Latest news with #HurricaneHelene
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Independent College Fund of North Carolina Raises Nearly $2.7M in 2025
Fourth Highest Fundraising Total in ICFNC's 70-Year History RALEIGH, N.C., June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Independent College Fund of North Carolina (ICFNC), the fundraising arm of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) announces the successful completion of its 2024–2025 campaign, nearly $2.7 million in support of North Carolina's private, nonprofit colleges and universities. This year's total marks the fourth-highest fundraising achievement in ICFNC's 70-year history. The campaign included $438,936 for scholarships, $1,029,582 in grant support for NCICU programs, and over $1.2 million in in-kind donations. "We appreciate our corporate, foundation, and individual partners whose investments in ICFNC are helping transform the lives of students our colleges and universities across our state," said NCICU President Dr. A. Hope Williams. "This year's campaign reflects both the strength of our partnerships and the ongoing commitment to North Carolina's future leaders." The impact of this year's grants and gifts remained substantial across a wide range of priorities—from scholarships and student success to technology access and public policy engagement. "Our donors are not only helping students afford a high-quality education but they are also fueling innovation, equity, and community engagement across North Carolina's independent college sector," said Colleen Kinser, Director of the Independent College Fund of North Carolina. "We are especially proud of the continued support for mentoring programs, student teaching scholarships, and critical workforce development initiatives." 2024–2025 Campaign Highlights: NCICU Transfer Pathways Initiative: Building on more than $1.4 million in funding from national foundations, NCICU made major strides this year in the partnership developing a statewide transfer portal to streamline credit mobility between North Carolina's 58 community colleges, Louisburg College, and NCICU's four-year institutions. SAS Software Grant Program: With in-kind donations valued at over $1.2 million, 32 NCICU campuses benefited from no-cost access to SAS software and professional development tools, strengthening student learning and data analytics capacity. Hurricane Helene Relief Campaign: This campaign raised nearly $300,000 to support eight NCICU campuses severely impacted by Hurricane Helene, assisting with recovery and continued academic operations. Science of Reading Initiative: Funded by a $1 million grant from the Goodnight Educational Foundation, this initiative advanced literacy training for education faculty through LETRS certification, equipping future teachers with evidence-based instructional methods. S.T.A.R. (Student Teacher Assistance for Retention) Scholarship: This scholarship awarded over $313,000 to student teachers, with major contributions from Dogwood Health Trust, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), and Truist. Funding supported tuition, living expenses, and licensure testing costs for education majors preparing for the classroom. Faculty-Student STEM Mentoring Program: This grant concluded its final year with significant results in student retention and research participation, supported by the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation and CIC. iBELONG Mentoring Program: Designed to increase retention and graduation rates for at-risk students, the program completed its fourth year with continued philanthropic support and plans for campus-led sustainability. NCICU Ethics Bowl: The fourteenth annual event raised $72,100, engaging students across 19 campuses to explore ethical issues in health and wellness. Planning is underway for the 2026 event, themed "Ethics in Leadership." North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium: Co-sponsored with the UNC System, the virtual event enabled 11 NCICU students to receive stipends and share original research. Council of Independent Colleges Grants: Capacity Building Grant enhanced NCICU's donor engagement tools and digital communications. Scholarship Challenge Grant helped unlock $50,000 for the Finish Strong Scholarship, benefiting students on the verge of graduation. Meeting the Moment Grant strengthened NCICU's public policy presence through campus-president roundtables and legislative engagement. With this momentum, NCICU and ICFNC remain focused on advancing affordability, accessibility, and academic excellence across North Carolina's independent higher education sector. Click here to learn more about NCICU scholarships and how to support student success. ABOUT NCICU & ICFNCNorth Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) is the statewide office of private, nonprofit, liberal arts and research colleges and universities. NCICU supports, represents, and advocates for North Carolina independent higher education in the areas of state and federal public policy and on education issues with the other sectors of education in the state. It also raises funds through the Independent College Fund of North Carolina for student scholarships and enrichment experiences, provides research and information to and about private colleges and universities, conducts staff development opportunities and coordinates collaborative programs. Presidents of the colleges and universities comprise NCICU's Board of Directors. The Independent College Fund of North Carolina is the fundraising arm of NCICU. An advisory board, made up of corporate and foundation leaders, together with 25 college presidents, guides the work of the Fund. For more information about NCICU and ICFNC, visit CONTACT: Demarcus Williams, View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season kicks off; 3 to 5 major hurricanes predicted
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — It's the first day of June which means it's the first day of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 60-percent chance that 2025 will be an above-normal season. 'Here in the Carolinas and in Florida, we have a lot of exposure along our coast. And of course, we saw last year that you don't have to be on the coast to see hurricane impacts,' said Jeff Brooks, spokesperson for Duke Energy, which services six states. This hurricane season follows last year's when Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina and other parts of the southeast. According to the National Hurricane Center, there have been at least 248 Helene-related deaths, and billions in damage. NOAA unveils hurricane forecast for 2025 Atlantic season: See the full breakdown 'It's important that you use the start of hurricane season as a reminder to prepare your own personal preparedness plan and what that means for you. and if you rely on electricity for medical needs, making sure that you have a plan in place where you could relocate if we had a major storm,' Brooks told CBS 17 Sunday. NOAA is forecasting anywhere from 13 to 19 named storms, and 6 to 10 of those the agency predicts will turn into hurricanes. Within those, three to five are projected to be major hurricanes. The agency says it has 70-percent confidence in these projections. Hurricane Helene declared the deadliest US hurricane since Katrina by NHC Books tells us that while they typically see most storm activity around September and October, they prepare throughout the year. 'We trim trees and remove vegetation and along our power lines to help reduce the number of instances of vegetation-related outages. We've been upgrading poles and wires on our systems to make them stronger, more resistant to outages from severe weather, and then also installing self-healing technology, which is helped to speed some of that power restoration after major storms.' He also says the company is ready for different weather events year-round — in any season. Hurricane season ends in November, with November and June being the least active months. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day 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
a day 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
Hayes on Trump's efforts to destroy FEMA ahead of hurricane season
Chris Hayes addresses Trump's efforts to "dismantle and destroy" FEMA, despite the president's abundant campaign promises in 2024 to states ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
