Private or FEMA Flood Insurance: How to know which is best for your property
If you don't already have flood insurance, you should consider it. We have seen the devastation flooding can cause. In this article, investigative reporter Amy Davis is answering your questions about private flood insurance versus FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.
One early hurricane forecast
Very few seasonal hurricane forecasts come out before April simply because the skill level is not there. About all you can go on now is water temperature and, sometimes, the forecast for La Nina/El Nino. Saying that, a group out of England called Tropical Storm Risk issued their first 2023 Hurricane forecast last December (!) and below youโll see they are calling for a fairly average season citing stronger trade winds last summer and noting that historically a year that follows three La Nina seasons usually comes in about average.
Astroworld: Countdown to Tragedy โ Preventing another festival disaster
โSo going into this everybody knew it was going to be a problem, the department ramped up like it was a Super Bowl or a Hurricane,โ said Mark Lentini, a now-retired Houston police officer who says the festival ended his career.โLong before the disaster struck any crowd expert or person involved in crowds responsible for crowds knew there were storm clouds over that festival,โ said Paul Wertheimer, a crowd safety expert with decades of experience studying crowd surge and other safety issues.On Wednesday, Nov. 2, KPRC 2 Investigates examines the safety and prevention measures that could prevent mass casualty disasters, including crowd design, emergency medicine planning, and the need for a unified command.
What dictates a hurricaneโs strength?
There are many ways to categorize a hurricane. The stormโs central pressure is one way. The height of its storm surge is another. How much rain it drops is another. And, of course, the strength of its wind is another. But what causes a hurricane to strengthen or weaken? The answer is simple enough, but multifaceted.
Storm Surge: What is it? And what types of hurricanes create the most devastating and deadly surge?
When a hurricane threatens the United States, a lot of attention is focused on the path and the wind speed. Storm surge can be just as important to monitor, because it can quickly cause extreme destruction and death.
Introducing the โModelcaneโ
Last Wednesday, all the Media-rology lit up with a potential Category 4 hurricane in the Gulf (headed toward Texas, no less) just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The cover shot today shows what was going around. This was a forecast from the American model a good two weeks out. We call these hurricanes from the model a โmodelcaneโ and Iโll explain whatโs going on in a moment. Suffice it to say that, first of all, there has never been a major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico in May, so that would be highly unusual, and second, never trust a model more than a week out, especially for tropical systems that develop in the Caribbeanโs west end. Trust me, things will change.
15 years later, you still wonโt believe these photos and stats from Hurricane Ike
With estimated maximum sustained winds of nearly 110 mph, Ike made landfall over Galveston Island as a Category 2 Hurricane at 2:10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. The storm killed dozens of people and caused $29.5 billion in damages, becoming one of the most devastating hurricanes in U.S. history.
Idaโs Impact: See videos, warnings being shared on social media of devastating storm
While Hurricane Ida continues to hammer Louisiana with powerful winds, images of the storm and the destruction are being shared on social media along with warnings for people in Idaโs path to continue to be careful.
Can We Stop Hurricanes?
Every Hurricane season I get emails or questions during my speeches about stopping a hurricane, especially when they are still small disturbances. Before they grow into these large, deadly, destructive monsters, isnโt there something we can do to stop them dead in their tracks?
On 4th anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, Harris County Flood Control District says all flood-prone improvement projects have started
On the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, the Harris County Flood Control District announced that all projects that are part of a multi-billion-dollar post Harvey bond program have begun.
Whatโs a hurricane tip you wish you had learned sooner?
Whether youโve experienced a bad storm yourself, or maybe it was your friends or relatives who had to survive the ordeal, itโs better to ask these questions before weโre in the midst of a disaster: Have you ever received advice about how to prepare for a hurricane that really stuck with you?
Tropical Depression Claudette continues to quickly move into the Deep South
Tropical Depression Claudette continues its move across the Gulf coast states this morning, dropping heavy rain and tornadoes along the way. Latest coordinates continue to show an ENE movement at an increased speed of 17mph with the center in Georgia, heading toward the east coast. It is expected to strengthen once again into a tropical storm as it nears the Carolina coast. Later tonight and into Monday.
