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Tag: Hurricanes

  • Tropical Storm Debby: When, where, how much rain?

    Tropical Storm Debby: When, where, how much rain?

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    Images from the WRAL Hurricane Center illustrate Debby’s projected impact, including where and when the storm will impact central North Carolina.

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  • Tracking Hurricane Debby: A closer look at Saildrone and how the Bay Area is involved

    Tracking Hurricane Debby: A closer look at Saildrone and how the Bay Area is involved

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    The Bay Area is playing a key role in predicting the behavior of Hurricane Debby.

    Researchers hope to help scientists and the public better understand these storms with the goal of saving lives. They are working with a cutting edge tool called a Saildrone, which is 23 feet long and packed with cameras and sensors.

    Saildrone has been changing how scientists track the intensification of hurricanes and storms in changing climate patterns.

    In 2021, Saildrone was deployed in the middle of Hurricane Sam, which packed winds of over 100 miles per hour.

    Saildrone’s drones can also withstand 50 foot waves as it navigates being out in the water in the eye of the storm. It sends data back in real time: things like wind speed, wave height, and ocean temperatures to help scientists understand how hurricanes strengthen.

    Mission control managers back in the Bay Area help figure out where Saildrone goes.

    The drones can last up to a year at sea.

    A drone deployed for Hurricane Debby will make its way back to St. Petersburg in Florida in November. Eleven other drones will deploy this season into hurricane zones in Florida, the Virgin Islands, and North Carolina.

    Mission managers in the Bay Area and their partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be redirecting the drones to chase storms.

    Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of 10 specialists from California’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces’ incident support team to help staffing a FEMA team.

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    Ginger Conejero Saab

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  • A Disaster Preparedness Guide for CenterPoint

    A Disaster Preparedness Guide for CenterPoint

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    Every year around the first week of June when hurricane season officially opens, we are all reminded repeatedly to begin our hurricane preparations. The laundry list of purchases and things we must do, particularly homeowners, is ubiquitous in local media. And, frankly, many of us go through the annual tradition with a kind of bland recognition of our responsibilities, like that guy in the old Dunkin’ Donuts commercial.

    But this week has many of us wondering, why, if we are required to be so damn prepared, was the company that manages all the city’s power not? We know this was a mess, a direct hit from a hurricane (something we haven’t seen in quite a while), but that’s why they call it preparedness. You do it before there is a problem. Maybe CenterPoint needs a primer or how to be ready for a storm, a checklist of sorts, like the ones everyone gives us regular folks once a year.

    So, instead of everyone telling us to buy water, fill up on gas and keep our trees trimmed, here’s a list that will maybe help keep you guys from screwing this up so badly next time.

    Charge up your technology.

    One of the keys to surviving after a hurricane or other natural disaster is to have access to your electronic devices. You can make emergency calls, check the status of storms and communicate with service providers like power companies, for example. For you, CenterPoint, this means actually having technology that functions well ahead of time. Your service outage tracker, which crapped out after the derecho, looks more like something a third grader did with a finger painting app than what a multi-billion-dollar company rolls out as a way for its customers to find out when they might be able to watch Netflix again. Figure it out.

    Trim your trees.

    This is one of the more galling requests every year. Homeowners are told to trim their trees to keep them healthy during the rain and wind of typical Gulf Coast summer weather. There are even suggestions that we need to keep limbs from power lines to prevent serious problems. But given that the power lines are YOUR responsibility, shouldn’t you handle most of that heavy lifting? Clearly, the city’s lush vegetation is one of biggest problems when storms come a’callin’. Many tree services won’t go near limbs around power lines because (why is that again?) you explicitly tell people not to go near them. Oh, and by the way, it’s really freaking expensive. Time to start doing your lawn maintenance in the spring like the rest of us.

    Have a plan.

    We are informed it is important to have an evacuation plan if we live in an area prone to flooding or surge. Make sure we have days worth of medicine, plenty of gas for our cars, a place to stay. Well, your turn. Instead of calling on the help of thousands of crews from around the state (and neighboring states) WHEN something happens, how about getting those plans in place BEFORE it does? We had crews of linemen, the real heroes, staged but unable to do anything because of contract issues, others sitting around waiting for instructions. What kind of shoddy emergency plan is that? Be better, man.

    click to enlarge

    Trees on power lines is an all-too-familiar sight.

    Photo by Darrin Clifton

    Communicate with your neighbors.

    Houston residents are resilient because of our neighbors, the one’s that live literally next door and the one’s who live in the region. Disaster planners suggest we stay in good contact with our family, friends and neighbors as disasters unfold so we can help take care of one another. Like so many companies, you claim to be a part of the Houston family, but when we needed you most, you pretended you’d never met us before and looked like Ted Cruz caught at the airport on his way to Cancun.

    Hours, days even, without updates or critical communication about what was going on is unacceptable when your neighbors are suffering. Even if you cannot get the power on as quickly as we all would like, the silence is absolutely deafening and completely unforgivable.

    Realize where you live.

    Every year we are told we have to just brace for impact when it comes to hurricane season because we chose to live along the Gulf Coast (no word on what we are supposed to do about freezing in the winter, however). Well, guess what, CenterPoint, you live here too. You’ve taken the great responsibility of being one of just a handful of energy services and systems providers in the region, yet you behave like you are built for some tranquil paradise, not the eye of a damn hurricane.

    Yes, it is expensive to consider mitigating factors to make keeping lights on more realistic like burying power lines and keeping foliage at bay. Ask us about our roofs and our flood insurance and our homeowners insurance and our backup generators and our battery-powered lamps and fans. We know all about preparedness. We shouldn’t have to school our energy provider on such basics of life in Houston.

    Have a disaster relief fund for yourself.

    Maybe the most humiliating kick in the crotch (to borrow a phrase from The Police) is the fact that after all of this is over and we have our power back, we, the people most harmed by all this will be the ones footing the bill. Your CEO admitted as much. Same thing during the freeze. What kind of BS is that? We have to set aside an emergency fund (if we are able) to protect against these kinds of surprise problems.

    Maybe, instead of increasing your executive pay and investing in stock buybacks, you might want to set aside a rainy-day fund for moments just like this. You would be hailed as heroes instead of cursed as villains. You are our only source of our power infrastructure. We pay you a LOT to keep it up and running. Should we be forced to pay for your failings simply because you don’t know how to manage your investments? Get a bigger piggy bank.

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    Jeff Balke

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  • Hurricane Beryl Isn’t a Freak Storm—It’s the Exact Nightmare Meteorologists Predicted

    Hurricane Beryl Isn’t a Freak Storm—It’s the Exact Nightmare Meteorologists Predicted

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    Hot water provides the energy hurricanes need to grow and thrive. Gusty winds evaporate a tiny bit of water off the sea’s surface. This warm water vapor rises into the clouds and releases its heat, which powers the thunderstorms that drive a hurricane’s intensity.

    The Atlantic Ocean has been running a fever for the past year and a half. Sea surface temperatures across the ocean were the warmest on record for almost all of 2023 and continuing into 2024.

    It’s not just that sea surface temperatures are running historically hot—that heat also stretches hundreds of meters deep beneath the surface.

    Scientists use ocean heat content (OHC) to measure the depth of the heat through the ocean. A hurricane’s intense winds churn the ocean and force cooler waters from below to rise to the surface, leaving behind colder waters in the storm’s wake.

    Higher OHC values limit the amount of cooling left behind by a storm, which allows the ocean to more easily support high-end storms later on down the line.

    OHC values across the tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean far outpace normal values for this point in the summer, and that’s unlikely to change much as we inch closer to the peak of the season.

    All that potential energy is what has meteorologists so worried heading into the rest of hurricane season. NOAA and Colorado State University both released aggressive seasonal forecasts calling for as many as two dozen named tropical storms this year.

    Experts knew that the ocean would be capable of supporting frightening storms this year. The only surprise is that Beryl formed so soon. This early-season storm could serve as an omen for any storms that form later this year.

    Courtesy of NOAA

    Water temperatures are only part of the equation. A tropical cyclone is an exceptionally fragile structure that also requires vigorous and organized thunderstorms, low wind shear, ample moisture in the atmosphere, and few obstacles in its way in order to grow into a formidable beast.

    Plenty of those ingredients are also expected throughout this hurricane season as forecasters watch the potential for La Niña to develop later this summer. La Niña patterns can make conditions more favorable for Atlantic storms by decreasing wind shear over the region.

    It’s not just the number of storms that could form this year that has experts concerned, but their nature. Beryl just proved that any storm that takes root in a favorable environment could use those exceptionally warm waters to swirl into the record books. Any one of the many storms expected this season could have the opportunity to grow into a destructive hurricane that warrants extra attention and preparation.

    Folks who live along or near the coast should use the relative quiet of the early hurricane season to prepare for whatever comes your way later this summer. Make sure you’ve got an emergency kit packed with supplies to deal with long-lasting utility outages. Plan what to do and where to go if your area is told to evacuate ahead of a storm.

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    Dennis Mersereau

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  • The hot ocean water that fueled Hurricane Beryl foretells a scary storm season ahead

    The hot ocean water that fueled Hurricane Beryl foretells a scary storm season ahead

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    Hurricane Beryl’s explosive growth into an unprecedented early whopper of a storm shows the literal hot water the Atlantic and Caribbean are in right now and the kind of season ahead, experts said.

