Tag: hurricane
Man and daughter flying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica identified as victims of crash
Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena died in Florida crash as they were flying supplies to Jamaica The founder of a church ministry and his 22-year-old daughter have been identified as the victims of a deadly plane crash in Florida on Monday as they were flying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica. Alexander Wurm, 53,…
Jamaica PM says hurricane Melissa caused damage equivalent to nearly one-third of GDP
At least 75 people were confirmed dead across the Caribbean, including 43 in Haiti and 32 in Jamaica Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness has said last week’s Hurricane Melissa, the strongest-ever storm to hit the country’s shores, caused damage to homes and key infrastructure equivalent to roughly 28% to 32% of last year’s gross domestic…
Why Hurricane Melissa Was One of the Most Powerful Atlantic Storms in History
Hurricane Melissa Was One of the Strongest Atlantic Storms Ever. Here’s Why Hurricane Melissa’s rare intensity and lasting impact reveal how storms are evolving in a warming world. By Rachel Feltman, Andrea Thompson, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Today we’re mainly going…
Weather tracker: Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of destruction across Caribbean
Category 5 storm is most powerful to strike Jamaica and has caused death and destruction in Cuba and Haiti Hurricane Melissa has wreaked havoc across parts of the Caribbean in recent days, after first making landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday night as a category 5 storm – the highest strength. This was the most powerful…
‘How do you rebuild all this?’ Black River residents assess damage after Hurricane Melissa
People of Jamaican coastal town described as storm’s ground zero are traumatised and desperate for help It is a treacherous journey to Black River, a coastal town in Jamaica’s southwestern parish of St Elizabeth, which this week bore the brunt of Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Uprooted trees and lamp-posts,…
Hurricane Melissa heads to Bermuda as relief efforts intensify in Jamaica
Kingston airport reopens to flights carrying aid, with some Jamaican towns underwater and power lines down as storm’s overall death toll climbs to 44 Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, was spared the worst damage and the main international airport has reopened to allow flights carrying critical aid to land. Officials said some towns were underwater and power…
Seismometers Picked Up Hurricane Melissa’s Historic Power Like an Earthquake
Hurricane Melissa Was So Strong That It Shook the Earth Hundreds of Miles Away Seismometers picked up the ferocious winds and waves of Hurricane Melissa, showing how the tools can be used to better understand storms today and those from the past By Robin George Andrews edited by Andrea Thompson Seismograms from October 25 (left)…
Does Hurricane Melissa Show It’s Time for a Category 6 Designation?
Is It Time to Classify Hurricanes as Category 6? Hurricane Melissa’s powerful winds and drenching rains devastated Jamaica. But is its wrath a sign that we need a new designation for monster storms? By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson Hurricane Melissa became one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean on…
Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba after turning Jamaica into ‘disaster area’
Most intense tropical cyclone to hit Jamaica in nearly two centuries leaves trail of devastation in its wake Hurricane Melissa – live updates Hurricane Melissa has torn through the Caribbean, slamming into Cuba while leaving parts of neighbouring Jamaica broken and reeling from ferocious winds and extreme rainfall. The effects of the colossal hurricane were…
The Science of How Hurricane Melissa Became So Extreme
How Hurricane Melissa Became One of the Most Intense Atlantic Storms on Record A nearly perfect alignment of factors has enabled Hurricane Melissa to become one of the most intense Atlantic storms ever recorded By Andrea Thompson edited by Clara Moskowitz On October 28 Hurricane Melissa became one of the strongest hurricanes ever known in…
Why Hurricane Melissa is so dangerous
A very powerful hurricane is creeping towards Jamaica and is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean island in modern history. Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm, is approaching the island’s southern coast with maximum sustained winds of 295km/h (185mph) – the strongest on Earth so far this year. Those speeds…
Why Hurricane Melissa’s intensity and slow-moving speed are a recipe for disaster
Juliana Kim A powerful hurricane is barreling toward Jamaica with anticipation that it will be the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean island in modern history. Hurricane Melissa began rapidly intensifying over the weekend. It is expected to make landfall early Tuesday morning in Jamaica, threatening to trigger severe flooding and catastrophic landslides, according to…
Weather tracker: Jamaica braces for its most powerful hurricane as Melissa reaches category 5
Record-breaking hurricane expected to make landfall on Tuesday with 160mph winds, while New Zealand reels from storm damage Hurricane Melissa – follow latest updates live The Caribbean is bracing for Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful to ever strike the region. Melissa began as a cluster of thunderstorms off the coast of west Africa,…
Melissa expected to rapidly intensify into major hurricane in the Caribbean
Kristin Wright Hurricane Melissa is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane on Sunday. According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the hurricane is likely to bring life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides to parts of Jamaica and southern Hispaniola, which is made up of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The category…
Hurricane Melissa Could Drop Two Feet of Rain on Jamaica
Near-Hurricane Melissa Will Drop Mind-Boggling Rain on Jamaica Melissa is currently a slow-moving tropical storm that is expected to rapidly intensify to a major hurricane—a brutal combination will drench Jamaica and other Caribbean islands By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson Tropical Storm Melissa swirling slowly over the Caribbean Sea on October 23, 2025. Join…
How Hurricane Humberto Is Pulling Tropical Storm Imelda Away from the U.S.
