Florida
Saharan dust shields hurricane development, but watch out for Florida heat Saturday
Why are there no tropical storms happening right now?
With all the warnings about how dangerous the 2024 hurricane season could be, you may be wondering where all the storms are.
While the National Hurricane Center continued its confidence that there would be no tropical activity in Atlantic areas for the next week, Saharan dust and a few tropical waves were what forecasters watched Saturday.
The real impact for Florida on Saturday will come from the heat. The entire Florida peninsula can expect triple-digit heat indexes with some in Southwest Florida predicted for 110 degrees, and 106 as far north as Jacksonville. Heat advisories are in effect for seven South Florida counties.
A wave of Saharan dust is expected to arrive in South Florida Saturday morning and move north, arriving around Cape Canaveral by Sunday. The dust is expected to be thickest in South Florida, dissipating as it moves north.
➤ Track all active storms
Tropical moisture may increase Florida’s rain chances starting Monday, but, according to Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, it won’t be anything organized. Saharan dust, high wind shear and other factors are expected to keep the tropics quiet for the days ahead.
The Hurricane Center is monitoring three tropical waves.
The peak of hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-October. If your hurricane supplies are running low, or you haven’t started an emergency kit, Florida’s next sales tax holiday the end of August can help you save money.
Possible impact of tropical wave on Florida
A tropical wave is expected to approach the Florida peninsula Sunday, bringing downpours and gusty thunderstorms. A couple of waterspouts could occur, according to AccuWeather.
“As the tropical wave approaches and moves northwestward across the state from Sunday to Tuesday, an uptick in the showers and thunderstorms will occur with the potential for some to bring flooding downpours, strong wind gusts and even waterspouts near the beaches,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.
The tropical wave is not forecast to develop into a tropical depression or a named tropical storm.
Florida weather radar: Track storms as they move across state
How long will tropics remain quiet?
The Saharan dust and winds are keeping the tropics quiet now, but forecasters say that will likely change.
“The favorable conditions that yielded Beryl are likely to return at some point in August, and that will probably yield an extended burst of hurricane activity,” said Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger.
“WeatherTiger’s real-time forecast remains for around twice the amount of storm activity in a normal hurricane season.”
The next storm of the season will be Debby.
Extreme heat continues across Florida. See weather watches, warnings
Portions of Southeast, South, Southwest Florida: Head index of 105-110 expected today.
Counties under a heat advisory include:
- Glades
- Hendry
- Palm Beach County
- Collier County
- Broward County
- Miami-Dade County
- Monroe
What is NOAA tracking in Atlantic basin?
The National Hurricane Center said no tropical cyclone activity is expected over the next several days.
Elsewhere in the tropics, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring three tropical waves. Here’s the latest update from the NHC as of 8 a.m. July 20:
- Tropical wave 1: An eastern Atlantic wave was identified via satellite imagery. It’s producing some showers.
- Tropical wave 2: In the central Caribbean, this wave is expected to move from the Windward Passage to northern Colombia and helping to induce scattered to numerous showers with embedded thunderstorms over Hispaniola and regional waters as well as across the Windward Passage and the waters between eastern Cuba and Jamaica. These storms may produce heavy downpours, lightning and gusty winds.
- Tropical wave 3: Another tropical wave over the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala is moving westward and producing scattered showers and may produce gusty winds or stronger storms in parts of the region.
Who is likely to be impacted?
A tropical wave is expected to bring tropical moisture to Florida starting Sunday.
Forecasters urge all residents to continue monitoring the tropics and to always be prepared. That advice is particularly important for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.
When is next Florida hurricane tax-free supplies holiday?
Save on hurricane supplies between Aug. 24 and Sept. 6. This will be the final tax-free holiday for 2024 when it comes to emergency supplies and it comes during the busiest period of the hurricane season.
Can’t afford a generator or weeks of food? Here are the basics you should have on hand.
Eligible items included in the tax-free holiday include:
- A portable generator used to provide light or communications or preserve food in the event of a power outage with a sales price of $3,000 or less.
- A tarp or other flexible waterproof sheeting with a sales price of $100 or less.
- An item normally sold as, or generally advertised as, a ground anchor system or tie-down kit with a sales price of $100 or less.
- A smoke detector or smoke alarm with a sales price of $70 or less.
- A fire extinguisher with a sales price of $70 or less.