WMO retires several hurricane names; says goodbye to Greek alphabet names
HOUSTON โ The World Meteorological Organizationโs (WMO) Hurricane Committee held its annual meeting from March 15 to 17. They cited several reasons for their decision:Often, there is more focus on the use of the Greek alphabet for names rather than the storm itself, which leads to less-than-optimal communication of important information. Greek alphabet names can be confusing when translating to different languages. The WMO will replace the Greek alphabet names with a supplemental list of names that start with A, B, C, D, and so on, all the way down the alphabet with the exception of Q, U, X, Y, and Z. AdThe supplemental list of names agreed upon for Atlantic hurricanes is:AdriaBraylenCaridadDeshawnEmeryFosterGemmaHeathIslaJacobusKenzieLucioMakaylaNolanOrlandaPaxRoninSophieTayshaunVivianaWillPacific storms will also have a supplemental list, which you can view here.
What is left of Iota continues to soak Central America
HOUSTON โ Iota was the 30th named storm and the 13th hurricane in this record-setting 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. 4 Hurricane Eta decimated the same area. What is left of Iota is still producing rain over Central America but the focus now switches to the long road to recovery for Honduras and Nicaragua, both hard hit by Eta and Iota. The calendar might say mid November and hurricane season does end November 30th but the tropics are still busy. Neither spot would threat the U.S. but they could be a concern for hard hit Central America.
Eta remains a strong tropical storm heading to Florida
HOUSTON โ The storm is expected to weaken just slightly down to a strong tropical storm before making landfall somewhere between Cedar Key and Clearwater, Florida by this evening. It will bring heavy rain, wind and up to a 2-3 foot storm surge during high tide across central and NW Florida coastline. Eta is approaching the central Florida coastline this eveningEta will move across Florida tonight and tomorrowWe might be nearing the end of hurricane season but the tropics are still very busy! Tropical Storm Theta is churning in the north Atlantic heading towards Spain and Portugal and we will likely be looking at โIotaโ over the next few days tracking in the Caribbean towards Central America. Busy TropicsTHETA marks the 29th named storm of the 2020 season breaking the record for the most named tropical systems in a hurricane season.
Winds and rain whip Yucatan resorts as Hurricane Zeta nears
Clouds gather over Playa Gaviota Azul as Tropical Storm Zeta approaches Cancun, Mexico, early Monday morning, Oct. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Garcia)MIAMI โ Hurricane Zeta lashed Mexico's Caribbean coast resorts around Tulum with high winds and rain Monday night as it headed toward the Yucatan Peninsula and then a possible landfall on the central U.S. Gulf Coast at midweek. It was the second time this month that boat captain Francisco Sosa Rosado had to perform the same maneuver, after Hurricane Delta hit the resort in early October. Trees felled by Hurricane Delta barely three weeks earlier still littered parts of Cancun, stacked along roadsides and in parks. There was also a Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005, but that year had 28 storms because meteorologists later went back and found they missed one, which then became an โunnamed named storm."
Hurricane Epsilon now a major hurricane, continues to close in towards Bermuda as it meanders in the Atlantic
Epsilon is the 27th tropical system of the 2020 Hurricane Season. Thankfully Epsilon is in the central Atlantic and projected to stay in the central Atlantic not threatening the East Coast of the United States. Late Thursday night Epsilon will approach Bermuda as a Category 2 hurricane, but a direct hit to the island is not anticipated. After passing east of Bermuda, it will turn eastward into the north-central Atlantic. EpsilonBeyond Epsilon, there is one spot we are watching in the Northwest Caribbean that has a 20% chance for development.
Hereโs what KPRC 2 reporters saw as Hurricane Delta made landfall in Louisiana and near southeast Texas
Hurricane Delta made landfall Friday evening as a Category 2 storm with winds of 100 mph near Creole, Louisiana. Here is what KPRC 2 reporters saw in parts of Louisiana and Texas as the storm pushed through:Lake Charles, LouisianaJenning, LouisianaPort Arthur, TexasGalveston
Can we retire a Greek hurricane name? Delta made us wonder.
