Much of Florida under state of emergency as possible tropical storm forms in Gulf of Mexico
Forecasters are warning of possible flash flooding and landslides across the eastern Yucatan peninsula and western Cuba, and Florida is bracing for a possible hurricane by midweek, as a weather system off the coast of Mexico is expected to become a tropical storm by Sunday.
Heads up at the beach: Rip current threat east, Red Tide along Gulf Coast
It is not going to be the best beach weekend if you are planning to enter the water. At the east coast beaches there will be a high rip current threat, especially for the Volusia and Flagler beaches. There will be an elevated threat for rip currents at the Brevard beaches but not as high. Use extreme caution and swim near a lifeguard if planning to swim.
Itโs good to be in Florida! 80s return to forecast
ORLANDO, Fla. โ If you have plans to take lunch outside Monday afternoon, you should be good to go. Other than a stray shower through the first half of the day, Monday afternoon should be dry and warm, with temperatures topping out in the lower 80s in Orlando. There will still be a breeze, this time out of the south, but it wonโt be as windy as the weekend. The highest rain chances come later in the evening and overnight. Highs by Thursday and Friday return to the lower 80s.
NASAโs SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft still targeting 2021 maiden flight
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. โ The mega-rocket even more powerful than the Saturn V is coming together at the Kennedy Space Center and also NASAโs Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. On the Gulf Coast Saturday, the Space Launch System is scheduled for a major engine test. The rocket is key to NASAโs Artemis program with plans to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024. And by the year 2024, NASA still plans on SLS and Orion sending the first man and next woman to the Moon. Artemis I would become the first launch from KSC launch complex 39B since 2009.
Man missing after falling from Florida dinner-cruise ship
FORT MYERS, Fla. โ The U.S. Coast Guard says a man went missing after falling into the water from a dinner-cruise ship in the Gulf Coast in Florida. J.P. boat late Friday. The company J.C. Cruises says Capt J.P. is a 475-passenger paddlewheel boat that tours the scenic Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, Florida. Coast Guard crews searched for more than 11 hours in the waters before suspending the search. They received help from agencies such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Fort Myers Beach Police, and the Lee County Sheriffโs Office.
TRACK, MODELS, RADAR: Tropical Storm Eta shifts east, Central Florida back in play
ORLANDO, Fla. โ ***10:54 p.m. Nov. 10, 2020***The Tuesday 10 P.M. update has the track of Tropical Storm Eta making Landfall in Florida sometime on Thursday afternoon. People who live there should make plans to be ready for Tropical Storm winds of 35 to 55 mph, some gust may be much stronger. Latest track of Tropical Storm Eta released. (WKMG)Forecasters predicted more heavy rainfall Tuesday in Cuba and in South Florida, where as much as 23 inches were expected to accumulate. Tropical Storm Eta was squatting off western Cuba on Tuesday after drifting away from South Florida, where it unleashed a deluge that flooded entire neighborhoods and covered the floors of some homes and businesses.
LIVE VIDEO: Powerful Hurricane Zeta makes Louisiana landfall
Zeta weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph (128 kph) as it moved into southern Mississippi few hours after landfall, but forecasters said it remained a life-threatening storm. โGuys, we received the brunt of Zeta, and Zeta gave us a good punch,โ McInnis told WDSU-TV. More than 875,000 customers were without electricity in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including about 350,000 in metro New Orleans. Before landfall, Zetaโs top winds had risen to just shy of a major, Category 3 storm, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. ___Plaisance reported from Laffite, Louisiana, and Santana from Shell Beach, Louisiana.
LIVE TRACK: Tropical Storm Zeta posed to be a hurricane threat to US Gulf Coast
MIAMI โ Newly formed Tropical Storm Zeta stalled Sunday in the western Caribbean, but forecasters said it posed the risk of a rain-heavy hurricane for Mexicoโs resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Zeta was the earliest named 27th Atlantic storm recorded in an already historic hurricane season. The system was centered about 255 miles (410 kilometers) southeast of Cozumel island in Mexico Sunday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Atlantic storms that made landfall moved 2.9 mph (4.7 kph) slower than 60 years ago, the study found. The hurricane center said it could make landfall anywhere from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.
