Latest news with #JohnsonCity
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Garland Farms Estates hosts annual Crawfish Boil Fundraiser benefitting ASP
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Garland Farms Estates hosted its annual Crawfish Boil Fundraiser on Saturday to benefit Appalachia Service Project (ASP). Organizers, self-titled the 'Crawfish Crew', said the event first began as a planned neighbor gathering, where participants pooled funds for a shared crawfish feast. In that first year, residents had $1,000 more than they needed and decided to donate to a local charity. Since then, the feast has turned into an annual fundraiser, where tickets are sold to neighbors and the public, and money raised goes to a selected local charity of the estates' choice. The crew said they donated over $100,000 to Children Exceeding Expectations in Bristol last year. This year marks the 12th year of the Crawfish Boil, and around 1,300 visitors were expected. Vice President of Resource Development for ASP Kate McKinnie said the fundraiser will help put flood-stricken families back into homes. 'We were thrilled to get the call from the organizers of the Garland Farms Crawfish world that they wanted to partner with ASP for this year's event,' she said. 'With the devastation that Hurricane Helene caused. It was devastating. And there are families still not back in their homes. And so Appalachia Service Project, we are committed to rebuilding after Helene, or any weather-related disaster in our service area. So having this partnership is going to allow people to get back in homes.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How does hail grow to the size of golf balls and even grapefruit? The science behind this destructive weather phenomenon
Hail the size of grapefruit shattered car windows in Johnson City, Texas. In June, 2024, a storm chaser found a hailstone almost as big as a pineapple. Even larger hailstones have been documented in South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska. Hail has damaged airplanes and even crashed through the roofs of houses. How do hailstones get so large, and are hailstorms getting worse? As an atmospheric scientist, I study and teach about extreme weather and its risks. Here's how hail forms, how hailstorms may be changing, and some tips for staying safe. Hail begins as tiny crystals of ice that are swept into a thunderstorm's updraft. As these ice embryos collide with supercooled water – liquid water that has a temperature below freezing – the water freezes around each embryo, causing the embryo to grow. Supercooled water freezes at different rates, depending on the temperature of the hailstone surface, leaving layers of clear or cloudy ice as the hailstone moves around inside a thunderstorm. If you cut open a large hailstone, you can see those layers, similar to tree rings. The path a hailstone takes through a thunderstorm cloud, and the time it spends collecting supercooled water, dictates how large it can grow. Rotating, long-lived, severe thunderstorms called supercells tend to produce the largest hail. In supercells, hailstones can be suspended for 10-15 minutes or more in strong thunderstorm updrafts, where there is ample supercooled water, before falling out of the storm due to their weight or moving out of the updraft. Hail is most common during spring and summer when a few key ingredients are present: warm, humid air near the surface; an unstable air mass in the middle troposphere; winds strongly changing with height; and thunderstorms triggered by a weather system. Hailstorms can be destructive, particularly for farms, where barrages of even small hail can beat down crops and damage fruit. As hailstones get larger, their energy and force when they strike objects increases dramatically. Baseball-sized hail falling from the sky has as much kinetic energy as a typical major league fastball. As a result, property damage – such as to roofs, siding, windows and cars – increases as hail gets larger than the size of a quarter. Insured losses from severe weather, which are dominated by hail damage, have increased substantially over the past few decades. These increases have been driven mostly by growing populations in hail-prone areas, resulting in more property that can be damaged and the increasing costs to repair or replace property damaged by hail. A lot of people ask whether the rise in hail damage is tied to climate change. My colleagues and I analyzed four decades of hail environments and found that the atmospheric ingredients to produce very large hail – larger than golf balls – have become more common in parts of the central and eastern U.S. since 1979. Other studies that considered formation factors of hail-producing storms or looked at radar estimates of hail have found limited increases in large hail, predominately over the northern Plains. There are a couple of primary hypotheses as to why climate change may be making some key ingredients for large hail more common. First, there has been an increase in warm, humid air as the Earth warms. This supplies more energy to thunderstorms and makes supercooled water more plentiful in thunderstorms for hail to grow. Second, there have been more unstable air masses, originating over the higher terrain of western North America, that then move eastward. As snowpack disappears earlier in the year, these unstable air masses are more apt to form as the Sun heats up the land faster, similar to turning up a kitchen stove, which then heats up the atmosphere above. Climate change may also lead to less small hail and more large hail. As the atmosphere warms, the freezing level moves up higher in the atmosphere. Small hail would be able to melt completely before reaching the ground. Larger hail, on the other hand, falls faster and requires more time to melt, so it would be less affected by higher freezing levels. Additionally, the combination of more favorable ingredients for large hail and changes in the character of hailstorms themselves might lead to an increase in very large hail in the future. Being caught in a severe thunderstorm with large hail falling all around you can be frightening. Here are some safety tips if you ever wind up in such a situation: If you're driving, pull over safely. Stay in the vehicle. If you spot a garage or gas station awning that you can seek shelter under, drive to it. If you're outside, seek a sturdy shelter such as a building. If you're caught out in the open, protect your head. If you're inside, stay away from windows and remain inside until the hail stops. Dealing with the aftermath of hail damage can also be stressful, so taking some steps now can avoid headaches later. Know what your homeowners and car insurance policies cover. Be aware of roof replacement scams from people after a hailstorm. Also, think preventively by choosing building materials that can better withstand hail damage in the first place. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Brian Tang, University at Albany, State University of New York Read more: Extreme heat waves aren't 'just summer': How climate change is heating up the weather, and what we can do about it What causes lightning and how to stay safe when you're caught in a storm – a meteorologist explains Why insurance companies are pulling out of California and Florida, and how to fix some of the underlying problems Brian Tang has received funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Risk Prediction Initiative.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
42 local projects, events and individuals earn Pinnacle Awards
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tourism in Northeast Tennessee thrives on strong partnerships, campaigns, and advertisements, and now boasts numerous Pinnacle Awards to highlight its success. This year, the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association broke records at the 28th annual Northeast Tennessee Pinnacle Awards with more than 10 nominations in categories for marketing, advertising, events, attractions, individual achievement and supporting business. Ranked by a panel of judges within the tourism and hospitality industry across the United States, Pinnacle Awards were given to the following projects, events and individuals in both small and large budget categories: Copperhead Road Landmark Tiebreakers Johnson City Main Street Days Fun Fest Bristol Open 2024 – PPA Tour Event – Bristol Sportsplex Appalachian League All-Star Game – Visit Johnson City Bike Ride Across Greene County – Greene County Partnership MATE ROV World Championships – Visit Kingsport Paul Harris – nominated by Jonesborough Tourism Department Barbara Mentgen – nominated by Visit Johnson City Katherine Hackler – nominated by Main Street Greeneville Gabe Davis– nominated by Visit Johnson City Matt Bolas – nominated by Ripl Creative Interstate Graphics – nominated by Visit Johnson City Jonesborough Tourism Department and Highland Cow Farms StoryTown Radio Show Rebranding – McKinney Center Explore More in Bristol Outdoor Writers Association of America – Visit Johnson City The Juice is Loose: Believe in Bristol's Halloween Campaign Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Work-Based Learning at Sullivan Co. Schools – West Ridge High School Storytelling Benefit Concert – McKinney Center Johnson City Railroad Experience – Visit Johnson City Northeast TN Museum Association Brochure & Map Jonesborough Visitors Guide Visit Mountain City, TN Candy Land Christmas – Visit Johnson City Alliance for Continued Learning – ETSU Office of Professional Development Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Wristband Mailer Buffalo Mountain Writers Workshop: Wild Words – ETSU Office of Professional Development You Can Do You – Visit Johnson City Under the Lights by Ashli Linkous Downtown Kingsport by caseSensitive Photos Birthplace of Country Music Museum 10th Anniversary Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Paste Magazine Sessions Copperhead Road Landmark – Visit Mountain City, TN Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2024 Recap The Jackson Theatre Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2024 'Thank You' SORBA Tri-Cities – nominated by Visit Johnson City Isabel Hawley-Lopez – nominated by Jonesborough Tourism Department Eastman Global Innovation Summit – nominated by Visit Kingsport Winners were recognized at the 28th Annual Pinnacle Awards Ceremony on Wednesday at Tennessee Hills Distillery. According to the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, Northeast Tennessee generates more than $867 million in direct visitor spending, more than $205 million in payroll while employing 7,000 people, and generates $34 million in local sales tax annually. The Pinnacle Awards are presented by Bristol Motor Speedway and produced in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, representatives from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Local 5th grader eliminated in semifinals of 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A Towne Acres Elementary School fifth grader made it to the semifinals of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. It was the bees' 100th anniversary. Swetank Bangaru (#199) finished 41st in the semifinal round. Bangaru was knocked out during round seven when he misspelled 'gyrencephalate' by only one letter. He correctly spelled 'hominin', 'whist', and 'conniption.' He also correctly defined 'pedantry' and passed a test threshold. Bangaru's favorite food is Dosa, his favorite animal is a saltwater crocodile and his favorite color is sonic gray. Click here to read his full Scripps Speller's slide. To win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, contenders must also master geography This year's bee featured 243 contestants between the ages of 8 and 14. The spellers represented all 50 states and D.C., as well as Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business of the Week: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
JOHNSON CITY, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is the Greater Binghamton Chamber Business of the Week. Excellus opened its community resource center on Riverside Drive in Johnson City 2 years offers face-to-face information and assistance for people interested in purchasing a policy from the health insurance company. It also provides in-person customer service for billing claims and other questions or Sales Consultant Brittany Jenkins says the resource center is a welcoming space where you don't need an appointment. 'Being here, being able to have face-to-face communication rather than having to call a 1-800 number over the phone, it's great to be able to have access and be open to the public to answer any questions or concerns they may have about healthcare,' she says. The Resource Center also hosts health fairs promoting prevention measures such as mammograms. It's open from 9 to 4:30 Monday through Friday. You can call 304-9800 for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
