Norwegian cruise passenger blown into water by strong winds that caused a ship to detach from pier
The passenger was trying to disembark the Norwegian Epic in Catania, Sicily, on May 30, when a strong gust of wind knocked the ship away from the pier, causing the passenger to topple into the water.
'On duty crew members were able to immediately assist the guest from the water and see that they were evaluated by the medical team,' a spokesperson for the cruise line told USA Today.
'It was determined that they sustained minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for further examination and treatment,' the spokesperson added.
At the time, wind gusts were up to 45 mph, according to AccuWeather.
After the poor passenger's fall, the ship stopped allowing passengers to disembark until the weather improved and they could resume docking.
'During this interruption, our crew were actively attending to our guests until they were able to re-embark the ship,' the spokesperson added. 'As always the safety of our guests and crew is our top priority.'
The ship is currently on a 10-day excursion that started in Rome with stops in Italy, Greece, Malta and France, CruiseMapper.
The incident is hardly the first time wind has caused issues on cruise ships. In February 2024, Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Magic ship struck a pier in Jamaica during high winds.
In November 2024, a Royal Caribbean ship suffered severe damage inside after bad weather rocked the vessel as it traveled from Barcelona to Miami. The 'unexpected wind gust' caused the ship to jerk, sending glass bottles smashing and furniture toppling.
One passenger was injured in that incident.
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Yahoo
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She thought it was just another energy drink. It took half her bodyweight and sent her to rehab.
Kim Maloney says she needed a pick-me-up. She had been struggling with energy in the morning. When someone she trusted recommended a Feel Free tonic that contained kratom, she bought it from a local CBD store in 2021. The little blue bottle, she says, looked similar to a 5-Hour Energy. She thought it was harmless. But for her it wasn't, the 49-year-old Ohio mother of two says. "Nobody knew at that time what it was," Maloney says. "You figure 'all-plant-based,' 'all-natural.' I didn't know too much about kratom. I did not know it was that addictive." Maloney says she soon fell into a debilitating kratom addiction, one that eventually had her drinking upward of 10 kratom drinks a day. Her addiction, she says, took nearly everything from her. Her car. Her house. Her 27-year marriage. Nearly half her body weight. At one point, she says, she weighed 70 pounds. Maloney believes her addiction would have taken her life too, had she not gone to rehab in 2024. "My eyes were rolling in the back of my head. I couldn't walk straight. I didn't leave my couch for months. I had pancreatitis. I had shingles. I was sick. I mean, I was really sick. So my daughter, who lives in LA, said: 'You know what, Mom? I'm done. If you can't get off this stuff, I'm done,' " Maloney says. "My blood pressure was like 58 over 49. I was dying." USA TODAY spoke with more than 20 people who say they became severely addicted to kratom − a plant ingredient found in products sold at gas stations, liquor stores and smoke shops across the country by various companies. Many of the people we spoke with had no history of substance abuse before ingesting kratom. Some were health and fitness enthusiasts who thought kratom was just like any other wellness supplement. Others thought it was a healthy alternative to alcohol. A few mistook it for a run-of-the-mill caffeine drink, like coffee or tea. But kratom has addictive potential, medical experts say − and getting hooked on it often carries devastating consequences. A woman in California says she maxed out at least two credit cards to fuel her addiction − and now she doesn't know what the future holds for herself or her 9-year-old son. A father says his addiction drove him $50,000 into debt and tanked his credit score into the 500s. Crushing withdrawals, he says, have made it extraordinarily difficult to quit; still, he's trying to rebuild a life for himself and his child. Despite their dangers, kratom products remain legal in most states, including California. Many have colorful packaging and are sold in stores that offer up bubble gum and potato chips. But with action by the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the tide on kratom may finally be turning. "How is (kratom) portrayed in the world? It's organic. It's healthy. It's health and wellness. It's like chia. It's like oatmeal. It's like stuff you put in Starbucks, almond milk or whatnot," says Dr. Timothy Fong, a UCLA addiction psychiatrist who says he has seen a spike in calls from people seeking treatment for kratom addiction in recent years. "It comes from a little bit of that world − not from the illicit drug, underground, cartel world that's seen as much more