NASA & Hurricane Frances

Palomar · 2004-09-01 12:33:24

http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish … 004]Batton down the hatches!

*They're securing Kennedy Space Center, the Shuttles, etc. Her windspeeds are clocked at 140 mph, Category IV.

"At KSC, workers are powering down the Space Shuttle orbiters, closing their payload bay doors and stowing their landing gear. They are also taking precautions against flooding by moving spacecraft hardware off the ground and sandbagging facilities. NASA plans to release video of these activities beginning tomorrow."

I'm glad I don't live in FL. My sincerest best wishes to folks who do.

--Cindy

::EDIT:: http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookin … s.html]2nd pic taken Aug 27 from ISS, 230 miles above the storm. Such pretty swirls of white against blue...hard to believe it's deadly and violent.

Palomar · 2004-09-02 13:51:55

*Fraser Cain, who owns and updates the universtoday.com
website, has an update there. He says Kennedy Space Center is "right on target for the storm, and it could be hit by the most powerful part, called the 'north wall.'"

*The Center has been evacuated of course. Three Shuttles are housed in a building which is designed to sustain winds of 105 mph; however, Frances currently exceeds that by 40 mph.

"It's going to be a nailbiter."

*I'll say.

Of course, I'm more concerned about the human lives at stake. Evacuation orders out to 1 million people. Can't imagine...

--Cindy

REB · 2004-09-02 15:13:36

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories200 … .jpg]Check out this picture

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories200 … zb.jpg]And this one.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories200 … 545z.jpg]I can see my house from here

BWhite · 2004-09-02 15:19:12

This whole ISS STS business might be rendered moot. ???

My mother has a condo on a barrier island near Ft Lauderdale. She is not there.

Friends tell her the islands have been closed, the power shut off and all the bridges raised to keep people off (or on?) the island.

REB · 2004-09-02 15:19:57

And those pictures are from NOAA.

I do worry for Florida. This is a big storm and it is predicted to cut across the state.

They are still recovering from Charlie.

I have been in a C-3 hurricane, but never a C-4. C-3 was bad enough.

BWhite · 2004-09-05 22:06:07

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/200 … .jpg]Cocoa Beach photo

Steeple blown from Church and embedded in roof.

Space Ref and/or NASA Watch have more information. A survey team will go into Kennedy Space Center Monday morning at 7:00 am Eastern time.

Palomar · 2004-09-06 12:59:20

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/hurricane … .html]Read me

*Vehicle Assembly Building damaged. Over 1000 exterior panels torn away on east- and south-facing sides. Panels measure 4 x 10 feet; so estimating 40,000 square feet of VAB has been exposed "to the elements."

Now Hurricane Ivan is on the move and they're worried about its impact. "Our weather people tell us that Ivan could be at the backdoor of KSC as early as Saturday."

As of Sept 6 Ivan has 115 mph winds, is 360 miles E-SE of Barbados.

Tile manufacturing facility damaged; part of its roof is gone (?). They seem unsure at the time the article was put online. Extensive water damage is confirmed there.

"Although power was lost to all three Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs), which shelter the shuttle fleet, there was no siginificant damage to the buildings other than some minor water intrusion beneath doors."

Other damage cited in article.

--Cindy

Rxke · 2004-09-06 13:32:27

Whoa.

I was half following this thread, then had a very quick look at the news, and thought things had turned out better than expected, less damage than the former storm etc.

But it looks like this one was no sissy either...

'.... reported the main buildings were still standing...'

So they *did* worry mightily.

And another one to come. Boy.

Trebuchet · 2004-09-06 15:25:51

Frances was a wimpy storm - I went out biking in it yesterday. (Yes, I am crazy. But you already knew that)

The major point of Frances was that it was very, very big, and very very slow moving, so that it's dumped a pile of rain on the state and basically whapped everyone with at least tropical storm force winds for 24 hours. However, it lost a lot of power before coming on land, and damage has been very light, at least in my area.

I'm more worried about Ivan, to be honest.

