Latest news with #LauraGrimm
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
NOAA releases 2025 hurricane forecast
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted 'above-normal' hurricane activity this summer in its annual outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. A news release from the organization published last week forecasts a range of 13 to 19 total named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. NOAA estimated a 30% chance of a near-normal season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. Of the number of storms predicted, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher. Three to five of those may become major category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or stated in the release it has 70% confidence in these ranges. 'NOAA and the National Weather Service are using the most advanced weather models and cutting-edge hurricane tracking systems to provide Americans with real-time storm forecasts and warnings,' said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in the release. 'With these models and forecasting tools, we have never been more prepared for hurricane season.'This year's hurricane season is expected to be above normal because of warmer than average ocean temperatures, forecasts for weak wind shear and potential for higher activity from the West African monsoon, NOAA stated. ENSO-neutral conditions, otherwise referred to as El Niño and La Niña, are also optimal this year for producing storms. More on the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle can be read here. In short, the more heat there is settling in the Atlantic Basin, the more energy there is to fuel potential storms. NOAA stated that a reduction in trade winds also allows these storms to develop without disruption. 'As we witnessed last year with significant inland flooding from hurricanes Helene and Debby, the impacts of hurricanes can reach far beyond coastal communities,' said Acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm, in the release. 'NOAA is critical for the delivery of early and accurate forecasts and warnings, and provides the scientific expertise needed to save lives and property.' The release stated that 2025's hurricane season also has potential for the West African monsoon to produce tropical waves feeding into some of the 'strongest and most long-lived Atlantic storms' 'In my 30 years at the National Weather Service, we've never had more advanced models and warning systems in place to monitor the weather,' said Ken Graham, NOAA's national weather service director, in the release. 'This outlook is a call to action: be prepared. Take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to ensure you're ready before a storm threatens.'The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was particularly impactful for the transportation industry. Hurricane Helene destroyed key infrastructure in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, cutting off interstate access along I-40 for months. The interstate connection reopened in February of this year, but heavy rainfall through April and May have contributed to high water levels and additional flood damage along smaller roads in the Carolina mountains. Asheville and other smaller towns still are fighting to rebuild infrastructure that was destroyed in the storm and to secure additional funding resources for that rebuild. Carriers and logistics companies should look to SONAR critical events for tools to help plan decisions during storms this hurricane season. The post NOAA releases 2025 hurricane forecast appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
California Democrats call for reinstatement of National Weather Service staff
California House Democrats on Friday demanded that the National Weather Service restore some terminated workers and begin hiring new forecasters after it halted around-the-clock operations at its Sacramento and Hanford weather forecasting offices, among others. In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Laura Grimm, the acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 23 congressional Democrats decried recent cuts to the weather service, saying they represented the 'beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences.' The weather service is a division of NOAA, which is overseen by the Commerce Department. 'We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations,' the congressional members wrote. More than 500 weather service staffers have left the agency since January, after the Trump administration fired probationary workers en masse and offered early retirements to an aging workforce of forecasters. The cuts left about 43% of the nation's 122 weather forecasting offices with staffing vacancies above 20%. Independent meteorologists have said cuts could lead to less effective forecasting and slower severe weather warnings. The public safety concerns have become a political pressure point for the administration. The California members of Congress wrote that the weather forecasting offices in Hanford and Sacramento were particularly hit hard, leaving them no longer able to provide 24/7 staffing. 'The Sacramento office currently has seven vacancies for meteorologists, out of 16 positions, while the Hanford office has eight vacancies out of 13 positions — leaving both offices operating at half strength as we approach the peak of wildfire season,' the letter says. 'If the NWS weather forecast offices in Sacramento and Hanford, together covering the entire Central Valley, cannot monitor overnight conditions, that puts our constituents in danger.' The weather service often supplies meteorologists to support fire crews during wildfire season, the letter notes. 'This is a reckless and unnecessary risk that offers no benefit to the American public,' the letter says. 