Latest news with #GiannaMontesano
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
A behind the scenes look at reporting for a 2025 hurricane season guide
As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season's official start on June 1 neared, reporter Gianna Montesano spent time compiling the latest information on shelters, emergency contacts and tornado safety tips to educate readers. She used the county emergency management divisions to compile local information and national hurricane forecasts for this story. 2025 hurricane season: What to know about forecasts, shelters, safety tips, emergency alerts and more Why was this an important local story to report? Whether you've lived on the Treasure Coast your whole life or have only recently moved here, it's always good to get a refresher on hurricane safety and the upcoming season. There's a recurring joke on social media that Floridians don't need to prepare for a hurricane because it's never as bad as forecasters say it will be. It couldn't be further from the truth, as we've seen hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton — just to name a few — upend communities and leave behind death, destruction and fear as the communities attempted to rebuild. It's also important to learn from past years, like 2024 when at least 14 tornadoes hit the Treasure Coast ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. While it's not a surprise that tornadoes can touch down in Florida, it's important to be aware that it can happen and how to stay safe if it does happen. Was there anything you couldn't answer when reporting this story? If so, why not? The weather is unpredictable, so the one thing I wish I could have answered is if we're going to be hit by any hurricanes on the Treasure Coast. What's next with this topic? Throughout hurricane season, TCPalm and the USA Today network will provide coverage of any potential threats forming in the tropics to keep the community informed about how our area could be affected. Where can residents go to get more information? Residents can go to their county's emergency management pages with additional information on pet-friendly and special-needs shelter registration, evacuation zones, disaster planning and more. Here are the county websites where more information is readily available online, including the portals to signup for the county alert system. Martin County: St. Lucie County: Indian River County: Is there anything residents can do to get more involved with this topic? Stay informed throughout hurricane season by keeping up on local news, county alerts and weather forecasts, especially when a threat is present. Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 2025 hurricane season safety, forecast guide for Florida
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
When to see the ETA Aquarids meteor shower from Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Stuart
For the next two nights, if you look up at the sky, you could get a glimpse of the ETA Aquarids meteor shower. The meteor shower will be visible across the globe, including in Florida, peaking on May 5 and May 6. However, the meteor shower started on April 19, according to the American Meteor Society. Here's what to know about the celestial events kicking off this week and when the best times to head outside to watch them will be. The Aquarids — sometimes spelled "Aquariids" — follows closely on the heels of the Lyrid meteors less than two weeks ago, and is the final meteor shower for more than two months. The meteors reliably become most active around early May each year as Earth passes through debris left by the famous Halley's comet. The Aquarids will peak between May 5 and May 6 as Earth passes through the densest part of Halley's cosmic debris, according to the American Meteor Society. While the meteors won't be as bright or dazzling after the peak, stargazers could still catch some up until about May 28. The best view is actually in the Southern Hemisphere. Since the Treasure Coast is in the Northern Hemisphere, the meteors will appear as "Earthgrazers," or long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon, according to NASA. SpaceX rocket launch in Florida: Where to watch in Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie Look up: How about a meteor shower to start your work week? Here's when to head outside in Florida Look low on the horizon. It's best to lie on your back, with your feet facing east, NASA said. Look for an unobstructed view away from lights. It'll take about 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness for you to be able to see the meteors. Meteor showers like the Eta Aquarids don't have a specific time to head outside and watch in the same sense as something like an eclipse, the Pensacola News Journal reported. The best shot at catching a glimpse of the Eta Aquarid meteors is when it's darkest outside, with NASA suggesting going out at 2 a.m. on May 6 to watch, and in a spot away from light pollution. Visibility is dependent on sky conditions and cloud coverage. The National Weather Service shared graphics showing the cloud forecast across the U.S. overnight for both May 5 and May 6. Click below to see the visibility in these three Treasure Coast cities, according to Time and Date AS, which did not have information for Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach or Palm City: Port St. Lucie Stuart Vero Beach Halley's comet, which takes about 76 years for each orbit of the sun, won't be seen again by casual observers until 2061, after it was last sighted in 1986. Despite its rare appearance on Earth, Halley's impact is still present at least twice a year when we enter its debris path — first during the ETA Aquarids in May and then again during the Orionids every October. Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene. Brandon Girod contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: ETA Aquarids meteor shower visibility from Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How long until the next eclipse? Upcoming solar, lunar eclipses in Florida through 2030
