Hurricanes

84-Degree Ocean Waters Will Turn Sam Into A Major Hurricane On Saturday

4:40pm September 24, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The storm is forecast to intensify rapidly as it passes over warm water far out in the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center says. It's too soon to predict where or when Sam might affect land.

A woman surveys damage Monday from Hurricane Ida in a neighborhood in Kenner, La. The storm was fueled by abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico.

Science

How Climate Change Is Fueling Hurricanes Like Ida

5:23pm August 30, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Ida rapidly gained strength right before it hit Louisiana this weekend. Abnormally hot water in the Gulf of Mexico acted as fuel for the storm.

A truck in high water from Hurricane Ida near Highway 61 in Destrehan, Louisiana, on August 30, 2021.

Tips For Staying Safe And Informed On The Ground In Louisiana After Ida

1:09pm August 30, 2021

by Nell Clark

Residents and crews are beginning to survey the damage after Ida pummeled Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane. Experts say safety precautions are crucial in the aftermath.

Hilton Kelley's home in Port Arthur was damaged by Hurricane Harvey. The local environmental and health activist says many Black people in the city were denied FEMA assistance to repair their homes, which he attributes to systemic racism in how the agency

Science

Why FEMA Aid Is Unavailable To Many Who Need It The Most

5:01am June 29, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

The people who need help the most after disasters are least able to get it from the federal government. Internal records show that FEMA knows it has a problem.

Hurricane Irma damaged homes in the Florida Keys in 2017. A new study finds buildings in the contiguous U.S. are concentrated in disaster-prone areas.

Science

More Than Half Of U.S. Buildings Are In Places Prone To Disaster, Study Finds

7:00am June 24, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

Buildings are concentrated in places that are likely to be hit by a disaster such as a hurricane, flood or wildfire, researchers found. That includes both urban and rural hotspots.

Subtropical Storm Ana is moving west and is predicted to change toward the north, then move northeast.

Science

Subtropical Storm Ana Is First Named Storm Of Atlantic Hurricane Season

2:55pm May 22, 2021

by Dustin Jones

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above-average hurricane season for 2021, forecasting 13 to 20 named storms.

A woman from the Mayan community of Tecoh wades through the water in a flood caused by Tropical Storm Cristobal in the town of Tecoh, near Merida in Yucatan State, Mexico, in June 2020.

Expect An Above Average Atlantic Hurricane Season This Year

5:02pm May 20, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

The forecast calls for 3 to 5 major hurricanes. The agency also said it's revising upwards what counts as the "normal" number of storms in a season.

A satellite image from September 2017 shows Hurricane Irma, left, and Hurricane Jose, right, in the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA says the average annual number of tropical storms in the Atlantic has slightly increased.

Science

Expect More Tropical Storms, NOAA Warns

3:24pm April 09, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

NOAA is updating its definition of what a "normal" Atlantic hurricane season looks like, based on the last 30 years. The average number of hurricanes in the new normal has risen from 6 to 7.

A pedestrian uses an umbrella to get some relief from the sun as they walk past a sign displaying the temperature on June 20, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. As 2020 comes to a close so does the hottest recorded decade.

2020 May Be The Hottest Year On Record. Here's The Damage It Did

10:30am December 18, 2020

2020 and 2016 are virtually tied for the hottest year on record. That means more powerful hurricanes, more intense wildfires, less ice and longer heat waves.

Two hurricanes destroyed bridges, roads, schools, health clinics and homes. Here is the aftermath in Protección in Honduras' Santa Barbara department on Dec. 11.

Health & Safety

Even Disaster Veterans Are Stunned By What's Happening In Honduras

7:02pm December 14, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

Back-to-back hurricanes have taken an unprecedented toll on the Central American nation and its neighbors.