Weather
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Hurricane Zeta reclassified as 7th major hurricane of the 2020 season, tying the 2005 record
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center has upgraded 2020′s Hurricane Zeta to Category 3 status, making it a record-tying major hurricane.
Zeta’s new designation, announced Tuesday, came after the hurricane center’s routine post-season storm analysis.
The upgrade means that the 2020 season went from six to seven major ...Read more
In a twist, tornadoes hit a 30-year April low across the country
In a more-than-welcome reversal from April 2020, confirmed tornado reports last month nationwide represented the lowest number for any April in 30 years, the government said Friday.
The 73 officially sighted constituted less than half the 30-year average for an April, which is 155. In addition, only one fatality was reported by the Storm ...Read more
Shocking! Florida dethroned as US lightning capital; Central Florida counties still No. 1, study says
In a shocking new study, Florida was dethroned as the lightning capital of the country, moving over for Oklahoma.
The Sooner State was found to have more lightning flashes per square km than any other state in the country, according to an analysis by Vaisala Corporation, a global weather surveillance company.
Vaisala’s study recorded 10 ...Read more
Miami's sea level rise bill -- $4 billion by 2060 -- still won't keep every neighborhood dry
MIAMI — Miami has to spend at least $3.8 billion in the next 40 years to keep the city dry from rising seas, according to a draft of the city's long-awaited and newly released stormwater master plan.
That will buy a hundred new mega stormwater pumps, miles of 6-foot tall sea walls, thousands of injection wells and a network of underground ...Read more
Fallen power line kills Spring Hill girl, 17, as storm plows through Tampa Bay area
A 17-year-old Spring Hill girl was electrocuted during Sunday’s violent thunderstorms as she tried to escape from her burning car after colliding with a fallen power line, troopers said.
The teen was driving down Evenglow Avenue in Spring Hill when she collided at about 12:15 p.m. with a power line brought down by a falling tree, according to...Read more
Hurricane forecasts again looking ominous for coastal residents, property owners, and US taxpayers
PHILADELPHIA — After a season that produced a record number of tropical storms — including several that devastated the Gulf Coast and two that set off flooding and caused hundreds of thousands of power outages in the Philadelphia region — the Atlantic Basin might be in for another active, damaging, and costly season in 2021, forecasters ...Read more
Forecasts show another 'well above average' hurricane season is likely this year in Florida
MIAMI — Bellwether early forecasts show Florida is likely in for another active hurricane season, but probably not as dramatic as last year.
The 2020 hurricane season, in keeping with the nightmare year of coronavirus, saw an all-time record number of named storms: 30.
In 2021, a forecast from Colorado State University suggests 17 named ...Read more
Texas House approves reforms to state power grid in aftermath of February winter storm
AUSTIN, Texas — Measures aimed at shoring up the Texas electric grid in the aftermath of a February storm, which left millions of Texans in the dark and desperately cold, flew through the Texas House on Tuesday.
The legislation, aimed at addressing a calamity that left more than 110 Texans dead, saw widespread support with lawmakers from both...Read more
Naming the hurricanes: With Greek letters going away, a look at how they came to be
ORLANDO, Fla. — Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization announced Greek letters would no longer be used in identifying tropical storms and hurricanes.
The system has been used in only two seasons, accounting for six storms in 2005 and nine storms in 2020.
The system was done away with to avoid confusion in future seasons. ...Read more
No more Greek letters for hurricanes, and Dorian and Laura retired as storm names
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Late-season hurricanes will no longer carry baffling Greek names like Zeta and Theta.
The Greek alphabet will be dropped as a source of hurricane names for busy seasons like last year’s, when the supply of proper names was exhausted, the World Meteorological Organization announced Wednesday.
And say goodbye and good...Read more
No more Greek letters for hurricanes, and Dorian and Laura retired as storm names
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Late-season hurricanes will no longer carry baffling Greek names like Zeta and Theta.
The Greek alphabet will be dropped as a source of hurricane names for busy seasons like last year’s, when the supply of proper names was exhausted, the World Meteorological Organization announced Wednesday.
And say goodbye and good...Read more
Another foot of snow possible in southern Colorado after weekend storm
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A fast-moving system could bring another round of snow to the Pikes Peak region this week to top off a massive late-winter storm that halted travel across the state.
The weekend’s storm pounded areas of Colorado, dumping more than 2 feet of snow in the Denver metro area and upward of 3 feet in areas of Teller ...Read more
Colorado Springs area braces for winter storm's second wave; hundreds of Front Range flights canceled
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The first wave of a weekend winter storm left behind 2-3 inches of snow in the greater Colorado Springs area early Saturday and canceled hundreds of flights throughout the Front Range, as residents braced for a heavy second wave expected to hit late Saturday into Sunday.
Some areas north of Colorado Springs could see...Read more
Protesters demand ERCOT take responsibility for disastrous failure
AUSTIN, Texas — About 50 people gathered Sunday afternoon outside ERCOT’s campus in suburban Austin, demanding the nonprofit that controls about 85% of the Texas power grid take responsibility for the disastrous failure that plunged millions into darkness without heat or water.
Hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Austin Stops ...Read more
Hurricane season could start in May this year because storms keep jumping the gun
PALM BEACH, Fla. — A recent spate of overly eager tropical cyclones may lead to an earlier start to hurricane season, pushing up the official first day to May 15 from the traditional kickoff of June 1 – a date that has been custom for more than five decades.
The jumpstart in dates will be discussed at a World Meteorological Organization ...Read more
Texas cities fret as power bills mount in wake of blackouts
The power supply shortages that slammed Texas last week drove spot electricity prices sky-high for some locally owned utilities, with one town on the hook for more than $200 million and other municipalities anxiously awaiting their bills.
Denton, northwest of Dallas, racked up at least $207 million in power purchases over the span of a few days...Read more
Days before blackouts, one Texas power giant sounded the alarm
Vistra Corp., one of the largest power generators in Texas, said it warned state agencies days before cascading blackouts plunged millions into darkness that internal forecasts showed electricity demand was expected to exceed supply.
Despite the warning, “the coordination and planning by authorities across the broader energy sector were ...Read more
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: Public Utility Commission hitting pause on non-payment disconnections
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Texas Public Utility Commission is hitting pause on disconnecting customers for not paying their bills following the winter storm that left some with electricity bills in the thousands, Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday.
"The Public Utilities Commission is issuing a moratorium on customer disconnections for non payment," ...Read more
Ocasio-Cortez jets down to Texas to help recovery effort after catastrophic winter storm
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is lending her star power to the Lone Star State.
The lawmaker helped raise a whopping $4 million in donations to help Texas recover from the disastrous winter storm that slammed the state.
Ocasio-Cortez volunteered Saturday at a Houston food bank with Texas Reps. Sheila Jackson-Lee and Sylvia Garcia.
�...Read more
Tales from the Texas cold: Struggles didn't stop when power returned
AUSTIN, Texas — Cold but undaunted, Courtney Flores thought her family was doing moderately well after almost two days without power to their South Austin home. But then the water started pouring down from the attic.
It was Tuesday, about an hour before sunset, as they scrambled to limit the already extensive damage while packing up for an ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Shocking! Florida dethroned as US lightning capital; Central Florida counties still No. 1, study says
- Hurricane Zeta reclassified as 7th major hurricane of the 2020 season, tying the 2005 record
- Hurricane forecasts again looking ominous for coastal residents, property owners, and US taxpayers
- In a twist, tornadoes hit a 30-year April low across the country
- Miami's sea level rise bill -- $4 billion by 2060 -- still won't keep every neighborhood dry
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