New storm Zeta a hurricane threat to Mexico, US Gulf Coast
MIAMI โ Newly formed Tropical Storm Zeta gradually strengthened Sunday in the western Caribbean and forecasters said it would likely become a hurricane before hitting Mexico's resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula and the U.S. Gulf Coast in coming days. Zeta was the earliest named 27th Atlantic storm recorded in an already historic hurricane season. The system was centered about 260 miles (420 kilometers) southeast of Cozumel island late Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The government is still handing out aid, including sheet roofing, to Yucatan residents hit by Hurricane Delta and Tropical Storm Gamma earlier this month. The hurricane center said it could make landfall anywhere from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.
Zeta Zooming Offshore The Mid-Atlantic Coast Toward The Western Atlantic
Zeta is moving toward the east-northeast near 55 mph (89 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will emerge over the western Atlantic this evening. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. A sustained wind of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a gust to 46 mph (74 km/h) were recently reported at Ocean City, Maryland. RAINFALL: The last of the heavy rainfall along the track of Zeta will impact the Mid-Atlantic through this evening.
Student pilot among crew that died in Navy crash in Alabama
FOLEY, Ala. โ The two crew members who died when a U.S. Navy training plane out of Florida crashed in an Alabama residential neighborhood were an instructor pilot and a student aviator, the Navy said Saturday. The two-person crew, whose names were not immediately released, were on a routine training flight Friday out of Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida, Zach Harrell, spokesman for Commander, Naval Air Forces, said. They were seeking any photos or video of the aircraft in flight, WALA-TV reported. A photo shows smoke billowing from a home and at least two vehicles in the subdivision in Foley, Alabama on the Gulf Coast where the T-6B Texan II aircraft crashed around 5 p.m. Friday. Staff and kids at a nearby school were still on campus in an after-school program, Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler told WALA-TV, calling the crash โa little too close for comfort.โ
US Navy: 2 onboard training plane killed in Alabama crash
This photo provided by Greg Crippen shows the scene where a U.S. Navy training plane crashed in an Alabama residential neighborhood near the Gulf Coast, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 near Foley, Ala. (Greg Crippen via AP)FOLEY, Ala. โ A U.S. Navy training plane that took off from Florida crashed Friday in an Alabama residential neighborhood near the Gulf Coast, killing both people in the plane, authorities said. Zach Harrell, a spokesperson for Commander, Naval Air Forces, said both people in the T-6B Texan II training plane died, but they weren't immediately releasing their names. The crash occurred southeast of Mobile, near the city of Foley and the town of Magnolia Springs. The plane had flown out of Naval Air Station Whiting Field, about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) northeast of Pensacola, Florida, Navy spokeswoman Julie Ziegenhorn said. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Navy were set to handle the investigation, the Baldwin County Sheriffโs Office tweeted.
Central Florida power crews head to Gulf Coast for Hurricane Delta
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. โ For the fourth time this year, Duke Energy sent crews to the Gulf Coast this time to help residents during Hurricane Delta. Robert Thompson is one of the linemen with Duke Energy and left Friday morning. He had just gotten back from the panhandle a couple of weeks ago after Hurricane Sally left thousands without power. Spokesperson with Duke Energy said the company is actually sending 165 crews from all over the state to Louisiana. Florida Power and Light also sent dozens of crews to the Gulf Coast on Thursday.
Tropical Tracker: Hurricane Delta to make history
The current forecast has the same areas that were devastated by Hurricane Laura in late August receiving another strike from Delta, a strong hurricane, on Friday. Delta rapidly intensified in the Western Caribbean going from a tropical depression to a Category 4 hurricane in just 30 hours. In a 24-hour period, Wilmaโs wind speed increased a whopping 105 mph, from a tropical storm to a monster Category 5 hurricane. Water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico with the current forecast of Hurricane Delta. With that said, Delta could still strike the North Gulf Coast as a category 2 or 3 hurricane.
