Latest news with #BigBend
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will a Category 5 hurricane make landfall in Florida in 2025? History says that's unlikely
Starting today, June 1 and for the next 182 days (until Nov. 30), Southwest Floridians will paying more attention to the weather forecast, especially with what is happening in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf. It's called Hurricane Season. In recent years, because of the number of hurricanes Southwest Florida has had to deal with and the damage caused by those storms, including historic Hurricane Ian in September 2022, it might feel like we must have been hit by a Category 5 hurricane during this run. You could argue the back-to-back hurricanes we had last year (2024) − Helene and Milton − combined added up to a Cat 5, but that's not how it works. More: Hurricane season is almost here. When should I build my hurricane kit, what should I put in it? Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26, 2024, with winds of 140 mph. Just 13 days later, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. It struck near Siesta Key Oct. 9, 2024. The storm was accompanied by sustained winds of 120 mph. Turn back the clock a couple of years to Sept. 28, 2022 and we had Hurricane Ian, which caused catastrophic to Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island and other coastal locations in Southwest Florida. It sure felt and looked like a Category 5 hit here. But officially, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm. It was initially a Category 5 storm before weakening to a Category 4 just before landfall at Cayo Costa. Ian had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. There were more than 140 deaths attributed to Ian. It is possible, but not probable based on past history. Could it happen? Sure. But since records have been kept, it has never happened here, even though with Ian it was right on the edge of being added to the short list. Since the 1900, three Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in Florida: The 'Labor Day Hurricane' of 1935 The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane is considered the strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall in the U.S., smashing into the Florida Keys on Sept. 2, 1935, with winds of 185 mph. It killed an estimated 409 people. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 On Aug. 24, 1992, Andrew made landfall in South Miami-Dade County with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. Although 23 deaths were directly attributed to the storm, according to NOAA, "Hurricane Andrew destroyed more than 50,000 homes and caused an estimated $26 billion in damage, making it at the time the most expensive natural disaster in United States history." And the most recent, Hurricane Michael in 2018 Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, as a Category 5 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 161 mph. According to the National Weather Service: "Wind and storm surge caused catastrophic damage, particularly in the Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach areas. Eight direct fatalities were reported: seven in Florida and one in Georgia. In addition, 43 indirect deaths were attributed to the storm." More: When does hurricane season start in Florida? What to document for insurance now There's only be one. Hurricane Camille in 1969. Camille had sustained winds of more than 170 mph when it hit Mississippi on Aug. 17, 1969. More than 250 people were killed, many in Virginia due to massive flooding the storm brought to that state. Camille tracked north-northwest across the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 5 the day before making landfall. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: How many Category 5 hurricanes hit Florida?
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will a Category 5 hurricane make landfall in Florida in 2025? History says that's unlikely
Starting today, June 1 and for the next 182 days (until Nov. 30), Southwest Floridians will paying more attention to the weather forecast, especially with what is happening in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf. It's called Hurricane Season. In recent years, because of the number of hurricanes Southwest Florida has had to deal with and the damage caused by those storms, including historic Hurricane Ian in September 2022, it might feel like we must have been hit by a Category 5 hurricane during this run. You could argue the back-to-back hurricanes we had last year (2024) − Helene and Milton − combined added up to a Cat 5, but that's not how it works. More: Hurricane season is almost here. When should I build my hurricane kit, what should I put in it? Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26, 2024, with winds of 140 mph. Just 13 days later, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. It struck near Siesta Key Oct. 9, 2024. The storm was accompanied by sustained winds of 120 mph. Turn back the clock a couple of years to Sept. 28, 2022 and we had Hurricane Ian, which caused catastrophic to Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island and other coastal locations in Southwest Florida. It sure felt and looked like a Category 5 hit here. But officially, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm. It was initially a Category 5 storm before weakening to a Category 4 just before landfall at Cayo Costa. Ian had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. There were more than 140 deaths attributed to Ian. It is possible, but not probable based on past history. Could it happen? Sure. But since records have been kept, it has never happened here, even though with Ian it was right on the edge of being added to the short list. Since the 1900, three Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in Florida: The 'Labor Day Hurricane' of 1935 The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane is considered the strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall in the U.S., smashing into the Florida Keys on Sept. 2, 1935, with winds of 185 mph. It killed an estimated 409 people. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 On Aug. 24, 1992, Andrew made landfall in South Miami-Dade County with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. Although 23 deaths were directly attributed to the storm, according to NOAA, "Hurricane Andrew destroyed more than 50,000 homes and caused an estimated $26 billion in damage, making it at the time the most expensive natural disaster in United States history." And the most recent, Hurricane Michael in 2018 Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, as a Category 5 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 161 mph. According to the National Weather Service: "Wind and storm surge caused catastrophic damage, particularly in the Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach areas. Eight direct fatalities were reported: seven in Florida and one in Georgia. In addition, 43 indirect deaths were attributed to the storm." More: When does hurricane season start in Florida? What to document for insurance now There's only be one. Hurricane Camille in 1969. Camille had sustained winds of more than 170 mph when it hit Mississippi on Aug. 17, 1969. More than 250 people were killed, many in Virginia due to massive flooding the storm brought to that state. Camille tracked north-northwest across the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 5 the day before making landfall. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: How many Category 5 hurricanes hit Florida?
