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The tropical system which would be Helene is developing in the Western Caribbean Sea. The storm is forecast to strengthen and move into the Gulf of Mexico. Interests along the Eastern GOM coast should monitor the progress of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, and additional watches or warnings could be required later tonight or tomorrow. Hurricane Hunters initiated flights to the storm system this morning. All links and images are self-updating. Mash images to enlarge Public AdvisoriesNHC DiscussionsNWS Tampa Bay FLNWS Key West FLNWS Tallahassee FL WFLA TampaWCTV TallahasseeWWSB Sarasota/BradentonWINK News Ft. MyersWJHG Panama City News

The Atlantic just made history for an unexpected distinction: The longest stretch without a single late-summer cyclone. It has meteorologists concerned delicate public trust is at risk.

The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season is finally heating up. The tropical system which could be Francine is developing in the Bay of Campeche. The storm is forecast to move toward the NW Gulf of Mexico. Interests along the Texas and Louisiana coastline should monitor the progress of Potential Tropical Cyclone Six, and additional watches or warnings could be required later tonight or tomorrow. All links and images are self-updating Mash images to enlarge Public AdvisoriesNHC DiscussionsNWS Lake Charles, LANWS Houston/Galveston

It has been the longest stormless streak in the Atlantic Basin in over 50 years, and AccuWeather meteorologists point to several factors that have put a temporary pause on the 2024 hurricane season.

Never, in the 20-plus years it had been issuing outlooks, had the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted so many tropical storms to develop in the Atlantic hurricane basin, with conditions across thousands of miles of ocean aligned perfectly. “That’s the highest forecast that we’ve had,” Ken Graham, National Hurricane Center director, announced at the annual preseason media briefing in May. NOAA seconded the motion in its Aug. 7 update with a warning that the 2024 season “could rank among the busiest on record.” Every other major forecasting service was on board.

As the Atlantic hurricane season reaches its peak, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring a new area of potential development in the central tropical Atlantic. This system could form over the Labor Day weekend or early next week, potentially disrupting travel and weather patterns. While the chance of development is currently low, favorable environmental conditions could lead to gradual organization of the system as it moves westward.

A Killer Hurricane Our Country Will Never Forget Hurricane Katrina (August 2005) became a large and extremely powerful hurricane that caused enormous destruction and significant loss of life. It is the costliest hurricane to ever hit the United States, surpassing the record previously held by Hurricane Andrew from 1992. In addition, Katrina is one of the five deadliest hurricanes to ever strike the United States. In all, Hurricane Katrina was responsible for 1,833 fatalities and approximately $108 billion in damage (un-adjusted 2005 dollars). On August 23rd, a tropical depression formed over the southeastern Bahamas, becoming Tropical Storm Katrina on August...

A surge of hurricanes and tropical storms will shatter the silence across the Atlantic Ocean less than three weeks before the peak of hurricane season. Dry, dusty air kept most tropical activity across the Atlantic at bay throughout most of August, with Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Ernesto being the two exceptions. However, a major shift in the weather pattern will soon blow the doors wide open for a frenzy of tropical activity to unfold. “I think things could get very active potentially very quickly here as soon as that dry air goes away,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said,...

FLORIDA — Anywhere from 17 to 24 named storms with winds 39 mph or greater are forecast during what is expected to be a “highly active” Atlantic hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its mid-season hurricane outlook update Wednesday. Hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30. Of these named storms, anywhere from eight to 13 could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including four to seven major hurricanes that are category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher. The updated outlook includes the four named storms to date.

More than $1 million worth of cocaine washed up on a beach in the Florida Keys after Hurricane Debby battered the Gulf Coast’s Big Bend Monday morning, officials said. Debby, which made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early in the morning, carried more than two dozen 70-pound packages of cocaine ashore as winds topped 80 miles per hour, US Border Patrol said. “Hurricane Debby blew 25 packages of cocaine (70 lbs.) onto a beach in the Florida Keys,” US Border Patrol acting chief patrol Agent Samuel Briggs II said in a social media post. Briggs shared photos of the...

Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida in the Florida Big Bend. While moving inland, Debby was downgraded to a Tropical Storm. The storm is expected to bring major flooding to the Southeastern U.S. over the next several days as the storm slows to a crawl. Mash the graphics below to enlarge. All links and images are self-updating. Jacksonville FLCharleston SCMorehead City NC NHC Public Advisories NHC Discussions Tropical Tidbits by Levi Cowan NWS Jacksonville FL NWS Charleston SC NWS Morehead City NC Local News: Action News JaxWESH2 OrlandoWTOC Savannah GAWJCL Savannah GAWCSC Live 5 News Charleston SCABC News 4...

