TRACKING THE TROPICS

It was Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 that changed the way the public and government regarded the risk of hurricane damage to homes and roofs became a major focal point.

Clearing skies were a welcomed sight one day after Hurricane Nicole swept through Vero Beach.

The worst of Hurricane Nicole is behind the residents of Martin County, but it was certainly a rough Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

As Tropical Storm Nicole nears Florida’s east coast, people in Vero Beach are preparing for its affects.

It may be late in hurricane season but, still, when a storm comes, there are areas of South Florida that know they are likely going to flood, and there are some things you can do just in case.

An unusual and impactful late season storm developing north of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico – designated Invest 98L – will gradually organize over the next several days and slide westward toward Florida, bringing dangerous seas, widespread coastal flooding and beach erosion, gusty squalls, and the potential for heavy rain to a wide stretch of Florida’s Atlantic coast starting Tuesday into Wednesday.

The disturbance moving through the central Caribbean this morning – dubbed Invest 95L – is slowly organizing and will likely become a tropical depression in the next day or two as it heads toward Jamaica, Central America, and the Yucatán Peninsula this week.

Hurricane Roslyn continued to strengthen yesterday as expected, with Hurricane Hunter aircraft finding winds of 130 mph during their afternoon mission while the storm was located about 150 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Fall is not only enjoyable in South Florida as it sees the humidity begin to break, but it is also when the tropics begin shutting down and the threat from hurricanes gets lower and lower.

Similar to Bonnie back in June, Julia found its footing shortly before making landfall across Central America during the overnight hours as an 85 mph Category 1 hurricane.

Once Hurricane Ian’s leftovers are spread out over the mid-Atlantic this morning, making for a dreary and windy day from the Shenandoah Valley to the Jersey and Delaware coasts, where coastal flood advisories are in place into Monday for low-lying roads and coastal communities

Saturday’s forecasts signaled a trend northward in Ian’s potential U.S. strike area, decreasing the odds of a direct run-in with southeast Florida, but placing areas from southwest Florida to the Florida panhandle on high alert for what’s forecast to be a very powerful and impactful hurricane this week.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference Sunday morning as the state continues preparing for Tropical Storm Ian.

Hurricane season seems to finally be kicking into a higher gear.

Fiona continued to steadily strengthen overnight, with its winds approaching hurricane strength (75 mph or stronger) this morning as its formative eyewall begins to scrape the southern reaches of Puerto Rico.

The center of Tropical Storm Fiona passed over Guadeloupe – part of the chain of islands flanking the northeastern Caribbean – last night, bringing heavy rains and gusty winds, at times reaching nearly 60 mph, while hurricane watches went up this morning for Puerto Rico and portions of the Dominican Republic as the storm tracked westward into the eastern Caribbean.

After a busy start to September – especially after two months without any storm activity – the Atlantic is once again cooling off, with only one disturbance we’ll be following this week in the far eastern Atlantic.

Despite continued struggles against wind shear over the past 24 hours, Tropical Storm Earl appears to be gathering steam as it begins its anticipated turn northward some 100 miles north of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands this morning.

It’s looking a lot like late August out across the Atlantic today – with four areas being highlighted for potential development by the National Hurricane Center – but the broad low pressure area moving into the central Atlantic will be the main story this week.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Four over the western Gulf moved ashore shortly after sunset yesterday with little fanfare.

The disturbance over the northern Gulf spawned late last week by the leftovers of an old frontal boundary is moving inland over south Texas this morning between Brownsville along the U.S./Mexico border and Corpus Christi.

South Florida’s hot in July. Tell us something we don’t already know, especially this July, one of the warmer ones of the past 25 years.

A disturbance off the coast of Africa may organize into a tropical depression by middle week, becoming the first tropical system in the Atlantic since July 3 and kicking off what is traditionally the busiest stretch of the Atlantic hurricane season.

It’s been minute since we’ve seen any organized tropical activity in the Atlantic.

A robust tropical wave – a ripple in atmospheric winds 5,000 to 10,000 feet up triggering a large area of showers and thunderstorms – is emerging today off the coast of Africa.

