– November 1, 2023 –
Good morning. Notice anything different? Coast Watch is coming to you today with a new photo behind our logo. Photographer Justin Taylor used his drone to capture this sweeping view of the marsh around Little Tybee. Its beauty is a good reminder of why so many Coastal Georgians care about issues like those we’re focused on today: how climate change is affecting hurricanes, the importance of native longleaf pines, and the results of a region-wide pollinator count.
Why Hurricane Otis matters here
Hurricanes can be immensely destructive, but unlike tornadoes or earthquakes we can typically see them coming and at least try to get out of the way. Climate change, however, is increasing the rate at which tropical systems intesify, making it hard to predict just how bad they’ll be in a timeframe that allows for preparations, including evacuation. The latest example is Hurricane Otis, which hit the Mexican beach resort of Aculpulco last week as a Category 5 hurricane after strenghtening from a tropical storm just 12 hours earlier, as Ravindra Jayaratne notes in The Conversation.
“With established weather patterns being altered, it is becoming even more challenging to predict the behaviour of storms and their intensification. Historical data may no longer serve as a reliable guide,” he writes.
Seasoned Miami-based meteorologist John Morales, writing in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, says he has long prided himself on not worrying people when there’s no need to worry.
“Today I am no longer as comfortable in putting everyone at ease in regard to the strength of a storm,” he writes. “I am afraid of rapid intensification cycles happening at the drop of a hat.”
What to do? “We must encourage preparedness and a proactive response to warnings, even when predictions seem uncertain,” Jayaratne writes. “And of course we still have to mitigate climate change itself: the root cause of intensifying weather events.”
Pollinator report
In August we brought Coast Watch readers news of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, a two-day butterfly and bee count organized by the University of Georgia Extension Service. More than 300 Coastal Georgians were among the citizen scientists who took part.
“Over 12,000 report participants uploaded counts to the website. Participants reported creating 500 new sustainable pollinator spaces created as a part of the 2023 census,” UGA Extension’s Becky Griffin wrote in response to an email inquiry from The Current. “Sixty-nine percent of participants reported that participating in the census changed their understanding of the benefits provided by insects that visit their gardens.“
UGA posts the annual results, including a county-by-county tally of participants and pollinator types observed. The results can help everyone from city planners to homeowners decide what pollinator friendly plants to cultivate and where they’re most needed. Next year’s count is scheduled for August 23-24, 2024.
Longleaf pine protects water
A recent study finds that healthy longleaf pine forests keep more water in the ground and in streams, as WABE’s Molly Samuel reports.
Longleaf once covered about 90 million acres across the Southeast, but only aout four million acres remain. The study authors looked at healthy longleaf forest, finding those areas retained more water even during very dry times. They credit the structure of the forest itself, as well as the trees’ ability to use less water during drought.
The results indicate even a small amount of longleaf pines could help the water situation.
“For instance, a family with woods behind their farm could encourage some healthy longleaf and make a difference,” Samuel writes.
Also noted:
- The annual Right Whale Festival will return to Amelia Island Nov. 4-5 on Fernandina Beach to help educate the public about this endangered whale that returns each winter to its only known calving grounds along the warm coastal waters of Georgia and northeast Florida. Hosted by the NOAA Fisheries and Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the festival offers ocean-themed activities and educational exhibits, live music, food trucks, and art and crafts.
- Three more yellow-legged hornets nests have been found and destroyed, bringing to five the total number of nests of the invasive species found, all in the Savannah area, the Georgia Department of Agriculture reports. For updates directly from the department, citizens can sign up online for a new biweekly newsletter, The Yellow-Legged Ledger.
If you have feedback, questions, concerns, or just like what you see, let us know at staff@thecurrentga.org.
Extreme weather is outpacing forecasting models
Climate change is expected to bring more rapid intensification of hurricanes, like that seen with Hurricane Otis.
Restoring the South’s longleaf pine can also save water, study says
A new study points to how native longleaf pine protects groundwater and streams.
Judge dismisses Camden’s case against Union Carbide
Judge rules against Camden in dispute over $2.64 million county paid for option to buy land for a spaceport.
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