Amazing how much damage there was from the urban flood in Louisville yesterday. One of the saddest stories I have seen is that the animal shelter lost everything.
Supplies needed for displaced shelter animals
By Sheryl Edelen • sedelen@courier-journal.com • August 5, 2009
Some of the animals looked scared and others seemed exhausted, but officials with Louisville Metro Animal Services said the 250 dogs and 300 cats they raced to remove from their flooding facility Tuesday are faring well in the makeshift shelter space in the Kentucky Exposition Center's West Wing pavilion.
Now, Metro Animal Services is asking for donations of food and other supplies to care for the animals, said spokeswoman Jackie Gulbe.
“We lost every morsel of food,” Gulbe said. “That's what makes the need for donations so great.”
On Tuesday, 10 kittens and a dog drowned in their cages at the shelter on Manslick Road when a massive storm quickly flooded the facility.
The animals that were removed can stay at the Exposition Center for 10 days, Gulbe said.
In the meantime, staff and volunteers are cleaning up the Manslick Road facility and representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are inspecting the building, she said. Gulbe said she doesn't know when the animals will be able to return.
Metro Animal Services is encouraging people to adopt the animals at the Exposition Center. Those interested should go to the pavilion of the West Wing.
Metro Animal Services wants people who think they may have lost their animals to come the pavilion.
The agency is not accepting new strays or surrendered animals. They can be taken to the Kentucky Humane Society at 241 Steedly Drive; the $25 surrender fee will be waived for the next 10 days, Gulbe said.
The list of items Metro Animal Services needs include pet food of all kinds, large and extra-large crates, heavy-duty garbage bags and grooming supplies. A complete list can be found at http://www.louisvilleky.gov/AnimalServices/flooding_donations.htm Monetary donations may also be made online or sent to Metro Animal Services c/o The Animal Care Fund, 3705 Manslick Road, Louisville, Ky 40215.
Reporter Sheryl Edelen can be reached at (502) 582-4621
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
TRMM Captures "Felicia"
and her compadre "Enrique". The highest rainfall rates (dark red) are over 50 mm per hour. By the way, has the Atlintic "Hurricane" Season been officially canceled yet? - HLG
Mayor and NWS in Hissy Fight
Over supposedly "blown" (Mayor), or "impossible" (NWS) forecast. We report, you decide! - HLG
Rare condition caused flood
By Kelly House • khouse@courier-journal.com • August 4, 2009
They knew it was going to rain, but National Weather Service meteorologists say they couldn't have predicted the extremely rare circumstances that stalled a massive storm front over Louisville Tuesday, flooding the area with record rainfall.
A run-of-the-mill thunderstorm created a minicold front that collided with clashing wind streams from the northwest and south, trapping the storm over downtown Louisville, area meteorologists said.
“No one expected the thunderstorm to set up the way it did,” said Mike Callahan, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Louisville.
Trapped storms usually dump their water and weaken after about 30 minutes. But on Tuesday, warm, damp air from the south flowed above the cold front to feed the storm for hours.
“It just kept rebuilding itself right on top of Louisville,” Callahan said.
Known as an outflow boundary or downburst, the phenomenon generates cool air that drops from the cloud at high speed, then spreads along the ground, WHAS-11 meteorologist Monty Webb said.
That cool air, combined with colliding wind streams, clogged weather patterns to stop the storm over Louisville.
During a press conference to assess the storm's damage, Mayor Jerry Abramson and Metropolitan Sewer District Director Bud Schardein blamed weather experts for failing to give advance warning of the storm, saying it made preparing for the emergency difficult.
But Callahan said meteorologists couldn't possibly have seen the pattern coming.
“Nobody can predict storms like this without any type of advance warning,” Callahan said. “The technology and the science just doesn't allow it. The only thing we can do is record when the pattern sets up and send out the warnings, and we did that.”
Meteorologists issued their first severe thunderstorm warning for south-central Indiana at 6:38 a.m. The warning was extended to the Louisville metro area at 7:50 a.m., and the first showers began about half an hour later.
Flash-flood warnings for the metro area followed between 8:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. By 9:40 a.m., Louisville entered emergency flood stage, as reports poured in of trapped vehicles, floating debris and flooded streets and buildings.
