Tropical Storm Chantal forecast to form off coast of Carolinas Saturday
The storm, located 1650 miles south-southeast of Charleston, S.C., has top winds of 35 mph, according to the 5 a.m. Saturday advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
A tropical depression is the weakest form of tropical cyclone, a circulating weather system which in the case of a depression has winds of 38 mph or less.
The depression is forecast to barely reach tropical storm strength, with top winds of 40 mph, by the time it hits the South Carolina coast on Saturday. If it becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Chantal.
The storm, currently stationary, is forecast to drift northwestward and then move inland over the southeastern United States by Sunday.
Rain and thunderstorms are likely in South Florida through this week and into next week, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Heavy rain is expected particularly for the west-central and southwestern Florida coast through early Saturday, the NHC said.
On Friday, South Florida experienced scattered thunderstorms in the morning that became more widespread in the afternoon. As the evening progresses, rain chances will decrease.
Don't expect better outdoor weather on Saturday. The chance of rain increases to 90% with thunderstorms likely.
Colorado State University's hurricane forecast for 2025 estimates 17 named storms, with nine of them becoming hurricanes.
Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
In the idyllic Texas Hill Country, flash floods have long been a threat.
In a part of Texas where the American South gives way to the Southwest, the Hill Country rolls across a vast expanse of a vast state, with fields of lavender, vineyards, a constellation of rivers and lakes — and the many people who have been lured by its natural splendor and rustic vibe. But the flash floods that swept through Kerr County on Friday — and the warnings that more could come — were an abrupt and agonizing reminder of the peril that lurks behind the idyll. The region has also become known as 'Flash Flood Alley,' a recognition of a recurring threat that has taken lives and upended communities over the years. A propensity for high levels of rainfall combined with thin soil, exposed bedrock and steep terrain make it especially vulnerable. 'This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States,' the Kerr County judge, Rob Kelly, told reporters on Friday. 'We deal with floods on a regular basis.' At least 27 people were killed and many others remained missing after the Guadalupe River surged beyond its banks on Friday, in and around Kerrville, Texas, a city of about 25,000 people. The river rose nearly 30 feet in just an hour and a half. Longtime residents remember the Guadalupe River rising 29 feet one morning in 1987. Ten teenagers were killed after the bus they were in was swept away near Comfort, less than 20 miles from Kerrville. In Wimberley, a small city roughly 90 minutes east of Kerrville, 13 people were killed and hundreds of homes were destroyed and damaged in 2015 when the Blanco River rose nearly 30 feet within a couple of hours. Still, the region's appeal has only intensified. Subdivisions and housing developments have sprouted up as part of the explosive growth that has radiated out from the city of Austin in recent years. The region has long drawn retirees and others looking for a life that feels a tad more rural. The area is also a destination for camping, hiking, riding and other tourist activities. The attraction, in part, is an atmosphere that many regard as a quintessential vision of Texas, with dance halls playing a homegrown version of country music and easy access to nature and wide-open space. Kerr County, which has been devastated by the recent flooding, has been growing steadily in population. In Kerrville, the county seat, there are barbecue joints, taquerias, inns, shops and campgrounds, all set just off the winding banks of the Guadalupe River.
