Forecasters say Hurricane Kristy has strengthened into a Category 4 storm and is expected to remain away from land as it churns in the Pacific Ocean.

Forecasters say Hurricane Kirk has strengthened into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane.

Hurricane season isn’t a steady climb but a rapid ascent that, as we’ve shown in this newsletter over the years, usually kicks into high gear around the last week of August. The bell has rung, but our forecast models over the next few weeks are lackluster to say the least.

Scientists say a large number of whales visiting the waters off New England included an uncommon sighting of an orca eating a tuna and an unusually large group of an endangered species of whale.

On Thursday, government forecasters – including senior forecasters from the National Hurricane Center – issued their highest predictions headed into a hurricane season since federal hurricane outlooks began in 1999.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is now reporting at least 40 endangered smalltooth sawfish have died since January of this year. That number is up by two from last week.

The carcass of another dead smalltooth sawfish was pulled from the waters off Islamorada this week.

A 15-foot-long great white shark washed up on a Florida beach on Friday.

The disturbance we’ve been tracking all week moving through the Caribbean – tagged Invest 97L – will be moving inland over Central America by Saturday, bringing with it flooding rains and the potential for dangerous mudslides this weekend from Nicaragua and Honduras northward to Guatemala and Belize.

Tropical Storm Pilar is lashing Central America with heavy rains that have already been blamed for two deaths in El Salvador as it meanders off the Pacific coast.

Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Pilar has already caused two deaths in El Salvador as it meanders off the Pacific coast.

Hurricane Norma has weakened slightly but remains a major storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Tropical Storm Norma has formed off Mexico's western Pacific coast.

Lidia has dissipated after hitting land as a Category 4 hurricane near the resort of Puerta Vallarta, where one person was killed by a falling tree and two others were injured.

Tropical Storm Philippe is aiming for Bermuda on a path that would eventually take it to Atlantic Canada and eastern New England.

Tropical Storm Philippe is drenching the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as it spins away from the northeast Caribbean on a path that would take it toward Bermuda and later New England and Atlantic Canada.

Tropical Storm Philippe has made landfall in the tiny island of Barbuda as it unleashes heavy rains and flash floods in the northeast Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Rina has formed in the Atlantic Ocean on the heels of Tropical Storm Philippe.

A recent study found that overfishing is driving reef sharks to extinction. The study comes as NOAA is considering raising the limits of how many sharks and what species of sharks can be fished in federal waters.

Government forecasters on Thursday doubled the odds of above average Atlantic hurricane activity from previous forecasts issued in May, citing unprecedented warmth across Atlantic waters holding back the usual storm-suppressing influence of El Niño.

The last named storm to make an appearance in the Atlantic was Don – the only hurricane so far of 2023 – which burned its last ember during the early morning hours of July 24th. The 15 days since the last named storm is a little longer than usual for the time of year, but not exceptionally so.

July is a tough month to be a fledgling tropical storm or wannabe hurricane in the Caribbean.

As we discussed in previous newsletters, after a busy June, the Atlantic continues to take an expected and much welcome summer break to start July.

As an international search determined the implosion of a vessel that disappeared on its way to the underwater wreckage of the Titanic, a man who was one of the submersible company's first customers says a dive he made to the site two years ago was like a suicide mission.

Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, has formed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Typhoon Mawar was a Category 4 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph or greater when it crossed the northern tip of Guam on Wednesday night.

The nation's largest public utility has appointed an independent panel to look into power failures that spurred the decision to implement rolling blackouts during dangerously cold conditions late last year.

A federal utility’s decision to resort to rolling blackouts after coal and natural gas units went offline during dangerously cold conditions has intensified questions about the Tennessee Valley Authority’s recent decision to double down on fossil fuels.

An arctic blast has brought extreme cold, heavy snow and high winds to much of the U.S. Cold air moving down from Canada has caused temperatures to plunge dramatically.

Tropical Depression Lisa has moved into southern Mexico a day after making landfall as a hurricane in the Central American nation of Belize and heading inland over northern Guatemala.

This week we bring you a surprising twist to Don’t Trash Our Treasure as we went out to cover one story and stumbled upon an even bigger more pressing situation.

Hurricane Lisa has made landfall on the Caribbean coast of Belize.

Continuamos siguiendo una área de tormentas en el Caribe que puede organizarse en una depresión tropical a fines de semana o principios de la próxima semana.

