Hurricanes

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Supplies rushed to North Carolina as Helene’s overall death toll rises to nearly 100 North Carolina officials pledged to get more water and other supplies to flood-stricken areas by Monday after Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction across the U.S. Southeast and the death toll from the storm rose to nearly 100. Read more.

What to know: One county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed due to the storm, pushing the overall death toll to at least 91 people. With at least 25 killed in South Carolina, Helene was the deadliest tropical cyclone for the state since Hurricane Hugo made landfall north of Charleston in 1989, killing 35 people.   Officials warned that rebuilding from the widespread loss of homes and property would be lengthy and difficult. Moody’s Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage. The storm upended life throughout the Southeast and deaths were also reported in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Biden says he hopes to visit Helene-impacted areas this week if it doesn’t impact emergency response   WATCH: People across the American Southeast stay resilient in the wake of Hurricane Helene   Climate change destroyed an Alaska village. Its residents are starting over in a new town

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Tropical Storm Kirk forms, forecast to become large, powerful hurricane this week: NHC

null - Tropical Storm Kirk, the eleventh named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, formed over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/tropical-depression-12-forecast-become-large-powerful-hurricane-week-nhc.amp

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Helene's damage

 

The Southeastern US is grappling with widespread devastation after Helene made landfall Thursday as the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida's Big Bend region and tore through multiple states, killing at least 95 people. Millions are still without power and authorities warn electricity could be a week away or longer in some areas. In the Carolinas, days of unrelenting flooding have turned roads into waterways, left many without basic necessities and strained state resources. President Joe Biden will visit some of the affected communities later this week, "as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations," the White House said Sunday.

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Hurricane center eyes Gulf-bound system on top of Tropical Storm Kirk, 1 other Atlantic system

The National Hurricane Center is keeping watch of a system developing in the Caribbean that could head for the Gulf of Mexico and threaten the U.S. while keeping track of Tropical Storm Kirk and one more system in the Atlantic with a chance to become the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/01/hurricane-center-eyes-system-gulf-bound-system-on-top-of-tropical-storm-kirk-1-other-atlantic-system/?

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How to help

Debris is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene today in Asheville, N.C. Photo: Mike Stewart/AP Authorities and volunteers are organizing airlifts, and even enlisting mules, to get desperately needed aid into western North Carolina. Roads into Asheville and other, smaller cities and towns have washed away, making it all the more difficult to get food, clean water and other supplies to areas that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. ⛈️ The latest: The storm killed at least 121 people, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said today he expects that number to rise. Isolated residents are scrambling for clean water and have been without electricity or cell service for days. A medical helicopter takes off today near downtown Asheville. Photo: Mike Stewart/AP 🚁 The response: FEMA and other federal agencies have provided a cargo plane and many trucks full of aid, as well as 200 ambulances and 40 Starlink satellite systems. Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen arrived in Asheville today to serve free meals. Operation Airdrop is organizing pilots and small airplanes to fly supplies into areas where road access is limited. One volunteer showed up with a dozen mules, each of which can carry about 200 pounds of food, water and diapers into hard-to-reach mountain towns. Here's how you can help.

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Helene and other storms dumped 40 trillion gallons of rain on the South More than 40 trillion gallons of rain drenched the Southeast United States in the last week from Hurricane Helene and rainstorms that sloshed in ahead of it — an unheard of amount of water that has stunned experts. That’s enough to fill more than 60 million Olympic-size swimming pools, the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium 51,000 times, or Lake Tahoe just once. Read more.

Why this matters: Storms are getting wetter as the climate changes, said hurricane expert Kristen Corbosiero and North Carolina state climatologist Kathie Dello. Corbosiero said meteorologists are vigorously debating how much of Helene is due to worsening climate change and how much is random. In a quick analysis, not peer-reviewed but using a method published in a study about Hurricane Harvey’s rainfall, three scientists determined that climate change caused 50% more rainfall during Helene in some parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump makes false claims about federal response as he campaigns in area ravaged by Hurricane Helene   Biden plans survey of devastation in North Carolina as Helene’s death toll tops 130   How to help those affected by Hurricane Helene   Helene's aftermath   The death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached at least 130 and there are fears the number will continue to rise. Hundreds of people have been reported missing, perhaps unable to leave their location or unable to contact family where communications infrastructure is in shreds. More than 2 million customers were still without power across the southeastern US early today, according to PowerOutage.us. Extensive damage to roads and electric grids has isolated many remote communities in the Carolinas and prevented crews from reaching residents with vital supplies. Some emergency crews are relying on radio communications until mobile cell towers can be established.

