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HURRICANE SEASON

Talking Hurricane Prep and Response with Feeding NEFL | River City Live

Feeding Northeast Florida maintains a goal of helping those in food insecure areas get necessities to feed their families in times of need.  Hurricane season is upon us, and Feeding Northeast Florida wants to inform the public of things they can do to prepare for their families.  Rance hosted a conversation with Eli Darkatsh, Director of Compliance and Capability to learn about online resources people can use before or after a hurricane.  They also chat about the importance of volunteers and how their contributions go a long way to expediting food sifting and packing for those in need.

One more time: Tropical Depression 29 forms in Caribbean

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The National Hurricane Center has been watching an unorganized cluster of thunderstorms in the Caribbean for the past few days. According to the NHC, recent visible and microwave satellite images suggest that the system almost certainly now has a well-defined center and it was upgraded to Tropical Depression 29. The system is in the Central Caribbean, about 315 miles southeast of Kingston Jamaica, and moving west at 15 mph with sustained wind speeds of 35 mph. The storm is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Eta by Sunday and then a Category 1 hurricane by Monday before making landfall near Honduras and Nicaragua as a hurricane. Although the path does not show the system moving into the Gulf, The Weather Authority will watch it closely in the coming days.

Zeta temporarily weakens into a Tropical Storm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At 5 p.m. the center of Tropical Storm Zeta was crossing the Louisiana coast. The center of Hurricane Zeta was located near latitude 29.2 North, longitude 90.6 West. Weakening will occur while Zeta moves over the southeastern United States on Thursday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles. This year’s season has so many storms that the hurricane center had to turn to the Greek alphabet after running out of official names for only the second time in history.

Tropical Storm Iota forms, could follow Eta’s deadly path

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tropical Storm Iota formed Friday afternoon in the Caribbean and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches Central America. Iota is the 30th named storm of this year’s record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season. The spaghetti models for this system vary widely in what direction the storm will head. What the forecast models do generally agree on is that this system will be on the weaker side. The forecast models should come to a better agreement now that the system has actually formed and as it starts moving forward.

The tropics fire up with peak hurricane season right around the corner

Tropical Wave #1The first is right over northeast Florida, which is why we’ve had a cloudy and damp weekend. * Formation chance through 5 days...high...70 percent.”Tropical Wave #2The second disturbance is a tropical wave moving into the eastern Caribbean. NHC Update:“A westward-moving tropical wave is located over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. * Formation chance through 5 days...low...10 percent.”Tropical Wave #4Back in the eastern Atlantic right of the coast of Africa is another tropical wave. NHC Update:“A new tropical wave is expected to emerge off the coast of Africa in a couple of days.

NHC monitoring tropical wave in Mid Atlantic

The Weather Authority is keeping a close eye on a tropical wave located a few hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The cluster of thunderstorms has a 40% chance of development in the next 2 days and 50% chance over the next 5 days. The NHC says the system has a decent chance to develop into an tropical depression by mid week. “Tropical Weather Outlook NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 200 PM EDT Sun Aug 9 2020 For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:1. Showers and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave located a few hundred miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands continue to show signs of organization.

1st 2020 hurricane: Hanna makes landfall on Padre Island, Texas

Hurricane Hanna, the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season, strengthened Saturday evening before making landfall at 6 p.m. EDT on Padre Island, pummeling the southeast Texas coast with 90 mph winds. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, the National Hurricane Center reported the system was moving west-southwest at 8 mph and a west-southwest motion is expected to continue through Sunday. The center of Hanna will now move inland over south Texas tonight and move into northeastern Mexico on Sunday. Hurricane Hanna Estimated Rain Totals (wjxt)INTERACTIVE: Track the TropicsA hurricane warning was in effect for Port Mansfield, Texas, to Port Aransas, Texas. Hanna broke the record as the earliest eighth Atlantic named storm, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Two areas of interest in the Tropics

A small disorganized cluster of thunderstorms has developed in the Gulf with little to no chance of development through the weekend. A weak trough of low pressure has moved inland along the central and upper Texas coasts. Weakening of this system is expected, isolated heavy rainfall could still occur over portions of southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana during the next day or two. This system is expected to move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by late today, the central Gulf on Wednesday, and the northwestern Gulf on Thursday and Friday. None of these areas of interest pose a threat to our local forecast zones.

