BRANDON, Fla. — While the Tampa Bay Area prepares for a new storm season, some residents are still recovering and rebuilding from disaster left behind from previous storms.
Heading into storm season 20204, John Sims is still dealing with damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022.
“We were sitting right in front of the windows when the tree came down,” said Sims, describing how he barely survived the storm that hit his Brandon home.
“Living room ceiling came down, missed me by about a foot, so we’re lucky to be alive,” he added.
Two days later, it turned into more than surviving the storm, Sims suffered a heart attack and was pushed through recovery while trying to rebuild.
“It’s been a long ordeal trying to get all the permits and everything done through the insurance companies,” said Sims.
President and CEO of TomCo Solutions, Tommy Whitehead is Sims’ licensed contractor. He said the damage done to Sims’ property was extensive.
“Total rebuild all the way down to not even being able to save the concrete foundation,” he said.
“It took five months to get a payout from the insurance company, five months after having a qualified engineer say that the house was not salvageable,” Whitehead added while urging area residents to make sure they’re prepared for this year’s hurricane season.
“Review your insurance policies with your agent and make sure you have the proper coverages,” he said. “A lot of homes have increased in value and they haven’t increased their insurance policy, and so you don’t have enough insurance money to build back your home.”
“Do you have your proper coverage to rebuild? You need to ask your insurance agent before every storm season, ‘Do I have the best coverage? Do I have the best contents coverage? Do I have ALE, that’s living expenses in case I can’t live in my house. And do I have any accessory structure coverage?’ if you have a shed, a fence or other things, it’s a whole other coverage level,” Whitehead said.
He recommended the following maintenance tips to prepare for hurricane season:
Check for cracks in stucco
Touch up paint and caulk around windows
Make sure landscaping is pulled off or away from home
Have A licensed arborist check and/or trim any suspect trees
Sims said it has been a long two years.
“We’ve just been living in transition for so long, it’s very difficult,” said Sims, who said he was more than ready to settle back into his home this summer.
In the meantime, he’s trying to focus on the positive and look forward to some of the new features of his home.
“Now, we’ve got a big open kitchen and we both love to cook so open kitchen is a good thing,” Sims said.
MIAMI — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its 2024 forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1. NOAA’s report predicts an “above average” hurricane season with 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes, and 4 to 7 major hurricanes of category 3 or higher.
“Of note, the forecast for named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes is the highest NOAA has ever issued for the May outlook,” said NOAA Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad.
According to NOAA’s 2024 outlook, there is an 85% chance of an above-normal season, 10% chance of a near-normal season and a 5% chance of a below-normal season. Of these predictions made, NOAA said its forecasters are 70% confident in these ranges.
The hurricane season officially starts on June 1 and ends on November 30, with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October. An average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
The upcoming season is expected to have above average activity due to a variety of factors, including near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, development of La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, reduced Atlantic trade winds and less wind shear, all of which tend to favor tropical storm formation, Spinrad said.
“We expected an above average forecast from NOAA this year. We are all looking at the same signals. For this season, it comes down to two main factors: a developing La Niña pattern in the eastern Pacific and record-setting sea surface temperatures in the Tropical Atlantic Basin,” CBS Miami Chief Meteorologist and Hurricane Specialist Ivan Cabrera said of the forecast.
“Those two key factors are what we’re watching and if they come together as we think they will, we can expect a very active hurricane season this year,” Cabrera added.
As one of the strongest El Niños ever observed nears its end, NOAA predicts a quick transition to La Niña conditions, which are conducive to Atlantic hurricane activity because these conditions tend to lessen wind shear in the tropics. At the same time, abundant oceanic heat content in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea creates more energy to fuel storm development.
Additionally, this hurricane season also features the potential for an above-normal west African monsoon, which can produce easterly winds that seed some of the strongest and longest-lived Atlantic storms, NOAA said.
Finally, light trade winds allow hurricanes to grow in strength without the disruption of strong wind shear and minimize ocean cooling.
“Human-caused climate change is warming our ocean globally and in the Atlantic basin, and melting ice on land, leading to sea level rise, which increases the risk of storm surge,” NOAA said. “Sea level rise represents a clear human influence on the damage potential from a given hurricane.”
During Thursday’s press conference, NOAA also released the list of 2024 hurricane names ranging from Alberto to William.
Though “all the ingredients” are in place for an active season, National Weather Service (NWS) Director Ken Graham said it’s a reason to be “concerned but not alarmed.”
NOAA, NWS, and FEMA also guided how the public can prepare ahead of a potential storm impacting their area as Spinrad, Graham, and FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks reminded everyone that preparedness is key.
“Before hurricane season officially begins, my message to the American people is this: Take time to make sure that you have a clear understanding of your unique risk now,” Hooks said.
That includes making sure you have all your items and valuables with you before the storm hits, including medication, personal documents and electronics.
NOAA said it will implement improvements to its forecast communications, decision support, and storm recovery efforts this season. These include expanding its offering of Spanish-language text products, issuing an experimental version of the forecast cone graphic around August 15, and issuing regular and intermediate public advisories as needed instead of having to wait every six hours.
Additionally, the agency is introducing new tools for hurricane analysis and forecasting, along with system upgrades for the 2024 season.
For starters, two new forecast models developed by NOAA researchers will go into operation this season: The Modular Ocean Model (MOM6) will be added to the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System to improve representation of the key role the ocean plays in driving hurricane intensity. The other model, called SDCON, will predict the probability of tropical cyclone rapid intensification.
NOAA’s new generation of Flood Inundation Mapping, which Spinrad noted was made possible through President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, will provide information to emergency and water managers to prepare and respond to potential flooding and help local officials better prepare and protect people and infrastructure.
Also, NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center, in partnership with the National Hurricane Center (NHC), will issue an experimental rainfall graphic for the Caribbean and Central America during this season. This graphic will provide forecast rainfall totals associated with a tropical cyclone or disturbance for a specified time period.
Before and during the official start of the season, NOAA has upgraded many coastal weather buoys in the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean to include time of occurrence and measurements of one-minute wind speed and direction, five-second peak wind gust and direction, and lowest one-minute barometric pressure to support tropical cyclone forecasting.
New for 2024, NOAA will gather additional observations using Directional Wave Spectra Drifters (DWSDs) deployed from the NOAA P-3 hurricane hunter aircraft and in the vicinity of Saildrones — uncrewed surface vehicles which will be deployed at the start of the season to provide one-minute data in real-time. NOAA said 11 to 12 Saildrones are planned to be deployed this season.
