
Tropical Storm Chantal highlights growing threat of quickly forming tropical weather
Why it matters: That proved to be an especially damaging combination — breaking dams in Moore County, flooding roads, homes and businesses in Chapel Hill, killing at least one person in Chatham County and sending the Haw River to record crests.
It's also one that North Carolina residents will need to watch out for more frequently.
What they're saying: "The pattern and the way [Chantal] approached us ought to be setting off the alarm bells," Corey Davis, an assistant state climatologist for the State Climate Office, told Axios.
With this storm and many of the most damaging ones in recent North Carolina history, he added, it's been all about excessive rain and rather than wind speeds.
"And we know that with climate change and warming [oceans] storms are able to hold more moisture, and they're going to drop that moisture as heavier rainfall as it gets inland," he said.
Last fall, Hurricane Helene moved quickly after making landfall but brought record rainfall.
Driving the news: Davis said North Carolina is increasingly witnessing tropical storms that have the characteristics of severe thunderstorms, with small cells within the storms dropping excessive rain in some places but not others.
On Sunday, just a few miles could make a few difference, with parts of Orange County seeing more than seven inches of rain in a 12-hour period, while parts of Durham, only a short drive away, got two to three inches.
In that way, the storm was similar to last year's Potential Tropical Cyclone 8, which dropped 20 inches on Carolina Beach, and Tropical Storm Debby, which dumped large amounts of rain across parts of southeastern North Carolina.
The latest: Thousands of customers were still without power as of Monday afternoon, according to Duke Energy.
Crews on Monday were still searching for two kayakers who went missing on Jordan Lake Sunday.
Over 100 roads were closed across North Carolina due to Chantal, WRAL reported.
Between the lines: It's shaping up to be an especially busy hurricane season in the Atlantic, with Chantal becoming the third named storm.
NOAA is forecasting an above-normal season, with 13-19 named storms predicted, Axios previously reported.
"This is really pretty early in the season to get our third named storm," Davis said. "We're still over two months away from the peak of the season, so I think what this tells us is there's more where this came from."
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Hamilton Spectator
41 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Intense downpours like those in Texas are more frequent, but there's no telling where they'll happen
It's not just Texas and North Carolina. Intense rain is falling more frequently in many areas of the U.S. — though where it occurs and whether it causes catastrophic flooding is largely a matter of chance, according to experts. More than 100 people died in Texas Hill Country over the weekend after 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain fell in just hours. The deluge was driven by warm, moist air left over from Tropical Storm Barry and Hurricane Flossie that created conditions for repeated thunderstorms in the same location, said Texas Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon. Last year, Hurricane Helene dumped more than 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain on western North Carolina, triggering catastrophic flooding that washed away roads and homes, killing more than 100 people in that state alone. This week, flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal prompted dozens of water rescues in other parts of North Carolina. And this spring, record rainfall in Kentucky caused severe and deadly flooding. Although it can be difficult to attribute a single weather event to climate change — and hilly or mountainous terrain worsen flooding — experts say a warming atmosphere and oceans due to the burning of fossil fuels make catastrophic storms more likely. That's because the atmosphere can hold 7% more water for every degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), creating a giant sponge of sorts that sucks up moisture from bodies of water and vegetation. The moisture later falls back to earth in increasingly intense, unpredictable and destructive downpours. 'It's just loading the dice toward heavy rainfall when the situation is right,' said Kenneth Kunkel, a climate scientist at North Carolina State University. Intensifying rain storms Going back through U.S. weather station records dating to 1955, Kunkel found that rain over the past 20 years has become more intense in the eastern two-thirds of the country, including the southern Great Plains, where Texas is located. Intensities have remained the same or declined in the West and southwest. At the 700 stations that began collecting data in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highest proportion of two-day rainfall records have been set in just the past 10 years, Kunkel said, though that doesn't fully reflect most Western stations, which were established later. Nielsen-Gammon said the overall intensity of extreme rainfall in Texas has increased by 15% over the past 40-50 years. Still, it's almost impossible to predict where the most catastrophic rain will fall in any given year, Kunkel said. 'This month was the Texas Hill Country's turn to get hit. Last fall ... in western North Carolina, it was our turn,' Kunkel said, adding that just because an area was spared over the past 20 or 30 years, it 'doesn't mean that they aren't vulnerable. ... They got lucky.' A 'perfect storm' in Texas The worst flooding and greatest loss of life in Texas occurred in Kerr County, in an area known as 'flash flood alley' because of its steep terrain that funnels water to the Guadalupe River, a popular recreational area. Though the county did not get the most rain from the storms, the 'distribution of rainfall was one of the worst possible patterns' because the most intense downpours were over the headwaters of the south fork of the Guadalupe River, causing water to rush into areas where hundreds of people, including children, were camping , said Nielsen-Gammon. If the epicenter had been 10 miles (16 kilometers) north or south, the rain would have been divided among different river basins, he said. If it had been farther downstream, larger floodplains would have absorbed and slowed much of the water. Years of drought also likely exacerbated the flooding. Kerr County, for example, had been in extreme or exceptional drought for more than three years, aside from one four-week period last fall. That likely left the soil compacted, which caused water to run off instead of soaking into the ground, said Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist. Then, air from the warmer-than-normal Gulf of Mexico — a reflection of global warming — blew into the state with a higher water content than it would have had decades ago. It all added up to 'just a perfect storm of events' that caused a catastrophe, said Rippey. 