, another surprise thunderstorm impacted the Greater New Bedford area this weekend which was recovering from a stifling heat wave. Beach goers at several local beaches were caught off guard as the storm moved in quickly early Saturday afternoon.

The darkening skies didn’t intimidate many until vivid lightning and thunder suddenly overtook the area. Bathers scrambled with their beach blankets and umbrellas to the safety of their cars.

Although the storm passed in less than 45 minutes, numerous trees were downed including a few confirmed lightning strikes. Brockton, Plymouth, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket reported trees down from lightning and/or wind. One strike apparently set a house ablaze in Tiverton. One of the last utility poles at the end of Wilbur’s Point in Fairhaven was struck and the top half was blown off.

As the storm cell exited off South Dartmouth and into Buzzards Bay, The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm marine warnings and to The Elizabeth Islands, Cuttyhunk and Martha’s Vineyard. (above photo) The West Island Weather Station AXIS weather cam captured the impressive wall of heavy showers off shore and what appeared to be the early stages of a funnel cloud formation. This is the sixth significant thunderstorm to southeastern MA with damage reports since the Tornado outbreak in Springfield, MA on June 1. Other storms impacting the region include June 9, July 8, July 12, July 13 and this weekend on Saturday July 23. “Although thunderstorms are common during the dog days of summer, the destructive intensity of these isolated storms concentrated in the local area is rather unusual.” stated MLBaron of westislandweather.com The West Island Weather Station recorded .10 of rain with a wind gust of 22 MPH out of the ESE as the storm skimmed by the island by about 1 mile to the west. The sun returned just after 2 PM for the remainder of the day.

For more on storm damage reports from The National Weather Service enter this link: http://www.westislandweather.com/Data/latest.nwus51.KBOX%20JUL%2023%202011.pdf

For more storm photos visit: http://www.westislandweather.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=11964490

For storm video from the West Island Causeway visit: http://www.westislandweather.com/apps/videos/

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Hurricane Donna Doesn’t Get the Credit She Deserves.

By M.L.Baron westislandweather.com

When SouthCoast refers to hurricanes past, the big three usually take the front row seat. The 1938, 1944 and 1954 hurricanes are rubber stamped as a reference point for powerful hurricanes that have impacted southern New England. It is rare that Hurricane Donna that struck the area on Sept 12, 1960 ever gets mentioned up in this neck of the woods. Maybe its because there wasn’t a souvenir hurricane photo book published about it, at least that I know of.

However Donna remains as one of the most volatile hurricanes on record. Donna developed off the Cape Verde Islands, a notorious breeding ground for tropical storms in late August. The storm quickly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane. A Category 3 hurricane is considered intense with wind ranging from 111 mph to 135mph. Tidal surges reach up to 12 ft.

On a westerly track, Donna eventually passed north of Puerto Rico and intensified further. It soon became the main focus of attention to The National Weather Service and meteorologists around the world. Hurricane Donna began its historical trek into infamy as it impacted both sides of the Florida peninsula bringing Category 4 force destructive wind gusts of 150 mph and 13 ft tidal surges. The low lying land mass areas of Florida weren’t enough to down grade Donna.
The hurricane remained a Category 3 as it crashed into the Carolinas with 120 mph wind and headed straight for Long Island with nothing to impede or divert its track. Block Island reported wind gusts to 130 mph and New Bedford 90+ mph sustained. Tidal surges ranged from 5 to 10 feet.

Donna still holds the title as the only hurricane to impact the most states in a single hurricane event. The storm is also the 5th strongest on record with the barometer bottoming out at 27.46 inches.

So with all this information put forth, Donna deserves to be part of the legendary group of SouthCoast hurricanes past. While we’re at it, we have a special place in hurricane history for Hurricane Bob as well. The 20th anniversary from southern New England’s last major hurricane is on August 19, 2011. I will soon be putting together a special on Bob for FNN. For more information visit our expanded hurricane features at westislandweather.com.

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:18:00 +0000

In 1954, “New” West Islanders Were the First to

Experience a Major Hurricane Here

1952

150 Cottages Built in 3 Years On Fairhaven's West Island

Car membership badge identified motorists as residents of Fairhaven Estates and were allowed to passage by a guard shack posted on the causeway.

The Summer of '52 West Island Estates.