Starting in June, NOAA will deploy dozens of observational underwater gliders to deploy in waters off the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the United States East Coast. Also, a new lightweight dropsonde called Streamsonde will be deployed into developing tropical storms to collect multiple real-time observations to collect valuable wind data.
NOAA also introduced the Coordinated Hurricane Atmosphere-Ocean Sampling (CHAOS) research experiment, which aims to improve the understanding of air-sea interactions, providing sustained monitoring of key ocean features.
These projects will provide more observations of the ocean and atmosphere in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, U.S. East Coast, and the tropical Atlantic regions, NOAA said.
Other 2024 hurricane season predictions
Researchers from the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project predicted in April an “extremely active” 2024 season, including 23 named storms. Previous years had an average of 14.4 named storms. Their forecast included a 62% chance of a Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane making landfall on the continental U.S. coastline, an increase from the average prediction of 43%.
Along the East Coast, including the Florida peninsula, the probability jumped to 34% from 21% – which was the average likelihood from 1880-2020. Along the Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle, the increase was higher. Researchers predicted a 42% probability in that area, up from an average of 27% in previous years.
Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist from The Weather Channel, also presented a similar prediction, telling “CBS Mornings” in March that rising air and ocean temperatures globally could set the stage for an “explosive hurricane season.”
A look back at the 2023 hurricane season
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season ended as the fourth busiest for most-named storms. It concluded with 20 named storms, seven of which went on to become hurricanes and of those three intensified into major hurricanes.
There were three storms that made landfall in the US. Two tropical storms made landfall, one in Texas and the other in North Carolina.
The only hurricane landfall was Idalia. It made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Aug. 30 near Keaton Beach, Florida, causing storm surge inundation of 7 to 12 feet and widespread rainfall flooding in Florida and throughout the southeast.
Hunter Geisel is a Digital Producer at CBS Miami. Hunter has previously produced digital content for local and national outlets, covering several topics from breaking news and current events to politics and pop culture.
NOAA forecasters from the National Hurricane Center and the local forecast office, as well as crew members of the NOAA and USAF aircraft used to research hurricanes, will be available for one-on-one interviews and aircraft tours.
This is all taking place at the airport from 9 a.m. ’til about 3 p.m.
Check back later to follow along live in a video player at the top of this story.
Colorado State University is calling for a hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season
The forecast calls for 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes
This is the highest preseason forecast put out by CSU since they began in 1995
Hot ocean waters and an expected decrease in wind shear is promoting the high forecast
The report, released at the National Tropical Weather Conference in Texas, highlights several factors for the upcoming season which lead researchers to believe the Atlantic will be as alive as ever.
The forecast calls for 23 named storms this season. Of those 23 storms, 11 are expected to become hurricanes and five are expected to reach major hurricane strength with winds of 111 miles per hour or greater.
This is the most aggressive preseason forecast Colorado State University has ever issued. The previous record for highest preseason forecast called for nine hurricanes in a season, which CSU has forecast several times since their first April predictions began in 1995.
The researchers cite record warm tropical and eastern Atlantic sea surface temperatures being a primary factor in the hurricane prediction this year.
“When waters in the eastern and central tropical and subtropical Atlantic are much warmer than normal in the spring, this tends to force a weaker subtropical high and associated weaker winds blowing across the tropical Atlantic,” the report states. “A very warm Atlantic favors an above-average season, since a hurricane’s fuel source is warm ocean water.”
Additionally, warmer sea surface temperatures promote larger areas of rising air, which promotes storm development. This can also lead to more favorable conditions for hurricane development as a season moves on.
“The tropical Pacific is currently characterized by weak El Niño conditions. These El Niño conditions are likely to transition to neutral ENSO conditions in the next few weeks and then to La Niña conditions by the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season,” the report states. “La Niña typically increases Atlantic hurricane activity through decreases in vertical wind shear.”
Historically, ENSO forecasting during the spring months can be filled with some questions. Global climate models struggle with capturing the full extent of how the atmosphere can transition heading into summer. But CSU says this year’s climate forecast brings some unusual confidence.
“All models are forecasting El Niño to be gone, with most models forecasting La Niña to develop by the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season,” they say.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs a name list that’s 21 names long. Colorado State University is outright forecasting that the season will run out of names by Nov. 30. If that becomes the case, the basin will move to a secondary name list for the first time since its inception in 2021. Before 2021, any storms that formed after the 21st went in order of the Greek Alphabet. That has only occurred twice in recorded history — 2005 and 2020.
In total, CSU predicts that hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year will be about 170% of an average season. Last year, hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin tracked about 120% of an average season.
Colorado State will issue forecast updates to its seasonal predictions on June 11, July 9 and Aug. 6 of this year.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Starting in August 2024, NHC’s cone of uncertainty will show inland watches and warning, as well as the extent of tropical storm and hurricane-force winds.
National Hurricane Center
Cone of concern. Cone of dread. Even cone of death. The National Hurricane Center’s familiar forecast map goes by a lot of unofficial nicknames, all of which reflect this undeniable fact: You feel worried if you’re in it and better if you’re not.
That misreading of the forecast cone has made it the subject of some criticism over the years — that it fails to reflect the risks posed to coastal communities that may be out of the cone one day but in it the next, or close enough to the eye of a storm to still see serious damage.
This year, the NHC is rolling out an experimental version intended to address those issues by adding new layers of threats and a lot more colors. The NHC believes the new map better threads the needle between informing the public and confusing it.
“Recommendations from social science research suggest that the addition of inland watches and warnings to the cone graphic will help communicate wind risk during tropical cyclone events while not overcomplicating the current version of the graphic with too many data layers,” NHC wrote in a release announcing the change.
Starting in August 2024, NHC’s cone of uncertainty will show inland watches and warning, as well as the extent of tropical storm and hurricane-force winds. National Hurricane Center
The cone, introduced 22 years ago, has been misinterpreted by the general public practically since day one. It’s meant to show the hurricane center’s best guess for where the eye of the storm will travel, with a cone around it that follows a formula based on the average errors the hurricane center makes when tracking a storm. As the science improves, the cone shrinks.
It’s a handy tool for showing where a storm may go, but even a tiny track shift can translate to a big change for a hurricane that parallels Florida’s long coastline. Infamously, the relatively minor shifts in the hurricane center’s predictions for Hurricane Ian’s path in 2022 led to entire counties in Florida exiting the cone’s shaded area — and, in some cases, delaying or avoiding calls for evacuation in response.
