With heat indexes routinely reaching past 100 and reaching 110 on occasion, emergency management is cautioning against heat exhaustion and the Flagler school district is relaxing AC and water rules on school buses.
Weather and Climate
Flagler Braces for Hurricane Season as Florida Reels From 3-Year Streak of Landfalls
Flagler County is still paying the millions in bills from Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, and the state is recovering from a direct hit from a Cat 5 last year, costing $26 billion, as the 2019 hurricane season begins.
Get Ready For a Few Possibly Severe Storms This Afternoon Into Evening
The Storm Prediction Center is projecting an “enhanced risk” of severe storms for the majority of northeast Florida today, with Flagler County in the squall line mostly between 3 and 6 p.m.
Heavy Rains and Storms Soak Flagler But More Severe Threats Are Limited
Threats to Flagler were lessening as the day progressed, but there were local repercussions, with downed trees and concerns about flooding.
‘Unimaginable’ Hurricane Devastation in Florida’s Panhandle as Long Recovery Begins
The Florida National Guard has deployed 3,500 members for search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid, with assistance from National Guard units from as far away as New York and Kansas.
Category 4 Hurricane Michael Approaching Panhandle Landfall; Spared Flagler Sends Help
The storm is expected to speed through the Panhandle before moving into the Atlanta area and the Carolinas, Flagler County’s Suzanne Eubanks on Tuesday was deployed to go into Holmes County as part of the state’s Region 3 All Hazards Incident Management Team.
Scott Warns of Hurricane Michael’s ‘Devastation’ and Storm Surge, Flagler Calls Local Impact ‘Minimal’
Current bulletins from the National Weather Service for Flagler County include a high risk for rip currents, a high surf advisory, and a coastal flood advisory. The risk of tropical storm force winds has decreased to 20 percent.
‘Monstrous’ Hurricane Michael Aims For Panhandle, But Effects on Flagler Limited
Michael has the potential to be the strongest storm in the region since Hurricane Eloise swept across Bay County in September 1975 with 110 mph winds.
Tropical Storm Michael: Scott Declares State of Emergency for Panhandle; Impact on Flagler Uncertain
Though distant, what will become Tropical Storm Michael is expected to bring waves of heavy rainfall and embedded thunderstorms beginning Tuesday and persisting through late Thursday in the northeast Florida region.
Flagler Emergency Alerts Switch to More Flexible System, But Residents Urged to Re-Enroll
CodeRed users and others must enroll in Flagler County’s new AlertFlagler emergency notification system for weather, law enforcement and other critical events.
Hurricane Florence to Have Only Minor Effects in Flagler; Local Strike Team Heads North
With Hurricane Florence’s effects causing possible erosion locally, Flagler County officials are on the alert for any breaches along the coast, where the year-long dune-rebuilding project is still ongoing.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning With Hail In Effect for Flagler-Palm Coast Until 1:30 PM
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for all of Flagler County from 12:48 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
In Wake of Hurricane Irma’s Messy Evacuation and Fuel Shortages, Study Will Seek Improvements
An Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University team is studying Hurricane Irma’s mass evacuation to provide recommendations for a smoother exodus in the future.
The Lord Before the Storms: Flagler Emergency Management Chief Wants Awareness, Not Fear
Jonathan Lord, Flagler County’s new emergency management chief, has been putting his vast state and local experience to work in preparation for hurricane season.
Yet Another Storm Brews With Heavy Rains–and Hurricane Season on Horizon
A massive storm over the Yucatan Peninsula may drench Florida over Memorial Day weekend, days before the start of another hurricane season.
Flagler-Palm Coast Under Tornado Watch Until 6 PM as Line of Storms Approaches
The squall line this afternoon is expected to produce locally heavy rainfall of 1 to 2 inches, with locally heavier amounts, and winds of 30-40 mph.
Severe Weather and “A Few Tornadoes Possible” in Afternoon for Flagler-Palm Coast
The National Weather Center’s prediction for today projects a potential for severe and damaging weather onto the entirety of Flagler.
Post-Hurricane Initiatives Fall Short of Measures to Prevent Fuel Crises In Next Storms
A strategic fuel-reserve task force and using rail-tank cars to bring fuel into evacuation areas to avoid a repeat of runs on gas stations were among initiatives that failed at this year’s legislative session.