How Hurricane Humberto Is Pulling Tropical Storm Imelda Away from the U.S. In a version of the Fujiwhara effect, Hurricane Humberto is pulling Tropical Storm Imelda eastward and away from the U.S. By Andrea Thompson edited by Jeanna Bryner NOAA/NESDIS/STAR The U.S. Southeast will likely avoid the worst effects from Tropical Storm Imelda—all thanks to…
‘It’s incredibly exciting’: ancient canoe unearthed after Hurricane Ian stormed through Florida
The latest find is likely from the 16th century and could have originated as far away as the Caribbean Florida already claims to be the world capital of golf, shark bites and lightning strikes. Now a remarkable discovery following a devastating hurricane has enhanced its position as a global leader in another distinctive field: ancient…
Hurricane Humberto and Potential Tropical Storm Imelda Complicate Forecasts
Tropical Tangle as Hurricane Humberto and Brewing Storm Stir Uncertainty Hurricane Humberto and a system that may become Tropical Storm Imelda in the coming days are swirling quite close to each other in the western Atlantic Ocean By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson The uncertain hurricane forecast hinges on a storm system that is…
Atlantic Hurricane Season Has Gone Quiet. Here’s Why
At the Peak of Hurricane Season, the Atlantic Is Quiet. Here’s Why Hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin is historically at its peak on September 10—but not this year By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson In May, as Atlantic that above-average tropical activity, combined with cuts to the federal government’s weather agency, could result…
What to Know about Hurricane Season and Forecast Accuracy
How to Read Hurricane Maps and Avoid Common Mistakes Hurricane forecast maps are more complex than they appear. Understanding them could change how you prepare for the next storm. By Rachel Feltman, Andrea Thompson, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. While scientists have gotten much better…
The Science behind Hurricane Katrina: What Researchers Knew before the 2005 Disaster
The Storm That Drowned a City—And the Science That Saw It Coming Two decades after Katrina, we revisit the storm and discuss the evolution of hurricane preparedness since then. By Mark Fischetti, Andrea Thompson, Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Twenty years…
20 Years after Hurricane Katrina, Major Forecasting Advances Could Erode
20 Years after Katrina, Major Hurricane Forecasting Advances Could Erode Hurricane forecasts have made huge leaps since Katrina hit 20 years ago, but that progress is threatened by Trump administration cuts to research By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser In this satellite image from NOAA, a close up of the center of Hurricane Katrina’s…
20 Years After Hurricane Katrina, How Safe Is New Orleans From Another Catastrophic Flood?
Opinion Is New Orleans Safer Now Than When Hurricane Katrina Hit 20 Years Ago? Scientists and engineers have been implementing steps to better protect New Orleans, but recent government actions are undermining the work, raising alarm By Mark Fischetti Water surrounds homes in the devastated Ninth Ward in this aerial view of damage from Hurricane…
Tropical Storm, Typhoon, and More—Your Guide to Hurricane Season Jargon
Hurricane Science Has a Lot of Jargon—Here’s What It All Means Everything you need to know about hurricanes explained By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson Eye of Hurricane Ian as the storm headed towards South Carolina. When hurricane season is in full swing, the news can be difficult to parse. What’s the difference between…
ID lost to Hurricane Katrina is returned 20 years later
By Melanie Peeples Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina decimated the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, few surprises continue to surface, but Becky Copeland has found one. She is a Wildlife Biologist and Park Ranger for the Gulf Islands National Seashore, a group of barrier islands off the coast of Mississippi and Florida, that are mostly…
How to Understand Hurricane Forecasts and the Cone of Uncertainty
How to Decode a Hurricane Forecast Hurricane forecasts feature a “cone of uncertainty,” but what is it actually showing? Scientific American breaks it down for you By Andrea Thompson If you’ve ever taken even a cursory glance at a hurricane forecast, you’ve seen some version of the “cone of uncertainty.” It sounds like some other-dimensional…
It was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history: Have we forgotten Katrina’s lessons?
