Tropical Storm Archives

2 killed in Cuba as Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto threaten Bahamas and Bermuda

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in the Bahamas have closed a majority of schools following mandatory evacuations for some islands in the archipelago as Tropical Storm Imelda drops heavy rain and unleashes flooding in the northern Caribbean, with two people killed in Cuba. A tropical storm warning was in effect Monday for parts of the extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Great Abaco, Grand Bahama Island and the surrounding keys Heavy rains also were forecast along the coastline of North and South Carolina. Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto churned in open waters nearby, which forecasters said would cause Imelda to abruptly turn to the east-northeast, away from the southeastern United States coast.… Continue Reading

Tropical Storm Imelda forms near Bahamas and is expected to become a hurricane in coming days

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Imelda has formed near the Bahamas and is forecast to become a hurricane curving away from the southeast U.S. seacoast early this week. Imelda was churning up rough seas, wind and rain on Sunday around the Bahamas and nearby islands, just over 350 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto remains a dangerous Category 4 storm farther out in the Atlantic on a forecast track that could threaten Bermuda. In the Southeast U.S., South Carolina’s governor urged residents Sunday to remain alert, while North Carolina declared a state of emergency for any impacts from Imelda even though forecasters say the storm should spin away from the East Coast in coming days.… Continue Reading

Tropical weather in the Atlantic is slamming the Caribbean and may strike Southeast US next

MIAMI (AP) — Crews have been preparing for a weather system forecast to hit South Carolina as a hurricane early next week. South Carolina’s governor urged residents to stay alert. North Carolina’s governor declared a state of emergency for Tropical Depression Nine. Forecasters said it could become Tropical Storm Imelda. Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto strengthened to a Category 5 storm on Saturday, threatening the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda with dangerous surf and rip currents. The Bahamas and Cuba faced heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Florida officials are also monitoring the system closely.… Continue Reading

Summer celebrations meet closed beaches and warnings on US East Coast due to Hurricane Erin

RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — From Florida to New England, people trying to enjoy some of the last hurrahs of summer along the East Coast have been met with rip-current warnings, closed beaches and in some cases already treacherous waves as Hurricane Erin inches closer. Forecasters expect the center of the monster storm to remain far offshore. But the outer edges are likely to bring high winds, large swells and life-threatening rip currents. The biggest swells along the East Coast could come as early as Wednesday. Authorities are prohibiting people from swimming in beaches in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey and Delaware.… Continue Reading

Flooding from Chantal’s remnants forces dozens to flee homes in North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Officials in North Carolina say heavy rain and flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal forced dozens of people to flee their homes. The Chapel Hill Fire Department and neighboring agencies completed more than 50 water rescues, many of them in areas where floodwaters entered or threatened to enter apartments. Chapel Hill officials said Monday that more than 60 people were displaced Sunday and Monday. In Orange County, the possibility of the failure of the Lake Michael Dam prompted officials to issue a voluntary evacuation for areas downstream. In Chatham County, Sheriff Mike Roberson warned residents that water may have subsided in some areas, but it was still dangerous to travel. He says officials were searching for some missing persons.… Continue Reading

In Asheville, high school seniors make key life choices under the stress of Helene recovery

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — High school seniors in Asheville are grappling with several important life decisions as they still recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on their region. Schools across North Carolina’s Buncombe County have been canceled for over a month, but are now set to resume within the next week. Some seniors have tried to make the most of their time off by hanging out with friends or volunteering. But many say they feel the stress of college applications weighing on them. Some seniors are also disappointed that they’ve missed a month of their last year of high school.… Continue Reading

Russia amplified hurricane disinformation to drive Americans apart, researchers find

WASHINGTON (AP) — New research shows Russia has worked to amplify false and misleading claims about the U.S. government’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate Americans before the Nov. 5 election. The research comes from the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Researchers found that posts linked to Russian state media and online accounts spread English-language content that was designed to reduce American confidence in the federal response to the storms. It’s an approach consistent with past Russian disinformation campaigns.… Continue Reading

North Carolina government calculates Hurricane Helene damages, needs at least $53B

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina officials say the catastrophic flooding and destruction from Hurricane Helene likely caused at least $53 billion in damages and recovery needs in the state. Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration generated the preliminary figure in a report released Wednesday that also includes Cooper’s request to the General Assembly for $3.9 billion. The request was disclosed the day before the legislature planned to meet for a one-day session to advance additional Helene recovery legislation. Cooper says the previous record for storm damage in North Carolina was $17 billion after Hurricane Florence in 2018.… Continue Reading

North Carolina early voters, still recovering from Helene, exceed 2020 voter turnout

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The number of people casting ballots on the first day of early in-person voting in presidential battleground North Carolina exceeded the first-day total four years ago — even as Hurricane Helene recovery continued in the mountains. The State Board of Elections said Friday that a record 353,166 people cast ballots statewide on Thursday. That’s about 4,600 votes more than the number cast on the first day of early voting in October 2020. Election officials say the numbers are preliminary and are expected to rise even further. Nearly all early voting sites in the counties hardest hit by the storm were able to open Thursday. Early voting continues through Nov. 2.… Continue Reading

Man accused of making threat says he believed social media reports of FEMA refusing to help

LAKE LURE, N.C. (AP) — A man accused of making a threat that sparked a temporary shift in some western North Carolina disaster recovery operations said he believed social media reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was refusing to help people. William Parsons told WGHP-TV that he realized that wasn’t the case when he arrived in Lake Lure. A sheriff’s office says it received a call about an armed man who commented about possibly harming FEMA employees. Officials say Parsons was identified as a suspect and charged with a misdemeanor.… Continue Reading