It has been a crazy month for extreme weather events, and not even the usually easy ones to predict, thanks to Super El Niño flip-flopping the normal weather patterns in the Atlantic and Pacific.
If your weekend weather bingo card had major hurricanes, a wildfire, pending volcanic activity, and a nor’easter hitting the U.S. from coast to coast, you almost had it covered. But did you pick a “zombie storm” coming back to life and bringing a tropical storm with it?
As AccuWeather reports, here is a look at the biggest weather stories from the weekend from East to West and what comes next.
Nor’easter leaves more than 200,000 without power
The season’s first nor’easter flooded roads and homes, disrupted travel and knocked out power to more than 200,000 customers across the Northeast over the course of the storm. A New York City Housing Authority employee was killed by a falling tree on Saturday.
Along the Massachusetts coast, powerful waves crashed over seawalls and homes in Scituate as repeated high tides prolonged the damage. In Atlantic City, a good 10 to 15 feet of berm was just washed away, creating dangerous erosion along the tourist mecca.
New Jersey flooding triggers rescues and cuts off roads
Water rescues mounted along the Jersey Shore as seawater surrounded homes and submerged streets. First responders in Sea Bright reported about 90 rescues on Saturday. Flooding also forced the Route 72 bridge to Long Beach Island to close. Wind gusts reached 74 mph on Long Beach Island, and more than 69,000 New Jersey customers lost power.
Outer Banks highway damaged as Virginia streets remain flooded
Days of onshore winds pushed water across North Carolina’s Outer Banks, closing stretches of N.C. Highway 12 because of ocean overwash and damaged pavement. An initial assessment identified roughly 1,000 feet of undermined or broken roadway near the Pea Island Visitor Center. An emergency ferry route unused for nearly 13 years came out of retirement to shuttle people and supplies between Hatteras Island and the North Carolina mainland.
North Carolina Department of Transportation Communications Officer Tim Hass told AccuWeather such severe damage is unusual, even along a highway frequently exposed to ocean overwash. “It is not common, but the road has been damaged before, notably by Hurricanes Irene and Sandy in 2011 and 2012. Those were also times that the emergency ferry route has been placed in operation,” Hass said.
In Virginia’s Hampton Roads communities, some neighborhoods could not drain before the next high tide brought more water.
Storm uncovers a possible 142-year-old shipwreck
On Sept 26 in Nantucket, the nor’easter stripped away enough sand to reveal wooden wreckage believed to be from the Warren Sawyer, a schooner that ran aground in December 1884. A resident spotted the exposed timbers Saturday along the island’s south shore.
‘Zombie storm’ Fay keeps its story going
Fay entered the weekend after an unusual comeback. The Atlantic system lost its tropical characteristics Tuesday, then reorganized and regained tropical storm status late Wednesday — earning the unofficial nickname “zombie storm.” By Monday, Fay was a tropical depression.
Monday brings Tropical Storm Hanna and gradual relief in the Northeast
Tropical Storm Hanna formed late Monday morning about 850 miles northeast of Bermuda, becoming the Atlantic season’s eighth named storm. It had sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving east. However, meteorologists do not expect direct impacts on the United States.
Meanwhile, the nor’easter was slowly pulling away. Conditions were expected to improve significantly by late Monday, although lingering coastal flooding could persist where water was slow to drain.
Nolo brings flooding rain to Hawaii as a separate fire forces evacuations
Hurricane Nolo strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday while remaining south of Hawaii. Its effects reached the islands, with high winds closing Kohala Mountain Road and three-day rainfall totals exceeding 17 inches at some Big Island locations. Statewide power outages topped 16,000 early Sunday.
On Maui, a separate brush fire erupted Saturday near Olowalu Village, prompting evacuations and temporarily closing Honoapiʻilani Highway. The emergencies unfolded as some Hawaii communities continued recovering from hurricanes Lala and Lowell.
On the Big Island, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists continue to watch for Kīlauea to begin its 55th eruptive episode after some venting activity was spotted ahead of Nolo’s close pass.
Polo makes first landfall in Mexico after reaching 180 mph
Hurricane Polo entered the weekend after again reaching Category 5 strength with 180-mph winds Friday. Although weakening, the hurricane remained a serious threat to northwestern Mexico.
AccuWeather meteorologists said Polo made its first landfall in Baja California Sur on Monday, with a second on mainland Mexico expected early Tuesday. Damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge and flash flooding are major concerns. Meanwhile, in California, teams raced to save about 200 sea turtle eggs from coastal impacts from Polo. Two olive ridley sea turtles laid the first nests ever recorded in California last week.
The recent busy Pacific hurricane activity fits a familiar El Niño pattern: Warmer waters and reduced wind shear favor storm development in the eastern and central Pacific, while stronger wind shear tends to suppress activity in the Atlantic.
Major Flood Event headed for Southwestern and Central U.S. from Pacific Hurricanes
A major flood event is unfolding across the southwestern and central United States as residual tropical moisture from two hurricanes clashes with another storm swinging in from the West. This three-pronged weather event comes just days after some areas of the Southwest were saturated by heavy rain, resulting in an even higher risk of flash flooding.
As the week progresses, widespread rainfall will surge across the Southwest and Plains as leftover moisture from Polo merges with a dip in the jet stream swinging in from the West Coast early in the week, creating a moisture-packed hybrid system. “Polo is expected to quickly lose intensity and organization after it travels through the mountainous terrain of northern Mexico; however, leftover energy from the storm can enhance rainfall totals across the Southwest and Plains,” explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.
Corridors of excessive rainfall will shift, making travel extremely challenging. Extensive drought in place across the region has resulted in harder, compacted soils that are much less permeable. This could result in rapid runoff during intense rainfall, triggering flash flooding. “Rainfall rates within the most intense bouts of rainfall [this week] can reach 2-3 inches per hour, which can create a life-threatening situation,” noted Buckingham.
On Tuesday, a widespread swath of rain and thunderstorms can expand from Arizona and New Mexico to as far north as Minnesota and portions of south-central Canada.
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Photo Credit: Bilanol / Shutterstock.com