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BBCC fall enrollment deadline incoming
May 22—MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College's last day for new students to sign up for new student enrollment sessions is June 10. For those still deciding on what they would like to study, Big Bend has recently expanded their programs with the addition of new bachelor's degrees. "Big Bend has a long history of building and sustaining collaborative relationships with local employers and developing educational programs that prepare students for local employment," said Dr. Bryce Humpherys, Vice President of Learning and Student Success. "The BAS degrees the college is offering are a continuation of the college's efforts to provide higher education programming that addresses local employment demands." Anne Ghinazzi, the director of Title V and Other Grants at BBCC was the one to kick start the push for the new bachelor's programs being the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management and the Bachelor of Applied Science in Behavioral Health. These BAS degrees were created in response to the needs of students as well as the needs of companies that needed more educated workers in the area. "The bachelor's degree was a way for us to provide that next level of education and have it be available locally, so students aren't needing to leave their jobs or the community," said Ghinazzi. The BAS program builds on any associate degree and supports students who have completed workforce programs like welding, automotive technology, medical assistant, and early childhood education, she said. This also gives the opportunity for those who have already completed an associate's degree with the college to return if they would like to earn their bachelor's. The BAS-Management program was launched in the Fall of 2021 and has allowed for working students, students with limited financial resources and those coming from workforce education programs to get their bachelor's degree without the need for transfers. This program has had local employers assisting with ensuring that students receive on-the-job training and can apply what they learn in the classroom to the workplace. "We really were intentional about making sure that the program was going to provide students with the workforce skills that they would need to go into local management positions," said Ghinazzi. The bachelor's in behavioral health is set to launch this Fall and is currently enrolling for its first cohort of students. This program will directly address the behavioral health workforce shortage in North Central Washington and improve the availability of local services. "That degree is going to be offered in partnership with Wenatchee Valley College," said Ghinazzi. "We'll be admitting a full cohort of 30 students and those students will be split evenly between the two colleges for our inaugural cohorts this fall." BBCC programs of major industries in the area, such as health, agriculture, and manufacturing, will benefit from the addition of the BAS degrees and have seen increasing support from local organizations. Those currently undecided on classes can earn an associate in these programs to create a bridge toward the bachelor's programs. Students wanting to enroll in BBCC's nursing and other health care programs will have to focus on completing their prerequisites first, said Katherine Christian, director of Allied Health Programs at Big Bend. BBCC provides detailed degree maps on its website for choosing what classes to enroll in based on degree. "We're just getting ready to see our next incoming group," said Christian. "Our current cohort will be finishing up this summer, and those people will be working in doctors' offices and clinics around the Basin." Graduates from the nursing program at BBCC have a high success rate in finding employment in their first year out of college and have consistently received positive feedback from employers, she said. BBCC's agricultural programs have seen steady growth in the past couple years and have become a sustainable program, said Dr. Aaron Mahoney, head of Agriculture and Chemistry programs at Big Bend. He said most students in the program were individuals who had prior agricultural experience when he first started teaching but have recently seen an increase in interest from people who have never had any experience wanting to get into the industry. "That's been really interesting because it's a fun and unique experience to be able to pivot that type of education for our program," said Dr. Mahoney. Mahoney said because of this around 20 labs have been created across the six courses that he teaches in the program. BBCC recently added a greenhouse learning center where they can work on year-round crop production and crop research education as well as a raised bed project that will allow for the use of irrigation, soil fertility and pest and disease management. The Manufacturing and Process Technology program is also relatively new to the school and has been building steady enrollment, said Justin Henley, head of the Manufacturing & Process Technology department. This program was created from combining the curriculum and skills learned from the industrial systems, electrical, mechatronics, automation and maintenance programs. They have also been increasing their relationships with industry partners and companies in the community to get them involved and receive direct input for the students "For those students that are looking to get into electrical apprenticeships like with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, previously they were coming in and doing a two-year degree," he said. "Now we have the majority of that focused in that first year so that students can get certificates of accomplishment in the areas of electrical and electronics and be able to put that on their application to get into those union apprenticeships without having to do a two-year degree."
