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☆ Factbox: Hurricane Lee intensifies into major storm, roars toward Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A composite image shows Hurricane Lee churning towards the Caribbean after intensifying into a major storm, September 8, 2023. How powerful is Hurricane Lee? Lee is packing maximum sustained winds of 165 miles (265 km) per hour, making it a Category 5 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which is based on a storm's sustained wind speed. If Hurricane Lee makes landfall as a Category 5, it could cause catastrophic damage and destroy a high percentage of framed homes. Lee adds to a busy hurricane season that has thus far set a pace above average on several measures, including named storms, named storm days and major hurricane days, Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach said.

Persons: Lee, Handout, Philip Klotzbach, Brendan O'Brien, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Handout REUTERS, Simpson, National Weather Service, Northern, U.S . East, National Hurricane Center, Colorado State University, Thomson Locations: Caribbean, Northern Leeward, Leeward Islands, Virginia Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S . East Coast, Canada, Bermuda, Chicago

☆ Category 4 Hurricane Lee 'rapidly strengthening' across Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 7 (Reuters) - Hurricane Lee has intensified to a Category 4 storm and is "rapidly strengthening" as it churns through the Caribbean on Thursday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported. In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has pre-deployed assets and is coordinating with local officials ahead of the storm, the Biden administration said. The hurricane was packing winds up to 130 mph (215 kph) by 5 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time (2100 GMT) on Thursday, and additional strengthening was expected at night, the Miami-based hurricane center said. Lee is expected to remain powerful through the next several days, the NHC added. Reporting by Kylie Madry; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Aurora Ellis; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lee, Biden, Kylie Madry, Jeff Mason, Aurora Ellis, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, National Hurricane Center, U.S ., Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, British, NHC, Thomson Locations: Caribbean, Puerto Rico, U.S, U.S . Virgin Islands, Miami, Lesser, U.S . Virgin Islands , Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Bahamas, Bermuda

☆ Lee to Become 'Major Hurricane' Over Weekend as It Chugs Across Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Hurricane Lee, a Category 2 storm, was "rapidly strengthening" as it churned through the Caribbean on Thursday, the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has pre-deployed assets and is coordinating with local officials ahead of the storm, the Biden administration said. However, the hurricane is likely to miss Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as it moves northwest, the NHC's estimated storm path showed. "The potential for tropical storm conditions to occur in the islands is decreasing, but residents there should continue to monitor updates on Lee," the NHC said. Lee is expected to remain powerful through the next several days, the NHC added.

Persons: Hurricane Lee, Biden, Lee, Kylie Madry, Jeff Mason, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Reuters, Hurricane Center, U.S ., Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, NHC, Puerto Rico, British Locations: Caribbean, U.S, Puerto Rico, U.S . Virgin Islands, Lesser, U.S . Virgin Islands , Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Bahamas, Bermuda

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Lee strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday as it churned through the open waters of the Atlantic on a path that would take it near the northeast Caribbean. The hurricane was located about 1,130 miles (1,815 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. “It has the potential to become a powerhouse Category 5 hurricane, the strongest hurricane of the year,” said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist for AccuWeather. Lee is the 12th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Persons: Lee, Maria, Irma, ”, Jonathan Porter, Jova Organizations: JUAN, National Hurricane Center, British Virgin Islands, AccuWeather, Atlantic, National Weather Service, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Puerto Rico, Leeward, British Virgin, U.S, San Juan, Mexico, Baja California

☆ Lee strengthens to hurricane, could approach Category 5 strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lee was located about 1,130 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, the center said. Imagine Lee headed into 1983 waters east of the Leeward Islands (27.5C)- 2023 Lee has 29.5C to work with- an astounding difference. The last Category 5 hurricane to roam the Atlantic basin was 2022’s Hurricane Ian. Lee will ramp up in intensity as the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season approaches. Sunday, September 10, is the climatological peak of Atlantic hurricane season, when the basin is at its busiest on average.

