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Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
In Texas, Florida and across the globe, warmer climate makes flooding ‘more unprecedented'
As the Texas flooding death toll reached 95 on Monday — at least 27 of them children — and Tropical Storm Chantal prompted dozens of water rescues in North Carolina, some Floridians were reminded of the disastrous 'rain bomb' in 2023 that hit faster and harder than any hurricane in living memory. Though no one died from the 2 feet of rain that deluged Fort Lauderdale in a single day in April two years ago, the relentless rain forced hundreds to flee to Red Cross shelters, covered airport runways, filled the tunnel that runs under the New River and turned downtown streets into raging rivers. And, despite the sheer speed with which these floods took people by surprise, they have another thing in common: Climate change made them even more catastrophic. While the tropical system stuck over Texas' Hill Country — also known as 'Flash Flood Alley' — was expected to cause flooding, 'we also know that climate change is adding just a little bit of extra rain,' Shel Winkley, who worked as a broadcast meteorologist for a CBS-affiliate in Texas, told the Miami Herald. Overall, the climate is now 1.3 degrees Celsius warmer than before humans started burning fossil fuels, which releases greenhouse gases that trap heat within the atmosphere. The warmer the atmosphere, the more moisture it can hold, and, consequently, release. Heavier rainfalls likely made the Texas flooding 'even more unprecedented,' said Winkley, who taught at Texas A&M University. 'The question is, would it have come down as fast, and would the river have risen as quickly as it did, without that climate change influence?' Using a rapid analysis to show how the floods are linked to climate change, scientists in Europe determined that warmer weather fueled the Texas disaster as overall weather conditions in that specific region had gotten wetter compared to the past. The severity of the event, they said, can't be explained by naturally occurring changes to the climate and weather. Research by Climate Central, a nonprofit science and communications group, also found that, over the past 50 years, rainfall has become heavier in cities like San Antonio, some 60 miles south of the worst flooding, with rainfalls now increased by 6 percent. In Miami, Climate Central's analysis, which is based on NOAA data, found that the hourly rainfall intensity increased by 12 percent. Both Florida and Texas are adversely affected because they lie on the Gulf of Mexico, which is currently between 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the average for the beginning of July, conditions that are 10 to 30 times more likely because of climate change. This extra heat has given more water molecules the energy they need to 'escape' from the surface and evaporate into the atmosphere, where they're supplying additional moisture, which makes rainfall more intense. 'Climate change loads the dice toward more frequent and more intense floods,' Davide Farranda, an expert on extreme weather events at the French National Center for Scientific Research, said in a statement, adding that the Texas flood 'shows the deadly cost of underestimating this shift.' 'We need to rethink early warning systems, land-use planning, and emergency preparedness. And above all, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit future risks,' he said. While cutting greenhouse gas emissions is the only proven solution that can stop things from getting even worse, our atmosphere and oceans react slowly to the CO2 we're emitting. The impact of the fossil fuels burnt today will be felt in decades to come. That makes adaptation a necessity, especially in places like South Florida, where a lot of infrastructure dates back to the 1950s. 'These extreme events are likely to become more frequent,' said Ben Kirtman, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami, referring to the 2023 rain bomb, which overwhelmed Fort Lauderdale with such a sudden deluge that schools had to shut down for two days. A 1-in-500-year flood, he said, referring to a flood that, statistically speaking, is so devastating it occurs once every 500 years, 'that will maybe be a 1-in-a-100-year flood, or a 1-in-20-year flood,' Kirtman said. Cities, he said, need to know what to plan for, so infrastructure can be hardened, and at least some catastrophes can be avoided. Figuring out not just how much rainfall we can expect, but also the frequency and duration of rainfall is exactly what Kirtman and colleagues from across Florida, including the US Geological Service, are trying to figure out. Six inches of rainfall might not be a lot for a city like Miami, but it wouldn't be able to handle six inches of rain over three, four or five days. Within a year, he and his colleagues hope to have some preliminary data. Even with that data, keeping people and properties safe from ever heavier flooding can simply prove too costly. Miami, for example, would have had to pay $5.1 billion to upgrade its infrastructure for a 1-in-10-year storm, an extra $1.3 billion compared to adapting for a 1-in-5-year storm. The city tried to find a middle ground, upgrading some projects to higher and others to lower levels. Though Floridians are used to storms, heavy rain and flooding, being surrounded by a warmer Gulf on all sides and the fact that hurricanes have already become more intense doesn't bode well, Winkley said. And while Florida was less susceptible to river flooding due to its lack of hills, the Texas flood, he said, was 'a warning for everybody.' This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.
