Latest news with #hurricane
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What is hurricane insurance, and what does it cover?
Insurance helps you avoid financial catastrophe if a hurricane strikes your home. But you may be surprised to learn there's no such thing as a hurricane insurance policy. Hurricane insurance usually refers to a combination of home, flood, and windstorm coverages that each come into play depending on the type of hurricane damage. If you live somewhere with frequent hurricanes, having home insurance isn't enough. A standard home insurance policy doesn't cover flooding, a common cause of hurricane losses due to storm surge. Your policy may also exclude wind damage, depending on where you live. Hurricane insurance doesn't technically exist, at least as a standalone policy. Usually, hurricane insurance refers to a patchwork of coverages, primarily homeowners insurance, flood insurance, and windstorm insurance (if wind damage is excluded by your policy) that kick in if a storm damages your home or personal property. Most home insurance covers damage from rain and wind, but for protection from flood damage, you usually need separate flood insurance. If you live somewhere vulnerable to hurricanes, you may also need additional coverage for windstorm damage. Hurricane insurance usually refers to policies that protect your home and the belongings inside. But you may need other types of insurance to safeguard your finances against a hurricane. For example, auto insurance only covers damage from a hurricane or tropical storm if you have comprehensive coverage. Hurricane travel insurance is a common benefit in trip cancellation and trip interruption policies, but coverage will only apply if you buy a policy before a storm is named. Learn more: Does car insurance cover flood damage? You can often get quotes for hurricane insurance online, by phone, or through an agent. Once you find coverage that meets your needs, you'll need to review and sign the contract. Below, you'll find specifics on how to shop for each type of hurricane coverage. To get homeowners insurance quotes, you'll need to answer some questions like: Who lives in your household? Have you had previous home insurance claims? How old is your home? What type of roof do you have, and how old is it? How much would it cost to replace your home? What upgrades have you made to the home? A good rule of thumb is to get several quotes to ensure your rate is competitive. Make sure you understand what your homeowners insurance covers, as well as your premiums, deductibles, policy limits, and whether your property is insured at the actual cash value (ACV) or the replacement cost value (RCV). Learn more: Actual cash value vs. replacement cost: Understanding the difference in home insurance Expert tip: In some circumstances, you may want to purchase add-ons called endorsements for additional coverage. For example, hurricanes can cause issues with sewage systems, but most homeowner policies exclude damage from sewer and sump pump backups. Some homeowners add a water backup endorsement or a standalone policy for extra protection. Coverage typically lasts a year. Your carrier is usually required to send you a renewal notice 30 to 60 days in advance. Flooding isn't covered by most home or renters insurance, so you'll need to buy a separate policy or add coverage through a rider or an endorsement. It's possible to buy flood insurance through the private marketplace. However, most policies are issued by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a federal program managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). NFIP policies are sold and administered by a network of dozens of insurers and thousands of independent insurance agents. Unlike most types of insurance, it doesn't pay to shop around for NFIP coverage. That's because all insurers and agents use the same formula to calculate premiums. Rates are based on the same three factors that are specific to your home: Where it's built How it's built Estimated cost of replacing it You may be able to lower your flood premium by making various storm upgrades, which we'll discuss in more detail shortly. You can get a flood insurance quote using the NFIP's quoting tool, and then share the quote with an insurance agent or carrier to buy a policy. Learn more: How much does flood insurance cost in every state? NFIP policies last for one year, though there's a 30-day grace period after the policy expires. Coverage will still kick in if you file a claim during this window as long as you renew your policy and pay your full premium before the grace period ends. If you want a private flood insurance quote, you can contact insurers directly or work with an agent. Private flood insurance can be cheaper and offer higher coverage limits, but a private insurer can refuse to renew your policy or raise your rate substantially if it determines your property is at high risk of flooding. Also, forgoing an NFIP policy could mean you lose out on stable rates and cost-saving subsidies. Learn more: How FEMA flood insurance works If you live in a coastal area frequently threatened by hurricanes or a Midwestern region where tornadoes are common, you might need separate windstorm coverage. Otherwise, your homeowners insurance policy likely protects you against damage from high winds. If wind damage isn't covered under your homeowners policy, you may need a windstorm endorsement or a standalone windstorm policy. You can get quotes from several companies, including your home insurance provider, to ensure you get the best rate. However, in some especially high-risk areas, you may need to buy coverage through a Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan, a state insurance pool for those who can't get coverage through a private carrier. A home insurance deductible is the out-of-pocket cost