Latest news with #NationalHurricaneCenter
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
In a season of Atlantic hurricanes, will one of these forces of nature get your name?
Hurricane season in the Atlantic starts on Sunday, May 1, and while Michigan isn't at much risk, there's reason to keep an eye out for the storms, especially if you are a force of nature and your name is Andrea, Jerry, or Tanya, if we get that far in the alphabet. You just might find your name in an amusing headline that highlights how unwelcome you are or that highlights your destructive power. A list of names for storms is created by the World Meteorological Organization, and the storms are named in alphabetical order, starting with Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dexter, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda and Jerry. After Jerry, the list includes Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and ends with Wendy. No names on the list start with a Q, U, X, Y or Z, mostly because those names are rarer. And there usually aren't enough hurricanes to need that many names. But last week, the National Weather Service predicted above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin during the season, which lasts until Nov. 30. It is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 total named storms. If correct, Tanya, might — just might — make the cut. In recent years, hurricanes have become increasingly destructive and common, climate scientists have said. And you might not think that matters, living in the Midwest, unless you own a winter condo or time-share in Florida. "The majority of the time, if a storm makes it up here, we get just the remnants — heavy rain," Jaclyn Anderson, a weather service meteorologist in White Lake Township, said. "The rain can cause some flooding." Storms can affect an array of things, from gas prices to insurance premiums. More: Detroit mayoral candidates tackle lingering issues, plans for city's future More: Study: Proposed Line 5 tunnel in Straits of Mackinac would cause 'detrimental effects' What's more, data from the group that names the hurricanes released a report recently that suggests in a couple of years, the Earth could cross what some conclude is an irreversible tipping point in rising temperature. The dangers of this apocalyptic warming include melting ice caps and glaciers, the collapse of coral reefs and more intense hurricanes that are threatening coastal cities and Michiganders' winter getaways. Last year, one study suggested two hurricanes — Beryl and Milton — would not have been as bad without this change. Remnants of both storms raced toward Michigan, triggering warnings for Detroiters in flood-prone areas. As for the storm names, according to the National Hurricane Center, for a few hundred years leading up to the 1800s, hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the saint's day when they occurred. In the 1950s, the United States tried naming storms using a phonetic alphabet, Able, Baker, Charlie and so on. But that got confusing when an international phonetic alphabet was introduced and meteorologists started naming storms after women. In the late '70s, men's names were also added. Now, the lists change every year in a six-year rotation. The names for the worst storms — the ones that wreak the most havoc — are retired. Dexter is new on this year's list, replacing Dorian. You can check the lists for 2026, 2027, and 2028. In 2029, the list from 2023 gets recycled, minus any retired names. Anderson, however, has the blessing — or perhaps curse — of having a somewhat unusually spelled first name, Jaclyn, which, as a result, she said probably will never end up on one of the hurricane name lists. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Forecaster hurricane names and predictions. Will we get to Tanya?
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line faces first storm of hurricane season
Carnival Cruise Line faces first storm of hurricane season originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Although the typically active Atlantic hurricane season is expected to get off to a calm start as it begins on June 1, tropical activity is already heating up in the usually quieter eastern Pacific. The eastern Pacific hurricane season, which begins slightly earlier than the Atlantic season in mid-May, already has its first named storm, Tropical Storm Alvin.A typical eastern Pacific hurricane season usually brings about 15 named storms and the first named storm usually doesn't come until around June 10. Most storms in this region track away from land, moving westward out to sea, but this season's first storm seems to be behaving a bit differently than most. And that behavior could potentially impact at least one cruise sailing in the popular Mexican Riviera Tropical Storm Alvin became the first named storm of the 2025 Pacific hurricane season on Thursday, May 29, Carnival cruise passengers boarded Carnival Firenze in Long Beach, Calif. to cruise to Cabo San Lucas — the same place that the tropical system seems to be heading. On Friday morning, May 30, Tropical Storm Alvin was hurling large swells toward portions of west-central and southwestern Mexico and the southern Baja California peninsula, increasing the risk of life-threatening rip currents this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. Currently sailing a five-day Mexican Riviera cruise, Carnival Firenze is scheduled to visit Cabo San Lucas, located on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, on Saturday, May with dangerous rip currents, Tropical Storm Alvin is expected bring a rainy day to Cabo on Saturday that could put a damper on the cruise passenger experience in the popular port. The storm is expected to rapidly weaken this weekend as it swirls toward land, reaching Cabo San Lucas late Saturday night or early Sunday morning as a tropical depression. Of course, the ship's captain is