Impact of government shutdown on National Weather Service
With many federal agencies closed during the shutdown, NOAA cannot close its doors, but it must suspend some services.
Tropical Storm Jerry formed in the Atlantic Ocean on October 7 and is expected to strengthen in the coming days.
The National Hurricane Center said in an Oct. 8 advisory that Jerry was located about 1,335 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands, with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph and strong gusts. Jerry is expected to strengthen over the next few days and become a hurricane by Thursday, October 9, forecasters said.
The system’s core is expected to be near or north of the northern Leeward Islands late Thursday, October 9 and late Friday, October 10, according to the advisory. Jerry is moving toward the west-northwest, and this movement is expected to continue at a slower rate over the next few days, before gradually turning northward on Friday.
Forecasters said Jerry could bring 2 to 4 inches of rain across the Leeward Islands Thursday into early Friday. Additionally, the swell generated by Jerry is expected to reach the Leeward and Windward Islands on Thursday, October 9th, and spread westward toward the Greater Antilles on Friday, October 10th.
“These swells are likely to create life-threatening wave and rip current conditions,” the hurricane center said.
Tropical Cyclone Jerry Tracker
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the storm’s center. This does not indicate the full width of the storm or its impact, and the center of the storm can move outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Tropical storm jelly spaghetti model
Illustrations include a variety of predictive tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five best-performing models to make predictions..
How do hurricanes form?
Hurricanes are formed over warm water in the tropics. Thunderstorms can form over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees. If conditions are right, the cluster will swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical cyclone.
A tropical cyclone becomes a named tropical cyclone when its sustained wind speed reaches 39 miles per hour. When wind speeds reach 114 miles per hour, a storm officially becomes a hurricane.
Prepare for hurricanes now
Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it’s too late. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends, “Get disaster supplies while shelves are stocked and get your insurance check early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period.”
- make an evacuation plan. If you are in danger of a hurricane, you need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to start planning where you’re going and how you’re going to get there.
- Prepare disaster prevention supplies. Whether you’re evacuating or sheltering in place, you’ll need supplies to not only survive the storm, but also likely for the long-term aftermath, NOAA says.
- Get an insurance check and fill out the paperwork with your belongings. Contact your insurance company or agent today to make sure you have enough insurance to repair or replace your home and belongings. Note that home insurance and renters insurance do not cover floods, so you will need separate insurance for those. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent, or the National Flood Insurance Program.
- Create a family communication plan. NOAA says you should take the time now to write down your hurricane plan and share it with your family. Decide where your family will gather, and be sure to include locations outside the city in case you evacuate.
- strengthen your home. Now is the time to make your home more resilient to hurricanes. We cut down trees and install storm shutters, accordion shutters, and impact-resistant glass. Seal openings in exterior walls.
Gabe Hauari is USA TODAY’s national trends news reporter. You can follow him at X @geuna Or email Gdhauari@gannett.com.