you pay before coverage kicks in. In the following 19 states plus the District of Columbia, separate and distinct deductibles apply to damage from a named storm: Alabama Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Texas Virginia Washington, D.C. In some other states, home insurance companies are allowed to charge separate hurricane deductibles. Insurers can also charge separate windstorm or wind/hail deductibles. Named storm deductibles are frequently assessed as a percentage of the home's value, often ranging from 1% to 10%, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Suppose you have a 6% named storm deductible and your home is valued at $400,000. You'd be on the hook for $24,000 if a hurricane damaged your home before insurance would kick in. You'll also need to pay a deductible if you file a flood insurance claim. NFIP deductibles are usually between $1,000 and $10,000. Your annual premiums for various types of hurricane coverage depend on a host of factors, but here are some typical costs from various sources: Median cost of homeowners insurance for an HO-5 policy with $300,000 to $324,999 worth of dwelling coverage: $1,243, according to NAIC 2022 data Typical cost of home insurance in states with separate hurricane or windstorm deductibles, according to The Zebra: $349 to $2,000+ Median cost of flood insurance through NFIP: $786 Learn more: How much is homeowners insurance? A guide to lowering costs. You could get significant insurance discounts by making your home more hurricane-resistant. Here are some common ways to save money: Find out if your city or county participates in FEMA's Community Ratings System and nudge them to join, as participation could make you eligible for insurance discounts. Get an elevation certificate to show your home's elevation relative to the estimated height that floodwater could reach in a disaster. Elevate your home above the base flood level. You could earn discounts for each additional foot of elevation. Elevating a home just one foot above the base flood elevation could land you a 30% discount on NFIP coverage. Elevate your utilities, like your air conditioner or water heater, so they'll be less likely to be damaged by storm waters. Install storm shutters and impact-resistant windows to protect your home from storm debris and other wind-related damage. Fill in basements by backfilling them, as the NFIP won't allow or cover most basements. Upgrade your roof covering. Some types of roof covering, like asphalt or fiberglass shingles, concrete or clay tiles, or metal panels, could save you money on windstorm coverage. Add flood openings or vents in ground-floor crawlspaces on two or more exterior walls. Expert tip: Review insurance discounts specific to your home through NFIP's flood insurance mitigation discount tool. Nine of the 10 most costly natural disasters that occurred through the end of 2024 were hurricanes. Below, you'll find the most expensive hurricanes in U.S. history, according to the NAIC and the NOAA. Your home is often your most valuable asset, so maintaining adequate insurance is essential. Follow these tips to make sure your hurricane coverage offers sufficient protection: There's usually a 30-day waiting period before NFIP policies take effect. Most private carriers also put a moratorium on writing new policies in regions threatened by a natural disaster 24 to 48 hours before the expected weather event, so don't wait until a hurricane is on its way to get flood insurance. Remember, a standard home policy doesn't cover flood damage, and you'll need separate wind coverage in some high-risk areas. Review your insurance documents and talk to an insurance agent if you need additional coverage. Most renters insurance policies also exclude flood damage, so you'll need a separate flood policy to cover your personal belongings. Selecting higher deductibles is usually a good way to lower your insurance premium costs. For example, buying an NFIP policy with the maximum $10,000 deductible could lower your premium by up to 40%. But coverage doesn't kick in until you've paid your deductible out of pocket, so consider opting for lower deductibles and higher premiums if you can't afford to pay your deductible with savings. A standard home policy insures your home's structure at its replacement cost value (RCV), or the amount it would cost to rebuild your home. If you're concerned that the cost of rebuilding would exceed your policy limits, look into increasing your potential payout through extended replacement cost coverage or guaranteed replacement cost coverage. Your personal property is protected under a standard home or renter's policy, so make sure you document all your belongings. Taking photos and videos can be helpful. Most policies default to actual cash value (ACV) coverage for personal property, which reimburses you based on its market value, minus depreciation. However, you can usually get RCV coverage for an additional cost. Note that flooding damage to your belongings generally isn't covered by homeowner or renters insurance – you need separate flood insurance for that. Most homeowner and renters policies provide additional living expenses (ALE) coverage (also called loss-of-use coverage), which pays for costs like temporary housing and meals if you have to relocate after your home is damaged or destroyed. Many policies limit ALE reimbursement to a specific amount of time, but you can often buy extra coverage. Keep in mind, though, that loss-of-use coverage kicks in only if the type of damage is covered by the policy. That means you won't get help from your home or renters insurance carrier if you have to relocate due to flood damage. Unfortunately, NFIP policies don't provide ALE coverage, so you'd likely have to pay out of pocket if hurricane flooding forced you to temporarily move. However, some private insurers include