Antone Teixeira and future wife to be, Evelyn catch the summer breeze on the front lawn at his mother's cottage he just built at 47 Alder St. This was one of the first cottages on West Island. Two years later Hurricane Carol struck on Aug 31, 1954. Many houses (photo below)were devastated or destroyed on this street, but the little cottage went unscathed. A West Island Hurricane Carol Photo Album is under construction for this site.

By M.L.Baron westislandweather.com 6/14/2011

WEST ISLAND: With the hurricanes of 1938 and 1944 still fresh in local minds, new West Island residents who began to build summer cottages on the mostly uninhabited island in the late 40's had nobody to tell them what previous hurricanes were like out here. In fact, most of those who bought cottages through developers of Fairhaven Estates in 1952, were from out-of-town inland areas. So many were already oblivious as to what hurricanes could do to coastal property in the first place. On Tuesday, August 31, 1954, they found out.

The island never had this number of structures before that had endured prior hurricanes. In the first 2 years much of the planned 150 summer cottages were already cluttered side by side along the much sought after waterfront lots of Alder and Balsam Streets. (on the west facing side of the island.) Most of this area is about 3 feet above sea level. Some 200 families now occupied the 535 acre island.

Carol, the first named hurricane to impact the northeast arrived Tuesday, August 31, 1954. The Category 2 hurricane brought in tidal surges over 10 feet accompanied by 110 mph winds. Just 10 days later Hurricane Edna struck on September 11th. Edna caused some more chaos to an already dazed SouthCoast. However, the worst damage was more localized to Cape Cod.

Some island residents decided to sell their property after the hurricanes and there were few takers. The asking price ranged from $300 to $500.00 for a vacant lot where their little summer paradise once stood. Some cottages that were dragged off their foundations that remained mostly intact were salvaged and remain standing on their original lots today. To view rare photos of the island damage visit :

West Island Hurricane Carol Photo Album

Note:
Today, for sale signs along this waterfront pop up occasionally. Real estate advertisements hype the lure of the sea and beauty of the ocean, but most shy away from putting in the fine print about the serious vulnerability and dangers that could await prospective buyers.
With all this in mind people will still buy these expensive properties and take a chance. After all they can afford to. The common practice is to bulldoze the little quaint cottage and put a huge “McMansion” on stilts in its place, ruining the aesthetics of the island. Typically, these kind of owners are from out-of-town or state and have no roots or vested interest in the community. They take advantage of the island for what it’s worth during the summer and spend the winter elsewhere.
One corner lot that was sold recently was cleared and every tree chopped down. An enormous box like structure that appears to be a house, (because it has window shutters) was erected.
In the driveway, a little “Prius” hybrid electric car is parked in the shade of this 3 story monstrosity. Now, that’s what I call looking out for the environment.

City's hurricane-barrier wonder of the world

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:16:00 +0000

MLBaron comments on Standard-Times article in making the Hurricane Barrier more recreational friendly:
A great concept that is long over due. The recreational aspects of the barrier are well documented in the early planning stages of it's construction. One of the original ideas discussed was to construct the barrier from Clark's Point in New Bedford's South End to the tip of Wilbur's Point in Fairhaven. This would have enclosed more of the outer harbor including the narrow peninsula of Sconticutneck (which may have required a sea wall on the east side as well.) Some of the factors going against this concept may have included the cost of construction in deeper water, the topography of the sea floor and the over all property value that would have been protected. Al least two debates perpetuate today. Could the barrier increase a tidal surge to Sconticut Neck in a hurricane? (some studies have shown vague results) Would this project ever have gotten off the ground today enclosing an entire harbor with the invasive disturbance to the wetlands and coastal environment? With the strict environmental laws now in place that were virtually non-existent in the early 60's.this idea would have been laughed at. It is also historically important to note that The Standard-Times and it's top officials were one of the key supporters of the barrier's construction through a series of editorials and direct involvement in the planning committees. At the time (1957) New Bedford's factories and business were exhausted from a series of 3 major hurricanes in less than 16 years.

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:57:00 +0000

(Above: NASA Landsat 5 image taken June 5th)
.