    Beryl smashed multiple records even before its major-hurricane-level winds approached land. The powerful storm is acting more like monsters that form in the peak of hurricane season thanks mostly to water temperatures as hot or hotter than the region normally gets in September, five hurricane experts told The Associated Press.

    Beryl set the record for earliest Category 4 with winds of at least 130 mph (209 kilometers per hour) — the first-ever Category 4 in June. It also was the earliest storm to rapidly intensify with wind speeds jumping 63 mph (102 kph) in 24 hours, going from an unnamed depression to a Category 4 in 48 hours.

    Late Monday, it strengthened to a Category 5, becoming the earliest hurricane of that strength observed in the Atlantic basin on record, and only the second Category 5 hurricane in July after Hurricane Emily in 2005, the National Hurricane Center said. Category 5 storms have winds exceeding 157 mph (250 kph).

    Beryl is on an unusually southern path, especially for a major hurricane, said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero.

    It made landfall Monday on the island of Carriacou with winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph), and is expected to plow through the islands of the southeast Caribbean. Beryl may stay near its current strength for another day before it begins weakening significantly, according to the late Monday forecast.

    “Beryl is unprecedentedly strange,” said Weather Underground co-founder Jeff Masters, a former government hurricane meteorologist who flew into storms. “It is so far outside the climatology that you look at it and you say, ‘How did this happen in June?’”

    Get used to it. Forecasters predicted months ago it was going to be a nasty year and now they are comparing it to record busy 1933 and deadly 2005 — the year of Katrina, Rita, Wilma and Dennis.

    “This is the type of storm that we expect this year, these outlier things that happen when and where they shouldn’t,” University of Miami tropical weather researcher Brian McNoldy said. “Not only for things to form and intensify and reach higher intensities, but increase the likelihood of rapid intensification. All of that is just coming together right now, and this won’t be the last time.”

    Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach called Beryl “a harbinger potentially of more interesting stuff coming down the pike. Not that Beryl isn’t interesting in and of itself, but even more potential threats and more — and not just a one off — maybe several of these kinds of storms coming down later.”

    The water temperature around Beryl is about 2 to 3.6 degrees (1 to 2 degrees Celsius) above normal at 84 degrees (29 Celsius), which “is great if you are a hurricane,” Klotzbach said.

    How hurricanes form

    When it comes to hurricanes, there’s more to them than meets the eye. Here’s where the word “hurricane” comes from and how these powerful storms are different (or not) from cyclones and typhoons.

    Warm water acts as fuel for the thunderstorms and clouds that form hurricanes. The warmer the water and thus the air at the bottom of the storm, the better the chance it will rise higher in the atmosphere and create deeper thunderstorms, said the University at Albany’s Corbosiero.

    Sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean “are above what the average September (peak season) temperature should be looking at the last 30-year average,” Masters said.

    It’s not just hot water at the surface that matters. The ocean heat content — which measures deeper water that storms need to keep powering up — is way beyond record levels for this time of year and at what the September peak should be, McNoldy said.

    “So when you get all that heat energy you can expect some fireworks,” Masters said.

    This year, there’s also a significant difference between water temperature and upper air temperature throughout the tropics.

    The greater that difference is, the more likely it becomes that storms will form and get bigger, said MIT hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel.

    “The Atlantic relative to the rest of the tropics is as warm as I’ve seen,” he said.

    Atlantic waters have been unusually hot since March 2023 and record warm since April 2023. Klotzbach said a high pressure system that normally sets up cooling trade winds collapsed then and hasn’t returned.

    Corbosiero said scientists are debating what exactly climate change does to hurricanes, but have come to an agreement that it makes them more prone to rapidly intensifying, as Beryl did, and increases the strongest storms, like Beryl.

    How hurricanes get their names

    Ever wonder how hurricanes are named? The tradition can be traced back to the 1800s, when storms were named to honor Catholic saints, and evolved over the years.

    Emanuel said the slowing of Atlantic ocean currents, likely caused by climate change, may also be a factor in the warm water.

    A brewing La Nina, which is a slight cooling of the Pacific that changes weather worldwide, also may be a factor. Experts say La Nina tends to depress high altitude crosswinds that decapitate hurricanes.

    La Nina also usually means more hurricanes in the Atlantic and fewer in the Pacific. The Eastern Pacific had zero storms in May and June, something that’s only happened twice before, Klotzbach said.

    Globally, this may be a below average year for tropical cyclones. The Atlantic will be the exception.

    On Sunday night, Beryl went through eyewall replacement, which usually weakens a storm as it forms a new center, Corbosiero said. But now the storm has regained its strength.

    “This is sort of our worst scenario,” she said. “We’re starting early, some very severe storms. .. Unfortunately, it seems like it’s playing out the way we anticipated.”

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    Seth Borenstein | The Associated Press

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  • Tropical Storm Alberto—the first named one of the season—leaves 3 dead

    Tropical Storm Alberto—the first named one of the season—leaves 3 dead

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    Tropical Storm Alberto rumbled toward northeast Mexico early Thursday as the first named storm of the season, carrying heavy rains that left three people dead but also brought hope to a region suffering under a prolonged, severe drought.

    Mexican authorities downplayed the risk posed by Alberto and instead pinned their hopes on its ability to ease the parched region’s water needs.

    “The (wind) speeds are not such as to consider it a risk,” said Tamaulipas state Secretary of Hydrological Resources Raúl Quiroga Álvarez during a news conference late Wednesday. Instead, he suggested people greet Alberto happily. “This is what we’ve been for for eight years in all of Tamaulipas.”

    Much of Mexico has been suffering under severe drought, with northern Mexico especially hard hit. Quiroga noted that the state’s reservoirs were low and Mexico owed the United States a massive water debt in their shared use of the Rio Grande.

    “This is a win-win event for Tamaulipas,” he said.

    But in nearby Nuevo Leon state, civil protection authorities reported three deaths linked to Alberto’s rains. They said one man died in the La Silla river in the city of Monterrey, the state capital, and that two minors died from electric shocks in the municipality of Allende. Local media reported that the minors were riding a bicycle in the rain.

    Nuevo Leon Gov. Samuel García wrote on his account on social media platform X that metro and public transportation services would be suspended in Monterrey from Wednesday night until midday Thursday when Alberto has passed.

    Late Wednesday, Alberto was located about 135 miles (220 kilometers) east of Tampico, Mexico, and about 320 miles (510 kilometers) south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The storm was moving west at 9 miles per hour.

    Alberto was bringing rains and flooding to the coast of Texas as well.

    The U.S. National Weather Service said the main hazard for southern coastal Texas is flooding from excess rain. On Wednesday the NWS said there is “a high probability” of flash flooding in southern coastal Texas. Tornadoes or waterspouts are possible.

    Areas along the Texas coast were seeing some road flooding and dangerous rip currents Wednesday, and waterspouts were spotted offshore.

    In Mexico, residents expressed hope for Alberto bringing rain.

    Blanca Coronel Moral, a resident of Tampico, ventured out to the city’s waterfront Wednesday to await Alberto’s arrival.

    “We have been needing this water that we’re now getting, thank God. Let’s hope that we only get water,” said Coronel Moral. “Our lagoon, which gives us drinking water, is completely dry.”

    Authorities closed schools for the remainder of the week in Tamaulipas as there could be localized flooding.

    As much as 5-10 inches (13-25 centimeters) of rain was expected in some areas along the Texas coast, with even higher isolated totals possible, according to the National Hurricane Center. Some higher locations in Mexico could see as much as 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain, which could result in mudslides and flash flooding, especially in the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon.

    Alberto was casting rain showers on both sides of the border, extending up much of the south Texas coast and south to Mexico’s Veracruz state.

    Alberto was expected to rapidly weaken over land and dissipate Thursday.

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    Alfredo Pena, Mariana Martinez Barba, The Associated Press

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  • Conservation groups want to save Florida’s natural defenses against hurricanes

    Conservation groups want to save Florida’s natural defenses against hurricanes

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    click to enlarge

    Photo via Florida News Service

    Salt marshes can play a protective role from possible damage during storms.

    With the start of hurricane season, salt marshes are among the natural features playing a critical role in protecting coastal communities by absorbing storm surges, reducing flooding and preventing erosion.

    Coastal wetlands with a variety of flora are filled and drained by the tide. On average, salt marshes provide $695,000 of value per square mile from possible damage during storms, according to a University of California-San Diego study.

    Heather Nagy, strategic conservation planning coordinator for the North Florida Land Trust, emphasized the critical role these marshes play.

    “They can absorb up to 1.5 million gallons of flood water, which is equivalent to about 2.25 Olympic-size swimming pools,” Nagy pointed out. “They’re truly amazing at what they can do to help observe water, absorb that wave energy, and decrease damage to neighboring communities.”

    Nagy is part of the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative, which aims to save 1 million acres of salt marsh stretching from the coasts of North Carolina to Florida. Other natural barriers include living shorelines, forests, estuaries and barrier islands, to name a few.

    As sea levels rise, salt marshes naturally retreat landward. However, movement can be hindered by natural barriers or human-made structures, like roads and buildings. Nagy noted each state in the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative is forming teams and roadmaps to protect and restore existing salt marshes and conserve migration corridors.