Persons: CNN — Lee, Lee, It’s, Jason Dunion, Hurricane Idalia, David Zierden, “, ” Zierden, — Eric Blake 🌀, eason –, ”, ike, eason Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, Eastern Seaboard, Leeward, NOAA’s Hurricane Field, Hurricane, ust, tate Locations: Caribbean, Leeward Islands, Windward, Gulf of Mexico, Leeward, ath

☆ Possible Hurricane Lee: The Atlantic's next major hurricane is expected by this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tropical Depression 13 formed Tuesday morning in the central tropical Atlantic, almost 1,000 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. The depression is expected to become a tropical storm later Tuesday. The next tropical storm will be given the name Lee. The hurricane is expected to grow significantly stronger by the weekend and is forecast to become the season’s third Category 3 or stronger hurricane as the weekend begins. Sunday, September 10, is the climatological peak of Atlantic hurricane season, when the basin is at its busiest on average.

Persons: Lee, Don, Franklin, Idalia, Philip Klotzbach Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, Hurricane, Hispaniola –, Labor, Colorado State University Locations: Cabo Verde Islands, Leeward Islands, Caribbean, Leeward Islands , Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Bahamas, East Coast, New Jersey

☆ Tropical Storm Lee to intensify into extremely dangerous hurricane -US hurricane center
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Sept 5 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Lee was forming east of the Lesser Antilles and was expected to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous hurricane by the weekend, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory late on Tuesday. The storm was located about 1,315 miles (2,115 km) east of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph), the Miami-based forecaster said. Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Storm Lee, Ashitha, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Lesser, U.S, National Hurricane Center, Thomson Locations: Lesser, Caribbean, Miami, Bengaluru

☆ What’s Next for Hurricane Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a typical Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, August is the ramp-up to September’s peak. This season came to life almost overnight in mid-August, producing a record four named storms in less than 48 hours. This season’s third hurricane, Idalia, formed on Aug. 29, 10 days earlier than average. It struck the southeastern U.S. last week as a Category 3 hurricane and caused a dangerous storm surge, wind damage and flooding. Only eight other hurricane seasons in more than 100 years of record-keeping have matched that pace, according to Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane expert at Colorado State University.

Persons: Idalia, Phil Klotzbach, Hurricane Katrina, Ida, Eric Blake, ” Organizations: Colorado State University, They, Hurricane, National Hurricane Center

☆ After Hitting the Southeast, Idalia to Strengthen and Approach Bermuda
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Chris Stanford | More About Chris Stanford | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The remnants of Hurricane Idalia were forecast to regain strength and become a tropical storm again over the weekend as it approached Bermuda, days after the storm made landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast and swept across the Southeast. At 11 p.m. Eastern time, the storm was 45 miles southwest of Bermuda, where a tropical storm warning was in effect. The warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the area within 36 hours. The storm’s center will move near or to the south of Bermuda on Saturday. Tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 240 miles from the center.

Persons: Hurricane Organizations: National Hurricane Center Locations: Bermuda, Coast

PERRY, Florida, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Idalia began on Thursday along Florida's Gulf Coast, where property damage, loss of life and power disruptions paled in comparison to the last major hurricane that struck the state nearly a year ago. "The bad news type calls we were accustomed to during Ian, those were not happening during this storm," DeSantis said at a late-afternoon news conference on Wednesday. Florida Highway Patrol reported that two motorists had died in separate rain-related crashes early Wednesday before Idalia made landfall. Reuters Graphics[1/3]A vehicle is seen in a canal after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2023. The same region, featuring a marshy coast and threaded with freshwater springs and rivers, was devastated by a major hurricane in 1896.

Persons: Hurricane Idalia, Idalia, Ron DeSantis, Perry, Ian, DeSantis, Cheney Orr, Jared Perdue, Casey DeSantis, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Marco Bello, Joey Roulette, Rich McKay, Brendan O'Brien, Brad Brooks, Kanishka Singh, Jeff Mason, Nandita Bose, Steve Gorman, Michael Perry Organizations: Hurricane, National Guard, UBS, Florida Highway Patrol, Reuters, REUTERS, HIT, state's Transportation Department, Reuters Graphics Reuters, National Hurricane Center, NHC, Thomson Locations: PERRY, Florida, Gulf Coast, Keaton, Florida's Big Bend, Taylor, Hernando counties, St . Petersburg, Georgia, Horseshoe Beach , Florida, U.S, Florida's, Big Bend, Gulf, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Bend, Hillsborough County, Tampa, Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, South Carolina, North Carolina, Steinhatchee , Florida, Cedar Key , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Atlanta, Chicago, Longmont , Colorado, Washington