LIVE TRACK, MODELS, MORE: Hurricane Delta โscary as hellโ
The projected path included the southwest area of Louisiana where Category 4 Hurricane Laura made landfall less than two months ago. Frankie Randazzo, 47, the partner of two restaurants in Lake Charles, said people in the city were extremely anxious ahead of the hurricane. Randazzo watched pieces of one of his restaurants, Panorama Music House, fly past a meteorologistโs car on a Facebook Live video during Hurricane Laura. The most recent forecast for Hurricane Delta has the storm making landfall โalmost preciselyโ where Hurricane Laura struck โ a region where homes and electrical infrastructure are still damaged, Edwards said in a radio interview. New Orleans, well to the east of the projected landfall area, was expected to escape the worst of Hurricane Delta.
Busy 2020 hurricane season has Louisiana bracing a 6th time
The storm being watched Wednesday was Hurricane Delta, the 25th named storm of the Atlantic's unprecedented hurricane season. Forecasts placed most of Louisiana within Delta's path, with the latest National Hurricane Center estimating landfall in the state on Friday. Along with getting hit by Hurricane Laura and escaping Hurricane Sally, Louisiana saw heavy flooding June 7 from Tropical Storm Cristobal. Tropical Storm Beta prompted tropical storm warnings in mid-September as it slowly crawled up the northeast Texas coast. โNot seeing any signs of any additional tropical weather in the extended which is OK with us because we are SO DONE with Hurricane Season 2020,โ they wrote.
LIVE TRACK, MODELS, MORE: Hurricane Delta reaches Category 4 status on path to Gulf Coast
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Hurricane Delta rapidly intensified into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds Tuesday on a course to hammer southeastern Mexico and then continue on to the U.S. Gulf coast this week. | How COVID-19 is impacting forecasting | 3 top factors for hurricane development]Mexico began evacuating tourists and residents from coastal areas along its Riviera Maya Tuesday. Here is the 11 p.m. advisory and forecast track for #Delta from the National Hurricane Center. Residents in these areas should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place and monitor updates to the forecast of Delta,โ the Hurricane Center said. Beach communities on the Alabama coast are still clearing away the damage from Hurricane Sally, which made landfall at Gulf Shores on Sept. 16, as they warn people to be ready for Hurricane Delta.
Dangerous Hurricane Delta closing in on Mexico's 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.
Woman fatally shot at Florida bank
VENICE, Fla. โ A woman was fatally shot at a bank in Venice on Monday morning, sheriffโs officials said. The shooting happened just after 9 a.m. at a BB&T bank branch in Venice, which is near Sarasota on Floridaโs Gulf Coast, the Sarasota Sheriffโs Office said in a Facebook post. Arriving deputies found the woman dead at the scene. The Sheriffโs Office hasnโt released many details about the shooting. But officials said โall involved parties are accounted for," the post said,Investigators are working to notify the woman's relatives.
Post-Tropical Remnants Of Delta Continue Weaken, As The Heavy Rainfall Threat Diminishes Late Sunday Night
Location 90 miles S of Knoxville Tennessee Wind 15 mph Heading E at 15 mph Pressure 29.77 Coordinates 84.1W, 34.5NDiscussionAt 1100 PM EDT (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Delta was located near latitude 34.5 North, longitude 84.1 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the east near 15 mph, and this motion is expected to continue tonight and Monday morning. Maximum sustained winds are near 15 mph (30 km/h) with higher gusts. Some further weakening is possible tonight as a new surface low develops in the Carolinas, and Delta's surface low is expected to be absorbed by this new low pressure area on Monday. Moderate to major river flooring will continue across the Calcasieu and Mermentau river basins in Louisiana through much of next week
LIVE TRACK: Beta makes slow turn toward U.S. coast, Wilfred downgraded to tropical depression
Coastal communities began preparing for Beta over the weekend, with both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issued voluntary evacuation orders. Tropical Storm BetaTropics Forecast Cone at 10:57 Sunday Morning, September 20thTropical Storm Beta is about 180 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas. Little change in strength is forecast during the next couple of days before Beta reaches the Texas coast. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles, forecasters said. Tropical Depression WilfredTropics Forecast Cone at 10:45 Sunday Morning, September 20thTropical Depression Wilfred is 1,340 miles west of The Cabo Verde Islands.
