Much of the Midwest is preparing for a rapid thaw that could lead to major flooding problems after the bitter cold that sent temperatures plummeting below minus-50 in some places.
Just days after the arctic conditions, forecasts say, the region will seemingly swing into another season, with temperatures climbing by as much as 80 degrees. Experts say the rapid thaw is unprecedented, and it could create problems of its own - bursting pipes, flooding rivers and crumbling roads.
Two dozen busted water mains were being patched Wednesday in Detroit, and that number grew to 44 on Thursday. But with temperatures pushing 50 degrees expected soon, there could be far more.
A Detroit Water and Sewerage worker, uses an aqua phone to locate a water main break in Detroit, Wednesday
'I don't think there's ever been a case where we've seen (such a big) shift in temperatures' in the winter, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the Weather Underground firm. 'Past record-cold waves have not dissipated this quickly. ... Here we are going right into spring-like temperatures.'
Inside homes and businesses, there was a threat the changing conditions could cause pipes to break or roofs to leak.
Often a sudden thaw forces water rapidly through the pipe, or to a faucet closed by expanding ice.
'I have gotten more calls on frozen pipes today than in the previous three years I've been here combined,' said Cathy Lombard of Barnes Plumbing in Minneapolis.
Leaking also is a frequent byproduct of massive temperature swings.
Above ground, Midwest freeze-thaw cycles also mean potholes on streets, roads, freeways and bridges. They form when melting snow or rain gets into tiny cracks in the pavement and the base beneath it.
The water freezes when temperatures drop and expands before melting. Repeated cycles weaken pavement which eventually crumbles under the weight of passing vehicles.
Officials are monitoring Niagara Falls (seen from Ontario, Canada) carefully because of high water and the potential for ice jams that could flood Cayuga Island
'Maintenance supervisors across the state are taking inventory now of the most likely places for pavement breakups as the rain and thaw approaches,' said Jeff Cranson, Michigan Transportation Department spokesman. 'They are planning for filling and patching.'
On Wednesday, AAA Michigan was getting swamped with dead battery and flat tire calls. By Thursday, it was damage to vehicles due to motorists slamming into potholes that weren't there the day before.
Bitter cold creates icy conditions on the Saint Joseph River, near Howard Park, on Thursday, in South Bend, Indiana
Although many places remained painfully cold Thursday, the deep freeze eased somewhat, and the system marched east. In western New York, a storm that dumped up to 20 inches of snow gave way to subzero temperatures and face-stinging wind chills. On Friday, the wind chill in some areas was expected to be as low as minus 20 degrees.
A ban on trucks and commercial buses on the western section of the Thruway was lifted Thursday night. Gov. Andrew Cuomo had vowed to crack down on violators a day after a semitrailer crash near Rochester caused a pileup that injured a state trooper.
In New York City, about 200 firefighters battling a blaze in a commercial building took turns getting warm on buses.
A pedestrian and dog make their way through blowing and drifting snow along Lake Boulevard in St. Joseph, Michigan, on Thursday
Schools remained closed in Buffalo, New York, but students headed back to school in other parts of the Midwest. Educators in Fargo, North Dakota, were busy Thursday after two days of canceled classes. For Superintendent Rupak Gandhi, who came to Fargo last summer from Colorado, this week has been 'a personal new.'
'I've had experience with cold and snow days, but negative 50? Absolutely not,' he said.
The dangerously cold and snowy weather is suspected in at least 18 deaths, including a man found frozen in his backyard Thursday in suburban Milwaukee and a man who died Friday after rear-ending a salt truck in Indiana.
Icicles hang from the Harrington Inn in Geneva, Illinois, as commuters pass by on Thursday
But relief from the bitter Midwestern cold is as close as the weekend. Rockford, Illinois, was at a record-breaking minus 31 degrees on Thursday morning but should be around 50 degrees on Monday. Other previously frozen areas could see temperatures of 55 degrees or higher.
The dramatic warm-up will offer a respite from the bone-chilling cold that canceled school, closed businesses and halted trains.
But potholes will appear on roads and bridges weakened by the freeze-thaw cycle. The same cycle can crack water mains and homeowners' pipes.
Ice and water flows over the brink of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Thursday
Scores of vehicles will be left with flat tires and bent rims.
Joe Buck, who manages Schmit Towing in Minneapolis, said he's already taking calls for Monday to deal with a backlog of hundreds of stalled vehicles.
Elsewhere, a bridge in the western Michigan community of Newaygo, 40 miles north of Grand Rapids was closed as the ice-jammed Muskegon River rose above flood stage.
Officials in Buffalo, New York, watched for flooding on the Upper Niagara River because of ice.
A hiker makes her way through blowing and drifting snow as she sprints back to her car at Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Michigan
In other signs that the worst of the deep freeze was ending, Xcel Energy on Thursday lifted a request to its Minnesota natural gas customers to temporarily lower their thermostats to ease concerns about the fuel supply.
Earlier in the day, several cities set record lows, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which set a daily record low of minus 30 degrees.
Chicago's temperature dropped to a low of around minus 21 degrees on Thursday, slightly above the city's lowest-ever reading of minus 27 degrees in January 1985. Milwaukee's low was minus 25 degrees, and Minneapolis recorded minus 24 degrees. Wind chills were lower still.
Steam rises from the Fox River in St. Charles, Illinois on Thursday
Masters, from Weather Underground, said the polar vortex was 'rotating up into Canada' and not expected to return in the next couple of weeks. If it does return in late February, 'it won't be as intense.'
Still, memories of the dangerous cold were bound to linger.
In Illinois, at least 144 people visited hospital emergency rooms for cold-related injuries over two days. Most of the injuries were hypothermia or frostbite, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health.
The effect on the overall economy was not expected to be that great, in part because there were no widespread power outages such as there are in a hurricane.
'People may be in their homes, but they can do things such as online shopping,' said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. 'Life goes on.'
Pedestrians pass a frozen water fountain at Bryant Park Thursday, in New York
Frozen Minnehaha Falls is shown Thursday in Minneapolis
Canada geese wade in the unfrozen waters of the Bee Branch in Dubuque, Iowa, Thursday
Exhaust from traffic freezes in the cold morning air along Dodge Street in Dubuque, Iowa, Thursday
Snow and ice accumulate outside the Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library in St. Joseph, Michigan, on Thursday
Link hienalouca.com This is interesting We are looking for an investor for a project to grow dinosaurs from chicken eggs and relict plants. Necessary amount of investments from 400 000 to 900 000 dollars. For all interested parties, e-mail angocman@gmail.com. This will be very interesting.
https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/01/midwest-awaits-spring-like-thaw-just-days-after-bitter-cold-but-flooding-could-cause-havoc/
Main photo article Much of the Midwest is preparing for a rapid thaw that could lead to major flooding problems after the bitter cold that sent temperatures plummeting below minus-50 in some places.
Just days after the arctic conditions, forecasts say, the region will seemingly swing into another season, with...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/01/19/9284898-6656277-image-a-3_1549049857440.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий