Latest news with #KimberlyMiller
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
The other season — hurricane — has arrived; being prepared is key
It's June 1, which means it's that time of year again. If you've lived in Florida for any length of time, no explanation is needed. If you're a recent arrival, it marks the beginning of the six-month Atlantic hurricane season that runs through Nov. 30. That means it's time to stock up on supplies such as water, shelf-stable foods and batteries; to make sure the generator is ready to go in the event of a power failure; and to finalize evacuation plans for your family, including any pets, if the town is in the path of a storm. It's also good to store important papers in waterproof and even fireproof containers. NOAA's prediction of 13 to 19 named storms, including six to 10 hurricanes — and three to five major hurricanes — follows others this spring that have measured the Atlantic basin's stew of ingredients and influential climate patterns to determine that the six-month season will be more active than average. More: With a busy hurricane season expected, Palm Beach encourages residents to prepare early Of note, according to reporting by Kimberly Miller of The Palm Beach Post, is a forecasting challenge this year. The atmosphere is idling in a climate purgatory between El Niño, characterized by abnormally warm water in the Equatorial Pacific, and La Niña, cooler than average water in that area. The former typically points to a less-active season, while the latter can mean a more-active season. Although the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has had major staff cuts under President Donald Trump's plan to trim the federal government, an official at the agency said the National Hurricane Center is fully staffed, Ms. Miller reported. That's not the case for many of the nation's 120 local weather-forecasting offices where employees were let go, balloon launches have been reduced and vacancies are unfilled, Ms. Miller noted. While Palm Beach County has been mostly spared from major hurricanes since the mean season of 2004, we have seen some storms skate by that cause destruction elsewhere. And even when that's been the case, the effects here were not always minor. Take last year, when tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Milton left a swath of destruction from Wellington north to Jupiter. Thankfully, no lives were lost, but the memory of those tornadoes serves as a reminder that one never knows what will happen during hurricane season. Milton, a Category 5 storm, made landfall in Siesta Key off Sarasota and went on to cause major damage across Central Florida. Palm Beach lies in Evacuation Zone B, which includes most of the county's barrier islands east of the Intracoastal Waterway. It and Zone A, which includes mobile homes and low-lying areas, are typically the first neighborhoods to be evacuated when a major storm approaches. Condominium residents need to remember that a state law allows associations to shut off power, elevators, water and sewer once an evacuation order has been issued. Residents cannot be forced to leave their homes, but who would want to stay without those services? Residents who chose to remain in their condos for the storm do so at their own risk because fire-rescue and police might not respond if conditions have deteriorated. Some condo residents who chose to stay during Hurricane Dorian in 2019 felt the inconvenience of remaining in their homes under those circumstances. One important thing that residents and workers on the island should remember is that they need to be on an official re-entry list, because police usually restrict access to the island during and after a storm. Applicants must have a government-issued I.D. to be placed on the re-entry list, which expires Dec. 31, 2026. To complete an application, visit the town's website. We also encourage residents who haven't already done so to sign up for town alerts while they're on the website. We love living in the Sunshine State, but a cost of that joy is navigating hurricane season. The experts will make their best guesses, and the science has helped to improve the accuracy of their predictions, but the key thing to bear in mind is preparedness. Storms can change directions quickly — or intensify rapidly. Everyone must have a hurricane plan and keep an eye on the weather forecast once a storm is on the horizon. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Preparedness is critical now that hurricane season is here | Editorial
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County warned of major to extreme heat risk
