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Left: National Weather Service radar image from the morning Tropical Storm Isaias reached the Chesapeake Bay. Above: Workers with Chesapeake Seafood Caterers based in St. Michaels were on site at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to steam and pack crabs for the Rotary Club of Annapolis whose members and volunteers put the crabs, corn, brown paper, paper towels, and mallets in the trunk of cars as people pulled up at the drive-thru crab feast. Photos: Cheryl Costello
HURRICANE SEASON UPGRADED FROM “ABOVE AVERAGE” TO “EXTREMELY ACTIVE”
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n the heels of Tropical Storm Isaias, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says this Atlantic hurricane season could be one of the busiest since their forecasting began. The Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook released in May predicted an above-average 2020 season, one with 13 to 19 named storms. In the August update, NOAA says conditions are primed to fuel storm development, leading to an 85 percent chance we’ll see an “extremely active” season of 19 to 25 named storms. Already the 2020 season has set a record with nine named storms so far (historically, only about two named storms form by this point in the season). “This is one of the most active seasonal forecasts that NOAA has produced in its 22-year history of hurricane outlooks,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “We encourage all Americans to do their part by getting prepared, remaining vigilant, and being ready to take action when necessary.”
Of the 19 to 25 named storms predicted, NOAA calls for seven to 11 of them to become hurricanes, including three to six major hurricanes with winds of 111 miles per hour or greater. “This year, we expect more, stronger, and longer-lived storms than average, and our predicted ACE (accumulated cyclone energy) range extends well above NOAA’s threshold for an extremely active season,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. The current oceanic and atmospheric conditions (warm sea surface, reduced vertical wind shear, weaker trade winds, and an enhanced west African monsoon) are expected to continue for the next several months. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season lasts until November 30. It’s important to note that NOAA’s outlook is for storms that form, not those that make landfall. Landfalls are largely determined by short-term weather pat-
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terns, which are only predictable about a week before a storm’s potential arrival at the coast. FEMA encourages people preparing for hurricanes to keep the COVID-19 pandemic in mind when preparing for storms. See more at www.ready.gov/hurricanes. —MEG WALBURN VIVIANO
DRIVE-THRU ROTARY CLUB CRAB FEAST A SELLOUT SUCCESS
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ast Friday evening, a long line of cars replaced what the Rotary Club of Annapolis calls the World’s Largest Crab Feast. More than 2,000 guests have packed into the Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis for decades to crack crabs, elbow to elbow. This feast was supposed to mark the crab feast’s 75th year in a row. But as we know, 2020 is cracking plans. So, the Rotary Club pivoted instead, steaming crabs right there at the stadium and handing them out in a drivethru line. Keith Hutchins, a longtime crab feast attendee, didn’t hesitate to support the
reimagined crab feast. “It was a must. And when I saw that it was ‘crab to-go,’ I said I’m in. I ordered a bushel right away,” Hutchins says. From a dozen to that full bushel, every sale will help local charities, which can apply for grants following the event. “This event normally provides grants to 20 to 24 local charities and we want to keep that going,” Rotary Club President Frank Andracchi tells Bay Bulletin. Leigh Rand, the club’s crab feast chairperson, admits, “We definitely thought about canceling it. We decided it was really important to stay in the community, and especially in this time that people would need this kind of funds.” “They need money. Everybody needs money these days. And I’m lucky, I can help support charities,” Kathy Strouss told us as she picked up her crabs. With 220 bushels sold, bagging, boxing, and delivering to waiting customers was no small feat. Chesapeake Seafood Caterers brought trailers with boilers that connect to huge pots. They spent three days catching and processing the crabs. “Most people that buy their crabs don’t realize that someone had to go