Louisiana residents who are still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexicoโs Yucatan Peninsula, the Associated Press reported. โThey do not retire Greek alphabet storm names -- at least so far,โ Gross said. The last time we went through all the letters of the alphabet and moved on to the Greek alphabet was 2005. In 2005, a record-breaking year of devastating hurricanes, we made it through six Greek letters. The Committee also agreed that it was not practical to retire into hurricane history a letter in the Greek alphabet.
Galveston, Jamaica Beach residents prepare for Hurricane Delta
JAMAICA BEACH, Texas โ It hasnโt even been a month since Tropical Storm Beta led to coastal flooding across southeast Texas. However, residents in Galveston and Jamaica Beach are preparing once again for what Hurricane Delta could bring. The weather was perfect along Jamaica Beach on Wednesday. Many Texans are already fatigued after Hurricane Laura and Tropical Storm Beta. Smith lives in Jamaica Beach and is moving all his items upstairs.
What to know about Deltaโs direction
Two storms in the Gulf (again) looks to be the headline this week with Gamma having trouble with the kickstart due to wind shear and eventually being absorbed by stronger Delta. Right now, Delta is forecast to become a Category 2 hurricane with 105-mph winds headed toward Louisiana. The Florida high is still there (this is an extension of the Bermuda High), but itโs been beaten down a bit by our cold fronts. And as you can see on the forecast map below, a low-pressure system in the upper atmosphere is expected to be over Texas by mid-week. Right now, the only immediate concerns are at the coast with 1-2โฒ higher tides, rip currents and off-shore seas of 6-9โฒ.
4 weeks later, Hurricane Laura evacuees in Houston hope to go home soon
HOUSTON โ The process of rebuilding and cleaning up from Hurricane Laura is something that will take a lot more time. Helping Hurricane Laura VictimsFrom cleanup to rebuilding and serving food, there are several organizations on the ground working daily in Louisiana to help hurricane victims rebuild. Houston Food BankThe Houston Food Bank is part of a larger network of food banks with several close to the disaster zone in Louisiana. Mercy ChefsMercy Chefs was founded after Hurricane Katrina to provide meals to those affected by the storm. You can help provide someone with a night stay by donating online.
Bye, Bye Beta
HOUSTON โ Rain is the only thing left of Beta and it is moving through the Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. This batch of rain will continue to push into the mid-Atlantic states Friday before moving off shore this weekend. Here is a look at what Beta left behind in Southeast Texas:Heavy Rain with Storm Totals over 12โฒ'! Beta has dropped over a foot of rain in some locations in southern Metro Houston. The heaviest rain fell from Ellington Field and Pearland to west Houston.
How Houston-area first responders train and prepare for storms like Beta
HOUSTON โ With Tropical Storm Beta bashing the Gulf coast, first responders may get a chance to put some unique training to the test. Inside a warehouse near Austin, Rick Cummins trains the next generation of water rescuers at his Fathom Academy. Since it opened two and a half years ago, Cummins has trained about 300 first responders, with more than 90% of them from the Houston area. The goal is to put them in real-life flooding scenarios that weโve seen in recent years, including Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda. Cummins also had tips for people who might find themselves stuck in high water and in need of rescue.
Here are the Houston-area evacuations issued for Tropical Storm Beta
HOUSTON โ Houston-area officials are issuing voluntary evacuations and disaster declarations as Tropical Storm Beta continues to brew in the Gulf of Mexico. Bolivar PeninsulaGalveston County Judge Mark Henry issued a voluntary evacuation order, effective 9 a.m. Saturday. Chambers CountyChambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia issued a disaster declaration on Saturday in advance of Tropical Storm Beta. Those residents whose homes have been affected in past high rain or high storm surge events should consider moving to higher ground. Lake HoustonHouston Public Works is temporarily lowering Lake Houston from 42 feet to 41.5 feet in anticipation of Tropical Storm Beta.