Last Week’s Tornado Event Had
Something in Store for SouthCoast

MLBaron westislandweather.com

WEST ISLAND: By now we all know what happened in Springfield and its surrounding towns. This once in a lifetime severe weather outbreak of 3 tornadoes in Massachusetts, one of which left an astounding half mile wide path of destruction 39 miles long brought back memories of the deadly Worcester tornado outbreak of 1953. Debris from that storm fell from the sky dozens of miles away, including a frozen mattress and some books found floating in Boston Harbor. In last week’s tornado some debris was tossed upwards 30,000 ft before falling back to earth. A gas station slip from Brimfield was found 80 miles away in Weymouth. Locally, down bursts or sudden blasts of destructive strong wind are often misreported as a tornado. Although they may appear similar at first- both have a different damage pattern left by the wind. A down burst in general tends to have a central “crater” with debris jutting out from it’s center, versus a tornado having a defined swirling path into it’s center Both typically evolve from intense thunderstorms. Most weather instruments, especially anemometers (that measure wind speed) do not survive the extreme wind speeds created by tornadoes. That’s were SDA or Storm Damage Assessment comes to play. It’s sort of the CSI for meteorologists who examine where and how structures failed, width of tree trunks snapped and the impact of building materials, vehicles, and common household items that become missiles. After all the data is collected the wind speed is estimated.

(Above) Lightning strikes the evening of June 1st, 2011
Southeastern MA was finally placed in a tornado watch late in the afternoon (last Wednesday) as newly formed cells progressed eastward.

A cluster of strong storms formed off Long Island and headed directly east towards Block Island and Buzzards Bay. The cooling effect of the 64 degree water caused the cluster of thunderstorms to lose it’s punch. Only a few sprinkles and rumbles of thunder about 830PM could be heard out in the distance as the remnants passed through uneventfully.

This was in sharp contrast to the devastation wrought by the same air mass 90 miles away a few hours earlier.

A days weather for June 1st, 2011

WEATHER DATA COMPARISON FOR
WEST ISLAND,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, SPRINGFIELD MA JUN 1

Hi Temp: 73 .........................87
Lo Temp: 59 ........................64
Wind: 11 mph .....................15 mph
Gust: 38 mph ......................160 mph est. F3 Tornado
Rain: . 00 .............................1.31
Humidity: 100% ..................100%
Dew point: 74.5 .................. 74.4
Low Barometer: 29.84......... 29.76
Damaged Buildings: 0.............. 1,000+
Destroyed Buildings: 0.............. 200+
Deaths: 0 ....................................4
Injuries: 0...................................... 200

West Island Weather Station has 3 independent “black-box” recorders that register weather parameters every minute, 24/7.

The National Weather Service link for a complete storm report:http://www.westislandweather.com/Data/Document1.pdf

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:10:00 +0000

West Island’s WW II Lookout Tower May Have Had a Secret Gun Emplacement

MLBaron westislandweather.com

WEST ISLAND:

Although gun emplacements were a standard part of the design type and layout of US Army observation towers like the one at West Island, no confirmation of a gun battery has been found.

However, evidence suggests that on the northeast corner of the island, that an existing man-made 6x6 ft concrete foundation “deep in the woods out of no-where” very well could have been part of a gun emplacement.

It’s strategic location close to shore in thick brush and trees would certainly have been made for an ideal spot. The lack of any reference to this location from a military stand point during the war probably would have been classified.

This also could explain the origin of the trail-path carved out of the brush headed towards the site from Fir St. Keep in mind the island wasn’t developed until the late 40's and early 50's. but a trail is clearly visible in a 1946 aerial photograph (below) taken just after the war. (A) on the left marks possible gun emplacement. (B) on the right marks dump site cavity.

This path would later be referred to as the “dump road” for the “new” island inhabitants who needed a place to discard their trash, including broke down household appliances, tires etc. As the population increased, so did the trash. At one point a small bulldozer was used to pack in the refuse into what became a deepening cavity of about a 100 foot circumference down the bend in the trail on the right side.

The bulldozer was stored in a garage next to the oldest house on the island at 38 Causeway Rd on the corner of Fir St. The town began trash pick-up to the island in the late 60's, but some dumping continued into the late 70's. The cavity of this site is visible by satellite to this day.

Satellite photo taken about 2006: (A) on the left marks possible gun emplacement. (B) on the right marks dump site cavity still visible.

For more information on the West Island Tower enter here.