    “We’re all going to be working together to identify, prioritize and advance salt marsh projects that will help to protect and bolster the resilience of local communities,” Nagy emphasized. “And also infrastructure throughout Northeast Florida, through all of those areas of salt marsh.”

    Studies show areas with intact natural defenses such as dunes, wetlands and marshes experienced less damage than areas where such features had been degraded or removed. Nagy added protecting and strengthening an area’s natural defenses is one of the best ways to prepare for storm season.

    Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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    Trimmel Gomes, Florida News Connection

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  • Hurricane season will bring 4 to 7 major storms, NOAA predicts. How to prevent catastrophic damage to your home

    Hurricane season will bring 4 to 7 major storms, NOAA predicts. How to prevent catastrophic damage to your home

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    Hurricane Irma strikes Miami, Florida, in 2017.

    Warren Faidley | Getty Images

    Hurricane season has officially begun.

    With scientists predicting yet another active year for storms, making your home hurricane resistant has become a more valuable precaution.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its forecast May 23 that it expects an 85% chance of “above-normal” activity this hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30.

    NOAA forecasts 17 to 25 total named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. Eight to 13 are expected to spiral into hurricanes, and four to seven of those might turn into major hurricanes — Category 3, 4 or 5 — with winds reaching 111 mph or higher.

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    “Severe weather and emergencies can happen at any moment, which is why individuals and communities need to be prepared today,” Erik A. Hooks, deputy administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement released with the NOAA forecast.

    “Already, we are seeing storms move across the country that can bring additional hazards like tornadoes, flooding and hail,” he said. “Taking a proactive approach to our increasingly challenging climate landscape today can make a difference in how people can recover tomorrow.”

    How climate change may affect storm activity and damage

    Hurricanes are among the most expensive natural disasters in the U.S., and experts say the storm-related damage is likely to become more significant as storms become more severe.

    NOAA said “near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean” are expected to be among the factors creating the environment for tropical storm formation.

    A separate forecast from hurricane researchers at Colorado State University predicts an “extremely active” hurricane season in 2024 due to record-warm tropical and eastern subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures.

    The water temperatures across the tropical Atlantic in 2024 on average are about 1 degree Celsius, or 1.5 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, warmer than normal. While it doesn’t sound like much, it’s a big difference, said Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist at the Department of Atmospheric Science of Colorado State University.

    “The tropical Atlantic right now is record warm,” he said. “That means more fuel for the storms that are trying to form.”

    Now’s the time to prepare and have a plan in place.

    Phil Klotzbach

    a senior research scientist at the Department of Atmospheric Science of Colorado State University

    While atmospheric and water conditions may change, it’s wise for residents of storm-prone areas to think about undertaking home projects sooner rather than later.

    “Now’s the time to prepare and have a plan in place,” Klotzbach said. “You don’t want to be making these preparations at the last minute.”

    Some of the projected effects of global warming on hurricane activity include sea level rise increasing coastal flooding, higher rainfall rates, and storms that are more intense and strengthen rapidly, according to a research overview from NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

    “Warmer sea surface temperatures intensify tropical storm wind speeds, giving them the potential to deliver more damage if they make landfall,” wrote the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a think tank.

    Projections from reinsurer Swiss Re show that since the 1970s, hurricane residential loss expectations have been on the rise, in part due to an increase in hurricane activity and changes in property value from population growth. Improvements in building standards have offset some of that increase, however.

    Wind resistance is about preventing ‘pressurization’

    Upgrades could help consumers protect their home, typically one of their most valuable assets, from windstorms and other natural disasters.

    Making your home hurricane resistant can be a significant financial undertaking. But it’s one that has the potential to pay off as such storms become more intense due to climate change.

    In 2024, the national average cost to upgrade an entire house with hurricane windows runs between $1,128 and $10,293, or $100 and $500 per window, including installation, according to home improvement site This Old House. And that’s just one project.

    About $8.1 billion could be saved annually in physical damage from windstorms if homes had stronger connections between roofs and walls, or tighter nail spacing, according to a 2022 analysis on hurricane-resistant construction by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Part of the challenge of making home improvements with windstorms in mind is that hurricanes are different and unpredictable, said Jeff Ostrowski, a housing analyst at Bankrate.

    “You don’t know if you’re going to be dealing with storm surge, or high winds or heavy rains. You’re trying to prepare for all those things at once,” he said.

    It’s like a balloon that blows up, and when it blows up so much … it pops. That’s what happens to your house when the wind comes in. 

    Leslie Chapman-Henderson

    president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes

    There are two key elements in your home to help prevent wind-related damage in a hurricane, according to Leslie Chapman-Henderson, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, or FLASH. You want to:

    1. Make sure the structural strength between the roof and the wall can withstand wind pressure and impact of debris.
    2. Protect all the openings in your home: the doors, windows and the garage.

    “What we’re working to prevent is pressurization. It’s like a balloon that blows up, and when it blows up so much … it pops,” she said. “That’s what happens to your house when the wind comes in.” 

    Ways to make your home more hurricane resistant

    1. Have an inspector assess your house

    Having an inspector come out to see your house is a good starting point for your projects. They will provide a report of what areas in your home need to be redone or reinforced against harsh weather.

    2. Reinforce your roof

    The average cost to replace a roof in the U.S. is about $10,000, but the exact cost will depend on multiple factors, such as the size of your roof, according to the Department of Energy.

    Fortified, a nonprofit reroofing program that helps strengthen homes against severe weather, offers guidelines to homeowners planning to replace their roofs on how to withstand challenges in their area, said Jennifer Languell, president and founder of Trifecta Construction Solutions, a sustainable consulting firm in Florida.

    “It tells you what you need to do to make your roof more sturdy,” she said.

    If you’re not ready to completely reroof your house, adding caulk or an adhesive to strengthen the soffits — the material connecting the roof edge to the exterior walls — will reduce the probability of wind and water gushing into your attic in a storm, said Chapman-Henderson of FLASH. Repair jobs for the soffit and fascia, a horizontal board usually outside the soffit, can cost between $600 and $6,000, according to Angi.com.

    Securing the roof to the walls in an existing home with an attic can be done by installing metal clips or straps that strengthen the hold-down effect, she said. While the exact cost will depend on factors such as the size of your home and the scale of the project, such retrofitting costs span from $850 to $1,350, according to Kin, a home insurance company.

    You can do all this stuff in terms of hardening the house, but you’re still kind of at the mercy of whatever storm comes.

    Jeff Ostrowski

    housing analyst at Bankrate

    3. Secure your windows and doors

    “Do you have hurricane-impact windows? If not, can you put them in?” said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president of William Raveis Mortgage.

    If installing new hurricane windows isn’t in the budget, shutters are lower-cost options to protect windows and other openings, said Chapman-Henderson.

    Shutters vary by material, installation and price. Removable galvanized storm panels made of steel are $5 to $6 per square foot, making them the most affordable option, according to information compiled by FLASH.

    It may be worth installing shutters as an extra layer of protection, even with impact-proof windows, said Trifecta Construction Solutions’ Languell.

    Meanwhile, garage doors are the “largest and weakest opening,” said Chapman-Henderson. Replacing the entire garage door for a wind-rated or impact-resistant version can span from $2,000 to $9,000, according to FLASH.

    Emergency bracings can be a lower-cost solution: temporary 2-by-4 wood braces can reinforce your nonwind-resistant door for approximately $150 for materials and installation. A garage door storm kit can run up to $750, FLASH data found.

    “You can do all this stuff in terms of hardening the house, but you’re still kind of at the mercy of whatever storm comes,” said Bankrate’s Ostrowski.

    4. Talk to your insurer about possible discounts

    Strengthening your home against disasters may help lower your insurance cost.

    Insurers typically factor in natural-disaster risks when deciding what properties to underwrite and at what cost. That’s why some are pulling back in high-risk areas, or raising prices significantly.

    Insurance costs also tend to be higher for existing homes than newly built ones, because many older homes were constructed under less stringent building codes.

    Once you have an inspector visit your house and recommend projects to make your home more hurricane resistant, talk to your insurance agent about which suggestions are most likely to reduce your premium, Ostrowski said.

    Keep in mind that each state is different in terms of what premium reductions are available and to what extent, and it depends on the risks, the company’s exposure and the regulatory environment, said Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute.

    Homeowners’ insurance premium rates are based on measurable risk, and while mitigation efforts might help reduce the risk, the scientific measurement of catastrophe risk and mitigation efforts is still evolving, she said.

    “All analysis of premium pricing related to mitigation efforts is a question of degree of risk, and not removal of risk entirely from the policy,” Worters said.

    Grants, financing can help mitigate costs

    If the cost of preparing your home against hurricanes is daunting, there may be grants, tax credits and other programs to help lessen the burden.

    Some states have set up matching grant programs for disaster retrofits, said Chapman-Henderson.

    In Florida, residents may be eligible to apply for grants up to a $10,000 dollar-for-dollar match for approved upgrades such as shutters, roofing, or strengthening a garage door or roof-to-wall connections, she said. There are similar programs in Alabama and Louisiana.

