Isaac's Storm Read Free Page B

Butterfly
    ITBEGAN,ASallthingsmust,withanawakeningofmolecules.ThesunroseovertheAfricanhighlandseastofCameroonandwarmedgrasslands,forests,lakes,andrivers,andthemenandcreaturesthatmovedandbreathedamongthem;itwarmedtheirexhalationsandcausedthesetoriseupwardasagreatplumeofcarbon,oxygen,nitrogen,andhydrogen,theearth'ssoul.Theaircontainedwater:haze,steam,vapor;thestenchofday-oldkillandthegreetingsofmengladtoawakenfromthecoolmysteryofnight.Therewascordite,ether,urine,dung.Coffee.Bacon.Sweat.Aninvisiblepaisleyofplumesandcounterplumesformedabovetheearth,thepatternasephemeralasthecopperandbronzeveilsthatappearwhenwaterenterswhiskey.
    Windsconverged.Abig,hoteasterlyracedaroundaheat-inducedlowintheSahara,wheretemperaturesaveraged113degreesFahrenheit,heatscaldedtheair,andwindsfilledtheskywithdust.ThiseasterlyblewtowardthemoistandfarcoolerbulgeofWestAfrica.HighoverthelushlandsnorthoftheGulfofGuinea,overOuagadougou,Zungeru,andYamoussoukro,thisthermalstreamencounteredmoistmonsoonairblowinginfromtheseafromthesouthwest.Themonsooncrossedthepointwherezerolatitudeandzerolongitudemeet,andenteredthecontinentoverNigeria.Wherethesewindscollided,theyproducedazoneofinstability.Theairbegantoundulate.
    THESEASWEREhot.Thelandwashot.ThroughoutmuchoftheUnitedStatestemperaturesroseintotheninetiesandoftenbroke100.HeatsuffusedtheRockies,Nebraska,Kansas,Missouri,Oklahoma,andavastswathofcountryfromtheGulfallthewaytoPennsylvania.At3:00P.M.onSaturday,August11,thetemperatureinPhiladelphiahit100.6degrees.Therewasnoair-conditioning.Trainswerehot.Suitswereblackwool.Dressesweretaffeta,mohair,gabardine.Carriageshadblackcanvastops,black-enameledbodies.Passengersroasted.Horsesglistened.ThatsameSaturday,thirtypeopleinNewYorkCitydiedofheatprostration.Threechildrendiedwhentheyfellfromfireescapeswheretheyhadhopedtofindabreeze.Ahigh-pressurezonestretchedfromtheMidwestfarintotheAtlanticandhaltedtheflowofairovermuchofthenation.Therewasnobreezetofind."Theairnearthesurfaceoftheearthbecamesuperheated,"wroteProf.E.B.Garriott,theWeatherBureau'schiefforecasteratthetime."Consideredasawhole,themonthofAugust,1900,wasthewarmestAugustonrecordgenerallyfromtheupperMississippiValleyovertheLakeregion,OhioValley,andMiddleAtlanticStates."
    Whichmeanttheheatembracedmostofthenation'spopulation.Everyonesharedinthesuffering.Whatmadetheheatwaveexceptionalwasnotthemaximumtemperaturerecordedfromcitytocity,butthesheerpersistenceoftheheat.Springfield,Illinois,reportedthelongesthotspellintwentyyears:twelveconsecutivedayswithtemperaturesof90orhigher.ThemenatWeatherBureauheadquarterssuffereddeeplyasthemercuryhitorsurpassed96degreessevendaysinarow.InAugust,meantemperaturesinAlbany,AtlanticCity,Baltimore,Chicago,Cincinnati,Erie,NewYork,andPhiladelphiawerethehighesttheyhadbeensincethebureaubegankeepingformalrecordsin1873.