'Slashing staffing in half at the offices responsible for predicting wildfires, atmospheric rivers, and natural disasters is unacceptable, puts thousands of lives at risk, and does nothing to increase government efficiency.' NOAA, the weather service and the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The weather service's Hanford office is located in the San Joaquin Valley, and is not far from where the long-dormant Tulare Lake re-formed in 2023, after a historic series of atmospheric river storms flooded the southern portion of California's Central Valley. The Central Valley produces about 40% of the nation's fruits and nuts, according to the United States Geological Survey. Central Valley farmers rely on forecasts to make decisions about planting, irrigation and harvest. Meanwhile, forecasters in Sacramento are predicting triple-digit heat and elevated wildfire risk this weekend, as the region faces an early start to the wildfire season. Rep. Jim Costa, who represents part of the San Joaquin Valley that receives forecasting from the Hanford office, organized the letter to NOAA. Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Eric Swalwell and Zoe Lofgren are among 22 other signatories. Pressure has been intensifying on the administration over cuts to the weather service for several months. Outside meteorologists decried cuts to weather balloon releases at about a dozen short-staffed offices and, in one instance, said a missed balloon launch could have helped forecasters better understand the risk of tornadoes in a thunderstorm event near Omaha, Nebraska. After the incident, Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., took steps to intervene with the administration and got additional forecasters temporarily assigned to the office near Omaha. Earlier this month, five former directors of the weather service warned that additional cuts to the agency's staffing could lead to unnecessary deaths. 'Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life,' wrote the former directors, who served between 1988 and 2022. NOAA has temporarily reassigned some staffers to plug holes in its workforce and also attempted to ease shortages by advertising permanent reassignments within the agency. About two weeks ago, NOAA asked for 76 meteorologists and a total of 155 staffers to consider transferring to fill critical roles. This article was originally published on
NBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
California Democrats call for reinstatement of National Weather Service staff
California House Democrats on Friday demanded that the National Weather Service restore some terminated workers and begin hiring new forecasters after it halted around-the-clock operations at its Sacramento and Hanford weather forecasting offices, among others. In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Laura Grimm, the acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 23 congressional Democrats decried recent cuts to the weather service, saying they represented the 'beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences.' The weather service is a division of NOAA, which is overseen by the Commerce Department. 'We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations,' the congressional members wrote. More than 500 weather service staffers have left the agency since January, after the Trump administration fired probationary workers en masse and offered early retirements to an aging workforce of forecasters. The cuts left about 43% of the nation's 122 weather forecasting offices with staffing vacancies above 20%. Independent meteorologists have said cuts could lead to less effective forecasting and slower severe weather warnings. The public safety concerns have become a political pressure point for the administration. The California members of Congress wrote that the weather forecasting offices in Hanford and Sacramento were particularly hit hard, leaving them no longer able to provide 24/7 staffing. 'The Sacramento office currently has seven vacancies for meteorologists, out of 16 positions, while the Hanford office has eight vacancies out of 13 positions — leaving both offices operating at half strength as we approach the peak of wildfire season,' the letter says. 'If the NWS weather forecast offices in Sacramento and Hanford, together covering the entire Central Valley, cannot monitor overnight conditions, that puts our constituents in danger.' The weather service often supplies meteorologists to support fire crews during wildfire season, the letter notes. 'This is a reckless and unnecessary risk that offers no benefit to the American public,' the letter says. 'Slashing staffing in half at the offices responsible for predicting wildfires, atmospheric rivers, and natural disasters is unacceptable, puts thousands of lives at risk, and does nothing to increase government efficiency.' NOAA, the weather service and the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The weather service's Hanford office is located in the San Joaquin Valley, and is not far from where the long-dormant Tulare Lake re-formed in 2023, after a historic series of atmospheric river storms flooded the southern portion of California's Central Valley. The Central Valley produces about 40% of the nation's fruits and nuts, according to the United States Geological Survey. Central Valley farmers rely on forecasts to make decisions about planting, irrigation and harvest. Meanwhile, forecasters in Sacramento are predicting triple-digit heat and elevated wildfire risk this weekend, as the region faces an early start to the wildfire season. Rep. Jim Costa, who represents part of the San Joaquin Valley that receives forecasting from the Hanford office, organized the letter to NOAA. Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Eric Swalwell and Zoe Lofgren are among 22 other signatories. Pressure has been intensifying on the administration over cuts to the weather service for several months. Outside meteorologists decried cuts to weather balloon releases at about a dozen short-staffed offices and, in one instance, said a missed balloon launch could have helped forecasters better understand the risk of tornadoes in a thunderstorm event near Omaha, Nebraska. After the incident, Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., took steps to intervene with the administration and got additional forecasters temporarily assigned to the office near Omaha. Earlier this month, five former directors of the weather service warned that additional cuts to the agency's staffing could lead to unnecessary deaths. 'Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life,' wrote the former directors, who served between 1988 and 2022. NOAA has temporarily reassigned some staffers to plug holes in its workforce and also attempted to ease shortages by advertising permanent reassignments within the agency.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How many hurricanes could there be in 2025? Will and impact Tennessee? NOAA's predictions