But as those Floridians learned in Ian, the impacts of a hurricane occur far outside the shaded lines of NHC’s cone.
That’s why the hurricane center is debuting a new pilot version of its cone this hurricane season.
The current cone — which isn’t going anywhere anytime soon — shows the projected path of a storm and colorful outlines along the coast of states or islands, representing spots where storm watches and warnings are in place.
Starting August 15, the hurricane center will also publish an experimental second version of the cone, where the inland spots under watches and warnings will also be colored in red and blue. It also will show the wind field of the storm, depicted in a gold tone, showing how far out the damaging winds stretch — an addition that should make residents outside the cone more aware of the potential impacts.
The cone of uncertainty used by the National Hurricane Center has shrunk dramatically since 2003 as forecasting science improves. Every year, it’s recalculated based on tracking errors from the past five years. Brian McNoldy
Another key change happening this year is that the hurricane center will start producing even more text advisories in Spanish.
Starting this year, all public advisories, tropical cyclone discussions, tropical cyclone updates and key messages in the Atlantic basin will also be available in Spanish. The text products will be translated using artificial intelligence, a technique the hurricane center experimented with last year.
Related stories from Miami Herald
Alex Harris is the lead climate change reporter for the Miami Herald’s climate team, which covers how South Florida communities are adapting to the warming world. Her beat also includes environmental issues and hurricanes. She attended the University of Florida.
Residents return from checking their homes after Hurricane Matthew caused downed trees, power outages, a municipal water outage and widespread flooding along the Lumber River Thursday, October 13, 2016 in Lumberton, NC.
Travis Long
tlong@newsobserver.com
Fed by climate change, hurricanes have outpaced the tool meteorologists use to convey their strength, and the National Hurricane Center should add a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson scale to reflect the change, researchers said this week.
Michael F. Wehner and James P. Kossin made the argument in a paper released Monday, which puts two years of scientific study behind an observation meteorologists and others had made more casually for some time. That is, that a scale that tops out with Category 5, capturing any storm with sustained winds at 157mph or more, underestimates in the public’s mind the actual threat of much more powerful storms occurring.
What does the research say?
Wehner and Kossin suggest adding a Category 6 that would include any storm with sustained wind speeds of more than 86 meters per second, or about 192mph.
Several storms already have reached that threshold, the pair say, and more are likely to come as the planet warms.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said it’s premature to conclude that the increase in hurricane activity and severity since 1980 is due to global warming.
Reached by phone in California where he works in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Applied Mathematics and Computational Research Division, Wehner said he and Kossin, an atmospheric scientist, don’t expect the National Hurricane Center to amend the Saffir-Simpson scale. But demonstrating that there could be scientific justification for doing so could bring attention to the need to deal with global warming, he said.
“Our point is simply that climate change is making the big ones worse,” said Wehner, who also has studied other weather extremes such as heat.
In the short run, Wehner said, when a hurricane is barreling up the coast, residents in its path need to pay attention to evacuation orders and take necessary steps to protect themselves and their loved ones.
“Bu when there is not a storm coming, this could be a way to remind people that climate change is making these storms and all kinds of extreme weather more hazardous.”
What is the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Speed scale?
Developed by wind engineer Herb Saffir and meteorologist Bob Simpson, the scale was first published in the 1970s as a way to quantify the threat of a given hurricane and alert the public to possible impacts. It’s been compared to the Richter scale used for earthquakes.
Its metrics have been changed over time, and the current version uses only peak wind speeds to classify storms as:
▪ Category 1, maximum sustained winds of 74-95 mph
▪ Category 2, 96-110 mph
▪ Category 3, 111-129 mph
▪ Category 4, 130-156 mph
▪ Category 5, 157 mph or higher
Critics say Saffir-Simpson understates dangers
If you live in North Carolina, which is behind only Texas, Florida and sometimes Louisiana in the number of hurricane strikes sustained, you know that excessive wind — which can collapse structures, bring down trees and turn ordinary objects into missiles — is only one potential danger in a hurricane.
Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the National Weather Service reported in August 2023 that most deaths in recent tropical cyclones have been from inland freshwater flooding caused by excessive rainfall. Other major risks from hurricanes include ocean storm surge and tornadoes, such as one spawned by Isaias in August 2020 that killed two people in Bertie County. Hurricanes that hit the Gulf of Mexico and travel north through the North Carolina mountains, dropping huge amounts of rain, also can cause landslides.
That’s why the National Hurricane Center offers a detailed description of the increasing dangers of different category storms ascending through the Saffir-Simpson scale along with more digestible summaries of the risks.
The National Hurricane Center also has produced an animated video that demonstrates the effects of increasing wind strengths from Category 1 to Category 5.
North Carolina focuses on impacts, not storm categories
In modern record-keeping, North Carolina has never sustained a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane, but has seen death and destruction from many storms that, based only on their category, might not have sounded like big threats.
Hurricane Matthew that came into North Carolina as a Category 1 storm after making landfall in South Carolina in October 2016 killed 25 people here, the weather service said, and caused billions of dollars in damages.
Andrew Richardson of Fayetteville looks for salvageable furniture in a pile of debris outside a gutted home Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016 in Lumberton, one of the most heavily flooded areas in N.C. following Hurricane Matthew. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com
In an interview, Diana Thomas, a meteorologist with N.C. Emergency Management, said that leading up to a hurricane, state officials use information about wind speeds but also the size of a storm, potential storm surge and rip current risk, projected rainfall, possible tracks and other data to help residents prepare and stay safe.
As a meteorologist and disaster preparedness official, she said, she’s not bothered by the fact that the current Category 5 is open-ended.
“We really message out the impacts. We may not even mention what category a storm is, because the impact and the local effects are what matter and what drives our response and the need to move resources to those areas,” she said. “The addition of a Category 6 would not alter our addressing of those impacts.”
The National Hurricane Center’s response
NHC Director Michael Brennan said in a statement that the agency doesn’t comment on reports or papers from outside its organization.
But Brennan said that, like N.C. officials, “We’ve tried to steer the focus toward the individual hazards, which include storm surge, wind, rainfall, tornadoes and rip currents, instead of the particular category of the storm, which only provides information about the hazard from wind. Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale already captures ‘Catastrophic Damage’ from wind, so it’s not clear that there would be a need for another category even if storms were to get stronger.
