Hurricane Ike Ranks with Nation's Worst

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS
– Damage estimates from Ike estimated to cost between $13 and $21 billion.
– Estimates include $10 - $15 billion for wind/storm damage along coast.
– Ike is the third costliest U.S. storm after Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew.

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Hurricane Ike left one house standing in this neighborhood.

A group called Risk Management Solutions reports that damages from Hurricane Ike could soar past the $21 billion mark, making it the third costliest storm in American history after Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew.

The preliminary estimate issued by the global risk assessment firm four days after the hurricane struck Texas and Louisiana on Sept. 13 estimated losses between $7 billion and $12 billion. The firm is now pushing those estimates for U.S. onshore and offshore insured losses from Ike to be in the range of $13 billion to $21 billion, according to the Houston Business Journal.

The damage estimates include $10 billion to $15 billion for wind and storm surge, $2 billion to $3 billion from inland wind and flood losses and $1 billion to $3 billion in offshore losses — separate from losses covered by the National Flood Insurance Program.

The inland wind and flood losses in the Midwest resulted from wind damage caused by an unusual combination of the remnants of Ike and another weather system.

The report issued Oct. 24 said that putting a tab on energy industry offshore platform losses are a source of uncertainty, due to a wide range of industry practices on insuring both physical platform damage as well as business interruption caused by loss of production.

California Wildfires Wipe Out Hundreds of Homes

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS
– Single-digit humidity, high winds scorched more than 35,000 acres.
– More than 700 homes destroyed by fires burning across California.
– 70 mph winds spread flames in mobile home park - 500 homes destroyed.

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Nov. 16, 2008(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Nov. 16, 2008(AP Photo/Matt Sayles, Pool)

Firefighters in Southern California are still days away from controlling a massive wildfire that has already destroyed more than 700 homes.

Single-digit humidity and high winds have pushed the fires from Santa Barbara to Anaheim, charring more than 35,000 acres of land. The wind is expected to lose some of its punch on Monday, but high gusts are in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

"If we were being very optimistic, we would be looking at the middle of the week," L.A. County Capt. Dennis Cross said. "If the weather forecast holds and we continue to get the great work being done in the last 24 hours, we're hoping midweek."

The most extensive losses have been in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles, where winds clocked as high as 70 mph drove a wall of flames across the hillsides and destroyed nearly 500 homes, according to CNN.

Authorities combed through the scorched wreckage Sunday in an effort to account for the park's residents, only 134 of whom had been accounted for earlier in the day.

No bodies were found during the search, and police believe most of those living in the 608 mobile homes fled the fire, Deputy Police Chief Michael Moore said. But he urged those who escaped to call in and let investigators know they survived.

"If you are a resident of this park, we want to talk to you," he said. "We want to know you are safe and know where you're at."

Crews were still struggling to contain the blazes Sunday afternoon.

"It is a wind-driven fire, and with those gusty winds up to 25 miles an hour, it's giving the firefighters a really difficult time. It's hopscotched throughout the county," said Lynette Round, a spokeswoman for Orange County Fire Authority, said.

The largest of three fires, the Freeway Complex fire, had set ablaze nearly 24,000 acres in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties. Most of the damage was in Orange County, in the Los Angeles suburbs of Anaheim and Yorba Linda, where more than 100 homes were destroyed.

As of Sunday evening, fire officials said the blaze was about 19 percent contained.
The Sayre fire, which destroyed the mobile home park, was about 40 percent contained Sunday evening after burning about 10,000 acres. Five firefighters and one civilian suffered minor injuries in the blaze, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.

And in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles, firefighters said they had the Tea fire 80 percent contained after it destroyed more than 100 homes. Among the losses in the 1,900-plus acres it incinerated were a monastery and several mansions in a community where celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, have homes.

Investigators have deemed the blaze suspicious, having eliminated "all accidental causes," said Doug Lannon, a spokesman for the state fire agency. iReport.com: Share wildfire photos, video

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared states of emergency for the four affected counties after the fire damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and closed major freeways. The move frees up any state resources needed, and makes the counties eligible for federal assistance grants.

Los Angeles Wildfire Shuts Down Major Freeway

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS
– Wildfire burned at least 150 acres in the Los Angeles area.
– The Getty Center was shut down as firefighters battled blaze.
– 405 Freeway going through Sepulveda Pass shut down for hours.