As Snow Flirts With Florida, Flagler Rains Will Yield To 3 Nights of Hard Freezes, and Precautions
Snow fell as far south as St. Augustine today but not quite in Flagler, where officials are cautioning about hard freezes and opening a cold-weather shelter for the next three nights.
Blaming Climate Change, Ex-Emergency Management Chief Warns Floridians of More Intense Storms Ahead
Craig Fugate, a former FEMA and Florida Division of Emergency Management chief, highlighted the need for people in Florida to plan year-round for the six-month hurricane season.
Yet Another Tropical Storm With Potential Florida Landfall Brews Up Concern
Eventual Tropical Storm Nate has the potential to become a hurricane and impact the Florida Panhandle this weekend, and families must be ready, the governor said.
Up to 14 Inches of Rain Fall on Already Drenched Flagler, But Damage Is Limited
Weekend rains dumped from 4 to 14 inches on already-saturated Flagler County, flooding streets, overcoming swales and ditches and soaking some areas more than others.
You Cannot Be Serious: Hurricane Maria Sniffs Around Irma’s Wake
Hurricane Maria is expected to become a major hurricane, with a global forecast seeing it veer away from Florida, but the more accurate European forecast seeing it come closer to the coast.
Conditions Deteriorating Across Flagler: Waters Rise, 22,400 Out of Power, Irma Spins Further East
Hurricane Irma’s tropical-storm forces have already drenched Flagler well ahead of peak activity and now are slowing enough to cause worries that the damage will be more severe than anticipated.
Development and Disasters: A Deadly Combination Well Beyond Houston
Scientists warn of more and expanding “bull’s-eyes” as Americans build in parts of the country at ever greater risk because of climate change and severe weather.
Alarming Federal Report On Global Warming Elicits Fears Trump Will Suppress It
The report all but erases doubt that climate change is the result of human activity and that warming will worsen, but it’s awaiting President Trump’s approval and that of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Gov. Scott’s Emily Hysterics
Even Tropical Storm/Depression Emily cried foul at Gov. Scott’s, sleazy, opportunistic hyping of what was no more than an overheated summer storm: look at how fast she high-tailed it out of the state.
More Hype Than Fury as Tropical Storm Emily’s Effects on Flagler Mirror Summer Storms
Emily is not expected to be much more than an irritating soak with maximum winds of 45 mph. Those winds are expected to weaken as the storm crosses the state.
Rainy Season Douses Fiery Florida and Soaks Flagler, Where Drought Index Is Down to 72
After months of drought conditions that helped fuel nearly 2,500 wildfires across the state (but only a handful in Flagler), Florida has quickly moved deep into its rainy season.
Drought Relief: Rains Drench Flagler and Surrounding Counties, Reducing Parched Conditions
Three days of recurring rains ended, or at least significantly reduced, drought conditions that have been taxing the region, leading to water restrictions, brown lawns and heightened fire dangers.
Flagler Depleted as 2017 Hurricane Season Begins; Tax Holiday This Weekend on Emergency Supplies
For Flagler County, a season a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms is beginning even as costly and exhausting recovery efforts from Hurricane Matthew have a long way to go.
Funnel Cloud Reported Just North of Marineland; Severe Storm Watch Until 11 PM
A small, brief funnel cloud touched down over the Intracoastal just north of Marineland this morning, scampered over A1A then dissolved over the ocean.
Marginal Risk of Strong to Severe Thunderstorms Wednesday Afternoon in Flagler-Palm Coast
The weather center’s simulation of the storm front, issued Tuesday, places the most active parts of the storm above Flagler County at 3 p.m. Wednesday. That can change with subsequent simulations.
All Storm Warnings and Watches Cancelled: “We’ve Dodged A Couple of Real Big Bullet”
Much of Palm Coast and Flagler County have a 30 percent chance of experiencing a tornado, as half the county is in a high-risk zone for very severe weather Sunday evening. The weather system spawned tornadoes across the Deep South, killing at least 15 people so far.
Not a Storm Too Soon, Worst Hurricane Season In 11 Years Ends as Flagler Continues Recovery
Florida ended its 2016 hurricane season Wednesday, marking the first time in more than a decade that the Sunshine State was hit by a hurricane–and the closest Flagler County came to a direct hit in decades.
