ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN

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NBC NEWS

"Eta could produce torrential rain, strong wind for South Florida"


By Dennis Romero

Nov. 6, 2020

The former hurricane known as Eta was expected to regain strength Friday as it aimed its torrential rain and strong winds at South Florida and the Florida Keys, federal forecasters said.

Eta, which was downgraded to a tropical storm and then to a tropical depression Wednesday, caused a massive landslide Friday in San Cristobal Verapaz, Guatemala, where 100 people may have died, President Alejandro Giammattei said.

Video from Guatemala shows an army helicopter being used to rescue a family from a rooftop as flood waters inundated their community.

The storm Friday was about 115 miles east of Belize City, Belize, and was moving northeast at 7 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as the Cayman Islands and parts of Cuba were under tropical storm warnings.

Moving across the northwestern Caribbean on Friday, Eta was expected to restrengthen to a tropical storm.

It was forecast to spread heavy rain from Central America to southeastern Mexico and from Jamaica to the Cayman Islands.

Parts of South Florida and the Florida Keys were in for the possibility of 15 inches of rain by the time Eta brushes the coastline and then heads into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, the center said.


Winds by then could reach 65 mph, too weak to be considered hurricane-force, said atmospheric research scientist Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University.

The big concern as Eta aims for the U.S. is precipitation and the possibility of flash flooding, forecasters said.

"This is going to be a very big and very serious rain event," said National Hurricane Center meteorologist and spokesman Dennis Feltgen.

"There's a serious threat of some urban flooding."

He urged Florida residents to pay attention to the forecast.

Eta is considered life-threatening in part because it's spending plenty of time in one place.

"The storm is forecast to move relatively slowly as it approaches" the U.S., Klotzbach said by email.


U.S. landfall was yet to be forecast.

Eta was expected to weaken after it enters the Gulf of Mexico, Feltgen said.

Eta is punctuating a record-setting year in which 11 named tropical cyclones have made landfall in the continental United States.

Dennis Romero writes for NBC News and is based in Los Angeles.

The Associated Press contributed.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/et ... a-n1246857
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NBC NEWS

"Tropical Storm Eta brings rain and flash flooding to Florida; could strengthen into hurricane"


By Tim Fitzsimons

Nov. 9, 2020, 10:19 AM EST

Tropical Storm Eta continues to lash Florida with steady rain and localized downpours as it moves away from the state's southwest coast and over the Gulf of Mexico.

Eta made landfall late Sunday night over the Florida Keys and, as of a 7 a.m. ET government forecast, the storm has 65 mph winds and is located 80 miles west-northwest from Key West.

After it moves further west over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, Eta is expected to strengthen again into a Category 1 hurricane.

Much of southern Florida is under a tropical storm warning as of Monday morning.

While the highest wind recorded since Eta arrived at the shores of the U.S. was a 71 mph gust at Carysfort Reef in the Florida Keys, precipitation was worst overnight to the north and east of the storm's eye.

Rain bands dumped seven to 11 inches of precipitation that caused significant flash flooding around Miami and Fort Lauderdale that continues into Monday morning.

Rain is forecast for much of the state Monday, with two to four inches predicted with some localities expecting up to 18 inches, with isolated tornadoes.

Later in the week, there is more uncertainty about what track Eta will take.

The current forecast meanders Eta around the Gulf through late week before potentially making a second landfall along the northern Gulf Coast of Florida late Friday into early Saturday.

The storm is part of a record-shattering 2020 hurricane season.

It is the 12th named storm to make landfall on the continental United States; the previous record was nine.

And Eta is Florida's first November tropical storm landfall since 1998.

Eta carved a deadly path across Central America after it made landfall Tuesday as a Category 4 Hurricane.

Nicaragua recorded 140 mph winds and structural damage to buildings.

Over 100 people are reported missing in Guatemala and 27 are confirmed dead, and local authorities in Honduras say 21 have died in that country.

Twenty people were reported dead in southern Mexico.

Tim Fitzsimons reports on LGBTQ news for NBC Out.

The Associated Press and Kathryn Prociv contributed.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tr ... n-n1247076
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NBC NEWS

"At least six dead as heavy rains and Tropical Storm Eta soak southeast - Dozens of people were rescued and three bodies were found at a North Carolina campground, authorities said."


By Tim Stelloh, Tim Fitzsimons and Kathryn Prociv

Nov. 12, 2020, 9:10 AM EST / Updated Nov. 12, 2020, 8:02 PM EST

At least six people are dead, including five in North Carolina, as Tropical Storm Eta soaked the southeast and made landfall for the second time in four days in Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said that heavy rain and flooding in the Tar Heel state wasn't directly linked to the storm, but was part of a "frontal boundary" that had spread north across the Carolinas on Thursday.