    To find out more, homeowners can search for loans, grants or tax credits available in their state through dsireusa.org, which lists all the funding opportunities and incentives for hardening your home against disasters, Languell said.

    For people with poor credit or who live in states that don’t have matching-dollar programs, Property Assessed Clean Energy programs allow a homeowner to finance upfront costs of eligible improvements on a property and pay the costs over time through the property tax bill, said Chapman-Henderson.

    Energy-efficient mortgages, also referred to as green mortgages, may also be worth exploring. These loans are meant to help homeowners finance eco-friendly home upgrades or outright buy homes that help reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills, although they often have strict loan limits and require additional information during your application, according to LendingTree.

    Depending on your hurricane-resistance project, that might be a fit: Sometimes, energy efficiency goes hand-in-hand with durability, Languell said.

    “Sealing the underside of your roof sheathing would also help you from an energy standpoint because it’s sealing all the cracks and crevices,” she said, as this repair both keeps your roof on your house and helps avoid water or air leaks.

    The same goes for window replacements: “If you are going to replace your windows from a single-pane window to an impact window that has a better energy performance, it’s saving you on energy,” Languell said.

    In this new series, CNBC will examine what climate change means for your money, from retirement savings to insurance costs to career outlook.

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  • Construction begins on buried seawalls along A1A in Flagler, Volusia counties

    Construction begins on buried seawalls along A1A in Flagler, Volusia counties

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    FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Construction started on the first of two buried seawalls along A1A to help protect the roadway in Flagler and Volusia counties.

    The Florida Department of Transportation said on Monday that work began on the first seawall, which is south from South Central Avenue in Flagler Beach to one-half mile north of Highbridge Road in Volusia County.

    “This is one of the longest, continuous sections of S.R. A1A where drivers enjoy unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean. However, that proximity to the sand and waves also makes this segment of A1A vulnerable to storms,” the department said in a release.

    Work on the second wall, which will be from Sunrise Avenue to Marlin Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea, will begin later this summer.

    The department said work was sped up after recommendations were made by the S.R. A1A Resiliency Strike Team, which has representatives from FDOT, Flagler Beach, Flagler County, Volusia County, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

    During this construction, some dune walkovers will be temporarily removed. Beachgoers will be able to still access the beach from nearby walkovers and the area in front of the walls will be open for use.

    “State Road A1A is a treasured corridor that provides tremendous quality of life and economic vitality to the communities along its length,” FDOT District Five Secretary John E. Tyler, P.E, said in a statement. “Our goal through this project was to develop a plan through community partnership and start construction as quickly as possible. At the same time, we have ensured all steps are taken to protect the natural environment.”

    Residents who live on this stretch of A1A told News 6 the sounds and sights of construction are welcome for this project after dealing with washouts in the road creeping closer to their buildings.

    “We are on this little barrier island and there’s nowhere else for A1A to go other than I guess close us down and tell you hey your condo is now worthless,” said resident Tim Currie, “This seawall is encouraging.”

    FDOT said the seawall design “incorporates reinforced concrete piles, which are then capped. The entire wall will be covered with sand and vegetation that appears as a regular, natural dune.”

    “The Department is adhering to state and federal regulations to protect sea turtles and other wildlife. During sea turtle nesting season, no work can begin until an inspector who is approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission inventories the beach for any nesting activity. No work will be done within 10 feet of a nest, and all work will be done during daylight hours,” FDOT said in a release.

    The first wall is expected to be done in the fall and the whole project is expected to be done by fall 2025.

    To see the full project’s website, click here.

    Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:

    Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

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    Brenda Argueta, Molly Reed

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  • Carolina Hurricanes to face New York Islanders in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs

    Carolina Hurricanes to face New York Islanders in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs

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    Raleigh

    The Carolina Hurricanes will not win the Metropolitan Division for a third straight season and will not capture the Presidents’ Trophy.

    What the Hurricanes will do is face the New York Islanders in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second straight season.

    Game 1 likely will be played either Saturday or Sunday at PNC Arena as the Canes host the first two games of the best-of-7 playoff series. The league will release the complete playoff schedule later in the week.

    The New York Rangers clinched the Metro on Monday by winning their final regular-season game, shutting out the Ottawa Senators 4-0 to finish with 114 points. The Rangers (55-23-4) also won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL team finishing the regular season with the most points.

    The Hurricanes, who close out the regular season Tuesday at Columbus, have 111 points and will finish second in the Metro, setting up the first-round playoff series against the third-place Islanders.

    While the Tampa Bay Lightning, with 96 points, have clinched the first wild-card spot in the East, the fight continues for the second spot. The Washington Capitals, with 89 points, maintained their slim grip on the second wild card Monday with a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins.

    In the Atlantic Division, the Bruins have a one-point lead over the Florida Panthers, each with one game left. The Bruins (109 points) host the Senators and the Panthers are at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

    The Hurricanes won the opening-round series against the Islanders a year ago. They won the first two games at PNC Arena, split the next two games on the road, then closed out the series with a 2-1 overtime win in Game 6 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

    The Canes and Isles also faced off in 2019 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Carolina, coming off a double-overtime road win in Game 7 against the Washington Capitals in the first round, swept the Islanders in four straight games, winning the first two on the road, when the Isles home games were played at Barclays Center.

    The Canes were 2-1-1 against the Islanders this season.

    Something to consider heading into the 2024 playoffs: no Presidents’ Trophy winner has gone on to win the Stanley Cup the same season since the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013.

    This story was originally published April 15, 2024, 10:33 PM.

    In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.

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  • 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Fast Facts | CNN

    2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here is a look at the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

    Past coverage of the 2023 and 2022 hurricane season and the latest weather news can also be found on CNN.

    Follow the storm tracker for the path and forecasts of the latest storm.

    The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The areas covered include the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

    The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as a “tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher.”

    Hurricanes are rated according to intensity of sustained winds on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The 1-5 scale estimates potential property damage.

    A Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane.

    The National Hurricane Center advises preparedness:

    • A hurricane watch indicates the possibility that a region could experience hurricane conditions within 48 hours.

    • A hurricane warning indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 36 hours.

    April 4, 2024 – The Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project team predicts an “extremely active” Atlantic hurricane season. The team forecasts 23 named storms, including 11 hurricanes, five of which will be major hurricanes.

    Pronunciation Guide

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  • Hurricanes could still win Presidents’ Trophy in final regular-season push. Is it worth it?

    Hurricanes could still win Presidents’ Trophy in final regular-season push. Is it worth it?

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    Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jake Guentzel (59) skates with the puck against Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) during the first period at PNC Arena.

    Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jake Guentzel (59) skates with the puck against Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) during the first period at PNC Arena.


    James Guillory

    James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

    Raleigh

    The Carolina Hurricanes hadn’t seen much of the Boston Bruins prior to the teams’ game at PNC Arena Thursday night. Playing in different divisions of the same conference, the Canes and Bruins meet only three times in the regular season. This was the second of those three this season, with the Bruins earning a 4-1 win to avenge a January loss in Boston.

    Brad Marchand scored early for the Bruins, David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist and Jeremy Swayman outdueled Frederik Andersen to lead Boston to the win.

    “We dug ourselves,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “First couple of shifts were OK, and then we let their best players kinda get behind us and give them all that open ice.”

    Last year, the Canes and Bruins probably should have seen more of each other in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Alas, the Florida Panthers happened — to both teams.

    What the eighth-seeded Panthers did to the Canes — sweeping them in the Eastern Conference Final — cut Carolina fans deeply.

    But what Florida did to Boston, ousting the Bruins down in the first round of the playoffs? That was excruciating, mostly because the Bruins to that point were being mentioned among the greatest teams of all time. They ran roughshod over the NHL to the tune of 65 wins and 135 points. They easily earned the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s regular-season champion. The closest team? Carolina, with 113 points.

    Thus, another Presidents’ Trophy winner failed to win a Stanley Cup. That’s happened more often than not since the NHL started handing out the modern version of the trophy in the 1985-86 season. When the lowly Montreal Canadiens — behind rookie keeper Patrick Roy — shocked Wayne Gretzky’s high-flying Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup, Presidents’ Trophy winners were officially 0-for-1. The Oilers came back the following season and won both, evening the record at 1-1. Things have only gotten worse since, and it’s been really bad the past two decades: No team with the most points in the regular season has won the Stanley Cup since the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013. Before that? The 2008 Detroit Red Wings.

    With the Bruins again chasing the Presidents’ Trophy — Thursday’s win over the Canes puts them one point back of the Rangers’ 106 — and with Carolina also in the conversation at 101 points, it may be fair to wonder: With playoff berths locked up, do the teams care about finishing first overall?

    Should they?

    A Presidents’ Trophy curse?

    Superstitious fans and players alike have speculated that the Presidents’ Trophy is cursed, and it’s better not to win it at all.

    Using stats, a case can be made that the trophy is, in fact, cursed — but not by anything supernatural. Instead, factors such as the implementation of the draft lottery, the salary cap, scheduling, and the ebb and flow of divisional strength have been common links in years when the trophy winner fails to lift the Cup.