Continuamos siguiendo una área de tormentas en el Caribe que puede organizarse en una depresión tropical a fines de semana o principios de la próxima semana.

Former Hurricane Roslyn slammed into a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast between the resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Hurricane Roslyn has grown to Category 4 force as it heads for a collision with Mexico’s Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.

Hurricane Roslyn is moving off Mexico’s Pacific coast, with forecasters predictng a weekend landfall between the resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Hurricane Orlene has strengthened some while heading for an expected Monday landfall on Mexico’s northwestern Pacific coast.

There are many ways to categorize a hurricane. The storm’s 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.

Ian strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane while blasting western Cuba overnight. The powerful hurricane is expected to strengthen further over the southern Gulf as it sets its eye toward southwest and west-central Florida for tomorrow and Thursday.

NOAA, the federal agency in charge of the National Weather Service, and forecasters at Colorado State University issued their final hurricane season forecasts this morning heading into the busiest stretch of the Atlantic hurricane season.

As mid-June draws near, there is a “hush” over the Atlantic basin, in part due to the presence of the Saharan Air Layer or SAL.

Mexican authorities say Hurricane Agatha caused flooding and mudslides that killed at least 11 people and left 20 missing.

We're watching Agatha to see how the Pacific Hurricane could affect South Florida.

Hurricane Agatha has become the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in May in the eastern Pacific as it swept ashore on a sparsely populated stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns in southern Mexico.

The first hurricane of the season has formed off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and has rapidly grown stronger ahead of an expected strike along a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns as a major storm.

Tropical depression Mindy has dumped rain along the Georgia and South Carolina seacoasts during its trek over land and is now moving well offshore into the Atlantic Ocean.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has ordered a mandatory evacuation for a small area of the city outside the levee system.

Tropical Storm Ida has formed in the Caribbean and forecasters say it's aimed at the U.S. Gulf Coast, prompting Louisiana’s governor to declare a state of emergency and forecasters to announce a hurricane watch for New Orleans.

New Englanders bracing for their first hurricane in 30 years are hauling boats out of the water and taking other precautions as Tropical Storm Henri barrels toward the Northeast coast.

Changes to the forecast track of forecast-to-be Hurricane Henri are nerve-wracking for the eastern end of Long Island, New York and especially southeast New England.

They may not live in a pineapple, but they’re certainly hanging out under the sea.

Scientists have a new idea for how Earth got its oxygen: It’s because the planet slowed down and days got longer.

Tropical Storm Elsa is sweeping over western Cuba with strong rain and winds, and forecasters say it will move on to the Florida Keys on Tuesday and Florida’s central Gulf coast by Wednesday.

An undersea exploration company plans to dive to the sunken Titanic to begin what’s expected to be an annual chronicling of the shipwreck’s deterioration.

High winds and heavy rains are striking coastal Louisiana and Mississippi as a disorganized and unpredictable tropical weather system churns through the Gulf of Mexico.

As May winds down, the tropical waters are heating up. In fact, there’s a decent chance we’ll get our first named storm of the season Friday or Saturday.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, are holding a news conference Thursday in Miami to discuss preparations for the upcoming hurricane season.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The U.S. National Hurricane Center’s 10 p.m. advisory reported Tropical Storm Eta was about 90 miles away from northwestern Cuba. Tropical Storm Eta 10pm advisory cone. City of Miami:City of Miami presser on Tropical Storm Eta WATCH LIVE: City of Miami officials hold press conference to discuss looming threat of Tropical Storm Eta. Latest on the storm: https://bit.ly/2GEgey7 Posted by WPLG Local 10 on Sunday, November 8, 2020Miami-Dade County:Miami-Dade County presser on Tropical Storm Eta WATCH LIVE: Miami-Dade County officials hold press conference to discuss looming threat of Tropical Storm Eta. Latest on the storm: https://bit.ly/2GEgey7 Posted by WPLG Local 10 on Sunday, November 8, 2020Broward County:Broward County presser on Tropical Storm Eta WATCH LIVE: Broward County officials hold press conference to discuss looming threat of Tropical Storm Eta.

Zeta is moving toward the east-northeast near 55 mph (89 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will emerge over the western Atlantic this evening. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. A sustained wind of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a gust to 46 mph (74 km/h) were recently reported at Ocean City, Maryland. RAINFALL: The last of the heavy rainfall along the track of Zeta will impact the Mid-Atlantic through this evening.

