Pete Thomas Outdoors

Hurricane Carlotta intensifies along Mexico's west coast

Hurricane Carlotta on Friday afternoon was upgraded to a Category 2 storm and was still intensifying, with a hurricane warning in effect from Salina Cruz north to Acapulco.

This stretch of coastline is dotted with small villages, including Puerto Escondido, a  popular surfing destination. The storm's center is expected to move over or near land between Puerto Angel and Acapulco on Friday night or Saturday.

A hurricane warning is a call for citizens and tourists to take steps toward protecting their lives, property and pets. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," stated the National Hurricane Center in a 2 p.m. public advisory. The storm boasted maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

A hurricane watch is in effect to the south of Salina Cruz and north of Acapulco, to Tecpan de Galeana. But people as far north as Puerto Vallarta ought to be prepared for strong winds and heavy rainfall at some point over the next several days.

The states of Chiapas, Guerrero and northern Oaxaca can expect an estimated 3-5 inches of rainfall through Sunday.

Carlotta's proximity to the coastline has many people worried. The storm is predicted to weaken somewhat before re-intensifying, before ultimately weakening as it tracks to the northwest along the coast through the middle of next week.

Ed Kunze, a longtime resident of Zihuatanejo (north of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero), stated via email:

"I am a bit nervous about Carlotta. I bought another five-gallon jug of drinking water, for a total of 15 gallons. Tomorrow I will fill the truck up with gas, as well as get an extra 15 gallons for my small generator.  If the electricity goes down, then the pumps at the gas station and drinking water place won't work.

"Today I got cash out from the bank. Banks can't disperse cash without electricity either. Also, tomorrow I am buying extra toilet paper, and a few more dry foods.

"I am probably better off than 99% of the people, but it could be bad. I am following the reports and updates regularly. Of course, all my friends say it will blow past and out at sea, as they always do, but I am an engineer and feel we are due. Plus, I have seen zero places in town preparing or even thinking about it."

Hopefully, those within the warning and watch areas are, in fact, doing what they can to minimize the storm's impact.

-- Image showing Hurricane Carlotta on Friday is courtesy of NOAA

Entangled gray whale relocated off Central California

An entangled Pacific gray whale that eluded rescuers a week ago off Southern California was spotted Tuesday morning off Central California in a remote area about halfway between Morro Bay and Monterey.

The 40-foot whale was discovered April 17 off Laguna Beach with thick rope, presumably some kind of fishing gear, wrapped around its mouth and pectoral areas (whale is pictured above).

Three colored buoys were attached to the fishing gear, and rescuers managed to cut away some of the rope, but darkness fell and an extensive search effort the next day failed to relocate the mammal.

Monica DeAngelis, a marine mammal biologist with NOAA Fisheries, said Tuesday that a private citizen reported spotting the whale at about 8:30 a.m. off Gorda Point, about 50 miles from the nearest large ports at Morro Bay to the south, and Monterey.

DeAngelis said an attempt is being made to assemble a rescue team and that weather assessments are being made in advance of an approaching storm. She asks boaters and people on land to keep an eye out for the whale, which is still trailing the buoys, and to telephone (562) 980-3232 with sighting information.

The person who spotted the whale said it was surfacing frequently, perhaps a sign that it's tiring.

If it continues traveling to the north, as expected, it could be close to Monterey on Wednesday or Thursday. Perhaps then, if the weather cooperates, rescuers can find the whale and cut away all or at least most of the remaining fishing gear.

This is the third gray whale to have been discovered entangled off Southern California in the past five weeks.

-- Image showing entangled gray whale last week off Southern California is courtesy of Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari. Image is protected by copyright laws.

Surfers hit the waves at Lake Tahoe, thanks to high winds

Southern California isn't the only region in the state enduring high winds. At Lake Tahoe it was so windy today that surfers ditched their snowboards in favor of surfboards and rode fair-sized waves generated by the ferocious gusts.

The scene represented a drastic departure from the famously blue and placid freshwater lake on the California-Nevada border, at 6,225 feet. The waves were far from perfect but, being so far from the ocean, any surfers in the region were not complaining.

The accompanying image was captured by Tim Rantz of Homeward Mountain Ski Resort, via the San Francisco Chronicle. 

U.S. issues Travel Alert as Hurricane Rina nears Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula

The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday issued a Travel Alert for the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan Peninsula, because of the onset of Hurricane Rina.

This includes popular resort areas Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. Rina, as of early Wednesday afternoon, was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, located about 185 miles south-southeast of Cozumel.

Rina is expected to make landfall early Thursday, and the National Hurricane Center has issued a Hurricane Warning for the northeast coast of the peninsula from just north of Punta Gruesa to San Felipe (this includes Tulum, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos and Cancun).

The Department of State is recommending that U.S. Citizens in the Quintana Roo area prepare themselves for the storm's approach and to carry their passports and travel documents or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. They also should let family and friends know of their precise whereabouts.