- A carbon monoxide detector with a sales price of $70 or less.
- A nonelectric food storage cooler with a sales price of $60 or less.
- A portable power bank with a sales price of $60 or less.
- A gas or diesel fuel tank with a sales price of $50 or less.
- A portable self-powered radio, two-way radio, or weather-band radio with a sales price of $50 or less.
- A package of AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries, with a sales price of $50 or less.
- A portable self-powered light source (powered by battery, solar, hand-crank, or gas) with a sales price of $40 or less, including: flashlights, lanterns and candles.
- Eligible light sources and radios qualify for the exemption, even if electrical cords are included in the purchase.
- Reusable ice (ice packs) with a sales price of $20 or less.
➤ See full list of items, including pet and cleaning supplies, exempt from sales tax
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
National Hurricane Center map: What are forecasters watching now?
Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include:
Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city
Excessive rainfall forecast
What’s next?
We will continue to update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site’s app to ensure you’re always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here.
Heading into Sunday afternoon, everything was set up for Florida on a silver platter to not only advance out of Regionals, but to also waltz straight to Omaha. The Gators had their pitching staff in good shape, the bats were hot, and it looked like all the early-season woes would become a footnote in history.
Fast forward a little over 24 hours, and Florida’s season is done after a collapse by its pitching staff, combined with a couple of questionable decisions by Kevin O’Sullivan, along with Florida hitters who just couldn’t solve Troy on Monday night.
Florida loses to Troy and has its season end
O’Sullivan opted to start Cooper Walls, who began the year as the Sunday starter but quickly lost that job and was relegated to jumping back and forth between starting in the midweek and coming out of the bullpen.
It didn’t go well for Walls as he was immediately tagged for two runs in the first inning and pulled for Caden McDonald in the second.
But McDonald settled things down and gave Florida more than a fair shot to take control of the game. And while the Gators had some decent swings here and there, it was clear that they couldn’t catch up to the fastball with any consistency.
Mind you, it was a fastball from Troy that was hovering around 90 MPH, not some 97 MPH flamethrower or frankly someone throwing random junk Florida couldn’t figure out. And the problem for Florida is that even when it did something right, it combined it with something wrong. Kyle Jones hit a RBI single to pull things to 2-1, but got thrown out at second base in the process.
Then came the decision from O’Sullivan in the sixth inning that ultimately sent the game south. McDonald was cruising and was nearing 50 pitches for his outing. Given he had also thrown 26 pitches against Rider on Friday, one could argue O’Sullivan was trying to protect his arm.
So out came Russell Sandefer, who was the starter against Rider. He promptly walked three straight batters.
And in the decision that ultimately swung the game, O’Sullivan went with Ernesto Lugo-Canchola out of the bullpen with bases loaded and no outs. This was after Lugo-Canchola gave up two runs last night against Troy. Five runs later, three of which were charged to Sandefer, it was 7-1, and that was that.
Wasted opportunity for Florida
It’s the first time in program history that Florida started a Regional 2-0 and didn’t make it out to Super Regionals. And what ultimately ended Florida’s season was the inability of anyone on Florida’s staff not named McDonald or Jackson Barberi to get through their outing clean this weekend.
Liam Peterson was shelled on Sunday.
Walls and Lugo-Canchola were hand-picked from the transfer portal ahead of this season and were shelled on Monday night.
The reality is that O’Sullivan pushed all the wrong buttons on Monday. He went to Sandefer hoping to catch lightning in a bottle, and it didn’t work. He went to Lugo-Canchola even after he got tagged last night, while Joshua Whritenour was “saved” for later. In addition, guys like Ricky Reeth and Luke McNeillie were sitting right there after not pitching on Sunday.
And again, whatever approach Florida’s hitters had on Monday was also an issue, as they couldn’t catch up to a 90 MPH fastball. For good measure, all the defensive woes that plagued Florida to start the season also came flooding back.
Florida ends its season 41-21.
Follow
A 64-year-old man accused of trying to kidnap a 74-year-old woman with whom he’d had a romantic relationship was arrested May 31, according to Port St. Lucie Police on June 1.
Jose Tsu Zamora was jailed on charges of attempted kidnapping while armed with a firearm; battery on a person 65 years of age or older; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; aggravated stalking (violation of injunction); and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police stated.
Zamora, a resident of North Miami, was apprehended May 31 by police and U.S. Marshals in Hialeah.