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Kirk set to become a major hurricane. Plus, tracking development in the Gulf by the weekend

Kirk is forecast to become a major hurricane by the end of the week.

https://www.wjcl.com/article/hurricane-kirk-development-in-the-gulf/62482392

Search crews with cadaver dogs wade through muck of communities ‘wiped off the map’ by Helene

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — Cadaver dogs and search crews trudged through knee-deep muck and debris in the mountains of western North Carolina on Tuesday looking for more victims of Hurricane Helene days after the storm carved a deadly and destructive path through the Southeast.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/01/search-crews-with-cadaver-dogs-wade-through-muck-of-communities-wiped-off-the-map-by-helene/

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⛈️ 40 trillion gallons of rain

Data: Drive NC; Map: Axios Visuals More than 40 trillion gallons of rain drenched the Southeast over the past week — enough to fill Lake Tahoe. "That's an astronomical amount of precipitation," Ed Clark, the head of NOAA's National Water Center, told AP. 🚑 The latest: Roads in western North Carolina remain closed as rescue efforts continue. The death toll from Hurricane Helene is now above 150 and still climbing. Hundreds of thousands of people in multiple states are still without power. President Biden will fly over western North Carolina tomorrow. Go deeper. Search crews with cadaver dogs wade through muck of communities ‘wiped off the map’ by Helene SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — Cadaver dogs and search crews trudged through knee-deep muck and debris in the mountains of western North Carolina on Tuesday looking for more victims of Hurricane Helene days after the storm carved a deadly and destructive path through the Southeast. https://apnews.com/article/helene-asheville-north-carolina-c5ff143de63e31bd345066221f5e4d24?

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Hurricane Helene devastation could cost billions President Joe Biden will survey the devastation in North and South Carolina on Wednesday as rescuers continue their search for anyone still unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage across the Southeast. “We have to jump start this recovery process,” Biden said Tuesday, estimating it will cost billions. “People are scared to death. This is urgent.” Read more.

Key points: Helene, one of the deadliest storms in recent U.S. history, knocked out power and cellular service for millions. More than 1.2 million customers still were in the dark early Wednesday in the Carolinas and Georgia. Some residents cooked food on charcoal grills or hiked to high ground in the hopes of finding a signal to let loved ones know they are alive. Mayor Zeb Smathers of Canton, North Carolina, expressed frustration that so many of his constituents were still without cellphone service with no clear timetable for when it would be restored.   On Tuesday, cadaver dogs and search crews trudged through knee-deep muck and debris in the mountains of western North Carolina looking for more victims. At least 57 people were killed in Buncombe County alone, home to the city of Asheville, a tourism haven.   More than 150,000 households have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and that number is expected to rise rapidly in the coming days, said Frank Matranga, an agency representative. Nearly 2 million ready-to-eat meals and more than a million liters of water have been sent to the hardest-hit areas, he said.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ After Helene’s destruction, a mountain town reliant on fall tourism wonders what’s next   11 workers at a Tennessee factory were swept away in Hurricane Helene flooding. Only 5 were rescued   Hurricane Helene’s victims include first responders who died helping others Helene aid   At least 162 people have died and many more are missing as communities work to clean up Hurricane Helene's catastrophic damage. Six days after the storm hit, residents in North Carolina are still struggling to access necessities like food and water. Thousands are without power and travel remains dangerous with hundreds of roads closed. President Joe Biden is expected to fly over Asheville, North Carolina, today, where the damage from Helene has so severely narrowed access to the city that the president's motorcade cannot make it in, the mayor said. Officials said at least 20,000 people across the Southeastern US have registered for assistance and are anxiously awaiting resources after the storm left hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

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Hurricane center tracks system that could hit Florida while TD13 joins Hurricane Kirk in Atlantic

As Hurricane Kirk gained strength and Tropical Depression Thirteen formed Wednesday but were no threat to land in the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center was keeping track of system that could develop in the Gulf of Mexico and turn toward Florida.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/02/hurricane-center-gives-moderate-odds-for-gulf-high-odds-for-atlantic-system-to-develop-as-hurricane-kirk-churns/?