A record challenging heat is stifling South Florida with temperatures not typically seen until deep summer as a loitering area of high pressure pushes out over the next few days. The National Weather Service in Miami noted pockets from West Palm Beach through Miami where the risk of heat related illnesses has been elevated to "extreme" — the highest warning level on a new heat risk index introduced in 2024. For West Palm Beach, the daytime high temperature is forecast to reach 94 degrees on May 21, just two degrees shy of the 2008 record of 96 degrees. The normal high temperature for May 21 is 86 degrees. It's not until mid July that the average peak temperature as measured at Palm Beach International Airport reaches 90 degrees. "It's going to be very uncomfortable," said Ana Torres-Vazquez, meteorologist with the Miami NWS office. "For the past several days we've had an area of high pressure over South Florida and a lot of subsidence, or air pushing down, and that tends to make things hotter." At the same time, an approaching front attached to an area of stormy weather over the Mid-Atlantic, will shift winds out of the west. That cuts off the cooling afternoon sea breeze for coastal Palm Beach County and means any air moving in has been warmed by its travel over the steamy Everglades. More: Climate change triggers new Florida heat warning chart that alerts when it could be deadly outside The "feels like" temperature or heat index could hit 102 degrees on May 21. As smothering as that it is, it's not high enough to trigger a heat advisory. In Palm Beach County, a heat advisory is issued when heat-index temperatures are forecast to reach 108 degrees or higher for at least two hours. In Broward and Miami-Dade counties, a heat advisory is issued if heat-index temperatures of 105 or higher are expected for at least two hours. The weather pattern shifts on Thursday as the front moves through with winds turning out of the northwest. Temperatures are forecast to reach into the low 90s in Palm Beach County but there is also a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day that increases to 70% in the evening. More: Best ice cream shops, gelato, ice pops and more cool treats in Palm Beach County The National Weather Service introduced the new heat risk index last year in the hopes it will better translate the possible health complications triggered when the mercury rises to misery. Like the Air Quality Index and the UV Index, the new ranking system assigns numbers to risk levels that include who is most susceptible to health problems at each level and actions that should be taken to reduce risks. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Record challenging high temperatures in South Florida how hot will it get
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Palm Beach, Palm Beach rank high in national list for growing affluence
West Palm Beach and Palm Beach came in second place in a ranking of fastest growing 'wealth hubs' nationwide as affluent households migrated to Palm Beach County following the pandemic, according to a new report from Henley and Partners. The two cities combined came in runner up to Scottsdale, Arizona, and ahead of the northern California Bay Area, Miami and Washington, D.C. They ranked third in last year's ratings. The USA Wealth Report 2025 released May 20 follows an April study from Henley and Partners that ranked West Palm Beach and Palm Beach fourth internationally for their growing affluence. Ahead of the two cities in the international survey was Shenzhen, China, Scottsdale, Arizona, and third place Bengaluru, India. According to the studies, the two cities experienced a 112% increase in millionaires between 2014 and 2024. 'West Palm Beach (and Palm Beach) has become a coveted retirement destination for millionaires from New York and California,' the report notes. 'Furthermore, a growing number of affluent individuals — particularly from the hedge fund, media, and entertainment sectors — are choosing to live and operate from this area post-Covid.' In sheer numbers, the wealth report found that West Palm Beach and Palm Beach combined have 11,500 millionaires, 78 centimillionaires (people with $100 million-plus) and 10 billionaires. Commercial real estate 2025: Demand will continue in PBC for offices, shops, stores The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County estimates there are 60 billionaires countywide, while an analysis of Forbes data by the Palm Beach Daily News found there are 68 billionaires with strong residential ties to the Town of Palm Beach. While West Palm Beach and Palm Beach are ranked high for growing wealth, they are still lower on the list for the total number of affluent residents, ranking 15th nationally for the number of centimillionaires. New York City, the Bay Area and Los Angeles took the top three spots. Stay up to date on South Florida's sizzling real estate market and sign up for The Dirt weekly newsletter, delivered every Tuesday! Exclusively for Palm Beach Post subscribers. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm Beach is growing millionaires but not as fast as this city
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Prescribed burn near python 'hot spot' in southwestern Palm Beach County scheduled for today
