Hurricane Willa, a Category 4 hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, gained rapid intensification and elevated briefly to the status of Category 5 today, but deescalated quickly back to Cat 4. It is expected that Hurricane Willa will make landfall Tuesday night north of Puerto Vallarta, bringing an abundance of rain, as well as damaging winds, and life threatening mudslides with dangerous storm surges. Residents are encouraged to move inland for their safety from the sustained winds of 160mph winds and assault of copious water levels.
Blog Posts
Cofferdam Application – Shoreline Restoration and Erosion Control
When it comes to our shorelines, it’s easy to forget just how important the care and maintenance are of these natural barriers are and how easy it is to take for granted their importance. The erosion of a body of waters shoreline is a natural and unpreventable process, though there are ways to undo the damage. When the process of erosion becomes too much, it can effect the quality of natural waters, it can potentially devastate the local fish and wildlife that rely on that water throwing the fragile ecosystem out of balance, it can destabilize the natural order, and it can eventually cause massive amounts of property damages if left unattended long enough. Cofferdams can help prevent these situations.
2018 Eastern Pacific Hurricanes
The record active storm season of 1992 in the Eastern Pacific stands at 27 named storms, 16 hurricanes, and 11 major hurricanes (rated Category 3 or higher). As of October 19, there have been 21 named storms, 12 of which became hurricanes, and 9 which were categorized as major hurricanes. This season is fast approaching the title of second busiest storm season on record for the Eastern Pacific. Five of these storms, hurricanes Hector, Lane, Norman, Olivia, and Sergio, each lasted ten days or more, with Hurricane Hector lasting for just over a week at Category 3.
Hurricane Michael’s Aftermath
Michael began as a tropical depression on October 7th after over a week of slow development. The following day, Michael had intensified to hurricane status and finally developed the necessary strength to become a Category 4 hurricane the very next day. The highest sustained winds were reported to be 155 mph as it made landfall in the Florida Panhandle. Though areas like Central America, Cuba, Cayman Islands, and the Yucatan Peninsula were affected, great tragedy befell residents in the southeastern United States, particularly those in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia in particular.
Tropical Depression Fourteen/Hurricane Michael
Slow moving Tropical Depression Fourteen is located near Yucatan Peninsula, 90 miles south of Cozumel, Mexico, and headed north-northwest currently. It is anticipated that the Depression will likely form into a tropical storm today, Sunday the 7th of October.
It is anticipated that fourteen/Michael will be drawn northward through the Gulf of Mexico and could possibly threaten the U.S.’s Gulf Coast this week, midweek. Heavy rains and strong winds are expected as the storm intensifies, though it’s too early to know the exact impacts from this particular storm system.