no doubt keeping a close eye on the weather conditions and the storm's path. If deemed necessary, the captain will divert from the ship's planned itinerary to avoid significant impacts from the tropical system. Cruise ship captains will always do what's best for the safety of passengers and you have a Mexican Riviera or Caribbean cruise planned during hurricane season, you really shouldn't worry. As a long-time cruiser and 20-year coastal Florida resident, I can assure you that cruising during hurricane season is safe, and the majority of summer cruises are not affected by severe weather. Yes, there's always the chance that your cruise could be impacted by a storm, but your cruise line will never put your safety in jeopardy. You should be aware though that hurricanes and tropical storms do sometimes cause cruise itineraries to be altered. Occasionally, cruises also have to be canceled as a result of significant storms, especially when they warrant the closure of cruise departure ports. Sometimes, cruise ships even get stuck at sea because of hurricane-related cruise port closures. So, while some cruisers see their cruises canceled because of a storm, others get their vacations at sea example, last summer, Come Cruise With Me's Matt Frankel was on board the Margaritaville at Sea Islander when it got stuck at sea for two extra days due to Hurricane Debby. The ship's home port, Port Tampa Bay, closed due to the hurricane, so the ship couldn't safely get back until after the storm passed. Although inconvenient for the Frankel family and other passengers on board, they remained safe and well taken care of by the ship's crew as they waited out the storm in calmer waters. Purchasing travel insurance for a cruise is always a good idea to provide you with some peace of mind, especially if you're sailing during hurricane season. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
8 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Short-staffed NWS enters hurricane season in "uncharted territory." Meteorologists share their concerns.
On the brink of the Atlantic hurricane season, a pared-down National Weather Service is scrambling to deal with the realities of severe staffing gaps at the agency in charge of preparing the public for natural disasters in every part of the country. Concerned meteorologists warn that the forecasts communities have come to depend on as their front line of defense against hurricanes could suffer this year, as the Weather Service remains chiefly responsible for predicting storms despite recently losing at least 10% of its workforce. The cuts stemmed from President Trump's initiative to reduce government spending when he retook office, in part by slashing federal jobs. Through a combination of mass firings and buyouts since January, about 1,000 workers have left the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Weather Service's parent agency and the nucleus of weather and climate information in the United States, multiple current and former employees told CBS News. Roughly 550 of those departures came out of the Weather Service, including its National Hurricane Center, which is the division focused on tropical storms, and numerous local forecast offices that monitor weather for their regions. Atlantic hurricane seasons run annually from June 1 to Nov. 30, and this next one is slated to be more active than an average year, according to NOAA forecasters. Their latest hurricane outlook predicted an "above-normal" hurricane season in 2025, likely producing between 13 and 19 named storms. Six to 10 of them are expected to become hurricanes, and three to five could be major, as in Category 3 or above. "Uncharted territory" Groups of lawmakers, forecasters and retired agency leaders have all spoken out about potentially catastrophic consequences ahead if the agency enters its busiest period without enough employees to reasonably handle the load. In an open letter released earlier this month, four former Weather Service directors pleaded with the Trump administration to replenish resources at the agency or risk "needless loss of life." At the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a demonstrator holds a sign protesting the Trump administration's cuts to NOAA, the parent agency of the National Weather Service, on April 5, 2025. DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images Bill Read, a retired Weather Service meteorologist and the director of the Hurricane Center from 2008 until 2012, told CBS News he believes the agency is committed to its mission to safeguard life and property and "will do whatever it takes to get the job done," even if that means employees take on additional work to make up for vacancies this summer and fall. But Read also said he never witnessed staff shortages during his tenure that could compare to those affecting the agency now. "It's uncharted territory," Read said. "They have a very difficult task, the folks that are still working there, trying to maintain the level of service that they've gotten used to giving, and that the public has gotten used to getting." In a statement emailed to CBS News, a Weather Service spokesperson said the agency "has updated the service level standards for its weather service forecast offices to manage impacts due to shifting personnel resources" and "continues to ensure a continuity of service for mission-critical functions." "The National Weather Service continues to meet its core mission of providing life-saving forecasts, warnings, and decision support services to the public, our partners and stakeholders," the spokesperson said. "These revised standards reflect the transformation and prioritization of mission-essential operations, while supporting the balance of the operational workload for its workforce." Limited hours The Weather Service already faced declining employment in the years leading up to the Trump administration's firing spree. In its aftermath, regional