Ice
THESTORMENTEREDtheCaribbeanSeaearlyonFridaymorning,August31,inaconfettiofsparksandthunder,withincreasedwindsthatraisedfromtheseapatchesofdensefoamandstreaksofspindrift.Inthecloudlightofmorningtheseawasadeadgrayscabbedwithgreen.RainbeganfallingonSt.Kitts,anislandwestbynorthwestofAntigua.Whatmadethisrainunusualwasthefactitdidnotdepletethecloudsoverhead.Thestormonlygotbigger.
Asvaporrosethroughthecloudsandbegantocondense,itdepositeditsmoistureontinybitsofairbornedebris,rangingfromsubmicroscopic"Aitken"nucleitopollen,spiderwebs,volcanicash,steamshipexhaust,Saharandust,eventhepulverizedferroussaltsofmeteorsdisintegratedintheatmosphere.SomewhereoverSt.Kitts,agiantplumeofwater,ice,andaerosoldebrisrocketedthroughthetropospheregettingcolderandcolderuntilitpenetratedthestratosphere,whereitenteredarealmofnewwarmthcausedbydirectradiationfromthesun.Suddenlytheplumewascolderthantheairaroundit.Itlostbuoyancy.Itarcedagainstthehardblueofthestratosphereandfellbacktowardtheearth.
Thisdescendingairmetairstillrisingfrombelow.Fallingdropletsmetascendingdroplets.Thecollisionsformedbiggerdropsandthebiggertheygrew,thefastertheyfell.Nowtheyovertookotherfallingdropletsandgrewbiggerstill.Araindropfour-hundredthsofaninchindiameterfallsatninemilesanhour;adropletsixtimesaslargefallsattwenty.Billionsofdropletsnowgotbiggerandbiggeruntiltheyachievedterminalvelocitiescapableofpropellingthemallthewaytotheground.
Underordinarycircumstances,theprocessofrainproductiondepletesclouds.The"sinkrate,"ortherateatwhichwaterleavesacloud,exceedsthesupplyofmoisturearrivingfromtheairandseabelow,causingcloudstodissipatelikeghostsreturningtotheafterworld.Buthurricanesdefeatthiscycle.Theyusewindtoharvestmoistureanddeliverittotheircenters.Asthewindracesalongthesurfaceofthesea,itincreasestherateofevaporationandcapturesspindriftandfoam.Thefasterthewindblows,themorevaporitpicksupandthemoreenergyittransferstothestorm.Theresultingsurgeofcondensationandheatinthestorm'scorecausesevengreatervolumesofairtorushintothesky.Pressurefallsagain.Windvelocitiesincrease.Thecyclerepeatsitself.
Theresultcanberainfallmoreakintotheflowfromafaucetthanfromacloud.
In1979atropicalstormnamedClaudetteblewofftheGulfofMexiconearGalvestonanddelugedthetownofAlvin,Texas,withforty-twoinchesofrainintwenty-fourhours,stilltheU.S.recordforsheerintensity.APhilippinetyphoonholdstheworld'srecord,dropping73.62inchesintwenty-fourhours.Totalaccumulationshavebeenhigher,however.Ninety-sixandahalfinchesofrainoncefellonSilverHill,Jamaica,overfourdays.That'seightfeet.In1899ahurricanedroppedanestimated2.6billiontonsofwateronPuertoRico.HurricaneCamille,whichcameashoreontheGulfCoastinAugust1969,wasstillflushwithwatertwodayslaterwhenitreachedVirginia.WithnoadvancewarningfromtheWeatherBureau,itjettisonedthirtyinchesofraininsixhours.Hillsidesturnedtomud,thentoanearthenslurrythatflowedathighwayspeeds.InVirginiaalone,109peoplelosttheirlives.
Camille'srainfellwithsuchferocityitwassaidtohavefilledtheoverheadnostrilsofbirdsanddrownedthemfromthetrees.