Because of Rina's compact size, according to The Weather Channel on Wednesday, "it is impossible today to specify which, if any, land areas on Yucatan will receive hurricane conditions."

It's unlikely that Rina, as it veers toward the northeast and skirts the northwestern edge of Cuba, will reach Florida as a hurricane. But the it could do so as a weaker tropical storm.   

-- Graphic is courtesy of The Weather Channel

Hurricane Jova 'winks' as it approaches Mexico's west coast

As residents and tourists in western Mexico brace for heavy rain, flooding and ferocious winds generated by approaching Hurricane Jova, scientists are marveling at satellite images that appear to show Jova "winking," or opening and closing its eye (see images above).

This phenomenon is caused when the eye becomes cloud covered when viewed from above.

"In addition to Jova's wink, the infrared AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite got a cold stare from Jova's eye," states a passage in a NASA story on the storm, which has prompted hurricane warnings from Punta San Telmo northward to Cabo Corrientes near Puerto Vallarta. "Infrared data measures cloud top temperatures, and NASA AIRS instrument noticed they were as cold as -112 degrees Fahrenheit in the thunderstorms in Jova's eyewall.

"Those frigid cloud top temperatures indicate there's a tremendous amount of power in the storm."

Jova, whose center was expected to make landfall late Tuesday afternoon, was a Category 3 storm when the accompanying images were captured, showing an open and closed eye. But late Tuesday morning the storm was downgraded to Category 2 status, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

That's still a very powerful storm, which could drop as much as 20 inches of rain in areas. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in the state of Jalisco, according to reports.

Puerto Vallarta, a major tourist destination in Jalisco, is playing a key role in the Pan American Games, which begin Friday in nearby Guadalajara. Sailing, ocean swimming and beach volleyball are among sports scheduled to be held in Puerto Vallarta.

"Vallarta Yacht Club and Paradise Village Marina are well-versed with both weather issues and major sailing events," said Mike Danielson of PV Sailing. "We do not foresee any delays, just a lot of work. All boats have been stowed in parking garages."

Puerto Vallarta is generally well-protected from hurricanes, thanks to nearby mountain ranges, which serve as a storm break, and its sprawling bay. But surges generated by Hurricane Kenna in 2002 caused extensive damage along the coast.

With Jova expected to make landfall to the south, opposite the Sierra Madre range, storm surges should not be a major problem in Puerta Vallarta. But residents are not taking Jova lightly.

"I've seen a lot of tape on larger windows, and that says something here," said Pat Henry, a longtime resident who once solo-curcumnavigated the planet in a sailboat. "In 2002, my boat came through fine, but I lost almost everything in the apartment where I was living. This time I'm on higher ground farther from the water."

Jova is expected to weaken rapidly not long after making landfall.

-- Images are courtesy of NASA

Hurricane Hilary could affect parts of Baja California

It's looking increasingly like Hurricane Hilary, which on Friday was a powerful Category 4 storm, will bring more than just large waves to Baja California Sur.

The major hurricane, which on Friday boasted sustained winds of 145 mph, is off the Pacific coast of Mexico tracking toward the west-northwest, away from land. But Hilary is expected to gradually veer more to the north beginning late Monday.

It's not clear yet what areas might be most affected by rain and swells, but if it stays on its projected path significant rainfall is likely along parts of Baja California's southwestern coast.

As for waves, Surfline is reporting that large swells generated by Hilary should begin to arrive in the Cabo San Lucas area as early as Saturday, with areas farther north along the Pacific side of the peninsula receiving an increase in surf Monday and Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that Hilary will remain a major hurricane at least until Monday morning. On Friday there were no warnings in place, but that could change over the next few days.

-- Image shows a satellite view of Hilary early Friday morning. Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

Hurricane Irene a perfect storm for surfers in Florida

Hurricane Irene, which on Friday morning was bearing down on the Carolinas, may pose a threat to life and property. But for surfers in Florida, the storm is perceived as a Godsend as it has delivered a rare epic swell.

"These are the kinds of storms that separate the men from the boys," exclaimed Jayme Noe, owner of Cocoa Beach Surf & Skate, who provided the web-cam images for this story. "We pray for this kind of thing. This is what we live for."

It has been a full week of excitement for wave riders in the Sunshine State. On Sunday, the forecast called for Irene ultimately to make landfall on Florida's eastern shore. But it quickly became apparent that the storm would pass farther offshore instead, allowing for a fairly clean swell.

On Friday morning Irene, as a Category 2 storm boasting 105-mph winds, was tracking in a northerly direction, toward the Carolinas, about 200 miles offshore.

That's an ideal distance for Florida surfers, a perfect storm, coming after months of predominantly flat conditions.

"It's going to be absolutely epic Friday and Saturday," Noe predicted.

Waves began to arrive Thursday, luring surfers to the South Beach, Palm Beach, Satellite Beach, Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral areas. But in most areas, because they were still in Irene's forward path, they were accompanied by 25-mph winds that blew the waves apart and created hazardous conditions.