forecast offices in at least six different cities are critically understaffed, according to multiple people interviewed for this story. Tom Fahy, the legislative director of the union representing Weather Service employees, told CBS News those offices are located in Jackson, Kentucky, where a devastating tornado two weeks ago killed at least 19 people and left hundreds homeless in that state alone; Goodland, Kansas; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Hanford, California; Sacramento, California; and, starting June 1, Fairbanks, Alaska. While they are not the primary targets of tropical storms, eastern Kentucky was hit hard by the powerful remnants of Hurricane Helene last September and each region on that list is vulnerable to other kinds of disastrous weather that tend to spike around this time of year. Aiming to address their resource deficits as Mr. Trump blocks federal hiring, a process is underway at the Weather Service to transfer staff from less desolate offices into critically understaffed ones, which strains the entire system, said Brian LaMarre, a former Weather Service meteorologist who accepted an early retirement offer this year after three decades with the agency. Staffing levels are considered critical at a forecast office when it employs seven or fewer "operational" meteorologists, meaning those who handle daily forecasting duties, LaMarre said. When fully staffed, a forecast office typically assigns rotating shifts to 12 or 15 operational workers in order to cover a complete 24-hour schedule. But at locations now facing critical shortages, staffing overnight shifts on a routine basis is no longer possible. A path of destroyed homes is pictured on May 18, 2025, in London, Kentucky, after a severe storm passed through the area. Carolyn Kaster / AP Curtailing a local office's hours could prevent urgent messages about an incoming storm from the Weather Service's national headquarters to regional forecasters whose jurisdictions are directly affected. That could be especially dangerous if a storm develops unexpectedly, said a Weather Service meteorologist who is still employed by the agency and asked to speak on the condition of anonymity to avoid possible retaliation. "The Hurricane Center sends out the large-scale forecast, the big picture, and then it's up to the weather forecast offices to tailor to their local areas," the meteorologist said. "How in the world will we know who to talk to when these offices are closed in the middle of the night? If there's enough warning, I suspect someone will be there, but sometimes hurricanes are a surprise, especially the weaker tropical storms." Widespread vacancies At least 36 of the nation's 122 forecast offices are missing specialists in key roles, even if their capacities have not technically met the criteria to be labeled critically low, according to internal job postings sent out to Weather Service staff in May and reviewed by CBS News. Several of them are in hurricane-prone areas along the Gulf Coast, including Lake Charles, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Miami. They are bracing for the tropical storm season with just eight operational positions currently staffed, said Fahy. He told CBS News that Houston and Key West are doing the same with nine. Forecast offices in Houston and Lake Charles are among many without a meteorologist-in-charge, according to current and former Weather Service meteorologists and the job postings. That role is the most senior of three supervising meteorologists normally assigned to a given forecast office, who also functions as the director of that location. Another is the Tampa Bay office, which is also on the Gulf and frequently contends with hurricanes. LaMarre was the meteorologist-in-charge in Tampa Bay before retiring and said he feels confident the two meteorologists who worked under him will be able to fill his now-vacant previous role in an acting capacity. But, at the Houston/Galveston office, which was a notably crucial source of information during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the top three meteorologist positions are vacant along with a fourth chief analyst who maintains the office's electrical systems, according to its staff roster as of May 30. In addition to its meteorologist-in-charge, the office is also lacking a warning coordination meteorologist, who works with emergency managers to share severe weather warnings with the community, and its science and information officer, who verifies the scientific and technological integrity of an office's forecasts. "We can't possibly talk to every emergency manager across the U.S. That's where the relationships between warning coordination meteorologists and emergency managers come in," said the meteorologist who asked not to be named. "Those relationships are degraded or non-existent with the loss of staffers." Less weather data The Weather Service announced in the wake of the spring's federal firings that it would suspend or restrict weather balloon launches at 11 forecast offices across the country due to lack of adequate staffing — a move that effectively scaled back one of the most reliable methods used to track weather patterns in real-time. Weather balloons traditionally have been launched twice daily, at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST, from 100 forecast offices around the country. They carry electronic measuring devices into the atmosphere that collect data and transmit it directly into a computer modeling system that the Weather Service uses to predict storms, often laying the foundation for local forecasts. During an evolving weather emergency, like a hurricane, the balloons help meteorologists anticipate the path of the storm. A National Weather Service weather balloon sits ready for launch at the agency's Upper Air Inflation Building in Sterling, Virginia, on April 27, 2006. Chris Greenberg / AP Meteorologists are also concerned about additional