YET ANOTHER NORTHEASTER STRIKES THE DELAWARE AND MID-ATLANTIC COASTLINES
For those of you who are new to the Mid-Atlantic Coast, you may have wondered what all the discussions of Nor'easters were about the last few days. They are one of the more serious and dangerous storms that strike the Mid-Atlantic Coast, and they strew damage in every direction along the path of their landfall.
Nor'easters usually originate as a low pressure area with a center of rotation off the East Coast. The winds from the storm in the left forward quadrant rotate onto land from the northeast, thus the name Northeaster.
The storms can cause excessive amounts of rain, leading to coastal flooding, dune breaks, and very damaging erosion of the beaches and inland water banks. Hurricane force winds can whip snowfalls in the winter into blizzards with heavy icing of roads. They can occur at any time of year, but are devastating during the winter season when they often pull very cold air down from the Arctic air mass.
The convergence of Arctic cold air and warmer ocean air over the Gulf Stream can set up a very nasty storm. Last week's Hurricane Sandy, for example, became a superstorm when it united with a cold air mass stalled over the Northeast and a warm air mass just off the Atlantic Coast.
What makes this Nor'easter so devastating is that few residents have had time to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and now they will be inundated with either more rain or snow, and certainly more coastal flooding. Let us all keep our recovering coastal friends and neighbors in our prayers.
Nor'easters usually originate as a low pressure area with a center of rotation off the East Coast. The winds from the storm in the left forward quadrant rotate onto land from the northeast, thus the name Northeaster.
The storms can cause excessive amounts of rain, leading to coastal flooding, dune breaks, and very damaging erosion of the beaches and inland water banks. Hurricane force winds can whip snowfalls in the winter into blizzards with heavy icing of roads. They can occur at any time of year, but are devastating during the winter season when they often pull very cold air down from the Arctic air mass.
The convergence of Arctic cold air and warmer ocean air over the Gulf Stream can set up a very nasty storm. Last week's Hurricane Sandy, for example, became a superstorm when it united with a cold air mass stalled over the Northeast and a warm air mass just off the Atlantic Coast.
What makes this Nor'easter so devastating is that few residents have had time to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and now they will be inundated with either more rain or snow, and certainly more coastal flooding. Let us all keep our recovering coastal friends and neighbors in our prayers.
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