The case began about 10:49 a.m. May 31 as police investigated an incident at First United Methodist Church on Southwest Prima Vista Boulevard.
“The investigation revealed that Zamora, who previously had a romantic relationship with the victim, approached her in the church parking lot despite an active injunction prohibiting contact,” police stated. “According to the investigation, Zamora … attempted to force the victim into a vehicle against her will while armed with a handgun.”
Two good Samaritans confronted Zamora, telling him to let go of the woman, police stated.
During the confrontation, police stated, Zamora is accused of “displaying a firearm before retreating to his vehicle and fleeing the scene.”
Video surveillance depicted Zamora pursuing the 74-year-old woman in the parking lot, restraining her and trying to “force her toward a vehicle.”
Zamora ultimately was taken into custody in Hialeah.
He is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail on $745,000 bond, according to police.
Zamora was arrested in March in St. Lucie County on charges of possession of a firearm or ammunition by convicted felon and tampering with evidence, though the latter charge ultimately was dropped, according to St. Lucie County Clerk’s records. The case is continuing through the court system, records show.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
TAMPA, Fla – Tampa homeowners could soon see lower property tax bills under a new proposal that aims to significantly increase the state’s homestead exemption.
Proposed homestead exemption expansion
What we know:
A new state proposal aims to significantly lower property tax bills for homeowners by expanding the current homestead exemption. Tampa homeowner Jeff James noted that current property tax rates have become unaffordable for seniors living on fixed incomes. James explained that a 50% reduction in property taxes would allow local families to redirect their money toward essential costs like groceries or childcare. “It will help the people that have, you know, three or $400,000 houses, property tax-wise, the older people, retired people that sometimes can’t even afford just a property tax payment,” James said.
The Historic Capitol building stands in Tallahassee, where state lawmakers and local leaders are deeply divided over the long-term impact of expanding the homestead exemption.
Timeline for tax changes
By the numbers:
According to the proposal, the state homestead exemption would increase from the current $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027. The exemption would then jump to $250,000 in 2028. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the primary purpose of the change is to make homestead property tax-free, calling the potential shift historic.
Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference advocating for constitutional tax relief, stating that the new homestead proposal aims to make primary residences completely property tax-free.
The other side:
Some residents spoke to FOX 13 off camera, expressing fear that the massive tax cuts could eliminate necessary community services. Property taxes are a primary funding source for local schools, public safety, infrastructure and emergency operations. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urged voters to carefully consider the services they might lose before casting their ballots. “They see ‘tax cut,’ of course; everybody wants that,” Mayor Castor said. “But think about the services that you’re going to lose if you do vote.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor addresses reporters at a local infrastructure site, warning voters that a massive reduction in property tax revenues could trigger steep cuts to vital city services.
Budget adjustments and spending
What they’re saying:
“There are a lot of people here and maybe not in this little area, but right outside of this area that need that help,” James said. He suggested that local governments could protect emergency services by cutting superfluous spending instead of cutting public safety. “Move money around the right way and not make sure it doesn’t reduce police, fire department, everything else,” James said.
Future ballot measures
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet detailed how local municipalities will balance their budgets if the tax revenues disappear. Because the changes require a special amendment to the state constitution, it remains unknown whether voters will approve the measure when it hits the ballot this November.
The Source: Information in this story comes from interviews done by FOX 13’s Danielle Zulkosky, a press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Fox 13 interview with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
-
Colorado7 minutes agoMajor Northern Colorado cities warn lack of power generation could temporarily stunt region’s projected growth
-
Connecticut10 minutes agoRocky Hill firefighters honored for Connecticut river rescue
-
Delaware15 minutes agoLavender & Lambs Festival Returns to Brittingham Farms June 27 – Milford LIVE! – Local Delaware News, Kent and Sussex Counties
-
Florida22 minutes agoFlorida just wasted a silver-platter path to Super Regionals and beyond
-
Georgia25 minutes agoOklahoma WALKS OFF No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech to win regional | Full 10th inning
-
Hawaii30 minutes ago
Hawaii’s Kilauea sets record for lava fountaining episodes in any 1 eruption for the volcano
-
Idaho37 minutes agoIdaho Man Chooses Chaos; Dives Off of Bridge With An Inflatable Unicorn
-
Illinois40 minutes agoCar crashes into home in unincorporated Cary, Illinois, with 3 people inside
