City of Orlando releases apology after controversial Fourth of July statement
ORLANDO, Fla. — The City of Orlando issued an apology on social media Saturday after sending out a controversial fireworks statement Friday. The city said it regrets the “negative impact” its words had on some members of the community. A statement from the City of Orlando pic.twitter.com/CbCcOOCATz — City of Orlando is Prepared for Hurricane Season (@citybeautiful) July 2, 2022Read: 9 things to do this weekend: Fourth of July events, EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival and moreThe original statement can be found here. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. ©2022 Cox Media Group
wftv.com17 years post-Katrina, New Orleans-area protections complete
NEW ORLEANS — (AP) — Seventeen years after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, the Army Corps of Engineers has completed an extensive system of floodgates, strengthened levees and other protections. The 130-mile (210-kilometer) ring is designed to hold out storm surge of about 30 feet (9 meters) around New Orleans and suburbs in three parishes. Congress provided $14.5 billion for what is formally called the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System and related projects. The levees stood up to Hurricane Ida in 2021, though some suburbs outside the system flooded. Features added since then include armoring levees to prevent erosion and scouring when stronger storm surges rise above their tops, and three permanent canal closures and pumps.
wftv.comHurricane safety: 15 tips that could save your life during a storm
8 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season 8 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season (NCD)Here are some safety tips from Ready.gov that could save your life during a hurricane. Do not go into your attic to escape rising water, you could get trapped. Generators produce carbon monoxide and if they are inside your house, your home can fill up with carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide will kill you if you breathe too much of it. If you are using a portable generator to power appliances in your home following the storm, make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm.
wftv.comMay 1-May 7: Hurricane Preparedness Week, what you need to know about storm season
8 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season 8 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season (NCD)Hurricane season officially starts in a few weeks, but while there are no storms right now, it is time to prepare before a hurricane forms. >> Read more trending newsTo that end, May 1 through May 7 is Hurricane Preparedness Week. While people can’t prevent a storm, they can take precautions to lessen the financial and personal impact now. Then after the storm, check in on them again and see if they may need help evacuating. The anatomy of hurricanes A hurricane is a strong tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean or northeastern Pacific Ocean.
wftv.comFlagler County engineers inspecting beaches for damage, erosion following strong weekend storms
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Flagler County officials spent Monday inspecting beaches for damage from a storm system that brought heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/xcQOQk4YjX — FlaglerEOC (@FlaglerEOC) November 8, 2021The storm brought with it 50 mile per hour winds and 10-foot waves, causing erosion that Evans said was comparable to recent hurricanes. With higher water levels, wave action eats away at the beach dunes, drawing sand seaward and depositing it on the seafloor. As sea levels rise due to climate change, the higher water levels will increase erosion even further. “We’ve seen about six inches, so that would be about 60 feet of coastal erosion,” Evans said.
wftv.comForecasters: Hurricane season to be busier than 1st thought
(NOAA via AP, File) (Uncredited)After a record start, followed by a near-silent July, the Atlantic hurricane season looks like it will be busier than meteorologists predicted a few months ago. The chance for an above average hurricane season increased from 60% to 65%, with a 15% chance that forecasters will run past the list of 21 storm names. Last year saw a record 30 named storms and forecasters had to use Greek letters by the end of the season. Colorado State University, which pioneered hurricane seasonal forecasts, last month also increased the number of storms expected in its forecast. Hurricane season lasts through the end of November, with its peak running from mid-August to mid-October.
wftv.comFlorida prepares for hurricane season
It’s that time of year again: Hurricane season, and it’s round two of dealing with this during a pandemic. READ: See what NOAA is predicting for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane seasonBut crews are prepared, with stockpiles of gloves, masks, hand sanitizers for shelters. “Everybody should now start at the top of their checklist, insurance review, whether it’s a renter’s insurance, homeowners’ insurance or a business owners’ insurance,” Guthrie said. “You need to do an insurance review.”READ: Hurricane season officially begins; here’s what to expectHe said you can’t just rely on FEMA if something happens to your home during hurricane. READ: Hurricane Preparedness Week: How you can prepare now for hurricane seasonSunday will mark the end of Florida’s tax-free disaster prep holiday.
wftv.comHurricane season officially begins: Here’s what we know so far
ORLANDO, Fla. — Hurricane season officially begins Tuesday. READ: See what NOAA is predicting for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane seasonHurricane Season starts June 1st and goes through November 30th. The peak of hurricane season is Sept. 10. Disturbance, depressions, tropical, subtropical storms, hurricanes“I promise we’ll stay calm and measured during the season. “Gather supplies while they’re still on the shelves, develop an evacuation plan, and prepare your home.”The 2021 hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
wftv.comFlorida’s disaster preparedness sales tax holiday starts Friday
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and President Joe Biden will be holding separate events on Monday to talk about the upcoming season. READ: ‘Freedom Week’: Here’s what is covered by Florida’s new sales tax holidayFlorida’s traditional disaster preparedness sales tax holiday starts on May 28. The tax holiday is being extended from seven days to 10 days. Ron DeSantis signed a new tax holiday into law called Freedom Week. Freedom Week starts on July 1.
wftv.comHere’s the list of storm names for the 2021 hurricane season
Storms are given a name to help communication between forecasters and the overall public. During the season, forecasters could be tracking and supplying information on multiple storms. Naming them allows information to be streamlined to reduce confusion about which storm is being described.
