Monday at AMS

[quasigeostrophy]

Went to a few presentations today. Most were either standing-room only or almost empty. At Noon, I took a tour bus out to Lakefront Airport which looks to be closed to the general public (not sure if it was Katrina damaged or not), but the Hurricane Hunter WC-130 and the NOAA research P-3 aircraft were both there. Very cool tours. And cjsmith, the WC-130 pilot said that they don't do any structural reinforcement above the normal combat-design for flying it into hurricanes.

The AMS offered bus tours of Katrina damaged areas of New Orleans each morning this week. I opted not to take one, because I didn't want to feel like I was looking at a show. Turns out I didn't really need to buy one of those tour tickets after all - the bus ride to and from Lakefront Airport passed through vast areas of damage. Houses in various states of disarray and reconstruction. Trailers in front yards. Debris and dirt everywhere. Sad.

This afternoon I met two scientist/authors at a book signing (Kerry Emanuel from MIT and Louis Uccellini from NOAA). Yes, I had them sign books I brought from home.

Tonight is the official opening of the vendor exhibition. At 5:30, I'm going to check it out and see what kind of free swag is available. :-)

Tomorrow begins a conference on lightning. My advisor is self-admittedly ignorant about lightning, and it's an interest of mine, so I figure this will be a good opportunity. I just need to get to the room in time to get a seat.

Comments

[mslaynie.livejournal.com]

Sadly, the tours show more devastation, from what I've heard. But you're right... it's everywhere. You can't get away from it.

[karenthecroccy.livejournal.com]

Lightning! Nice.

See ... I don't know if I could NOT go on the tour. My curiousity would get the better of me, surely, though I'm sure that it'd be extremely hard to witness and even more difficult to process all the questions I'd have. Why are those houses still standing? Why aren't the people back? I'm sure I'd go back to the outrage I felt when I watched Spike Lee's When The Levees Broke ... and well, yeah.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Read The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley. His is the most comprehensive account I've come across.

[karenthecroccy.livejournal.com]

I've read bits of it already :)

[mslaynie.livejournal.com]

I still can't read about it, really. Too close to home, literally and figuratively. I'm hoping to do a multimedia piece this Mardi Gras, trying to... I don't know. Find resolution in myself.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

the WC-130 pilot said that they don't do any structural reinforcement above the normal combat-design for flying it into hurricanes.

Huh. I guess it's "just" very strong wind shear, and that's only if you fly across the eyewall...

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Lots of turbulence, and, yes, they do cross the eyewall. Typical transect flight releases a sounding outside the rainband before, in the eye, and outside the rainband after, with onboard data collection throughout.

[floating09.livejournal.com]

Oooh yeah the free swag is the best part of the exhibitors ^_^ I still have a half box full of pens. ^_^ The lightning one was not bad, I normally go to one session of it every time I went. however it is IIPS that calls me ;)

As for the tour I would have done the same and opted to not go for one. I think that would leave me too down and depressed.