Higher winds. In a 2018 paper, Dr. Kossin wrote that hurricanes over the United States had slowed 17 percent since 1947. Dr. Kossin likened the problem to walking around your back yard while using a hose to spray water on the ground. Because warmer water helps fuel hurricanes, climate change is enlarging the zone where hurricanes can form. There is a “migration of tropical cyclones out of the tropics and toward subtropics and middle latitudes,” Dr. Kossin said.

Persons: ”, James P, Kerry Emanuel, “, Kossin, “ you’ll, Emanuel, Dr Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hurricanes, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Hurricane Center, Researchers Locations: United States, subtropics, Japan

☆ Hurricane Idalia's price tag could cost $20 billion in damage, according to Moody's Analytics
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Hurricane Idalia caused billions of dollars in damage, but the price tag won’t be nearly as high as other major hurricanes, Moody’s Analytics said Thursday. According to preliminary cost estimates from Moody’s, Hurricane Idalia caused between $12 billion and $20 billion in damage and lost output. For context, Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Western Florida last year as a Category 4 storm, caused an estimated $112.9 billion of total damage in the United States, according to the National Hurricane Center. Not only that, but Kamins notes that property values in the Big Bend are lower than the rest of the state. Moody’s RMS plans to release official estimates of insured losses in the next two weeks.

Persons: Idalia, Ian, Adam Kamins, Kamins, ” Kamins Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, Moody’s Locations: Moody’s, Western Florida, United States, Florida’s Big Bend

Higher winds. In a 2018 paper, Dr. Kossin wrote that hurricanes over the United States had slowed 17 percent since 1947. Because warmer water helps fuel hurricanes, climate change is enlarging the zone where hurricanes can form. There is a “migration of tropical cyclones out of the tropics and toward subtropics and middle latitudes,” Dr. Kossin said. If a tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane develops into a Category 4 hurricane overnight, he said, “there’s no time to evacuate people.”

☆ See August’s second supermoon and bright Saturn in the night sky
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —August began with a bright supermoon and will end the same way as another one lights up the night sky this week. ET, the bright glow of Saturn will appear about 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon. Over the course of the evening, Saturn will appear to move clockwise around the moon, according to NASA. The second full moon in one month is also known as a blue moon, like the phrase “once in a blue moon,” according to NASA. This results in a blue moon about every 2.5 years, and the last one occurred in August 2021.

Persons: CNN —, Saturn, Jamie Rhome, Raksha, ●, Leonids, Geminids, Ursids Organizations: CNN, NASA, Hurricane Idalia, National Hurricane Center, August’s, Farmers, Meteor Locations: Hurricane, North, Central, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, South Africa

☆ Florida: Category 3 Hurricane Idalia threatens to hit state as an even stronger storm Wednesday, and conditions are already deteriorating
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It could be the first major hurricane at Category 3 or stronger to hit the Big Bend region. ET, with sustained winds 120 mph winds that are projected to grow stronger as it approaches the state, the hurricane center said. Tampa, well south of the projected landfall area, was also bracing for Idalia’s wrath and seeing storm surge beginning to flood streets Tuesday. • Much of Florida under state of emergency: DeSantis has issued an emergency declaration to 49 of 67 Florida counties. “Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina on Wednesday,” the hurricane center said Tuesday evening.

