INSIDER
Fourth mass coral bleaching prompts UN emergency session at Colombia biodiversity summit
Read full article: Fourth mass coral bleaching prompts UN emergency session at Colombia biodiversity summitCoral reefs are in the midst of an ecological crisis and are at risk of extinction, according to the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
A hurricane scientist logged a final flight as NOAA released his ashes into Miltonโs eye
Read full article: A hurricane scientist logged a final flight as NOAA released his ashes into Miltonโs eyePeter Dodge flew hundreds of missions into hurricanes as a radar specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
What to know about Hurricane Helene and the flooding the storm left across the Southeast US
Read full article: What to know about Hurricane Helene and the flooding the storm left across the Southeast USMassive Hurricane Helene crashed into Floridaโs sparsely populated Big Bend region, bringing storm surge and high winds across the stateโs Gulf Coast communities before ripping into southern Georgia.
Tropical Weather Latest: Fast-moving Hurricane Helene is expected to be a major storm upon landfall
Read full article: Tropical Weather Latest: Fast-moving Hurricane Helene is expected to be a major storm upon landfallHelene has strengthened into a hurricane with forecasters warning that the storm would intensify as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida.
Thousands in the dark as Hurricane Francine strikes Louisiana, raising flood fears
Read full article: Thousands in the dark as Hurricane Francine strikes Louisiana, raising flood fearsHurricane Francine has slammed into Louisiana as a dangerous Category 2 storm, knocking out power to more than a quarter million customers and threatening a large stretch of the Gulf Coast with flooding and destructive winds.
Tropical system expected to strengthen near Mexico and Texas and bring heavy rains, forecasters say
Read full article: Tropical system expected to strengthen near Mexico and Texas and bring heavy rains, forecasters sayThe National Weather Service says a tropical system in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico was expected to strengthen this week into a tropical storm and dump heavy rains onto Mexico and Texas before reaching the U.S. as a potential hurricane.
Beryl moves into the Gulf of Mexico after battering Mexicoโs Yucatan Peninsula, takes aim at Texas
Read full article: Beryl moves into the Gulf of Mexico after battering Mexicoโs Yucatan Peninsula, takes aim at TexasBeryl has moved into the the Gulf of Mexico and is taking aim at the south Texas coast, after battering Mexicoโs Yucatan Peninsula.
Tropical Storm Alberto dissipates over central Mexico after heavy rains killed 4
Read full article: Tropical Storm Alberto dissipates over central Mexico after heavy rains killed 4Tropical Storm Alberto, the seasonโs first named storm, has weakened as it moves inland over northeast Mexico โ but not before bringing heavy rains to the parched region and leaving at least three dead.
Alberto, season's first named tropical storm, dumps rain on Texas and Mexico, which reports 3 deaths
Read full article: Alberto, season's first named tropical storm, dumps rain on Texas and Mexico, which reports 3 deathsTropical Storm Alberto is rumbling toward northeast Mexico as the first named storm of the season, carrying heavy rains that left three people dead but also brought hope to a region suffering under a prolonged, severe drought.
'Heat dome' leads to sweltering temperatures in Mexico, Central America and US South
Read full article: 'Heat dome' leads to sweltering temperatures in Mexico, Central America and US SouthExtreme heat in Mexico, Central America and parts of the US South has left millions sweltering, strained energy grids and resulted in iconic Howler monkeys in Mexico dropping dead from trees.
Experts say coral reef bleaching near record level globally because of 'crazy' ocean heat
Read full article: Experts say coral reef bleaching near record level globally because of 'crazy' ocean heatScientists say temperatures that have gone โcrazy haywireโ hot, especially in the Atlantic, are close to making the current global coral bleaching event the worst in history.
Scientists say coral reefs around the world are experiencing mass bleaching in warming oceans
Read full article: Scientists say coral reefs around the world are experiencing mass bleaching in warming oceansReef scientists say coral reefs around the world are experiencing global bleaching for the fourth time due to prolonged warming of the oceans.
Dial it up to Category 6? As warming stokes storms, some want a bigger hurricane category
Read full article: Dial it up to Category 6? As warming stokes storms, some want a bigger hurricane categoryA handful of super powerful tropical cyclones in the last decade has a couple of experts proposing a new category of whopper hurricanes: Category 6.
Lots of sunshine kicks off the workweek, but warmer temperatures and rain are on the way
Read full article: Lots of sunshine kicks off the workweek, but warmer temperatures and rain are on the wayWind chill lasts through the afternoon Monday. Over the next few days, temperatures warm up significantly.