36 minutes ago
A look at some of the deadliest floods in the U.S. in the last 25 years
Flooding has caused an average of more than 125 deaths per year in the United States over the past few decades, according to the National Weather Service, and flash floods are the nation's top storm-related killer. Here's a look at some of the most deadly flooding nationwide in the past 25 years. Authorities are still assessing the deadly effects of heavy rains that caused devastating flash floods in Texas Hill Country, leaving at least 27 people dead and many others missing as frantic parents sought word about their daughters unaccounted for at a girls' camp near the Guadalupe River. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Hurricane Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service. Many of those who died in Helene fell victim to massive inland flooding, rather than high winds. Helene was the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm decimated remote towns throughout the Appalachians and left millions without power, cellular service and supplies. In North Carolina alone, Helene was responsible for 108 deaths, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services. Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky in late July of 2022 led to 45 deaths, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys said Saturday. The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems. The disaster robbed thousands of families of all their possessions. Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed after more than more than 17 inches (43 centimeters) of rain fell in the area in less than 24 hours in August 2021. Homes were washed off their foundations, cars were wrecked and businesses were demolished. The dead included twin babies who were swept from their father's arms. Hurricane Harvey barreled into Texas in August 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm. Harvey hovered for days as it trudged inland, dumping several feet of rain on many Gulf Coast communities and the Houston area. Harvey killed at least 68 people, according to a National Hurricane Center report. All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. A rainstorm that initially seemed like no big deal turned into a catastrophe in West Virginia, trapping dozens of people during the night and eventually leaving 23 people dead around the state. Superstorm Sandy was a a late fall freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and surrounding areas in October 2012. Sandy killed 147 people, 72 in the eastern U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center. More than 110 deaths were attributed to drowning, Roys said. Heavy rainfall in several states, plus a larger-than-normal slow melt, led rivers in the Mississippi River Basin to swell and flood in 2011. Flash floods associated with these storms caused 24 deaths across Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee in April and May, according to the National Weather Service. Hurricane Ike struck the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast in September 2008, creating a storm surge as high as 20 feet (6 meters) in the island city of Galveston. Ike then poured more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of rain on Houston, destroying thousands of cars and leaving hundreds of thousands of families with flood-damaged homes. In all, Ike was responsible for more than 100 deaths, many caused by flooding. Hurricane Katrina is the deadliest flood event in the U.S. in the past 25 years. The storm crashed into the Gulf Coast and caused devastating flooding when levees failed in New Orleans, where people had to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops. The costliest storm in U.S. history, Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages. Tropical Storm Allison caused 41 deaths, mostly attributed to flooding caused by 40 inches (101 centimeters) of rain that fell in Texas and Louisiana, Roys said. Allison remained a threat for days as its remnants lingered after making landfall in June 2001, causing major flooding in Houston.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How the Texas Hill Country flood went from small water flow to deadly tide in a matter of hours
A powerful flash flood hit Central Texas' Hill Country late Friday into early Saturday, leaving at least 27 people dead, including children, while many more are still missing. Most of the missing were attending Camp Mystic, a popular summer camp along the Guadalupe River. What began as a routine flood watch quickly turned into a deadly disaster. The National Weather Service predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with some isolated spots possibly getting 5 to 7 inches. Instead, parts of Kerr County were slammed with 10 to 15 inches, and in some places, over 20 inches, within a few hours. San Antonio Express-News newsroom meteorologist Anthony Franze said the storm was fueled by warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and leftovers from Tropical Storm Barry. These combined to create a slow-moving weather system that stayed over the area and dumped heavy rain over hills and valleys. The geography of Hill Country made things worse. The steep hills and rocky land don't absorb water well, so rain quickly flows into creeks and rivers. This caused the Guadalupe River to rise more than 20 feet in a matter of hours. It's the second-highest level ever recorded, even higher than a historic 1987 flood, Franze said. The area is often called 'Flash Flood Alley' because it's prone to these kinds of fast, dangerous floods, Hatim Sharif, a hydrologist and civil engineer at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said in an article for The Conversation. Experts say predicting exactly where and how much rain will fall is difficult, and this storm caught many off guard. Dr. Jess Neumann of the University of Reading said this was a 'tragic reminder of the dangers of sudden extreme rainfall and flash flooding.' "This terrible event, in which children are missing and many have died, raises critical questions about effective early warning systems, flood planning and preparedness in the region,' Neumann said in a news release. "It cannot be right that a flood of this magnitude, in an area known to be at high risk of flash floods, caused such devastation and has taken so many people by surprise." The flood struck in the middle of the night, when most people were asleep. There weren't strong warning systems in place to alert residents or campers in time to escape. "We didn't know this flood was coming," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said Friday. "No one knew this kind of flood was coming." The strength of the flood was depicted by a 22-year-old woman who was swept 20 miles downstream and survived by clinging to a tree until help arrived. More than 850 people have been evacuated so far, and over 200 rescues have been carried out by helicopter, boat, and high-water rescue teams. Texas officials have declared disaster zones in several counties and are sending in state and federal help. Governor Greg Abbott and other leaders are urging people to follow evacuation orders and stay away from flooded areas. 'We remain in a search-and-rescue posture right now,' Abbott said during a Friday night press conference. 'We will stop at nothing to ensure... that everybody involved in this is going to be fully accounted for."