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Los Angeles brush fire shuts down Freeway

Another wildfire raced through the Los Angeles area early Thursday morning causing the shutdown of a major freeway and threatening one of the world’s richest art collections at the world famous Getty Center.

The fire started at about 12:50 a.m. and burned at least 150 acres west of the San Diego Freeway. The fire was two miles from the hilltop Getty Center and more than a mile from the nearest homes, according to the Associated Press.

The blaze moved south toward the Getty Center and Mount St. Mary's College, but both were "well-protected by a large number of firefighters," said Los Angeles fire spokesman Brian Humphrey.

The Getty Center, which houses one of the world's richest art collections and a research institute, was closed Thursday as a precaution, and the college canceled morning classes due to the blaze.

All lanes of the San Diego Freeway were shut down in both directions for about four hours. The four-mile long stretch of the heavily traveled freeway reopened just before the morning rush.

Authorities warned that the freeway could be closed again at any time if the fire flares up, and several onramps in the area remained closed.

The cause of the fire, which was 10 percent contained, was not known. No structures had burned and no one was injured, according to Humphrey.

More than 500 firefighters helped by 10 water-dropping helicopters were taking on the blaze, authorities said.

Despite its quick growth, the hot, dry winds that brought the fire's initial surge were diminishing, very little open flame was visible from television news helicopters and firefighters were gaining ground.

"The weather is cooperating right now," Deputy Chief Donald Frazeur said at a news conference. "If the weather doesn't pick up like is predicted we should be able to contain this without any problem."

Old Man Winter Descends on New Orleans

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS
– Thousands without power and multiple accidents have been reported.
– Areas of southern Louisiana expected to get at least four inches of snow.
– Schools, businesses and government offices shut down in New Orleans.

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New Orleans, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008. (AP Photo)

People along the Gulf Coast are used to extreme weather, but Thursday morning, many woke up to something they usually only see on television, SNOW. Schools, businesses and government offices were shut down in the New Orleans area and parts of Mississippi as snow settled across the region.

Local officials are reporting widespread power outages and multiple traffic accidents as parts of Louisiana were expected to get up to four inches of snow. Nearly 7,000 power outages were reported in Louisiana as falling tree limbs snapped under the weight of ice and snow.

Snow also covered a broad swath of Mississippi, including the Jackson area, and closed schools in more than a dozen districts, according to the Associated Press. The National Weather Service in Jackson said up to 8 inches was possible in the southern and eastern parts of the state.

A heavy band of snow coated windshields and grassy areas in New Orleans, where the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning.

In Alabama, heavy rains prompted forecasters to issue a flood watch for parts of the state. Wintry precipitation also was possible later Thursday as temperatures
were expected to drop.

Flood watches were issued through Thursday night for much of North Carolina ahead of the storm system. Colder air behind the front could produce snow late Thursday and early Friday in the mountains.

Punishing Rains Punch Out World Series

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS
– Teams and fans endured strong winds and heavy downpours.
– Commish says Game 5 will pick up at the point it was suspended.
– The dates for Game 6 and 7 will be on hold until weather clears.

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Fans watch Game 5 of the World Series in a downpour.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig struck out last night when he decided to give the go ahead for Game 5 of the World Series in Philadelphia. The rain was already falling before game time and by the fifth inning; the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays were playing in a monsoon.

By the time officials suspended play shortly after 11pm, the infield was a sea of mud and the grass was as slick as ice. The game was tied 2-2 and will be resumed at the point it was stopped, but there was no decision made on when that would be.

Selig said the game would resume when the weather permits, "whether it's one day or two or three or whatever," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The weather forecast left little room for optimism that the game would continue tonight, with rain, wind and temperatures in the 40s.

"We'll stay here if we have to celebrate Thanksgiving here," he said.

Selig added that the game would start at night because "the fans bought tickets for a night game, and it will be the same starting time, whether it's Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night or whenever."

Because of the uncertainty regarding the resumption of the game, the dates for Games 6 and 7, if necessary, are in a similar state of limbo.

Selig's decision to start the game could be widely second-guessed, as the insistence that the game continue despite field conditions that went distinctly downhill after the fourth inning. The ballpark's ground crew began throwing down bags and bags full of a drying agent to soak up some of the mud on the infield, but it didn't take long before the practice became futile.