    Let’s start with the draft lottery and salary cap. In place since 1994-95, the NHL instituted the lottery to discourage teams from tanking to get the best draft picks. It hasn’t completely worked, though teams will never admit to it. Add in salary cap restrictions in place since the 2004-05 season, which make it next to impossible to stockpile high-end players for any length of time. The window to assemble a bona fide championship contending team has shrunk, and as teams rebuild with good, young players, teams that start slowly as they assimilate new talent at the beginning of the year are perhaps hitting their stride as the playoffs begin.

    Scheduling, and the ebb and flow of divisional strength go together, as well.

    Since 2017-18, the Presidents’ Trophy winner has been in the same division as the team that finished dead last in the NHL in half of those seasons. The 2022-23 Bruins were the same, finishing a whopping 67 points ahead of the Canadiens in the Atlantic.

    The argument, then, is that teams finishing atop the league standings are earning more points against inferior opponents throughout the season, and are not as battle-tested when it comes time to face the top teams in the league in the playoffs.

    The curse then, may be real, if not supernatural, something for the Canes — and Bruins — to ponder in the season’s final week.

    Stranger things happen

    The first period of the Hurricanes-Bruins game Thursday saw two anomalies conspire to put the Canes in an unfamiliar position.

    In the team’s previous 11 games, Carolina’s top line of Sebastian Aho, Jake Guentzel and Seth Jarvis had combined for more than 40 points, and had done so without allowing a goal against.

    Thursday, in the first period, that group was on the ice for two Boston goals.

    Meanwhile, since his return from the injured list, Andersen hadn’t allowed more than two goals in a single game, and had allowed just eight total goals in seven starts.

    Thursday, in the first period, he allowed three.

    Those two things allowed the Bruins to build a 3-0 lead and silenced the sellout crowd headed into the first intermission.

    Finding their legs

    For just the second time since the NHL All-Star Game and adjacent bye week, the Hurricanes had four days off between games this week. On one hand, it was good to get a bit of extra time to heal any outstanding battle wounds before the stretch run to the playoffs. On the other, against the division-leading Bruins, time off could have equated to rust.

    In the first period, the Bruins took advantage of some flat-footed plays by the Canes’ defenders, three times catching Carolina by surprise with long outlet passes for breakaways.

    One of those, by Marchand, resulted in the first goal of the night. The Bruins also outshot the Hurricanes 12-8 in the opening frame, something that’s not at all characteristic of the Canes this season.

    “They made good plays, give them credit,” Brind’Amour said. “Then, we were sluggish to start. We weren’t ready for that pace. I think that’s on me. Knowing the way we took these last four days. It was more mentally getting away and we weren’t ready to get to it.”

    The difference in the second was noticeable. Carolina flipped the shot totals — 11-6 in its favor in the second — and also the scoreboard, though not enough to even the score.

    The Canes’ second-period score came on a 5-on-3 power play when Guentzel forced the puck through Swayman from the right post, cutting the team’s deficit to two at 3-1.

    “After the first, it was probably a fairly even game, but the game’s pretty much over. You can’t give teams like that that kind of first 10 minutes.”

    This story was originally published April 4, 2024, 9:53 PM.

    Justin is a 20-year veteran sports journalist with stops in Lewiston, Maine (Sun Journal), and Boston (Boston Herald). A proud husband, and father of twin girls, Pelletier is a Boston University graduate and member of the esteemed Jack Falla sportswriting mafia. He has earned dozens of state and national sportswriting and editing awards covering preps, colleges and professional leagues.

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    Justin Pelletier

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  • Carolina Hurricanes can’t find their offense again, fall to Dallas Stars at PNC Arena

    Carolina Hurricanes can’t find their offense again, fall to Dallas Stars at PNC Arena

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    Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) stops the scoring attempt by Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) during the first period at PNC Arena.

    Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) stops the scoring attempt by Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) during the first period at PNC Arena.


    James Guillory

    James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

    Raleigh

    The Carolina Hurricanes’ past two games, against the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars, had one thing in common: Sebastian Aho had the only Canes goal.

    One was enough against the Panthers, but not the Stars.

    Dallas finished off a season sweep of the Hurricanes on Saturday, taking a 2-1 victory at PNC Arena to end a four-game winless streak that had tested the patience of Stars coach Peter DeBoer.

    Goalie Jake Oettinger had 21 saves in earning his 21st win of the season, allowing only the Aho goal in the second period. The goals came from Jason Robertson in the first and Wyatt Johnston in the second as the Stars managed just 16 shots against the Canes and goalie Pyotr Kochetkov.

    “We didn’t get any bounces and they made two real nice plays on the goals,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We had a few chances but it wasn’t a ton, that’s for sure.”

    DeBoer questioned his team’s compete level during the four-game stumble. He didn’t have to Saturday as the Stars won enough board fights and neutral-zone battles, and blocked 25 shots.

    “They did a real nice job and I thought we did, too,” Brind’Amour said. “We played a great game. To hold a team like that to 16 shots is pretty good. But they’re a good team and they blocked 20-plus shots tonight. It was a hard-fought game and there wasn’t a lot of room and we didn’t find it.”

    The Canes (34-18-5) were not as sharp and not nearly as emotionally invested as they were against the Panthers.

    There’s bad blood between the Canes and Panthers after last year’s playoff series and it showed Thursday as Carolina won 1-0 on Aho’s late goal.

    Several players went at it when the game ended. One of the Canes players was Kochetkov, who moments after his 44-save shutout jumped into the skirmish along the boards, later saying: “These guys no touch my guys.”

    As exciting and intense as Thursday’s game was, Saturday’s was more of a grind.

    “It looked like we were a little lethargic at times,” Canes captain Jordan Staal said. “Obviously it wasn’t the same jump. But it’s the NHL. We had a sold-out crowd looking for a big game and we disappointed a little bit.”

    Robertson scored in the first period just after the Canes’ Brent Burns blistered a shot that hit the crossbar.

    “That’s the game, inches one way or the other,” Brind’Amour said. “It certainly was not in our favor tonight.”

    Johnston’s goal, which was the winner, came off the rush in the second for a 2-1 lead. His shot went through the legs of Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and was on Kochetkov quickly at 8:15 of the period.

    Aho’s 22nd of the season tied the score 1-1 early in the second. Taking a pass from Jesper Fast out of the neutral zone, he skated through two Stars players down the slot and beat Oettinger high to the glove.

    The Stars (35-16-8) began the third on a power play after Canes defenseman Dmitry Orlov was called for an interference penalty with a half-second left in the second. The Canes killed it off, but Orlov then had another penalty for tripping in the third that put the penalty killers back to work.

    “The PK pulled through for us again,” Staal said,

    The Canes had a power play eight minutes into the third, with a chance to tie it, but did little with it. They pulled Kochetkov for an extra attacker in the final minutes but Oettinger made a scrambling save on a Martin Necas shot with 19 seconds remaining.

    Dallas, which beat the Canes 4-2 at home Feb. 13, did it again 11 days later. A common thread: Robertson, always the sniper, scored in both games.

    The Hurricanes finish off a back-to-back set with a game Sunday at Buffalo. Goalie Spencer Martin is expected to be the starter for the Canes, who then have road games at Minnesota and Columbus.

    This story was originally published February 24, 2024, 10:40 PM.

    In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.

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    Chip Alexander

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  • Erick William’s Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern brings the Big Easy to the Windy City

    Erick William’s Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern brings the Big Easy to the Windy City

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    CHICAGO — When asked if he could use one adjective to describe Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern, a bustling counter service restaurant in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, diner Wallace Good made one up.

    “Is there such a word as New Orlean-ish?” joked Goode, who serves as the Executive Director of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce. “Even though you’re in the middle of Chicago and the middle of Hyde Park, you feel like you’re in the Big Easy.”

    Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern is the brainchild of James Beard Award-winning chef Erick Williams. Williams, who launched the critically acclaimed Virtue in Hyde Park in 2018, said he opened Daisy’s to honor his late Aunt Daisy and to serve the Louisiana cuisine he learned to cook at a young age.

    “We chose to celebrate the flavors and style of New Orleans because my Uncle Stew, who was my late aunt’s husband, was the first man to work with me at the stoves,” he said. “And he’s also the first person to teach me how to make gumbo.”

    Daisy’s especially comes alive with the spirit of the French Quarter on the first Wednesday of every month, when a live band is invited to play the tunes and sounds of New Orleans jazz. While enjoying po’boy sandwiches, gumbo, fried chicken and other southern fare, diners swung to the beat of Chicago’s Four Star Brass Band on the first Wednesday in February.

    “People are dancing in their seats, bobbing their heads,” said Williams. “I’d like to say that it feels like Mardi Gras every single day here.”

    Williams said the mission of his restaurant group, Virtue Hospitality, is to create a positive impact in the communities that they serve while also serving delicious fare and offering equitable opportunities for their team. Its non-profit foundation, Virtue Leadership Development, raises money to provide grants for young people in the culinary industry so they can learn how to transform their skills in the kitchen to skills that help them navigate business and make a living.

    “The deepest feeling is knowing that you’re doing the work that you both love and also the work that impacts so many other people around you on a day to day basis,” said Williams. “It wasn’t my aspiration to become a chef; I feel very fortunate to have become a part of such a giving and supporting community.”

    Decked out in the green, purple, and gold of Mardi Gras, Williams describes Daisy’s as more relaxed and freestyle than his restaurant Virtue. While the plating may be on paper and trays, Williams says the food still stands out in Chicago.

