Hurricane Nicole forms; Florida awaits rare November storm
A Florida-bound storm has strengthened into Hurricane Nicole after pounding the Bahamas and state officials ordered evacuations that included former President Donald Trumpโs Mar-a-Lago club. Itโs a rare November hurricane for storm-weary Florida, where only two hurricanes have made landfall since recordkeeping began in 1853 โ the 1935 Yankee Hurricane and Hurricane Kate in 1985. At 6 p.m. EST, the storm was 105 miles (170 kilometers) east of West Palm Beac h, Florida, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. Its maximum sustained winds were recorded at 75 mph (120 kph), and the system was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).
What dictates a hurricaneโs strength?
There are many ways to categorize a hurricane. The stormโs central pressure is one way. The height of its storm surge is another. How much rain it drops is another. And, of course, the strength of its wind is another. But what causes a hurricane to strengthen or weaken? The answer is simple enough, but multifaceted.
Storm Surge: What is it? And what types of hurricanes create the most devastating and deadly surge?
When a hurricane threatens the United States, a lot of attention is focused on the path and the wind speed. Storm surge can be just as important to monitor, because it can quickly cause extreme destruction and death.
Whatโs a hurricane tip you wish you had learned sooner?
Whether youโve experienced a bad storm yourself, or maybe it was your friends or relatives who had to survive the ordeal, itโs better to ask these questions before weโre in the midst of a disaster: Have you ever received advice about how to prepare for a hurricane that really stuck with you?
Why the east side of an approaching hurricane is always strongest
Hereโs a look at Hurricane Zeta as it moved through New Orleans on Oct. 28-29, 2020. In this video we take a look at why the east side -- or right side on a map -- is always the strongest side of the hurricane. Read more: Zeta barrels northeast after battering storm-weary coast
Winds and rain whip Yucatan resorts as Hurricane Zeta nears
Clouds gather over Playa Gaviota Azul as Tropical Storm Zeta approaches Cancun, Mexico, early Monday morning, Oct. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Garcia)MIAMI โ Hurricane Zeta lashed Mexico's Caribbean coast resorts around Tulum with high winds and rain Monday night as it headed toward the Yucatan Peninsula and then a possible landfall on the central U.S. Gulf Coast at midweek. It was the second time this month that boat captain Francisco Sosa Rosado had to perform the same maneuver, after Hurricane Delta hit the resort in early October. Trees felled by Hurricane Delta barely three weeks earlier still littered parts of Cancun, stacked along roadsides and in parks. There was also a Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005, but that year had 28 storms because meteorologists later went back and found they missed one, which then became an โunnamed named storm."
Can we retire a Greek hurricane name? Delta made us wonder.
Louisiana residents who are still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexicoโs Yucatan Peninsula, the Associated Press reported. โThey do not retire Greek alphabet storm names -- at least so far,โ Gross said. The last time we went through all the letters of the alphabet and moved on to the Greek alphabet was 2005. In 2005, a record-breaking year of devastating hurricanes, we made it through six Greek letters. The Committee also agreed that it was not practical to retire into hurricane history a letter in the Greek alphabet.
Hurricane Delta now Category 2, roars at Mexicoโs Yucatan
Fishermen pull in a boat before the arrival of Hurricane Delta in Puerto Juarez, Cancun, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Hurricane Delta rapidly intensified into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Tuesday on a course to hammer southeastern Mexico and then continue on to the U.S. Gulf coast this week. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Garcia)MEXICO CITY โ Hurricane Delta rapidly intensified into a dangerous Category 4 storm Tuesday while on a course to hammer Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and then continue on to the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week. From Tulum to Cancun, tourism-dependent communities still soaked by the remnants of Tropical Storm Gamma could bear the brunt of Delta. Delta increased in strength 80 mph, more than doubling from a 60 mph storm at 2 pm EDT Monday to 140 mph at 2 pm EDT Tuesday.
Watch live: Tracking Tropical Storm Beta
Watch a live tracker of Tropical Storm Beta as it makes landfall in Texas. Watch live here:Read more: Tropical Storm Beta makes landfall, brings flooding to TexasStorm surge and rainfall combined Tuesday to bring more flooding along the Texas coast after Tropical Storm Beta made landfall, threatening areas that have already seen their share of damaging weather during a busy hurricane season. The storm made landfall late Monday just north of Port OโConnor, Texas. Early Tuesday, Beta was 35 miles (56 kilometers) north northwest of the city with maximum winds of 40 mph (64 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was moving toward the northwest near 3 mph (4 kilometers) and is expected to stall inland over Texas.