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How to help Hurricane Helene victims

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida last week as a category 4 storm, bringing damaging winds and catastrophic flooding to the state’s Gulf Coast before wreaking havoc in other southeastern states. Some of the worst devastation from the storm — blamed for more than 160 deaths across the South  — was in North Carolina.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/02/how-to-help-hurricane-helene-victims/?

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Hurricane Kirk strengthens into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Kirk strengthened Wednesday into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and was expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane, forecasters said.

https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-kirk-tropical-weather-atlantic-0f8b0e346325e2dca6c4c8119f6c1b14?

Childhood vaccines

 

A record share of US kindergartners had an exemption for required vaccinations in the last school year, leaving more than 125,000 new schoolchildren without coverage for at least one state-mandated vaccine, according to new data published Wednesday by the CDC. Measles vaccination coverage among kindergartners varies widely by state, but only about a dozen states met the federal target of 95% for measles vaccination among kindergartners, the CDC data shows. Rates for other state-mandated vaccinations — including diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis, known as DTaP, and polio — also declined. In communities where vaccination coverage lags, it can create an opportune environment for illnesses to spread, medical experts say.

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Florida faces dual tropical threats. See latest radar, forecast to stay informed

Florida could face tropical threats from two directions later this weekend and into next week: Hurricane Kirk in the Atlantic and a system entering the Gulf of Mexico.

https://local.newsbreak.com/florida-state/3618394904779-florida-faces-dual-tropical-threats-see-latest-radar-forecast-to-stay-informed?

Florida communities hit three times by hurricanes grapple with how and whether to rebuild

HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — It was just a month ago that Brooke Hiers left the state-issued emergency trailer where her family had lived since Hurricane Idalia slammed into her Gulf Coast fishing village of Horseshoe Beach in August 2023.

https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-climate-change-florida-big-bend-182d68761b3d2328e56e3fb8d9cdb802?

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Helene's aftermath

 

At least 213 people have died since Hurricane Helene slammed the Southeast more than a week ago. Searches for missing loved ones grow more desperate each day as officials say hundreds are unaccounted for and rescue crews are hindered by ongoing cell service issues and washed-out roads. People have reported hiking for hours to check on trapped loved ones and spending agonizing moments scouring soaked river banks for those swept away with their homes. In North Carolina's Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, more than 200 people were unaccounted for as of Thursday and 72 people had been found dead so far, the county sheriff said. Helene has become the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and officials fear the death toll will continue to climb.

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National Hurricane Center increases the chance of tropical development in the Gulf of Mexico

The chance of tropical development in the Gulf of Mexico continues to increase. The National Hurricane Center says there is a 70% chance of a named storm forming over the next 7 days. 

https://www.wjcl.com/article/monitoring-possible-tropical-development-in-the-gulf-of-mexico-milton-may-form-in-the-days-ahead/62516070

NHC expects major Hurricane Milton to strike Florida on Wednesday

The National Hurricane Center warned Saturday that newly formed Tropical Storm Milton will intensify into a major hurricane before it hits Florida on Wednesday.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/05/hurricane-center-expects-tropical-system-to-form-before-hitting-florida/?

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Tropical Storm Milton: Maps, models and track of potential Florida landfall

Tropical Storm Milton formed in the SW Gulf of Mexico Saturday afternoon and is predicted to become a major hurricane with a Florida landfall this week. 

https://www.nbc-2.com/article/hurricane-milton-tracker-tropical-storm-southwest-florida/62520551

Hurricane Milton forms, forecast to strike Florida as ‘life-threatening’ Category 3 storm

The National Hurricane Center on Sunday upped the alarm on how intense newly formed Hurricane Milton will be when it strikes Florida in a few days.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/06/nhc-says-a-cat-3-hurricane-milton-with120-mph-winds-will-make-florida-landfall/?

Hurricane Milton forecast to grow to 145 mph, then dial back before striking Florida as ‘life-threatening’ storm

The National Hurricane Center on Sunday upped the alarm on how intense newly formed Hurricane Milton will be when it strikes Florida in a few days.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/06/nhc-says-a-cat-3-hurricane-milton-with120-mph-winds-will-make-florida-landfall/?

Hurricane Milton is growing stronger as it blows toward Florida’s Tampa Bay region

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Milton quickly intensified Sunday and is on track to become a major hurricane with the Tampa Bay area in its sights, putting Florida on edge and triggering evacuation orders along a coast still reeling from Helene’s devastation.

https://apnews.com/article/tropical-weather-milton-helene-florida-fe1a0232599542fffeb080e5d3a3683e?