STEINHATCHEE, Fla. – Hurricane Debby made landfall early Monday morning along Florida’s Big Bend, blasting the state with flooding rain, damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge. The Category 1 storm hit near Steinhatchee about 7 a.m. ET with winds topping 80 mph. By midweek, the storm is expected to dump extreme amounts of nearly 2 feet of rain on parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is forecasting “potentially historic rainfall” across southeastern Georgia and South Carolina through Friday, causing widespread flash flooding and life-threatening conditions. The governors of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have declared...

Tropical Storm watches and warnings have been issued from the Florida Keys up the Florida Gulf Coast to Suwanee. The system is crossing Central Cuba, moving at 16mph. The disturbance is expected to develop into a tropical depression on Saturday as it moves across the Straits of Florida, followed by intensification into a tropical storm by Saturday night. Governor DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 54 counties, most along the Gulf Coast and in northern Florida, to move assets in preparation for the storm. August 13 marks 20 years since Hurricane Charley made landfall near Punta Gorda FL. The...

A​ disturbance in the Atlantic continues to be watched for possible formation into a tropical storm, but there are multiple scenarios in play when it comes to the track of this system as it nears the Bahamas and the southeastern United States by this weekend. W​here is the disturbance now? The tropical wave that might eventually grow into a tropical depression or storm is located near the Leeward Islands, or near the "X" in the graphic below, according to the National Hurricane Center. It's been battling an abundance of dry air for days but is now showing some signs of...

After weeks of quiet, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is watching a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean. Located east of the Lesser Antilles, this disturbance is expected to interact with an approaching tropical wave during the next several days, according to the NHC. There is a medium chance that the disturbance will develop, but the odds have been increasing over the weekend. “Environmental conditions are forecast to become conducive for some development in a day or two, and a tropical depression could form around midweek while the system is near or over the northern Leeward Islands, Greater Antilles or...

Three men have been arrested after breaking into a Fiesta Mart grocery store that was without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Dorian Young, 33, Brandon Marsh, 34, and Samuel Austin, 25, have been charged with felonies, including burglary of a building. It is unclear whether these charges were upgraded because the store was impacted by Beryl at the time of the burglary. ... The burglary happened around noon back on Monday, July 8, in the immediate aftermath of the storm. However, the arrests and charges were not announced by Houston Police Department until Saturday morning.

Nearly a million Texans were still without power on Friday. And the utility company with the most outages was facing threats of violence. ... HOUSTON — Eating becomes more difficult when the power is out. Ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, and electric stove tops become obsolete. L. Myra Gainous’ shopping cart displayed that at an H-E-B grocery store Friday afternoon. As the 83-year-old Houstonian left the store, her cart was stocked with chips, bread and fruit snacks — food she can eat until her electricity returns. Gainous is one of nearly 1 million customers still living without power five days after Hurricane...

This year, hurricane season has taken off with a ferocious, ominous start thanks to Beryl—the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded, with winds topping out at 165 mph. Beryl bulldozed the Caribbean, made its way through Mexico and then plowed into Texas. As of the time of publication, over 2.1 million Texans are without power, just as a severe heat wave descends on the region. The increasing severity of hurricanes acutely stresses power grids like those in Texas, which could adversely affect everything from homes to health care facilities. It could cost a city "billions of dollars to recover from...

HOUSTON — Half a million Texans are expected to suffer through sweltering heat with no electricity into early next week after Hurricane Beryl knocked out power throughout the Houston area Monday, generating anger at the region’s large utility for failing to defend the grid from a predictable summer storm. Food is spoiling in dormant refrigerators days after the Category 1 hurricane tore through power lines and utility poles. Hospitals are swarming with patients struggling with heat stroke. Businesses can’t function as residents are ordered to stay home, and many residents faced at least three or four more days of continued...

CenterPoint is a $19 billion, for-profit corporation granted a monopoly over a hundred years ago to manage and maintain the transmission and distribution of electricity across the Houston region. This regulated utility failed to deliver power to 85% of its customers during the height of a mild hurricane. In a perfect world, the Public Utility Commission would have ensured CenterPoint maintained a grid resilient enough to withstand a stronger storm. Instead, elected officials are asking the wrong questions about the emergency response. “I’ll tell you whether I’m satisfied or not when I have a full report of where their crews...