Problem

Algae bloom covers northern Lake Pontchartrain

nola.com - by Mark Schleifstein - March 26, 2018

Large areas of Lake Pontchartrain are now covered with algae that may be the so-called blue-green version, which are often toxic and can cause a variety of health effects in humans and pets, officials with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation announced Monday (March 26).

That conclusion is based on aerial photographs taken by Patrick Quigley with Gulf Coast Air Photo, and observations by boaters, both of which found a large area of green to blue-green material on the surface of the lake along the North Shore and on both sides of the northern third of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

Blue-green algae is actually made up of cyanobacteria, which can produce a variety of toxins -- or poisonous substances -- that can affect the liver, kidney and the reproductive system, and can cause abdominal pain, headaches, sore throats, nausea, diarrhea,  pneumonia, tingling or burning sensations, numbness, drowsiness, and respiratory paralysis, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

CLICK HERE - NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER - TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT - HURRICANE HARVEY - 17 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2017 (76 page .PDF report)

washingtonpost.com - by Jason Samenow - January 25, 2017

Hurricane Harvey unleashed a tropical deluge probably unsurpassed in U.S. history. The National Hurricane Center released its in-depth meteorological review of the storm Thursday and said it was unable to identify any past storm that unloaded so much rain over such a large area.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLE HERE - NHC: Harvey caused $125 billion in damage; 68 deaths in Texas

ALSO SEE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - Major Hurricane Harvey - August 25-29, 2017

CLICK HERE - NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER - TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT - HURRICANE HARVEY - 17 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2017 (76 page .PDF report)

washingtonpost.com - by Jason Samenow - January 25, 2017

Hurricane Harvey unleashed a tropical deluge probably unsurpassed in U.S. history. The National Hurricane Center released its in-depth meteorological review of the storm Thursday and said it was unable to identify any past storm that unloaded so much rain over such a large area.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLE HERE - NHC: Harvey caused $125 billion in damage; 68 deaths in Texas

ALSO SEE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - Major Hurricane Harvey - August 25-29, 2017

Evading a wave in Houston after Hurricane Harvey hit on Aug. 25. Credit Brendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH - Attributable human-induced changes in the likelihood and magnitude of the observed extreme precipitation during Hurricane Harvey

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH - Attribution of extreme rainfall from Hurricane Harvey, August 2017

nytimes.com - by Henry Fountain - December 13, 2017

Climate change made the torrential rains that flooded Houston after Hurricane Harvey last summer much worse, scientists reported Wednesday.

Two research groups found that the record rainfall as Harvey stalled over Texas in late August, which totaled more than 50 inches in some areas, was as much as 38 percent higher than would be expected in a world that was not warming.

While many scientists had said at the time that Harvey was probably affected by climate change, because warmer air holds more moisture, the size of the increase surprised some.