Hurricane Lee now threatens New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes

Hurricane Lee now threatens New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes  WJTV

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Sep 15, 2023 - 21:30
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Hurricane Lee now threatens New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes

Impact of Hurricane Lee on New England

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — After a deluge of rain, flooding, sinkholes, and tornadoes this week, New England is about to face Hurricane Lee.

Hurricane Watch and State of Emergency

As the Category 1 system impacted Bermuda, Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills. The water-logged region prepared for 20-foot waves offshore and wind gusts up to 80 mph, along with more rain.

The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. Powerful winds and coastal flooding were expected to arrive Friday afternoon in southern New England and spread north.

Although Lee did not contribute to the flooding that hit New England earlier in the week, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already waterlogged.

This Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, 7:51 a.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. Lee looks poised to wallop New England later this week even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes, and a likely tornado. (NOAA via AP)

Preparations and Warnings

The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with any power outages. At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harm’s way.

“It’s a batten-down-the-hatches kind of day,” owner Kim Gillies said Thursday.

Similar scenes played out elsewhere, including at Kennebunkport Marina, where crews planned to take 100 boats out of the water, said Cathy Norton, marina manager.

Commercial lobster fisherman Steve Train said fishermen have been sinking gear in deeper water to protect against storm damage. Fishing boats were also headed to the safety of harbors.

In Canada, residents of western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick were warned about the risk of power outages and flooding this weekend. A year ago, the remnants of Hurricane Fiona washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces, and swept a woman into the sea.

New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety Kris Austin urged residents to assemble a 72-hour safety kit that included batteries, water, food, medication, and a radio.

Request for Assistance

In her emergency declaration, the Maine governor urged people to take the storm seriously and to make preparations. Mills, a Democrat, also asked President Joe Biden to issue a preemptive presidential disaster declaration to give the state access to federal resources.

Previous Weather Events

Earlier in the week, the region saw 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain over six hours. Tornado warnings were issued Wednesday in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and more heavy rain created sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several areas.

The National Weather Service in Boston confirmed Thursday that damage to trees and power lines in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut the day before was caused by four tornadoes.

Dozens of trees snapped or were uprooted by a twister in the town of Glocester, Rhode Island, and a structure used as a bus shelter was blown away, the weather service said. The three tornadoes in Connecticut and Rhode Island were categorized as EF-1, while the one in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was an EF-0.

Forecast for Hurricane Lee

Thursday night, Lee was spinning 185 miles (300 kilometers) west of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. It was traveling north on a path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm, forecasters said.

The system could bring a mix of threats. The storm surge and waves could lash the coast, damaging structures and causing erosion; powerful wind gusts could knock down trees weakened by a wet summer; and rain could cause flash flooding in a region where the soil is already saturated, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine.

The state’s eastern coast — known as the Down East region — and the coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were expected to bear the brunt of the storm, though the track could shift before the system arrives, Fode said.

One thing working in the region’s favor: The storm surge will not be accompanied by an astronomical high tide, helping to lower the risk, she said.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 13: Climate Action – The impact of Hurricane Lee highlights the urgent need for climate action to mitigate extreme weather events and their devastating consequences.
  2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Preparations and warnings issued by emergency management agencies demonstrate the importance of building resilient cities and communities that can withstand natural disasters.
  3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Utility companies bringing in reinforcements to deal with power outages exemplify the need for resilient infrastructure and innovative solutions to address the challenges posed by severe weather events.
  4. SDG 3: Good Health and

    SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

    1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

      • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
      • Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
      • Indicator 11.5.2: Direct economic loss in relation to global GDP, damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, attributed to disasters.

    2. SDG 13: Climate Action

      • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
      • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
      • Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

    Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

    SDGs Targets Indicators
    SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
    Indicator 11.5.2: Direct economic loss in relation to global GDP, damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, attributed to disasters.
    SDG 13: Climate Action Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
    Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

    Analysis

    The issues highlighted in the article are related to extreme weather events, specifically Hurricane Lee and the flooding, sinkholes, and tornadoes that occurred in New England. Based on the content of the article, the following SDGs, targets, and indicators can be identified:

    1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

    The impacts of Hurricane Lee and the associated extreme weather events are relevant to SDG 11, which focuses on creating sustainable cities and communities. The targets and indicators under this SDG that can be identified based on the article’s content are:

    • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
    • Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
    • Indicator 11.5.2: Direct economic loss in relation to global GDP, damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, attributed to disasters.

    The article mentions the hurricane watch, state of emergency declaration, and preparations made by the water-logged region for the impacts of Hurricane Lee. These actions are related to reducing the number of deaths and people affected by disasters (Target 11.5) and mitigating the direct economic losses caused by disasters (Indicator 11.5.2).

    2. SDG 13: Climate Action

    The extreme weather events discussed in the article are also connected to SDG 13, which focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The targets and indicators under this SDG that can be identified based on the article’s content are:

    • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
    • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
    • Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

    The article mentions the flooding, sinkholes, and tornadoes that occurred in New England, which are climate-related hazards and natural disasters. The actions taken by the Coast Guard, emergency management agencies, and utility companies to prepare for the impacts of Hurricane Lee are related to strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards (Target 13.1) and adopting and implementing national disaster risk reduction strategies (Indicator 13.1.2).

    Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

    Source: wjtv.com

     

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