Persons: Idalia, “, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ” DeSantis, ” Perry, Lee Bercaw, ” Bercaw, Jamie Rhome, Mayor Heath Davis, Levy, •, Florida won’t, “ Idalia Organizations: CNN, National Guard, National Hurricane Center, Fort Myers, National Weather Service, Florida, Florida Gov, Big, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Tampa Police, Mayor, Florida Gulf, • Travel, Tampa International Airport, Pete, Clearwater International, •, Guard, Pasadena Hospital, HCA, HCA Florida Trinity West Hospital, HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, Florida Department of Corrections, Carolinas, North Carolina Locations: Florida’s, Big Bend, Bend, Cedar Key , Florida, Madeira Beach, Fort, Fort Myers Beach, Tallahassee, Apalachee, Panhandle, Taylor, Florida, Idalia’s, Perry, Tampa, Florida Gulf Coast, Alachua, Baker, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Madison , Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Pasco , Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Suwannee, Sumter, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, HCA Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North, North Carolina

STEINHATCHEE, Florida, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Florida's Gulf Coast braced on Wednesday for fierce winds, torrential rain and surging seawater from Idalia, forecast to become "an extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane, as it swirled toward a direct hit on the state's Big Bend region. Most of Florida's 21 million residents, and many in the adjacent states of Georgia and South Carolina, were under hurricane warnings and other storm-related advisories. Any storm reaching Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane. 1 killer in all of these storms is water," Deanne Criswell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's administrator, said on CNN. Idalia-related disruptions extended to Florida's Atlantic coast at Cape Canaveral, where the Tuesday launch of a rocket carrying a U.S. Space Force intelligence satellite was delayed indefinitely.

Persons: Kevin Guthrie, Rene Hoffman, Idalia, Steve Pizzano, Adrees Latif, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Irma, Michael, Ian, DeSantis, Milton Bontrager, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Marco Bello, Joey Roulette, Rich McKay, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Brad Brooks, Brendan O'Brien, Nandita Bose, Steve Gorman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters Graphics Reuters, National Hurricane Center, NHC, REUTERS, Federal Emergency Management, CNN, White, Florida, Republican, U.S . Space Force, Tampa International Airport, National Guard, Thomson Locations: STEINHATCHEE, Florida, Idalia, Bend, Gulf of Mexico, Georgia, South Carolina, Steinhatchee , Florida, Miami, Cedar Key , Florida, Gulf Coast, North, Sarasota, Apalachicola Bay ., Clearwater Beach , Florida, U.S, Gulf, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Cape Canaveral, Cuba, Tampa , Florida, Atlanta, Havana, Guanimar, Longmont , Colorado, Chicago, Washington

☆ Hurricane Idalia slams Florida coast with 'catastrophic' storm surge, damaging winds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hurricane Idalia is moving inland after slamming into Florida's Big Bend coast Wednesday morning as an "extremely dangerous" storm with maximum sustained winds of more than 100 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center warned that catastrophic storm surges were occurring along the coast. Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach, less than 90 miles from the state capital, Tallahassee, around 8 a.m. ET as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour. The storm has since weakened slightly to a Category 2 with maximum winds of 110 miles per hour.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Idalia, DeSantis Organizations: National Hurricane Center, National Guard, Coast Guard Locations: Big Bend, Florida, Keaton, Tallahassee

☆ See inside a hurricane hunter flight as Idalia became a Category 4
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Victoria Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He said the storm was intensifying so rapidly that it would have a ton of spin up tornadoes and rough turbulence. This was called the landfall flight – technically the last flight before the storm made landfall. Inside a WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft on a mission over Hurricane Idalia. From the moment we penetrate the storm, he’s focused on the radar, looking for those tornado signatures and rough turbulence. Pilot was ‘kind of new to this’On the flight deck, there are little bunk beds for the pilots.

Persons: Dorian, Victoria Kennedy, Zach McDermott, he’s, I’m, I’ve, biggie, “, ”, ‘, we’re, they’ve, Keesler, McDermott’s, He’s, “ Will Organizations: CNN, US Air Force Reserve, 130J, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Keesler Air Force Base, Hercules, Idalia, National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Idalia Locations: Bahamas, Biloxi , Mississippi, Florida’s Big Bend, Tampa, Bend, Gulf, Florida, Victoria

☆ Boeing suspends South Carolina operations due to Hurricane Idalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Boeing employees assemble 787s inside their main assembly building on their campus in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., May 30, 2023. Gavin McIntyre/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) suspended operations in South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon due to Hurricane Idalia, a spokesperson said. "We will continue to assess the storm’s impact to employees and our operations," the spokesperson said. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency for the state on Tuesday due to the potential effects of the storm. Idalia is projected to move along the coast of South Carolina on Wednesday night, the National Hurricane Center said earlier Wednesday.