Oil companies offer $382M for drilling rights in Gulf of Mexico in last offshore sale before 2025
Read full article: Oil companies offer $382M for drilling rights in Gulf of Mexico in last offshore sale before 2025Oil companies have offered $382 million for drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico after courts rejected the Biden administrationโs plans to scale back the sale to protect an endangered whale species.
Search is on for pipeline leak after as much as 1.1 million gallons of oil sullies Gulf of Mexico
Read full article: Search is on for pipeline leak after as much as 1.1 million gallons of oil sullies Gulf of MexicoAs much as 1.1 million gallons of oil may have been discharged into the Gulf of Mexico from a pipeline system off Louisianaโs southeast coast.
Climate change is hurting coral worldwide. But these reefs off the Texas coast are thriving
Read full article: Climate change is hurting coral worldwide. But these reefs off the Texas coast are thrivingFar off the Texas coast there is a beautiful surprise in the Gulf of Mexico that draws divers from around the world: a stunning amount of coral coverage on undersea mountains.
Lease of Gulf waters delayed by whale protection debate must continue, court rules
Read full article: Lease of Gulf waters delayed by whale protection debate must continue, court rulesA federal appeals court has ordered the Biden administration to carry on with an auction of oil and gas drilling leases for Gulf of Mexico waters in 37 days โ rejecting arguments by environmentalists.
Four tracts of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico are designated for wind power development
Read full article: Four tracts of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico are designated for wind power developmentThe Biden administration has designated four tracts of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas and Louisiana coasts for development of wind energy.
Reprieve for New Orleans as salt water creeping up the Mississippi River slows its march inland
Read full article: Reprieve for New Orleans as salt water creeping up the Mississippi River slows its march inlandSalt water inching up the Mississippi River is progressing more slowly than once projected โ buying time for water systems in metropolitan New Orleans that draw drinking water from the river.
Biden backs new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Scaled-back plan disappoints all sides
Read full article: Biden backs new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Scaled-back plan disappoints all sidesPresident Joe Biden's administration has proposed up to three oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico over the next five years but none in Alaska.
Louisiana's struggle with influx of salt water prompts a request for Biden to declare an emergency
Read full article: Louisiana's struggle with influx of salt water prompts a request for Biden to declare an emergencySalt water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico into the drought-stricken Mississippi River is prompting Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards to ask President Joe Biden to declare a state of emergency.
Judge blocks government plan to scale back Gulf oil lease sale to protect whale species
Read full article: Judge blocks government plan to scale back Gulf oil lease sale to protect whale speciesThe Biden administration is appealing a federal judge's order requiring the Interior Department to expand next weekโs scheduled sale of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases by millions of acres.
What makes Idalia so potent? It's feeding on intensely warm water that acts like rocket fuel
Read full article: What makes Idalia so potent? It's feeding on intensely warm water that acts like rocket fuelFeeding on some of the hottest water on the planet, Hurricane Idalia is rapidly strengthening as it bears down on Florida.
US tightens some offshore oil rig safety rules that had been loosened under Trump
Read full article: US tightens some offshore oil rig safety rules that had been loosened under TrumpThe Biden administration has tightened offshore oil drilling safety regulations, including rules regarding the use of โblowout preventerโ devices on offshore oil and gas drilling rigs.
Sweltering temperatures bring misery to large portion of central US, setting heat records
Read full article: Sweltering temperatures bring misery to large portion of central US, setting heat recordsSweltering temperatures are lingering in a large swath of the central U.S., causing misery from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.
First U.S. auction of Gulf of Mexico tracts for wind power set for Aug. 29
Read full article: First U.S. auction of Gulf of Mexico tracts for wind power set for Aug. 29The Biden administration has announced plans for the first sale of offshore wind power leases in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
Private flight with 2 Saudi astronauts returns from space station with Gulf of Mexico splashdown
Read full article: Private flight with 2 Saudi astronauts returns from space station with Gulf of Mexico splashdownA private crew is back on Earth after a nine-day trip to the International Space Station.
Oil drilling in Gulf safer, but concerns linger, report says
Read full article: Oil drilling in Gulf safer, but concerns linger, report saysA new National Academy of Science study says that 13 years after a massive BP oil spill fouled the Gulf of Mexico, regulators and industry have reduced some risks in deep water exploration in the gulf but some troublesome safety issues persist.
Dangerous storms, tornadoes may target Midwest, South
Read full article: Dangerous storms, tornadoes may target Midwest, SouthMeteorologists are warning of a series of severe storms that could rip across America's Midwest and South over the next couple of weeks, with the first and perhaps most dangerous outbreak forecast to strike Friday.
Companies bid $264M in Gulf oil sale mandated by climate law
Read full article: Companies bid $264M in Gulf oil sale mandated by climate lawOil companies including Chevron and ExxonMobil offered a combined $264 million for drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico in a sale mandated by last yearโs climate bill compromise.
