Storm sits and spins; we get wet
That storm off the Carolinas continues to churn on Thursday, stoked by energy and Gulf moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida. Coupled with the high over New England, the two weather engines are sending northeast and east winds onshore, bringing us a steady drip of rain, and driving tides high onto the east-facing shores of the Atlantic and up the Chesapeake.
Here's the view from orbit. Here's Weather Underground blogger Jeff Masters, calling the storm surge at Norfolk "historic." And here is more on the storm from NASA.
The National Weather Service has issued a slew of watches and warnings today as tides swell toward minor-to-moderate flood levels. High winds and heavy rain mostly south and east of Baltimore and Washington are adding to the local problems, which have already resulted in some road closures in Southern Maryland. More are expected.
Leonardtown and Hollywood, both in St. Mary's County, have already reported more than 2 inches of rain from the storm. Ocean City, too, was getting hammered by rain, wind and high water.
The forecast for BWI coming out of Sterling calls for a pretty steady rain Thursday and Friday, with rain chances only slightly reduced for Friday, but diminishing overnight and into Saturday morning. The drying out should begin later on Saturday, with sunshine on tap for Sunday and the early part of next week. In all, Baltimore could see as much as an inch of additional rain, on top of the inch or so we've already recorded. If this were January we'd be out shoveling.
Among the many watches and warnings out this morning: 
The NWS has issued coastal flood advisories for the Western Shore of the Chesapeake, where tides were running a foot above predicted levels Thursday morning at Annapolis (right), with higher levels expected at high tides times on Friday.
Flood watches and warnings are up for Friday from Anne Arundel County south to St. Mary's. Md. 244 near Redgate and Old Rolling Road in Great Mills were flooded in spots this morning as heavy rains drove streams over their banks, county authorities there reported.
Gale Warnings (winds 34 to 47 knots) are up for the northern portion of the Chesapeake, including Baltimore Harbor, with Storm Warnings (winds 48 to 63 knots) until 6 Thursday evening for the southern portion.
A High Surf Advisory is up for the ocean beaches, with rip currents and local beach erosion expected. Here are some OC Web cam views of the surf.
Comments
Frank, Just what we need....more rain!!! Been raining nonstop on the eastern shore since early Wednesday. Like you mentioned in an earlier post, this kind of weather will poke a lot of holes in the 'global warming theory'....Despite a lot of media reports, I think we all need to keep in mind it is just a theory, and not a proven fact. Thanks!
FR: Sorry. In fact, global warming "theory" is supported by overwhelming scientific data, and the overhwelming majority of the world's climate scientists, although they continue to debate the details. "Media reports" simply reflect that. And an increased frequency of extreme rain and drought events fall nicely into what climate scientists forecast for a warming planet.
Posted by: David | November 12, 2009 7:40 PM
Frank, I respectfully disagree with you. Actually, there is a significant amount of scientific data available that contradicts claims of man-made global warming...Check out a documentary made in the U.K. titled 'The Great Global Warming Swindle' as well as research done by Prof. S. Fred Singer. It's very interesting, to say the least...This is the kind of info. the media doesn't report on, and the environmental lobby doesn't want people to hear about. There are definitely two sides to this issue...That much is certain. Thanks for your time.
Posted by: David | November 13, 2009 1:25 AM
Keep drinking the Kool Aid, Frank! The "overwhelming majority climate scientists" are not just "debating the details". They're arguing with each other whether global warming is true or just a propaganda tool for, among other things, more money for research. YOU "fall nicely" between the cracks in your agenda! In 10 years, we will be laughing at your claims just as we have been laughing at Gore's claims from 20 years ago!
Posted by: Randy | November 13, 2009 1:52 AM
David,
A scientific theory is not defined in the same manner as the general linguistic definition for the same word.
In science, it takes several steps before an idea can be called a 'theory':
1. Observation;
2. Question(s);
3. Hypothesis;
4. Prediction;
5. Testing (aka experimentation);
6. Independent confirmation of steps 1-5.
Remember, gravity is "still just a scientific theory." Are you going to stand under any large falling mass in the near future?
Using an Internet search engine, type in "scientific method" for a fuller description of how a scientific theory is developed, starting with the initial observation(s), through a series of steps into to a generally accepted explanation of the observation(s) (aka a scientific theory).
Posted by: Mike in Baltimore | November 13, 2009 6:44 AM
Ahh, global warming again. To deny that the Earth is warming takes quite a remarkable ability to see only what you wish to see - masses of data, from temperature records to natural history observations, tell us that the Earth is warming, and increasingly so during the past century. You may debate the causes if you wish, although so far, no model has been proposed which fits (and explains) the observed data better than the 'greenhouse gas' one (as far as I know), but to deny that it is happening is equivalent to insisting that the Universe revolves around the Earth. And we know who won that argument.
Posted by: JohnR | November 13, 2009 9:17 AM