Most of the rain had subsided by 10:30 a.m., leaving behind flooding throughout south-central Indiana and the metro area as far south as northeastern Bullitt County.
By the time the storm passed, more than 6 inches of rain had dropped in some areas — creating the wettest August day on record. The storm nearly doubled the average August rainfall of 3.4 inches.
A second storm front Tuesday afternoon dropped just a few tenths of an inch of rain. But it was enough to aggravate flooding throughout the Louisville area.
Rare condition caused flood
By Kelly House • khouse@courier-journal.com • August 4, 2009
They knew it was going to rain, but National Weather Service meteorologists say they couldn't have predicted the extremely rare circumstances that stalled a massive storm front over Louisville Tuesday, flooding the area with record rainfall.
A run-of-the-mill thunderstorm created a minicold front that collided with clashing wind streams from the northwest and south, trapping the storm over downtown Louisville, area meteorologists said.
“No one expected the thunderstorm to set up the way it did,” said Mike Callahan, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Louisville.
Trapped storms usually dump their water and weaken after about 30 minutes. But on Tuesday, warm, damp air from the south flowed above the cold front to feed the storm for hours.
“It just kept rebuilding itself right on top of Louisville,” Callahan said.
Known as an outflow boundary or downburst, the phenomenon generates cool air that drops from the cloud at high speed, then spreads along the ground, WHAS-11 meteorologist Monty Webb said.
That cool air, combined with colliding wind streams, clogged weather patterns to stop the storm over Louisville.
During a press conference to assess the storm's damage, Mayor Jerry Abramson and Metropolitan Sewer District Director Bud Schardein blamed weather experts for failing to give advance warning of the storm, saying it made preparing for the emergency difficult.
But Callahan said meteorologists couldn't possibly have seen the pattern coming.
“Nobody can predict storms like this without any type of advance warning,” Callahan said. “The technology and the science just doesn't allow it. The only thing we can do is record when the pattern sets up and send out the warnings, and we did that.”
Meteorologists issued their first severe thunderstorm warning for south-central Indiana at 6:38 a.m. The warning was extended to the Louisville metro area at 7:50 a.m., and the first showers began about half an hour later.
Flash-flood warnings for the metro area followed between 8:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. By 9:40 a.m., Louisville entered emergency flood stage, as reports poured in of trapped vehicles, floating debris and flooded streets and buildings.
Most of the rain had subsided by 10:30 a.m., leaving behind flooding throughout south-central Indiana and the metro area as far south as northeastern Bullitt County.
By the time the storm passed, more than 6 inches of rain had dropped in some areas — creating the wettest August day on record. The storm nearly doubled the average August rainfall of 3.4 inches.
A second storm front Tuesday afternoon dropped just a few tenths of an inch of rain. But it was enough to aggravate flooding throughout the Louisville area.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Could be a seriously blown forecast
The "second wave" of T-storms is moving into Louisville, KY. The NWS spokesman said earlier today it should "blast through", but the radars is not showing it "by-passing" or "blasting by". Yuk! One official station this morning recorded over 6 inches in one hour! Call Al Gore!! - HLG
Rainfall measurements of up to 6.5 inches were reported in the metro area during Tuesday morning's storm, almost double the average rainfall for the entire month of August.
National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Callahan said a second system moving in from Illinois could hit the Louisville area by 2 p.m.
Callahan said there is a chance it will bypass Louisville. Unlike Tuesday morning's storm, which was stationary over Louisville for three hours, the afternoon storm is expected to “blast through,” Callahan said
Rainfall measurements of up to 6.5 inches were reported in the metro area during Tuesday morning's storm, almost double the average rainfall for the entire month of August.
National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Callahan said a second system moving in from Illinois could hit the Louisville area by 2 p.m.
Callahan said there is a chance it will bypass Louisville. Unlike Tuesday morning's storm, which was stationary over Louisville for three hours, the afternoon storm is expected to “blast through,” Callahan said
Widespread Urban Flooding in Louisville, KY
Heavy rains causing widespread flooding in Kentuckiana
Posted: Aug 04, 2009 10:06 AM EDT
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A severe thunderstorm has left Kentuckiana with flooded streets, with people trapped in cars and stranded in neighborhoods. Police are urging people to stay home and off the streets until the threat passes - and do not, under any circumstances, try to drive through high water.
