Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team
People in Pennsylvania and interior NY don’t usually worry too much about hurricane season. Sure, we sometimes get slammed by the leftover rain, but for the most part, we see little threat. Ike, Agnes, and Hazel are the exceptions, not the norm. Accuweather’s Joe Bastardi has been big on the idea of one of our storms this hurricane season being a “shortcut” storm and slamming the coast. Right now, he seems to be touting the idea that it could possibly be Fiona. A shortcut storm could really dump a lot of rain on PA and NY. I am concerned about the Susquehanna Valley and areas that experienced major flooding in 2006 as well as the areas hit hard by Agnes in 1972. Although there have been improvements that would prevent the damage seen in 1972, we only need look back to 2006 to recall the damages seen in communities like Bloomsburg, Binghamton, and Owego. Bear in mind, this isn’t a prediction flooding will occur, but it is a cautionary warning that if we get a shortcut storm, those areas mentioned need to be aware that they could be in trouble.
We didn’t see any major early season action this year, but the tropics are brewing with three systems that will actually move us to the point of being ahead of the average number of storms. hurricane Danielle is churning as a major Atlantic hurricane, but the u.S. coast will only really experience choppy waters from Danielle as she is turning northward and then east and will remain out to sea. Earl’s path is still undetermined, and although the most likely contact with the U.S. coast is a brush with the Carolina coast, Earl bears watching. Fiona is the unknown at this point. Fiona looks like it will be a major hurricane and could impact the U.S. before the end of Labor Day weekend.
