Florida Hurricane

Nasa's SpaceX Crew-8 mission delayed due to adverse weather; what's next?

As per Nasa's latest communication, the weather remains less than ideal for a planned undocking. Forecasts indicate that conditions may become more favourable later in the week

DeSantis using state money, power to fight abortion rights' measure

After a month of updating Floridians on hurricanes, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is now focusing his official office on fighting an abortion rights amendment, holding a campaign-like rally at state expense two weeks before the election. DeSantis' event Monday, which was capped with a prayer from the archbishop of Miami and the lieutenant governor asking people to not vote like atheists, came after the Department of Health's top lawyer resigned over a letter he said the governor's office forced him to send to television stations in an effort to stop a pro-Amendment 4 ad. When you're dealing with constitutional amendments your default should always be no, DeSantis said at the event attended by doctors who opposed the abortion amendment. You can always alter normal policies and legislation. Once it's in the constitution, that's forever. You really have zero chance of ever changing. it. Just before the event, former Department of Health top lawyer John Wilson signed an affidavit stating

Florida hospitals brace for impact as hurricane Milton approaches hurricane

Hospitals and other health care facilities on Florida's Gulf Coast still reeling from Hurricane Helene are now revving up for Hurricane Milton. The system, which is shaping up to be one of the most powerful to hit the region in years, is projected to make landfall a bit south of the Tampa area late Wednesday. Long-term care facilities in counties where mandatory evacuations have been issued are taking their patients elsewhere, while hospitals are largely on guard, preparing to stay open through the storm. According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' website, 10 hospitals have reported evacuations as of Tuesday afternoon. Three hundred health care facilities have evacuated as of this morning, the most many of the staff working there could remember, said Florida Agency for Health Care Administration deputy secretary Kim Smoak. That count included 63 nursing homes and 169 assisted living facilities. Steve McCoy, chief of the Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Emergency Medical ...

Florida residents slog through flooded streets after Hurricane Milton

Florida residents slogged through flooded streets, gathered up scattered debris and assessed damage to their homes on Friday after Hurricane Milton smashed through coastal communities and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least 10 people were dead, and rescuers were still saving people from swollen rivers, but many expressed relief that Milton wasn't worse. The hurricane spared densely populated Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized. Gov. Ron DeSantis warned people to not let down their guard, however, citing ongoing safety threats including downed power lines and standing water that could hide dangerous objects. We're now in the period where you have fatalities that are preventable, DeSantis said. You have to make the proper decisions and know that there are hazards out there. As of Friday night, the number of customers in Florida still without power had dropped to 1.9 million, according to poweroutage.us. St. Petersburg's

Hurricane Milton death toll rises to 14 in Florida; power outage hits life

The death toll from Hurricane Milton has risen to at least 14 after another fatality was reported in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa

Over 3 million without power as Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida

Hurricane Milton crashed into Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, pounding the coast with ferocious winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) and producing a series of tornadoes around the state. Tampa avoided a direct hit. The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (205 kph) as it roared ashore 8:30 p.m. near Siesta Key, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre said. Siesta Key is a prosperous strip of white-sand beaches that's home to 5,500 people about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. The Tampa Bay area has not taken a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century, but the storm was still bringing a potentially deadly storm surge to much of Florida's Gulf Coast, including densely populated areas such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers. Heavy rains were also likely to cause flooding inland along rivers and lakes as Milton traverses the Florida peninsula as a hurricane, eventually to emerge in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday. More than 1 ..

Florida battered by rain and tornadoes as Hurricane Milton approaches

Hurricane Milton hurled rain, tornadoes and tropical storm-force winds at the US coast on Wednesday as time began to run out for residents to evacuate from the potentially catastrophic path the storm was carving toward Florida. The National Hurricane Centre stressed that it was not certain where Milton's centre would come ashore Wednesday night because the storm's path might wobble, but the entire Tampa Bay region and points south were at grave risk. Tropical storm-force winds began lashing the coast Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, officials issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival. This is it, folks, said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay. Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now. By late afternoon, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts. Unless you really have a good reaso

Time to evacuate running out as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida

Hurricane Milton churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving. The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century. The National Hurricane Centre predicted Milton, a monstrous Category 5 hurricane during much of its approach, would likely weaken but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday. Milton was centred late Tuesday about 650 kilometers southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 260 kmh, the National Hurricane Centre reported. Forecasters predicted the storm will retain hurricane strength as it crosses central Florida on Thursday on a path east toward the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane's precise track remained uncertain

Residents flee Tampa bay area as hurricane milton approaches Florida coast

Fearful Florida residents streamed out of the Tampa Bay region Tuesday ahead of what could be a once-in-a-century direct hit from Hurricane Milton, as crews worked furiously to prevent furniture, appliances and other waterlogged wreckage from the last big storm from becoming deadly projectiles in this one. The preparations marked the last chance for millions of people in the Tampa metro area to prepare for lethal storm surges, ferocious winds and possible tornadoes in a place that has narrowly avoided a head-on blow from a major storm for generations. Today's the last day to get ready, said Craig Fugate, a former FEMA director who previously ran the state's emergency operation division. This is bringing everything. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state deployed over 300 dump trucks that had removed 1,300 loads of debris left behind by Hurricane Helene by Tuesday afternoon. In Clearwater Beach, Nick Szabo spent a second long day hauling away 3-foot piles of soggy mattresses, couches and