Tropical Storm Beta churns slowly toward Texas and Louisiana
Forecasters said Beta was not expected to bring the same amount of rainfall that Texas experienced during either Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or Tropical Storm Imelda last year. The first rain bands from Beta reached the Texas coast on Sunday, but the heaviest rain wasn't expected to arrive until Monday into Tuesday. If the system makes landfall in Texas, it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda. Wilfred, which had been a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression earlier Sunday.
LIVE TRACK: Wilfred, Alpha, Beta become named storms within hours of each other
The National Hurricane Center said Beta formed around 4 p.m. in the Gulf of Mexico. pic.twitter.com/zpDa2xBGqg โ Jonathan Kegges (@JonathanKegges) September 18, 2020The storm could strengthen and near hurricane strength on Sunday, according to the hurricane center. According to the National Hurricane Center, the system is expected to fall apart over the weekend. Subtropical Storm #Alpha Advisory 2: Alpha Makes Landfall in Portugal. https://t.co/VqHn0uj6EM โ National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 18, 2020Wilfredโs maximum sustained winds Friday afternoon were near 40 mph.
The Latest on Sally: Florida governor warns of major river flooding
Hurricane Sally caused the tide to rise about four feet (1.2 meters) in Pascagoula on Missisippiโs Gulf Coast. Itโs chaotic.โ------MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Sally has begun to spread heavy rains into the U.S. Southeast as it moves inland at a faster-than-expected pace. --PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Several boats docked at a pier in Pensacola, Florida, have sunk as Sally moved over the Gulf Coast. Kay Ivey says some areas of the state are seeing historic flood levels from slow-moving Hurricane Sally and more flooding is expected throughout the day. --MIAMI -- Hurricane Sally has decreased to a Category 1 storm as it pounds the Gulf Coast, but remains a dangerous rainmaker.
'Sigh of relief': Sally spares a Mississippi gator ranch
โ As rain and wind from Sally starting reaching the Gulf Coast, the manager of a Mississippi alligator ranch was just hoping he wouldnโt have to deal with a repeat of what happened during Hurricane Katrina. Thatโs when about 250 alligators escaped their enclosures as storm surge pushed water over the grounds. โIโm thinking a sigh of relief somewhat,โ said manager Tim Parker, who took over Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tours after Katrina. As the hurricane moved east of Mississippi, the surge forecast was reduced to no more than 4 feet (1.2 meters). Parkerโs farm has alligators up to 14 feet long, roaming and swimming through ponds, sand dunes and tall marsh grass.
As Hurricane Sally moves away, rain chances decrease in Central Florida
As the system slowly moves away from the Orlando area, however, rain chances here will decrease a bit. Hurricane Sallyโs northern eyewall is raking the Gulf Coast with hurricane-force winds and rain from Pensacola Beach, Florida westward to Dauphin Island, Alabama, the National Hurricane Center said. Stacy Stewart, a senior specialist with the National Hurricane Center says the Category 2 hurricane could strengthen further before the entire eyewall moves inland. Sally was a rare storm that could make history, said Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center. With Hurricane Sally expected to dump rain for days, the problem could be worse than normal, she said.
Resurgent Sally threatens drenching in Alabama, Florida
A curfew was called in the coastal Alabama city of Gulf Shores due to life-threatening conditions. The county includes Pensacola, one of the largest cities on the Gulf Coast. Landfall was expected on the northern Gulf Coast early Wednesday. Although the hurricane had the Alabama and Florida coasts in its sights Wednesday, its effects were felt all along the northern Gulf Coast. With Hurricane Sally expected to dump rain for days, the problem could be worse than normal, she said.