“In addition, most deaths in tropical cyclones occur not from the wind but from water — storm surge, rainfall/inland flooding, and hazardous surf — causing about 90% of tropical cyclone deaths in the United States. So, we don’t want to over-emphasize the wind hazard by placing too much emphasis on the category.”
Hurricane Hazel in 1954 is the only Category 4 hurricane that has hit North Carolina. Storm surge flooded areas along the coast, including Morehead City, shown here. Hazel brought 90 mph winds as far inland as Raleigh. National Weather Service
The National Hurricane Center announced this week that in mid-August, it will roll out an experimental version of its hurricane cone forecast graphic to include effects of storms that could be felt far inland. That’s because in the past, people who live in areas away from the coast often have ignored the risks posed by winds and heavy rain that can occur far from the coast. After it came ashore in Calabash in 1954, for instance — bringing an 18-foot storm surge — Hurricane Hazel traveled far inland.
The Ralegh-Durham airport recorded 90 mph winds from Hazel.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Martha Quillin is a general assignment reporter at The News & Observer who writes about North Carolina culture, religion and social issues. She has held jobs throughout the newsroom since 1987.
HOLIDAY, Fla. — A program in Pasco County is helping homeowners afford major repairs to their homes. It’s called the ‘Owner Occupied Rehab Program.’
What You Need To Know
The Owner Occupied Rehab program is helping homeowners in Pasco County afford major repairs to their homes
Those homeowners who are eligible must have incomes under 120% of the area median income
Within the last five years, the program has helped close to 200 families- including one couple who were ready to put their home up for sale
Homeowners who are eligible must have incomes under 120% of the area median income. Such repairs include correcting code violations like roof repair or replacement, fixing electrical and heating as well as water facilities. Funding is provided through a zero-interest recorded mortgage.
“Really, the number one qualification is their income,” says Marcy Esbjerg, Director of Community Development for Pasco County. “It’s the entire household’s income. That’s our first line and then also how much the house is valued by the tax collector. Those are the two biggest qualifications.”
Within the last five years, the program has helped close to 200 families. It’s a program that is helping to change lives.
“It was a miracle,” said Karen Conrad, who has lived in Pasco County with her husband Phillip for close to 30 years.
A proud streak that was almost close to breaking last year.
“There was no way we could afford to make the payments because our insurance went up double and we were faced with paying a house payment that was at the end,” said Karen.
A mountain of issues with their home had piled up. From past storms and the age of the home, repairs were needed but seemed impossible to afford. Until they heard about the Owner Occupied Rehab Program in Pasco County.
“He said we can fix everything for you and we about fell over,” said Karen. “I mean, we were desperate. We had gotten so depressed because there was no way we were going to be able to fix all of this.”
Part of what ‘this’ is includes brand-new sliding glass doors for the Conrads. As well as new windows all throughout their house.
“Every single, solitary thing that was bothering us in this house that made us hate living here and tempted to sell it as is- has been addressed,” she said.
Even on the outside, changes were made. A new roof successfully installed and an old oak tree threatening their home’s foundation removed.
“The change was so huge- what the guys came in and did- all of a sudden, we had new life,” said Karen. “We felt new life come into us.”
The changes have brought an air of freshness to the Conrad’s home. One that is allowing them to breathe a little easier.
“There is hope,” said Karen. “There is a way when there seems to be no way, and that’s what we experienced.”
If you or someone you know may qualify for the program, you can learn how to apply online right here.
As global temperatures continue to increase, making storms more intense, some researchers say that the Saffir-Simpson scale, which measures a hurricane’s wind speeds, doesn’t adequately address the hazards associated with extreme storms. In a new study, scientists explored a hypothetical expansion of the scale to include a Category 6, and found that such a designation could help focus people of the worsening risks.
In a new study, published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that the scale, which was created in the early 1970s and is still used to define hurricane categories, has a “weakness”: tops out at Category 5 even though “the destructive potential of the wind increases exponentially.”
The hurricane categories run from 1 to 5, with Category 5 hurricanes having wind speeds of 156 mph or stronger — enough to produce “catastrophic” damage, which NOAA says can result in “complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings,” as well as extended power outages.
Michael Wehner, lead author of the latest research, told CBS News that there have been several hurricanes in recent years with winds that far surpass 156 mph — and that it may warrant an entirely new category. He and his co-researcher James Kossin looked at the potential impact of expanding the scale so that Category 5 would be capped at wind speeds of 192 mph, and any hurricanes or cyclones above that be designated Category 6, to better help inform people of the risks.
“We found that five storms had exceeded this hypothetical Category 6, and that all of them were recent, since 2013,” Wehner told CBS News.
Satellite image of Hurricane Patricia in October 2015.
Scott Kelly/NASA via Getty Images
The most intense of those five storms was Hurricane Patricia, which peaked with wind speeds well over 200 mph before making landfall in Mexico as a Category 4 in October 2015. Patricia “intensified at a rate rarely observed in a tropical cyclone,” according to the National Hurricane Center. NOAA reported that the storm hit maximum winds of 215 mph, nearly 60 mph faster than the lower bar of the Category 5 designation.
The other storms of hypothetical Category 6 strength occurred in the Western Pacific, the study says. Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013, was “the costliest Philippines storm and the deadliest since the 19th century, long before any significant warning systems,” the study says.
Five recent storms reached a hypothetical Category 6 wind intensity on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, according to a new study. The triangles denote which storms reached these intensities.
Michael Wehner, James Kossin
The researchers also looked at a “state of the art” climate measurement system that analyzes potential intensity — “basically a speed limit on how fast the highest winds could be in a perfect storm,” Wehner said.
“Our motivation here was to draw the connection between climate change — that warming of the atmosphere, the globe, from the burning of fossil fuels — to hurricanes and tropical cyclones,” Wehner said, adding that he and Kossin consider themselves “relatively conservative climate scientists.”
“Because climate change increases temperature and moisture — which are the sources of the energy for a hurricane or a tropical cyclone — one would expect this speed limit to increase,” he said. “And indeed it does.”
Wehner and Kossin found a “significant” observed increase in wind speeds since 1982, saying in their study that it’s likely wind speed records will “continue to be broken as the planet continues to warm.”
They also ran simulations based on various global warming scenarios, and found that the risk of seeing what would be Category 6 storms “has increased dramatically and will continue to increase with climate change.”
This study is not the first to look at a hypothetical expansion of the Saffir-Simpson scale. In 2019, former NOAA hurricane hunter and meteorologist Jeff Masters wrote that current hurricane categorizations are “inadequate.” He suggested that the scale be expanded with a Category 6, starting with winds of 180 to 185 mph, and a Category 7, to be used for storms with winds of at least 210 mph.
