Massive Construction Revamp planned for I-75

For almost 20 years, plans have been in the works for modernizing I-75 in Michigan, a well-travelled freeway built in the 60’s, encompassing approximately 18 miles of the freeway. Beginning at M-102 to south of M-59, the road experiences traffic volumes of 103 to 174 thousand daily. It is projected to allow for decreased congestion during travel time as much as improving the infrastructure of the existing road.
The fact that it’s considered such a critical structure and route is boasted by its number of commuters. It’s uses vary from local travel, commercial and freight use, and a local business route. The proposed improvements will ease congestion and positively modify safety, reliability and efficiency overall.

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Update on Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma has yet to dissipate and is now in Florida, but has been weakened to a tropical depression with sustained winds of 35 mph, thankfully, after it bounced between categories 2-5 for days. The highest wind reached was a minute long sustained 185 mph. The fatalities as of September 12 are marked at 49, but the $190 billion expected damage cost is, thus far, around $30 billion making it the 4th or 5th costliest hurricane on record versus the #1 place. Again, this is just an update, not a final report.
According to Wikipedia, the storm has caused catastrophic damage to Barbuda (3 reported fatalities), Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Anguilla (1 reported fatality), and the Virgin Islands (4 reported fatalities) as a Category 5 hurricane. Additional fatalities reported are 1 death in Barbados, 10 deaths in Cuba, 11 deaths in the French West Indies, 1 death in Haiti, 3 deaths in Puerto Rico, 4 deaths on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten, and 11 deaths in the United States.

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Hurricane Irma bound for Gulf and East Coast

On the coat-tails of Hurricane Harvey rides Hurricane Irma, already the strongest hurricane ever recorded outside the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, nearing historical precedent and a theoretical limit for how strong it can get.

Irma is a category 5 hurricane with maximum winds reaching approximately 185 mph, surpassing the 157 mph requirement categorizing a standard cat 5 hurricane. Formed in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean near the Cape Verde Islands, these Cape Verde Hurricanes are known to have a tendency of becoming some of the largest and most intense hurricanes, such as hurricanes Hugo (1989, cat 5, highest winds of 160 mph, 107 direct deaths), Floyd (1999, cat 4, highest winds of 155 mph, 57 direct and 20-30 indirect deaths), and Ivan (2004, cat 4, highest winds of 165 mph, 92 direct and 32 indirect deaths). [Read more…]

Hurricane Harvey Slams Texas

By now, we’ve all heard of the disaster of Hurricane Harvey and its affects on numerous southern states, specifically that of Texas. Record accumulation of rainfall is affecting south-east Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi while tropical storm force winds affecting primarily Texas and Louisiana has produced massive flooding throughout Texas.

Search and rescue by boat and air is underway, as there’s no end in sight of the floods and damage, as well as the residents seeking refuge from this catastrophic event. The National Weather Service forecast rainfall of 15 to 25 inches through Friday, with as much as 50 inches in a few areas stating that flooding is expected to continue for days. The NY TIMES reports a record 22 inches fell on the county in one day, while The Guardian states, “The sheer scale of Harvey – some parts of Texas may experience a year’s worth of rainfall in just over a week”.

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