German Sub Attacked a New Bedford Fishing Boat in WWII

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Fri, 27 May 2011 23:58:00 +0000

A NAZI U-Boat attacked this New Bedford scalloper in 1945. On a foggy night while dragging for scallops off Nantucket, The crew of The Friars (1939 photo) spotted a periscope rising out of the murky water. The sub surfaced and began firing upon the fishing boat. Crew members donned their life jackets and prepared to abandon ship. They were not sure of the distance, but could see the flashes from the subs deck gun. 4 shells were fired at The Friars and then the sub quickly submerged. The Friars headed at full speed towards the north and then the Captain and crew decided to return the 74ft scalloper back to the fishing grounds after a few hours later. They returned to port with the story of their ordeal and a "1,000" gallons of scallops. A rare 1939 clip shows the Friars dockside at Pier 3: http://www.youtube.com/user/mlb525#p/a/u/3/OwVBaAp34sE

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Mon, 23 May 2011 16:47:00 +0000

The causeway to West Island washed out, after Hurricane Carol, 1954

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1st
and here’s the list of selected names:
Arlene
Bret
Cindy
Don
Emily
Franklin
Gert
Harvey
Irene
Jose
Katia
Lee
Maria
Nate
Ophelia
Philippe
Rina
Sean
Tammy
Vince
Whitney

Forecasters continue to predict an above average hurricane season similar to last year. The last major hurricane to impact Southeastern MA was Bob, on August 19, 1991. Bob was one of the earliest recorded hurricanes to impact the area. For those who lost water service last Monday for a few hours, imagine being shut-off for days and maybe even weeks if you decided to ride out a hurricane on West Island. Add to that, the loss of power and other vital utilities and this is when the reality of complacency will hit home.
Soon town officials will meet on West Island with their usual hurricane preparedness plan for islanders who decide to stay with four basic words: “You’re on your own”. I’ve had islanders as old as a 100 say they're going to stay. It is not out of the question to assume that as many as 1,000 people could be stranded out here after not heeding voluntary evacuation advice. Although some boast they are fully prepared to remain with generators, supplies and even a spare car on the “neck” to row over to if the causeway is washed out, the majority won’t be. The lack of medical and emergency services would also add to an already complicated scenario.
Westislandweather.com has several hurricane albums completely scanned for those to be reminded of the magnitude of full blown major hurricanes from the past featuring Carol in 1954, The 1938 and 1944 Hurricanes.

The causeway to West Island is about four feet above sea-level.

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Small Quake 9 Miles Off West Island a Routine Event

WEST ISLAND: Two small earthquakes where detected in Buzzards Bay Sunday night (5-15-2011) at 839PM.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) that monitors earthquake activity around the world recorded a minor 2.1 magnitude quake about 2.5 miles below the surface. a few hundred yards off Nashawena Island that's part of The Elizabeth Islands chain. A second smaller 1.3 magnitude quake moved the seismograph needle a few minutes later.
Most of these small quakes cannot be felt or heard but register on sensitive tremor instruments. There are in excess of 30 small quake events a year in the New England region., according to the USGS. In April of 2005 a 2.5 seismic event was recorded in the same general area that generated numerous reports of an explosion as far away as Nantucket.
Link to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Thu, 12 May 2011 12:35:00 +0000

The Thompson Propeller Shop

As New Bedford suffered hard times in the 1930's, the remains of a torn-down mill was brought back to life.

By MLBaron

The Thompson Propeller Shop, built in 1937 remains strong and sturdy today as compared to any Henry Huttleston Rogers buildings in Fairhaven., and all from demolished materials from a factory that was torn down in New Bedford’s South End. From window frames, bricks and steel girders, the Thompson brothers who were already a waterfront fixture in the important propeller repair business designed and built the structure from the ground up with the recycled remains of what was likely the Kilburn Mill.

The Thompsons carried on the tradition from their father M.D.Thompson of Maine., who designed the "Thompson Feathering Propeller", a popular reversing prop that reversed the pitch automatically via hinged blades when the engine shifted into forward or reverse.

In 1961, Warren Thompson decided to retire and sold the business to Gunnar Gundersen, an engineer from Norway who still runs the shop today as Scandia Propeller., and yes, the famous Fairhaven waterfront icon - a shiny brass propeller still spins away on the corner of the building at Union and Water Streets.

FYI-When the Atlas Tack was finally torn down, the building’s high-quality bricks were crated up and recycled. The current market for a good brick is about $1.00 each.

To see more photos and enlargements visit this link at westislandweather.com

Be sure to enter the SLIDESHOW option for even a better experience.