Biggest unknown with Beta is how much rain it will bring
HOUSTON โ As Tropical Storm Beta neared the Texas coast Monday, the biggest unknown was how much rainfall it could produce in areas that have already seen their share of damaging weather during a busy hurricane season. Rain from Beta was already coming down Monday in the Houston area. Earlier predictions of up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) in some areas were downgraded Monday to up to 15 inches (38 centimeters). Forecasters and officials reassured residents Beta was not expected to be another Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Imelda. Harvey in 2017 dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain on Houston, causing $125 billion in damage in Texas.
Watch live: Tracking Hurricane Sally
Watch a live tracker of Hurricane Sally as it makes landfall in Alabama and Florida. Watch here:AP: Hurricane Sally finally comes ashore near Gulf ShoresHurricane Sally has made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 2 storm, bringing torrential rain over a coastal storm surge that forecasters said would cause dangerous flooding from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi and well inland in the days ahead. The slow-moving hurricane finally came ashore with top winds of 105 mph (165 kmh), the National Hurricane Center said. Read more here.
2 tropical storms, Paulette and Rene, form in the Atlantic
MIAMI Tropical Storm Rene was menacing the Cabo Verde islands on Tuesday after forming off the coast of West Africa. The Atlantics earliest known 17th named storm, Rene breaks the previous record of Rita, which formed Sept. 18, 2005. It was one of two storms that formed Monday; Tropical Storm Paulette took shape earlier in the day in the central Atlantic, far from land. Rene was centered about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south-southeast of Santo Antao with top sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kmh), and moving west at about 15 mph (24 kmh). Paulette, meanwhile, had maximum sustained winds were 50 mph (85 kph) with modest strengthening expected over the next few days.
Waterford Township group โDisaster Relief At Workโ heads to Gulf Coast to provide help
WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. โ Hurricane Laura is one of the most powerful storms ever to make landfall in the United States. It was a Category 4 storm when it hit the Gulf Coast overnight. Now, people in Metro Detroit are gearing up to help. LIVE TRACKING: Hurricane Laura blasts Gulf Coast with wind, rain, wall of waterThe group โDisaster Relief At Workโ is from Waterford Township and is heading to the Gulf Coast. Watch video above for the full report
LIVE TRACKING: Hurricane Laura blasts Gulf Coast with wind, rain, wall of water
Watch live satellite tracking and forecasting of Hurricane Laura. Laura pounded the Gulf Coast for hours with ferocious wind, torrential rains and rising seawater as it roared ashore over southwestern Louisiana near the Texas border early Thursday, threatening the lives of people who didnโt evacuate. Hours after landfall, Laura was still a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph). Louisiana took the brunt of the damage when the Category 4 system barreled over Lake Charles, an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people. The hurricaneโs top wind speed of 150 mph (241 kph) put it among the most powerful systems on record in the U.S.Read more here.
When it comes to storms and protecting your home, err on the side of caution: Weโll tell you how
But regardless where youโre located or what types of weather your region regularly experiences, itโs always best to remain vigilant. When it comes to hurricanes and big storms, thereโs always so much talk about how to prepare the insides of our homes. Therefore, itโs always better to err on the side of caution, he added. โThereโs nothing wrong with being too careful.โSo, the next time a big stormโs coming to town, walk around the exterior of your house, your property or your yard. You could even turn this into a project, moving just a few belongings a day, leading up to the storm.
Watch live: Tracking Hurricane Laura
Watch live satellite tracking and forecasting of Hurricane Laura. Laura rapidly gained strength Wednesday, raising fears that it could come ashore as a Category 4 hurricane with a 20-foot storm surge that forecasters said would be โunsurvivableโ and capable of sinking entire communities. Satellite images show that Laura has become โa formidable hurricaneโ in recent hours, threatening to smash homes and sink entire communities. A Category 4 hurricane will do catastrophic damage: โPower outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months,โ the weather service says.
Families with infants, these things will help prepare you for a severe weather situation
But itโs quite another to ready yourself for a severe weather situation when you have a new baby in tow. Maybe the baby naps or hangs out in some type of rocker that you usually plug in to a wall. Youโll want to make sure you have plenty of batteries, in case your home loses power. Obviously, whether youโre a new parent or not, youโd want to make sure you have a way to charge your phone. -- And if youโre formula feeding, thatโs great, too.
