Tropical Storm Bill is threatening New York and Texas with a 'ring of fire'

It's hard to take a storm named Bill seriously, but Tropical Storm Bill looks to be a rare beast. The storm hit the U.S. coast around noon and meteorologists are claiming that it could create a “ring of fire” weather pattern that will arc over Houston, St. Louis, and New York City during the next week.
And according to Marshall Shepherd, the director of atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia, there might also be a “brown ocean” phenomenon in the mix, too. This is the weird part:
"While tropical storms usually gather power from the warm waters of the ocean and then weaken once they move over land, NASA-funded research has shown some storms can actually strengthen over land by drawing from the evaporation of abundant soil moisture," Shepherd said. "The phenomenon is known as the 'brown ocean' effect."
And since May was the wettest month in U.S. history…well, you get the picture. Bill is actually going to get stronger as it moves inland. On top of that, the National Weather Service is expecting Bill to bring around seven to nine inches of rain in the next seven days — the equivalent of several months worth of rain.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Texas is up first: Galveston Island was evacuated yesterday and Bill is expected to bring a foot of rain to central Texas and Houston, both of which set rainfall and flooding records only a few weeks ago. Dallas is preparing to open its Emergency Operation Center tonight.
"Anybody who lives in a low lying area should make plans not to be in that low lying areas," Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said. Texas' threatened coastal regions have already been evacuated.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Ukraine goes all out to woo young people into the army
Under The Radar New recruitment drive offers perks as morale and numbers fall
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
6 spa-like homes with fabulous bathrooms
Feature Featuring a freestanding soaking tub in California and a digital shower system in Illinois
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tessa Bailey's 6 favorite books for hopeless romantics
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Global plastics summit starts as COP29 ends
Speed Read Negotiators gathering in South Korea seek an end to the world's plastic pollution crisis, though Trump's election may muddle the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published