A tornado warning localized to a particular area of Flagler County on Thursday but broadcast countywide on cell phones left faculty members and volunteers at Indian Trails Middle School anxious and in the dark about the school’s lack of response as the storm raged outside, or any effort to voice explanations or reassurances over the PA system: what parents and other did learn from the district was not issued until two hours after the fact.
Weather and Climate
Forecasters Warn of ‘Very, Very Busy Hurricane Season’ With 23 Named Storms, Most-Ever Predicted in April
Colorado State University researchers projected 23 named storms and 11 hurricanes, with five reaching major hurricanes status. The estimates represent the highest April forecast numbers the university has produced. By comparison, the Atlantic season from 1991 to 2020 averaged 14.4 storms a year, with an average of 7.2 reaching hurricane strength. Models anticipate a well-above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the U.S. coastline and in the Caribbean.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Under Tornado Watch Until 5 PM As Severe Storm Front Approaches
Flagler County and its cities, including Palm Coast, are under a tornado watch until 5 p.m. as a storm front sweeping across Florida from north to south approaches the region. About a dozen counties north and west of Flagler are under the watch.
2.5 Million People Were Displaced by Tornadoes and Other Disasters in America Last Year
A closer look at demographics in the survey reveals much more about disaster risk in America and who is vulnerable. It suggests, as researchers have also found, that people with the fewest resources, as well as those who have disabilities or have been marginalized, were more likely to be displaced from their homes by disasters than other people.
Pinpointing 36.8 Million Annual Lightning Strikes in Unprecedented Detail
Each giant spark of electricity travels through the atmosphere at 200,000 miles per hour. It is hotter than the surface of the sun and delivers thousands of times more electricity than the power outlet that charges your smartphone. In the United States, an average of 28 people were killed by lightning every year between 2006 and 2023.
Above-Average Rainfall Dominates Most of the Region in January
In January, the 18 counties forming the St. Johns River Water Management District, including Flagler, continued its trend of above-average rainfall, mainly due to frontal systems, a common occurrence during this time of the year. Eleven counties received between half an inch to an inch more rainfall than their usual monthly average.
Tornado Watch in Effect for Flagler Until 6 PM; School District and Palm Coast Cancel Activities
Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord is urging caution and alertness in preparation for a day of stronger-than-usual winds around midday Tuesday, then a squall lines of storms Tuesday evening, especially between 5 and 7 p.m. Relative to the Panhandle, the unsettled weather won;t be as severe in Flagler County, but the most important thing will be to be informed through an alert system, Lord said, as there is a small potential for tornadoes and hail.
Grinchy Storm Raises Flooding Concerns and Cancels Palm Coast Starlight Parade, With No Make-Up Date
A low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico that will whirl across Florida over the weekend, from the Big Bend area to Jacksonville, is expected to churn up the Atlantic with up to 10-foot waves and significantly higher tides that may cause flooding, it is already kicking up wind gusts of up to 40 mph in places, and it is cancelling weekend plans such as the much-anticipated Palm Coast Starlight Parade.
Palm Coast Tornado Confirmed, ‘Multiple, Severely Damaged Homes’ in B-Section, Some Homeless
Flagler County Emergency Management and other first responders are investigating a tornado touching down in Palm Coast’s B Section around 4:45 this morning, leaving a trail of downed trees, downed power lines, damaged roofs, fencing and power losses. There are no reports of injuries.
Should You be Worried About Monster Hurricane Lee? Models and Emergency Chief Say No, But Erosion a Concern
For the last several days, Hurricane Lee, the most powerful storm of the season yet and a potential record-breaker, has been as if making a beeline for Florida, from the middle Atlantic. But models and Flagler County’s emergency management director say the hurricane in five days will make an abrupt turn north well before it comes near the Florida Peninsula. Still, the dangerous storm is expected to cause more erosion on an already weakened Flagler County shore, with hurricane season just beginning to peak.