The Latest: Sally strengthens to Category 2 hurricane
People play in a flooded parking lot at Navarre Beach, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Pensacola Beach, Fla. Hurricane Sally is crawling toward the northern Gulf Coast at just 2 mph, a pace that's enabling the storm to gather huge amounts of water to eventually dump on land. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)Here are the latest developments on tropical weather (all times local):PENSACOLA, Fla. โ Sally has restrengthened into a powerful Category 2 hurricane as it veers eastward and crawls toward a potential landfall between the Florida Panhandle and Mobile Bay. The National Hurricane Center said early Wednesday that the storm's sustained winds had increased to 100 mph (161 kph). The latest forecast track has the hurricane making landfall later Wednesday morning. About 1 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sally was centered about 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of Mobile, Alabama, and 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Pensacola, Florida.
The Latest: Sally's rains pummel western Florida Panhandle
Waters from the Guld of Mexico poor onto a local road, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Waveland, Miss. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbrt)Here are the latest developments on tropical weather (all times local):___The Florida Panhandle is being pummeled by heavy rains from Hurricane Sallyโs outer bands. The powerful, plodding storm was crawling toward the northern Gulf Coast at 3 mph (4.8 kph) early Tuesday. Floridaโs governor declared an emergency in two western Panhandle counties. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Sally strengthens into extremely dangerous Category 2 storm
This satellite photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Sally, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, at 2050 GMT. Sally churned northward on Sunday, poised to turn into a hurricane and send a life-threatening storm surge along the northern Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA via AP)Here are the latest developments on tropical weather (all times local):4 p.m.A rapidly intensifying Hurricane Sally is closing in on the northern Gulf Coast Sally after reaching Category 2 strength. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Sally has grown into an extremely dangerous hurricane with top sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph). The storm could drop as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain in spots and that could bring severe flooding, according to the center.
Gulf Coast residents brace for possible new hurricane
โ Storm-weary Gulf Coast residents prepared for a new weather onslaught Monday as Tropical Storm Sally churned northward. He said a matching pelican marker on the opposite side of the driveway was washed away in Tropical Storm Cristobal earlier this summer. โThat system is forecast to bring not only damaging winds but a dangerous storm surge,โ said Daniel Brown of the Hurricane Center. Once a tropical storm, Rene was forecast to become a remnant low Monday. Tropical Depression Twenty was expected to strengthen this week and become a tropical storm by Tuesday, forecasters said.
Sally set to become hurricane and threaten U.S. Gulf Coast
โ Tropical Storm Sally slowed down Sunday as it churned northward toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, increasing the risk of heavy rain and dangerous storm surge before an expected strike as a Category 2 hurricane in southern Louisiana. He said a matching pelican marker on the opposite side of the driveway was washed away in Tropical Storm Cristobal earlier this summer. Once a tropical storm, Rene was forecast to become a remnant low Monday. Tropical Depression Twenty was expected to strengthen this week and become a tropical storm by Tuesday, forecasters said. โIt is likely that this storm system will be impacting Alabamaโs Gulf Coast.
Laura's coastal cost assessed with drones, satellite images
Some key takeaways of the immediate analysis of Laura's effects have emerged:IT WILL TAKE MONTHS TO KNOW EFFECTS:Scientists say some coastal impact from Hurricane Laura is inevitable. Bren Haase, who heads the states Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said the eastern Cameron shoreline got pounded pretty hard." SALINITY'S A PROBLEMAnother question is how long storm surge waters sit before eventually draining away. Laura took a slight jog to the East just before making landfall which probably prevented some of the worst storm surge from pushing all the way into Lake Charles. This might be in part because the storm blew through so quickly and the storm surge was so high that it simply rode over the marshes, rather than tearing them up.