    “Our hot sausage po’boy, bar none, is one of the most amazing sandwiches in the city,” said Williams. “Our muffulettas are to die for and the fried chicken is a no-brainer.”

    For more information on Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern, visit daisyspoboychicago.com

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    CCG

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  • Photos: North Carolina defeats Miami in ACC basketball action

    Photos: North Carolina defeats Miami in ACC basketball action

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    Photos: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Miami Hurricanes | Raleigh News & Observer























    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) tries for a steal from Miami’s Matthew Cleveland (0) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.

    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) tries for a steal from Miami’s Matthew Cleveland (0) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.


    Robert Willett

    rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Coral Gables

    North Carolina bounces back after loss to Clemson with a road win at Miami on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

    The Tar Heels defeated the Hurricanes 75-71.

    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis led the Tar Heels with 25 points.

    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) drives to the basket between Miami’s Nijel Pack (24) and Norchad Omier (15) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florid
    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) drives to the basket between Miami’s Nijel Pack (24) and Norchad Omier (15) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florid Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina’s Armando Bacot (5) gets a dunk over Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    North Carolina’s Armando Bacot (5) gets a dunk over Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) works to keep his balance after colliding with North Carolina’s Cormac Ryan (3) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) works to keep his balance after colliding with North Carolina’s Cormac Ryan (3) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina coach Hubert Davis directs his team during the second half against Miami on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    North Carolina coach Hubert Davis directs his team during the second half against Miami on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Miami’s Michael Nwoko (1) defends North Carolina’s Jalen Washington (13) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    Miami’s Michael Nwoko (1) defends North Carolina’s Jalen Washington (13) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) launches a three-point shot over Miami’s Norchad Omier (15) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Davis led all scores with 25 points in the Tar Heels’ 75-72 victory.
    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) launches a three-point shot over Miami’s Norchad Omier (15) in the second half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Davis led all scores with 25 points in the Tar Heels’ 75-72 victory. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina’s Cormac Ryan (3) takes a charge from Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    North Carolina’s Cormac Ryan (3) takes a charge from Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina’s Elliot Cadeau (2) recovers a turnover by Miami’s Paul Djobel (10) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    North Carolina’s Elliot Cadeau (2) recovers a turnover by Miami’s Paul Djobel (10) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Miami’s Nijel Pack (24) reacts after sinking a three-point basket in the first half against North Carolina on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    Miami’s Nijel Pack (24) reacts after sinking a three-point basket in the first half against North Carolina on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina’s Harrison Ingram (55) breaks to the basket for a dunk ahead of Miami’s Norchad Omier (15) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    North Carolina’s Harrison Ingram (55) breaks to the basket for a dunk ahead of Miami’s Norchad Omier (15) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) battles for a loose ball with Miami’s Nijel Pack (24) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) battles for a loose ball with Miami’s Nijel Pack (24) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina’s Armando Bacot (5) gets a dunk over Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
    North Carolina’s Armando Bacot (5) gets a dunk over Miami’s Wooga Poplar (5) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com



    North Carolina’s Elliot Cadeau (2) drives to the basket against Jakai Robinson (13) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Cadeau scored 11 points in the first half.
    North Carolina’s Elliot Cadeau (2) drives to the basket against Jakai Robinson (13) in the first half on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Cadeau scored 11 points in the first half. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    This story was originally published February 10, 2024, 6:33 PM.

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  • Puerto Rico Fast Facts | CNN

    Puerto Rico Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here’s a look at the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a self-governing US territory located in the Caribbean.

    (from the CIA World Factbook)

    Area: 9,104 sq km

    Population: 3,057,311 (2023 est.)

    Capital: San Juan

    The people of Puerto Rico are US citizens. They vote in US presidential primaries, but not in presidential elections.

    First named San Juan Bautista by Christopher Columbus.

    The governor is elected by popular vote with no term limits.

    Jenniffer González has been the resident commissioner since January 3, 2017. The commissioner serves in the US House of Representatives, but has no vote, except in committees. Gonzalez is the first woman to hold this position.

    It is made up of 78 municipalities.

    Over 40% of the population lives in poverty, according to the Census Bureau.

    Puerto Ricans have voted in six referendums on the issue of statehood, in 1967, 1993, 1998, 2012, 2017 and 2020. The 2012 referendum was the first time the popular vote swung in statehood’s favor. Since these votes were nonbinding, no action had to be taken, and none was. Ultimately, however, Congress must pass a law admitting them to the union.

    In addition to becoming a state, options for Puerto Rico’s future status include remaining a commonwealth, entering “free association” or becoming an independent nation. “Free association” is an official affiliation with the United States where Puerto Rico would still receive military assistance and funding.

    1493-1898 – Puerto Rico is a Spanish colony.

    July 25, 1898 – During the Spanish-American War, the United States invades Puerto Rico.

    December 10, 1898 – With the signing of the Treaty of Paris, Spain cedes Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States. The island is named “Porto Rico” in the treaty.

    April 12, 1900 – President William McKinley signs the Foraker Act into law. It designates the island an “unorganized territory,” and allows for one delegate from Puerto Rico to the US House of Representatives with no voting power.

    March 2, 1917 – President Woodrow Wilson signs the Jones Act into law, granting the people of Puerto Rico US citizenship.

    May 1932 – Legislation changes the name of the island back to Puerto Rico.

    November 1948 – The first popularly elected governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, is voted into office.

    July 3, 1950 – President Harry S. Truman signs Public Law 600, giving Puerto Ricans the right to draft their own constitution.

    October 1950 – In protest of Public Law 600, Puerto Rican nationalists lead armed uprisings in several Puerto Rican towns.

    November 1, 1950 – Puerto Rican nationalists Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola attempt to shoot their way into Blair House, where President Truman is living while the White House is being renovated. Torresola is killed by police; Collazo is arrested and sent to prison.

    June 4, 1951 – In a plebiscite vote, more than three-quarters of Puerto Rican voters approve Public Law 600.

    February 1952 – Delegates elected to a constitutional convention approve a draft of the constitution.

    March 3, 1952 – Puerto Ricans vote in favor of the constitution.

    July 25, 1952 – Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing commonwealth as the constitution is put in place. This is also the anniversary of the United States invasion of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War.

    March 1, 1954 – Five members of the House of Representatives are shot on the House floor; Alvin Bentley, (R-MI), Ben Jensen (R-IA), Clifford Davis (D-TN), George Fallon (D-MD) and Kenneth Roberts (D-AL). Four Puerto Rican nationalists, Lolita Lebron, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Andres Figueroa Cordero and Irving Flores Rodriguez, are arrested and sent to prison. President Jimmy Carter grants Cordero clemency in 1977 and commutes all four of their sentences in 1979.

    July 23, 1967 – Commonwealth status is upheld via a status plebiscite.

    1970 – The resident commissioner gains the right to vote in committee via an amendment to the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970.

    September 18, 1989 – Hurricane Hugo hits the island as a Category 4 hurricane causing more than $1 billion in property damages.

    November 14, 1993 – Commonwealth status is upheld via a plebiscite.

    September 21, 1998 – Hurricane Georges hits the island causing an estimated $1.75 billion in damage.

    August 6, 2009 – Sonia Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is confirmed by the US Senate (68-31). She becomes the third woman and the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

    November 6, 2012 – Puerto Ricans vote for statehood via a status plebiscite. The results are deemed inconclusive.

    August 3, 2015 – Puerto Rico defaults on its monthly debt for the first time in its history, paying only $628,000 toward a $58 million debt.

    December 31, 2015 – The first case of the Zika virus is reported on the island.

    January 4, 2016 – Puerto Rico defaults on its debt for the second time.

    May 2, 2016 – Puerto Rico defaults on a $422 million debt payment.

    June 30, 2016 – President Barack Obama signs the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), a bill that establishes a seven-member board to oversee the commonwealth’s finances. The following day Puerto Rico defaults on its debt payment.

    January 4, 2017 – The Puerto Rico Admission Act is introduced to Congress by Rep. Gonzalez.

    May 3, 2017 – Puerto Rico files for bankruptcy. It is the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history.

    June 5, 2017 – Puerto Rico declares its Zika epidemic is over. The Puerto Rico Department of Health has reported more than 40,000 confirmed cases of the Zika virus since the outbreak began in 2016.

    June 11, 2017 – Puerto Ricans vote for statehood via a status plebiscite. Over 97% of the votes are in favor of statehood, but only 23% of eligible voters participate.

    September 20, 2017 – Hurricane Maria makes landfall near Yabucoa in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane. It is the strongest storm to hit the island in 85 years. The energy grid is heavily damaged, with an island-wide power outage.

    September 22, 2017 – The National Weather Service recommends the evacuation of about 70,000 people living near the Guajataca River in northwest Puerto Rico because a dam is in danger of failing.

    October 3, 2017 – President Donald Trump visits. The trip comes after mounting frustration with the federal response to the storm. Many residents remain without power and continue to struggle to get access to food and fuel nearly two weeks after the storm hit.

    December 18, 2017 – Gov. Ricardo Rosselló orders a review of deaths related to Hurricane Maria as the number could be much higher than the officially reported number. The announcement from the island’s governor follows investigations from CNN and other news outlets that called into question the official death toll of 64.