seedy." The FDA is cracking down on 7-OH, a byproduct of kratom. Is it enough? At a news conference July 29, the FDA announced its intention to crack down on products containing 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a compound naturally occurring in the kratom plant. FDA commissioner Martin Makary spoke alongside Kennedy while announcing their plan to initiate the process to have 7-OH scheduled as an illicit substance. That will happen if the Drug Enforcement Administration approves the FDA's sanction after review. More: Products with opioid-like effects sold at gas stations may be banned as illicit substances Makary also made clear during that same news conference that the organization's focus is on 7-OH, not kratom overall. Medical experts tell USA TODAY that all kratom products carry risk for addiction, not just ones marketed with 7-OH, though those products are often stronger. Some of the people USA TODAY spoke with say their addiction was just to products with kratom, and they never tried ones with synthetic 7-OH. For others, using products with kratom became a gateway to using products with synthetic 7-OH. Many products on the market contain kratom, and they come in many forms. Some are capsules, others are powders, others are drinks. One product recently went viral. On July 25, a TikToker posted a video in which he described how a teenage boy tried stealing his wallet outside a gas station after he refused to go inside to buy the boy a Feel Free tonic. A representative for Botanic Tonics, the company behind Feel Free, told USA TODAY its Feel Free Classic tonic contains only natural leaf kratom, with nearly undetectable levels of 7-OH. Earlier this year, Botanic Tonics settled an $8.75 million class-action lawsuit filed in March 2023 that accused the company of falsely marketing its kratom tonic as a healthy alternative to alcohol. In January 2024, the company announced it would add a warning to the label for its Feel Free Classic tonic saying the product can become "habit forming and harmful to your health if consumed irresponsibly," and, in May 2024, it announced the addition of a 21-and-over restriction to its products. The Botanic Tonics representative told USA TODAY the company takes its 21-and-over restriction very seriously and has reached out to this TikToker for further details. Company CEO Cameron Korehbandi has also released a statement applauding the FDA for going after 7-OH. "We've been advocating for exactly this type of regulatory approach − one that protects consumers from synthetic derivatives while preserving access to traditional botanical ingredients with centuries of safe use," Korehbandi said. Many people who descended into kratom addiction say gas station products sucked them in. The "Quitting Kratom" subreddit has 52,000 members and several posts a day from people documenting their journeys trying to quit kratom and 7-OH. Dr. Lief Fenno, chair of the American Psychiatric Association Council on Addiction Psychiatry, believes kratom has escaped scrutiny because it does not bind to receptors in the brain the same way that drugs like heroin and morphine do. But that doesn't mean kratom can't have similar effects. "The shapes of these molecules from kratom are very different than the shapes of things like morphine or fentanyl," Fenno says. "And so, the argument can be made that they're not opioids, because they don't have a specific shape like opioids. And that's despite the fact that they work in a very similar way." Some kratom addicts know this firsthand. Jason, a man in Florida who has struggled with addictions to both kratom and heroin, says the effects of the substances − as well as their withdrawals − felt very similar. After seven years of sobriety from opioids, he says, he fell into kratom addiction after trying it with friends at a kava bar, a bar that serves drinks with the plant kava. He asked that his last name be withheld out of fear that sharing his addiction struggles could damage his career. At first, he says, he used kratom like an energy drink. Before long, however, it had a grip on him similar to heroin's. "It's a strange, insidious drug that imperceptibly steals your soul," Jason says. "The downsides aren't evident until libido nosedives, hair begins to fall out of your head ... and you are dosing three times a day only to experience the briefest of highs before returning to a sludge-like stupor." Fong says companies putting large amounts of kratom into otherwise innocuous-looking products has changed the game and made kratom more susceptible to abuse. "At its core, this is a plant that's been around thousands of years," Fong says. "It has been used in Southeast Asia, chewing on the leaf as a stimulant, as a way of pain relief. And now, through vast modern technology, we've created the ability to have what I call fast-food kratom, if you will. Different formulations. Capsules. Powders. Teas. Gummies. Smokable versions. All sorts of different things." Though kratom isn't as well known as other substances, addiction to it affects more people than many may realize. After watching a friend become addicted to 7-OH, Tom Filippone started Klear Recovery, a business that helps people addicted to kratom and 7-OH detox with physician-led treatment. Since its launch this year, Filippone says, he has been overwhelmed with inquiries, at least four or five every hour. "These are not drug people that I talk to for the vast majority of them," he says. "They're 55-year-old women who live in Texas and are involved in their church who bought it at the gas station." 