By Thursday night, the center of the storm was just off the South Carolina coast, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to the region, the center said.

Eta was moving northeast at 17 mph.

Authorities in Alexander County, North Carolina, said that three bodies were found at a flooded campground about 60 miles north of Charlotte on Thursday morning.

Thirty-one people were rescued from the Hiddenite Family Campground and two people are still missing.

Alexander County Sheriff Chris Bowman said that the campground has a fast-rising river that has previously seen evacuations amid heavy rain.

“That’s exactly what happened last night and this morning,” he told reporters, adding that it had been years since a storm dumped so much water at one time on the region.

Another person died in a car accident in the nearby community of Vashti after one of four bridges in the county were washed out by what officials described as major flooding.

The county saw 10 inches of rain overnight, leaving 50 roads compromised, said Alexander County director of public services Doug Gillespie.

In Rolesville, east of Raleigh, a child drowned in a flooded creek, authorities in Wake County said Thursday, and in Manatee County, Florida, a man died late Wednesday after being shocked by electrical appliances.

He had been trying to sandbag his flooded garage, said Jacob Sauer, the county's director of public safety.

In Charlotte, the fire department rescued 143 students from a charter school north of the city.

Images showed what appeared to be more than a dozen cars submerged in water.

No injuries were reported.

Earlier Thursday, the storm made landfall in Florida, bringing high winds and storm surge to a swathe of the Sunshine State's Gulf Coast.

Eta made landfall at 4 a.m. on Cedar Key with 50 mph winds.

Overnight, the storm dumped three to seven inches of rain in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota area.

Tampa's rainfall of 3.99 inches on Wednesday was the wettest November day on record; Sarasota's 6.41 inches was also the wettest November day on record.

Photos posted online by the Bradenton Police Department showed extensive flooding in that city, which is 45 miles south of Tampa.

Thursday's Florida landfall was Eta's fourth overall on its winding journey across the Caribbean Sea.

It first made landfall as a deadly Category 4 storm in Nicaragua and has visited several countries in nine days, killing dozens in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Tim Stelloh is a reporter for NBC News based in California.

Tim Fitzsimons reports on LGBTQ news for NBC Out.

Kathryn Prociv is a meteorologist and producer for NBC News.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tr ... g-n1247522
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ORLANDO SENTINEL

"Hurricane Iota strengthens to Category 2, expected to become ‘catastrophic’ storm hitting Central America"


By Paola Pérez, Lynnette Cantos and Lisa Maria Garza, Orlando Sentinel

Nov 15, 2020 at 6:51 PM

Hurricane Iota became a Category 2 storm Sunday evening and is quickly gaining strength as it moves closer to Central America with forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warning the storm could bring catastrophic winds, a life-threatening storm surge and torrential rainfall to the region.

Iota is approaching Nicaragua and Honduras and may be at or near Category 4 strength at landfall, according to the latest forecast.

The region is still recovering after Hurricane Eta hit earlier this month as a Category 4 hurricane.

Today is your last guaranteed day to prepare for #Hurricane #Iota since tropical-storm conditions are likely to start by Monday morning on the coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua. This is an extremely dangerous situation with Iota expected to be category 4 at landfall! pic.twitter.com/AdEgFwk9GG

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) November 15, 2020

At 7 p.m. EST Sunday, Hurricane Iota was located about 110 miles east of Isla de Providencia, Colombia, and about 255 miles east-southeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua/Honduras border.

Iota’s maximum sustained winds are up to 100 mph with higher gusts, and it’s moving wes across the southwestern Caribbean Sea at 9 mph, the NHC said.

Iota is expected to become a Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds as it reaches Central America.

It’s the 13th hurricane of the season, and once it reaches Category 3 strength, it would be the sixth major hurricane of the season.

“Rapid strengthening is expected during the next 36 hours, and Iota is forecast to be an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane when it approaches Central America,” forecasters said.

Iota is expected to bring potentially catastrophic winds, a life-threatening storm surge, and extreme rainfall impacts to Central America, the National Hurricane Center said.

Iota would also be the second major hurricane to form in November after Eta.

This would mark the first hurricane season on record with two major hurricane formations in November, according to Colorado State University meteorologist researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Iota’s hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 125 miles from the center.

The storm poses no threat to Florida.

“On the forecast track, the core of Iota will move across the southwestern Caribbean Sea today, pass near or over Providencia island late tonight or Monday, and approach the coasts of northeastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras within the hurricane warning area late Monday,” forecasters said.

Iota is expected to produce 8 to 16 inches of rain, with isolated 20- to 30-inch totals, across portions of Honduras, northern Nicaragua, Guatemala and southern Belize through Friday next week, the NHC said.

Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, southern Nicaragua and northern Colombia can expect between 1 to 8 inches, with isolated totals of 12 inches of rainfall.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the island of Providencia; the coast of Nicaragua, from its border with Honduras to Sandy Bay Sirpi; and the coast of northeastern Honduras from Punta Patuca to its border with Nicaragua.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the island of San Andrés.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for San Andrés; the coast of Nicaragua, from south of Sandy Bay Sirpi to Bluefields; and the northern coast of Honduras from west of Punta Patuca to Punta Castilla.

Tropical storm conditions are expected on the islands of San Andrés and Providencia starting Sunday afternoon into the night, with hurricane conditions coming late Sunday into early Monday.

Nicaragua and Honduras can expected hurricane conditions by late Monday.

Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are possible along parts of the coast of Colombia and the southern coasts of Hispaniola and Jamaica over the next day or two, due to swells caused by Iota, forecasters said.

These swells will reach the coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras Sunday night into Monday.

Iota formed in the Caribbean on Friday afternoon, becoming the 30th named storm of a record-breaking hurricane season.

It grew from a tropical depression earlier Friday.

Iota’s familiar path

Iota is moving along the same path that Tropical Storm Eta took two weeks ago, when it headed straight for Central America and also strengthened into a major hurricane.

Unlike Eta, though, Iota is not expected to turn and impact the United States.

The general consensus of spaghetti models shows Hurricane Iota targeting Central America on a similar path to Hurricane Eta.

One model shows Iota abruptly stopping and staying north toward Cuba, and another shooting straight for Mexico.

Eta thrashed Nicaragua and Honduras as a major Category 4 storm and weakened to a depression over the region’s mountainous terrain.

It then turned back towards the Caribbean and redeveloped into a tropical storm to target the Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Bahamas and, ultimately, Florida.

“Central America is going to be impacted a lot because they have already seen very heavy rains and strong winds just about ten days ago, and more is on the way,” Fox 35 meteorologist Allison Gargaro said.

People in the region are still grappling with the aftermath of Eta, which has been blamed for the deaths of at least 120 people as its torrential rains brought flash floods and landslides to parts of Central America and Mexico.

Parts of Honduras and Nicaragua are still flooded and recovering from Eta’s damage.

After ravaging the region, Eta then turned, meandered across Cuba, the Florida Keys and around the Gulf of Mexico before slogging ashore again near Cedar Key, Florida.

It then dashed across Florida and the Carolinas.

Eta made landfall over Lower Matecumbe Key late last Sunday.

It dumped torrential rain across South Florida, causing flooding and whipping up winds and storm surge.

The NHC has stopped tracking Tropical Storm Eta.

Forecasters predict Eta and its remnants will accelerate in speed and sprint northeast away from the U.S.

The official end of hurricane season is two weeks away, so if the tropics continue to churn out waves with high chances for development, the world may see more record-breaking figures and potentially more dangerous storms.

The earlier tropical depression tied 2005′s 31 tropical systems.

The previous record for named storms was 29, also set in 2005, which was surpassed earlier this week with the formation of Tropical Storm Theta.

Theta, now a Post-Tropical Cyclone, is continuing its eastbound journey, last located about 650 miles southeast of the Azores.

The storm has weakened to 30 mph maximum sustained winds and is moving at 2 mph.

In its last advisory on the system, the NHC said Sunday that Theta had degenerated into a remnant low and that it should fully dissipate by Tuesday.

Orlando Sentinel staff writers Joe Mario Pedersen, Dave Harris, Richard Tribou, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

paoperez@orlandosentinel.com; lcantos@orlandosentinel.com; lgarza@orlandosentinel.com

Paola Pérez is a web producer for the Sentinel, working behind the scenes on the homepage and social media. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, she lived in Fort Myers, Florida, since 2003, and then went on to study journalism at the University of Central Florida. Paola also served as a reporter at the New York Times' Student Institute.

Lynnette Cantos is a digital content producer for the Orlando Sentinel who handles the home page and social-media accounts on nights and weekends. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico but has lived in the Sunshine State for almost a decade. Previously, she was a regional video producer for McClatchy and graduated from Florida Atlantic University.

Lisa Maria Garza covers Winter Park, Maitland, Eatonville and east Orange County for the Orlando Sentinel. She previously reported general news for Reuters, based in Dallas, and graduated from the University of North Texas. Lisa, a San Antonio native, moved to Florida with her two cats but remains a loyal Spurs fan.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather ... story.html
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CNN

"Southeast braced for a significant tornado outbreak as storms move into the area"


By Christina Maxouris and Eric Levenson, CNN

Updated 6:28 PM ET, Wed March 17, 2021

(CNN) - Severe thunderstorms with the potential for a significant tornado outbreak are hitting the US Southeast Wednesday after the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center issued a rare "high risk" level warning.

