Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program

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Home  >   Enjoy Buzzards Bay > Buzzards Bay Weather & Tides > BB Storm & Hurricane Page

Storm & Hurricane Status and Information Page

Sub-pages:   1999 Hurricane Floyd: Falmouth |  2007 Nor'easter Bay: Falmouth

Related pages:   FEMA Flood Maps

In the event of a catastrophic disaster around Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, or Massachusetts, go to these sites:

Massachusetts Emergency Management Page

FEMA's Disasterhelp.gov
The Federal Disaster Management e-Government Initiative website.

Local Planning and Preparedness

SRPEDD hurricane evacuation route evaluation report for SE Mass

Current Storm Information

NOAA Storm watch Page

National Hurricane Center

Track Storms with this IR Moisture Map of the East Coast (updated hourly)

Watch effects of local storms on local NOAA weather buoys

You can watch the approach and effects of local storms on local sea conditions by following the links or studying the graphs below.

Buzzards Bay Data Buoy BUZM3 wind and wave conditions, updated hourly
Wave Height recorder apparently has failed since August 2003. Check Nantucket Buoy data (graphs shown at bottom of this page).

Buoy 44008 (100 miles SE of Nantucket), wind and wave conditions, updated hourly

Map: Get wave/wind data from any Buoy in the Northeast US

Wind Gusts (previous 5 days) recorded at Buzzards Bay NOAA buoy

Recent Wave Amplitude Period and Wave Height (previous 5 days) at the SE of Nantucket Buoy:

Wave amplitude period is a good indicator of distant, severe storms. For example, during quiet periods, the period between wave swells may be 4 seconds, and wave heights 5 feet or less. However, when Nor'easters or hurricanes and other storms persist offshore, wave height, and the time between wave swell crests can increase dramatically, and will be shown on the graphs below.



Near Real Time Wave Period at buoy SE of Nantucket

Hurricane Links

Army Corps Hurricane Surge (SLOSH) Maps for Buzzards Bay and Massachusetts Communities

NOAA's archive of Hurricane Katrina Advisories

United States Government portal on Hurricane Katrina information.

North Carolina news Story on Hurricane Isabel (2003)

National Weather Service Isabel Synopsis Page

Woods Hole Short Term Tide Projections

Hurricane Preparedness Information

NOAA Brochure: Hurricane Basics (1.1 MB pdf)

NOAA National Hurricane Center: Hurricane and Other Severe Weather Guides

NOAA National Weather Service: Hurricane Awareness

American Red Cross Brochure on Hurricane safety (271 kb pdf file)

American Red Cross Hurricane Information Page


American Red Cross Hurricane Isabel 9/12/03 article

Historic Floods and Droughts in Massachusetts

1987 USGS report on Historic Floods and Droughts in Massachusetts (pdf file).

Past Hurricanes Affecting Buzzards Bay

NOAA Summaries for the four worst storms affecting southern New England since 1950.

• The 1938 Hurricane
  
• Hurricane Carol, 1954
  
• Hurricane Edna, 1954
  
• Hurricane Bob, 1991
  

Path of all 20th century hurricanes hitting New England (new window)

List of All New England Hurricanes


Cape Cod Times Special Report: Hurricane Bob Ten Years Later

Environmental Management Issues associated with Storms and Sea Level Rise

Storms and high seas erode the coast and flood low-lying areas. In addition, since the last ice age 10,000 years ago, sea level has continued to rise. During recent centuries, relative sea level has risen an average of 1 foot per century on the east coast, and this rate of sea level rise is expected to increase with global warming. The combination of sea level rise and coastal erosion has changed many coastal areas in the US since European colonization of North America more than 400 years ago.

For environmental managers and regulators today, construction and development in storm flood zones, and areas of high erosion is an important concern, especially in terms of threats to human safety. Also important are the high public financial costs and economic impacts associated of replacing roads, loss of personal property, and public financing of flood insurance programs and emergency response, particularly in areas repeated damaged by storms. The links to the articles below discuss some of these public policy issues.

Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office Shoreline Change Project.

What would be the impacts of a Hurricane like Isabel on Buzzards Bay? We need only consider the impacts of Hurricane Bob in 1991. Read this Cape Cod Times special Cape Cod Times Special Report: Hurricane Bob Ten Years Later.

Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office Coastal Hazards Assessment (pdf file).

National Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise (pdf file).

National Academy of Sciences: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Disasters (pdf file).

WHOI case study on beach erosion..

URI fact sheet on coastal Erosion.

Controversial Beach-nourishment project in Virginia in the news.

Other Links

BB NEP's Weather Page

NOAA web page on hurricane historical statistics and FAQs

NOAA Boston and Region Weather, updated hourly. [Best Gov. site, click on map where you live.]

Todays Sea Conditions (from NOAA's National Weather Service)

New Bedford Standard Times Hurricane Update Page

University of Hawaii, all current storm complete tracks

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