Voluntary evacuation issued for low-lying coastal areas in Brazoria County
HOUSTON โ Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta issued a voluntary evacuation Saturday for low-lying coastal areas outside the protection levee, beginning Saturday at 4 p.m.Officials also closed county beaches to vehicular traffic due to current high tides and impending storm surge, starting Saturday at 6 p.m.Officials said all coastal residents and visitors need to continue to stay up-to-date on Tropical Storm Beta, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and conditions along the coast could change quickly. Those along the coast need to be prepared and have a plan if conditions worsen, the county said.
Will Beta be another Harvey? Not likely. Hereโs why.
This dry air is being drawn into Betaโs circulation, causing the storm to be very off-balance, or lopsided. The orange coloring to the left (west) shows dry air. Dry air is stable. Dry air intrusion will keep Beta from strengthening. Wind shear will continue to be somewhat of a problem for Beta as it works its way toward the Texas coast.
What to know about slow moving Tropical Storms
HOUSTON โ Well, that was fast....Wilfred has formed in the far eastern Atlantic and Alpha formed off the coast of Portugal late this morning! Our Tropical Depression 22 will get the name BETA. If thereโs one thing that is not Greek to me, itโs that this will be a slow mover and slow movers drop a lot of rain. And weโve had our share of storms that get โstuckโ between competing high-pressure systems. Effectively, the storm gets stuck, meanders, and eventually gets pushed one way or the other.
8M pounds of pollutants released before and after Hurricane Laura but air quality monitors were taken offline
HOUSTON โ As Hurricane Laura barreled toward the Gulf Coast a few weeks ago, in and around Houston, plants and refineries scrambled to shut down. During the shutdown and restart process surrounding Hurricane Laura, energy companies reported to TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) that 8 million pounds of emissions were released in Harris, Brazoria, Jefferson and Orange counties. Thereโs some opinion there but hereโs a fact:During that exact same period that refineries shut down for Hurricane Laura, the state of Texas unplugged its air quality monitors in the stormโs path. Our stateโs version of the Environmental Protection Agency is the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). See what TCEQ did in response to Hurricane Laura.
LIVE STREAM: Hurricane Sally makes landfall on northern Gulf Coast
Aaron Barker has been a senior digital editor at KPRC 2 since 2016. As a meteorologist, he specializes in stories about the weather. He has covered Hurricane Harvey, the Astros first World Series win, the Santa Fe High School shooting, the ITC fire and Tropical Storm Imelda.
โHuge rainmakerโ: Hurricane Sally threatens historic floods
ALABAMA PORT, Al โ Hurricane Sally is expected to make landfall sometime Wednesday morning. The stormโs center churned offshore 70 miles (115 kilometers) south of Mobile, Alabama, as Sally crept northward toward an expected Wednesday landfall at 2 mph (3 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. Rain fell sideways and rain began covering roads in Pensacola, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama. The National Hurricane Center expected Sally to remain a Category 1 hurricane when it comes ashore, adding โhistoric life-threatening flash flooding is likely.โBy Tuesday evening, hurricane warnings stretched from east of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Navarre, Florida. Once ashore, Sally was forecast to cause flash floods and minor to moderate river flooding across inland portions of Mississippi, Alabama, northern Georgia and the western Carolinas over ensuing days.
New research predicts Houston will have longer, hotter summers, more intense hurricanes
HOUSTON โ The Climate Impact Assessment for the City of Houston was released Monday, which includes its forecast for Houstonโs long-term climate. The assessment focuses on temperature and precipitation in Greater Houston and was spearheaded by Texas Tech Climate Centerโs Amy Stoner and Katharine Hayhoe for the city of Houston. (Houston's Climate Future report/Texas Tech Climate Center/City of Houston)โ(Houstonians could see the) average high going from 99 degrees to 106 or 109 degrees,โ Cottingham said. (Houston's Climate Future report/Texas Tech Climate Center/City of Houston)Cottingham said the forecast has important implications for future planning in regards to the cityโs infrastructure, energy and water resources, public services and health and welfare. You can find more information on the city of Houstonโs climate action website.