Long-track, intense tornadoes were expected to begin in parts of Louisiana and Arkansas on Wednesday afternoon and then spread eastward and peak at night in Mississippi and Alabama, the center said.

Atmospheric conditions across the region make this threat for tornadoes as bad as it gets.

The high level threat covers 3 million people, and in all, about 45 million people are under a severe weather threat from the storms and could see tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds.

Adding to the concern is that nighttime tornadoes can be more dangerous given that people are sleeping and may be unprepared to take immediate shelter.

The risk level for tornadoes and severe storms was raised to the highest possible level -- 5 out of 5 -- a rare incident, the center says.

The last such high risk was issued in May 2019 when the central Plains were hit with dozens of tornadoes and flash flooding.


As of Wednesday afternoon, a line of severe storms had moved into Louisiana and Arkansas, prompting seven separate tornado watches in the broader region covering about 14 million people.

Two of these tornado watches were deemed a "Particularly Dangerous Situation," or PDS, which is issued when the forecaster has high confidence that multiple strong or violent tornadoes (EF2 or higher) will occur in that area.

One PDS is active in parts of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, while another PDS is active in central Mississippi and Alabama.

Individual supercells will begin to develop ahead of that main line of storms from central Mississippi into central Alabama.

This will be the most dangerous part of the outbreak, the center said, as these storms typically have the greatest potential to produce long-track, intense tornadoes.

The main line of storms is then expected to continue eastward through Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama through the evening.

It will eventually reach Georgia in the overnight hours and then the Carolinas on Thursday.

A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for a tornado, while a tornado warning is more immediate and means one has been sighted or may be happening.

Possible tornadoes spotted

Severe conditions and potential tornadoes have already been reported in the Southeast.

Josh Pate shot video of a thunderstorm Wednesday afternoon as it crossed US Highway 82 near Billingsley, Alabama, which is about 28 miles northeast of Selma.

Tornado crossing US-82 south of County Rd 187 @spann @JoshJohnson pic.twitter.com/oLRPosIwH1
— Josh Pate 🎙🏈 (@LateKickJosh) March 17, 2021

The video "shows a rotating thunderstorm and a potential tornado forming," said CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.

A confirmed "large and extremely dangerous" tornado was spotted near Shelton State Community College just south of Tuscaloosa at 2:45 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama.

The storm is moving northeast at 30 mph and has previously produced damage and potential injuries in Moundville, according to the National Weather Service.

A tornado warning was issued Wednesday afternoon for the University of Alabama, which urged those on campus to seek shelter immediately.

A possible tornado that touched down earlier Wednesday in Wayne County, Mississippi, caused no reported injuries but reportedly damaged two homes and destroyed three chicken houses, according to Angela Atchison of Wayne County Emergency Management.

There are also some roads that are blocked due to debris that officials were working to remove.

Authorities warn of "life-threatening" event

The weather service office in Birmingham warned that "strong to violent tornadoes are expected."

Some areas are at a high risk of violent long-track tornadoes, damaging winds of over 80 mph as well as tennis ball-sized hail, the service said.

The Alabama Emergency Management Agency warned the storms could be a "dangerous and life-threatening event."

The areas threatened Wednesday are no strangers to the danger.

The last level 5 risk for Birmingham and Tuscaloosa in Alabama came on April 27, 2011, in an outbreak that featured the most tornadoes in one day, more than 170, and killed more than 300 people, the deadliest tornado day in 75 years.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency, saying in a statement Tuesday she did so "out of an abundance of caution."

"Projections are showing that this will likely be a widespread event, with some of the most severe weather anticipated late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning," Ivey said in a statement.

"Please make preparations now in the event your area is impacted in some way."

"I will continue keeping a close eye on the system and encourage every Alabamian to do the same," the governor added.

Other officials also urged residents of the state to prepare.

"Ensure you have multiple ways to receive warnings," the weather service in Mobile wrote on Twitter.

"Also have a plan on a safe place to go should a warning be issued."

"Please, do NOT focus on the exact risk level."

"Everybody in the region needs to be prepared for significant severe weather!"

CNN's Dave Alsup, Jackson Dill, Monica Garrett, Jennifer Gray, Dave Hennen, Kay Jones, Brandon Miller and David Williams contributed to this report.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/17/weather/ ... index.html
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NPR

"Tornadoes Strike Alabama, Georgia Leaving At Least 5 Dead"


Vanessa Romo, Russell Lewis, Jaclyn Diaz

Updated March 26, 2021

Deadly tornadoes that ripped through Alabama throughout Thursday remain a significant threat to other Southern states as the sun rises on Friday.

At least five deaths and multiple injuries have been reported in Calhoun County, Ala., after a tornado hit the region, county coroner Pat Brown told NPR Thursday.

Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Brian Hastings estimated Thursday night that hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged in his state.


The tornado was part of a "particularly dangerous" system of storms rolling across the Deep South, just south of Birmingham, Ala.

The storm is a long-track "super cell" and produced multiple tornadoes in multiple counties across central Alabama.

It traveled in excess of 100 miles before it hit the state.

That system was clear of Alabama by midnight Friday, but continued heading east to Georgia overnight causing damage there as well.

The Georgian city of Newnan, southwest of Atlanta, was hit hard during the early morning hours of Friday, according to local reports.

The population of Newnan hovers around 40,000.

Meteorologists said a tornado likely landed in the town at roughly around midnight.

Newnan Utilities worked through the night responding to power outages and reported gas leaks, the company shared on social media.

Following the storm, Newnan Police Department urged residents to remain off the roads due to "a large amount of damage" caused by downed trees and powerlines.

The department wrote, "By you being out driving and sightseeing, it is impeding our efforts to get to people that need help."

Most of the damage was to neighborhoods surrounding the town center, according to a local reporter on the ground.

Police blocked off major roads with wreckage in the roadway.

Heavy damage to Newnan High School was also reported.

Administrators for Coweta County Schools cancelled all classes, both in-person and virtual, Friday as clean up begins in the area.

Alabama hit hard

There are reports, images and videos showing significant damage in many communities particularly in the Eagle Point neighborhood in a suburb south of Birmingham.

Through Thursday afternoon, there were ongoing rescues of people trapped in some of these homes.

In Shelby County, Alabama, the local sheriff's office reported two major storms hit the area Thursday afternoon and caused severe damage.

Many residents were also displaced following storm damage to their homes, a press release indicated.

Sheriff John Samaniego said in a statement, "Today was a tragic day for Shelby County."

"In the aftermath of these storms, we have seen the best of Shelby County."

"Neighbors helping neighbors."

"Businesses and kind citizens reaching out with donations of food and supplies."

Downed power lines and trees throughout the area left thousands without electricity after strong winds howled through the region.

By 1 a.m. Thursday, more than 26,000 homes were reported without power in Alabama, according to PowerOutage.Us.

Georgia listed more than 19,000 without power by the same time.

Gov. Kay Ivey issued an emergency declaration as meteorologists warned that more twisters were likely on their way.

"I urge all Alabamians to closely monitor the weather system as it continues to impact portions of [Alabama], especially if you are in the line of the highest risk storms," Ivey wrote on Twitter.

Early warnings

Forecasters began warning about a significant weather event on Wednesday, and the potential outbreak was given the National Weather Service's rare top warning of "high risk."

Hastings, the director of Alabama's Management Agency said, "In Alabama, it's a matter of luck."

"But also luck favors the prepared."

Tornado sirens began been going off early Thursday morning and TV meteorologists have been on-air non-stop for hours.

This was the second time in eight days that these same areas were threatened.

Last week, there were more than 50 tornadoes reported in Alabama and Mississippi.

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/25/98132158 ... ern-states
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CNN

"At least 5 deaths reported in Alabama after tornado touches down"


By Judson Jones, Dakin Andone and Jamiel Lynch, CNN

Updated 12:48 AM ET, Fri March 26, 2021

(CNN)At least five deaths and multiple injuries have been reported in Calhoun County, Alabama, after a tornado passed through the area on Thursday, County Sheriff Matthew Wade told CNN.

"There's numerous homes damaged, numerous people injured, and at least five fatalities," Wade told CNN's Pamela Brown.

"We're worrying about the second storm that's coming through, possibly on the same track," Wade said.

Fourteen tornadoes have been reported in Alabama on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, along with one in Mississippi and one in Georgia.

NWS described the large tornado that touched down late Thursday near Newnan, Georgia, just south of Atlanta, as a "particularly dangerous situation" and urged residents to "take cover now."

In Calhoun, three adults from the same family were killed when a tornado hit the town of Ohatchee, about 60 miles northeast of Birmingham, according to Calhoun County Coroner Pat Brown.

One man in a mobile home in Ohatchee also died, and the fifth death in the county was a woman in a mobile home in Wellington, according to the coroner.

Radar had earlier confirmed a large and extremely dangerous tornado had touched down just southwest of Birmingham, according to the National Weather Service office there.

About 60 homes were damaged in Pelham, Alabama, Pelham Fire Chief Michael Reid said Thursday night, and 22 of those sustained "major damage."

No injuries or deaths have been reported, Reid said at a news conference.

"We're also very grateful that of all the damage done, nobody was hurt," City Manager Gretchen DiFante said.

"We're very thankful for that this evening."

Cesar Villaseñor, 22, was in a van with his boss when they were caught in a potential tornado in Pelham.