loss-of-use coverage in flood policies. Any damage that occurs to the house or building you rent is covered by your landlord's insurance, while renters insurance covers your personal property, like clothing and electronics. Renters insurance will often cover hurricane damage to your belongings if it's caused by something like storm winds, hail or lightning. However, you'll need a separate policy to cover your belongings from hurricane-related flood damage. Your car insurance will only kick in for hurricane damage if you have comprehensive coverage. This type of insurance isn't mandated by law, but most lenders require you to carry it while you have an auto loan. Yes, you can get flood insurance during hurricane season, which runs from May 1 through Nov. 30. However, most NFIP policies have a 30-day waiting period before they take effect. Private insurers often issue a moratorium on writing new policies in an area while it's under threat of severe weather.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- Science
- CBS News
Some sections of New Orleans' flood walls sinking at rate of nearly 2 inches per year, study finds
New Orleans — As the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins next week, a new study published Friday by researchers at Tulane University reveals hotspots in New Orleans' concrete flood walls which had been strengthened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The study found that the city's concrete flood walls are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, reducing capacity to block storm surges in some neighborhoods. "There is certainly a potential in the future, if these rates continue, to degrade our level of protection of the flood protection system," Tulane professor Mead Allison, a co-author on the study, told CBS News. This summer marks 20 years since Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast, leaving more than 1,300 people dead and displacing more than a million people across the region. Following the destructive storm, $15 billion was spent to reinforce a levy system designed to keep water out. New Orleans, much of which lies below sea level, relies on this elaborate system of levees, pumps and drainage canals. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, used satellite radar data to track shifts in ground elevation across the Greater New Orleans area between 2002 and 2020. It found that while most of the city remains stable, some neighborhoods, wetlands, and even sections of the region's post-Katrina flood protection system are sinking by more than an inch per year — with some areas experiencing up to 47 millimeters, or nearly 2 inches, of elevation loss annually. "In a city like New Orleans, where much of the land is already near sea level, even minor drops in elevation can increase flood risk," said Simone Fiaschi — lead author of the study and a former researcher with Tulane's Department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering, now employed at TRE-Altamira — in a statement. "These results are a wake-up call," Allison said. "We need ongoing monitoring and maintenance to ensure that our flood defenses don't lose their level of protection beneath us." If trends continue, and infrastructure is left unchecked, the study found wetlands east of the city could transform marshes into open water within the next 10 years if trends continue — effectively eliminating critical storm surge buffers to the Louisiana coast. The study also identified some potential causes of the sinking hotspots. It found pockets of land are sinking around industrial sites, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and newer residential developments — areas where soil compression and groundwater withdrawal are likely contributors. Researchers said the findings also underscore a few potential solutions to better protect New Orleans and other coastal communities across the globe, including frequent upgrades to the flood protection system and satellite monitoring. Some residents living in the Michoud neighborhood on the city's east side — one of the areas identified in the study as sinking more rapidly than others — are concerned that maintenance won't be prioritized. Michoud resident Synthia Viltus pointed out that potholes and other smaller infrastructure issues in her neighborhood have remained unresolved for months. "I have zero faith in state federal leaders to keep the levies updated," Viltus said. The study did find a positive — some areas where industrial activities had been halted had actually caused the land to lift back up. The study's authors also hope their work will help guide other coastal cities who may be facing similar challenges to New Orleans. "This research shows that land movement isn't uniform, and understanding these patterns is crucial for protecting lives and property in a city where inches truly matter," Fiaschi said in the statement. "However, it's crucial to remember that our results still require careful ground-truthing. This is especially true for critical areas like the floodwalls, where on-site verification was not possible during this project." When reached by CBS News, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the levies are designed to last for at least another 25 years. USACE added it is already in the process of upgrading the levies so they can last another 50 years.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Deep cuts to hurricane data could leave forecasters in the dark