Rxke · 2004-09-06 16:12:15

Imagining you, coming home.... *totally* disheveled, after a 24 hours bikeride in hairdryerhell... (Crazy imagination)

Ivan... That makes three in a row... Some stuff probably already beaten up real bad, no time to do good repairs and now again getting a serious beating... Phew.

Trebuchet · 2004-09-06 17:27:18

Obviously, I didn't ride in it for 24 hours. I did, however, look like I had taken a ride in a washing machine.

Rxke · 2004-09-06 17:33:29

Obviously, my imagination is as crazy as your behaviour!

SpaceNut · 2004-09-07 06:38:32

With all the damage how will Nasa pay for the repair costs and still do the vision of to the Moon, Mars and beyound?
These storms have been devistating and more are still to come as we have entered hurricane season for Florida. Maybe it is time to thing of alternative launch sites for ISS missions further north where it is less likely to be effected by such storms.

Palomar · 2004-09-07 06:51:01

These storms have been devistating and more are still to come as we have entered hurricane season for Florida. Maybe it is time to thing of alternative launch sites for ISS missions further north where it is less likely to be effected by such storms.

*NASA has survived all these decades in Florida. The coast of Texas is prone to being hit by hurricanes as well (although perhaps not as frequently). Move everything to Houston? Hmmmm. Have to stay in a warmer, more temperate clime.

I know some people have their reasons for living in Florida...I'd be hard put to find one (no offense).

--Cindy

Rxke · 2004-09-07 07:16:15

hope that NASA has good iinsurance....

C M Edwards · 2004-09-08 15:12:28

Looks like Ivan's poised to do to the west coast of Florida what Frances did to the east (and west). For the next few days, it's going to really suck to be a Floridian.

It may still turn or lose strength though. Hurricanes only reach maximum fury and stay there when they're following a minimum energy trajectory defined by the local weather and Coriolis force. (That's the line down the middle of their projected path on the NOAA maps.) However, a hurricane pumps air through itself like a giant turbine, and can thrust itself any direction as long as it's expending the energy to change course.

Slowing down expends a lot of energy for hurricanes. So does turning. But they've got it to spare. I've even seen them stop, turn about and head south.

Let's hope that Ivan does a lot of fancy maneuvers in the next few days and blows off some of that energy, because right now it's the strongest storm in years and Florida is right in its glory lane.

C M Edwards · 2004-09-13 08:51:24

Let's hope that Ivan does a lot of fancy maneuvers in the next few days...

Oh, look! It's coming this way! :laugh:

Rxke · 2004-09-13 09:48:58

I just read it's going to miss the Keys?

(Probably)

SpaceNut · 2004-09-13 11:06:47

While everyone is bracing for the one two punch there are those that are looking to make them just go away. Not as crazy as chasing them but just as strange...

Groups Work on Schemes to Stop Hurricanes
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm....e_cures

C M Edwards · 2004-09-13 14:41:57

With a 10% chance that one is about to chase me up I-49 to Arkansas again, I can't think of a single strange thing about wanting hurricanes to go away! :laugh:

(No, I have no further confidence in predictions that Ivan will strike the northern part of Florida. I fully expect it to pass right through my bedroom.)

As for the article about stopping hurricanes, my money is on the polyacrylide people. Never underestimate the technological miracle of the disposable diaper. :;):

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#1 2004-09-01 12:33:24

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#2 2004-09-02 13:51:55

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#3 2004-09-02 15:13:36

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#4 2004-09-02 15:19:12

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#5 2004-09-02 15:19:57

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#6 2004-09-05 22:06:07

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#7 2004-09-06 12:59:20

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#8 2004-09-06 13:32:27

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#9 2004-09-06 15:25:51

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#10 2004-09-06 16:12:15

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#11 2004-09-06 17:27:18

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#12 2004-09-06 17:33:29

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#13 2004-09-07 06:38:32

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#14 2004-09-07 06:51:01

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#15 2004-09-07 07:16:15

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#16 2004-09-08 15:12:28

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#17 2004-09-13 08:51:24

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#18 2004-09-13 09:48:58

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#19 2004-09-13 11:06:47

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

#20 2004-09-13 14:41:57

Re: NASA & Hurricane Frances

Board footer