"It's all closed out, and there are large rip tides," complained Nola Yates, an employee at Balsa Bill Surf Shop in Satellite Beach. "A lot of people are looking, but few are going out."

That wasn't true in the south, where swirling winds from Irene, as the storm began passing to the north, created side-shore, almost offshore winds favorable for surfing because they hold up the peaks and give the waves better shape.

A Florida News Journal report stated: "We saw about 30 surfers at Paradise Beach in Melbourne, and found some had come from as far away as New Jersey and Texas. Brevard County Lifeguards reported they had not made any rescues and called it lucky. "

On Friday morning conditions were vastly improved up and down the coast, though "still a little unruly" in places, said Mike Watson, a Florida-based forecaster for Surfline. The swell should become cleaner as Irene moves farther to the north, taking its ferocious winds. Waves in excess of 10 feet -- with much taller faces -- were already breaking at some beaches.

For Floridians used to tiny beach-break waves, a pumping swell like this one gets the adrenaline pumping much in the way a big winter swell does for surfers on north-facing beaches in Hawaii. Although waves in Florida are not as large as those that break over shallow Hawaiian reefs, they're perhaps more challenging because, unlike Hawaii, there are no reef or point breaks, and no calm paddling channels.

To ride large surf in Florida, one must paddle through the impact zone to reach the lineup.

Of course all this excitement is great for business. Philip Van Vonderen, a salesman at MTB Surf Emporium in Indialantic, told Florida Today: "We'll sell more leashes, [board] pads, wax, ding-repair kits, fins and even surfboards."

The swell should continue into Sunday morning, then diminish quickly. But already surfers are eyeing a tropical depression far to the southeast, off Africa, wondering whether it, too, will deliver rideable surf.

-- Credit for NASA hurricane image: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

Hurricane Irene much safer when experienced from space

Hurricane Irene looks so peaceful from 225 miles high. The footage above was captured Monday by a NASA crew at the International Space Station (a second Space Station video was uploaded Tuesday).

Of course the opposite is true; Irene is anything but peaceful, having already wreaked havoc throughout portions of the Caribbean. As of Wednesday night, Irene was a Category 3 storm plowing through the Bahamas, on a course for the East Coast of the United States.

A hurricane warning is in effect, and torrential rains and powerful storm surges are in the forecast for the Bahamas.

On its current path, according to the Weather Channel, Irene will skirt Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as it spins up the Atlantic, but those states will feel some of the same effects beginning early Friday.

Irene then will drench North Carolina, the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

To be on the safe side, the U.S. Navy has made preparations to send ships of the Second Fleet in Norfolk., Va., to sea if Irene is deemed to pose a threat. Large ships fare much better at sea than they might while tied to docks or piers.

Irene is not expected to weaken to tropical storm strength until early Monday, as it loses power while traveling across the Northeast.

Hurricane Irene expected to reach U.S. at Category 3 strength

*Update: Image and story were updated Monday night to reflect that Irene is expected to reach Category 4 strengh briefly on Thursday.

Hurricane Irene, which on Sunday was tracking toward Cuba and not expected to strengthen beyond Category 1 status, is now expected to become a major hurricane on Tuesday, as it tracks tiward the Bahamas enroute to the southeastern U.S.

Irene is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. It made landfall early Monday at Puerto Rico, downing trees and power lines, with sustained winds of 80 mph. Major hurricane status is issued when sustained winds are 110 mph or stronger. On its current path Irene's center will skirt Florida and Georgia, and make landfall Saturday -- as a Category 3 storm -- in northern South Carolina.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane warnings are in effect for the north coast of the Dominican Republic, the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. NHC advisories will be updated several times per day. U.S. residents in the path of the storm ought to be making preparations for what promises to be a wet and blustery end of the week.

--Image courtesy of the Weather Channel

Hurricane Eugene strengthens off Mexico; could generate high surf in Cabo San Lucas area

Hurricane Eugene, which attained that status early Monday afternoon, brings to five the number of named hurricanes to have formed in the eastern Pacific this season.

( *Update: Eugene became a Category Three hurricane on Wednesday, with sustained winds at 125 mph.)

At 2 p.m. Eugene was located 400 miles southwest of Zihuatanejo and boasted maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is tracking to the northwest and it does not appear as though it will make landfall or pose a threat to residents on land.

If it stays on its projected path, it will steer well clear of Cabo San Lucas on the tip of Baja California, unlike its predecessor Dora. Eugene appears to be tracking far enough from Baja that the parched peninsula might not receive significant rainfall.

However, Eugene is expected to generate large waves in the Cabo San Lucas area and farther north along the peninsula's west coast, which will delight surfers. The new swell could begin to arrive as early as Wednesday and last into the weekend. Eugene is expected to remain at hurricane strength through Thursday.

-- Image is courtesy of the National Hurricane Center