“Any move to expand the Saffir-Simpson scale would have to come from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), though, and there is little support for such a move from the experts there,” he wrote in a blog post for Scientific American. “From a public safety/warning standpoint, NHC experts I’ve heard from believe that including a category 6 would do little good, since a category 5 hurricane is already considered catastrophic.”
Wehner acknowledged the Saffir-Simpson scale has been heavily criticized for being the sole determination of a hurricane’s category. The scale is based only on wind speed, and while that is a crucial measurement for determining a storm’s risk, it doesn’t account for the potential destruction caused by the storm’s size or the storm surge and flooding it could bring. Wehner’s study does not address those other hurricane factors.
Those hurricane risks should be better incorporated when explaining a storm’s risk, Wehner said.
“A single number is really not very descriptive of the entire risk of an impending hurricane if you’re in the path,” he told CBS News. “You really need to know what are the kinds of dangers that you’re being exposed to.”
The researchers said in their paper that they are not specifically proposing changes to the scale, but are looking to “raise awareness that the wind-hazard risk from storms presently designated as category 5 has increased and will continue to increase.” Adding a sixth category to the scale could help raise awareness about expected changes to storms’ wind strength in the years to come, and how that, on top of other hazards, could impact communities, they said.
“The stronger the wind, the stronger the storm surge. And there’s going to be a lot more rain regardless,” Wehner said. “…From the global warming context, trying to put a single number on what the increased risk from the global warming part that’s a more long-term kind of danger, we think that this scale is fine.”
Another criticism Wehner said an expanded scale has received is the question, “If we add a Cat 6, does a Cat 3 storm not matter anymore?”
“And the answer is, ‘Of course it does,’” he said. “…Just because the worst storms are worse, doesn’t mean that bad storms aren’t bad.”
First, John Eastman on the GA conspiracy case. Then, an investigation into what happens when Social Security mistakenly overpays. And, a look at Hurricane Maria’s impact on Monkey Island.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
The catastrophic toll of Hurricane Otis is becoming more apparent in the days since it hit the Pacific beachfront city of Acapulco, Mexico, last week. Otis made landfall as a ferocious Category 5 on Oct. 25. Officials now say the number of those dead or missing from the storm has increased significantly, to nearly 100.
In a news release Monday, the governor of Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located, said at least 45 people were killed and 47 are still missing. Sixteen of the bodies that have been recovered have been returned to their families, officials said, adding that three of those included in the death toll are foreign residents from the U.S., Canada and U.K.
An aerial view of a damaged building, in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis, in Acapulco, Mexico, October 30, 2023.
QUETZALLI NICTE-HA / REUTERS
Hurricane Otis stunned experts when its wind speeds increased by 115 mph in a single day before making landfall, intensifying at the second-fastest recorded rate in modern times, according to the National Hurricane Center. NOAA said Otis “was the strongest hurricane in the Eastern Pacific to make landfall in the satellite era.”
“There are no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part of Mexico,” the hurricane center warned on Oct. 24 as the storm approached, describing it as a “nightmare scenario.”
Meteorologists and climate scientists say warming oceans and the impact of climate change mean we’re likely to see more such storm behavior in the future.
“We would not see as strong of hurricanes if we didn’t have the warm ocean and Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico,” Weather Channel meteorologist Richard Knabb told CBS News last week. “That is the fuel.”
People remove debris left by the passage of Hurricane Otis in Puerto Marques, Guerrero State, Mexico, on Oct. 28, 2023.
RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images
Residents who survived the storm have been left reeling in the aftermath.
“I thought I was going to die,” Rumualda Hernandez told Reuters, in Spanish. She said described how she and her husband watched the floodwaters rise around their home. “…We trembled. I was shaking … and my husband told me to calm down. ‘It will pass,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it will stay like this. The important thing is that we are alive that we are together.’”
Now, she said, they don’t have clean water and their house is “full of mud.”
“We are left with nothing,” she said. “Everything is damaged.”
Debris lies on La Angosta Beach, in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis, in Acapulco, Mexico, October 30, 2023.
QUETZALLI NICTE-HA / REUTERS
Other Acapulco described the scale of the damage.
“It’s like the apocalypse,” John, a restaurant owner who did not provide his last name, told Reuters. “…I hope Acapulco can recover as quickly as possible because it seems that 90% of the buildings are damaged. … So many businesses and hotels are damaged.”
“People were left with nothing,” local teacher Jesus Diaz also told Reuters. “…The hurricane took everything.”
Mexico officials said Monday that water and fuel are being delivered to residents and that they are working to restore electricity.
“They will not lack work and food, water, the basics,” Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said in a press release. “…and very soon, very soon, we are going to restore the electrical service.”
Shattered windows. Mud-filled streets. A desperate search for the missing. These are the impacts of one of the most catastrophic storms to hit Acapulco in decades.
Wind speeds jumped by 115 mph in a single day. It normally takes much longer for that kind of increase. Otis’ intensification rate is the second fastest recorded in modern times, the National Hurricane Center reported. The change prompted the Center to describe the disaster as a “nightmare scenario.”
This type of explosive growth is a phenomenon known as rapid intensification. It is becoming more common in some areas now, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports.
“What these analyses show is that, over time there are … increased chances of storms intensifying most quickly in regions that include the tropical eastern Atlantic, a region along the U.S. East Coast, and the southern Caribbean Sea,” said Andra J. Garner, Ph.D., who wrote the study.
The research points to a warming planet as the cause behind stronger storms. 2023 saw abnormally high surface temperatures in the ocean. Otis, for example, passed through 88-degree surface waters before slamming into Mexico. Similarly, Hurricane Idalia rapidly intensified from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 4 storm before hitting the Florida coast in August.
“We would not see as strong of hurricanes if we didn’t have the warm ocean and Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico,” said Richard Knabb, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel and the former director of the National Hurricane Center. “That is the fuel.”
Now, NOAA is sending drones in the air, on the water and below the ocean’s surface to better predict when conditions could cause rapid intensification.
“Think of the ocean as the gas tank for the hurricane that is the engine,” said Knabb. ”The more high-octane fuel you give it, the more it is able to accelerate in terms of its maximum speed, and the fuel they use is the warm waters of the ocean. The hurricane converts the energy in the ocean into low pressure that generates all the wind.”
Researchers at NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are also using artificial intelligence, or AI, to analyze that data quickly.