    January 22, 2018 – Rosselló announces that the commonwealth will begin privatizing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

    January 30, 2018 – More than four months after Maria battered Puerto Rico, the Federal Emergency Management Agency tells CNN it is halting new shipments of food and water to the island. Distribution of its stockpiled 46 million liters of water and four million meals and snacks will continue. The agency believes that amount is sufficient until normalcy returns.

    February 11, 2018 – An explosion and fire at a power substation causes a blackout in parts of northern Puerto Rico, according to authorities.

    May 29, 2018 – According to an academic report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, an estimated 4,645 people died in Hurricane Maria and its aftermath in Puerto Rico. The article’s authors call Puerto Rico’s official death toll of 64 a “substantial underestimate.”

    August 8, 2018 – Puerto Rican officials say the death toll from Maria may be far higher than their official estimate of 64. In a report to Congress, the commonwealth’s government says documents show that 1,427 more deaths occurred in the four months after Hurricane Maria than “normal,” compared with deaths that occurred the previous four years. The 1,427 figure also appears in a report published July 9.

    August 28, 2018 – The Puerto Rican government raises its official death toll from Maria to 2,975 after a report on storm fatalities is published by researchers at George Washington University. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, a critic of the Trump administration, says local and federal government failed to provide needed aid. She says the botched recovery effort led to preventable deaths.

    August 29, 2018 – Trump says the federal government’s response to the disaster was “fantastic.” He says problems with the island’s aging infrastructure created challenges for rescue workers.

    September 4, 2018 – The US Government Accountability Office releases a report revealing that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was so overwhelmed with other storms by the time Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico that more than half of the workers it was deploying to disasters were known to be unqualified for the jobs they were doing in the field.

    September 13, 2018 – In a tweet, Trump denies that nearly 3,000 people died in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. He expresses skepticism about the death toll, suggesting that individuals who died of other causes were included in the hurricane count.

    July 9, 2019 – Excerpts of profanity-laden, homophobic and misogynistic messages between Rosselló and members of his inner circle are published by local media.

    July 10, 2019 – Six people, including Puerto Rico’s former education secretary and a former health insurance official, are indicted on corruption charges. The conspiracy allegedly involved directing millions of dollars in government contracts to politically-connected contractors.

    July 11, 2019 – A series of protests begin in response to the leaked messages and the indictment, with calls for Rosselló to resign.

    July 13, 2019 – The Center for Investigative Journalism publishes hundreds of leaked messages from Rosselló and other officials. Rosselló and members of his inner circle ridicule numerous politicians, members of the media and celebrities.

    July 24, 2019 – Rosselló announces he will resign on August 2.

    August 7, 2019 – Puerto Rico’s Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez Garced is sworn in as the third governor Puerto Rico has had in less than a week. Earlier in the day, the August 2nd swearing-in of Rosselló’s handpicked successor, attorney Pedro Pierluisi, is thrown out by the Supreme Court, on grounds he has not been confirmed by both chambers of the legislature.

    September 27, 2019 – The federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances releases a plan that would cut the island’s debt by more than 60% and rescue it from bankruptcy. The plan targets bonds and other debt held by the government and will now go before a federal judge. The percentage of Puerto Rico’s taxpayer funds spent on debt payments will fall to less than 9%, compared to almost 30% before the restructuring.

    December 28, 2019 – A sequence of earthquakes of magnitude 2.0 or higher begin hitting Puerto Rico, including a 6.4 magnitude quake on January 7 that killed at least one man, destroyed homes and left most of the island without power.

    February 4, 2020 – A magnitude 5 earthquake strikes Puerto Rico. It is the 11th earthquake of at least that size in the past 30 days, according to the US Geological Survey.

    November 3, 2020 – Puerto Ricans vote in favor of statehood, and Pierluisi is elected governor.

    January 2, 2021 – Pierluisi is sworn in.

    April 21, 2022 – The Supreme Court rules that Congress can exclude residents of Puerto Rico from some federal disability benefits available to those who live in the 50 states.

    August 4, 2022 – Vázquez is arrested in San Juan on bribery charges connected to the financing of her 2020 campaign.

    September 18, 2022 – Hurricane Fiona makes landfall along the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico, near Punta Tocon, with winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane causes catastrophic flooding, amid a complete power outage. Two people are killed.

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  • 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Fast Facts | CNN

    2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here is a look at the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

    Past coverage of the 2022 and 2021 hurricane season and the latest weather news can also be found on CNN.

    Follow the storm tracker for the path and forecasts of the latest storm.

    The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The areas covered include the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

    The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as a “tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher.”

    Hurricanes are rated according to intensity of sustained winds on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The 1-5 scale estimates potential property damage.

    A Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane.

    The National Hurricane Center advises preparedness:

    • A hurricane watch indicates the possibility that a region could experience hurricane conditions within 48 hours.
    • A hurricane warning indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 36 hours.

    April 13, 2023 – The Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project team predicts a “slightly below-normal” Atlantic hurricane season. The team forecasts 13 named storms, including six hurricanes, two of which will be major hurricanes.

    May 25, 2023 – The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a 40% chance for a near-normal season, predicting that there is a 70% chance of having 12 to 17 named storms, of which five to nine could develop into hurricanes, including one to four major hurricanes (Categories 3-5).

    August 10, 2023 – NOAA releases its updated forecast, upping the odds for an above average hurricane season from 30% to 60% as ocean temperatures continue to climb above record levels this summer. The agency now predicts 14-21 named storms, including six to 11 hurricanes, of which two to five are forecast to be major. These ranges take into account the named storms that have already formed this season.

    Pronunciation Guide

    June 2, 2023 – Tropical Storm Arlene forms in the Gulf of Mexico.
    June 3, 2023 – Arlene is downgraded to a Tropical Depression and later dissipates.

    June 19, 2023 – Tropical Storm Bret forms over the central Atlantic.
    June 24, 2023 – Dissipates.

    June 22, 2023 – Tropical Storm Cindy forms over the central Atlantic.
    June 25, 2023 – Dissipates.

    July 14, 2023 – Subtropical Storm Don forms over the central Atlantic.
    July 16, 2023 – Becomes a subtropical depression.
    July 18, 2023 – Tropical Storm Don forms.
    July 22, 2023 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
    July 23, 2023 – Weakens to a tropical storm.
    July 24, 2023 – Don weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

    August 20, 2023 – Tropical Storm Emily forms over the central Atlantic.
    August 21, 2023 – Emily weakens to a post-tropical cyclone and dissipates.

    August 20, 2023 – Tropical Storm Franklin forms in the Caribbean Sea.
    August 23, 2023 – Franklin makes landfall on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic.
    August 26, 2023 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
    August 28, 2023 – Becomes the first major hurricane of the season.
    September 1, 2023 – Franklin weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

    August 21, 2023 – Tropical Storm Gert forms over the Atlantic and later weakens into a tropical depression.
    August 22, 2023 – Gert weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

    August 22, 2023 – Tropical Storm Harold forms in the Gulf of Mexico. After making landfall on Padre Island, Texas, Harold weakens to a tropical depression.
    August 23, 2023 – Harold dissipates.

    August 27, 2023 – Tropical Storm Idalia forms.
    August 29, 2023 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
    August 30, 2023 – Makes landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 3 hurricane. Two people are killed in separate, weather-related crashes.
    August 31, 2023 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

    August 31, 2023 – Tropical Storm Jose forms.
    September 1, 2023 – The remnants of Jose are absorbed into post-tropical cyclone Franklin.

    September 2, 2023 – Tropical Storm Katia forms.
    September 4, 2023 – Weakens to a tropical depression.

    September 5, 2023 – Tropical Storm Lee forms.
    September 6, 2023 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
    September 16, 2023 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone. Later in the day, Lee makes landfall in Nova Scotia.
    – At least two deaths are attributed to dangerous conditions associated with Lee.

    September 7, 2023 – Tropical Storm Margot forms.
    September 11, 2023 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
    September 17, 2023 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

    September 16, 2023 – Tropical Storm Nigel forms.
    September 18, 2023 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
    September 22, 2023 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

    September 22, 2023 – Tropical Storm Ophelia forms.
    September 23, 2023 – Tropical Storm Ophelia makes landfall in North Carolina. Later in the day, Ophelia weakens to a tropical depression.

    September 23, 2023 – Tropical Storm Phillippe forms.
    October 2, 2023 – Tropical Storm Phillippe makes landfall in Barbuda.
    October 6, 2023 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

    September 28, 2023 – Tropical Storm Rina forms.
    October 1, 2023 – Weakens to a tropical depression.

    October 11, 2023 – Tropical Storm Sean forms.
    October 14, 2023 – Weakens to a tropical depression.

    October 18, 2023 – Tropical Storm Tammy forms.
    October 20, 2023 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
    October 21, 2023 – Makes landfall in Barbuda.
    October 29, 2023 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

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  • Sebastian Aho scores in overtime as Hurricanes rally past Islanders 4-3

    Sebastian Aho scores in overtime as Hurricanes rally past Islanders 4-3

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    By ALLAN KREDA

    Sebastian Aho scored 1:14 into overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes rallied from three goals down to beat the New York Islanders 4-3 on Saturday night.

    Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a goal and an assist, Jalen Chatfield and Dmitry Orlov also scored and Andrei Svechnikov had two assists for Carolina, which has won four of five. Antti Raanta had 22 saves.

    Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist, and Noah Dobson and Simon Holmstrom also scored for the Islanders, who were 3-0-1 in their last four. Bo Horvat had two assists, and Ilya Sorokin finished with 44 saves.

    Aho scored in the extra period just after Raanta denied Ryan Pulock’s point-blank shot.

    Dobson opened the scoring with 2:20 left in the first period with the teams skating 4-on-4. The defenseman skated in close on Raanta before flipping a backhand past the goalie for his third goal of the season. Dobson leads the Islanders with 10 points (three goals, seven assists).

    Holmstrom made it 2-0 with a short-handed goal at 4:11 of the second, completing a give-and-go with Jean-Gabriel Pageau for his third.

    Barzal extended the lead to 3-0 with his second goal of the season at 7:46 as his high shot from the right wing eluded Raanta.

    It was all Hurricanes after that.

    Chatfield broke through just 32 seconds later with his first of the season.

    Orlov narrowed the gap to 3-2 with 7:41 remaining in the third when his shot eluded Sorokin for his first with Carolina after signing as a free agent in the offseason.

    Kotkaniemi tied the score on the power play with 4:36 left, scoring his fifth from in front as time was about to expire on Scott Mayfield’s hooking penalty.

    UP NEXT

    Hurricanes: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

    Islanders: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night.

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    The Associated Press

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  • Brit among missing after hurricane battered Mexico resort with 165mph winds

    Brit among missing after hurricane battered Mexico resort with 165mph winds

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    A BRITISH national is among the 58 still missing after Hurricane Otis pounded the famous Mexican coastal resort of Acapulco.

    Earlier this week, authorities announced a Brit had been killed during the “nightmare” storm that pounded the city with 165mph winds.

    5

    The deadly hurricane slammed into the resort city last week
    Hurricane Otis left rubble and ruin in its wake

    5

    Hurricane Otis left rubble and ruin in its wakeCredit: Reuters

    Three foreign nationals have died since Otis made landfall on October 25, including the Brit as well as a Canadian and American.

    Guerrero state governor Evelyn Salgado has now revealed another Brit is still missing.

    The other foreigners unaccounted for are 11 Americans, five French nationals and a Peruvian.

    Category 5 Hurricane Otis, the strongest on record for a landfalling Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone, claimed most of its victims in Acapulco.

    A number of other people are also known to have died in the nearby municipality of Coyuca de Benitez.

    It pummelled Acapulco with high winds, torrential rains and powerful waves as the “nightmare scenario” forecasters had warned of came true.

    Footage showed Otis battering buildings, while people ran for cover as they found themselves at the eye of one the most powerful storms to hit Mexico.

    The latest figures released by regional authorities puts the death toll at 46 and the number of people who are still missing at 58.

    Hurricane Otis touched land just west of Acapulco on October 25, damaging many of the buildings in the city with landslides and flooding resulting from heavy rain.

    The powerful storm had intensified quickly as it moved towards land – catching many off guard who scrambled to get emergency shelters ready.

    The day Otis hit, Mexico’s president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that there had been “no communication” with the coastal city as its 165mph winds cut it from the rest of the world.

    For days after, Acapulco was left with no drinking water and plenty of residents also lost power.

    The army was mobilised to help survivors and assist in recovery efforts.

    Residents in outlying areas of Acapulco have been complaining today that they are still without water and electricity and are low on food.

    Acapulco is a city of more than one million people, where both luxury homes and slums alike cover the city’s hillsides with views of the Pacific.

    It is one of Mexico’s oldest beach resorts and once attracted Hollywood stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s.

    Ten Hollywood actors, led by John Wayne and former Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller bought a hotel in the resort and helped turn it into one of the most fashionable of its era.

    Its reputation has been tarnished in recent years by the rival drugs cartels that have turned part of the city into no-go areas.

    British tourists now favour destinations like Cancun and the nearby Riviera Maya coastline.

    As the area braced for Otis’ landfall last week, there were fears that the hurricane could rival the devastation unleashed on Acapulco by Hurricane Pauline in 1997.

    The storm destroyed huge parts of the city and killed more than 200 people.

    Hundreds of others were injured in flooding and mudslides that followed.

    An aerial view of a heavily damaged building in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis,

    5

    An aerial view of a heavily damaged building in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis,Credit: Reuters
    Those closest to the sea faced the full brunt of the storm

    5

    Those closest to the sea faced the full brunt of the stormCredit: EPA
    Otis hit the coastal city of Acapulco head on

    5

    Otis hit the coastal city of Acapulco head onCredit: EPA

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  • Hurricane Norma Makes Landfall Near Mexico’s Los Cabos, Tammy Hits Barbuda In The Caribbean

    Hurricane Norma Makes Landfall Near Mexico’s Los Cabos, Tammy Hits Barbuda In The Caribbean

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    CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Norma came ashore near the resorts of Los Cabos at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula on Saturday afternoon, and hours later Hurricane Tammy made landfall on the Caribbean island of Barbuda.

    Both storms were Category 1 hurricanes when they hit.

    The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Norma, once a Category 4 hurricane, moved ashore with winds of 80 mph (130 kph) near el Pozo de Cota, west-northwest of Cabo San Lucas.

    Norma later weakened to a tropical storm with 70 mph (110 kph) winds as it crossed the Baja California Peninsula and by late Saturday it was nearing the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California.

    Businesses in Cabo San Lucas had nailed plywood over their windows, and government personnel hung banners warning people not to try to cross gullies and stream beds after Norma regained strength and again became a major storm Friday.

    Norma was centered about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north-northeast of Cabo San Lucas late Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving north-northeast at 6 mph (9 kph), but was expected to take a harder turn toward the east Sunday.

    President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said via the platform X that there had so been no reported loss of life from the storm. “Hurricane Norma already passed Los Cabos and there are only torrential rains in La Paz, but without loss of life.”

    A man walks on the mud caused by hurricane Norma in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

    In Cabo San Lucas, curious tourists began to pick their way along debris-strewn beaches after the storm passed.

    The effects of the storm were still being felt after night fell, and authorities urged people to stay at home. There were still families in shelters in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, though officials did not say how many. Around 200 people were in shelters in La Paz.

    Its languid pace raised the possibility of severe flooding. Norma was expected to dump six to 12 inches of rain, with a maximum of 18 inches in places across southern Baja California and much of Sinaloa state.

    John Cangialosi, a senior specialist at the National Hurricane Center, said the area is vulnerable to rain because it is a dry region generally.

    “Six to 12 inches of rain is what is generally forecast, but there could be pockets of up to 18 inches of rain and we do think that will be the most significant impact that could result in flash and urban flooding and mudslides,” he said.

    Baja California Sur Gov. Victor Castro said via the platform X that “because it’s moving slowly, greater damages are anticipated.”

    But little damage was initially reported. Some trees and power poles were down, but there were no reports of injuries.

    Police in San Jose del Cabo rescued two people from their truck when a surging stream swept it away early Saturday. Some informal settlements, away from the hotels that serve tourists, were isolated by rising water. Some neighborhoods lost electricity and internet service.

    The federal government posted 500 marines to the resort to help with storm preparations.

    Strong waves caused by hurricane Norma hits a beach in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
    Strong waves caused by hurricane Norma hits a beach in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

    By late morning, the area’s streets were littered with palm fronds and other debris, and essentially deserted except for occasional military patrols. Strong winds whipped traffic signs, trees and power lines.

    Hotels in Los Cabos, which are largely frequented by foreign tourists, remained about three-quarters full and visitors made no major moves to leave en masse, officials said. The local hotel association estimated about 30,000 tourists were in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo on Friday.

    Airports were closed. San Jose del Cabo airport director Francisco Villaseñor said he expected flights to resume by midday Sunday.

    The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tammy came ashore Saturday night with 85 mph (140 kph) winds. The hurricane was moving north-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph) and by late Saturday was centered 15 miles (25 kilometers) north-northwest of Barbuda.

    Hurricane warnings remained in effect for the islands of Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barthelmy. The warning was lifted for Antigua.

    The hurricane center said that “heavy rainfall and flooding (are) likely over much of the Lesser Antilles.”

    Tammy hit two weeks after Tropical Storm Phillippe swept by Antigua and Barbuda dumping six to eight inches of rain and plunging both islands into darkness. The slow-moving system was forecast to bring up to 12 inches over a twin island nation, where the devastation of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Philippe’s recent wind damage and flooding were still fresh memories.

    “This means therefore, that the earth is still somewhat saturated and with additional rainfall, the potential for flooding is elevated,” Prime Minister Gaston Browne said in a nationwide broadcast Friday. He urged residents to take all necessary steps to secure life and property.

    Government offices, banks and most non-retail businesses closed early on Friday to allow staff to prepare. Residents’ rushed to stock up on necessities, causing gridlock throughout St John’s and near popular shopping centers and supermarkets.

    Local disaster management officials announced plans to open about 40 shelters in communities throughout the country.

    Associated Press writer Anika Kentish in St. John’s, Antigua, contributed to this report.

    Follow AP’s climate coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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