They were trying to get to shelter at his boss' house, Villaseñor said.

"We were literally half a mile from his house and everything was all clear."

"Out of nowhere, it starts raining and I started recording -- everything starts going to hell basically."

"I was like, this is probably it."

"I'm probably dead," he said.

"At one point, the van was shaking really bad to the point that I thought it was like to flip over."

"I was just shaking."

"I couldn't control my hands."

In a video Villaseñor shared, debris is seen flying through the air, uprooted trees lie on the ground and houses are damaged.

Police previously reported extensive damage to the Crosscreek community, but no injuries have been reported in that neighborhood, city spokesperson Ainsley Allison said in a Thursday afternoon Facebook livestream.

The footage showed trees, power lines and debris littering the streets.

Roofs and entire rooms appeared to be torn off homes in the neighborhood, the video shows.

"It's bad back here, and we need to say prayers for the people who live in this community and come together to help rebuild," Allison said.

"As you can imagine, these people are devastated."

Police in nearby Helena also reported major damage.

All phone lines to the police department are down, the department said on Twitter, urging residents to call 911 if they need assistance.

Further north, in Florence, about 130 miles north of Birmingham, a police officer was transported to a local hospital after he was struck by lightning, the police department said on Twitter.

Officers were able to provide first aid at the scene, and the officer was conscious and responsive.

Almost 55,000 customers were without power in the Southeast Thursday evening, according to poweroutages.us, including more than 36,000 in Alabama.

Officials issue 'particular dangerous situation' tornado watch

The Storm Prediction Center had said there's a high risk of tornadoes -- a level 5 out of 5 -- for much of northern Alabama, including Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Huntsville.

That's the worst and highest forecast outlook issued for severe storms.

And while it's very rare for the SPC to issue this kind of outlook -- it's now the second time in a week for the South.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday issued a state of emergency for 46 counties ahead of the expected severe weather.

A level 4 of 5 risk covers over 5 million people and includes Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The SPC on Thursday afternoon issued a "particular dangerous situation" (PDS) tornado watch until 8 p.m. CT for around 5.5 million people in parts of western and northern Alabama, northwest Georgia, central and eastern Mississippi and southern Tennessee.

A PDS tornado watch is issued when the SPC forecaster has high confidence that multiple strong tornadoes of EF-2 strength or higher will occur in the watch area.

"Long-track, strong to violent tornadoes are possible," the SPC said, referring to tornadoes that remain on the ground for an extended period of time.

The majority of tornadoes are on the ground for just minutes, but with some severe events, there can be tornadoes on the ground for hours.

This kind of tornado is known for causing widespread damage.

A "dangerous environment" is developing over the watch area, with multiple rounds of severe storms expected, the SPC said.

Tornadoes, damaging winds up to 80 mph and large hail are possible.

"The ingredients will combine on Thursday for another severe weather outbreak in the South," said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

"Very humid Gulf of Mexico air combined with strong rising motion will create multiple rounds of severe weather including rotating storms that could produce tornadoes."


Threat continues this evening

Severe storms will center Thursday across the Deep South as the severe storm risk area likely expands and becomes more significant.

Strong storms will be possible from the Gulf Coast through as far north as Ohio.

"Several long-tracked supercells are still expected this afternoon into this evening from far eastern Mississippi into Alabama and parts of middle and eastern Tennessee," the SPC said Thursday afternoon.

The most intense of these supercells "will be capable of producing strong to violent tornadoes, along with very large hail and substantial damaging winds," it said.

Just last week, several states including Mississippi and Alabama, took the brunt of intense storms.

National Weather Service offices confirmed 49 tornadoes Wednesday and Thursday that cut a combined path length of nearly 210 miles through the South.

Ingredients were there last week and tornadoes developed, but not as strong as forecasters thought possible.

None of the 49 tornadoes were stronger than an EF-2 on a scale of 0 to 5.

Although the right atmospheric ingredients were present, they didn't mix in precisely enough to produce the violent tornadoes that were forecast last Thursday.

"It's like if you put too many carrots in chicken soup, you end up getting a sweet carrot soup and not chicken soup," Myers said.

School systems changed plans due to weather

In a statement Thursday, Gov. Ivey urged Alabama residents to closely watch the storm system.

The forecast prompted the state's health system to reschedule a National Guard vaccination clinic in Hale County for Saturday.

School districts across the region changed plans, dismissing students early, going to online learning and canceling classes ahead of Thursday's severe weather.

CNN's Mallika Kallingal, Hollie Silverman, Robert Shackelford, Dave Alsup, Christina Zdanowicz and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/25/weather/ ... index.html
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Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN

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REUTERS

"Volcano erupts in southern Caribbean, sparking evacuation 'frenzy'"


By Robertson S. Henry

APRIL 9, 2021

ROSE HALL, St Vincent and the Grenadines (Reuters) -La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity, sending dark plumes of ash and smoke billowing into the sky and forcing thousands from surrounding villages to evacuate.

