Latest news with #DinahVoylesPulver
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Chances increase for a tropical storm system off the Florida coast
A disorganized low-pressure area off Florida's east coast is showing increasing chances of becoming a tropical depression or tropical storm later in the week, the National Hurricane Center said. Even now, it's already having an influence on Florida weather with isolated torrential rain. As a high-pressure system over the northeastern Gulf drifts slowly westward on July 15, it will provide an opening for the elongated low-pressure area in the Atlantic Ocean to "mosey westward," said the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. Once the disturbance moves off Florida's west coast, and along the northern Gulf coast, it may encounter more favorable conditions and could strengthen into a potential tropical cyclone later in the week, said Jeffrey Lewitski, one of the center's lead forecasters in a discussion on the evening of July 14. The center has upped the chances of the system becoming a tropical depression or storm to 30% by Wednesday and 40% through Sunday. Regardless of its chances of becoming the season's fourth tropical storm, the low-pressure area is forecast to create unsettled weather over Florida as it moves westward to northwestward over the Gulf. "Some areas will receive multiple rounds of rain for the next couple of days which can lead to localized flooding," said the weather service office in the Ruskin/Tampa Bay. On the evening of July 14, a deluge was reported in at least two locations in the Plant City area east of Tampa, the weather service said. A gauge at the Plant City Police Department recorded 10.62 inches, and a gauge four miles east-southeast of the city reported 9.38 inches of rain. Up to another inch of rain was expected and the weather service advised people to monitor weather alerts and not to drive into a flooded roadway, especially at night, when water over a road can be notoriously hard to see and can carry a vehicle away when it's moving quickly. Florida to see rain regardless of storm development The bulk of the rain is forecast to fall across Central Florida, north and west of Lake Okeechobee, the weather service said. The disturbance also will increase winds over the Gulf and increase the chances of rough surf and dangerous rip currents for the latter part of the week and possibly the weekend, the hurricane center said. What would the potential system be named? If a tropical storm develops, it would be the fourth of the 2025 hurricane season, which started June 1, and would be named Dexter. Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about climate change, violent weather and other news. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Texas flood cleanup continues amid gloomy storm forecast
The latest round of flash flooding was receding in central Texas early Monday, but another round of storms forecast for later in the day could bring more hurt to a region slammed by killer flooding. The National Weather Service warned that thunderstorms producing "excessive rainfall and potential flooding" were forecast Monday and Tuesday. A flood watch was in effect for more than a dozen counties. Among them: Kerr County, where more than 100 people were killed when the Guadalupe River roared over their banks on the Fourth of July. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches with isolated amounts of 3 to 5 inches are possible, the weather service said. Cleanup from the flooding, delayed Sunday when a new round of storms swept through the area, is once again underway, officials in Kerr County said. "Broken but unbowed. We remain proud Americans," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a social media post that showed an American flag waving amid the destruction. "Thanks to people across the country for your outpouring of support." Timeline of tragedy: How the floods unfolded In the early days of July, pieces of weather systems were converging to bring devastation to the Texas Hill Country, transforming the Guadalupe River into a monster raging out of its banks in the pre-dawn hours of July 4. At least 129 people have died, and at least 160 are listed as missing. The hours leading up to the disaster, and the actions taken to protect the lives of those in the water's hellish fury, are critical to understanding what happened and whether more could have been done in the name of safety. Through a National Weather Service messaging service with emergency management officials and broadcast meteorologists, U.S. Geological Survey data and other records, USA TODAY has pieced together a timeline of the calamity on the Guadalupe. See the details here. − Dinah Voyles Pulver 'Don't drown': Timeline of the Guadalupe River flooding disaster
USA Today
5 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
These Texas 'flash flood alley' towns have suffered most in horrific flooding
At least 90 people have died and rescue workers are still searching for survivors as heavy rain threatens additional flooding in Texas this week. Twenty-seven children and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp near the Guadalupe River in central Texas, have died in flash floods, said Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha at a news conference. Crews are still searching for people missing from the camp. Six Texas counties have reported flood-related deaths since Friday. Kerr County, 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, has recorded at least 68 deaths. Nearby Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Williamson and Tom Green counties also have reported fatalities. What areas in Texas have flooded? Can't see our graphics? Click here to view them. Floods took place in 'flash flood alley' Local officials said they were caught off guard by the fast-rising floods, giving them little time to act, USA TODAY reported. The rapid increase in river levels happened in what's called flash flood alley, an area in the Texas Hill Country. It's known as a dangerous region for flash floods, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. Flash flood alley is a curved-shaped region about 300 miles long and 50 miles wide in central/south-central Texas, extending from north of Dallas to southwest of San Antonio. Its location, weather patterns and geology often combine to create devastating floods. Those factors include: The Guadalupe River has flooded more than a dozen times since 1978, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but the Independence Day flood is among the worst in its history, USA TODAY reported. CONTRIBUTING Dinah Voyles Pulver, Rick Jervis and Christopher Cann SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; National Weather Service; Lower Colorado River Authority
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Thunderstorms, tornado threats take aim at large portion of U.S.