Marcus Peterson walks past a downed tree in his yard after Hurricane Delta moved through, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Jennings, La. It then moved over Lake Charles, a city where Hurricane Laura damaged nearly every home and building in late August. While Delta was a weaker storm than Category 4 Laura, it brought significantly more flooding, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said. Forecasters warned that heavy rain, storm surges and flash floods continued to pose dangers in areas from Texas to Mississippi. They arrived back in Lake Charles last weekend, got a new roof on Monday and had to evacuate again Thursday.

– Ripping tarps from already damaged roofs and scattering debris piled by roadsides, Hurricane Delta inflicted a new round of destruction on Louisiana as it struck communities still reeling after Hurricane Laura took a similar path just six weeks earlier. Delta's reach stretched as far west as Galveston, Texas, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from where the storm struck Louisiana. Tropical Storm Marco fizzled as it hit the southeast Louisiana tip just three days before Laura struck. And Tropical Storm Cristobal caused damage in southeast Louisiana in June. “The wind is much worse than what Hurricane Laura brought,” Gove said in a message on Twitter.

Location 60 miles NNE of Birmingham Alabama Wind 10 mph Heading NE at 10 mph Pressure 29.83 Coordinates 86.3W, 34.3NDiscussionAt 400 AM CDT (0900 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Beta was located near latitude 34.3 North, longitude 86.3 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the northeast near 10 mph (17 km/h) until it becomes indistinguishable within the background wind and pressure field by mid-afternoon Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 10 mph (20 km/h) with higher gusts. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1010 mb (29.83 inches). Tropics Satellite at 4:39 Friday Night, September 25thWatches and WarningsThere are no watches or warnings in effect.

Location 530 miles NNE of Halifax Nova Scotia Wind 50 mph Heading NNE at 32 mph Pressure 28.8 Coordinates 57.3W, 51.0NDiscussionAt 1100 PM AST (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy was located near latitude 51.0 North, longitude 57.3 West based on the Marble Mountain, Newfoundland, radar and surface observations along the west coast of Newfoundland. On the forecast track, the center of Teddy should move closer to the northwestern Newfoundland coast tonight and into the Labrador Sea on Thursday before merging with a larger extratropical low. By the Sea, Newfoundland (near the Cow Head Lighthouse) reported a barometric pressure of 979 mb (28.91 inches). SURF: Large swells generated by Teddy are affecting Bermuda, the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada. WIND: Gusty winds are possible along the western coast of Newfoundland tonight.

Many of the best computer forecast models were forecasting some version of a direct hit on one of the countrys largest population centers. But credit the experienced forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. Life-threatening storm surge will affect the entire Louisiana Gulf coast and the Texas coast from Houston north, at least. The map shows the storm-surge forecast numbers from the National Hurricane Center along the upper Texas and Louisiana coast. Peak Storm Surge Forecast.

You’ve surely heard the term “typhoon,” but have you ever wondered how it differs from a hurricane?

Government forecasters and researchers at NOAA and the National Weather Service have released their assessment of what the rest of the hurricane season is going look like. But this year, everything points to a busy hurricane season. Youve probably seen graphics showing 12 named storms as the average in a hurricane season. A look at NOAA's revised forecast for hurricane season. That means that 24 named storms would be 7 or 8 above the modern average still a significant number.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting above-average activity this Atlantic hurricane season. With 6 to 10 of those to become hurricanes, including 3-6 of at least category 3 strength. An average season produces 12 named storms, half of those as hurricanes, and three of at least category 3 strength. Hurricane season is starting in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes it even more important to prepare now. Hurricane season officially starts June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

MIAMI – The smoke coming from the fires in southeastern Australia has spread high into the atmosphere, and during an eastward dispersal, it will be making at least one full circuit globally, which will be affecting air quality, according to NASA scientists. In New Zealand, the smoke was able to darken mountaintop snow. By Jan. 8, NASA satellites detected the smoke had traveled halfway around the earth and was turning the skies hazy. NASA released this animation showing how the smoke from the fires in Australia is affecting air quality around the world. (NASA)NASA scientists expect the smoke to affect atmospheric conditions and air quality globally, but they do not know with certainty if it will have a cooling or a warming effect.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released the climate numbers for 2019 in the U.S. Despite the U.S. having one of the very few spots on earth coming in below average, 2019 still wrapped up the warmest decade on record. (Climate Central)North Carolina and Georgia had their warmest years on record, and the rest of the Southeast was not that far behind, including Florida. Record-warm minimum temperatures outnumbered record-warm maximum temperatures by 34% in the 2010s. NOAA reported at least 14 weather events in 2019 that cost the U.S. at least $1 billion.