Dormant since 1979, the volcano started showing signs of activity in December, spewing steam and smoke and rumbling away.

That picked up this week, prompting Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves to order an evacuation of the surrounding area late on Thursday.

Early on Friday it finally erupted.

Ash and smoke plunged the neighboring area into near total darkness, blotting out the bright morning sun, said a Reuters witness, who reported hearing the explosion from Rose Hall, a nearby village.

Smaller explosions continued throughout the day, Erouscilla Joseph, director at the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, told Reuters, adding that this kind of activity could go on for weeks if not months.

“This is just the beginning,” she said.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption created approximately $100 million in damages.

An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people.

The name means “sulfur outlet” in French.

The eruption column was estimated to reach 10 km (6.2 miles) high, the seismic research centre said.

Ash fall could affect the Grenadines, Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada.

“The ash plume may cause flight delays due to diversions,” the centre said on Twitter.

“On the ground, ash can cause discomfort in persons suffering with respiratory illnesses and will impact water resources.”

Local media have in recent days also reported increased activity from Mount Pelee on the island of Martinique, which lies to the north of St. Vincent beyond St. Lucia.

EVACUATIONS IN COVID ERA

Some 4,500 residents near the volcano had evacuated already via ships and by road, Gonsalves said at a news conference on Friday.

Heavy ash fall had halted the evacuation efforts somewhat due to poor visibility, according to St. Vincent’s National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO).

“The place in general is in a frenzy,” said Lavern King, 28, a shelter volunteer.

“People are still being evacuated from the red zone, it started yesterday evening and into last night.”

Gonsalves said that depending on the extent of the damage, it could be four months before evacuees could return home.

Welling up with tears, he said neighboring islands such as Dominica, Grenada and Antigua had agreed to take evacuees in and cruise lines could ferry them over - as long as they got vaccinated first.

That though could prove a challenge, said opposition senator Shevern John, 42.

“People are very scared of the vaccine and they opt out of coming to a shelter because eventually they would have to adhere to the protocol,” she said.

Shelters are also having to limit the number of evacuees they take due to COVID-19 protocols.

Vincentians would have to wait for further scientific analysis to know what steps to take next, she said.

“It can go for a few days or a few weeks,” she said.

“At the moment, both ends of the island are covered in ash and very dark.”

Reporting by Robertson S. Henry in Rose Hall and Kate Chappell in Kingston; Writing by Sarah Marsh and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Howard Goller and Rosalba O’Brien

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cari ... SKBN2BW219
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Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN

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CNBC

"Tropical storm likely to hit U.S. this week as hurricane season gets off to an active start"


Emma Newburger @EMMA_NEWBURGER

PUBLISHED THU, JUN 17 2021

KEY POINTS

* The first tropical system of the Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to make landfall in the U.S. by the end of the week, possibly bringing heavy rain and flooding from Texas to Florida.

* If the weather disturbance strengthens into a tropical storm, it would be called Claudette, the third named storm of this year’s hurricane season.

* The U.S. is already facing and already stretched disaster response because of a record-shattering drought and wildfires are gripping the Western U.S.


The first tropical system of the Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to make landfall in the U.S. by the end of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center, possibly bringing heavy rain and flooding from the Texas coast to the Florida Panhandle.

If the weather disturbance strengthens into a tropical storm, it would be called Claudette, the third named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which began this month and ends Nov. 30.

The Atlantic recorded the first named storm last month, when a subtropical storm named Ana formed near Bermuda.

That marked the seventh consecutive year that a named storm arrived before the official start date of the season.

The U.S. already faces a stretched disaster response.

A record-shattering drought is gripping the West, raising fears of power outages and more severe wildfires.

And residents in the Gulf Coast are still recovering and rebuilding from last year’s record number of storms.


Hurricane season is becoming longer and more intense as climate change triggers more frequent and destructive storms.

Global warming is also increasing the number of storms that move slowly and stall along the coast, a phenomenon that produces heavier rainfall and more dangerous storm surges.

President Joe Biden, during a visit to Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in May, said the agency would double spending to help cities and states prepare for extreme weather disasters, to $1 billion this year from $500 million last year.

“We all know that the storms are coming, and we’re going to be prepared,” the president said during a briefing.

“We have to be ready."

"It’s not about red states and blue states."

"It’s about having people’s backs in the toughest moments that they face, ready with food, water, blankets, shelters and more.”


There were so many storms last year that forecasters went through the entire alphabet and started using Greek letters to name storms.

An average season has 12 named storms and six hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But the agency has forecast another above-normal season this year, with 13 to 20 named storms, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes, including three to five major hurricanes.

