The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Storms pound Caribbean region

    The 2013 hurricane season has seen a lot of action in tropical storms and only two hurricanes; Louisiana has, so far, remained out of harm’s way. The same can not be said for Caribbean countries.
    Of the eight named storms so far, two were weakened by cooler waters in the Pacific and never made landfall. Alvin and Cosme were tropical storms at the start, but eventually their winds dwindled to less than 35 mph, placing them in the tropical depression category.  The Atlantic has seen three storms so far this season.
    The first named storm of the Atlantic was Tropical Storm Andrea which made landfall near Steinhatchee, Fl. Andrea brought pouring rain, fast winds, raising water and tornado threats to the Big Bend of Florida. After landfall on June 6, Andrea continued up the East Coast with mild rain and flooding.
    Tropical Storm Barry followed suit of Andrea and made landfall on Mexico’s Gulf Coast June 20. Belize, Veracruz and Guatemala all saw the damages from Barry with up to 10 inches of rain in some areas and winds reaching 80 mph. Because of the geography these areas were susceptible to mudslides and flashfloods. This storm has since weakened.
    The Caribbean Islands are being hit hard once again with Tropical Storm Chantal. Winds reached 60 mph and St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico all placed a tropical storm warning into effect. The storm produced heavy rain with little damage. The Pacific has had much more storm activity though, and two fatalities were a result of one storm.
    The very first named Pacific tropical storm was Alvin, and he was extremely short-lived. Within 36 hours of being named, May 15, the tropical storm became a low-pressure system on May 17. It was no threat to any land for it was far beneath Mexico moving west northwest.
    The second name Pacific storm, but the first hurricane, Hurricane Barbara caused two fatalities as the storm hit Mexico’s southern Pacific coast. An unnamed 61-year-old man was killed while surfing at Playa Azul in Puerto Escondido, and a 26-year-old man was taken away as he tried to cross a rapidly filling stream. At landfall on May 29, Barbara was a Category 1 with 120 mph winds.    
    Eastern Pacific Tropical Cyclone Cosme was also short-lived and quickly weakened once it moved over colder waters just off the eastern Pacific coast of Mexico. On July 1 Tropical Storm Dalila was named near the southwestern coast of Mexico, and by July 2 her winds had depleted. Tropical Storm Dalila brought thunderstorms and rain to Mexico. Tropical Storm Erick was nearing Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula with 45 mph winds, but he was not expected to make landfall.
    The Lion’s Roar will continue hurricane coverage throughout the season. For questions about what to do if stuck on campus during a hurricane, visit selu.edu/about/safe_campus/hurricanesafety.
     

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