Forecasters are predicting that a so-called "Frankenstorm" will hit
the Eastern Seaboard of the United States in coming days, but
Environment Canada's chief climatologist says there are risks to
labeling such powerful weather systems with scary-sounding names.
"There's so much competition for people's time," David Phillips said
in a phone interview. "Naming like this is really trying to shake up the
general public… that this is something to be concerned about and aware
of."
Humanizing a powerful weather system — in this case by tying it to
Halloween — can encourage people to prepare for it, he said. But there
are dangers in the event that a weather system fails to pack as much of a
punch as expected.
"If in fact these don't live up to their billing, then clearly there
is a bit of egg on one's face and people mock those that tried to scare
us skinny," he said.
This time around, three large weather systems are expected to merge
over the densely populated Eastern Seabord of the U.S. in coming days.
"It's looking like a very serious storm that could be historic," said
Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the forecasting service Weather
Underground.
Masters is predicting that the weather system could inflict more than $1 billion in damage.
Impact north of the border
It's
unclear how much Canadians will be affected. But Hurricane Sandy, one
of the ingredients in the so-called "Frankenstorm," could track
northeast into Ontario next week after sweeping across the Caribbean and
northeastern U.S.
Sandy has already claimed at least 38 lives, and while it will have
lost some of its force if it reaches Canadian airspace, CBC's senior
meteorologist said it would still pose a hazard.
"The biggest issue is how much cold air is going to reenergize this storm," Claire Martin said.
Cold air tends to lift tropical air, making it "even more dangerous," she said.
If
the weather systems meet Tuesday morning around New York or New Jersey,
as forecasters predict, they could create a big, wet mess that settles
over the most heavily populated corridor in the U.S. and reaches as far
west as Ohio.
Presidential rivals Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have both cancelled
weekend rallies in Virginia, where officials are bracing for power
outages and other storm damage. Utilities throughout the region are
securing extra crews and equipment.
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