Biden considers 1st offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico
Read full article: Biden considers 1st offshore wind auction in Gulf of MexicoThe Biden administration said Wednesday it is considering the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, a key part of a push to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 to help fight climate change.
EXPLAINER: What came together to make deadly Alabama tornado
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What came together to make deadly Alabama tornadoExperts say a natural La Nina weather pattern, unusually warm moist air juiced by climate change, and long-term shift in where tornadoes hit all are factors in Thursday's devastating tornado in Alabama.
NTSB: Communications outage a factor in lift boat disaster
Read full article: NTSB: Communications outage a factor in lift boat disasterA federal agency says an outage involving a Coast Guard marine warning system and โdata gapsโ in radar systems were factors in last year's deadly capsize of an oil industry lift boat off Louisiana's coast.
Study finds that climate change added 10% to Ian's rainfall
Read full article: Study finds that climate change added 10% to Ian's rainfallA quick study by two scientists calculates that climate change made Hurricane Ian 10% rainier than it would have been if there were no such thing as global warming.
Hurricane Ian gets nasty quickly, turbocharged by warm water
Read full article: Hurricane Ian gets nasty quickly, turbocharged by warm waterHurricane Ian is quickly gaining monstrous strength as it moves over oceans partly heated up by climate change, just like 30 other Atlantic tropical storms since 2017 that became much more powerful in less than a day.
Gov't OKs nearly $190M in bids from offshore oil lease sale
Read full article: Gov't OKs nearly $190M in bids from offshore oil lease saleThe Biden administration has accepted nearly $190 million in bids from an offshore oil and gas lease sale that was held nearly a year ago but rejected by a federal judge.
Trump plane makes emergency landing after engine failure
Read full article: Trump plane makes emergency landing after engine failureA plane carrying former President Donald Trump was forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans last weekend after suffering engine failure over the Gulf of Mexico.
Protecting critical habitat: Proposal aims to expand coral reef off Texas coast
Read full article: Protecting critical habitat: Proposal aims to expand coral reef off Texas coastIf youโre familiar with the Texas coast, which isnโt known for having crystal clear water, you probably never would have suspected that a mere 100 miles off of Galveston is a 56 square mile marine sanctuary complete.
Companies bid $192 million in 1st Gulf oil sale under Biden
Read full article: Companies bid $192 million in 1st Gulf oil sale under BidenEnergy companies have offered a combined $192 million for drilling rights on federal oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Mexico in the first government lease sale under President Joe Biden.
Mexico allows limited return of activists to help porpoise
Read full article: Mexico allows limited return of activists to help porpoiseThe Mexican government is allowing the environmentalist group Sea Shepherd to return to the Gulf of Mexico to help efforts to save the critically endangered vaquita marina porpoise, but won't let the group remove illegal gill nets.
After Ida, energy facilities in Gulf inching back to life
Read full article: After Ida, energy facilities in Gulf inching back to lifeOil companies began gradually to restart some of their refineries in Louisiana, and key fuel pipelines fully reopened, providing hopeful signs that the regionโs crucial energy industry can soon recover from the blow of Hurricane Ida.
A Hurricane Ida unknown: Economic impact on region and US
Read full article: A Hurricane Ida unknown: Economic impact on region and USCompanies evacuated oil and gas platforms south of Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Ida but a far greater worry was potential damage to refineries and petrochemical plants in its projected path from flooding and storm surge.
Coast Guard: Seacor Power never received weather warnings
Read full article: Coast Guard: Seacor Power never received weather warningsA U.S. Coast Guard commander says a technical issue prevented it from relaying severe thunderstorm and marine warnings one day last April when a Seacor Power lift boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving 13 dead in hurricane-force winds.
Remembering the last time a hurricane struck the Tampa Bay region
Read full article: Remembering the last time a hurricane struck the Tampa Bay regionGiven its location next to the Gulf of Mexico, one would think that the Tampa Bay region would have an extensive history with hurricanes. On the contrary, that's not the case.
Tropical weather lashes Gulf Coast with brisk winds, rain
Read full article: Tropical weather lashes Gulf Coast with brisk winds, rainHigh winds and heavy rains are striking coastal Louisiana and Mississippi as a disorganized and unpredictable tropical weather system churns through the Gulf of Mexico.
โWe welcome you back to planet Earthโ: SpaceX brings four astronauts home with rare night splashdown
Read full article: โWe welcome you back to planet Earthโ: SpaceX brings four astronauts home with rare night splashdownSpaceX has delivered four astronauts back to Earth, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.
