Weather effect makes parts of 'Sharknado' more believable
A weather phenomenon that allows hurricanes to hurl farther inland makes some of the circumstances behind the kitsch movie Sharknado more believable, as unbelievable as that may sound.
The Brown Ocean Effect — the result of unusually wet soil or inland flooding — allows tropical storms to intensify at greater distances on land that what any typical system might typically achieve.
Hurricanes feed off warm water, which is why they begin at sea. As water evaporates, it rises into the atmosphere, condensing and releasing latent heat. Cooler air whooshes in to replace that rising hot air and creates strong winds. The Earth's rotation bends these winds and spirals them into hurricanes.
Once these tropical cyclones hit land, their power source — warm water — gets turned off. But in flooded areas — such as those in Texas at the moment — that isn't the case. The storms can keep going.
This week, Tropical Storm Bill roared into Texas, unleashing nearly a foot of rain and causing massive flooding throughout the state and into Oklahoma.
The amount of rain that's fallen in the region in the past two months is nearly equal to the amount the area typically receives over the course of an entire year. That led Texas and Oklahoma to have their wettest month on record in May.
As Bill continues to track north, it is causing havoc deep into the center of the country, reminding inlanders why they also need to take precautions even if they don't live near the coast.
That means securing property — windows, doors, and exposed areas such as front porches and backyards — from high winds. Storing outside furniture and trimming trees and shrubs that might pose hazards as flying debris is also important. Having sump pumps and power generators on hand is wise in case of outages and floods.
Tracking the storm's path via weather reports and alerts is how you know what to prepare for and when, and recovery is just as important as preparation. Looking out for downed power lines and gas leaks should be paid serious attention. Contaminated water and food are also consequences of flood waters, so don't take chances after a storm. Checking foundations and walls for structural damage is something to do immediately. And, don't forget, flood insurers need to be notified.
Sure, a shark isn't likely to come flying through your living room window, but stranger things have happened. In Florida, Hurricane Andrew destroyed an exotic pet store in 1992. Today, the state is still battling an overpopulation of Burmese pythons that escaped and bred.
The Brown Ocean Effect has been the subject of several academic studies over the past few years, including one in 2013 that examined inland tropical cyclone intensity. That research found despite the absence of ocean water, storms have been able to maintain or increase strength inland if favorable conditions exist. Such conditions include flooded areas and excess soil moisture.
In the Southern Plains these past two months, rivers have crested, streets have flooded and hundreds of homes have been inundated. More than 30 people have died due to storm and flood conditions, and water rescues have been commonplace.
Floodwaters are giving storms longer lives farther inland. So beware. Bottom line: if the doorbell rings and someone says, "land shark," I wouldn't answer it.
Thomas M. Kostigen is the founder of TheClimateSurvivalist.com and a New York Times best-selling author and journalist. He is the National Geographic author of "The Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover" and the NG Kids book" Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Hailstorms, Thundersnow, Hurricanes and More!" Follow him @weathersurvival, or emailkostigen@theclimatesurvivalist.com.
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