Photos and story from the M.L.Baron Historic Archives c1987

The Story of Tommy's Boat, authored by The Thompson brother's dad, who started the business in Maine.

A steam shovel clears the lot

These sturdy window frames being set in place.

A handsome new building with a small sail boat out front. It's hard to believe that his structure was completely built of demolision material from a factory in New Bedford. The factory was very likely the Kilburn Mill torn down right around the time this was constructed.

Warren Thompson (above) installs the famous shiny brass propeller on the corner of his new shop. It was said that the spinning prop could be seen shining across the Acushnet River from Union St in New Bedford on sunny days.

Machinists at work Lunch break in the office

Illustration from Propeller Shop booklet. Warren Thompson's dad, M.D.Thompson of Maine was the inventor of the Thompson "feathering" Propeller. This remarkable invention allowed the prop blade to automatically change it's pitch when the thrust from the vessel's gears shifted from forward or to reverse.

A price list above for the propeller shop's services. Pretty steep prices considering the minimum wage was about .20 cents an hour at the time. Mr Thompson chuckled in an interview I had with him in the 80's when he revealed that during the rum running days, it was not uncommon to have a Coast Guard Revenue Cutter's propellers being serviced side by side with the rum-runners boat's. He said the "boys" in the shop made the pitch of the runners props a little better for performance and speed.

The late Warren Thompson, was well known in Fairhaven for being a dead-ringer look-alike for Col Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He played the role well and would venture into KFC Restaurants for laughs! We were good friends and he had many stories to tell. But none better than his legacy of being the owner of The Thompson Propeller Shop on Water St in Fairhaven. Enjoy this classic YouTube clip from The 1991 Fairhaven Homecoming Fair when I ran into him with his wife. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5kK9C8wh1Y

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:25:00 +0000

Last Thursday’s Rainbow Arced Over West Island

MLBaron - Skywarn Weather Spotter documents a rainbow event.

WEST ISLAND: The unstable atmosphere (last Thursday-May 5, 2011) was getting more agitated all day with increased amounts of virga that eventually reached the ground as scattered sheets of rain showers trained east in a narrow corridor. As a weather spotter I sensed that an interesting weather event was imminent.

Ominous sky to the north with training showers. Towering cumulus clouds build upwards.

I waited for over 3 hours with a front row seat on the causeway before my intuition came true - a rainbow appeared over West Island. With the sun breaking through at the end of the day and light showers still active, the ingredients of a rainbow coalesced perfectly over West Island.

Recipe for a rainbow, the sun angle about 40 degrees, "TOTO II" Skywarn GMC Mountain Bike on scene
and a band of light showers inbound.

No two people ever see the exact same rainbow because of the precise angle, however many witnessed a double-rainbow from the causeway as it arced over the island looking east.The phenomena lasted less than 2 minutes.

More pictures and more weather at westislandweather.com

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:21:00 +0000

Chasing Tornados - The Ultimate Extreme - and You’re Invited
By MLBaron - The West Island Weather Station

F5 Tours, Inc. doesn’t take you in a chubby bus with long vertical windows to see dead movie star’s homes or “Old Faithful”. You would be cramped aboard a storm chasing vehicle with storm spotters and tornado chasers headed right for trouble.

“We remove that anxiety and put you in a situation where you can learn how to chase in comfort. It takes a special kind of person to want to go on a storm chase.” says Andrew Revering, CEO of F5 Tours, Inc. “Our extreme winter is setting the stage for a record breaking tornado season.” said the veteran storm chaser. You know you’re in for some excitement when the tour guide asks you to sign a waiver and fill out a next of kin information card.
The company web site (http://www.f5tours.com/index.php) has more details and booking information. I’ll gladly post your video and photos on westislandweather.com when you come back.

If you saw TWISTER, a movie about a bunch of weather nerds ( nut cases ) chasing tornados it was not totally far fetched. A tornado can defy the laws of gravity with unbelievable catastrophic impact, however some exaggerated special effects in this movie insulted everyone’s intelligence. This is the kind of movie that the case becomes more useful for the VHS home movies you just transferred to DVD. The most outrageous scenes included a tanker truck suspended in mid air then exploding a few yards away. A cow slowly hovering by the chaser’s windshield - mooing along and then another cow. Later we found out it was the same cow. The chaser’s truck crashing through every room of a rolling house and smashing out the other side showed 4x4's could do anything. If this movie couldn’t get any dumber - Bill and “Jo” - divorcing storm chasers run for their lives as a huge F5 Tornado bares down on them in a corn field. They ended up in barn and decided it’s not safe. They find a long leather strap and secure themselves outside to a water pipe in a shed. The tornado blew away the shed and spun right over the couple as they went horizontal (hmmm) in the 150MPH wind. Then through all the blinding sandblasted debris; “Jo” with eyes wide open looked up into the center of the tornado and sees the blue sky and sun breaking through. As the twister heads away, debris and shingles keep falling from the sky. Bill and “Jo” are OK as their fellow storm chasers come to the rescue. You could say that some of the movie was based on eyewitness accounts who where “last-call” customers at The Bayside Lounge.