Neighbors helping neighbors in preparation for Hurricane Sally in Mississippi
Wind is always a concern with strong Hurricanes, but it is the storm surge most coastal residents truly fear. Hurricane Sally is expected to inundate much of the Mississippi coastline. Mandatory evacuations have already been called and much of the coast is now shutting down. Gulfport, Biloxi and several other Mississippi coastal towns are scrambling to finish prepping homes and businesses ahead of Hurricane Sallyโs landfall.
What Happens when we run out of Hurricane Names?
Tropical Storm Teddy's track forecast and looks like it will make Cat 3 strengthAnd the truth is, weโre almost out of names! Theyโve chosen not to use five letters--Q, U, X, Y and Z-- because, apparently, those letters are hard to find names for. Hereโs the 2020 list: Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gonzalo Hanna Isaias Josephine Kyle Laura Marco Nana Omar Paulette Rene Sally Teddy Vicky WilfredWe ran out of names in 2005 (the Katrina/Rita year) when the National Hurricane Center named 27 storms--six of them got Greek alphabet names. What happens if we have a Greek alphabet storm that causes catastrophic damage or death and the name needs to be retired? I reached out to Dennis Feltgen, Communications & Public Affairs Officer at the National Hurricane Center, and asked him exactly what would happen.
Is Houston-area prepared for a major hurricane? A status update on projects seeking to mitigate impact
However, a project to protect Galveston Bay down to San Luis pass from storm surge is still in the planning stages. He and his colleagues have also recently proposed a plan to help mitigate storm surge in the bay. Storm surge removed or redistributed sand and dune areas along the entire beachfront on Galveston Island. Entergys response:ETI regularly inspects the transmission system and repairs and replaces components in order to keep the system in good working order. This enhanced the current transmission infrastructure with more modern and efficient technology to better serve the region.
Tip Tuesday: Tips for preparing your home and HVAC system for hurricanes
Electrical surges from lightning strikes during the storm can damage your A/C unit. There is also a chance that debris could get stuck in your outdoor unit and burn out the motor. Cover your outdoor A/C unit. Dont forget to assess the storm damage before you turn your system back on. Also, storm winds many cause disconnections within your AC unit, which could lead to toxic refrigerant leaks.
Water, power could take up to 2 months to restore for residents in Lake Charles
It could take up to two months before water and power is restored to the area. โItโs just emotional coming down the road just glad to still have a roof,โ Jimmy Cormier said. โThereโs no running water but there (are) places that give water, but there is no way to keep it cold,โ Mouton said. โJust trying to get things moved out the way and rebuild.โMouton said they have family in Ragley, Louisiana. She was told it could take up to two months before power and water are restored.
How Houstonians are helping hurricane survivors in Louisiana
HOUSTON โ The food made at six Houston restaurants will soon be headed to Louisiana and areas hit hard by Hurricane Laura. โWe just feel like they helped us during Harvey so how do we return what they did for us,โ said Ben McPherson, owner of BOH Pasta. โFor every $5 donated, weโre going to create one meal that weโre going to take over to Louisiana to feed everybody,โ he said. โJust having a nice meal while you have a lot of other things to worry about is just a nice, comforting thing,โ said Steve Sharma, owner of El Big Bad. โMany years ago during Harvey, we had some of our neighbors from Louisiana come down here and help us out so we wanted to return the favor,โ Sharma said.
Residents, volunteers begin clean up process in Orange, Texas after Laura
ORANGE, Texas โ Debris, snapped polls and downed trees are now a familiar sight in the small city of Orange, Texas. Basham drove 1.5 hours over to Orange to help homeowners like George Lambing cut and clear trees from their neighborhoodโs roads. Debrah Walker didnโt see Laura, but she heard it. I thought the window was going to cave in, but it didnโt,โ Walker laughed. Orange, the easternmost city of Texas on the other side of the Sabine River, got hit the hardest in the state.