Forecasters are set to lose some of their sharpest eyes in the sky just a few months before Atlantic hurricane season peaks when the Department of Defense halts a key source of satellite data over cybersecurity concerns. The data comes from microwave sensors attached to three aging polar-orbiting satellites operated for both military and civilian purposes. Data from the sensors is critical to hurricane forecasters because it allows them to peer through layers of clouds and into the center of a storm, where rain and thunderstorms develop, even at night. The sensors don't rely on visible light. Losing the data — at a time when the National Weather Service is releasing fewer weather balloons and the agency is short on meteorologists because of budget cuts — will make it more likely that forecasters miss key developments in a hurricane, several hurricane experts said. Those changes help meteorologists determine what level of threat a storm may pose and therefore how emergency managers ought to prepare. Microwave data offers some of the earliest indications that sustained winds are strengthening inside a storm. 'It's really the instrument that allows us to look under the hood. It's definitely a significant loss. There's no doubt at all hurricane forecasts will be degraded because of this,' said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher and senior research associate at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. 'They're able to detect when an eye wall forms in a tropical storm and if it's intensifying — or rapidly intensifying.' Researchers think rapid intensification is becoming more likely in tropical storms as the oceans warm as a result of human-caused climate change. The three satellites are operated for both military and civilian purposes through the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, a joint effort of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Defense. While hurricane experts said they were concerned about losing the tool, Kim Doster, NOAA's communications director, downplayed the decision's effect on hurricane forecasting by the National Weather Service. In an email, Doster said the military's microwave data 'is a single dataset in a robust suite of hurricane forecasting and modeling tools in the NWS portfolio.' Doster said these models include data from geostationary satellites — a different system that constantly observes Earth from about 22,300 miles away and offers a vantage point that appears fixed because the satellites synchronize with Earth's rotation. They also ingest measurements from Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions, buoys, weather balloons, land-based radar and from other polar-orbiting satellites, including NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System, which she said provides 'the richest, most accurate satellite weather observations available.' A U.S. Space Force official said the satellites and their instruments in question remain functional and that the data will be sent directly to weather satellite readout terminals across the DOD. The Navy's Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center made the decision to stop processing that data and sharing it publicly, the official said. The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, a division of the Navy notified researchers that it would cease to process and share the data on or before June 30, and some researchers received an email from the Navy's Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, saying that its data storage and sharing program relied on a processing station that was using an 'end-of-life' operating system with vulnerabilities. 'The operating system cannot be upgraded, poses a cybersecurity concern, and introduces risk to DoD networks,' the email, which was reviewed by NBC News, said. The move will cut the amount of microwave data available to forecasters in half, McNoldy estimated. This microwave data is also used by snow and ice scientists to track the extent of polar sea ice, which helps scientists understand long-term climate trends. Sea ice forms from frozen ocean water. It grows in coverage during winter months and typically melts during warmer times of the year. Sea ice reflects sunlight back into space, which cools the planet. That makes it an important metric to track over time. The extent of summer Arctic sea ice is trending lower because of global warming. Walt Meier, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, said his program learned of the Navy's decision earlier this week. Meier said the satellites and sensors are about 16 years old. Researchers have been preparing for them to eventually fail, but they weren't expecting the military to pull the plug on data with little warning, he said. Meier said the National Snow and Ice Data Center has relied on the military satellites for data on sea ice coverage since 1987, but will adapt its systems to use similar microwave data from a Japanese satellite, called AMSR-2, instead. 'It certainly could be a few weeks before we get that data into our system,' Meier said. 'I don't think it's going to undermine our sea ice climate data record in terms of confidence in it, but it's going to be more challenging.' The polar-orbiting satellites that are part of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program provide intermittent coverage of hurricane-prone areas. The satellites typically zip around the globe in a north-south orientation every 90-100 minutes in a relatively low orbit, Meier said. The microwave sensors scan across a narrow swath of the earth, which Meier estimated at roughly 1,500 miles. As the Earth rotates, these polar-orbiting satellites can capture imagery that helps researchers determine the structure and potential intensity of a storm, if it happens to be in their path. 