A strong NOR'EASTER will peak in intensity off the northeast coast today with significant coastal impacts. The effect in Florida will be to push drier northern air into the state. While not a tropical system, the effects will be like a large-diameter tropical storm. The main effect on South Florida will be a push of drier northern air that is forecast to push through the state. A strong breeze off the ocean will develop tomorrow, so a shower isn't impossible, but the change in the air will be noticeable.

A strong NOR'EASTER will peak in intensity off the northeast coast today with significant coastal impacts. The effect in Florida will be to push drier northern air into the state. While not a tropical system, the effects will be like a large-diameter tropical storm. The main effect on South Florida will be a push of drier northern air that is forecast to push through the state. A strong breeze off the ocean will develop tomorrow, so a shower isn't impossible, but the change in the air will be noticeable.

A NOAA satellite image of the six tropical systems in the Western Hemisphere. By late morning, there were six named storms moving in the Atlantic, over the United States or in the Eastern Pacific. Tropical Depression ImeldaImelda, once a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, was flooding parts of the Houston area on Wednesday morning as a tropical depression. Tropical Storm JerryJerry, still hundreds of miles east of the Caribbean Sea's easternmost islands, could become a hurricane by Thursday night, the National Hurricane Center said. Tropical Storm KikoKiko, once a hurricane in the Pacific, could become a hurricane again by Friday or Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Humberto, a sprawling Category 3 storm, is packing sustained winds of 115 mph as it pushes east-northeast about 285 miles west of Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday at 5 a.m. Two to 4 inches of rain, dangerous waves along south-facing beaches and a storm surge of 1 to 3 feet also are expected, the hurricane center said. And Tropical Storm Jerry, still far east of the Leeward Islands, could strengthen into a hurricane by week's end. Humberto could strengthen as it passes Wednesday into Thursday morning less than 100 miles to the island's north, Jones and Garrett said. "Weather should begin to deteriorate in Bermuda later today," the hurricane center said early Wednesday.

In this NOAA GOES-East satellite handout image, Hurricane Dorian, seen here as a Category 4 storm, moves slowly past Grand Bahama Island on Sept. 2, 2019, in the Atlantic Ocean. Dorian stalled over the Bahamas, dropping torrential rain forORLANDO, Fla. - Although Hurricane Dorian skirted by Florida with hardly any damage, it still cost the Sunshine State money. The Orlando Sentinel reports that just around 70,000 of the almost 130,000 hotel rooms in the Orlando metro area were occupied that day. University of Central Florida tourism professor Deborah Breiter says leisure trips are often easier to cancel than business trips, so when there is a prediction of a storm, people will cancel. The area's tourism marketing agency, Visit Orlando, put out marketing materials on social media letting potential tourists know the area was open for visitors.

NOAA via CNNMIAMI - Weather forecasters say Hurricane Humberto will lash Bermuda with high winds and heavy rain later this week. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday that Humberto could become a major hurricane by Tuesday night, bringing with it the likelihood of tropical-storm-force winds to Bermuda on Wednesday, with heavy rain beginning Thursday. ___Beachgoers on the southeastern U.S. coast should be wary of potentially dangerous rip currents caused by Hurricane Humberto, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. The storm was about 760 miles (1,223 kilometers) west of Bermuda and moving northeast at 5 mph (8 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Humberto will bring large swells to the northwestern Bahamas and southeastern U.S. coast for several days.

NOAA via CNNMIAMI - Beachgoers on the southeastern U.S. coast should be wary of potentially dangerous rip currents caused by Hurricane Humberto, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. Late Sunday, Humberto strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Humberto will bring large swells to the northwestern Bahamas and southeastern U.S. coast for several days. The National Weather Service issued advisories warning of high rip current risks through Monday evening at beaches from northeast Florida to North Carolina. Rip currents are narrow channels of water that move away from shore at high speed, posing a drowning threat to swimmers.

