Nor'EastersPurple

Nor' Easter
Christina Rufo, Beverly Mcgowan Purple Class

Introduction A Nor'easter is a cyclonic storm that moves northward within the Eastern coast of the US and Canada. Nor'easters occur particularly in fall and winter, however they can occur at any time throughout the year. It's strong northeast winds cause high seas and coastal damage, along with bearing rain or snow.(1,5) Dangers Nor'Easters can make traveling both difficult and extremely dangerous because heavy precipitation can blind drivers. The snow canalso cause drivers to get stranded. Those who live on the East Coast of the United States should take proper precautions to prevent flooding from the waves that the gusts of winds can bring to the oceans. No-one should be near the coast or on ships in the water. The waves and wind can be extremely dangerous for ships, as seen in the horrific 'Perfect Storm' of 1991.(1)

Conditions of Formation Hurricanes will from where the warm ocean water and airmass along the coast meets cold air pouring down out of Canada. The low pressure system of the gulf meets the high pressure system from Canada, causing the Nor'easter to form and start picking up speed. If an upper air disturbance approaches the area from the west during these conditions, an especially intense form of a Nor'easter can be expected to develop.(2,3)

Historical Examples On October 28th, 1991, a Nor'easter developed along a cold front that moved along the Northeast coast of the United States. It was referred to as 'The Perfect Storm.' The storm had such strong forces that it sank the swordfishing boat Andrea Gail. This boat had been fishing out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The ships, ice machine wasn't working, andit couldn't keep the catch for much longer so they decided to h ead back to their home port. The wind gusts and waves destroyed Andrea Gail, tragically killing all six of the crew members.The estimated damage costs of this storm was $208 million, and New Jersey and Massachusetts were the states most impacted by this Nor'easter. Many homes were destroyed, and people's lives were lost. (4) Safety When preparing for a Nor'easter.... -Stock up on food and water(1) -Keep flashlights and candles available(1) -Make sure anything that can be blown away by strong winds is secured or moved to a safe area(1) Source 1. Unknown. "Know the Dangers of Nor'easters." NOAA. NOAA, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . 2. - - -. "Nor'easter." Ocean-Beach. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . 3. - - -. "Nor'easters." E-Missions. Wheeling Jesuit University, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . 4. - - -. "The Perfect Storm." NOAA. NOAA, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . 5. - - -. "What is a Nor'easter?" howstuffworks.com. How Stuff Works inc, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2010. <http://science.howstuffworks.com>.

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