Storm poses potential threat to South Florida By William Riggin News Editor
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ropical Storm Erika is barreling toward the Bahamas and has the potential to make landfall in South Florida on Sunday, but while preparation is necessary, projections vary and can change within a day. According to Professor Nick Shay of the Department of Oceanic Sciences and Meteorology and Physical Oceanography program at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the “cone of uncertainty” that is seen in the National Weather Service’s projection model can have 200 nautical mile errors when forecasting four, five or six days in advance. “The only thing it is telling you is that right now we are in the cone of uncertainty,” Shay said. “The cone of uncertainty just widens as you go out in the forecast, so as time goes on, that cone gets wider and wider and wider simply because the tracks are showing a lot of different tracks, for different types of reasons related to the environment.” While Shay said that the storm is currently bigger than Danny was, it does not have a “well-defined eye, simply because it is running into a lot of sheer.” The sheer, which will determine Erika’s strength, is the difference in winds between the upper and lower layer of the atmosphere lying in front of the storm’s path, according to Shay. A large amount of wind difference between the layers would slow down the storm. “It is going to run into a sheer layer just like Danny did; sheer in the atmosphere rips these things apart, so the sheer itself will be limiting the growth of this over the next two days ... but if the sheer is weak, it could intensify.” The bad weather will likely start Sunday afternoon if this track holds true, but he said that no one can tell yet whether that will happen. Shay said the biggest concern is how the storm will behave over the Bahamas, which are flat and surrounded by warm water, two factors that can potentially help the storm grow. Shay wanted to remind South Floridians that forecasts this far in advance could be wrong, but that everyone should always be prepared for the storm. He said to gather water, batteries, canned foods and other emergency materials, just in case.
Fraternities issued cease operations orders By William Riggin News Editor
GRAPHIC COURTESY NOAA/NWS Tropical storm Erika’s forecasted track as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.
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hree fraternities at the University of Miami – Sigma Chi, Zeta Beta Tau and Sigma Alpha Epsilon – were issued cease operations orders on
Friday, Aug. 21, by the Dean of Students Office as investigations began into the fraternities allegedly hosting unauthorized events. Alpha Sigma Phi was also issued a cease operations order originally, for allegedly housing nonmembers in their house, but the order was lifted on Monday after
the fraternity cooperated with the school. Associate Dean of Students and Director of Greek Life Steve Priepke updated his original statement from Sunday after the order against Alpha Sigma Phi was lifted Monday afternoon.
“We can confirm four fraternities were issued cease operation orders by the Dean of Students Office. Three fraternities issued a cease operations order allegedly hosted unauthorized social events – Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi and Zeta Beta Tau. jump to page 2