'Gas station heroin' nearly killed her. How tianeptine became a 'dark secret' for many. And when these people try to quit kratom, Filippone says, often they're unprepared for just how intense the withdrawals can be. "Some of these people's doses get so high," he says. "If you cold-turkeyed it, you are looking at seven days of hell." 'I felt like I was going almost psychotic' Emily Beutler says she became addicted to kratom in 2022 after trying a tea with it at a kava bar in Arizona. Somebody had recommended it as a healthy way to relieve anxiety. It wasn't long before Beutler found herself returning to her local kava bar in Idaho for kratom every day. Soon, the kava bar's drink wasn't enough; she started buying kratom powder from the gas station so she could ingest greater amounts at home. Eventually, she was taking multiple spoonfuls a day, unable to sleep through the night without it. Then Beutler came across a podcast where people shared their harrowing stories of kratom addiction. She quit that day. "The next three to five days was probably the worst I've ever physically felt," she says. "I was sweating through my bedsheets that night. I was taking multiple baths a night, because my restless legs were so bad. I felt like I was going almost psychotic." The pain of withdrawal has kept many people trapped in the cycle of addiction. One man in Colorado says he got addicted to kratom after mistaking it for an alternative to coffee. The man, who requested his name be withheld out fear that sharing his story could harm his business, said the withdrawals were terrible. He couldn't afford to go to rehab, so he took time off work to go through it at home. "It was really rough," he says. "I had restless legs and felt like I had the flu, and I was freezing cold for 10 days or so and zero energy. I felt like I was 80 years old." Lucy, a mother in rural California who asked her last name be withheld to protect her child's privacy, has been on and off kratom for about four years. Her longest stretch without it has been eight months. She can't even drive on the same street as shops that sell kratom − the pull of addiction is that strong. "I don't think everyone is afflicted with the disease of addiction," she says. "Obviously, there are people who can pick up substances and put them down and be fine. But I don't think kratom is a miracle drug by any means. It's hippie heroin. That's all it is." 'I'm going to get my life back' On the other side of withdrawal, however, is hope. Since going to rehab, Maloney hasn't had kratom in the past year. She has started rebuilding her life, slowly but surely. She bought her first car. She hits the gym and has recovered her body weight − now 145 pounds. She also has healed her relationship with her daughters, whom she lets give her random drug tests − whatever it takes to earn their trust back. As she speaks on the phone with us on a July afternoon, she's looking forward to picking up one of her daughters on the way to the gym. Maloney is still struggling with the financial fallout of her addiction, but she believes that, one day, that will be fixed too. "I'm in debt, but you know what? I'm coming back," she says. "There's no doubt in my mind I'm going to get my life back better than ever. I might be living in an apartment basement with my four dogs, but you know what? I've got my life. I've got my kids. I've got my parents. I've got everybody. I've got more than anybody could hope for." She also sees the FDA's announcement as a silver lining, though she's skeptical kratom will ever disappear entirely. After the FDA's news conference, "I almost started crying," she says. "It will save a lot of lives. I think it will. It'll save a lot of marriages, probably. And a lot of homes. But what are they going to come out with next?" For resources or support with substance use disorder, visit or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357). (This story was updated to include video.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kratom is sold at gas stations. Their addictions nearly killed them
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Tropical Storm Erin to become hurricane. Where it's going, Sarasota, Bradenton impact
