Latest news with #Peloquin
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Ohio's worst tornado season started 1 year ago today. How does 2025 look?
One year ago today, on Feb. 28, 2024, was the start of the worst tornado season Ohio experienced in decades. How bad was it? It broke a record that had stood since 1992. Here's a look back. The first round of tornadoes to hit the state in 2024 struck on the morning of Feb. 28, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Six twisters touched down, including: An EF2 tornado, with peak wind speeds of 120 mph per the Enhanced Fujita Scale, in Monroe County An EF2 tornado in eastern Franklin County, which decreased to an EF1 in western Licking County An EF1 tornado in Madison County An EF2 tornado in Clark and Madison counties An EF1 tornado in Franklin County An EF1 tornado in Montgomery and Greene counties Ohio had 74 tornadoes in 2024, according to data provided by the Wilmington office of the National Weather Service, with the final one of the year hitting on Dec. 29. The total broke the state's previous record of 62 tornadoes in 1992. In fact, Ohio broke its previous tornado record a little more than halfway through 2024. The state's 63rd tornado touched down on June 29 in the City of Willard in Huron County, about 26 miles northwest of Mansfield. On March 14, an EF3 tornado—with wind speeds of 136 to 165 mph, per the Enhanced Fujita Scale—ripped through Auglaize and Logan counties in Western Ohio. It left a nearly 32-mile path of destruction, killed three people and injured dozens more. The Logan County Sheriff's Office identified Darla Williams, 70; Marilyn Snapp, 81; and Neal Longfellow, 69, as the deceased. The Sheriff also said the storm injured another 24 people. The Indian Lake region was the hardest hit by storms that spawned nine tornadoes across the state that day. In September, six months after the tornado, the community was still rebuilding, the Dispatch previously reported. 'It's been relentless," Brandon Peloquin, warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS Wilmington office, said about the Ohio tornado season in a previous article. As weather patterns transitioned from winter to spring, Peloquin said the jet stream—the air currents flowing from west to east high in the atmosphere that steer weather systems—lined up just right to direct multiple strong systems through the Ohio Valley. The jet stream kept Ohio on the warm side of low fronts, Peloquin said, creating south winds that brought moisture up from the Gulf of Mexico. High moisture combined with the energy created by wind shears and the rapid movement of air from low to high in the atmosphere (instability and buoyancy) are the ingredients that can lead to severe weather, he said. Peloquin said that while it's not clear on how active the severe weather season in 2025 will be, it's important that everyone be prepared. It's not uncommon for at least one late-winter severe weather event in the Ohio Valley, Peloquin said. Like when tornado season kicked off on Feb. 28, 2024, with severe weather and tornadoes across parts of the state. Stay aware of the weather, he said, and know if there is a risk for severe storms and flooding on any given day. Have multiple ways to receive watches and warnings and know what to do when they are issued. In Ohio, tornado season peaks between April and June, according to the National Weather Service. Kristen Cassady, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, said previously that it is typical for severe weather frequency to ramp up in Ohio at the beginning of March, though March is not a peak tornado season month. 'We typically do see severe weather events, including tornadoes, in the month of March, even though there is a slightly higher frequency climatologically in April and May,' Cassady said. 'March is still one of the primary months for tornadoes in the Ohio Valley.' This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio tornado season in 2024 broke records. How bad was it? Will 2025 be worse?
USA Today
07-02-2025
- USA Today
Traveling with a pet on Amtrak is a breeze. Especially for this Chihuahua-mix.
Traveling with a pet on Amtrak is a breeze. Especially for this Chihuahua-mix. Show Caption Hide Caption Smart pet tech products for dogs, cats Here are three useful smart pet tech products for your dogs and cats. Problem Solved Amtrak is the best way for Olivia Peloquin to travel from New York City to see family in Boston. It's also the perfect mode of transportation for her dog, Betty. The 2-year-old Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix makes the round-trip journey four times a year in a stylish olive-green bag carrier. "She's a Velcro dog, she is always next to me, which I love," said Peloquin, who grew up in the seaside town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Last year marked 10 years since Amtrak first allowed dogs and cats to travel in its train cars, letting passengers take their pets with them and not worry about finding a sitter. The rail network's pet-friendly option also became more popular during the rise of remote work in recent years, as more people spent time away from home while logging on to their day jobs, said Amtrak Senior Public Relations Manager Marc Magliari. There are a few restrictions on traveling with dogs and cats, but it's a popular policy that seems to never attract complaints from other passengers, Magliari said. "It's comforting for people. If your pet travels well without needing to relieve itself, get yourself the right pet carrier, get a reservation and come aboard," Magliari said. Flying with a cat: Should I travel with my anxious cat? Betty is always a tad anxious to travel, Peloquin said, but she doesn't bark onboard or disturb other passengers. Once in Massachusetts, the two can spend quality time outdoors, including with Peloquin's sister's two pups, on Gloucester's Wingaersheek Beach. "She's a very spunky dog, she has a big personality," Peloquin, 35, said. "If I'm walking her on a leash, she'll typically do flips in the air, she loves to play fetch, she loves other people and other dogs." More: Who are the best veterinarians? USA TODAY wants to know what pet owners think Can my pet travel on Amtrak? Amtrak only allows small dogs and cats onboard, and they must be in a carrier, Magliari said. Other Amtrak pet rules include the following: Pets are only allowed on trips under seven hours. The combined weight of the dog or cat and their carrier must be 20 pounds or less. The animal needs to be older than eight weeks. Pet carriers can be hard- or soft-sided and must fit in the seat in front of you. One pet per customer is allowed. Each carrier can only contain one pet. The animal must stay in their carrier. You do not need to buy a separate seat for your pet, and pet fees vary depending on your Amtrak reservation. Magliari said Amtrak first started allowing pets along its Midwestern routes in 2014, after the Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider asked the rail line if she could bring her dogs with her traveling between Chicago and Springfield. 'Once the experiment began, and it went very well, we just kept expanding it," Magliari said. Fostering tips He foster failed immediately. But it was because 'something went very right.' Tips for pet parents If your dog or cat usually does not enjoy traveling, it's best to leave them at home with a sitter, said Magliari. Peloquin and Betty have tons of practice taking the subway in New York City, where Peloquin takes the dog on the 1-train from their apartment on the Upper West Side to her dog-friendly office at a design firm in Tribeca. On trips to New England, Peloquin lets Betty use the bathroom immediately before they get on Amtrak in New York's Penn Station, that way the dog can make it to Boston comfortably. If she doesn't have an assigned seat, Peloquin said she tries to be polite and ask other passengers if it's alright for her to sit next to them with Betty. Traveling by train with your pet makes sense for a lot of people, Peloquin said, like folks who prefer not to drive or fly. "Betty is like part of my family, and the train is my favorite way to travel between New York and Boston," Peloquin said. "With Betty being such an important part of my life, I want her to be with me." More: Who are the best veterinarians in the USA? Vets can help USA TODAY rank top animal doctors