NOAA said it didn’t anticipate the historic level of storms seen in 2020, which saw a record 30 named storms, 13 of which were hurricanes, battering parts of the Gulf Coast and Central America.

Acting NOAA administrator Ben Friedman, in a release of the agency’s 2021 forecast, said that while scientists don’t expect this year to be as busy as last year, “it only takes one storm to devastate a community.”

The 2020 storms accounted for $43 billion in losses, nearly half of the total disaster loss in the U.S. last year, according to reinsurance company Munich Re.

Residents in states like Louisiana, which experienced a record five storms last year, are still struggling to rebuild as this year’s season closes in.

Data also provided by Reuters

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/tropica ... tive-.html
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Re: ON THE TIMES WE ARE NOW IN

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THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Tropical Storm Claudette Spawns Tornadoes and Brings Heavy Rains to the South"


Derrick Bryson Taylor 

20 JUNE 2021

Tropical Storm Claudette, the third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the Gulf of Mexico and brought “copious rainfall” of five to 10 inches across the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast before being downgraded to a tropical depression on Saturday, forecasters said.

Maximum sustained winds decreased to 35 miles per hour, with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday afternoon.

“Claudette is expected to weaken a little more tonight, however, it is forecast to become a tropical storm again when it moves across the Carolinas Sunday night or early Monday.”

Even before making landfall, Claudette was a hazard for motorists trying to navigate a flooded Gause Boulevard in Slidell, La., late Friday.

Claudette was expected to produce additional rainfall totals of three to 6 inches, with some pockets getting as much as eight inches, across eastern Alabama, northern Georgia, the Florida panhandle, and South and North Carolina, the center said.

Isolated 15-inch rainfall totals could be recorded in southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western Florida panhandle, it said.

On Saturday, Tillmans Corner, Ala., reported nearly five inches of rain; Slidell, La., reported more than nine inches, and Diamondhead, Miss., reported nearly 12 inches, the Weather Prediction Center said.

Claudette also brought tornadoes to portions of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

A tornado in East Brewton, Ala., about 80 miles northeast of Mobile, touched down around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, injuring three people, the authorities said.

Gov. Kay Ivey said on Twitter that about 50 homes in a mobile-home park in the area were destroyed.

It is not unusual for tornadoes to develop within a hurricane system, said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman and meteorologist with the center in Miami.

“You’ve got these bands of thunderstorms that are rotating around the center and there is wind coming from all sorts of different directions, so they’ll spring up these tornadoes very quick,” he said.

The storm system caused power failures across the South, particularly in Florida, where more than 12,000 customers were without electricity as of Saturday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which aggregates live power data from utilities.

“We’re continuing to feel the effects of severe weather due to T.S. Claudette across Northwest Florida,” said Kimberly Blair, a spokeswoman for Gulf Power Company, which had about 3,400 customers without power early Saturday afternoon.

In Alabama, nearly 3,000 customers were without power on Saturday afternoon, according to Alabama Power, which said it was assessing damage from Claudette.

Tornados unrelated to Claudette also touched down in parts of Ohio and Indiana, where power failures affected more than 77,000 customers.

While the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is just getting underway, many residents along the Gulf Coast are still recovering from a string of storms that battered the region last summer and fall.

Seven named storms thrashed the Gulf Coast in 2020, including Eta, which slammed Florida twice, leaving tens of thousands without electricity and flooding beach communities.

Louisiana, perhaps one of the hardest-hit states, saw at least five storms, including Zeta and Hurricane Laura, which made landfall on the state’s coast as a Category 4 storm with 150-mile-per-hour winds, destroying office buildings, a sky bridge, trees and power lines.

The storm was also responsible for at least six deaths in the state.

In late May, a subtropical storm named Ana developed northeast of Bermuda, becoming the first named storm of the current hurricane season.

It was the seventh year in a row that a named storm developed in the Atlantic before the official start of the season on June 1.

Ana was followed by Bill, which formed hundreds of miles off the coast of North Carolina earlier this week and became a tropical storm before being downgraded as it remained at sea.

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that there would be 13 to 20 named storms this year, six to 10 of which would be hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher in the Atlantic.

Last year there were 30 named storms, including six major hurricanes, forcing meteorologists to exhaust the alphabet for the second time and move to using Greek letters.

It was the highest number of storms on record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and included the second-highest number of hurricanes on record.

Hurricanes have become increasingly dangerous and destructive with each passing season.

Researchers have found that climate change has produced storms that are more powerful and have heavier rainfall.

The storms also have a tendency to dawdle and meander.

A combination of rising seas and slower storms also make for higher and more destructive storm surges.

Mike Ives, Maria Cramer and Johnny Diaz contributed reporting.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... hp&pc=U531
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