From the New York Times by Justin Gilles The last house on Holland Island in Chesapeake Bay, which once had a population of almost 400, finally toppled in October 2010. As the water rose and the island eroded, it had to be abandoned. Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post, via Getty Images The little white shack at the water’s edge in Lower Manhattan is unobtrusive — so much so that the tourists strolling the promenade at Battery Park the other day did not give it a second glance. Up close, though, the roof of the shed behind a [...]

Of course, big wave surfers have been taking to the seas even in the face of 160km/h winds and huge waves.

University of Washington meteorology professor Cliff Mass talks about gusts on his blog and starts to explain why the westerlies are so exciting as you get closer to the town side of the Bay. Last night I was sitting at my desk enjoying the sound of the winds..and it was quite an audio treat. I would hear the rumble in the distance. It would get closer and closer. Then the house and trees would shake. As all of you know, the wind is almost never constant, with ebbs and flows. As a result, meteorologists often talk about sustained winds and [...]