“Artificial intelligence is being examined to sift through all of that information coming from forecast models, helping us make more informed human forecasts based on all that uncertainty,” said Knabb. “Much of the country is vulnerable to the inland impacts, and that can mean inland flooding that could inundate entire communities like we saw with Ida. That can mean strong winds like we saw in the state of Ohio after Hurricane Ike came ashore in the Gulf of Mexico in 2008, and look at what is happening in inland areas in California with Hurricane Hilary earlier this year. ”
These advancements in technology couldn’t prepare the people of Acapulco for what was to come from Otis. Two days after landfall, thousands remained without power or communication. The outages and devastated infrastructure have so far prevented authorities from being able to survey the full extent of the damage.
Meteorologists are now keeping a close eye on the ocean to see what comes next. The Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t end until Nov. 30.
Otis, which quickly strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall off the southern Pacific coast of Mexico early Wednesday, near the resort city of Acapulco. It brought extensive flooding, triggering landslides, and caused major damage to the region.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Hurricane Otis has “rapidly intensified” into a dangerous Category 5 storm off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, the National Hurricane Center reported Tuesday night.
In just a matter of hours, Otis strengthened from a tropical storm to a major hurricane. As of late Tuesday night, it was only 55 miles southeast of Acapulco, moving northwest at 9 mph, according to the hurricane center. It had maximum sustained winds of 165 mph, and its hurricane-force winds were extending up to 30 miles from its center.
The storm is likely to make landfall by early Wednesday, with “catastrophic damage likely where the core of the hurricane moves onshore,” the hurricane center said.
People stand on the beach as Hurricane Otis nears Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico on Oct. 24, 2023.
FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP via Getty Images
It is forecast to bring anywhere from 8 to 20 inches of rain through Thursday across the Mexican states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, and may also cause “life-threatening coastal flooding.”
The hurricane center warned of “extremely destructive winds near the core” of Otis, with powerful winds posing risks to the upper floors of high-rise buildings.
A storm is deemed a major hurricane when it reaches Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale due to the potential for “significant loss of life and damage,” per the hurricane center.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Punta Maldonado west to Zihuatanejo.
The projected path of Hurricane Otis. Oct. 24, 2023.
NOAA / National Weather Service
Mexico’s army and navy deployed more than 8,000 troops to Guerrero with specialized equipment to aid in rescues, the Associated Press reported. Authorities closed Acapulco’s port, home to some 300 fishing boats.
The beach city of Acapulco, which has a population of about one million, is a major tourist destination.
Danielle Banks, meteorologist for The Weather Channel, said Otis is expected to weaken after it makes landfall.
The hurricane center said Otis will “likely dissipate over southern Mexico” by Wednesday night.
Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in for more features.
Forecasters say there could be months still to go before the culmination of El Niño, a climate pattern characterized by higher sea surface temperatures and precipitation across the equatorial Pacific Ocean that can affect weather across the globe.
The warm phase of an oscillating cycle that recurs every few years, El Niño officially arrived in June, and at the time scientists anticipated that the phenomenon would likely continue into the latter part of 2023. Now, in an updated outlook released Thursday by the National Weather Service’s Climate Predication Center, forecasters said there was an 80% chance that El Niño would persist into the Northern Hemisphere’s spring season and linger until May of next year.
There is also a high probability that El Niño will become stronger than usual as it finishes out its current run, which could mean its mark on winter temperatures as well as rain and snow patterns around the world may be more evident, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
El Niño causes the Pacific jet stream to move south and spread further east. During winter, this leads to wetter conditions than usual in the Southern U.S. and warmer and drier conditions in the North.
NOAA
El Niño is one half of the alternating El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, cycle, a shifting system of contrasting climate phenomena dictated by trade wind patterns and their resulting effects on sea surface temperature in a block of the equatorial Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii. El Niño replaces its inverse, La Niña, the cycle’s colder stretch. Both phases of ENSO are defined by sea surface temperatures and precipitation in that section of the Pacific that depart from what is considered the neutral norm. An increase in temperatures and precipitation levels corresponds with El Niño, and the opposite is true for its counterpart.
The extent to which El Niño affects global weather patterns depends on its strength. The warmer ENSO phase has intermittently disrupted marine ecosystems and can wield significant influence over the weather in the United States, where El Niño is typically associated with wetter conditions along the Gulf Coast and in the Southeast that sometimes cause serious flooding. This phase of the climate cycle generally brings warmer and dryer weather to northern parts of the U.S. as well as Canada.
So far in 2023, El Niño’s effects on the U.S. climate have not unfolded exactly as its past activity might suggest.
Last July marked the fourth consecutive month of record-high global ocean surface temperatures, and it also had the highest monthly sea surface temperature anomaly in NOAA’s 174-year record, the agency said, acknowledging that all of that could be related to the characteristic warmth seen in El Niño.
But the atmospheric conditions normally created by this phase, which tend to help decrease tropical activity during Atlantic hurricane season, developed slower than anticipated. Hurricane season lasts annually from June until November, and this one was more active than normal, even though it is usually La Niña that corresponds with increased hurricanes in the U.S.
“Depending on its strength, El Nino can cause a range of impacts, such as increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and droughts in certain locations around the world,” said Michelle L’Heureux, a climate scientist at the Climate Prediction Center, in a statement announcing El Niño’s impending arrival earlier this year.
“Climate change can exacerbate or mitigate certain impacts related to El Niño,” said L’Heureux. “For example, El Niño could lead to new records for temperatures, particularly in areas that already experience above-average temperatures during El Niño.”
The effects of El Niño usually strengthen heading into the fall and winter seasons, scientists say, so the next few months could bring increased rainfall and snow to certain places as long as the climate pattern remains in place. How its true effects will take shape may be somewhat unpredictable, according to NOAA, which noted that changing global climate “means this El Niño is operating in a different world than earlier El Niño events.”
Hurricane Lidia made landfall along the Pacific Coast of west-central Mexico on Tuesday as a Category 4 hurricane before weakening, threatening a stretch of the west-central shoreline home to Puerto Vallarta, a resort town and popular tourist destination in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Its arrival came on the heels of Tropical Storm Max, which hit the southern coast of Mexico on Monday, several hundred miles from Jalisco, before tapering off.
The storm system was about 30 miles east of Puerto Vallarta at 10 p.m. Central Time, according to the National Hurricane Center. Lidia was packing maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour, classifying it as a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which rates potential property damage.