Louisville Fire & Rescue has been called to help several people stranded in their cars after driving through high water.
Maj. Richard L. Haines was on one of the first calls for help in the Highlands. "At approximately 9 a.m. this morning, we received a call to respond to Grinstead and Cherokee Road on a water rescue. At Longest and Grinstead, we found about three cars submerged about halfway up to their doors in water down here at the bottom, near Cave Hill Cemetery.
Haines says there were still two to three people inside the car, and that the water was approximately up to the middle of the doors. "Within a matter of minutes, the water was over top of the doors and pouring into the vehicles. We used some rescue apparatus and ropes to get those people out of their cars and up to higher ground."
Amazingly, even as rescue crews were pulling people from their cars, Haines says someone else decided to continue past the barriers. "During the operation, we had a vehicle that busted through our barriers and drove into the water, and we had to in turn get that person out of the water also."
Haines says drivers like that are a danger to themselves and others. "In situations like this, you not only put yourself at risk to injury and death, but also the first responders that have to get in there and try to pull these people out. It's really not worth it."
His advice: "Just find high ground, sit it out. Go to work a little bit late today or stay home - whatever you need to do. But don't try to drive into any pooling water like that, it's just not worth the risk."
Use a camera or your cell phone to take pictures or videos of any flooding you see and Upload Your Photos and Videos at WAVE 3 Nation. We may show them on the air during one of our newscasts.
Posted: Aug 04, 2009 10:06 AM EDT
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A severe thunderstorm has left Kentuckiana with flooded streets, with people trapped in cars and stranded in neighborhoods. Police are urging people to stay home and off the streets until the threat passes - and do not, under any circumstances, try to drive through high water.
Louisville Fire & Rescue has been called to help several people stranded in their cars after driving through high water.
Maj. Richard L. Haines was on one of the first calls for help in the Highlands. "At approximately 9 a.m. this morning, we received a call to respond to Grinstead and Cherokee Road on a water rescue. At Longest and Grinstead, we found about three cars submerged about halfway up to their doors in water down here at the bottom, near Cave Hill Cemetery.
Haines says there were still two to three people inside the car, and that the water was approximately up to the middle of the doors. "Within a matter of minutes, the water was over top of the doors and pouring into the vehicles. We used some rescue apparatus and ropes to get those people out of their cars and up to higher ground."
Amazingly, even as rescue crews were pulling people from their cars, Haines says someone else decided to continue past the barriers. "During the operation, we had a vehicle that busted through our barriers and drove into the water, and we had to in turn get that person out of the water also."
Haines says drivers like that are a danger to themselves and others. "In situations like this, you not only put yourself at risk to injury and death, but also the first responders that have to get in there and try to pull these people out. It's really not worth it."
His advice: "Just find high ground, sit it out. Go to work a little bit late today or stay home - whatever you need to do. But don't try to drive into any pooling water like that, it's just not worth the risk."
Use a camera or your cell phone to take pictures or videos of any flooding you see and Upload Your Photos and Videos at WAVE 3 Nation. We may show them on the air during one of our newscasts.
Anatomy of an Urban Flood
Just throw in 4-5 inches of rain in a few hours, over a major urban area, and you get flooding. (FWSAAB Research Project) - HLG
Monday, August 3, 2009
Wear those seatbelts in flight!
Unless you want to poke your head through the air vents! - HLG
"A lot of people didn't fasten their seatbelts and didn't have time to react," he said. "There were several people thrown about the cabin. An elderly lady leaving the [bathroom] had a cart fall on her. People went through the overhead panel that houses the air vents and air masks."
He said many of those injured were not wearing their seatbelt, despite the "fasten seatbelt" light being lit for about an hour prior to the turbulence FNC.com
"A lot of people didn't fasten their seatbelts and didn't have time to react," he said. "There were several people thrown about the cabin. An elderly lady leaving the [bathroom] had a cart fall on her. People went through the overhead panel that houses the air vents and air masks."
He said many of those injured were not wearing their seatbelt, despite the "fasten seatbelt" light being lit for about an hour prior to the turbulence FNC.com
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