'It's often just by luck, you'll get a really nice pass over a hurricane,' McNoldy said, adding that the change will reduce the geographic area covered by microwave scans and the frequency of scans of a particular storm. Andy Hazelton, a hurricane modeler and associate scientist with the University of Miami Cooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Studies, said the microwave data is used in some hurricane models and also by forecasters who can access near real-time visualizations of the data. Hazelton said forecasters are always looking for visual signatures in microwave data that often provide the first evidence a storm is rapidly intensifying and building strength. The National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as a 35-mph or higher increase in sustained winds inside a tropical storm within 24 hours. Losing the microwave data is particularly important now because in recent years, scientists have observed an increase in rapid intensification, a trend likely fueled in part by climate change as ocean waters warm. A 2023 study published the journal Scientific Reports found that tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean were about 29% more likely to undergo rapid intensification from 2001 to 2020, compared to 1971 to 1990. Last year, Hurricane Milton strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 36 hours. Some of that increase took place overnight, when other satellite instruments offer less information. The trend is particularly dangerous when a storm, like Hurricane Idalia, intensifies just before striking the coast. 'We've certainly seen in recent years many cases of rapid intensification ahead of landfall. That's the kind of thing you really don't want to miss,' McNoldy said, adding that microwave data is 'excellent at giving the important extra 12 hours of lead time to see the inner core changes happening.' Brian LaMarre, the former meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service's weather forecasting station in Tampa Bay, said the data is also useful for predicting flood impacts as a hurricane comes ashore. 'That scan can help predict where the heavier precipitation and rainfall rates can be,' LaMarre said. 'This data is critically important to public safety.' Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. It typically starts to peak in late summer and early fall. NOAA forecasters have predicted a more busy 2025 hurricane season than typical, with six to 10 hurricanes. This article was originally published on
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
60m Americans at risk as major safety system is cut ahead of hurricane season
Millions of Americans now face greater danger this hurricane season after the Pentagon abruptly shut down a key program that delivers crucial storm data. As of June 30, the federal government will no longer process or share data from three weather satellites that predict hurricanes 10 to 12 hours before forming. Experts are concerned that the loss of satellite data could impact every storm approaching the US East Coast and Gulf Coast regions, where more than 60 million Americans live and rely on accurate, timely hurricane forecasts. The loss could lead to delayed storm warnings, less accurate hurricane models, and reduced evacuation time for people. James Franklin, retired National Hurricane Center branch chief, told NewsNation: 'There are going to be cases this year when certain warnings are delayed because of this. 'It might mean that evacuations get delayed because of this, and you could lose lives because of this.' In May, officials released a forecast for 2025, predicting a 70 percent chance of an above-average hurricane season, with 13 to 19 named storms. Of those, six to 10 could become hurricanes, including three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher. Last year, around 400 people died during the hurricane season, the deadliest since 2005, according to the National Hurricane Center. Meteorologists at AccuWeather expect as many as six major storms could make direct landfall in the US this summer. That would be the same number of storms that caused the damage of $500 million last year, when Hurricanes Helene and Milton were the most destructive. The satellites provided microwave data that allowed scientists to see inside storms and monitor wind and rain patterns, even through clouds and darkness. Without it, forecasters could miss six to ten hours of early warning. Experts say without the satellite data, forecasters may not detect signs that a storm is rapidly strengthening until it's too late, a risk meteorologists call a 'sunrise surprise.' These storms appear mild at night but suddenly become stronger and more dangerous by morning. 'This is a major setback,' said Marc Alessi, a hurricane expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists. 'We will no longer be able to say, OK, this storm is definitely undergoing rapid intensification, we need to update our forecasts to reflect that.' The data stream was officially terminated on June 27, typically before the beginning of peak hurricane activity in July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A NOAA spokesperson said the agency is using other satellites and tools to continue forecasting storms, calling it a 'routine process of data rotation and replacement.' But former officials say the move was unusually abrupt and poorly communicated. 'I've never seen anything like this,' said Rick Spinrad, a former NOAA administrator. 'It's shocking.' The shutdown raises deeper concerns about the Pentagon's commitment to weather forecasting and climate science. The White House has proposed a nearly 40 percent cut to NOAA's 2026 budget, cutting more than $2 million in funding. The Trump administration's second term has also moved to reduce staff and eliminate contracts related to disaster preparedness and climate research. In 2024, NOAA produced some of its accurate forecasts ever for hurricanes Milton and Helene, predicting rapid intensification and landfall with almost perfect precision. Scientists say the level of accuracy depended on having fully funded satellites and data systems that have now been dismantled. 'This is alarmingly bad news,' said University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy.