Tropical Storm Erin formed in the Atlantic Monday morning, Aug. 11. The National Hurricane Center issued its first advisory on the fifth-named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season at 11 a.m., warning Erin could become a hurricane by Wednesday, Aug. 13 and a major hurricane by Saturday, Aug. 16, as it moves quickly west across the Atlantic. ➤ Track all active storms ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location AccuWeather forecasters are predicting Erin could turn north on a parallel path to Florida as it approaches the Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center is also tracking a new disturbance in the Gulf, which has a low chance for development but could bring heavy rainfall to the Florida Panhandle over the next day or two. Elsewhere in the Atlantic basin, at its 2 p.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center was tracking two other systems. Invest 96L is moving north in the central Atlantic and has a low chance for development. Another disturbance is a non-tropical area of low pressure a few hundred miles south-southeast of Nova Scotia. It also has a low chance for development. Will Sarasota, Bradenton and Manatee County see impacts from Erin? Here's the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center as of 2 p.m., Aug. 11: Tropical Storm Erin develops in eastern Atlantic. Expected to become major hurricane Invest 97L became Tropical Storm Erin Monday morning, with the National Hurricane Center issuing its first advisory on the system at 11 a.m. Aug. 11. Forecasters are predicting Erin will continue to strengthen as it moves quickly across the Atlantic, becoming a hurricane on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and a major hurricane with 115-mph winds by Saturday, Aug. 16. NOAA hurricane tracker: See spaghetti models for Tropical Storm Erin Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts. ➤ Track Tropical Storm Erin National Hurricane Center tracking 4 systems. How likely are they to strengthen? Northeastern Gulf: A weak surface trough in the northeastern Gulf near the Florida Panhandle is associated with a broad area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. While development of this system is not anticipated before it moves inland, locally heavy rainfall could produce flash-flooding along portions of the Florida Panhandle over the next day or so. Formation chance through 48 hours: low, near 0 percent. Formation chance through 7 days: low, near 0 percent. Invest 96L: A weak surface trough of low pressure located over the central Atlantic is interacting with an upper-level trough, producing scattered disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. Significant development of this system appears unlikely over the next few days as the system drifts generally northward, remaining over the central Atlantic. Formation chance through 48 hours: low, 10 percent. Formation chance through seven days: low, 10 percent. Area of low pressure: A non-tropical area of low pressure is currently located a few hundred miles to the south-southeast of Nova Scotia, Canada. While current shower and thunderstorm activity with the system remains limited, this system is drifting over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and some tropical or subtropical development could occur over the next day or two. By the middle of this week, the system isexpected to move northward over cooler waters, ending its chances for further tropical development. Formation chance through 48 hours: low, 10 percent. Formation chance through seven days: low, 10 percent. What is an invest? Short for investigation, the National Hurricane Center uses the term invest for areas of low pressure it is monitoring for potential development into a tropical depression or storm. Invests are not tropical depressions or tropical storms. They're usually clusters of showers and thunderstorms, and just because they've been designated as an invest does not guarantee they'll strengthen into a tropical storm or hurricane. Invests run from 90 to 99, followed by a letter: L for the Atlantic basin and E for those in the eastern Pacific. After 99, it starts over again and the next invest would be 90. Once something has been designated as an invest, specialized data sets and computer models can begin, including scheduling Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions and running spaghetti models. What do the colored, hatched areas on the NOAA map mean? The hatched areas on the National Hurricane Center's tropical outlook map indicate "areas where a tropical cyclone — which could be a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane — could develop," said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome. The colors make it visibly clear how likely a system could develop, with yellow being low, orange medium, and red high. The National Hurricane Center generally doesn't issue tropical advisories until there is a named storm, but there is an exception. "If a system is near land and there is potential for development, the National Hurricane Center won't wait before it issues advisories, even if the system hasn't become an actual storm. This gives residents time to prepare," Rhome said. Are Sarasota, Bradenton, Manatee County likely to be impacted by Tropical Storm Erin? It's too early at this time to determine if there will be any impact to Florida or the U.S. from