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Hurricane forecast: Milton may bring worst surge in a century to Tampa, southwest Florida

Less than two weeks after Helene, Milton will strike the peninsular Florida Gulf Coast.

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/hurricane/2024/10/06/hurricane-milton-forecast-florida-in-line-for-historic-deadly-surge-tracking-tropical-storm-path/75532473007/?

🌀 Next major hurricane

Image: National Hurricane Center Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene left more than 200 dead and thousands with flooded and damaged homes across the southeast, Florida's Gulf Coast is preparing for another destructive storm. This one could be historic, Axios' Andrew Freedman and Sommer Brugal write. Threat level: Milton was upgraded to hurricane status yesterday, and is forecast to hit the damaged west coast of Florida on Wednesday into Thursday as a major hurricane. The area under greatest threat for landfall includes the Tampa Bay area — and communities north to Crystal River and south to Naples. A direct hit on Tampa could be extremely damaging for that storm surge-prone city. Keep reading ...

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Category 5 Hurricane Milton ‘ferocious’ with 180 mph winds; 15-foot storm surge projected for Florida

Hurricane Milton surged Monday into a monster Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds in the Gulf of Mexico, and is forecast to remain a dangerous major hurricane ahead of landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/07/intensifying-hurricane-milton-now-category-2-prompts-florida-storm-surge-warnings-hurricane-watches/?

Hurricane Milton

Less than two weeks after Helene made landfall, Florida residents are bracing for another major storm. Milton is expected to hit the Gulf Coast of Florida as a destructive and life-threatening Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday with 120 mph winds. It is forecast to strike between Cedar Key and Naples, which includes the Tampa area. And with very low vertical wind shear and incredibly warm sea-surface temperatures, Milton will be able to gain strength over the next few days. Parts of the state could see more than 15 inches of rainfall, according to the National Hurricane Center. Some of the same communities are dealing with the effects of Helene — which hit Florida's Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane and killed at least 232 people across the Southeast.

 

Florida gears up for what could be its biggest evacuation in years Hurricane Milton has strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it heads toward major population centers including Tampa and Orlando. This comes as the St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up extensive damage from Hurricane Helene and its powerful storm surge. Read more.

Why this matters: Hurricane Milton grew into a major hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico as storm surge and hurricane watches for parts of Florida and a hurricane warning for the Mexican coast were issued, the National Hurricane Center said.   While forecast models vary widely, the most likely path suggests Milton could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other southeastern states ravaged by Hurricane Helene.    About 7 million people were urged to evacuate Florida in 2017 as Hurricane Irma bore down on the state. The exodus jammed freeways, led to hourslong lines at gas stations that still had fuel and left evacuees frustrated and, in some cases, vowing never to evacuate again. Building on lessons learned, Florida is staging emergency fuel for gas vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes, officials said.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ How to help those affected by Hurricane Helene    US disaster relief chief blasts false claims about Helene response   Voters in North Carolina and Georgia have bigger problems than politics. Helene changed everything

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Pinellas storm surge from Milton could ‘nearly double’ the size of Helene’s

Officials in Pinellas County said Sunday that the storm surge from what is now Hurricane Milton could be as high as 10 feet, nearly double the amount that residents on the barrier islands contended with from Hurricane Helene just a little over a week ago.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/10/06/pinellas-storm-surge-from-milton-could-nearly-double-the-size-of-helenes/?

Hurricane Milton is a Category 5. Florida orders evacuations and scrambles to clear Helene’s debris

BELLEAIR BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s storm-battered Gulf Coast raced against a Category 5 hurricane Monday as workers sprinted to pick up debris left over from Helene two weeks ago and highways were clogged with people fleeing ahead of the storm.

https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-helene-florida-557c5c512135e0a8661b298e45e17c92?

Hurricane Milton takes aim at Tampa

Data: NOAA. Map: Axios Visuals Hurricane Milton — now a Category 5 storm, with winds clocked at 175 mph — is bearing down on Tampa Bay and the rest of Florida's Gulf Coast. State and federal disaster-response agencies are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene as Milton intensifies "explosively." ⛈️ The big picture: Milton poses a potential worst-case scenario for flooding in highly populated portions of Florida's west coast, Axios' Sommer Brugal and Andrew Freedman write. Tampa has long been considered one of the most vulnerable cities in the U.S. It has escaped with several near misses — including Helene — but Milton could be the first major hurricane in more than a century to hit the region directly. Via X ✈️ The latest: Tampa's airport is closing tomorrow morning. The Orlando airport will close Wednesday morning. Cars backed up for miles and many gas stations ran out of gas as people evacuated the Fort Myers area. Go deeper.

