First EVER Typhoon with hurricane-force winds to hit Oman (Jeff Masters)....

[Junkdrawer]

An unusual event is happening over the next 48 hours, as the first tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds, and major hurricane-force winds at that, is approaching the Gulf of Oman, to strike the eastern coast of Oman, curve northward, and make landfall on the coast of Iran. In the tropical cyclone best tracks and the modern era of weather satellites, there is no record of such an occurrence.

....

Those who live along the Gulf of Mexico are well aware of what it means for a major hurricane to make landfall. Even if they've never experienced it themselves, they have relatives or members of their community who have experienced it. And in many places they can see the damage that remains.

Imagine that you live directly on the Gulf, but in a place where it hardly ever rains, and where a hurricane has never hit, for at least a generation -- for more than sixty years. Your community and many like yours are situated not only directly on the water, but near or in large dry riverbeds on the coastal plain, which is a narrow strip of sandy shoreline that is the dropoff for the three-thousand-foot mountain range behind it. Even many of the roads up into the mountains are in these dry riverbeds, which course through deep canyons as they rise into the heights. You don't have any idea what it might mean to experience winds of over 100 miles per hour, whipping up sand, and torrential rain against these mountains that can turn the riverbeds into conduits for dangerous flash floods. And you don't have any idea what storm surge is, and can't conceive of wind-driven high waves that could break against the shoreline and leave nothing behind.

This is the eastern coast of Oman, where communities line the shoreline which is shortly going to be experiencing a major hurricane. We can only hope that the danger is understood and that all of these communities have evacuated to higher ground and a safer location.

Below are two images of the city of Sur, showing how the community is built right along the water's edge:








http://www.weatherunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=690&tstamp=200706

I don't know...the Karma of all of this is breath-taking....

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Karma?

In what sense?

[Junkdrawer]

3. Oman -> Oil -> Global Warming -> Hurricane -> Oman...n/t

[uppityperson]

4. I try to not pass up chances to learn, so here's some info on Oman

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791892.stm

As with other Gulf nations, oil is the mainstay of the economy, providing a large chunk of GDP, but compared to its neighbours Oman is a modest producer. Agriculture and fishing are important sources of income.

Tourism, another source of revenue, is on the rise. Oman's attractions include a largely-untouched coastline, mountains, deserts and the burgeoning capital Muscat, with its forts, palaces and old walled city.

Most Omanis follow the Ibadi sect of Islam - the only remaining expression of Kharijism, which was created as a result of one of the first schisms within the religion. The country has so far been spared the militant Islamist violence that has plagued some of its neighbours. (more @ link)

Life expectancy 73 (men) 76 (women
GNI per capita: US $9,070 (World Bank, 2006)
daily newspaper (english) http://www.omanobserver.com/ (Times of Oman website seems to be down, another daily english paper)

[Junkdrawer]

5. Perhaps 'karma' isn't the best word, but the concept of cyclic cause and effect...

was what I was going for....

Karma (Sanskrit kárma, kárman- "act, action, performance"<1>; Pāli kamma) (pronunciation (help·info)) is the concept of "action" or "deed" in Dharmic religions understood as denoting the entire cycle of cause and effect described in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma

I certainly do not wish any Omani harm...

[uppityperson]

7. I read what you wrote above and understood.

[uppityperson]

2. It is incredible

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1046900
here is topic from earlier, with several graphics and a couple blogger links too. It is incredible, but I don't know how Karma fits in.

[leftchick]

6. Any chance of the UAE being hit?

I would LOVE to see this shit destroyed. And omg the irony.....






The new Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates has opened, providing a 'ski chalet' experience adjacent to the indoor ski slopes of Ski Dubai in the middle of the desert.
(photo: Kempinski Hotels)




http://www.firsttracksonline.com/news/stories/114484913974373.shtm

Ski Hotel Opens in Dubai

Dubai, UAE (Wednesday, April 12, 2006) -

The new Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates has opened, providing a 'ski chalet' experience adjacent to the indoor ski slopes of Ski Dubai in the middle of the desert. (photo: Kempinski Hotels)

Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates opened in this desert city on April 7 to offer an ‘Alpine resort’ experience where guests will be able to go skiing or simply soak up the ‘winter’ atmosphere in one of the fully licensed restaurants overlooking the ski slope, all from the desert of the United Arab Emirates.


http://goasia.about.com/od/uae/a/skidubai.htm

Dubai Gets the World's Largest Indoor Ski Park

As of December 2, 2005 you can officially go skiing in (of all places) Dubai. If you're unfamiliar with this city-state in the United Arab Emirates, perhaps that doesn't impress you much. The low temperature on Christmas Day last year was 68F degrees and the mercury climbed into the 80's. On New Year's Day a cold wave took the temperature down to 59F. In December of last year the Agence France Press reported that the United Arab Emirates experienced the first snowfall ever in the nation's history; about half an inch fell in the country's Al-Jees mountain range. Dubai is one of the hottest places on earth...

The new indoor snow park makes winter sports like skiing and snowboarding possible in the Emirates.