Scottish Sun
20-06-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Girl, 9, recalls moment she ‘picked up hand' & ‘started screaming' in horror shark attack as dad says ‘miracle' happened
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE nine-year-old girl has recalled the moment her hand was almost torn off in a savage shark attack while snorkeling with her mom. Leah Lendel underwent a six-hour surgery to repair her hand that was left "hanging by skin" after she was mauled by an eight-foot shark off Boca Grande beach in Florida on June 11. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Leah Lendel spoke out about the horror shark attack on June 11 Credit: ABC NEWS 9 She had been snorkeling off a Boca Grande beach with her mom Credit: ABC News 9 A 9-year-old girl in Florida is recovering from surgery after a shark nearly bit her hand off while she was snorkeling off a Boca Grande beach last week. Credit: ABC News 9 Leah's mom said her daughter's 'instincts kicked in' and she ran out of the bloody water Credit: ABC NEWS "Something hard bit me and then tried to tug me away," she said at a news conference at Tampa General Hospital. While flanked by her parents and doctors, Leah recalled how she and her mom started screaming when they realized what happened. "I didn't see anything. I was just snorkeling," she said. "I went up to breathe. And then, something hard bit me and tried to take me away. "Then I pick up my hand and is all in blood. I start screaming with my mom". Nadia, Leah's mom, told reporters how she thought her daughter had lost a limb, saying "It was really, really bad" and that she didn't think her daughter "was going to have a hand." "It's some sort of miracle that now she has a hand," she added. "There was so much blood in the water right next to me, in an instant I knew it's a shark attack," Nadia said, adding that her daughter's "instincts kicked in". Leah ran out of the water where she was picked up by her dad and taken to the road where people rushed to help. "We [saw] that little girl come out from the water with no hand, it was... like everybody was in shock," eyewitness Alfonso Tello who was on a lunch break at the beach told NBC-affiliate WBBH. Shark attack reported at popular US beach as victim rushed to hospital just weeks after 1,600lb beast spotted in state One horrified beach goer who ran to Leah told CBS-affiliate WINK that her hand "was hanging but this whole thing was completely hanging out. You can see bones all completely red". A frantic 911 call revealed how those nearby wrapped towels around Leah's hand that was "completely destroyed" and put her arm in a tourniquet to stem the bleeding. Within four minutes, responders from the Boca Grande Fire Department were on scene and she was flown two hours to Tampa General. MIRACLE WORKERS Leah's doctors told reporters how there was a six-hour window for them to save her hand from the moment she was mauled by the shark. Statement from Leah Lendel's family following the shark attack Nine-year-old Leah experienced a terrifying and life-altering event. Her family has issued the following statement following the suspected bull shark attack in Boca Grande, Florida: "We want to say Thank You to everyone that is praying for our sweet Leah. "We are thankful for the quick response of everyone that was on scene, the construction workers, residents that ran out to help and the first responders and to all the Doctors/Nurses that are doing everything to help our girl. "Yesterday Leah had an extensive surgery on her hand (wrist & fingers). "The Doctors, were able to get blood flow to her hand and fingers. "She is showing some movement in two fingers but can't feel the rest. "The doctors will be doing another procedure tomorrow to see if there is anything else that needs to be done. "The fact that Leah has all her fingers attached is already a testimony. "From witnessing her wrist hanging on by just the skin, to have blood flow in all of her hand and fingers is truly a miracle. "Please keep praying for our family, our God is a miracle worker." Less than an hour after she arrived at the hospital, she was in surgery where they had to stabilize the bone and take blood vessels from her leg to help restore blood flow to her hand. "I was trying to hold myself together, Leah's dad Jay said. "I think I was crying more than she was." An x-ray of her hand shows how the skin, muscles, and bones in her hand were severed almost all the way across the middle. Doctors called the fact it was a shark bite a "curse and a blessing". 9 A 9-year-old girl in Florida is recovering from surgery after a shark nearly bit her hand off while she was snorkeling off a Boca Grande beach last week., Leah Lendel's hand following the shark attack Credit: Tampa General Hospital 9 Emergency services attended the 911 call before Leah was flown to Tampa General Credit: Lee County Sheriff's Office 9 Leah underwent an initial six-hour surgery in which blood vessels from her leg were put into her hand to help restore blood flow Credit: Instagram/ Their sharp teeth mean the cut was clean and not jagged, meaning there was "good tissue to work with and put back together in a timely fashion," Dr Alfred Hess said. Leah will still need physical therapy and to have the pins in her hand removed but her parents say they are "just thankful for everybody". "I didn't think it was possible because I was holding her hand in my hand and I didn't think there was any chance at all of saving it," he said. "I'm so thankful to the surgeons for making such a miracle." "I'm just very thankful she's alive," Jay added. Leah said could not wait to start "playing with all my siblings" once her wounds healed. Her family launched a GoFundMe page to help with her recovery which has received over $47,700 at the time of writing. This week, another shark attack was reported at a popular US beach and a 12-year-old girl was mauled by a 12ft alligator while playing in shallow water with her friends. 9 The nine-year-old emerged from the water with what looked like a bloody stump Credit: GoFundMe