The summer vacation the Atlantic’s taken for much of July has been a welcome sight, but there are signs the vacation may be coming to an end as we close out the month.

As quickly as Tropical Storm Colin spun up Friday and Saturday over South Carolina, Colin unraveled by early this morning over eastern North Carolina.

We continue to monitor two areas for potential development in the tropics this morning, but neither is a concern for South Florida at this time.

After a spate of storminess for the first half of June, the tropical Atlantic looks to be quieting down, at least for the near term. Disruptive wind shear across the preferred June formation areas of the southern Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean will keep organized activity at bay this week.

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.

Miami-Dade and Broward residents are cleaning up after over a foot of rain fell in parts of South Florida.

The strong low-pressure system in the middle of the Atlantic has broken free of the fronts that were attached to it, so it meets the criteria to become a named system.

Hurricane season is still hanging on.

The last few years when October was so slow, an El Niño was underway.

The short answer is…maybe, but probably not.

The National Hurricane Center is giving the disturbance off the Southeast coast a decent chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm for a hot minute over the weekend.

The National Hurricane Center is making note of a broad area of disturbed weather over the southern Bahamas.

Still-powerful Hurricane Sam finally started to weaken overnight as it slipped past Bermuda about 200 miles to the east.

Hurricane Sam is a classic, super-intense hurricane. Thankfully, it will clearly turn north well away from the Caribbean islands and well east of Florida and the Bahamas. Bermuda will have to watch it as the storm approaches that island toward the end of the week.

Confidence is now high that Hurricane Sam will avoid the Caribbean islands as the storm arcs off to the north.

Tropical Storm Odette finally formed off the Mid-Atlantic coast yesterday.

Tropical Disturbance #1 is trying to consolidate in the extreme southern Gulf of Mexico. The

The weak disturbance that started in the Caribbean is over Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and forecast to drift into the Gulf of Mexico by late today.

Hurricane Larry is on a path to be a large and very strong hurricane in the tropical Atlantic between the Caribbean islands and Africa.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell encouraged her residents to stay inside, shelter in place and hunker down.

Hurricane Ida is expected to continue strengthening as it moves across warm water in the Gulf of Mexico and toward the Gulf Coast.

The animals came from four shelters in southern Louisiana that are at risk of being damaged due to the storm, so staff members reached out to the folks at the Humane Society of Broward County for help.

Its projected path has Hurricane Ida making landfall near New Orleans Sunday night, and for that reason, residents have been busy preparing as best they can.

The ingredients are coming together for Hurricane Ida to strengthen and grow larger before it plows into southern Louisiana tomorrow – 16 years to the day after Katrina made landfall on the eastern edge of the state.

After threatening to wobble west toward central Long Island, Henri has drifted slightly east.

Saturday and Saturday evening are all that left to get everybody to a safe place before dangerous weather from Henri arrives on Long Island and across southern New England overnight.

Disorganized Tropical Storm Grace is speeding west just south Puerto Rico.

What’s left of Fred is edging toward the waters west of the Florida Keys. It’s not much of a tropical system, but it has a lot of tropical moisture.

The National Hurricane Center is continuing to call out three systems spread out across the tropical Atlantic.

The large area of disturbed weather across the tropical Atlantic just south of the Saharan dust plume has three distinct circulations embedded in it.

The Tropical Disturbance we have been following is a large swirl of clouds off the east coast of Florida.

The Tropical Disturbance we have been following offshore of Central Florida has a well-defined circulation with strong thunderstorms on the south and east side.

Local 10 News' Roy Ramos traveled up to Cedar Key, which is near the big bend of the state, located about an hour southwest of Gainesville.

Many locals in Key West aren't overly concerned about Tropical Storm Elsa, though officials are urging them to be cautious.

Tropical Storm Elsa has the potential of strengthening back into a hurricane Sunday, as it continues to track near or just west of Key West.

Hurricane Elsa continues to fly through the Caribbean on its way to the waters south of Haiti and eastern Cuba.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the Florida Keys from Craig Key westward to the Dry Tortugas as Tropical Storm Elsa began slowing down Saturday evening as it passes between Haiti and Jamaica.

South Florida is in the cone of concern as a new system has strengthened and is now Tropical Depression Five.