GALVESTON
Louisa Rollfing
SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER1,wasabigdayinthehomeofAugustandLouisaRollfing,adayforseriouscelebration.August,thehousepaintersecretlyidentifiedasadeadbeatintheGilesdirectory,hadmanagedatlasttomakethefinalpaymentonthefamily'streasuredpiano.Themomenthadaresonancebeyondthepurchaseitself.Thepianowas,literally,ananchor.Itwasheavyandbig;justmovingitintothehousehadrequiredahugeeffort —
THESTORMENTEREDtheCaribbeanSeaearlyonFridaymorning,August31,inaconfettiofsparksandthunder,withincreasedwindsthatraisedfromtheseapatchesofdensefoamandstreaksofspindrift.Inthecloudlightofmorningtheseawasadeadgrayscabbedwithgreen.RainbeganfallingonSt.Kitts,anislandwestbynorthwestofAntigua.Whatmadethisrainunusualwasthefactitdidnotdepletethecloudsoverhead.Thestormonlygotbigger.
Asvaporrosethroughthecloudsandbegantocondense,itdepositeditsmoistureontinybitsofairbornedebris,rangingfromsubmicroscopic"Aitken"nucleitopollen,spiderwebs,volcanicash,steamshipexhaust,Saharandust,eventhepulverizedferroussaltsofmeteorsdisintegratedintheatmosphere.SomewhereoverSt.Kitts,agiantplumeofwater,ice,andaerosoldebrisrocketedthroughthetropospheregettingcolderandcolderuntilitpenetratedthestratosphere,whereitenteredarealmofnewwarmthcausedbydirectradiationfromthesun.Suddenlytheplumewascolderthantheairaroundit.Itlostbuoyancy.Itarcedagainstthehardblueofthestratosphereandfellbacktowardtheearth.
Thisdescendingairmetairstillrisingfrombelow.Fallingdropletsmetascendingdroplets.Thecollisionsformedbiggerdropsandthebiggertheygrew,thefastertheyfell.Nowtheyovertookotherfallingdropletsandgrewbiggerstill.Araindropfour-hundredthsofaninchindiameterfallsatninemilesanhour;adropletsixtimesaslargefallsattwenty.Billionsofdropletsnowgotbiggerandbiggeruntiltheyachievedterminalvelocitiescapableofpropellingthemallthewaytotheground.
Underordinarycircumstances,theprocessofrainproductiondepletesclouds.The"sinkrate,"ortherateatwhichwaterleavesacloud,exceedsthesupplyofmoisturearrivingfromtheairandseabelow,causingcloudstodissipatelikeghostsreturningtotheafterworld.Buthurricanesdefeatthiscycle.Theyusewindtoharvestmoistureanddeliverittotheircenters.Asthewindracesalongthesurfaceofthesea,itincreasestherateofevaporationandcapturesspindriftandfoam.Thefasterthewindblows,themorevaporitpicksupandthemoreenergyittransferstothestorm.Theresultingsurgeofcondensationandheatinthestorm'scorecausesevengreatervolumesofairtorushintothesky.Pressurefallsagain.Windvelocitiesincrease.Thecyclerepeatsitself.
Theresultcanberainfallmoreakintotheflowfromafaucetthanfromacloud.
In1979atropicalstormnamedClaudetteblewofftheGulfofMexiconearGalvestonanddelugedthetownofAlvin,Texas,withforty-twoinchesofrainintwenty-fourhours,stilltheU.S.recordforsheerintensity.APhilippinetyphoonholdstheworld'srecord,dropping73.62inchesintwenty-fourhours.Totalaccumulationshavebeenhigher,however.Ninety-sixandahalfinchesofrainoncefellonSilverHill,Jamaica,overfourdays.That'seightfeet.In1899ahurricanedroppedanestimated2.6billiontonsofwateronPuertoRico.HurricaneCamille,whichcameashoreontheGulfCoastinAugust1969,wasstillflushwithwatertwodayslaterwhenitreachedVirginia.WithnoadvancewarningfromtheWeatherBureau,itjettisonedthirtyinchesofraininsixhours.Hillsidesturnedtomud,thentoanearthenslurrythatflowedathighwayspeeds.InVirginiaalone,109peoplelosttheirlives.
Camille'srainfellwithsuchferocityitwassaidtohavefilledtheoverheadnostrilsofbirdsanddrownedthemfromthetrees.
GALVESTON
Louisa Rollfing
SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER1,wasabigdayinthehomeofAugustandLouisaRollfing,adayforseriouscelebration.August,thehousepaintersecretlyidentifiedasadeadbeatintheGilesdirectory,hadmanagedatlasttomakethefinalpaymentonthefamily'streasuredpiano.Themomenthadaresonancebeyondthepurchaseitself.Thepianowas,literally,ananchor.Itwasheavyandbig;justmovingitintothehousehadrequiredahugeeffort —
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