NOAA via CNN(CNN) - As Tropical Storm Humberto passed by the Bahamas before becoming a hurricane, residents recovering from Hurricane Dorian worried they would be pummeled again before being able to recover. Humberto resurfaced feelings of terror for Dorian survivors -- just two weeks after the Category 5 storm decimated much of Grand Bahamas and Abaco Islands. "I lift my brother ... lift him, literally lift him with my hands and the other friends bring him by the road," she said. Silien says she told the government about her mother, brother, and a cousin who all died during the storm. But government officials have said repeatedly that all Dorian victims will be treated equally when it comes to disaster relief.

Hurricane warnings still in effectThe storm is still dangerous with maximum sustained winds equivalent to a hurricane. Hurricane warnings remain in effect for parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the National Hurricane Center said. It's packing maximum winds near 90 mph, which are occurring mainly over water, the National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane center downgraded it from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone Saturday. The loss of its hurricane status means it no longer has a warm core, CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said.

(CNN) - As Dorian makes its last gasps while it moves up the North American coast, the National Hurricane Center has its eye on two other storms brewing on either side of the United States. Neither storm is predicted at this time to reach land, but the hurricane center is monitoring them as they move and develop. Tropical Storm GabrielleTropical Storm Gabrielle is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Juliette is about 1,175 miles midday Saturday from the southern tip of Baja California, the hurricane center said. "Juliette is expected to become a post-tropical remnant low Saturday," the hurricane center said.

NOAA's forecast for Hurricane Dorian's path, as of September 6 at 5 a.m. (CNN) - Hurricane Dorian made one final US stop in southeastern Massachusetts on Saturday as it races through the Atlantic Ocean and toward the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Before hurriedly crossing the border, the Category 1 storm is unloading rain and tropical storm force winds in Massachusetts over the weekend followed by hurricane conditions in parts of Nova Scotia. Since Thursday, Dorian has flooded parts of the Carolinas and spawned a number of tornadoes, as well as lashed Virginia with winds and rain. Between 10 and 15 inches of rain fell in parts of North and South Carolina this week, the National Weather Service said.

HATTERAS, N.C. - After raking the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Friday, Hurricane Dorian raced through the Atlantic Ocean night on a path that might take the storm across Nova Scotia on Saturday. Residents of the United States were cleaning up after the storm made landfall in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and brushed other East Coast states on Friday. Flooding on NC barrier islandsFloodwaters from Dorian on North Carolina's Ocracoke Island receded Friday afternoon, easing concerns for people who were stuck much of the day in their homes. TRACK THE STORMTornadoes struck along the coast ThursdayAt least 24 tornado reports were made in South Carolina and North Carolina as the hurricane hit those states this week, especially on Thursday. North Carolina resident Byron Cox was in his mobile home in Emerald Isle when a tornado approached Thursday.

(CNN) - Hurricane Dorian strengthened into a Category 3 storm again Wednesday night, with sustained winds of 115 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. More than 1 million people in parts of South Carolina and North Carolina are under mandatory evacuation orders, forecasters said. The NHC warns of "life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds, regardless of the exact track of Dorian's center." "This is called the 'Lowcountry' for a reason," former South Carolina Gov. You put a storm surge on top of that, (and) it's real troublesome."

NOAA via Getty Images(CNN) - While millions face evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Dorian, some servicemen and servicewomen called hurricane hunters are flying planes directly into this record-breaking storm. Hurricane Dorian, the strongest to ever hit the Bahamas, has had a unique path, and the data the hurricane hunters have collected from inside the storm has been invaluable. For the first time in history, an all-female, 3-pilot crew flew a reconnaissance mission into Dorian a few days ago. He says about half of hurricane hunters are "citizen airmen" who have regular civilian lives but for two weeks a year carry out their reserve duty. News Producer Victoria Kennedy contributed to this report.

In this NOAA GOES-East satellite handout image, Hurricane Dorian moves slowly past Grand Bahama Island on Sept. 2 in the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)INDIALANTIC, Fla. - A 68-year-old Florida man died while preparing for Hurricane Dorian, authorities said. David Allen Bradley was putting up plywood when he fell three stories to his death, Indialantic Police Chief Mike Connor told CNN. In Indian River County, authorities said they were concerned about residents refusing to leave. If those people encounter an emergency, first responders won't be able to help if the storm gets too strong, Maj. Eric Flowers said.