"The conditions around the plate were real bad," Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz said. "It was real bad for the hitter, real bad for me, and for everybody. It was hard to feel the ball in your hand. When I tried to throw it back, I knew it was bad for [Phils pitcher Cole Hamels], too."

Tim Welke, the chief of the umpiring crew, said the game could continue as long as the mound and the area around the batter's box were not compromised.

"Guys weren't falling off the mound pitching and delivering, and the hitters weren't slipping out of the box," Welke said. "So we felt comfortable going. But due to the velocity of the rain, the grounds crew couldn't keep up with keeping the field. So at that point, we were going to stop."

Northeast Gets Early Winter Blast

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS
– More than 40,000 people lost power in upstate New York.
– More than 30,000 people were without power in New Jersey.
– Some areas of PA, NY and NJ received more than a foot of snow.

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A downed utility line in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania.

Thousands of people awoke across the Northeast this morning without power after the first winter storm blasted the area on Tuesday. Wet snow, ice and high winds plagued road crews and homeowners across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

In upstate New York, more than 40,000 customers were without power Wednesday morning including people living in the Mohawk Valley, Adirondacks and the Catskills, according to statements by utilities National Grid and New York State Electric & Gas.

The National Weather Service reported snowfall totals ranging from 6 to 8 inches in northern New York, with up to a foot or more along the northwestern edge of the Catskill Mountains, according to the Associated Press.

Lower elevations and coastal areas were soaked by heavy rain.

In New Jersey, crews were working to restore power to more than 30,000 customers, mainly in the northern part of the state.

Jersey Central Power and Light says most of its outages are in Morris, Warren, Hunterdon and Sussex counties. Service could be restored by Wednesday afternoon, according to the utility.

Accumulations from the unusual wintry weather include about 14 inches at New Jersey's High Point State Park and about a foot in Lebanon Township, the National Weather Service said.

In Pennsylvania, parts of the Pocono Mountains were under a foot of snow, but an earlier wind advisory has been canceled.

A lake effect snow warning has been posted for northwestern Pennsylvania today, with accumulations of up to 12 inches possible in higher elevations.

More snow and wind was in the forecast for Vermont today as the storm works its way through the northern part of the state.

The National Weather Service posted a winter storm warning for heavy snow in Orleans and eastern Franklin counties through tonight, with 3 to 9 inches accumulation.

The northern central and eastern parts of the state also are expected to see more snow today.

There was even snow in western North Carolina. One school system in the state's mountains was closed today because of slick roads after 1 to 3 inches of snow fell a day earlier. The earliest known snowfall in the Asheville, N.C., area was less than a half inch on Oct. 1, 1952, the weather service said.

Nationwide Weather Extremes Tax Livestock, Crops

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS
– Feed grain usage will soar as a deep freeze settles into the Midwest.
– Ongoing drought is taxing fruit and vegetable crops across California.
– Wheat crop in Washington state is still suffering from October drought.

A deep freeze will settle into the Midwest this weekend, driving temperatures 10 to 15 degrees below normal across the heart of the Midwest. Cold and snowy weather is boosting feed grain usage in the Northern Plains and Midwest, where grazing is no longer possible. Shivering animals burn extra calories and thus need to consume more feed in order to gain weight. This is adding to a long laundry list of rising costs that have been plaguing Midwestern farmers all season long.

Another extreme weather pattern challenging domestic growers is in California, where an ongoing drought shows no evidence of breaking up. November marks the beginning of the rainy season in California’s central valley, but rainfall levels were only 39% of their normal averages last month.

This marks the 13th driest period in the last 59 years. The region endured record warm temperatures from September-November, which further increased moisture stress on vegetable, strawberry and citrus farms. Many farmers were forced into the costly practice of irrigation. California can ill afford a dry winter, because reservoirs are already seriously depleted.

Conditions are improving slightly in the Pacific Northwest, where Washington wheat received some much-needed rainfall in November, but crop development is still stunted after a very dry October. Warming weather has been beneficial to the area, allowing wheat to make up for lost development time. Improving field moisture should help get the crop back on track.

Wheat still posted a mediocre rating on the November 22nd crop report, coming in at 23% good-excellent and 33% poor. Washington grows 8% of the US winter wheat crop and exports wheat to Asian customers in the Pacific Rim.