    InGalvestontherewasheatandrain.Frommid-Julytomid-August,asuccessionoftropicalsquallssweptfromtheGulfanddelugedGalveston.Inonetwenty-four-hourperiod,thecitygotfourteeninchesofrain.Somestreetsflooded.Littleboysconvertedtubstoboatsandsaileddowntown.Ahorsedrowned.Totalrainfallforthatstormalonewassixteeninchesinforty-eighthours,fiveinchesgreaterthanGalveston'spreviousrecordsetinSeptember1875whenahurricanestruckIndianolaonMatagordaBay,150milesdowntheTexascoast.InParis,Texas,lightningdemolishedatree.Tenbillionjoulesofenergyleapedtoaporchtenfeetawayandknockedfivechildrenunconscious.CricketsswarmedWaco.Thestreetscrunched.Bugsheapingunderarclightshaltedtrolleys.Squadsofcitizensusedunslackedlimeandcoaloiltodrivethebugsaway.Thefiredepartmentdeployedhoses.
    ThewatersoftheGulfgothot.
    OVERTHENIGER,thecollidingwindsveeredandarced.Thunderstormsofgreatviolencepurpledthesky.Ahugeparcelofairbegancirclingslowly,fartoohighforanyoneonthegroundtonotice.ThepowerfulSaharanwindsweptitwesttowardtheAtlanticasawaveofturbulence,thunderstorms,anddrivingrain.
    Withinthis"easterlywave,"moisture-freightedairrosehighintothetroposphere,thefirstlayerofskyandtherealmwhereallweatheroccurs.Theaircooledrapidlyasitpiercedcolderandcolderlayersofatmosphereandencounteredlowerandlowerpressure.Thelowerthepressure,themoretheairexpanded.Asitexpandeditcooled.Itcontinuedtorisebutlessthanamileabovetheearthcrossedathreshold,andaphasechangeoccurred.Theairgotsocold,itcouldnolongerretainthewateritcarried.Thevaporcondensedenmasse,asifatthetapofaconductor'sbaton.Theresultingdropletsweresotinytheyremainedsuspendedintherisingair.
    Theupdraftspushedthedropletshigherandhigheratuptoonehundredmilesanhour.Atfourmilesabovethegroundthedropletsfroze,andtherisingairbecamefilledwithsnowflakesandshardsofice.Menonthegroundsawblossomsofcottonwithflatgraybottomsthatmarkedthealtitudewherecondensationhadbegun.Childrensawcamels,rabbits,andcannonfire.Thecloudsbloomedbeforetheireyes.Cellswithingrewandquicklyexpired.SomecellssmokedintotheskylikeChristmasrockets.OthersbecamemassiveGibraltarsofcondensedwater,Cumuluscongestus;somerosehigher,Cumulonimbuscalvus.Inthepillarsthatreachedthetopofthetroposphere,temperaturesfellto100degreesbelowzero.Tinyhexagonalmirrorsoficedriftedfromthepeaksinlovelytranslucentveils,or"virga."
    Somethingpowerfulandultimatelydeadlyoccurredwithintheseclouds.Asthewaterroseandcooledandcondensed,italsoreleasedheat.IntheskyoverAfricainAugust1900,trillionsupontrillionsofwatermoleculesbeganbreathingtinyfires.ThisheatpropelledtheairevenhigherintotheatmosphereuntilthecloudtopsflattenedtoformCumulonimbuscapillatusincus.Incusmeaning"anvil,"thenametooofananvil-shapedboneinthehumanear.Thesewerethunder-heads."Convection."Higherup,thestrongestcloudspenetratedthestratosphere.Soonanarmyofgreatthunderheadswasmarchingwestalongthehorizon,watchedcloselybythecaptainsofBritishshipssailingdowntheAfricancoastwithfreshtroopsfortheBoerWar.SeventytoeightysuchwavesdriftedfromWestAfricaintotheAtlanticeverysummer,somedangerous,mostnot.Thecaptainsknewthemlessasweather,moreasgeography