Orlando-area first responders grateful to be back home after assisting in Hurricane Laura response
ORLANDO, Fla. โ One week ago, the Texas-Louisiana border was ravished by Hurricane Laura, which lashed the Gulf Coast, leaving more than a dozen dead, many injured and numerous buildings and homes destroyed. The team was deployed to some of the hardest-hit areas impacted by Hurricane Laura, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm. [READ MORE: โA time to pick up:โ Hurricane-hurt Louisiana begins cleanup | Red Cross of Central Florida deploys volunteers to assist Hurricane Laura victims]โOur initial assignment was to that of Lake Charles. During their mission, task force four discovered extensive wind damage to homes and buildings. So we want to thank them so much for that,โ Jimmy Madriaga, a task force member, said.
Heres the latest on 2 tropical waves in the Atlantic
Meanwhile, there are two tropical waves churning in the Atlantic. One wave was located about 850 miles east of the Windward Islands on Friday morning. The other wave was located over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, just west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Orlando will reach a high in the low 90s Friday, with a 60% chance of rain, mostly in the late afternoon. There will be a 70% chance of rain through the weekend.
Stealing our thunder: Hurricane Laura lowers rain chances in Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. Hurricane Laura, projected to have a catastrophic impact on the Gulf Coast, is also affecting the weather in the Orlando area, albeit in the opposite way. Laura is taking moisture away from Central Florida on Wednesday, News 6 meteorologist Troy Bridges said. Thats why our rain chances will be at only 20%.And without the rain, the heat will be the big story, with the high in Orlando reaching 95, and a feels like temperature of 105 degrees or higher. [RELATED: Laura now forecast to be a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane]Rain chances increase to 50-60% from Thursday through the weekend. We had no official rain Tuesday, putting Orlandos deficit at 2.87 inches since January 1, Bridges said.
Why does it seem hurricanes make landfall at night?
If you are thinking, Why do hurricanes tend to make landfall at night? You are not alone. In fact, over the past four season, most of the hurricanes have made landfall during the day. This may help to skew our perception that most hurricanes make landfall at night since we were impacted. Andrew, another notable Florida hurricane, of course, made landfall before the sun came up in 1992. Hurricanes also tend to last a decent amount of time and typically span night and day, and, even though landfall may occur during the day, conditions deteriorate at night or vice versa.
LIVE TRACK: Hurricane Laura could strike US as Category 3 storm
The center of Laura will move away from Cuba and over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico overnight. As Marco was on its deathbed, the National Hurricane Center issued its first storm watches for Laura. Heavy rain was expected across portions of the north-central Gulf Coast overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center. Then a little less than a month later came Hurricane Rita which struck southwest Louisiana on Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm. On the Louisiana coast at Holly Beach in an area nicknamed the โCajun Riviera,โ Eric Monceaux was frantically packing what he could take with him.
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.
Storm Marco closes in on Louisiana as Laura buffets Cuba
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. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
Out of this world: Heres what Tropical Storm Laura looks like from space
ORLANDO, Fla. In a tweet Monday, the International Space Station gave us a space-view of Tropical Storm Laura. [LIVE TRACK: Laura could hit Gulf Coast as supercharged hurricane]Tropical Storm Laura was viewed from external station cameras prior to making landfall on Cuba on Sunday, Aug. 23. pic.twitter.com/s1NW06BjXF Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) August 24, 2020According to the National Hurricane Centers latest advisory on Monday, Tropical Storm Laura was projected to be upgraded into a hurricane as it approached the Gulf Coast. Tropical Storm Laura was named alongside Tropical Storm Marco, which began to fall apart Monday. Forecasters said Laura could make landfall as a supercharged Category 3 hurricane with winds topping 110 mph, thanks to the remnants of Marco.
Tropical Storm Marco forms in northwest Caribbean
MIAMI โ Tropical Storm Marco has formed in the northwestern Caribbean, joining Tropical Storm Laura as what could become a double threat within days to a huge stretch of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Marco formed late Friday about 180 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. The stormโs maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph and it was expected to move near the Yucatan Peninsula on Saturday. Marco became a tropical storm on the heels of Laura, which set a record for the earliest 12th named storm of a season when it formed on Friday morning northeast of the Lesser Antilles.