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Category 5 Milton poses an exceptionally serious threat to Florida’s west coast

One of the fastest-intensifying Atlantic hurricanes on record, Milton is on track to slam into Florida’s west coast with potentially catastrophic storm surge.

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/10/category-5-milton-poses-an-exceptionally-serious-threat-to-floridas-west-coast/

 

🌀 Hurricane double disaster

A boarded-up home in Port Richey, Fla., yesterday ahead of Hurricane Milton. Photo: Mike Carlson/AP Emergency responders game out worst-case scenarios. But they rarely see one like this roar to life: A Category 4 hurricane (down from 5 yesterday) is bearing down on Florida's Gulf Coast, just 12 days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in the same region, Axios' Avery Lotz, Andrew Freedman and Andrew Solender write. Milton's center could come ashore tomorrow evening in the Tampa Bay region, which hasn't endured a direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921. Why it matters: Hurricane Milton frightens authorities and experts because it strengthened so rapidly, threatens heavily populated areas and is hitting so close to Hurricane Helene. A direct hit on Tampa looks frighteningly possible. 🖼️ The big picture: Just 9% of FEMA's workforce is available to respond to new disasters, according to the agency's daily operations brief. Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is set up as a staging site for first responders. Photo: Octavio Jones/Reuters ⚠️ Emergency managers in Florida have simulated a "black swan event" in which a Category 4 or 5 hurricane hits Tampa Bay, as Milton is threatening to do, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who led the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2019 to 2021, told Axios. Get the latest.   Hurricane Milton Hurricane Milton, the planet's strongest storm this year, is expected to deliver severe impacts as it barrels toward Florida. While the storm strengthened to a Category 5 on Monday, forecasts show it will fluctuate in intensity before ultimately making landfall Wednesday as a Category 3. Milton's dangerous eye and eyewall could come ashore anywhere from Cedar Key in the north to Naples in the south, possibly in the Tampa or Fort Myers areas. More than 12 million people are under hurricane watches and warnings, and over 8 million are under tropical storm watches. Many flights in the region have been canceled and a mass exodus is occurring along roads as thousands follow mandatory evacuation orders ahead of Milton's arrival.

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Why Tampa Bay is so vulnerable to hurricanes While Floridians are no strangers to storms, Tampa hasn’t been in the direct path of a major hurricane in over a century. In that period, the area has exploded in growth. A 2015 report from a catastrophe modeling firm concluded that Tampa Bay is the most vulnerable place in the U.S. to storm surge flooding from a hurricane and stands to lose $175 billion in damage. Read more.

What to know: The heightened risk is partially a result of topography. The Gulf of Mexico coastline of Florida is shallow with a gentle, sloping shelf. The higher ocean floor acts as a barrier that retains the storm’s outflow of water, forcing the ocean to surge onto shore.     Also lurking in the waves and wind are the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures from greenhouse gas emissions have warmed the oceans, led to sea level rise and added moisture to the air — all key factors determining a hurricane’s strength and the potential flooding it can cause.   Especially high water temperatures act like fuel for storms. “Milton’s rapid intensification is incredible,” University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said in an email. “I’ve been pointing out for months, the Gulf has been and is record or near-record warm.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What to know about Hurricane Milton as it moves toward Florida's Gulf Coast   How to prepare ahead of a hurricane strike   Control the path and power of hurricanes like Milton? Forget it, scientists say

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Tampa mayor fears Milton could be worst storm to hit the city in more than a century

As Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm Monday morning, public officials in Hillsborough County had a simple and direct message for residents of areas subject to evacuation orders — if they failed to go, they could die.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/10/07/tampa-mayor-fears-milton-could-be-worst-storm-to-hit-the-city-in-more-than-a-century/?

Milton may be one of west Central Florida’s most destructive hurricanes

Packing sustained winds of 165 mph Tuesday afternoon, Hurricane Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west Central Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/10/08/milton-may-be-one-of-west-central-floridas-most-destructive-hurricanes/?