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Woman unable to walk, sues hospital after surgeon operated on the wrong knee
A woman is suing her surgeon and the hospital that left her unable to walk or play with her children after they operated on the wrong leg. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Talia Foster, 33, of Toledo, is suing the University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC) and the orthopedic surgeon that operated on the wrong knee in 2023, according to our CBS-affiliate WTOL in Toledo. Instead of operating on her injured left knee for what was supposed to be a routine ACL repair, Dr. David Sohn removed a healthy tendon from her right leg. TRENDING STORIES: Argument leads to deadly shooting in Fairborn, police say Former school staffer who pleaded guilty to sexual relationship with student sentenced to prison 6-year-old hit, killed by car in Harrison Township 'He never marked the right leg. It was just never discussed,' Foster said. Her surgeon confirmed the error in Foster's medical records: 'After harvesting the first of two hamstring tendons, I was notified that we had started operating on the incorrect knee. We stopped surgery and contacted patient's family (mother). I explained our error and asked whether she wished for me to proceed. She said yes.' Her mother, Barbara Foster, said she remembers the phone call with Dr. Sohn during the surgery. 'I'm still in shock like, 'Wait a minute.' He said, 'Well, since we already have this tendon out, should I go ahead and do the left knee?' He said, 'I don't want to waste the tendon,'' her mother said to WTOL. Our CBS affiliate, WTOL, cited the National Institutes of Health policy on wrong-site surgeries, stating they are rare but preventable through communication and compliance with surgical protocols. The Joint Commission has recommended a 'Universal Protocol,' since 2003 that requires site marking while the patient is awake and a two-minute 'time out' before surgery to confirm the procedure, site, and patient identity, as reported by WTOL. Foster's left knee, the one she was supposed to get surgery on initially, was visibly marked with the surgeon's initials. Foster said the hospital itself didn't realize the mistake initially, and it remains unclear how her right knee became the surgical target, according to WTOL. Foster said her doctors have told her the ACL surgery on her left knee was a failure, and she now suffers nerve pain in her right leg. She has sought treatment with new doctors to manage her ongoing pain, but it's just a temporary solution to try to ease 'the constant burning and pain,' she said to WTOL. Foster said she can no longer work after a decade of service as an employee at Stellantis. She's on disability and said she is unable to care for or play with her two-year-old and eight-year-old children. 'She said she'd rather cut her legs off. What good is having something when you don't have any stability in them? You're falling downstairs, you can't carry your kid. Who wants to live like that?' Foster's mother said. According to her doctors, Foster will need a full knee replacement on her left leg, and her right leg may never fully recover. 'Just being able to run with my kids, that's my best hope. Being able to have the stability I had before this. But it's hard to have that type of hope,' Foster said. Neither UTMC nor Dr. Sohn has commented, citing the pending litigation, according to WTOL. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Flamingo felons' arrested after statue stolen for second time
Two men were arrested after a flamingo statue was stolen in Parma. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The statue, which Parma City Councilman Kevin Kussmaul said was purchased in honor of a little girl with autism, was ripped away Saturday, CBS-affiliate WOIO reported. The Parma sign's flamingo statue was first stolen in May 2024. Three men who Parma police dubbed the 'flamingo felons' were sentenced to 10 days in jail for that crime. Detectives found surveillance footage that captured a white Ford Escape passing through the intersection early Saturday. TRENDING STORIES: 5-year-old expected to survive after suspected drunk driver runs red light Solicitor doesn't have required permits, resists arrest after reports of suspicious behavior Conner Smith hits, kills 77-year-old woman walking in crosswalk, police say Two men were seen getting out and loading the flamingo into the car, police said. The registered owner told detectives their 20-year-old son, who lives in their home, had access to the car, police said. The son cooperated with detectives, who then recovered the flamingo. Police identified the son as 20-year-old Colin Donald Deka. The other suspect was identified by police as 21-year-old Jack Christopher Klamert. Both Valley View men were arrested and charged with fifth-degree felony theft, police stated. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Abilene TV station damaged, knocked off air by storm
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A severe storm late Sunday damaged a TV station north of Abilene, Texas, according to the station's social media account. Pictures posted by KTXS show damage to a section of the station's roof and walls. Another picture shows a steel tower lying on the ground. KXAN sister station KTAB posted a gallery showing the storm's aftermath, including photos of KTXS. The station said that none of its employees were injured during the storm. Time codes on the social media posts suggest that the station was hit after 11 p.m. Sunday. KTXS Meteorologist Mark Rowlett said in a social media post that the damage was caused by strong winds. The damage knocked the station off-air, he said. KTXS is a Sinclair-owned station and ABC affiliate that covers the Abilene area. Nexstar-owned NBC-affiliate KRBC and CBS-affiliate KTAB, as well as Tegna-owned Fox-affiliated KXVA also serve the Abilene area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