It’s time to pull out those generators and test them while hurricane season tracks on

The tropics may be quiet now but hurricane season is just getting started. While you build a kit that fits for your home you may want to think about investing in a generator in case power is lost for an extended period of time. Here are a few steps to take to test the generator before the storm:Make a list of items you wish to plug into the generator and make sure you have the correct wattagePerform regular oil changesNever bring your generator into your home, keep it far away from windows and vents. Store it in a dry, level, well-ventilated areaPlug in necessities firstAlways allow your generator to cool before refuelingMake sure your hands and feet are dry before touching the generatorUnplug items that are using the generator one by one when finishedStore remaining fuel in a well-ventilated dry area in an approved storage containerIf you don’t have a generator, you can stock up on flashlights, batteries, lanterns, solar-powered lights and other items to give you light when the skies go dark.

How to best prepare for hurricanes: Quiz on do’s, don’ts that can save your life, possessions

Hurricane season is upon us, and make no mistake: There’s not much that can be done when a hurricane strikes, considering how powerful they can be. But preparing for a hurricane is a different story. Readiness is in our control, so the damage can be minimized as much as possible. To help prepare for the start of hurricane season, take this quiz, below. Even if you don’t nail a good score, the knowledge gained will help you pass with flying colors and lessen the damage, should the real thing strike.

Heres the next area to watch for development in the Tropics

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A non-tropical area of low pressure has formed over the central Atlantic Ocean a few hundred miles east of Bermuda. Development of this system as a subtropical cyclone appears unlikely due to unfavorable environmental conditions, and the low is expected to dissipate in a few days. The formation chance through 48 hours is low at 10 percent. The formation chance through 5 days is equally low at 10 percent. The NHC forecast discussion for the Atlantic describes the unfavorable conditions in the area currently,

How prepared are you for a massive power outage? Take this quiz and find out

Hurricane season is upon us. And really, as is the case with any major storm, winds and heavy rainfall have the power to create some pretty massive power outages. Are you, or would you, consider yourself stocked up at home, in the event of an emergency? Take the quiz below to find out. All of the checklist items are listed on ready.gov as what you’ll need in your basic disaster supplies kit, as well as some additional emergency supplies that the website recommended.

Why you should add hand sanitizer, face masks, gloves to your hurricane supplies

Now it is recommended that your hurricane supply kit include two face masks per person, gloves, and hand sanitizer. The primary concern is for those that plan to go to a hurricane shelter during a storm. Hurricane shelters will change to comply with those guidelines whether they relax further or become more conservative. If you plan to remain in your home during a hurricane, the face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer would be less of an imperative need, until you needed to go leave your home. If you live in an area that depends on electricity for running water, such as the use of a private well, hand sanitizer would be imperative because of the inability to properly wash your hands.

Warm sea surface temperatures make above-average hurricane season likely

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hurricane season is fast approaching and it is likely to be an active -- maybe even an extremely active -- season. Historically, warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the eastern Atlantic correlate with more active Atlantic #hurricane season. "Since tropical systems feed off of warm sea surface temperatures, this could certainly lead to a more active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season," Ward says. The ECMWF seasonal hurricane forecast is derived from a count of vortices spun up by the model during the hurricane season, says Klotzbach. List of 2020 Hurricane Season Names (wjxt)There is also a chance there is an active season and nothing could make it to land.

Dorian’s threat dominated hurricane season in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For Florida, the 2019 hurricane season will be remembered for a gigantic, nerve-racking scare over the Labor Day weekend. But Florida avoided a strike in September from Hurricane Dorian after the mega-storm devastated parts of the Bahamas. And with the Sunshine State still recovering from Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Hurricane Irma in 2017, this year’s season was more psychologically challenging than physically taxing for Floridians. By comparison, Hurricane Michael caused an estimated $7.4 billion in insured losses when it slammed into Northwest Florida in 2018. Otherwise, the six-month 2019 hurricane season had the smallest impact on Florida in four years.

Tropical trouble this weekend?

A large area of late season tropical moisture is floating westward across the Yucatan Peninsula and about to enter the Bay of Campeche. This Bay has very warm water and will help to organize any low pressure that could develop. Forecast models indicate the earliest an area of low pressure could develop will be on Friday and do so as a sub-tropical system (not purely tropical). The highest wind would most likely be just near tropical storm strength. Possible sub-tropical (or tropical) storm will develop and move towards Mobile Bay (give take about 100 miles of the coast).