Wind chill, a potentially life-threatening feature of winter on the water

Today, as the weather turns cold and snow comes to the highlands, we’ll talk about how wind and temperature can work together to create life threatening circumstances on board for people working out in the weather.

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We’ve got some weather comin’ in

First big storm of the season hits the coast today. We’ll talk about winter weather here, and look at some terms like “atmospheric river” and “coastal jet.”

Overall, it’s not the worst storm we’ve ever seen by a long shot, but it’s going to rain like mad for awhile. Hunker down a bit, prepare for a power outage, and keep an eye out for flooding.

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The little-noticed but stunning power of the tide

Every day something both extraordinary and ordinary happens on our waterways: the changing of the tide. We seldom stop to think about it, but this ordinary occurrence represents the influence of powerful forces on the Earth by celestial bodies far from us, in outer space.

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One more time: story shows sneaker waves are a serious local threat

Today a look at a story about a couple who almost died earlier this week when they were walking on the beach on the Long Beach Peninsula and were caught by a sneaker wave. We’ll look at why such waves occur here and not in other places, and why we need to be mindful even on nice days.

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Update on renewable diesel project planned for Clatskanie

Projects like this have to jump through many permitting hoops before they get a green light to build. This project is facing opposition from local farmers. A key permit was reversed last week by the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.

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Maritime technology instructor job opening at Clatsop Community College

A look at a local job opportunity for an experienced mariner – a chance to teach and spend a little more time on land.

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The Peter Iredale – 116 years since she wrecked on the beach in Oregon

Today we commemorate the loss of the cargo ship Peter iredale, a pretty famous vessel around these parts. What’s left of her metal frame still sits on the beach at Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond.

Even though it was now generations ago, the Iredale fell prey to some of the same conditions that still plague vessels traversing our waters offshore: fog, sudden wind changes, and currents and waves that tend to drive craft of all kinds up on the beach, where they’re destroyed by merciless surf.

Photo Credit: Many thanks to Long Beach Peninsula historian Frank Lehn for his photo of the wreck of the Peter Iredale.

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Drought on the Mississippi

Drought on the MIssissippi is interrupting the shipping of goods and raw materials by water. This is a big deal. We too live by a large waterway that’s a highway for commerce. Today we’ll talk about what it means to have that water highway disrupted. The effects are far-reaching.

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Harrowing rescue at sea, with the help of merchant ships

A look at a rescue in the in the North Atlantic earlier this month, of a solo sailor on a yacht, rescued by a passing cargo ship. It’s a story of an essential element of ocean rescue: cargo ships who agree to divert from course to save people in vessels on the high seas, out of the range of area Coast Guard agencies.

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