Residents met with urgent warnings after alarming hurricane season forecast: 'This outlook is a call to action'
NOAA officials say a combination of factors — including a neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation, above-average ocean temperatures, and weak wind shear — is set to fuel the 60% chance that we'll see an "above-normal" Atlantic hurricane season, according to CBS News.
The outlet reported that forecasters may have reason to be even more confident in their predictions this year. A planned upgrade to NOAA's modeling is expected to boost the accuracy of tracking tropical systems and predicting their intensity by around 5%.
To improve preparedness and response, NOAA has also expanded its Global Tropical Hazards Outlook from a two-week to a three-week forecast window, the agency said, providing earlier warnings of possible tropical cyclone activity.
"In my 30 years at the National Weather Service, we've never had more advanced models and warning systems in place to monitor the weather," said NWS director Ken Graham in a statement, per CBS. "This outlook is a call to action: be prepared. Take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to ensure you're ready before a storm threatens."
The agency is forecasting between 13 and 19 named storms (compared to an average of around 14) and six to 10 hurricanes (compared to the average of seven).
CBS cited Colorado State University as another highly regarded source of hurricane predictions. The university's team concurs that the season will be a busy one, estimating a total of 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes.
Even if the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season defies all these expectations and falls short of average, storm experts are quick to their refrain: "It only takes one." And we don't have to think far back at all to find an example of just how destructive a hurricane can be.
Hurricane Helene struck the U.S. in late September last year. After the initial damage it inflicted on the Gulf Coast, the storm surged north, bringing strong winds to the Southeast and wringing out historic rainfalls in North Carolina. The storm killed at least 250 people in the U.S., becoming the deadliest hurricane to hit the country's mainland since Katrina in 2005. It also caused financial devastation for many families and municipalities.
Scientists have said that the overheating of our planet supercharged Helene, increasing the storm's rainfall by 10% and wind strength by 11%. An analysis of the 2024 hurricane season conducted by Climate Central found that "human-caused global warming" contributed to every named storm last year.
What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home?
Move somewhere else
Reinforce my home
Nothing
This is happening already
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Angela Colbert at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory didn't disagree with this thinking in a 2022 post. "Due to global warming, global climate models predict hurricanes will likely cause more intense rainfall," Colbert wrote, "and have an increased coastal flood risk due to higher storm surge caused by rising seas."
Ditching dirty energy sources in favor of clean, renewable options can help cool down our planet and mitigate its effects, like extreme weather events and rising sea levels. A study by researchers at Cornell University has suggested that repurposing only 3.2% of U.S. cropland, currently used to grow corn for ethanol, could result in a more than threefold increase in solar power output nationwide.
Learning more about critical climate issues, especially together in affinity groups with the potential for local action, can help normalize the adoption of renewables and facilitate the pro-environment policies that can make scaled-up transition more realizable.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man suffers spinal injuries after jumping off boat near North Shore beach
A young man was flown to the hospital with spinal injuries after police say he jumped off a boat and struck his head near a beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts on Friday. Emergency crews responding to a report of a person who dove off a boat, struck his head, and suffered a serious injury off Crane Estate in Ipswich just after 5 p.m. learned that a man in his 20s was undergoing life-saving care on Steep Hill Beach, Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas and Ipswich Fire Chief Paul Parisi said in a joint news release. When crews arrived at the beach, they learned that he had suffered acute spinal injuries and called for a Boston MedFlight helicopter, according to Nikas and Parisi. The helicopter landed on the beach, where firefighters and EMS personnel treated the conscious man, who was then flown to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington for additional care. Parisi credited Crane Beach personnel with pulling the man from the water and performing life-saving measures that 'likely averted a fatality.' The incident remains under investigation. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
23 minutes ago
- CBS News
Heat warnings issued for Midwest, Southeast as sweltering temperatures continue
It's always hot in the summer in the U.S. Southeast, but even by the standards of Florida and the Carolinas, the steamy heat wave on tap for the region Saturday into the coming week is a little extreme. The National Weather Service issued heat advisories for a large swath of the East Coast from central Florida to Virginia through much of the weekend. Highs in the upper 90s F were forecast for central Florida, with heat indexes reaching 105 degrees F to 110 degrees F. The outlook was similar up through Georgia and the Carolinas into Virginia. Extreme heat warnings were out for much of eastern North Carolina, as far inland as Raleigh, and extending into a corner of South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach. Forecasters warned of dangerously hot conditions with temperatures approaching or exceeding 100 F in some areas on Sunday and heat indexes up to 115 F through Sunday evening. Temperatures on Friday were forecast to be 10 to 15 degrees above average for this time of year, with feels-like temperatures over 100 degrees expected in multiple areas as a heat dome moved across parts of the U.S. A heat dome happens when hot air is trapped over an area due to a persistent high-pressure system, said William Gallus, a professor of atmospheric science at Iowa State University. During extreme heat and high humidity events, heat-related illnesses increase significantly. "Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors," the National Weather Service advised. "Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Stay cool, stay hydrated, stay informed." The weather service said several major metropolitan areas in the Southeast — including Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina, Greenville-Spartanburg in South Carolina, and Atlanta in Georgia — were expected to face an extreme heat risk for several days, with minimal overnight relief. It said over 30 million people would likely be affected at the peak of the heat wave through midweek. A hot, humid weekend was also in store for the Midwest. Extreme heat watches were out for eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and southern Minnesota. Heat indexes were expected to reach 96 F on Saturday and go even higher on Sunday in Minnesota. And an extreme heat warning was out for the St. Louis, Missouri, area through Tuesday evening, with highs around 99 F and heat indexes around 110 F forecast for Monday and Tuesday. Parts of Iowa were hit by storms Saturday morning that dumped between 2 and 5 inches of rain in some areas and triggered flash flood warnings.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Chicago weather: Flood Watch still in effect for much of the area, more showers coming
CHICAGO - As of this writing, there is very little rainfall of any kind in Chicagoland. During the day, because of the tropical air mass in place, showers and thunderstorms can form at just about any time. Fox 32 Meteorologist Mike Caplan has the forecast. What to Expect A Flood Watch is in effect through the evening for most of the viewing area. The watch for Lake and McHenry counties was canceled by the National Weather Service. If all one does is look at that map, it makes it appear as though the entire area will be flooded. That is far from the case. Instead, only small portions of Chicagoland might get excessive rainfall at some point today. There will be many more areas that do not receive very much rainfall. The risk of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds exists, especially during the afternoon hours. But once again, those will likely be limited in coverage. Highs today will be held down because of cloud cover and occasional rain. Most will stay in the low 80s like yesterday. What's next Intense heat builds back into the area for three days starting tomorrow. Highs should reach the low 90s on Sunday, mid to upper 90s on Monday, and low 90s on Tuesday. While a spotty shower or thunderstorm cannot be completely ruled out during the heat wave, it is more likely it will remain dry for the majority of our viewing area. A higher chance of showers and thunderstorms arrives Tuesday night and Wednesday with a front that will knock temperatures and humidity levels down noticeably starting Wednesday and continuing through the end of the work week.