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ranchers sound alarm on new migrant crossing hotspot
Ranchers along the southern border are sounding the alarm on a terrifying new hotspot where migrant crossings are exploding. The vast and remote Big Bend area of Texas is now so busy with illegal migrant crossings that it's been described as 'hotbed' been called a 'hotbed' by Congressman Tony Gonzales. 'What I'm hearing from my ranchers is that, for everyone else, they've gotten relief, but that area—the Big Bend Sector—continues to be a hotbed in particular,' Rep. Gonzales said during a Capitol Hill hearing Thursday. Unlike the rest of the US-Mexico boundary, where migrant encounters have plummeted , Big Bend is seeing higher numbers than it did when Pres. Joe. Biden was in office, according to federal statistics by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP.) In October, 291 encounters with illegal immigrants were reported by US Border Patrol. Last month, under Trump, that number shot up to 324. The numbers might seem low, but what's more concerning is who is not being caught. The sheriff who's in charge of 91 miles of Big Bend told he knows others are successfully sneaking into the country here. 'We have been stumbling onto groups from out west (that) we didn't know they crossed, and while tracking other groups, came across their sign (footprints,' Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, also a retired Border Patrol agent, told DM. Traditionally, migrants have avoided this sector, opting for easier entries in urban zones. 'Some nights we don't apprehend anyone. Then we might have a group of 10 or so that week,' Cleveland explained of what is usual. In recent weeks, the sheriff's office has aided the Border Patrol agents in tracking down as many as 60 people in one week--often dressed in camouflaged garments given to them by smugglers to help them blend in with the terrain. Big Bend has been a low-traffic region traditionally because it's so rugged and absent of big cities on either side of the international boundary. To get into the US, migrants have to cross the Rio Grande river with fast-flowing water and rapids. If they make it over successfully, they have to immediately scale cliffs-- a task that can take a day or two. After that, it takes at least three to four days to walk to the nearest town, Sanderson. There are no roads in this isolated desert where the possibility of breaking a leg, getting bit by a snake and being abandoned by the cartel smuggling guide is high for migrants. If they reach the 700-person town, they can access the highways where smugglers are waiting to pick up the illegal immigrants and drive them to their next destination inside the US. Big Bend is also sandwiched between two big hot spots: El Paso, currently the busiest entry point , to the West and Del Rio to the East. 'As other parts of the border receive more resources, it will force people out this way,' the sheriff added. Most of the people making illegal entry here are Mexican citizens on their way to the fields of California to pick America's produce, Cleveland stated. Since Trump took over in January, two Army Stryker tanks have been stationed there. However, the area is just too big, with 91 miles of border between just two counties. There's only 50 federal immigration agents stationed in Sanderson, plus another 15 on loan from other parts of the agency. 'Is there anything that we can do to alleviate some of their high foot traffic,' Rep. Gonzales pressed CBP Commissioner Pete Flores during the congressional hearing. As part of his response, the top dog at CBP admitted the Border Patrol has more manpower than ever before. 'We continue to plan for where we see problem spots or hot spots along the border, and we continue to re-evaluate how we're deploying our agents,' Flores responded. Sheriff Cleveland believes more boots on the ground is the solution. 'What is needed is technology and even more important, more men and women with badges,' he said.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big Bend expanding BAS programs
May 16—MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College has added new Bachelor's in Applied Science programs in the last few years and updated existing programs to meet the needs of local businesses. "Big Bend strives to empower our students to achieve their dreams, but also to strengthen our community. By collaborating with local businesses and industry, we can create enriching educational opportunities that benefit both our students and the community we serve," said Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy, President of Big Bend Community College. "Both of our bachelor's programs were created out of a need we saw locally in our service district of Grant and Adams counties." The two newest programs at the college are the BAS Management and BAS Behavioral health programs. Anne Ghinazzi, Director of Title V and Other Grants at Big Bend, has played a major role in the development of both of these programs. "It really was developed