(Press-News.org) NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was providing forecasters with the rate in which rainfall was occurring in Tropical Storm Washi over the last week, and now TRMM data has been compiled to show rainfall totals over the devastated Philippines.
Washi, known locally in the Philippines as Sendong, began as a tropical depression on December 13, 2011 in the West Pacific Ocean about 2150 km (~1333 miles) due east of the southern Philippines. Washi only intensified slightly and never exceeded tropical storm intensity as it tracked due west towards the southern Philippines' island of Mindanao.
Washi made landfall on the east coast of Mindanao on the afternoon of Dec. 16 as a moderate tropical storm with sustained winds reported at 55 knots (~63 mph). Despite its modest intensity, Washi had a huge impact on the island. As Washi made its way across Mindanao, it dumped heavy rains over parts of the island, which in turn triggered flash floods and mudslides. These turned out to be catastrophic as over 900 people were killed with hundreds more reported missing when entire villages where swept away.
Rainfall estimates from the TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. were compiled for the period of Dec. 13 to 20, 2011 for the southern Philippines. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.
Rainfall totals are on the order of 200 to over 250 mm (~8 to 10 inches) along Mindanao's east coast where Washi made landfall, but the highest amounts are along the northwest coast, where totals are on the order of 300 to over 400 mm (~12 to over 16 inches). To put the rainfall in perspective, 16 inches is the equivalent of about four months of rainfall in Washington, D.C.
In the southern Philippines places like Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City suffered the most devastating mudslides. In addition to deforestation and weak construction, poor warnings are being blamed for the deadliest cyclone disaster to hit the Philippines in three years. The residents of the southern Philippines see far fewer cyclones per year than in the north, and most of the heavy rain was reported to have fallen over the mountains before flowing down in raging rivers.
INFORMATION:
NASA's TRMM satellite measured Washi's deadly rainfall
2011-12-21
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Manhattan Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawsuits
2011-12-21
With approximately 70,000 people living in each of its 23 square miles, millions of daily commuters and other visitors, a massive public transportation system, 20 hospitals, thousands of ongoing construction projects and more hustle and bustle than anywhere else in the United States, serious accidents are a staple of life in Manhattan.
At Simon Eisenberg & Baum, our Manhattan personal injury lawyers understand that a serious personal injury can turn anyone's life upside down in a New York minute. If you or your family is going through something like this right now, ...
Skeletons point to Columbus voyage for syphilis origins
2011-12-21
Skeletons don't lie. But sometimes they may mislead, as in the case of bones that reputedly showed evidence of syphilis in Europe and other parts of the Old World before Christopher Columbus made his historic voyage in 1492.
None of this skeletal evidence, including 54 published reports, holds up when subjected to standardized analyses for both diagnosis and dating, according to an appraisal in the current Yearbook of Physical Anthropology. In fact, the skeletal data bolsters the case that syphilis did not exist in Europe before Columbus set sail.
"This is the first ...
Atlanta Tree Services Co. Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts Offers Advice on Choosing and Maintaining a Christmas Tree
2011-12-21
Atlanta tree services company Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts is happy to share some tips on how to choose a Christmas tree and keep it healthy during the holiday season.
"If you haven't bought your tree yet, there is no need to be concerned," assures Gary Robertson, owner of Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts. "Many lots will still have a good selection of trees available, and the shorter amount of time left before the holidays means that less effort will be required to keep the tree in good condition before the big day."
When choosing a tree, it is important ...
Breast cancer and heart disease may have common roots
2011-12-21
TORONTO, ON., Dec. 20, 2011—Women who are at risk for breast cancer may also be at greater risk for heart disease, new research has found.
The majority of women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer have a mutated form of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which normally suppress the growth of breast and ovarian tumours.
Dr. Subodh Verma, a cardiac surgeon at St. Michael's Hospital, said his research team was surprised to discover the genes also regulate heart function.
Following a heart attack, mice with the mutated BRCA1 gene had a three-to-five times higher rate of ...
Mediterranean diet gives longer life
2011-12-21
A Mediterranean diet with large amounts of vegetables and fish gives a longer life. This is the unanimous result of four studies to be published by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. Research studies ever since the 1950s have shown that a Mediterranean diet, based on a high consumption of fish and vegetables and a low consumption of animal-based products such as meat and milk, leads to better health.
Study on older people
Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy have now studied the effects of a Mediterranean diet on older people in Sweden. They have ...
Confused.com Launches New Points Promotion with Nectar
2011-12-21
Confused.com has announced it will unveil a new promotion with Nectar, the UK's largest loyalty programme. Customers will receive 1,000 Nectar points for every car insurance policy they buy through Confused.com. The promotion is running from 12 December 2011 until 31 March 2012.
Confused.com's Nectar Points promotion will be supported by a 30 second TV advert and radio advert running from 23 December. The adverts will feature animated logo Cara singing 'YMCA', with some unique wording added to highlight the Nectar promotion.
Will Shuckburgh, Nectar Client Development ...
Removal of lymph nodes during surgery for thyroid cancer may be beneficial
2011-12-21
Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for the majority of all thyroid malignancies, which primarily impact women. A new study indicates that routinely removing lymph nodes in the neck in these cancer patients may help prevent the disease from coming back.
When thyroid cancer metastasizes, lymph nodes in the neck may be affected, but these lymph-node tumors can be tiny and may not be detected by ultrasounds done before surgery to remove the diseased thyroid — or even during the procedure itself.
In an international academic study published in the December issue of ...
A single cell endoscope
2011-12-21
An endoscope that can provide high-resolution optical images of the interior of a single living cell, or precisely deliver genes, proteins, therapeutic drugs or other cargo without injuring or damaging the cell, has been developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). This highly versatile and mechanically robust nanowire-based optical probe can also be applied to biosensing and single-cell electrophysiology.
A team of researchers from Berkeley Lab and the University of California (UC) Berkeley ...
New App Released on iTunes to Meet Demand for On-the-Go Sleep Help
2011-12-21
The deep thinkers at Health Journeys Inc. are counting on their first iTunes app, Sleep Help, to be a real yawner. Literally. Insomnia is a common condition that affects millions of Americans each year. Being sleep-deprived or sleep-impaired can lead to irritability, sub-par functioning, muddy thinking, poor judgment, inefficient use of time, dangerous driving, failing relationships and decreased enjoyment of life.
"A question we get asked a lot about our self-help CD programs is: Is there an app for that?," says Cindy Stalnaker, President of Health ...
Gamingator.com Expands its Market Penetration Through Development of an Affiliate Network
2011-12-21
The company owner of Gamingator.com announced today that for the last 2 months after the launch of its affiliate program there have been around 200 active affiliates registered that generate traffic towards the platform.
"Around 3% of all visitors of the website that are generated through affiliates are making a purchase, which is due to our attractive banners and the fact that we publish promotional offers for games on the banners. This assists the customers who are trying to purchase hit titles on reasonable prices to make an easy choice," the website crew ...