National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration News

Tropical Storm Josephine Sets Record for Fastest Atlantic Season

The Atlantic spun it 10th storm faster than any other hurricane season in records going back to 1851, and more are expected as August ends. Tropical Storm Josephine formed east of the Leewards, the arc of islands that separates the …

Hurricane Alpha? Amped Up Season Forecast, Names May Run Out

Already smashing records, this year’s hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season is about to get even nastier, forecasters predict. In the coming months, they expect to run out of traditional hurricane names and see about twice as much storm activity as a …

Watchdog Details Storm of Political Pressure in Sharpiegate

Political pressure from the White House and a series of “crazy in the middle of the night” texts, emails and phone calls caused top federal weather officials to wrongly admonish a weather office for a tweet that contradicted President Donald …

Hurricanes May Cause More Pain For Pandemic-hit Insurers

The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season on Monday could signal more steep losses for insurers and reinsurers, already battered by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their underwriting and investment positions. However, recent years of hefty damage …

Forecasters Predict Busy 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With forecasters predicting another intense Atlantic hurricane season with as many as 13 to 19 named storms, disaster preparedness experts say it’s critically important for people in evacuation zones to plan to stay with friends or …

Judge: Salvage Firm Can Recover Titanic’s Telegraph Machine

NORFOLK — A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a salvage firm can retrieve the Marconi wireless telegraph machine that broadcast distress calls from the sinking Titanic ocean liner. In an order released Monday, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach …

NOAA Study Says ‘Atmospheric Rivers’ Cause 84% of Flood Damage in the West

Climate change is spurring a new, deep dive into a complex, little-studied weather system blamed for creating billions of dollars in flood damage across the western U.S. Atmospheric rivers are narrow ribbons of concentrated moisture that originate in the Pacific …

Emails Show the Fallout from Trump’s Claims About Dorian

WASHINGTON — A flurry of newly released emails from scientists and top officials at the federal agency responsible for weather forecasting clearly illustrates the consternation and outright alarm caused by President Donald Trump’s false claim that Hurricane Dorian could hit …

U.S. Had 14 Weather Disasters Costing $1 Billion or More in 2019

The U.S. had 14 weather disasters costing $1 billion or more last year, with Midwest flooding accounting for almost half of the total, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Flooding from the Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas rivers caused …

NOAA Announces $30 Million to Bolster Coasts From Flooding, Rising Seas

NEW YORK — The U.S. government’s oceans and waterways agency will provide $30 million to improve coastal resilience, officials said, aiming to reduce the impacts of worsening storms, flooding and rising seas in nearly half of U.S. states. Grants through …