CBC
8 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
U.S. government cuts key hurricane forecasting data from satellites
Social Sharing Weather experts are warning that hurricane forecasts will be severely hampered by the upcoming cutoff of key data from U.S. Department of Defence satellites, the latest Trump administration move with potential consequences for the quality of forecasting. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it would discontinue the "ingest, processing and distribution" of data collected by three weather satellites that the agency jointly runs with the Defense Department. The data is used by scientists, researchers and forecasters, including at the National Hurricane Center. It wasn't immediately clear why the government planned to cut off the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's microwave data by Monday. The Defence Department referred questions to the Air Force, which referred them to the Navy, which did not immediately provide comment. In a statement, NOAA spokesperson Kim Doster called it a "routine process of data rotation and replacement," and said the remaining data sources "are fully capable of providing a complete set of cutting-edge data and models that ensure the gold-standard weather forecasting the American people deserve." Data helps identify rapid intensification Traditional visible or infrared satellites provide data that becomes images showing the structure, intensity and temperature of a storm, according to NOAA information, along with features such as lightning. But those miss the three-dimensional details of a storm. The microwave data gives critical information that can't be gleaned from the conventional satellites, and helps peer under a regular image of a hurricane or a tropical cyclone to see what's going on inside. It is especially helpful at night. The news is especially noteworthy during the ongoing hurricane season and as lesser storms have become more frequent, deadly and costly as climate change is worsened by the burning of fossil fuels. WATCH | CBC meteorologist looks at what's in store for this year's hurricane season: CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler breaks down this year's National Hurricane Centre forecast 1 month ago Duration 1:46 Microwave imagery allows researchers and forecasters to see the centre of the storm. Experts say that can help in detecting the rapid intensification of storms and in more accurately plotting the likely path of dangerous weather. "If a hurricane, let's say, is approaching the Gulf Coast, it's a day away from making landfall, it's nighttime," said Marc Alessi, a science fellow with the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We will no longer be able to say, 'OK, this storm is definitely undergoing rapid intensification, we need to update our forecasts to reflect that.' " Other microwave data will be available but only roughly half as much, hurricane specialist Michael Lowry said in a blog post. He said that greatly increases the odds that forecasters will miss rapid intensification, underestimate intensity or misplace the storm. That "will severely impede and degrade hurricane forecasts for this season and beyond, affecting tens of millions of Americans who live along its hurricane-prone shorelines," he said. Ending satellite access 'is insanity,' researcher says University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy called the loss of data "alarmingly bad news" in a post on Bluesky. "Microwave data are already relatively sparse, so any loss — even gradual as satellites or instruments fail — is a big deal; but to abruptly end three active functioning satellites is insanity." NOAA and its National Weather Service office have been the target of cuts and changes in U.S. President Donald Trump's second term. Already, hurricane forecasts were anticipated to be less accurate this year because weather balloons launches have been curtailed due to lack of staffing. "What happened this week is another attempt by the Trump administration to sabotage our weather and climate infrastructure," Alessi said. Canadian impact of NOAA cuts When the NOAA cuts were first announced earlier this year, Eddie Sheerr was among a growing number of Canadian scientists sounding the alarm about sweeping NOAA cuts made by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, then run by billionaire Elon Musk. Sheerr, a meteorologist with NTV in St. John's, said he uses NOAA's data and modelling "literally every day." "They have some of the best hurricane forecasters and meteorologists in the world. I rely on that data and their expertise heavily when tracking these tropical systems, as do meteorologists throughout the country," he said in a recent interview. "They provide life-saving information. Period." Sheerr said he was using NOAA data when he decided to phone Port aux Basques Mayor Brian Button the night before Fiona slammed into the community on Newfoundland's southwestern tip in September 2022. He said he figured people would tell the mayor they'd seen plenty of bad storms. "And I said, 'Brian, you haven't seen this before. And that's what you need to tell the residents.' " Sheerr urged Button to evacuate homes closest to the water, and Button took his advice. Fiona destroyed about 100 houses in the area and swept a woman out to sea. Data from NOAA makes Canadian forecasts and weather warnings more accurate, Sheerr said, adding that he worries the cuts will reduce the accuracy of forecasts and ultimately make it harder to predict the impacts of dangerous storms.