Thunderstorms, tornado threats take aim at large portion of U.S. Show Caption Hide Caption Severe storm threat for southern US this weekend The weekend forecast includes severe weather for several Southern states. Rounds of potent thunderstorms are expected to wallop the central and eastern U.S. this weekend, unloading hail, high winds, flash floods and possible tornadoes over a vast swath of the country. The multi-day severe weather threat has already led to deadly flooding in Texas and damaging tornadoes in Illinois and Iowa. In the Dallas metro area, one man was pronounced dead this week after he was found trapped in his vehicle by rising floodwaters, according to the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. On June 5, flood watches remained active across parts of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service. Officials in multiple states warned residents not to drive through flooded roads and to stay updated with the latest forecasts. Fueling the severe weather outlook is the clashing of warm air from the Gulf with cool air coming off the Rocky Mountains, according to AccuWeather. The storms' impact is likely to be felt from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast, including Maine and New York. What states will see severe weather through the weekend? On June 5, an area from eastern New Mexico to western Texas and portions of southeastern Colorado is at risk of high, damaging wind gusts and possible tornadoes, forecasters said. According to the National Weather Service, storms brewing in the southern Plains, including parts Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, could drench areas in over 3 inches of rain by the weekend. Beginning on June 6, the storms will stretch to the Northeast, including Upstate New York, Pennsylvania and Maine, forecasters said, warning residents to prepare for heavy rain and powerful wind gusts. The weekend will see some of the strongest storms in Oklahoma, northern Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri, according to AccuWeather. Severe weather could also bring dangerous weather conditions as far east as Georgia, the Carolinas and parts of Virginia. Parts of the central U.S. are still recovering from a major outbreak of tornadoes and powerful storms last month that killed at least 28 people and injured dozens more. 2 construction workers killed by falling crane as high winds lash Florida A giant crane collapsed at a construction site on Florida's Merritt Island on June 4, killing two people in what has been described as "a serious weather-related incident." At the time, a storm moving offshore led to peak wind gusts of 45-55 mph in the area. The National Weather Service office in Melbourne couldn't definitively say if the storms were the direct cause of the wind gusts, said meteorologist Timothy Sedlock. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office is leading an investigation into the death of the workers, who have not been identified. Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY; Tyler Vazquez and Dave Berman, Florida Today
USA Today
22-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
Endangered right whale gal pals Curlew and Koala spotted in Canada
Endangered right whale gal pals Curlew and Koala spotted in Canada Show Caption Hide Caption Two right whales take rogue winter trip across the Gulf coast Two female right whales traveled across the U.S. Gulf coast during the winter which is rare for the endangered whales, according to researchers. A pair of endangered right whales that made several surprise appearances off Florida's west coast this winter have returned to their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic. "After taking a nice little Spring Break trip in the tropics, the pair was seen a few days ago," said Erin Vande Ven, a senior communications manager with Oceana, an ocean conservation advocacy group. The gal pals, named Curlew and Koala, were seen on May 15 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence north of Canada's Prince Edward Island, Canadian officials said during an international right whale team meeting on Wednesday, Vande Ven said. The pair was spotted by an aircraft with the Conservation and Protection Program within Fisheries and Oceans Canada, according to interactive maps published by the U.S. and Canada. On maps, it appears they traveled a distance of roughly 2,700 miles since they were seen off St. Petersburg 34 days earlier, on April 11. That's an average of about 3.3 mph. Curlew and Koala spent almost three months off Florida's west coast, swimming north and south from near St. Petersburg to beaches along the western Panhandle a couple of times. Whale advocates worried the wayward whales might linger too long in the much warmer Gulf of America, formerly called the Gulf of Mexico. However, after Koala and Curlew were seen on April 11, they were next seen four days later off Bimini in the Bahamas. No known sightings were reported until the pair was spotted on May 15. A portion of the endangered right whale population migrates south to the waters of the U.S. Southeastern coast each winter, including pregnant females, juvenile whales and random male and female adult whales from the waters off New England and Nova Scotia. They navigate through busy shipping lanes and fishing grounds. It's uncommon for any of those whales to keep swimming south and around the Florida Keys. Right whales are identified by individual markings on their heads and bodies, with extensive photo catalogues managed by the New England Aquarium. Because they are critically endangered, with only an estimated 372 remaining, they are monitored by both the U.S. and Canadian governments, with a variety of agencies and nonprofits participating in efforts to conduct whale surveys and sighting networks. During the most recent calving season, 11 mother calf pairs were spotted in the waters between Florida and New England, far below the number officials say is needed to sustain the population. Scientists with Oceana and governmental and conservation organizations say the whales also face dangers from entanglement in commercial crabbing and fishing gear and vessel strikes. Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change, wildlife and the environment for USA TODAY. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
