Storm & Hurricane Status and Information Page

Sub-pages: 1999 Hurricane Floyd: Falmouth | 2007 Nor'easter Bay: Falmouth

Related pages: FEMA Flood Maps

University of Hawaii Hurricane Earl
Current Track Prediction Chart

In the event of a catastrophic disaster around Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, or Massachusetts, go to these sites:

Massachusetts Emergency Management Page

FEMA's Disasterhelp.gov
The Federal Disaster Management e-Government Initiative website.

New inlet in Hatteras Island created by Hurricane Isabel in September 2003

Watch effects of local storms on local NOAA weather buoys

You can watch the approach and effects of local storms on local sea conditions by following the links or studying the graphs below.

Buzzards Bay Data Buoy BUZM3 wind and wave conditions, updated hourly

Buzzards Bay Data Buoy 44070 wind and wave conditions, updated hourly
Check also the Nantucket Buoy data for wave heights (graphs shown at bottom of this page).

Buoy 44008 (100 miles SE of Nantucket), wind and wave conditions, updated hourly

Map to all NOAA buoys

Recent Wave Amplitude Period and Wave Height (previous 5 days) at the SE of Nantucket Buoy:

Wave amplitude period is a good indicator of distant, severe storms. For example, during quiet periods, the period between wave swells may be 4 seconds, and wave heights 5 feet or less. However, when Nor'easters or hurricanes and other storms persist offshore, wave height, and the time between wave swell crests can increase dramatically, and will be shown on the graphs below.

Near Real Wind Gusts at BUZM3

Near Real Time Wave Height at buoy SE of Nantucket

Near Real Time Wave Period at buoy SE of Nantucket (long wave periods generally coincide with large offshore storms)

Hurricane Links

Army Corps Hurricane Surge (SLOSH) Maps for Buzzards Bay and Massachusetts Communities

NOAA's archive of Hurricane Katrina Advisories

Woods Hole Short Term Tide Projections

Hurricane Preparedness Information

NOAA Brochure: Hurricane Basics (1.1 MB pdf)

NOAA National Hurricane Center: Hurricane and Other Severe Weather Guides

NOAA National Weather Service: Hurricane Awareness

American Red Cross Hurricane Information Page

Historic Floods and Droughts in Massachusetts

1987 USGS report on Historic Floods and Droughts in Massachusetts (pdf file).

Past Hurricanes Affecting Buzzards Bay

1938 "souvenir" newspaper issue by New Bedford Standard Times (10 MB pdf file). Great photos and accounts of the Hurricane of 1938 two weeks after the disaster.

NOAA Summaries for the four worst storms affecting southern New England since 1950.

Path of all Deadliest and Costliest Hurricanes in US

US Hurricane Strike Locations, 1950-2000

Hurricane Bob on Wikipedia

Environmental Management Issues associated with Storms and Sea Level Rise

Storms and high seas erode the coast and flood low-lying areas. In addition, since the last ice age 10,000 years ago, sea level has continued to rise. During recent centuries, relative sea level has risen an average of 1 foot per century on the east coast, and this rate of sea level rise is expected to increase with global warming. The combination of sea level rise and coastal erosion has changed many coastal areas in the US since European colonization of North America more than 400 years ago.

For environmental managers and regulators today, construction and development in storm flood zones, and areas of high erosion is an important concern, especially in terms of threats to human safety. Also important are the high public financial costs and economic impacts associated of replacing roads, loss of personal property, and public financing of flood insurance programs and emergency response, particularly in areas repeated damaged by storms. The links to the articles below discuss some of these public policy issues.

Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office Shoreline Change Project.

Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office Coastal Hazards Page.

National Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise (pdf file).

National Academy of Sciences: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Disasters (pdf file).

URI fact sheet on coastal Erosion.

Frequency of Major Hurricanes striking the United States

"Major" hurricane strikes (Categories 3 to 5) in the US for each decade (data from NOAA). Note that the last bar shows US strikes only to 2004. No hurricanes (not even a category 1) struck the US in 2006, but 2005 had four category 3 or greater hurricanes, including the devastating Katrina and Rita hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.

Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program

KEY PAGES

Storm & Hurricane Status and Information Page

Local Planning and Preparedness

Current Storm Information

Track Storms with this IR Moisture Map of the East Coast (updated hourly)