Now that the total lunar eclipse has come and gone, what is there to look forward to in the night sky? As always, on a clear night, you can likely see with the naked eye some planets, nebula, meteors, constellations, bright stars, satellites such as the International Space Station and the moon in its various phases. Summer stargazing may even mean seeing the Milky Way; the Coma Cluster; meteor showers such as the Perseids that peak in August; and the constellations of Scorpius, Cygnus, Cassiopeia, the Summer Triangle and Sagittarius and its Teapot, according to NASA. Here are upcoming eclipses that may be visible on the Treasure Coast. Recap: Couldn't stay awake for last night's lunar eclipse? See videos, photos shared on social media Over the years: Stunning pictures show lunar eclipse in Florida, blood moon, other super moons in the sky An eclipse is a celestial event when the sun, moon and Earth line up in space. When this happens, one celestial body covers another, causing the absence of light coming through, producing the two eclipses seen on Earth — solar and lunar. A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow that fully or partially blocks sunlight in some areas. This is a rare occurrence happening twice a year, during eclipse season, because the moon doesn't orbit in the same plane as Earth and the sun, according to NASA. A lunar eclipse occurs during the full moon phase when the Earth is positioned exactly between the moon and sun. The Earth casts a shadow on the surface of the moon, dimming it. The moon doesn't produce light. It shines because its surface reflects the sun's rays. So when the Earth blocks the sun, a lunar eclipse occurs. March 3, 2026: Total lunar eclipse Aug. 28, 2026: Partial lunar eclipse Feb. 20, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse Aug. 17, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse Jan. 12, 2028: Partial lunar eclipse Jan. 26, 2028: Partial solar eclipse Jan 14. 2029: Partial solar eclipse June 26, 2029: Total lunar eclipse Dec. 20, 2029: Total lunar eclipse Dec. 9, 2030: Penumbral lunar eclipse Florida's 2045 eclipse will be 2 hours and 42 minutes, beginning at 12:12 p.m. for Indian River and St. Lucie counties and 12:13 p.m. for Martin County, with 100% obscuration, according to Time and Date AS. When totality hits in 2045, the sun will disappear, the sky will darken, animals will go into nocturnal mode and temperatures will drop, according to Indian River State College associate astronomy professor Jon Bell. When the sun disappears, people within the band of totality can safely view the sun with an unaided eye, cameras or telescopes for about six minutes, the duration of totality. While eclipses have come and gone across our skies in the 21st century, the last time the Treasure Coast experienced a total solar eclipse was almost 107 years ago, June 8, 1918. Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at 772-409-1429, or follow her on Twitter @gonthescene. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: How long until next lunar eclipse? Solar, lunar eclipses in Florida
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big Lots stores to see new life as Ollie's Bargain Outlets. How many near West Palm Beach?
Big Lots shoppers have spent the better half of a year shopping closing sales on the Treasure Coast after the company announced the store closures amid financial difficulties and Chapter 11 bankruptcy. However, Ollie's Bargain Outlet announced on Feb. 27 it acquired an additional 40 Big Lots store leases from Gordon Brothers, bringing Ollie's total to 63. This move comes after Big Lots and Gordon Bros. announced a deal on Dec. 27 to transfer 200-400 Big Lots stores to Variety Wholesalers Inc. Here's what to know about the Ollie's acquisition and if any Palm Beach County stores will be converted. More: Which Palm Beach County stores are closing so far in 2025? Here's a list Of the Big Lots leases Ollie's has acquired, there are no plans to convert any of the former Big Lots in Palm Beach County. However, Ollie's has already established a presence in Palm Beach County with two stores. Ollie's has a location in West Palm Beach at 4340 Okeechobee Blvd. and in Delray Beach at 14540 South Military Trail. Ollie's Bargain Outlet is a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based bargain outlet store that calls itself "America's largest retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory" offering "extreme value on brand name products." The retailer operates 581 stores in 32 states, according to its website, including 38 in Florida. These Florida Big Lots will be converted into Ollie's, according to a Feb. 27 Big Lots bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Brooksville: 20050 Cortez Blvd. Land O'Lakes: 2414 Land O Lakes Blvd. New Smyrna Beach: 1998 State Road 44 Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at 772-409-1429, or follow her on Twitter @gonthescene. Contributing: Diamond Walker This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Big Lots stores closing converting to Ollies Bargain Outlet in Florida
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ollie's Bargain Outlets acquired 40 former Big Lots stores. Are any coming to Michigan?
Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a liquidation firm assisting Big Lots in the process of filing for bankruptcy, provided a list of 200 locations with leases or contracts designated to be sold to by Variety Wholesalers, and its looks like Ollie's Bargain Outlet is taking more locations. Ollie's announced on Feb. 27 it acquired an additional 40 Big Lots store leases from Gordon Brothers, bringing Ollie's total to 63. Here's what to know about the Ollie's acquisition and if more Michigan stores will be converted. Additional Ollie conversions have not been announced. So far one Big Lots closure has been converted in Big Rapids, at 750 Perry Ave. It was converted into an Ollie's this year, announced on Feb. 19. The new Ollie's location will host its grand opening at 9 a.m. March 19. Ollie's operates 581 stores in 32 states, according to its website. Here are Michigan locations: Adrian Alma Alpena Battle Creek Bay City Benton Harbor Big Rapids Caro Farmington Flint Ironwood Jackson Kalamazoo Lansing Monroe Muskegon Port Huron Roseville Saginaw Taylor Utica Walker Waterford Ypsilanti Westland Wyoming Within the Gordon Brothers list of store leases for sale, here are the 16 Michigan locations: Alpena: 2680 S. U.S. 23, 42,326 square feet Battle Creek: 5440 Beckley Road, 29,673 square feet Bay City: 1001 N. Euclid Ave., 30,373 square feet Chesterfield: 50630 Gratiot Ave., 31,706 square feet Dearborn: 5600 Mercury Drive, 32,367 square feet Eastpointe: 16100 E. 10 Mile Road, 41,297 square feet Grand Rapids: 3464 Plainfield Ave. NE, 29,637 square feet, and 5450 S. Division Ave., 29,885 square feet Monroe: 1575 N. Telegraph Road, 36,509 square feet Muskegon: 1650 E. Sherman Blvd., 27, 650 square feet Niles: 1907 S. 11th St., 34,690 square feet Sault Ste. Marie: 3396 I-75 Business Spur, Unit 1, 33,250 square feet Southfield: 29712 Southfield Road, 30,607 square feet Southgate: 14333 Eureka Road, 47,237 square feet Sterling Heights: 33100 Schoenherr Road, 29,928 square feet Westland: 35507 Ford Road, 30,268 square feet All the leases have at least five years remaining. Big Lots announced its more than 240 closings in September 2024 amid filing for bankruptcy. Here are the Big Lots locations that closed in Michigan: In Coldwater, 375 N. Willow Brook Road. In Big Rapids, 750 Perry Ave. In Lansing, 5625 W. Saginaw Hwy. In Howell, 3669 E. Grand River Ave. In Okemos, 2020 Grand River Ave. In Portage, 6207 S. Westnedge Ave. In Petoskey, 1401 Spring St. In Ypsilanti, 2850 Washtenaw Ave. In Holland, 2353 N. Park Dr. In Madison Heights, 32399 John R Road. In Kentwood, 4254 28th St. Ollie's Bargain Outlet is a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based bargain outlet store that calls itself "America's largest retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory" offering "extreme value on brand name products." The company sells products in various departments, including housewares, food, books, bed and bath, toys, health and beauty and more. Contact Gianna Montesano at Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@ This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Ollie's Bargain Outlet takes over Big Lots closures, what to know
