Buresh Blog: Hot tropics... USGS wave sensors... Arthur Crofton

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — First Alert Neighborhood Weather Network. Scan below &/or click * here *:

“Talking the Tropics With Mike” - click * here * - updated everyday during the hurricane season - through Nov. 30th... multiple times per day when the tropics are especially active.

Helene is making headlines as the hurricane moves across the Southern then Eastern Gulf of Mexico up to a landfall on the Eastern Panhandle not far from the Big Bend in Fl. If a Cat. 3 or stronger, Helene would be the 5th ‘major’ hurricane landfall on the coast of Florida during the last 10 years - all since 2017 (Irma, Michael, Ian & Idalia).

The USGS deployed wave sensors along the Florida coastline prior to Helene’s hit:

Tampa, FL —Ahead of Hurricane Helene, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey are deploying 13 wave sensors today in Florida between Venice and Panama City. Potential impacts from Helene include danger of life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and Florida Big Bend, as well as devastating hurricane-force winds across portions of northern Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The sensors will measure water levels and give insight on factors such as wave height and frequency, storm tide and storm surge. The sensors will be in place from before Helene arrives until the storm departs, and at that time, scientists will retrieve the instruments and analyze collected data.

The resulting information can be used to fine-tune future storm surge and coastal change forecasts. The sensor data can help identify areas hit the hardest by storm surge and guide emergency responders and local officials with recovery efforts. Insight can also help inform flood insurance maps and building codes to improve structural designs for public safety.

“Studying Helene and other storms gives real-world insight that’s valuable in helping with community preparedness,” said Kevin Grimsley, who is part of this deployment effort and the associate center director for data with the USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center. “Wave sensors capture data at a very high frequency, so we are able to receive extremely detailed and comprehensive records.”

The wave sensors are housed in vented aluminum pipes a few inches wide and about a foot long. They are being installed on bridges, piers, and other structures that have a good chance of surviving the storm.

Post storm data - primarily west coast of Florida - will be able to be found * here * once available.

Below - Laura Lapolice, USGS Hydrologic Technician, attaches a storm tide sensor to the Carolina Beach Fishing Pier in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, September 3. This is one of hundreds of sensors that were deployed along the coast from Florida to southern Virginia to monitor coastal impacts from Hurricane Dorian. Photo by Jon Willis, USGS.

Sad news in the local Jacksonville media world as long time radio announcer & DJ Arthur Crofton passed away at 72. I worked with Arthur in a professional way at times... at local benefits... & I worked quite extensively with Arthur in the nonprofit sector. Rest in Peace & may Arthur’s precious family find comfort & serenity.