Jalisco and Nayarit states reported downed trees and power lines, as well as landslides over some highways in the region, according to the Associated Press. Jalisco Gov. Enrique Alfaro said on social media that there were no reports of injuries or deaths so far.
6 PM MDT Tuesday Oct 10 Update: Extremely dangerous category 4 Hurricane Lidia makes landfall in west-central Mexico. Life-threatening winds and flooding rainfall spreading inland over west-central Mexico. Full information: https://t.co/eTBstnP4rTpic.twitter.com/DE3hFu1rlu
Lidia had become more powerful over the course of the day, growing in strength since 9 a.m. CT when it carried maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and at the time was categorized as a Category 2 hurricane. A storm falls within Category 2 when its maximum sustained winds are stronger than 96 mph but do not exceed 110 mph, and shifts to Category 3 when wind speeds are between 111 mph and 129 mph. Any hurricane classified as a Category 3 storm or above — the system ranks storms through Category 5 — is considered a major hurricane.
In its latest advisory, the hurricane center said that “life-threatening winds and flooding rainfall continue to spread over west-central Mexico.”
However, the hurricane center added that “rapid weakening” was expected into Wednesday as the hurricane moved inland.
The projected path of Hurricane Lidia. Oct. 10, 2023.
NOAA / National Weather Service
The hurricane was expected to bring as much as 12 inches of rain to parts of the Mexican states of Nayarit, Sinaloa and coastal Jalisco, likely causing flash flooding and urban flooding as well as possible mudslides in sections of the coast with higher terrain.
“Apart from the strong winds, Lidia can produce a lot of rain,” Albert Martinez, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel en Español, told CBS News in an email. “This big amount of rain can produce flash floods along Sierra Madre with some mudslides in higher terrains. It’s important to avoid creeks and rivers because they can grow very quickly.”
Martinez noted that Puerto Vallarta will experience heavy rain and flooding in addition to strong hurricane winds.
Hurricane-force winds extended up to 30 miles from the center of the storm, and tropical storm-force winds were extending up to 140 miles from Lidia, according to the hurricane center. Martinez said a wide stretch of land between Nayarit and Colima “will experience a lot of rain, floods and strong winds.”
The hurricane center warned that “a dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding near and to the south of where the center makes landfall,” and noted that the surge will accompany “large and dangerous waves” near the coast. Life-threatening surf and rip currents linked to Lidia are also expected along the western coast of Mexico and the Baja California peninsula.
The Mexican government expanded its hurricane warning Tuesday morning to include a wider section of the Pacific Coast, extending some 350 miles to Manzanillo, in the state of Colima, and El Roblito, in Nayarit, which bookend the seaside city of Puerto Vallarta. Tropical storm warnings were put in place for parts of Baja California Sur, including Punta San Telmo extended south from Manzanillo to Punta San Telmo.
By Tuesday night, a hurricane warning remained in effect for Manzanillo to San Blas in Nayarit, while a tropical storm warning remained in place for Punta San Telmo to Manzanillo.
However, a hurricane warning for Las Islas Marías, an archipelago about 60 miles off of Nayarit and 200 miles southeast of the tip of Baja California, had been canceled.
As Lidia accelerated on its path toward land early Tuesday, the hurricane center anticipated that the storm would continue to strengthen because its development over the Pacific coincides with “very warm” sea surface temperatures as well as an upper-level wind pattern that can play a role in the dynamics of a hurricane.
Although parts of Lidia’s landfall area are not densely populated, the hurricane’s track raised concerns about Puerto Vallarta, a city known for its beaches that has gained international popularity as a hub for tourism and a frequented spring break vacation spot for Americans. The U.S. State Department urged travelers to “reconsider” visiting Puerto Vallarta earlier this year, saying “violent crime and gang activity are common.” Not long after, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against members or associates of the Jalisco drug cartel, who allegedly targeted elderly Americans in a timeshare fraud scam that focused on Puerto Vallarta.
Philippe, now a post-tropical cyclone, is inching closer to the East Coast, and could bring heavy rain to New England, New York and southeast Canada this weekend. Meteorologist Mike Bettes with The Weather Channel has the latest forecast.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
When I was younger, I knew of two ways to get music: the legal way, paying $0.99 (and then $1.25) for songs on iTunes, and the illegal way, paying $0 to download the pirated versions on Limewire…Don’t lie, you had your ways, too.
Maybe I’m aging myself by saying social media wasn’t as prevalent as it was now…you couldn’t just go on Instagram and announce new music. That’s right, you’d have to do things like watch television and pay attention, like when Disney Channel would play music videos instead of commercials. It was prime MTV time, you know that line from Bowling For Soup’s hit song “1985”: “and music still on MTV?” That.
Essentially, you’d rely on solely on search engines, iTunes, and the radio to get your news. How archaic. Back when “doom scrolling” meant checking your email incessantly for new messages from your friends.
There was no Spotify or Apple Music to curate special playlists…only writers like me reviewing new tracks (that were often printed on CD’s…gasp). Can you believe we used to burn playlists onto CD’s and listen to them as our parents drove?
Now, music is more accessible than ever. We have access to any song written ever, essentially. I mean, people are constantly even hacking into celebrity’s iClouds and releasing their unreleased tracks! (It’s not ethical, but you get my point.)
There is no better time to be a fan of music than this era. Now, with apps like Spotify, you can get a monthly subscription to listen to unlimited, commercial-free music with specially picked playlists geared towards your music taste and access to pre-sales for your favorite artist’s shows. The music world is truly at our fingertips.
And that’s where I come in! I pick the best music that comes out every Friday across the board so you don’t have to comb through all of the new music playlists and feel lost. If you want your weekend to get a little easier, let’s get listening.
Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves- “She Calls Me Back”
At this point, Noah Kahan is just completing side quests. Whether it be performing onstage with Hozier, releasing collabs with Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine, Zach Bryan, or most recently Kacey Musgraves, Noah’s been busy. This week’s newest duet is with Musgraves, who shows the other side of Kahan’s hit song “She Calls Me Back.” Musgraves’ melodic voice adds the perfect touch to this song filled with yearning.
James Arthur- “Just Us”
What James Arthur can do to a song is unmatched. He’s the mastermind behind a heart-aching, soul-grasping ballad that will top the radio for weeks on end. An instantaneous creator of classics, James Arthur releases “Just Us”, ahead of his new album Bitter Sweet Love. It follows singles like “Blindside” and “A Year Ago”, “Just Us” is a reminder to focus on what’s really important.
