Elbert Hubbard
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.
Yesterday -
9/19/10 -
5.1 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.4 VOLCANO ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5.0 STATE OF YAP, MICRONESIA
TROPICAL STORMS -
-Typhoon FANAPI was 200 nmi ENE of Hong Kong.
-Hurricane IGOR was 80 nmi WNW of Hamilton, Bermuda.
-Tropical storm JULIA was 787 nmi ENE of Hamilton, Bermuda.
-80% chance of another area in the Atlantic becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours.
HURRICANE IGOR - Fierce waves pounded Bermuda's breakwaters and shores Sunday night, straining yacht moorings and battering oceanfront hotels as a weakened Hurricane Igor lashed the wealthy British enclave.
Bermudians battened down their homes in pelting rain to wait out Igor, which was barely a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) as it swirled close to the island after dark. The wind whipsawed trees and power poles, knocking out electricity in many parts of the island. But there were no early reports of major damage. Some storm-seasoned islanders ventured outside during the day to gawk as the hurricane force winds that hit by midday drove 15-foot (5-meter) surf onto shore or to triple-tie the moorings of their boats even as the government warned people to stay indoors. Flooding was reported in low-lying areas, while streets in downtown Hamilton, the capital, were covered in several inches of water and littered with tree branches and other debris.
Igor's eye was forecast to pass over or very close to Bermuda before midnight. Even a near-miss could cause substantial damage, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the storm's eye.
The storm was expected to veer northeast — away from the United States — after passing Bermuda. But forecasters said it would continue causing high surf and strong rip currents along the U.S. eastern seaboard.
Igor lost strength and was downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane before dawn Sunday, raising optimism that Bermuda would be spared major damage. High surf kicked up by the storm has already swept two people out to sea in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, far to the south. Forecasters said the storm could drop 6 to 9 inches (15 to 23 centimeters) of rain over Bermuda and cause significant coastal flooding. Bermuda's building codes specify that homes must be built with walls at least eight inches thick, and be able to withstand 150 mph (241 kph) gusts and sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph). Some power and phone lines are underground.
In Mexico on Sunday, officials raised to 12 the death toll from Hurricane Karl, which made landfall on Mexico's Gulf Coast on Friday and soaked Veracruz, Puebla and Tabasco states in the south-central part of the country.
At least 30,000 people were displaced by flooding and landslides in Veracruz alone. 125 municipalities were in a state of emergency.
Far out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Julia was weakening and not expected to threaten land.