Florida orders evacuations, scrambles to clear Helene's debris

Florida's storm-battered Gulf Coast raced against a Category 5 hurricane on Monday as workers sprinted to pick up heaps of appliances and other street debris left over from Helene two weeks ago and highways were clogged with people fleeing ahead of the storm. The centre of Hurricane Milton could come ashore on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect the system to weaken slightly before landfall, though it could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Carolinas. This is the real deal here with Milton, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told a news conference. If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 per cent of the time. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Monday that it was imperative for debris from Helene to be cleared ahead

Storm Debby barrels toward Florida, with potential heavy rains in north

Tropical Storm Debby strengthened rapidly Sunday and was expected to become a hurricane as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, bringing with it the threat of devastating floods to the southeast Atlantic coast later in the week. The storm was likely to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall Monday in the Big Bend region of Florida, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. From there, the storm is expected to move eastward over northern Florida and then stall over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, drenching the region with the potential of record-setting rains totalling up to 30 inches (76 cm) beginning Tuesday. There's some really amazing rainfall totals being forecast and amazing in a bad way, Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said at a briefing Sunday. That would be record-breaking rainfall associated with a tropical cyclone for both the states of Georgia and South Carolina if we got up to the 30

Tropical Storm Debby heads toward Florida with hurricane warnings in effect

A tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Debby north of Cuba on Saturday and was predicted to become a hurricane as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico on a collision course with the Florida coast. The National Hurricane Centre said in an update posted at 11 pm on Saturday that Debby was located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west-southwest of Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida and about 260 miles (415 kilometers) south-southwest of Tampa. The storm was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). Wind and thunderstorms have spread over a broad area including southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. A hurricane warning was in effect for sections of the state's coast with tropical storm warnings for the Florida Keys. Debby is likely to bring drenching rain and coastal flooding to much of Florida's Gulf Coast by Sunday night, and predictions show the system could come ashore as a hurricane Monday and cross over northe

Idalia hits Florida with 125 mph winds, power cut, streets flooded

Hurricane Idalia tore into Florida with winds howling at the speed of a fast-moving train Wednesday, splitting trees in half, ripping roofs off hotels and turning small cars into boats before sweeping into Georgia as a still-powerful storm that flooded roadways and sent residents running for higher ground. All hell broke loose, said Belond Thomas of Perry, a mill town located just inland from the Big Bend region where Idalia came ashore. Thomas fled with her family and some friends to a motel, thinking it would be safer than riding out the storm at home. But as Idalia's eye passed over about 8:30 am, a loud whistling noise pierced the air and the high winds ripped the building's roof off, sending debris down on her pregnant daughter, who was lying in bed. Fortunately, she was not injured. It was frightening, Thomas said. "Things were just going so fast. ... Everything was spinning. After coming ashore, Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach at 7:45 am as a high-end Category 3 ...

US: Over 272,000 people without power as tropical storm hits Florida

Nicole made landfall along the east coast of Florida just south of Vero Beach as a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday morning and later weakened to a tropical storm

Hurricane Nicole forms after pounding Bahamas; Florida awaits Nov storm

A Florida-bound storm strengthened into Hurricane Nicole on Wednesday after pounding the Bahamas as U.S. officials ordered evacuations that included former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. It's a rare November hurricane for storm-weary Florida, where only two such hurricanes have made landfall since recordkeeping began in 1853 the 1935 Yankee Hurricane and Hurricane Kate in 1985. Nicole was expected to reach Florida on Wednesday night and unleash a storm surge that could further erode many beaches hit by Hurricane Ian in September before heading into Georgia and the Carolinas later Thursday and Friday. It was expected to dump heavy rain across the region. Nicole's center was located 105 miles (170 kilometers) east of West Palm Beach, Florida on Wednesday night, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph). The sprawling storm became a hurricane as it slammed into Grand Bahama, hav

Hurricane Ian heads for South Carolina, Charleston after pounding Florida

Hurricane Ian heads for Carolinas after pounding Florida

People trapped, 2 mn without power after hurricane Ian swamps SW Florida

Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, damaging the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and knocking out power to 2 million people before aiming for the Atlantic Coast. One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States barrelled across the Florida peninsula overnight on Wednesday, threatening catastrophic flooding inland, the National Hurricane Centre warned. The centre's 2 am advisory said Ian was expected to emerge over Atlantic waters later on Thursday, with flooding rains continuing across central and northern Florida. In Port Charlotte, along Florida's Gulf Coast, the storm surge flooded a lower-level emergency room in a hospital even as fierce winds ripped away part of the roof from its intensive care unit, according to a doctor who works there. Water gushed down onto the ICU, forcing staff to evacuate the hospital's sickest patients -- some of whom were on ventilators to other floors, said Dr. Birgit .

People trapped, 2.5 mn without power as Hurricane Ian drenches Florida

Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, destroying the only bridge to Sanibel Island, damaging the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and knocking out power to 2.5 million people as it dumped rain across the peninsula on Thursday. One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States threatened catastrophic flooding around the state. Ian's tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 415 miles (665 km), drenching much of Florida and the southeastern Atlantic coast. With no electricity and patchy cellphone coverage, many calls for help weren't getting through, even as emergency crews sawed through toppled trees to reach people in flooded homes. If the line is busy, keep trying, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post early on Thursday. The National Hurricane Centre said Ian became a tropical storm over land early Thursday and was expected to regain near-hurricane strength after emerging over .

NASA scraps Artemis 1 Moon mission launch due to hurricane threat

The US space agency has called off its Artemis I launch scheduled for September 27, owing to Tropical Storm Ian threat, and was preparing for rollback while continuing to watch the weather forecast

Hurricane Laura makes landfall in US; 4 killed, extensive property damage

Laura, a category 4 hurricane with a maximum wind speed of 150 miles per hour and one of the strongest to hit the US, slammed the Gulf Coast early Thursday