“‘Just Us’ is a song in which I confess to running away from what really matters and getting lost in the pursuit of validation from external things,” James explains. “It’s about chasing a hedonistic, hollow life. Realizing the true meaning of life which is of course about true love, loving ourselves, our families and our communities and being there for them.”
Dom Dolla- “Saving Up”
Dom Dolla is one of the most exciting names in the electric dance community right now. With the mega-hit “Rhyme Dust” featuring the iconic MK out earlier this year, we got a sense of how Dom Dolla can produce any sort of dance music- regardless of if it’s house, disco, or anything in between. Now, with “Saving Up”, you have the perfect disco-inspired song to get you through the weekend. It’s a promising reminder that anything Dom touches is a banger.
“I was in the UK last year after a massive summer of touring when I caught the train down to Brighton with some friends and ended up in an incredible studio overlooking the beach. I was missing home a bit, but felt really inspired and wanted to write a feel-good record, reminding myself of the importance of saving time for the ones I care about and love. Whilst (in the studio) overlooking the same site Fatboy Slim hosted his ‘Big Beach Boutique’, I was thinking about the UK’s dance music history and it inspired me so I decided to lean into the idea of writing something that sounds sampled, but isn’t. I often like to write records completely on my own, but it feels so perfect to have written this one alongside some good pals, Clementine Douglas, Caitlin Stubbs & Toby Scott.”
Joel Corry- Another Friday Night
Another heavy-hitter in the EDM community is Joel Corry, who has a proven track record of solidified hits with songs like “Lonely”, “0800 Heaven”, “Head & Heart.” He’s produced songs that are the soundtrack to many nights out, and now he’s here with his debut album, Another Friday Night, just in time for the weekend. It’s one of the most highly anticipated dance albums of the year, with Corry’s uncanny ability to make a song everyone likes.
Claire Rosinkranz- Just Because
Claire Rosinkranz isn’t our featured artist of the week “just because”, it’s due to the fact that she’s released her debut album, Just Because. Rosinkranz is a young, dynamic artist who encapsulates the sound of surf and Southern California through picturesque music and retro inspiration. After being discovered at age 16, Rosinkranz has since taken the world by storm with her aptitude for songwriting and her fortifying vocal range.
Just Because is highlighted by key single tracks like “Wes Anderson”, where Rosinkranz encourages the listener to get over their breakup…and “Swinging at the Stars”, more of an optimistic love anthem with an anticipated accompanying music video featuring a very special guest. It’s a no-skips, must-not-miss album.
Chloe Stroll- “Hurricane”
No stranger to our featured artists lineup, Chloe Stroll is a Popdust fave. After debuting her music career earlier this year (and exclusively speaking with us on the matter), Chloe Stroll is not backing down. Her newest release, “Hurricane”, is a testimony to being loyal to the ones you love.
One of the most admirable parts of Stroll’s music is that she is staying true to herself, and writing from a genuine place in her heart…which translates to the listener over time. “Hurricane” is an easy listen when you pair her voice with true, sincere lyrics.
Neil Frances, DRAMA- “Energy”
A fun-filled track meant for the dance floor, “Energy” is the product of when artists are able to combine their sounds seamlessly. It doesn’t always work, but “Energy” brings a genuine sense of excitement and makes you want to stay out dancing all weekend long.
“Working with Neil Frances is fun. We’ve been jamming to their tunes for years, and when we teamed up, it was like a lightbulb moment. You know how it is when you work with strangers – it can be hit or miss. But with these guys, it’s a total breath of fresh air! We see a lot of ourselves in them which makes it very easy to create together. There is no pressure to conform or do things the “right” way. We’re just having fun and doing whatever it takes to take our music to the next level.”
At least one person has been confirmed dead after Tropical Storm Lee brought strong winds, heavy rain and dangerous storm surge to parts of New England and southeastern Canada this weekend.
Lee made landfall on Saturday in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia as a post-tropical cyclone with powerful winds approaching hurricane strength, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. The storm arrived on shore with maximum sustained wind speeds of 70 miles per hour, meteorologists said at the time. That was just a few miles short of the threshold necessary for a tropical storm to be considered a Category 1 hurricane, which is assigned when maximum sustained winds reach 75 mph.
A 51-year-old man died Saturday in Searsport, Maine, a coastal town and seaport about 50 miles from Bar Harbor, after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle and brought down power lines with it, CBS affiliate WABI-TV and the Associated Press reported, citing Searsport police. CBS News independently confirmed one fatality through the police dispatch Saturday, although they would not provide details as to how it occurred.
According WABI, the incident happened while the man was driving along Route 1 near Prospect Street at around 9 a.m. ET on Saturday morning, which coincided with strong winds that ripped through the area with Lee’s arrival. Emergency personnel who responded to the scene had to wait for crews from Central Maine Power to cut electricity to the downed lines before they could remove the man from his car, according to the station and the Associated Press. Authorities have not publicly identified the man, who died after being transported to a local hospital.
A warning sign is displayed on Park Loop Rd. along shoreline closure at Acadia National Park in Maine on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.
Robert Bumsted / AP
CBS News contacted the Searsport Public Safety Department on Sunday for more information about the death but did not receive an immediate reply.
Maine State Police urged people to “stay vigilant” while driving on Saturday, warning about the possibility of falling trees and debris caused by Lee’s winds in a Facebook post. The post included an image of a shattered van windshield that part of a tree had crashed through, which belonged to a man from Ohio who was driving south on Route 11 in Moro Plantation when he “he observed a large tree that was falling into the roadway,” the state police force said. The top of the tree went through the windshield, with the impact causing a section of it to break off inside the van. The driver sustained minor cuts in the incident, and five other passengers inside the van were not injured.
Lee intensified quickly as it tracked northward through the Atlantic Ocean last week, growing into a Category 5 hurricane before its wind speeds gradually declined over the course of the week. Although the storm did not make landfall until Saturday, it caused life-threatening surf and rip current conditions for days along a wide section of the U.S. East Coast. Various storm watches and warnings were in effect for coastal parts of Maine, New Hampshire and the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, as the storm moved in on Nova Scotia. A tropical storm warning for Maine was canceled by Saturday night.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds had decreased further by Sunday morning to 44 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. In a bulletin issued at 8 a.m. ET, meteorologists said that Lee was expected to pick up speed as it tracked northeast over the next several days, reaching Newfoundland by Sunday afternoon and Atlantic waters by Monday morning.