Hurricane season is here. June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico, renamed by the U.S. government as Gulf of America in 2025, and the Atlantic Ocean. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that this hurricane season could be particularly active. There is 30% chance of a near-normal season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season, according to forecasts The agency forecasts that there could be between 13 and 19 named storms in the 2025 hurricane season. Of those, three to five could be major hurricanes. As an inland state, historically, Tennessee has not needed to pay too much attention to hurricane season. However, in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene's widespread devastation in the region, hurricane season is at the forefront of the mind for many in the Volunteer State. Helene greatly damaged infrastructure and roads in the eastern part of the state. The storm and the residual floods killed 18 people in Tennessee alone. 'As we witnessed last year with significant inland flooding from hurricanes Helene and Debby, the impacts of hurricanes can reach far beyond coastal communities,' said acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm. 'NOAA is critical for the delivery of early and accurate forecasts and warnings, and provides the scientific expertise needed to save lives and property.' Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, according to the NOAA. Andrea Barry Chantal Dexter Erin Fernand Gabrielle Humberto Imelda Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Nestor Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van Wendy A major hurricane is considered a named storm with maximum sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or higher. According to the NOAA, Category 3, Category 4 and Category 5 storms are major hurricanes. There is a 21% chance for another tropical storm to reach Tennessee in 2025, according to Colorado State University research. The university also released a hurricane season forecast in April. The probability of a tropical storm in Tennessee this season is slightly greater than the 141-year historical average of 17%, according to Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. There have been 26 tropical storms within 50 miles of the Volunteer State from 1880 to 2020. Compared to other states in the southeast, the chances of tropical storms hitting the Volunteer State appear especially slim. Florida has a 92% chance of seeing a named storm in 2025 and a 35% chance of seeing a major hurricane. Tennessee's neighbors to the south, Alabama and Georgia, have a 72% and 67% chance, respectively, of being hit by a named storm this season, according to Colorado State University research. Mississippi has a 62% of seeing a named storm in 2025. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: When's hurricane season? NOAA tropical storm, hurricane predictions 2025
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NOAA predicts an above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a forecast: this year could be a very active hurricane season. This announcement comes as the Gulf Coast prepares to mark 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and much of Southeast Louisiana. In the decades since, NOAA has significantly advanced its storm modeling technology. 'Providing life-saving forecasts that ensure people in harm's way are given critical time to heed warnings — that's our top priority,' said NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm. 60% chance of an above-normal season. 13 to 19 named storms expected. Six to 10 may become hurricanes. Three to five could reach major hurricane status (Category 3 or higher). Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, emphasized that the conditions are ripe for increased activity. 'One of the main drivers this year is warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures and lower wind shear, which allows storms to strengthen faster and last longer,' Graham said. While the numbers are alarming, officials stress that preparation, not panic, is key to staying safe. 'Prepare now and stay ready throughout the season,' Grimm said. Experts recommend that residents have a comprehensive hurricane plan, including an evacuation route, emergency food and water supplies, essential documents and a secure home setup. Kyle Raabe, president of Consumer Power at Generac Power Systems, cautioned against reactive behavior when storms hit. 'The biggest mistake people make when the power goes out is not having a plan. Because when you don't have a plan, you just kind of react,' Raabe said. He also reminded residents not to operate generators indoors or in garages and to stay away from downed power lines, which are a frequent danger during hurricanes. 'Leave those to the utility professionals. Just report it and let them take care of it,' Raabe said. Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Now is the time to prepare, stay informed, and ensure your family and home are ready. NOAA predicts an above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season Amite woman killed in Tangipahoa Parish car crash Palou wins first career Indy 500 in thrilling finish Husband, wife each lose an arm while locked together during deadly Kentucky tornado Country music singer, former Georgia Southern football player arrested Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