'There are things that had to come together to make this happen.' ____ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Storm tracker: Chantal weakens into post-tropical cyclone
Chantal has weakened into a post-tropical cyclone and the flash flood threat from the storm has waned, the National Hurricane Center said late Monday night, July 7. As of 11 p.m. ET on July 7, Chantal was located about 85 miles northeast of Cape May, New Jersey, with maximum sustained winds around 25 mph with higher gusts. By Tuesday morning, the system was located around 100 miles south of Long Island, New York. Hurricane center forecasters said Chantal is moving toward the northeast and this motion is expected to continue with an "increase in forward speed" into Tuesday. Due to its forward motion and modest wind field, the cyclone's wind field is becoming less defined, the NHC said. "Post-Tropical Cyclone Chantal could open up into a trough of low pressure by Tuesday morning," the hurricane center said Monday night. Chantal could produce an additional inch of rain across portions of New Jersey and Long Island Monday night into Tuesday morning, with an inch or two also possible across portions of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket early Tuesday morning. Additionally, life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are expected to continue at beaches along the U.S. east coast from northeastern Florida to the Mid-Atlantic states for the next day or so, the NHC said. In the Pacific, the hurricane center said an area of low pressure could form several hundred miles offshore of southwestern Mexico late this week. Forecasters said environmental conditions are expected to only be marginally conducive for development of this system, and the hurricane center said the storm has a 10% chance of formation through the next seven days. Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends. Prepare now for hurricanes: Here's what you should do to stay safe before a storm arrives Develop an evacuation plan: If you are at risk from hurricanes, you need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there. Assemble disaster supplies: Whether you're evacuating or sheltering-in-place, you're going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for the potentially lengthy aftermath, NOAA said. Get an insurance checkup and document your possessions: Contact your insurance company or agent now and ask for an insurance check-up to make sure you have enough insurance to repair or even replace your home and/or belongings. Remember, home and renters insurance doesn't cover flooding, so you'll need a separate policy for it. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent, or the National Flood Insurance Program. Act now, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period. Create a family communication plan: NOAA said to take the time now to write down your hurricane plan, and share it with your family. Determine family meeting places, and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation. Strengthen your home: Now is the time to improve your home's ability to withstand hurricane impacts. Trim trees; install storm shutters, accordion shutters, and/or impact glass; seal outside wall openings. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tracking Chantal: Storm weakens into post-tropical cyclone


USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Storm tracker: Chantal weakens into post-tropical cyclone
Chantal has weakened into a post-tropical cyclone and the flash flood threat from the storm has waned, the National Hurricane Center said late Monday night, July 7. As of 11 p.m. ET on July 7, Chantal was located about 85 miles northeast of Cape May, New Jersey, with maximum sustained winds around 25 mph with higher gusts. By Tuesday morning, the system was located around 100 miles south of Long Island, New York. Hurricane center forecasters said Chantal is moving toward the northeast and this motion is expected to continue with an "increase in forward speed" into Tuesday. Due to its forward motion and modest wind field, the cyclone's wind field is becoming less defined, the NHC said. "Post-Tropical Cyclone Chantal could open up into a trough of low pressure by Tuesday morning," the hurricane center said Monday night. Chantal could produce an additional inch of rain across portions of New Jersey and Long Island Monday night into Tuesday morning, with an inch or two also possible across portions of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket early Tuesday morning. Additionally, life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are expected to continue at beaches along the U.S. east coast from northeastern Florida to the Mid-Atlantic states for the next day or so, the NHC said. In the Pacific, the hurricane center said an area of low pressure could form several hundred miles offshore of southwestern Mexico late this week. Forecasters said environmental conditions are expected to only be marginally conducive for development of this system, and the hurricane center said the storm has a 10% chance of formation through the next seven days. Storm tracker How do hurricanes form? Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Prepare now for hurricanes Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends. Prepare now for hurricanes: Here's what you should do to stay safe before a storm arrives Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@