Nicole Tropical Downpours
Experts have been closely monitoring Nicole’s estimated route as it moves up the East Coast, and on Wednesday morning they revised the area of highest rainfall to move farther west into the interior Northeast.
As it approached the east coast of Florida, Nicole was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday. It made landfall near Vero Beach, on North Hutchinson Island, about 3 a.m. on Thursday. The effects of Nicole are anticipated to linger until Thursday night in the southeastern United States.
Rain from the tropics is forecast to move northward from Thursday night, eventually reaching places like Baltimore and Pittsburgh by Friday morning. From western Virginia through the eastern Ohio Valley, the Appalachians,
and into northern New England, widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches (50 to 100 mm) is probable before the rain stops on Friday night. Localized areas of eastern Ohio and the hilly regions of Virginia may get more than 4 inches of precipitation.
Brett Anderson, Meteorologist said that the new prediction and expected westward shift in the influx of tropical moisture from Nicole might indicate more widespread flooding concerns.
Dry soil conditions have persisted in parts of West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and New York since the beginning of October due to below-normal rainfall. Only approximately 2 inches of rain have fallen in places like Youngstown,
Ohio, and Pittsburgh since October 1; this is about half of usual. Minimal precipitation has also been experienced in central New York. For instance, Syracuse has picked up only 1.45 inches of rain since Oct. 1, or 29% of normal.
Extreme tropical downpours are less likely to be absorbed by the excessively dry land. It might only take a couple of inches of rain to produce floods if it rains for six hours straight.
According to Meteorologist, “the most likely zone for quick flooding of minor streams will be across the Appalachians since much of the storm’s strong rainfall can occur in six to 12 hours.”
It’s possible that there are now more leaves on the ground than there were at the beginning of the autumn season. The fallen leaves may cause minor flooding difficulties in metropolitan areas due to clogged storm drains.
Recentclimate – Nicole Tropical Downpours