Battling Gulf storms: What could happen if they get close together?
Although this occurrence is unusual, Laura and TD 14โs proximity could make it even more rare by causing the Fujiwhara effect. The Fujiwhara effect. This could cause two smaller storms to evolve into one larger storm. It will be just a matter of time to see if these two storms will โdanceโ in the Gulf by next week. Click here to see the latest track and information on Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Depression Fourteen.
2 tropical systems may make landfall in US -- and history
Residents along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida are preparing for not one but two tropical systems to make landfall early next week. The second storm, which became Tropical Storm Laura on Friday morning, is positioned 230 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and is moving west at 21 mph. On Sept. 8, 2017 Hurricane Irma made landfall along the north coast of Cuba just before midnight and, within the same hour, Hurricane Katia made landfall along the Mexico Gulf Coast. There were 23 hours between the Treasure Coast Hurricane making landfall and the Cuba/Brownsville Hurricane Douglas making landfall. Itโs important to remember that there is still time for wiggle room in the forecast for Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Depression Fourteen.
Creator of mosquito-themed state flag says design was a joke
Magnolias, stars, a Gulf Coast lighthouse, a teddy bear, and even Kermit the Frog appear on some of the over 1,800 proposals submitted by the general public for a new Mississippi flag and posted Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History web site. The state recently retired the last state banner with the Confederate battle emblem that's widely condemned as racist and a nine-member commission will design a replacement that cannot include the Confederate symbol and must have the phrase, "In God We Trust." (Mississippi Department of Archives and History, via AP)
Coast Guard rescues 3 boaters off Florida coast
CLEARWATER, Fla. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three people from Tennessee after their boat capsized Wednesday some 15 miles off Florida's Gulf Coast. The agency said in a news release that the boaters called at 2:09 p.m., saying their flat bottom fishing boat was taking on water and they needed assistance. A Jayhawk helicopter crew located the men wearing life jackets and clinging to the capsized boat. After everything went wrong, these men did everything right, said Lt. Tim Keily, the Air Station Clearwater helicopter co-pilot. They immediately called for help, wore their life jackets and stayed with their boat.
Cristobal brings threat of severe afternoon storms to Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Now a tropical depression, former Tropical Storm Cristobal is moving onto land Monday bringing with it the threat of severe storms each afternoon for the next couple of days to Central Florida with the risk of tornadoes and strong wind gusts. Expect a 60% coverage of rain on Monday and on Tuesday with the rain chances up to 70% on Wednesday and 50% on Thursday. The risk of strong to severe storms begins after 2 p.m. for Monday afternoon. โWe canโt rule out a couple of rotating storms that lead to tornadoes as we saw over the past couple days,โ News 6 Meteorologist Troy Bridges said. โWe saw officially 1.04 inches of rain yesterday putting our deficit at 3.48 inches since 1 January,โ Bridges said.
Tropical Storm Cristobal draws nearer to US Gulf Coast
Saturday, June 6, 2020, ahead of Tropical Storm Cristobal. A re-energized Tropical Storm Cristobal advanced toward the U.S. Gulf Coast early Saturday, bringing with it the heavy rains that already caused flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America. After weakening to a tropical depression while moving over land in Mexico's Gulf coast, Cristobal headed back into the southern Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and powered back up into a tropical storm. Outer rain bands from the storm were spreading across parts of the northern Gulf Coast early Sunday, and conditions were expected to deteriorate. A tropical storm warning was posted for the northern Gulf of Mexico coast from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border.