Tropical Storm Erin. ➤ Excessive rainfall forecast Erin could bring an increase in rough surf and rip currents to the east coast next weekend and into early next week, even if it curves north, staying away from Florida and the U.S., according to AccuWeather. "The tropics remain quiet, and are likely to stay that way for another 10 days or more," said Ryan Truchelut on Aug. 9. "While there is hope the active peak months of hurricane season may not translate into another awful year in human terms, the reality is that U.S. hurricane impacts are likely and to be expected over the next few months." Truchelut is the chief meteorologist with WeatherTiger and works with the USA TODAY Network. Sarasota, Bradenton, Manatee County weather radar for Aug. 11, 2025. See rain associated with system in Gulf A disturbance in the northeast Gulf has a near 0 percent chance of developing before it moves onshore, the National Hurricane Center said "locally heavy rainfall could produce flash-flooding along portions of the Florida Panhandle overthe next day or so." Weather watches and warnings issued in Sarasota, Bradenton, Manatee County When is the Atlantic hurricane season? The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said. The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories. When is the peak of hurricane season? The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center. Hurricane names for 2025 season Here are the names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, along with how to pronounce them. The first hurricane of the season typically forms Aug. 11. Andrea (June 20) Barry (June 29) Chantal (July 5) Dexter: (Aug. 3) Erin: AIR-rin (Aug. 11) Fernand: fair-NAHN (historically forms Aug. 29) Gabrielle: ga-bree-ELL Humberto: oom-BAIR-toh Imelda: ee-MEHL-dah Jerry: JEHR-ee Karen: KAIR-ren Lorenzo: loh-REN-zoh Melissa: meh-LIH-suh Nestor: NES-tor Olga: OAL-guh Pablo: PAHB-lo Rebekah: reh-BEH-kuh Sebastien: se-BAS-tee-en Tanya: TAHN-yuh Van: van Wendy: WEN-dee National Hurricane Center map: See what forecasters watching now Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include: Why does NHC say 'tropical cyclone' on its maps instead of hurricane or tropical storm? Tropical cyclone is the generic term used by the National Weather Service, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center for any tropical system, even if it's in the tropical Atlantic basin. To be more precise, a tropical cyclone is a "rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation," NOAA sadi. Once maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, what it is called is determined by where it originated: : for storms in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific. : for storms in the Northwest Pacific. : for storms in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text What's next? We will update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tropical Storm Erin 2025 spaghetti models. Sarasota, Bradenton impact
USA Today
2 hours ago
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Delta plane strikes aircraft during pushback from Atlanta airport gate
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Delta plane clipped a jet while attempting to take off from an Atlanta airport. According to agency preliminary information, Delta Air Lines Flight 1830 was pushing back from the gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday, Aug. 10, when its right wingtip struck the left winglet of a parked Airbus A350 around 10:40 a.m. local time. There were 192 passengers and six crew members on board the Guatemala-bound aircraft, according to Delta. There were no reported injuries. Plane clipping caused a nearly 4 hour delay The incident caused a delay lasting around three hours and 30 minutes. "We apologize to our customers for the experience and delay in their travels," The airline said to USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The incident occurred in a part of the airport where air traffic controllers do not communicate with flight crews, the FAA said. Following the strike, the aircraft returned to the gate, and passengers deplaned and boarded another aircraft, FlightAware data shows. More travel news: Video captures scary moment Royal Caribbean water slide breaks, injuring guest Another recent incident: Delta plane diverted due to 'significant turbulence' This comes nearly two weeks after a Delta flight carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew members from Salt Lake City on route to Amsterdam was forced to divert to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after suffering "significant turbulence" on July 30. Some passengers were not wearing seatbelts as serving carts were making their way down the aisle, ABC News reported at the time. Passengers hit the ceiling and then fell to the ground, Leann Clement-Nash, one of the passengers on board, told the outlet. "It happened several times, so it was really scary," said Clement-Nash. Contributing: John Bacon and Zach Wichter Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@
