On November 16, 2012, officials from the Department of Commerce declared a fishery resource disaster in New Jersey and New York.
Under Section 308(d) of the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act and Section 315 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Commerce Secretary can declare a fishery resource disaster and a catastrophic regional fishery disaster, respectively, which allows Congress to appropriate federal relief funds for assistance to alleviate harm resulting from a natural disaster.
If money is appropriated, financial assistance plans will be developed to help the fishing industry and coastal communities.
In 2010, New Jersey and New York commercial fisheries landed almost 190 million pounds of fish, valued at more than $210 million dollars.
source: NOAA Fisheries
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
USGS Hurricane Sandy Storm Damage Aerial Photos
A recently released collection of USGS photographs provide shocking evidence of Hurricane Sandy’s impacts on the Atlantic Coast. The collection includes hundreds of aerial photographs that were taken before and after Hurricane Sandy.
The photos, part of a USGS assessment of coastal change, show that the storm caused dramatic changes to portions of shoreline extending hundreds of miles. The area documented ranges from Massachusetts to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Pre- and post-storm images of the New Jersey and New York shoreline in particular tell a story of a coastal landscape that was considerably altered by the historic storm.
Photo pairs from North Carolina to Massachusetts will be made available online as the coastal change assessment continues.
According to USGS oceanographer Nathaniel Plant:
"This storm's impact on sandy beaches included significant beach and dune erosion and minor disruption of infrastructure in the south to extreme and often catastrophic erosion, overwash and sediment deposition, and inundation on northern beaches like Mantoloking, New Jersey."
Overwash occurs when storm surge and waves exceed the elevation of protective sand dunes, thereby transporting sand inland. In addition to threatening infrastructure like roadways, it can bury portions of buildings and cause extensive property damage. Since beaches and dunes serve as a first line of defense against extreme storms, this could further compromise the safety of coastal populations.
Data collected from these surveys are also used to improve predictive models of potential impacts from future severe storms. Before a storm makes landfall, USGS makes these predictions to help coastal communities identify areas particularly vulnerable to severe coastal change, such as beach and dune erosion, overwash, and inundation.
Preliminary analysis suggests that Hurricane Sandy rapidly displaced massive quantities of sand in a capacity that visibly changed the landscape.
The USGS worked closely with the National Park Service to gather field data on pre- and post- storm conditions at Fire Island National Seashore on Long Island. The field team went to Fire Island in advance of the storm to capture the morphology of the beach and dunes. The team re-surveyed the beach to capture its state immediately after the storm, and they found drastic changes.
"We found that there was widespread dune erosion and overwash," said St. Petersburg-based USGS coastal geologist Cheryl Hapke. "On average the dunes eroded back 70 feet - the equivalent of 30-years of change, which had previously been measured. Our data also showed that dunes lost as much as 10 feet of elevation."
This rapid response data was used to help the National Park Service assess the areas of the coast that were most vulnerable to a nor'easter that impacted the coast a week after Sandy.
The USGS is also processing pre- and post-landfall airborne lidar data to gather information on the extent of coastal change caused by Sandy. Lidar, or light detection and ranging, is an aircraft-based remote sensing method that uses laser pulses to collect highly detailed ground elevation data.
source: USGS
The photos, part of a USGS assessment of coastal change, show that the storm caused dramatic changes to portions of shoreline extending hundreds of miles. The area documented ranges from Massachusetts to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Pre- and post-storm images of the New Jersey and New York shoreline in particular tell a story of a coastal landscape that was considerably altered by the historic storm.
Photo pairs from North Carolina to Massachusetts will be made available online as the coastal change assessment continues.
According to USGS oceanographer Nathaniel Plant:
"This storm's impact on sandy beaches included significant beach and dune erosion and minor disruption of infrastructure in the south to extreme and often catastrophic erosion, overwash and sediment deposition, and inundation on northern beaches like Mantoloking, New Jersey."
Overwash occurs when storm surge and waves exceed the elevation of protective sand dunes, thereby transporting sand inland. In addition to threatening infrastructure like roadways, it can bury portions of buildings and cause extensive property damage. Since beaches and dunes serve as a first line of defense against extreme storms, this could further compromise the safety of coastal populations.
Data collected from these surveys are also used to improve predictive models of potential impacts from future severe storms. Before a storm makes landfall, USGS makes these predictions to help coastal communities identify areas particularly vulnerable to severe coastal change, such as beach and dune erosion, overwash, and inundation.
Preliminary analysis suggests that Hurricane Sandy rapidly displaced massive quantities of sand in a capacity that visibly changed the landscape.
The USGS worked closely with the National Park Service to gather field data on pre- and post- storm conditions at Fire Island National Seashore on Long Island. The field team went to Fire Island in advance of the storm to capture the morphology of the beach and dunes. The team re-surveyed the beach to capture its state immediately after the storm, and they found drastic changes.
"We found that there was widespread dune erosion and overwash," said St. Petersburg-based USGS coastal geologist Cheryl Hapke. "On average the dunes eroded back 70 feet - the equivalent of 30-years of change, which had previously been measured. Our data also showed that dunes lost as much as 10 feet of elevation."
This rapid response data was used to help the National Park Service assess the areas of the coast that were most vulnerable to a nor'easter that impacted the coast a week after Sandy.
The USGS is also processing pre- and post-landfall airborne lidar data to gather information on the extent of coastal change caused by Sandy. Lidar, or light detection and ranging, is an aircraft-based remote sensing method that uses laser pulses to collect highly detailed ground elevation data.
source: USGS
Friday, November 2, 2012
Hurricane Sandy Dangers
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| Hurricane Sandy (photo credit NASA) |
According to U.S. Coast Guard 5th District, Mid Atlantic boaters could face a number of challenges as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Although the immediate threat of strong winds and rain has passed, there are still a lot of hazards people can encounter on and near the water.
The ocean and rivers could be full of debris that can cause major damage. Buoys and other navigation aids may also be missing or in different locations following a major storm.
The Coast Guard also warned beachgoers and surfers of risks. The agency suggests that enthusiasts should remain off beaches, piers, and jetties until authorized by local officials since rip currents will still be dangerous.
source: USCG 5th District
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