Fierce storm surge feared as Laura bears down on Gulf Coast
A girl wades towards her flooded home the day after the passing of Tropical Storm Laura in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti on it's way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where forecaster fear it could become a major hurricane. Now forecasters are turning their attention the Gulf Coast, where up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) of sea water storm surge could inundate the coastline from High Island in Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana, the hurricane center said. Hurricane Rita then struck southwest Louisiana that Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm. We might have dodged a bullet with Marco, and obviously some people along the Gulf Coast are not going to be as blessed as us.___Martin reported from Marietta, Georgia.
Watch live: Tracking Hurricane Isaias as it moves toward Florida
In Florida, Trump also participated in a meeting to review the response to COVID-19 and the stateโs preparedness for Hurricane Isaias, which was centered in the Bahamas on Friday and expected to move near South Florida on Saturday. โI donโt know if itโs going to be a hurricane or not, but itโs a storm. Asked if the rising COVID-19 death toll could diminish his chances in the state, Trump told reporters that he had confidence in his adopted home state. Democratic supporters of Biden in Florida criticized Trump for coming to the state to fundraise during such a critical time for the state and nation. โPresident Trumpโs leadership on coronavirus has put us in a strong position to protect vulnerable Americans and rebuild our economy,โ he said.
5 things to know about the newly formed Hurricane Isaias, which continues heading toward Florida
New Hurricane Isaias kept on a path early Friday thatโs expected continue on toward our countryโs East Coast by the weekend. Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph Friday morning and was centered about 15 miles south-southwest of Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Phonetically, itโs โees-ah-EE-ahs.โThere are different ways to pronounce Isaias, but for the sake of a named storm, the National Hurricane Center has informed meteorologists this pronunciation will be the standard. A hurricane warning was in effect for the northwestern Bahamas, including Andros Island, New Providence, Eleuthera, Abaco Islands, Berry Islands, Grand Bahama and Bimini. The National Hurricane Center was monitoring two other disturbances Friday morning, both over the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Watch live beach cameras as Isaias continues to trek toward Florida
Isaias continues to have Florida in its sights after it battered Puerto Rico with high winds and heavy rains Thursday. Will it barely graze the East Coast, or could it reroute and head straight up the middle of the state? Weโre keeping an eye out on all the coasts for what this storm could mean for Florida -- and the rest of the U.S. Here are some live webcams you can watch as the storm heads north. South FloridaWatch live below: Fort Meyers BeachWatch live below: Dania Beach Pier and beachWatch live: Sunny Isles webcamWatch live: Palm BeachWatch live: Naples PierCentral FloridaWatch live below: NaplesWatch live below: Cocoa Beach PierWatch live: Flagler BeachWatch live below: Deerfield BeachWatch live: Daytona BeachWatch live below: St. PetersburgNorth FloridaWatch live below: Fort Walton BeachWatch live: Jacksonville BeachWatch live below: St. Augustine BeachWatch live: Ponte Vedra Beach
Feeling like you should put together a disaster plan for the family? 3 unique methods you never considered -- until now
You donโt have to be a devoted prepper -- you know, those people who stockpile food and supplies for doomsday scenarios? -- to get your family ready to face potential emergency situations.
How prepared are you for a massive power outage? Take this quiz and find out
Hurricane season is upon us. And really, as is the case with any major storm, winds and heavy rainfall have the power to create some pretty massive power outages. Are you, or would you, consider yourself stocked up at home, in the event of an emergency? Take the quiz below to find out. All of the checklist items are listed on ready.gov as what youโll need in your basic disaster supplies kit, as well as some additional emergency supplies that the website recommended.
Hurricane season outlook 2020: Not good news - what to know
So it is with a great deal of concern that I share with you this years Atlantic hurricane outlook, and its bad news. Broken down into simple statistics, the NHC outlook calls for a 60% chance for an above average season, a 30% chance for an average season, and only a 10% chance for a below average season. If this outlook pans out, then the 2020 hurricane season will set a record as our fifth consecutive season with above-average hurricane activity. More specifically, the 2020 outlook suggests:13-19 names storms (average is 12)6-10 hurricanes (average is 6)3-6 major hurricanes (average is 3)It is important to emphasize that the outlook only predicts actual storms, and not WHERE they will go. Since wind shear is detrimental to tropical cyclones, neutral or La Nina conditions favor Atlantic hurricane development.
In an especially active hurricane season, could we run out of names?
After all the years of recorded named storms, one has to wonder: What happens when we run out of names? The World Meteorological Organization came up with a six-year rotating list of names for hurricanes, Gross said. Now we arrive at our initial question: What happens when we run out of names? So, lets say we have a storm named Walter. The first and last instance in which the Greek alphabet was needed was in 2005, during the busiest hurricane season on record, when there were 28 named storms.