The South Florida Water Management District is scheduled to conduct a 40-acre prescribed burn in an area of southwestern Palm Beach County near the Holy Land Wildlife Management Area today, April 10. With winds blowing northwest in the morning, and depending on the timing of the burn, it's possible some smoke may reach coastal communities before winds shift out of the southeast in the early afternoon. The burn is in stormwater treatment area 3/4, which at 17,000 acres is the largest constructed wetland in the world. Stormwater treatment areas are planted with phosphorus-loving vegetation to help clean water before sending it south into the Everglades. The area is also open to the public for bicycling, hiking and birdwatching. The burn is in a section of the stormwater treatment area near an area recently identified in a University of Florida study as a python hot spot on the border between Broward County and Palm Beach County where hunters have racked up scores of pythons. Prescribed burns are important for the health of the ecosystem and to prevent wildfires, especially during dry seasons. The area in southwestern Palm Beach County being burned is in a severe drought, as measured by the U.S. Drought Monitor. In some areas where water pulls back during dry spells, decaying vegetation on the bottom is exposed. That vegetation, when submerged, sucks oxygen from the water, discourages fish spawning and makes it difficult for wading birds to find food. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: prescribed burn near python hot spot scheduled for April 10 in southwest Palm Beach County
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hoffman's Chocolates closes flagship store, and buyers wanted for $30 million West Palm Beach mansions
Welcome to The Dirt! I'm real estate, weather and critter reporter Kimberly Miller with the latest developments in the sizzling market. This is a public service announcement that it's spring, and you know what that means. It's not just the Easter bunny coming to town, it's the car carriers — those mechanical behemoths that descend on the Town of Palm Beach to ferry back north the Lambos and Landies driven all season to tennis, the club and/or Mr. B's (for those adventurers willing to cross over to Georgia Avenue on the mainland.) And, as a friendly reminder, the fume spitting, ear splitting carriers are inhumanely restricted to loading at the south parking lot of Phipps Ocean Park, per Town of Palm Beach rules. I know, I know, RPP (Rich People Problems) but it's also a sign that we are nearing those carefree days of 90% humidity, Sleestak-size mosquitoes, and hurricanes. Love. Florida. ❤🌴❤ Stay up to date on South Florida's sizzling real estate market and sign up for The Dirt weekly newsletter, delivered every Tuesday! Exclusively for Palm Beach Post subscribers. In real estate news, we say goodbye to the flagship Hoffman's Chocolates store, $30 million waterfront homes in West Palm Beach are like wallflowers at the high school dance with no Jake Ryan or red Porsche to rescue them, and billionaire oracle Stephen Ross says the future looks bright (what tariff wars?) Hoffman's Chocolates flagship store in Greenacres closed with little pomp and circumstance this month, ending decades of tradition, including its holiday winter wonderland where people could stroll through a festive light display without the pitfalls of chattering teeth, hot chocolate burns and runny noses that accompany such affairs in chillier climes. What will happen to the iconic Tudor-style building? It may become a prep facility for Saito's Japanese Steakhouse. But somehow a flaming onion volcano just doesn't seem to fit the facility. Its exposed beams and pitched roofs are definitely more milk chocolate caramel truffles and après-ski than hibachi. A handful of $30 million-plus waterfront homes are on the market in West Palm Beach and what more could a well-heeled buyer want than a mansion with a view and no Bentleys tailgating them to the middle-bridge where a barge will undoubtedly be crawling through so that the span is up for like three days. Maybe we're on the downside of the Trump Bump (Trump Slump?) because the glittering new construction homes haven't hooked a buyer yet. The public is reminded, however, that just like with hurricanes, it only takes one, and a Cat 5 billionaire might be just around the corner. Everyone can agree that Stephen Ross knows a thing or two about earning a living, so when he waves off worries about the economy, tariffs and the looming loss of the Thin Mint Frosty, people will probably listen. That's not to say there won't be some short-term instability, however. And Related Ross President Ken Himmel said corporate growth plans may be in question more this year than they were last year. Still, overall, people continue to move to South Florida at a steady clip (874 per day through 2028) and they are always going to need healthcare and homes. And for most of us who already live here, we also need those things, just with a discount, or some kind of BOGO, or a combo deal that comes with biggie fries, nuggs and a free prize such as a $30 million waterfront mansion. Live lightly. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: $30 million West Palm Beach waterfront homes slow to sell