Hurricane hunting drones: The future of tropical forecasting
But even outside Hurricane Season, hurricane hunters remain busy working on testing new tools that could greatly improve hurricane forecasts. Last month the NOAA Hurricane Hunters launched a new uncrewed aircraft over Maryland that has the potential to change the world of tropical forecasting. This model is similar to those being tested by scientists aboard NOAA Hurricane Hunters. The lead meteorologist from the NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, Joseph Cione, says “deploying the un-crewed aircraft from NOAA Hurricane Hunters will ultimately help us better detect changes in hurricane intensity and overall structure. " AdThis is welcomed news in the weather world, especially after the 2020 pandemic stunted the progress in long range forecasting.
A look at what made the 2020 Hurricane Season so active
This week in Forecasting Change I want to say goodbye to the 2020 Hurricane Season. Check out the graphic below:The rapid intensification of tropical storms is what can make them deadly hurricanes. (Copyright 2020 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.) (Copyright 2020 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.) (Copyright 2020 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)
Looking back at 2005, the last time hurricane season went Greek
With the 29th named storm of the 2020 hurricane season skimming past Central Florida and potentially a 30th named storm sitting in the Caribbean, this season is one for the record books. Meteorologists have often compared the 2020 hurricane season with 2005. The 2005 tropical season started off with tropical storms Arlene and Bret forming in June, making it only the second time in history to have happened. Tracks and intensity of the 2005 hurricane season. Flooding in New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina (2005).
Tropical Storm Omar forms east of North Carolina
ORLANDO, Fla. – Just hours after Tropical Storm Nana formed south of Jamaica, Tropical Depression 15 has been upgraded to Tropical Storm Omar. Omar, which is expected to be short-lived, according to the National Hurricane Center, is located about 310 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. [READ MORE: Tropical Storm Nana and Tropical Storm Omar form in the Atlantic]Tropical Storm #Omar forms east of North Carolina, and is expected to be short-lived as it moves away from land over the next few days. “Omar is expected to degenerate into a remnant area of low pressure by late Thursday.”Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Nana is moving over the Central Caribbean Sea. Here is the 5 p.m. advisory and forecast track for #TropicalStormNana from the National Hurricane Center.
Cabo Verde season: When monster storms are born
The Cabo Verde season, on average, runs in correlation to the peak of Hurricane Season, between July and September. During Cabo Verde Season, there is an obvious uptick in activity near the islands in the Eastern Atlantic. To put it into perspective, the distance between Cabo Verde Islands and the eastern seaboard is roughly 3500 miles, with much of this swath with waters over 80 degrees. Here are some memorable Cabo Verde Storms in the past few years:Hurricane Ivan (2004) - Category 5Hurricane Matthew (2016) - Category 5Hurricane Florence (2018) - Category 4No matter where we are in Hurricane Season, remember it only takes one. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 31.
How to best prepare for hurricanes: Quiz on do’s, don’ts that can save your life, possessions
Hurricane season is upon us, and make no mistake: There’s not much that can be done when a hurricane strikes, considering how powerful they can be. But preparing for a hurricane is a different story. Readiness is in our control, so the damage can be minimized as much as possible. To help prepare for the start of hurricane season, take this quiz, below. Even if you don’t nail a good score, the knowledge gained will help you pass with flying colors and lessen the damage, should the real thing strike.
With storms in May, Florida lawmaker wants a longer hurricane season
ORLANDO, Fla. – Even though the six-month Atlantic hurricane season lasts as long as a typical Major League Baseball season, a Florida congresswoman thinks it needs to be longer. In 2020, three tropical storms — Arthur, Bertha and Cristobal — formed in mid-May and the beginning of June, she said. There has been only one named hurricane before June since the satellite era started in 1966 — Hurricane Alma in 1970. “I don’t think there is any reason to lengthen the hurricane season, since we haven’t had a hurricane in May in 50 years," Klotzbach said in an email. “Hurricane season was also never intended to include ... all of the activity, just the majority of it," said McNoldy, who works for the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.
How prepared are you for a massive power outage? Take this quiz and find out
Hurricane season is upon us. And really, as is the case with any major storm, winds and heavy rainfall have the power to create some pretty massive power outages. Are you, or would you, consider yourself stocked up at home, in the event of an emergency? Take the quiz below to find out. All of the checklist items are listed on ready.gov as what you’ll need in your basic disaster supplies kit, as well as some additional emergency supplies that the website recommended.
Emory Schley: Heres one more benefit of the holiday season
There are lots of good things about Christmas, but one of those things is hardly ever mentioned. That seldom recognized good thing about the Christmas season is that, finally, our annual Hurricane Season has been consigned to the history books and is no longer of concern to us. It starts at noon with free lunch, and games begin at 1 p.m.DVORAK KEYS: I had also written recently about trying to learn a new keyboard layout on my computer. The Dvorak layout rearranges the keys from the awkward QWERTY style to one more optimized for the English language. I've heard of people who used both and suddenly realized at some point, "Hey, my keyboard is on Qwerty!"
ocala.comTropical Storm Sebastien forms in Atlantic
ORLANDO, Fla. – With just days left in the Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Sebastien has formed. Sebastien has maximum sustained winds up to 45 mph with higher gusts and is moving northwest at about 12 mph, forecasters said. Forecasters predict Sebastien will become an extra-tropical cyclone in a couple of days before being absorbed by a cold front later this week. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided the following definition for an extra-tropical cyclone:“An extra-tropical cyclone is a storm system that primarily gets its energy from the horizontal temperature contrasts that exist in the atmosphere. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.