Tropical Storm Cristobal advances toward US Gulf Coast
MIAMI A re-energized Tropical Storm Cristobal advanced toward the U.S. Gulf Coast early Saturday, bringing with it the heavy rains that already caused flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America. After weakening to a tropical depression while moving over land in Mexico's Gulf coast, Cristobal headed back into the southern Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and powered back up into a tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 7 a.m. advisory Saturday that the storm was expected to slowly strengthen until it makes landfall, expected Sunday night along the U.S. Gulf Coast. A tropical storm watch was posted for the northern Gulf of Mexico coast from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border. Cristobal formed this week in the Bay of Campeche from the remnants of Tropical Storm Amanda, which had sprung up last weekend in the eastern Pacific and hit Central America.
Weekend of rain from Tropical Storm Cristobal begins in Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Cristobal strengthened back into a tropical storm Friday and will help bring rain, churned-up seas and rip currents to Central Florida into early next week as it treks on a projected path toward Lousiana. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Cristobal had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph Friday and was moving north at 14 mph. Cristobal is forecast to be out in the central Gulf on Saturday and could be nearing the U.S. Gulf Coast by Sunday. Tropical Depression #Cristobal Advisory 15: Cristobal Continues to Bring Heavy Rains and Flooding to Mexico And Central America. In 2016, Tropical Storm Colin formed in the Gulf on June 5.
LIVE RADAR: Storms rip through Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Strong storms moved through Central Florida on Friday, bringing rain, lightning and gusty winds. A line of strong storms stretched from the Gulf Coast to Floridaโs east coast and moved southeast across Central Florida. Because of the storms, several COVID-19 testing sites in Central Florida have been closed for the day. Tornado warning northwest of Tampa. More rain is expected in the area Saturday, but the threat of severe weather wonโt be as great.
News 6 at 6 -- 10/19/18
The death toll from Hurricane Michael has continued to rise more than a week after the storm ravaged the Florida Panhandle. Get the latest on the devastation along the Gulf Coast and the rest of your Friday news and weather. Michael death tollAt least 35 people have died as a result of the Category 4 hurricane, with the most recent death being that of a firefighter who was helping clean out his family's debris-filled home, officials say. UCF vs. ECUThe undefeated University of Central Florida Knights are hitting the turf again this weekend, hoping to bring home a victory against East Carolina University. Finally fallCentral Florida is about to feel the season's changes this weekend โ finally.
These Florida maps show where red tide, blue-green algae are the worst
Many Floridians don't realize exactly how widespread the problems with blue-green algae and red tide are. Red tideThe Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been monitoring the Karenia brevis bloom, also known as red tide, on the Gulf Coast for months. Each week, FWC posts the latest counts and conditions on a special section of its website dedicated to red tide monitoring. Bright red dots indicate where the bloom is the worst, while orange dots show where levels are in the medium range and yellow dots illustrate areas where red tide is present but in low levels. Florida's red tide, blue-green algae make dining complicated]Weekly change is also noted on the page, meaning Floridians can see where red tide conditions are improving and where they're getting worse.
Dead manatee found floating in Marco Island
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. โ A dead manatee was found floating in a residential area in Marco Island Tuesday as that area and much of the Gulf Coast battles red tide, according to WINK News. As of Saturday, FWC had counted 103 manatee deaths in Florida that were confirmed or suspected to be due to red tide so far in 2018. The total number of manatee deaths in Florida this year is 538, with cold weather and red tide being blamed as the biggest killers. Story continues belowThose manatee deaths are also in addition to the tons of dead fish and other marine animals that have been scooped up from shores along the coast since the bloom began in October. For information on what the state is doing to battle red tide and other water woes in the Sunshine State, click here.
Florida wildlife rescuers brace for manatees living, breathing, eating toxic red algae
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Manatees and other wildlife living in Florida's coastal waterways infected with toxic red algae blooms are at risk of falling comatose and drowning. Florida wildlife rescue groups are bracing as the red tide on Florida's Gulf Coast is expected to last into next year, SeaWorld Rescue team members said this week. Groups including SeaWorld Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership are working daily to save wildlife living, breathing and eating the harmful algae, known as Karenia brevis. Necropsies will have to be performed to determine if they were killed by the effects of red tide. SeaWorld Orlando has used its facilities to treat more than 46 critical manatees in the last year.