NOAA's forecast cone for Hurricane Dorian as of September 3 at 5 a.m. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Hurricane Dorian is barely moving as it continues to lash Grand Bahama Island with fierce winds. "Gusty winds and heavy rain will occur, and if this rain falls over areas with pre-existing ponded water, localized flooding may develop." LIVE UPDATESUS prepares for stormMillions across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are under hurricane and tropical storm alerts. David Allen Bradley was putting up plywood when he fell three stories to his death, Indialantic Police Department Chief Mike Connor told CNN.

NOAA's forecast for the path of Hurricane Dorian as of Monday, September 2 at 4 a.m. (CNN) - Hurricane Dorian, the strongest storm to hit the planet so far this year, has swept into the Bahamas, leaving many travelers among those affected. But it is clear that Hurricane Dorian has had a catastrophic impact," said Sune Bulow, Head of IFRC's Emergency Operation Center in Geneva, in a statement from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). AccommodationMany hotels in the region have been boarded up and travelers have been evacuated to temporary shelters. In the first wave of the Bahamas Red Cross response, about 500 local families will receive emergency shelter assistance, supplied with tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets, and solar cell phone chargers.

In these geoColor satellite images from NOAA's GOES-East satellite, you can see the detail in the structure of Hurricane Dorian as it strengthened. Brian Kemp has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the state's Atlantic coast starting at midday Monday. It begins at noon EDT Monday as powerful Hurricane Dorian creeps ever closer to the U.S. Southeast. Dorian marks the third time since 2016 that hurricane evacuations have been ordered for all of coastal Georgia. Before the evacuations ahead of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017, coastal residents had not been ordered to flee a storm since Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

ATLANTIC OCEAN - SEPTEMBER 1: In this NOAA GOES-East satellite handout image, Hurricane Dorian, now a Cat. 5 storm, tracks towards the Florida coast taken at 13:20Z September 1, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean. A hurricane warning is in effect for much of the northwestern Bahamas as it gets hit with 175 mph winds. According to the National Hurricane Center Dorian is predicted to hit the U.S. as a Category 4 storm. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)Hide Caption

In these geoColor satellite images from NOAA's GOES-East satellite, you can see the detail in the structure of Hurricane Dorian as it strengthened. That comes to mind if you've seen satellite loops of Hurricane Dorian put up on social media by Dakota Smith, a meteorologist and scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. You can see the ferocious, monster storm churning away in the Caribbean, with fluffy white cloud tops billowing all about. And then, some surprises: flashes of brightness from lightning strikes within the hurricane. Yes, that's really lightningPeople don't normally consider lightning as being part of a hurricane, but Smith said we shouldn't be surprised by it.

According to a report, President Donald Trump once suggested that the U.S. could try dropping a nuclear bomb into the eye of an approaching hurricane to ... knock it off its course? It's frequently asked questionTo be clear, Trump would be far from the only person to ever suggest it. Dennis Feltgen, public affairs officer for the National Hurricane Center, says he gets between three and four dozen emails every hurricane season from concerned citizens suggesting climatological nuclear warfare. Feltgen and his team reply to such (good-natured) inquiries with a lengthy response listing all of the reasons typical "hurricane modification" tactics don't work. "People remember that and figure, okay, nuclear power is a destructive thing.

The tropics are expected to remain quiet into the middle of next week, at least. The average date for formation of the third named storm is Aug. 13, and the average date is Aug. 28 for the second hurricane. So there is nothing unusual about having a calm spell this time of year. CLICK HERE to have the Bryan Norcross Talks Tropics newsletter delivered to your inbox. NOAA's updated hurricane-season forecast, which came out Thursday, calls for a slightly above-average number of named storms and hurricanes and a higher number of Category 3 or above storms.

The tropics are expected to remain quiet into the middle of next week, at least. The average date for formation of the third named storm is Aug. 13, and the average date is Aug. 28 for the second hurricane. So there is nothing unusual about having a calm spell this time of year. CLICK HERE to have the Bryan Norcross Talks Tropics newsletter delivered to your inbox. NOAA's updated hurricane-season forecast, which came out Thursday, calls for a slightly above-average number of named storms and hurricanes and a higher number of Category 3 or above storms.