Florida

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Hurricane Milton Quickly Becomes a Category 5

Powerful storm is on a path to batter Florida Wednesday

(Newser) - The Atlantic storm named Milton turned into a Category 1 hurricane early Sunday afternoon. Less than 24 hours later, it already had grown to a Category 5, reports USA Today . The rate of intensification is "remarkable," says the National Hurricane Center, per the Washington Post . The Gulf of...

Florida's New Evacuation May Be Biggest in 7 Years

Hurricane Milton is coming, and it will test both the state and FEMA

(Newser) - Hurricane Milton is headed straight for Florida this week on the heels of Hurricane Helene, and it may force the largest number of evacuations in seven years, reports the Washington Post . In fact, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri warned Sunday that authorities would be "more assertive" about getting people...

Another Hurricane Bears Down on Florida

Milton, at Category 1, already has prompted disaster declarations, calls for evacuations

(Newser) - The west coast of Florida is in for "an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts," weather officials warned the state on Sunday, as a tropical storm intensified into Hurricane Milton. The storm has reached Category 1 status, USA Today reports. Strengthening as it drew fuel...

In Constantly Flooding Town, 'We Won't Rebuild, It's Not Worth It'

Locals in Florida's Shore Acres, in Tampa Bay area, are spooked by storms, high home insurance rates

(Newser) - Tens of thousands of properties in the Tampa Bay region were damaged or completely destroyed as Hurricane Helene tore through Florida's Gulf Coast, where some homes ended up submerged in several feet of water, reports WUSF . "It's overwhelming and it's devastating," Marie Rowley, who lives...

Florida County Looking to Sink SS United States

Okaloosa County looking to purchase the ocean liner to create an artificial coral reef

(Newser) - A historic ocean liner that once ferried immigrants, Hollywood stars, and heads of state may soon find its final resting place at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, after a Florida county inked a tentative deal to turn the ship into the world's largest artificial reef, per the...

DOJ: He Ran for Congress, Threatened to Kill Primary Foe

Anna Paulina Luna said William Braddock stalked her while running against her in Florida GOP primary

(Newser) - A former GOP candidate in Florida who lost his primary for a congressional seat to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has just been charged with threatening to kill a political rival, ostensibly Luna. The Hill reports that William Braddock ran in 2022 in the Sunshine State's 13th Congressional District against...

'Whole Counties' Left Without Power From Helene

South Carolina saw 1.4M without electricity as of Friday; Florida, Georgia also hit hard by hurricane

(Newser) - A peek at the PowerOutage.com map reveals that the southeast portion of the United States was bathed in red on Friday morning, indicating millions of customers without electricity in the wake of Hurricane Helene , reports CNN . South Carolina showed the most customers out as of 10:30am ET on...

Sailor's Risky Helene Move Ends With a Rescue

A Coast Guard helicopter hoists man and his dog from a stranded sailboat off Florida

(Newser) - A man and his dog were 25 miles out to sea off the west coast of Florida on Thursday, with Hurricane Helene fast approaching, when their sailboat became disabled, with no one else around. Then the 36-foot sailboat began taking on water. In what became a happy ending, "Coast...

Officials Tell Floridians Riding Out Helene: ID Your Bodies

Residents who chose not to evacuate are urged to mark their bodies so they can be identified

(Newser) - A grim suggestion was given to Floridians under evacuation orders who chose to ride out Hurricane Helene rather than heed the orders: Authorities asked them to mark their bodies with their information so they could be easily identified, should the worst come to pass. "Take a black Magic Marker,...

Hurricane Helene Could Bring 'Unsurvivable' Storm Surge

It's now a Category 3 and poised to become bigger before this evening's landfall

(Newser) - Hurricane Helene is right on schedule as northwestern Florida braces for an evening landfall. The potentially catastrophic storm was upgraded to a Category 3 hurricane Thursday afternoon as it churned through the Gulf of Mexico, reports the AP . Helene already had sustained winds of 120mph, per CNN , and forecasters say...