By Greg Allen , Marisa Peñaloza NEW ORLEANS — On a quiet street in the Gentilly neighborhood, a small brick house stands as a testament to one of the worst disasters in U.S. history. It’s one of thousands of homes that flooded twenty years ago in Hurricane Katrina. It’s been preserved by Levees.org, a group…
Swimmers are warned to avoid East Coast beaches as Hurricane Erin moves north
By Joe Hernandez Federal forecasters are warning people to avoid beaches along the East Coast as Hurricane Erin moves north and slams much of the shoreline with dangerous waves and other severe weather. Though the massive storm was roughly 365 miles from Cape Hatteras, N.C., as of 11 a.m. ET, the effects of Erin will…
Hurricane Forecasters Keep Access to Threatened Defense Department Satellite Data
Hurricane Forecasters Keep Crucial Satellite Data Online after Threatened Cuts By Andrea Thompson edited by Jeanna Bryner Infrared satellite imagery of Hurricane Otis compared with microwave imagery of the storm in October 2023. In the later view, the center of the storm is more visible and indicates the hurricane was strengthening. Microwave satellite imagery helped…
Weather Forecasters Lose Crucial Hurricane Detection Microwave Satellite Data
Hurricane Forecasters Lose Crucial Satellite Data, with Serious Implications Microwave satellite data are key to capturing major changes in a hurricane’s strength, such as when a storm undergoes rapid intensification. But a main source of those data is being abruptly shut off By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser Satellite image of Hurricane Otis over…
Hurricane Hunter Flights Improve Hurricane Forecasts, But Trump Budget Cuts Could Threaten Them
Daring Hurricane Hunter Flights Make Forecasts More Accurate. But They Could Face Cuts NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter airplane missions significantly increase the accuracy of hurricane forecasts, but President Trump’s proposed budget cuts jeopardize the data-gathering efforts and other forecasting tools By Chelsea Harvey & E&E News Stickers of previous hurricane missions adorn the side as a…
FEMA Overhaul Will Come after Hurricane Season, Trump Says
Trump Says FEMA Overhaul Will Come after Hurricane Season States will continue to get FEMA federal disaster aid this year but may see less assistance after changes made in 2026 By Thomas Frank & E&E News Remnants of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge are seen along the Broad River in a landscape scarred by Hurricane…
Hurricane season has started. Here’s what to know
Shannon Bond June 1 marks the start of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters are warning this year could once again bring an above-average number of storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting 13 to 19 named storms between June 1 and Nov. 30, compared with an average of 14 storms per…
With a Busy 2025 Hurricane Season Forecast, Staffing Cuts and Warm Oceans Worry Experts
Why This Hurricane Season Has Experts on Edge By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser Category 4 Hurricane Florence as seen from the International Space Station in 2018. June 1 marks the official start of the hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean—and once again, the season looks like it will be busy. Though it is…
Hurricane Season Is Soon—NOAA Says It’s Ready, but Weather Experts Are Worried
NOAA Says It’s Ready for Hurricane Season, but Weather Experts Are Worried As hurricane season approaches, thousands of weather and disaster experts have raised concerns about NOAA and NWS budget cuts and staffing shortages By Chelsea Harvey & E&E News The remnants of Hurricane Helene begin to dissipate over the United States in this NOAA…
Derecho Wind Storm Damaged Houston Tall Buildings More Than Hurricane Beryl
A Derecho Damaged Skyscrapers More Than A Hurricane Did A powerful derecho last year caused more damage to Houston’s tallest buildings than Hurricane Beryl. Scientists wanted to know why By Chelsea Harvey & E&E News Shattered and boarded up windows are seen on the side of the Wells Fargo Plaza building in Houston, Texas, on…