NOAA previously predicted 'above-normal hurricane activity' this year: '17 to 25 named storms'



The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a government agency, previously predicted in May that this year, the country would experience "above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin."

The agency's National Weather Service forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center reported earlier this year that the 2024 hurricane season, stretching from June 1 through November 30, had an 85% chance of an above-normal season, only a 10% chance of near-normal, and just a 5% chance of below-normal.

'Extremely dangerous, life-threatening storm.'

NOAA estimated that this year's hurricane season would likely see "17 to 25 named storms" with wind gusts of 39 mph or more. Of those storms, it predicted that eight to 13 of them would become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher. It also forecasted that there would be four to seven "major hurricanes" that would reach Category 3, 4, or 5, with winds of 111 mph or more.

"Forecasters have a 70% confidence in these ranges," NOAA reported.

The agency claimed that several factors contributed to the above-normal season, including warm temperatures and fewer trade winds and less wind shear in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as La Nina conditions in the Pacific.

FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks commented on the NOAA report at the time, stating, "Severe weather and emergencies can happen at any moment, which is why individuals and communities need to be prepared today."

"Already, we are seeing storms move across the country that can bring additional hazards like tornadoes, flooding, and hail," Hooks continued. "Taking a proactive approach to our increasingly challenging climate landscape today can make a difference in how people can recover tomorrow."

Despite the federal government and, more specifically, FEMA having knowledge of the above-normal prediction at least since May, the Biden-Harris administration seemed ill-prepared to handle the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Many reports from those on the ground who volunteered to help stranded individuals in need claimed that FEMA's response was slow at best.

In the wake of Helene, Florida residents are once again bracing themselves for the oncoming Hurricane Milton that is set to barrel through the peninsula this week. The storm is expected to reach landfall as a Category 3. Over 1 million Floridians are under evacuation orders.

The United States Department of Labor posted on X Tuesday afternoon, "[Milton] is an extremely dangerous, life-threatening storm. LEAVE NOW if you are in an evacuation zone; there will not be time to leave on Wednesday."

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Hurricane Ian death toll rises to 100 as rescue and cleanup efforts continue



The death toll for Hurricane Ian rose to 100 Monday as rescue efforts continue in the aftermath of the storm.

Florida officials have reported 96 deaths, and four more people were reported dead in North Carolina, NBC News reports. Most of the Florida deaths were in Lee County, where tragically, 54 people were confirmed dead after Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm at Fort Myers and Sanibel Island last Wednesday.

Lee County officials have faced criticism for acting too slowly ahead of the hurricane's landfall. An evacuation order for the Fort Myers area was not put into effect until last Tuesday, but Florida's chief emergency administrator pushed back against critics who say delayed evacuations caused deaths.

“I believe Lee County and their administration …. made the best decision they felt was right for their community at that time," Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie told reporters on Monday. "And I will never second-guess a local emergency manager on their decision.”

Though other Florida counties had issued evacuation orders before Lee County, Guthrie and other officials have defended the emergency response, arguing evacuations were ordered based on where the storm was projected to make landfall at the time.

“Emergency management directors do not have a crystal ball,” Guthrie said. “They made the best decision on the information they had at the time.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has likewise said local officials were making decisions based on what was known about the storm at the time.

"The were following the data," DeSantis said at a press conference on Saturday.

“And you remember, people were looking initially at the Panhandle on Sunday, then Monday came and people were thinking maybe north of Tampa Bay. When we went to bed Monday night, people were saying this is a direct hit on Tampa Bay, worst-case scenario for the state,” he continued. “As that track started to shift south, and the computer models, the next morning they called for the evacuation, they opened their shelters, and they responded very quickly to the data.”

By Monday evening, DeSantis was calling on reporters to focus on the rescue effort rather than potential mistakes that were made before Ian devastated Florida's southwest coast. Hundreds of thousands of state residents remain without power, and that's if their homes are still standing at all.

There are still 417,896 homes and businesses without power as of Tuesday, according to PowerOutage.us. Officials expect power to be fully restored by Sunday where "infrastructure is still standing."

An update from DeSantis' press office said the governor and first lady Casey DeSantis are traveling to areas impacted by the hurricane and meeting with survivors.

"There are currently 42,000 linemen responding to the more than 428,000 reported power outages. They have already restored power to more than 2.2 million accounts across the state. There are currently 11 fueling depot stations open statewide, and a mobile fuel truck has been deployed to Arcadia to support residents without access to fuel," the release said.

First Lady Casey DeSantis announced the Florida Disaster Relief Fund has raised more than $26 million to support recovery efforts.

Many roads and bridges remain out of service due to flooding, the director of the Florida Highway Patrol told reporters Monday.

"If you don’t need to be on the roadways, don’t be on the roadways," director Col. Gene Spaulding advised residents.

"We still have several roadways that are under water. Keep in mind that just because the water recedes don't necessarily mean the roadway is safe to travel on. There is high likelihood of washouts under the asphalt, under the roadways. So please don't try to drive around barricades," he added.

You Thought You’d Never See $5 Gasoline But Our New Record Has Surpassed That

Gasoline prices eclipsed $5 for a gallon of regular unleaded over the weekend in a new nationwide average as Americans cope with inflation.