This May Be Storm Hurricane Season 'Is Remembered For'

Ahead of expected landfall Thursday in Florida, Helene becomes a hurricane

(Newser) - The storm now known as Hurricane Helene is hurtling toward Florida, with expected landfall by late Thursday. With maximum sustained winds of 80mph, CBS News reports it's now registering as a Category 1 storm. The AP reports that Helene is moving north along Mexico's coast in the Caribbean...

Lightning Strike Believed to Have Killed Teen as He Biked

Boy was riding home from school band practice

(Newser) - A freak accident killed a 16-year-old as he rode his bike last week in Florida and was apparently struck by lightning. The teen, identified by friends and family as high school junior Cameron Day, was spotted riding his bike in Pembroke Pines Wednesday night, around the time rainy and windy...

Fatal Shooting Was an Accident, Ex-Deputy Says

Leslie Boileau, who says he knew better, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter

(Newser) - Leslie Boileau told Florida police that he and his girlfriend were "handling and dry-firing"—pulling the trigger on a gun that doesn't have ammunition—their weapons at home after dinner when one went off. She was shot in the head, NBC News reports. Ocala police said they...

10 Most, Least Diverse States in America

West Virginia comes in last on WalletHub's list, while California takes the No. 1 spot

(Newser) - In the next two decades or so, the US Census Bureau expects that non-Hispanic whites will no longer rank as the lone ethnic majority in America—in fact, the agency predicts there won't be any group that will be able to claim that by then, per WalletHub . That translates...

Irked Sheriff Posts 11-Year-Old's Mugshot

Florida's Mike Chitwood is sick of false school-shooting threats

(Newser) - A Florida sheriff fed up with a spate of false school-shooting threats is trying a new tactic to get through to students and their parents: He's posting the mugshot of any offender on social media. Law enforcement officials across the country have seen a wave of school shooting hoaxes...

Trump Is Safe After Apparent Assassination Attempt: FBI

Candidate was playing golf in Florida when a gunman was spotted and agents opened fire

(Newser) - Donald Trump was unharmed Sunday when a man pushed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle through the perimeter of a Florida golf course while the former president played and Secret Service agents opened fire in response. The FBI said Trump was the subject of "what appears to be an...

Florida Zoo Loses 3 Apes to Intestinal Illness
At Florida Zoo,
'Profound
Heartbreak'
for 4 Apes
UPDATED
Sep 13, 2024 12:00 AM CDT

At Florida Zoo, 'Profound Heartbreak' for 4 Apes

A 4th ape dies of shigella at Jacksonville Zoo

(Newser) - The devastating shigella outbreak at a Florida zoo has claimed a fourth victim. A 3-year-old gorilla, Kevin, has died from the bacterial ailment that first claimed his grandmother, a 35-year-old gorilla, and then a pair of bonobo brothers at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the zoo announced Tuesday. Kevin was...

Cops: 17-Year-Old Killed Mom, 2 Years After Killing Dad

Teen is taken into custody in Polk County, Florida

(Newser) - A 17-year-old in Polk County, Florida, is accused of stabbing his mother to death during an argument, reports WFLA . But what makes the case more chilling is that the same teen shot and killed his father a little less than two years ago, per ClickOrlando.com . "It's important...

DeSantis Has Officers Question People Who Signed Petitions

The signatures already have been verified and the abortion rights measure put on the ballot

(Newser) - Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is sending law enforcement officers to homes to question Floridians who signed petitions to place an abortion amendment on the November ballot. The questioning appears to be part of an effort to inspect thousands of petitions concerning a measure to overturn the state's six-week abortion...

Teen Dies After Collapsing in High School Football Game

Chance Gainer, 18-year-old honors student from Florida's Panhandle, 'had world-class speed'

(Newser) - A Florida Panhandle high school football player has died after collapsing during a game, officials said. Port St. Joe High School wide receiver Chance Gainer collapsed during Friday night's game at Liberty High School, per the AP . The 18-year-old senior was rushed to the hospital, but died, Gulf District...

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