in a response to the needs of the community," said Ghinazzi. "Local employers told us that they needed more bachelor prepared workers, and the students were seeking the higher education option within the community." The BAS programs are designed to build off any already existing associate's degree and supports students who have completed workforce education programs such as welding, automotive technology, medical assistant and early childhood education, so they can bring the skills earned in a workforce degree and add on the breadth of general education, said Ghinazzi. The first to make headway in this growing need was the development of the BAS Management program. This program launched in the fall of 2021 and has played a key role in changing the educational landscape of what is available to people in their service district who might be working, have limited financial resources and have come through workforce education, she said. She said that employers have been actively designing the curriculum and creating capstone projects since the beginning of the program. These capstone programs take place in the final quarter of their schooling, where they work with a local organization to identify and solve a problem or opportunity at a company to apply their learning. "We are seeing students going into management positions, we're seeing students be promoted within their own company or organization after graduation," she said. "We're really encouraged by the results." Digna Rodriguez is a recent graduate of the BAS Applied Management program, and she has used her degree to gain a Quality Manager position at Group 14. "Attending the BAS-AM program was actually a very rewarding experience," said Rodriguez. "The program offered a lot of courses and pertained to the leadership business strategy and just overall in organizational management which at the time I found it immediately applicable to what I was doing." Rodriguez said that balancing the program while working full-time and attending to family responsibilities was challenging but it taught her ways to be more efficient and focused. She said that completing the program was not just an academic achievement, but also a personal milestone to prove to herself what she is capable of. "I saw how applicable the coursework was to the manufacturing industry," she said. "Once I was further in my education, a position had opened up for Group 14 and I felt a little bit confident and I went ahead and applied as a quality manager, which then led me to this job now." The other program, the BAS in Behavioral Health, is an even newer program set to launch in the Fall of 2025, said Ghinazzi. BBCC is admitting and enrolling its first cohort of students into the program during the late Spring and Summer of 2025. The program is directly addressing a Behavioral Health workforce shortage in Northcentral Washington and improving the availability of local services, she said. This degree will be designed to meet the new bachelor-level credential in Washington called the Behavioral Health Support Specialist position and will be offered in partnership with Wenatchee Valley College. "Students are going to come away with practical knowledge and skills necessary to enter the behavioral health workforce," said Ghinazzi. The program is going to be a combination of general education courses and then specialized and practical experience courses in behavioral health. This will give students a strong understanding of human behavior, mental health disorders and treatments, counseling case management and will end in the second year with a three-quarter field practicum working directly in behavioral health clinics. "The reason why this is important is because it's going to prepare bachelor-level practitioners to be able to provide intervention for common behavioral health issues like depression, anxiety and PTSD," she said. Funding for the BAS-AM programs came from the support of the Title V E3 grant as BBCC has been designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and the funding for the BAS-BH program received backing through a Career Connect Washington grant administered by Thriving Together NWC, said Ghinazzi. Further support has come from the Grant County Commissioners, who awarded BBCC American Rescue Plan Act funds targeted at strengthening its Allied Health programs. Big Bend programs such as nursing, agriculture and manufacturing have been seeing a rise in enrollment. These are some of the main areas benefiting from the addition of the BAS degrees and have increasing support from local organizations. Graduates from the nursing program at BBCC have a high success rate in finding employment in their first year out of college and have consistently received positive feedback from employers, said Katherine Christian, Director of Allied Health programs at Big Bend. "We're just getting ready to see our next incoming group," said Christian. "Our current cohort will be finishing up this summer and those people will be working in doctors' offices and clinics around the Basin."