funding cuts down the line. A White House budget proposal for 2026 suggests reducing NOAA's allocation by about $1.5 billion, which would shrink the agency by 30%. The plan targets programming around weather research, oceanic observations and satellites, areas the proposal's critics say are essential for accurate storm forecasts. "That research is what helps the Weather Service save lives in the future," said LaMarre. "If we sever research and operations, it's hard to improve with new technology and new techniques." An extended hiring freeze The Trump administration's federal hiring freeze prevents the Weather Service from recruiting new candidates to fill open positions until at least mid-July. Instead, the agency is trying to reshuffle its workforce and move employees from larger offices to critically understaffed locations in hopes of balancing the scales. The internal job postings distributed earlier this month sought immediate applications for 155 operational roles, including 76 meteorologist positions, at shorthanded locations. The openings appeared in a document titled "Notice for Non-Competitive Reassignment," which asked eligible candidates to apply by May 27. Redistributing labor likely will not prove to be a sustainable solution, especially if small offices contend with repeated tropical storms in the coming months, said Alan Sealls, a retired broadcast meteorologist recognized for his work around hurricanes and the rising president of the American Meteorological Society. Sealls told CBS News he tries to be optimistic about the agency's ability to fulfill its mission throughout hurricane season, but, given the circumstances, burnout may eventually be unavoidable. "I know a lot of weather service employees, and they are dedicated to doing what they need to do. However, I know that when you have cuts and layoffs, it means everyone who's left is working harder with fewer people resources, and that opens you up to fatigue. It opens you up to the possibility of small errors and oversights," Sealls said. "If we have a season where it's nonstop storm activity, everybody's going to be stretched to the limit. You can move people, but you still are going to run short on your resources." House Democrats on the Science, Space and Technology Committee have called on the White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Voight to exempt the Weather Service from Mr. Trump's hiring freeze, arguing its responsibilities are critical for public safety. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California and ranking member of her party on the committee, told CBS News they have yet to receive a substantive response to any of their requests. "There's been a lot of chaos and illegal firings, coercions to resign, really, an obsession with destroying the morale of the employees at the Weather Service, and why we would do this so that we cannot get the public prepared for disaster is something that is mysterious indeed," Lofgren said. "The Democrats are in the minority. We lack the power to compel answers, but I think it's pretty pathetic that the administration is hiding what they're doing and leaving Americans unprepared and at risk." CBS News contacted the Department of Commerce for comment but has not received a reply.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane Season 2025: Are forecasters ready despite budget concerns?
The Brief The 2025 hurricane season begins this weekend, and Floridians are preparing. The National Hurricane Center said it's ready — despite possible future federal budget cuts. Uncertainty remains over how funding reductions could affect weather tracking tools like balloons and buoys. TAMPA, Fla. - The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it's fully staffed and ready for the 2025 hurricane season, which officially kicks off on June 1. What we know Deputy Director Jamie Rhome told FOX 13 that they have the personnel needed to cover all operational shifts and have made strategic adjustments to maintain accurate storm forecasting. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Critical data for hurricane tracking comes from weather balloons, ocean buoys and hurricane aircraft, all of which feed key information into weather models. What we don't know While the NHC said it's ready for this season, there's uncertainty about the longer-term effects of federal budget cuts. A proposed 27% reduction — more than $1.5 billion — to NOAA's budget could impact future staffing and equipment use, but how exactly this will play out isn't fully clear yet. What they're saying FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto underscored the importance of these weather tools. READ: Advanced technology will help Manatee County during 2025 Hurricane Season "The buoy data is critical, because we're getting information about all of the water that surrounds us — the Gulf, the Caribbean, the Atlantic," he said. "The water temperature, the wave heights — critical. Now, balloons are really important. They measure wind speeds and all of the weather above us, and all of that data ends up going into the weather models." Rhome assured: "If you take one observation away or one is unrepaired for a little bit of time, it's not like a house of cards comes down. There are other observations that we can lean on." The Source This reporting is based on interviews conducted with Jamie Rhome, the deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, and FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Epoch Times
18 hours ago
- Climate
- Epoch Times
Tropical Storm Alvin Spins in Pacific, Not Expected to Enter Gulf
The National Hurricane Center announced its first named storm of the hurricane season this week, and it formed in the Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storm Alvin was announced on May 29, spotted about 565 miles south-southeast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and moving northwest at 12 mph.