Persons: Gavin McIntyre, Idalia, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Valerie Insinna, Chris Reese, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Boeing, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South, South Carolina Governor, National Hurricane Center, Thomson Locations: North Charleston , South Carolina, U.S, South Carolina, North Charleston, Ladson

The weather system is not expected to hit major oil producing platforms in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. However, oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N) evacuated some staff from three platforms in the region. Expectations of a steep decline in U.S. crude oil stockpiles have also benefited oil prices, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. U.S. crude oil inventories are expected to have dropped by 3.3 million barrels in the latest week, according to an extended Reuters poll on Tuesday. "Even with the potential for some demand destruction (from hurricane Idalia), the coming crude oil supply squeeze is becoming more painfully obvious," said Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn.

Persons: Hurricane Idalia, Idalia, Robert Yawger, Yawger, Giovanni Staunovo, Baker Hughes, Phil Flynn, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Emily Chow, Josie Kao, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Companies, Florida U.S, Hurricane, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Federal Reserve, Hurricane Center, Labor, Chevron Corp, Chevron, UBS, American Petroleum Institute, Futures, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, BENGALURU, Florida, Miami, U.S . Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, Bengaluru, London, Singapore, Houston

☆ Explainer: What to expect when Hurricane Idalia hits Florida Wednesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Julia Harte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Men cut plywood in front of a store ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Cedar Key, Florida, U.S., August 29, 2023. It is expected to reach Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale, qualifying it as a major hurricane, before reaching Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). EVACUATION ZONESAuthorities are scrambling to move thousands of Florida residents out of danger before nightfall. At least 23 Florida counties have posted evacuation orders on their websites or social media pages as of Tuesday morning, including for parts of Tampa. DISRUPTIONSEven Floridians not under evacuation orders should expect disruptions as a result of Idalia, from power outages to shuttered schools and businesses.

Persons: Marco Bello, Idalia, Irma, Michael, Ian, Idalia's, Ron DeSantis, Julia Harte, Andy Sullivan Organizations: REUTERS, National Hurricane Center, NHC, National Guard, Tampa International Airport, Thomson Locations: Cedar Key , Florida, U.S, Florida's Gulf Coast, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, of Mexico, Cuba, Gulf Coast, Bend, ., Apalachicola Bay, Tampa, Sarasota, Citrus County

☆ What Do Hurricane Categories Mean?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Jesus Jiménez | More About Jesus Jiménez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hurricanes are categorized by their wind speeds on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Hurricanes are split into five categories based on the wind speeds they produce:Category 1: winds between 74 m.p.h. To be considered a “major” hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center, a storm must reach Category 3 or above. A hurricane’s strength matters because it helps meteorologists give residents in its path an idea of what type of damage is possible. A Category 2 hurricane, for example, has the potential to cause major roof damage to homes, snap or uproot shallowly rooted trees, and knock out power in an area for days to weeks.

Persons: Herb Saffir, Bob Simpson Organizations: Hurricanes, National Hurricane Center

Ian killed 75 people in Lee County, nearly half of the statewide death toll of 149, officials said. At that point, the National Hurricane Center flagged the possibility of a storm surge covering much of Cape Coral and Fort Myers. Parts of Fort Myers Beach had a 40 percent chance of a six-foot-high storm surge, according to the surge forecasts. In Lee County officials said they were waiting to make an assessment the next morning. Officials expanded their evacuation order later in the morning, and by the middle of the afternoon, Lee County officials were more urgent in their recommendation.

Persons: Ian, Lee County, Ron DeSantis, Lee, Fort Myers, ” Organizations: National Hurricane Service, National Hurricane Center, Fort Myers, Facebook Locations: Florida, Tampa, Fort Myers, Lee County, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, State, Coral, Fort, Cape Coral, Neighboring Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Charlotte, Sarasota County, Lee

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