Aid agencies sound the alarm as Israel's Gaza blockade enters a second month    Asian markets plunge as Trump's global tariff turmoil deepens    Trump's crackdown on university protests is casting a long shadow    Le Pen vows to fight conviction but large-scale protests fail to materialize    Al-Jasser: work is underway to restructure and develop aviation infrastructure    KAU to host Digital Communication Conference in Jeddah from April 29 to May 1    TGA: Riyadh tops with 45% of 290 million orders delivered in 2024    Diriyah to host third IMFC Deputies meeting under Saudi chairmanship    15,135 decisions taken to penalize Saudis and expats for violations    Saudi-European Parliamentary Friendship Committee discusses cooperation during Strasbourg visit    Saudi stock market loses half a trillion riyals, with Aramco's losses amounting to SR340 billion Tariff turmoil rattles Gulf markets    Benzema rescues Al Ittihad with stoppage-time equalizer in thrilling Jeddah Derby    Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq share spoils in tense Eastern Derby stalemate    Moussa Diaby praises Al Ittihad's resilience after Jeddah Derby draw "When you can't win, you take a point"    Saudi assistant referee Iman Al Madani joins AFC elite list for 2025    Riyadh Art Week launches with over 50 galleries showcasing global artistic dialogue    Turki Al-Sheikh announces five new Saudi film projects to be produced in Riyadh    Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Southeastern US braces for 'catastrophic' Hurricane Helene
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 26 - 09 - 2024

The category one storm is on track to intensify quickly into a dangerous category four hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida on Thursday evening local time, with official forecasts and warnings describing its likely impacts as "catastrophic", "life-threatening" and "unsurvivable".
The governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia have declared states of emergency ahead of the storm's landfall.
Mexico's Yucatán peninsula and the tourist resorts of Cancún and Cozumel were spared major damage when the hurricane skirted its northeastern coast but failed to make landfall.
Torrential rains caused flooding in parts of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.
Videos uploaded by tourists and locals in Cancún showed buses attempting to drive through flooded streets in the area where many of the city's hotels are located.
But the state's governor said there had been no casualties and officials reported that power was being restored to areas where it had been cut.
The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the category one hurricane was moving north at 12mph (19km/h) through the Gulf of Mexico and was expected to strengthen rapidly, threatening to unleash catastrophic winds and storm surge to the north-eastern Gulf Coast.
Hurricanes need sea surface temperatures of more than 27C (80F) to fuel them.
With exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf at 30-32C (86-89F), the sea surface is about two degrees Celsius above normal for the time of year.
This will supercharge Helene's development and bring about what meteorologists call "rapid intensification".
The NHC expects Helene to reach maximum strength as a category four major hurricane just before making landfall on Thursday evening local time in the Big Bend counties of Taylor, Jefferson and Wakulla.
It urged residents to rush their preparations to protect life and property before the hurricane's arrival.
At a news conference, the mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, also warned residents to be prepared.
"We have no more time left to wait," Mayor John Dailey said.
"We urge you to stay weather aware as we're on the verge of what could be... a historic event."
In Georgia, all public schools in Atlanta will close on Thursday and Friday because of the storm.
It has also affected the race for the White House, with the Republican candidate for vice president, JD Vance, canceling two events in Georgia that were planned for Thursday.
All across the south-eastern US, the storm could trigger "catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding", the NHC said.
The NHC has said that once it reaches the south-eastern United States, it is expected to "produce total rain accumulations of five to 10in" (12.7-25.4cm).
A flood watch has been issued from Florida to the southern Appalachians, with the worst-affected area predicted to be the Big Bend region in Florida.
Big Bend is where Hurricane Idalia made landfall in 2023. The area was also battered by Hurricane Debby last month.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has posted a list of the counties in which voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders have been issued ahead of Helene. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.