Not What Flagler’s Battered Beaches Need: Elevated “Super-Tide” Again Places Properties and Dunes in Danger
A super-tide expected Saturday along the beaches, with 5 to 7-foot breakers and water levels 1 to 1.5 feet above tide levels, concerns county officials who have been scrambling to protect breached dunes and properties damaged by Hurricane Matthew.
FPL Overpromised: Thousands of Flagler’s Residents Still Without Power; Gov. Scott Due in Flagler Beach in Late Morning
Some 17,000 Flagler customers remained without power Monday morning, and schools were closed. Gov. Rick Scott was to make an appearance in Flagler Beach with various officials.
Florida Highway Tolls Lifted, Some Hospitals in Volusia, Brevard and Duval Evacuate
Highway tolls were lifted in counties with evacuation orders as Florida continued Wednesday to prepare for the arrival of the slow-moving, powerful and deadly Hurricane Matthew.
The Climate Change Debate is Over: Seas and Temperatures Are Rising Dangerously
Increasing major storms and rising sea levels have long been predicted by climate models, and now they’re coming true. Time for deniers to concede defeat and become part of the solution, argues Todd Larsen.
Heavier Rains Than Hermine Expected In Next 24 Hours Over Flagler-Palm Coast
The unnamed tropical wave churning off the coast of Central Florida is expected to bring more rain and heavy thunderstorms over Flagler County in the next 24 hours than did Hurricane Hermine.
Fitful Recovery in Florida, Lingering Power Cuts in Panhandle After Hurricane Hermine
More than 18,000 people in Florida were still without power Tuesday, including fewer than 10,000 in the state’s capital city, after the Category 1 storm made landfall Friday morning near St. Marks in Wakulla County.
1st Hurricane Hits Florida in 11 Years; Flagler Spared, Tropical Storm Warning Cancelled
Hurricane Hermine was mostly a non-event in Flagler County, with limited rain and a bit of wind. Most government offices remained open Friday. The story was uglier in Florida’s Big Bend, where the hurricane made landfall.
Tropical Storm Hermine: Flagler Included in State of Emergency, But No Major Threat Expected
Tropical Storm Hermine has moved north, Flagler is not in a tropical storm watch, school’s open Thursday, but some wind and rain are expected and authorities are taking a few precautions.
Dangerous Heat Advisory Issued For Friday Afternoon, Followed by Severe Thunderstorms
The National Weather Service has issued a dangerous heat advisory for northeast Florida, including Palm Coast and Flagler County, starting this afternoon and into early evening, as temperatures combined with high humidity will result in a heat index of 105 to 100 in parts of Florida, and up to 104 in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Gets 5.4 Inches of Rain as Colin’s Tropical Braids Lash Flagler
For Flagler County, the weather service reports total rainfall in Palm Coast of 5.44 inches, though amounts may vary depending on locations.
Palm Coast-Flagler Under Tropical Storm Warning as Colin’s Local Version Brings a Messy 24 Hours
A disorganized and scattershot Tropical Storm Colin is set to cross Florida late tonight into Tuesday, dropping between 2 to 5 inches of rain on Palm Coast and Flagler County.
Hurricane Amnesia Worries Officials as Florida Weathers 11th Year Without Direct Hit
On Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave a “near-normal” forecast for the 2016 Atlantic season, which means a 70 percent chance of 10 to 16 named storms, of which 4 to 8 could grow into hurricanes.
Dangerous Rip Currents Expected As Tropical Depression #2 Approaches S.C. Coast
Elevated onshore flow and building surf will create an elevated rip current risk along the coast today through Memorial Day as Tropical Depression #2 tracks toward the South Carolina coast, the National Weather Service cautions.
Quarter-Size Hail Strafes Flagler in Morning Storm
Hail fell across Bunnell and parts of Palm Coast between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m., the weather service reports. Some resident reported hail the size of half dollars.
Smoke May Be Visible South of SR 100 From Controlled Burn at Bulow State Park
This prescribed fire will remove the hazardous level of fuel on the property. Potential fires have a greater risk of being destructive the longer vegetation accumulates.