But seriously, an EF5 tornado like those that recently occurred down south removes everything in it’s path...everything. If you are not underground for safety in the path of one of these, you will leave this earth in a most violent way. There are indeed storm chasers that pursue tornados and provide important life-saving data and information to The National Weather Service and they invite you to come along!

Rare Rogue Thunderstorm Pounds SouthCoast

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:13:00 +0000

“What was that hail?”

(Email to MLBaron from Beth David Friday night 950PM)

Rare rogue Thunderstorm briefly pounds Southcoast (Friday February 18, 2011)

MLBaron westislandweather.com

WEST ISLAND - Not only were the locals caught off guard, the National Weather Service is stillscratching their head on this one. A rare February thunderstorm seemed to have perked up out of nowhere last Friday night. Residents were questioning each other about seeing flashes in the partially moonlit sky but couldn’t figure it out until the rumblings of thunder could be heard as the rogue storm came overhead without warning. The small but potent storm cell passed over Southcoast at over 60 MPH, bringing nickel sized hail, strong winds and vivid lightning. “At 930 PM EST National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a strong thunderstorm capable of producing 40 mph wind gusts and mouth... or about 11 miles southwest of New Bedford... moving east at 60 mph” This quote was the extent of the warning just 10 minutes before impact from the National Weather Service.

Just for the record other parts of the Northeast were impacted by this system with pockets of severe weather from CT to NH. A strong cold front ran into a warm moist air mass in which the contrast was extreme enough to create this brief but powerful storm event. .

Storm stats from westislandweather.com: Friday, Feb 18 945PM, nickel size hail reported from the Causeway. High Wind Gust: 50 MPH at 940PM, Barometer 29.19 at 935PM, .08" Rain. Moonlit skies w/ broken overcast at 1045PM.

More lightning photos by WIWS Member Eric Birkeland at this link

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Frantic rush to stop out of control Gulf Gush as busy hurricane season looms,
Eastern Seaboard awaits it’s fate

By MLBaron / WIWS

Mike Gagne, a life long resident of North Fairhaven is a technician for the famed Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute based in Falmouth, MA. says WHOI is on scene for research purposes and not directly involved with the clean-up operations.

“There’s more on the way. The Oceanus had a maintenance period (many things that had to be done...) is heading down, and the others (ships) are working in different parts of the globe.”

“We are all collaborating our thoughts to try and stop this terrible mess. Working down there the smell is horrific- it's like working 24-7 tarring a road. Even our seasoned sailors are getting nauseous from the smell...” Gagne said.

Many in the health community at and near the spill scenes are concerned about the health hazards and ramifications of the noxious methane fumes from the oil exacerbated by the high heat index exceeding 106 degrees at times. Cleanup crews are being exposed to the extent that some hospitals are setting up decontamination tents outside their facilities for the anticipated high volume of patients.

Many are saying this is an environmental armageddon that has yet to fully unfold., especially with a looming hurricane season that is expected to be very active. Experts warn that The Gulf Stream will eventually make it's turn-around the peninsula of Florida making a trek up the Eastern seaboard including the Northeast coast. The extent and magnitude of that scenario is unknown.

Judging by the cleanup of The Exxon Valdez 1989 oil spill, it is estimated that for every day the Gulf gush continues add an additional 6 months for clean-up. Currently at 30 years and counting.

Look what a meager (in comparison) 100,000 gal spill did to West Island in 2003 - a Dixie cup spill compared to an Olympic size pool spill in the Gulf that's getting larger everyday: http://www.westislandweather.com/oilspill2003.htm

WORLDS 1st TWIN ENGINE HELO 1956 New Bedford, MA

noreply@blogger.com (MLBaron) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:02:00 +0000