Search for survivors of capsized lift boat ends
Read full article: Search for survivors of capsized lift boat endsAs the search for survivors of a capsized lift boat ends, attentions turn to comforting the loved ones of the dead and missing, a grim hunt for bodies and a painstaking investigation that could take as long as two years.
Interior postpones March oil leases onshore and offshore
Read full article: Interior postpones March oil leases onshore and offshoreThe Interior Department said Friday, Feb. 12, 2021 that it is postponing onshore and offshore oil lease sales planned for next month in line with President Joe Biden's executive order on climate change. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)NEW ORLEANS โ The Interior Department said Friday that it is postponing onshore and offshore oil lease sales planned for next month in line with President Joe Biden's executive order on climate change. The onshore sales were postponed to confirm the adequacy of underlying environmental analyses, said Interior spokesperson Melissa Schwartz. AdLow interest and small attendance at offshore lease sales covering different parts of the Gulf of Mexico prompted President Barack Obama's administration to combine them. โCanceling this huge offshore Gulf oil auction helps protect our climate and life on Earth," said Kristen Monsell of the Center for Biological Diversity.
Biden halts oil and gas leases, permits on US land and water
Read full article: Biden halts oil and gas leases, permits on US land and waterIn the closing months of the Trump administration, energy companies stockpiled enough drilling permits for western public lands to keep pumping oil for years. Its effect could be further blunted by companies that stockpiled enough drilling permits in Trump's final months to allow them to keep pumping oil and gas for years. But Bidenโs move could be the first step in an eventual goal to ban all leases and permits to drill on federal land. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. But there are other ways an ambitious Biden administration could make it harder for permit holders to extract oil and gas.
Eta races off to sea from Carolinas after soaking Florida
Read full article: Eta races off to sea from Carolinas after soaking FloridaThat came amid a combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico being carried up by a cold front that had pushed Eta across Florida earlier. Earlier Thursday, Eta was in the Gulf of Mexico when it slogged ashore near Cedar Key, Florida. It then moved northeast across Florida in a matter of hours before crossing over into the Atlantic, forecasters said. Before that first brush with Florida, Eta first hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killed at least 120 people in Central America and Mexico, with scores more missing. A 29th named system, Tropical Storm Theta, was centered early Friday about 445 miles (715 kilometers) south-southeast of the Azores and moving east.
Tropical Storm Eta races off Carolinas after soaking Florida
Read full article: Tropical Storm Eta races off Carolinas after soaking FloridaOne death in Florida was linked to the storm, along with some scattered flooding and forecasters said the tropical storm was on a path offshore of South Carolina that would eventually take it further out to sea. That came amid a combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico being carried up by a cold front that had pushed Eta across Florida earlier. Earlier Thursday, Eta was in the Gulf of Mexico when it slogged ashore near Cedar Key, Florida. Before that first brush with Florida, Eta first hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killed at least 120 people in Central America and Mexico, with scores more missing. A 29th named system, Tropical Storm Theta, was centered late Thursday about 440 miles (705 kilometers) south of the Azores and moving east.
Eta remains a tropical storm as Florida prepares for 2nd hit
Read full article: Eta remains a tropical storm as Florida prepares for 2nd hitResidents clear debris from a flooded street in the Driftwood Acres Mobile Home Park, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Eta, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, in Davie, Fla. Tropical Storm Eta was squatting off western Cuba on Tuesday after drifting away from South Florida, where it unleashed a deluge that flooded entire neighborhoods and covered the floors of some homes and businesses. Subsequently, a tropical storm warning was issued for the same general area. The storm has been in the Gulf of Mexico since crossing over South Florida on Sunday. Ron DeSantis issued an expanded emergency declaration to include 13 counties along or near the Gulf coast, adding them to South Florida counties.
At least 3 dead as Hurricane Zeta hammers Gulf Coast
Read full article: At least 3 dead as Hurricane Zeta hammers Gulf CoastHurricane Zeta passed through Wednesday leaving much of the city and metro area without power. Even as Zeta battered the south, the upcoming election was still on the mind of some residents. โGuys, we received the brunt of Zeta, and Zeta gave us a good punch,โ McInnis told WDSU-TV. More than 875,000 customers were without electricity in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including about 350,000 in metro New Orleans. Zeta had top sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph) as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall and is the 27th named storm of a historically busy Atlantic hurricane season โ with over a month left to go.
Tropical Storm Warning issued for parts of Virginia with Zeta expected to make landfall Wednesday evening
Read full article: Tropical Storm Warning issued for parts of Virginia with Zeta expected to make landfall Wednesday eveningROANOKE, Va. โ 5 p.m. Wednesday updateA Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for many along and south of U.S. 460. Hurricane Zeta has continued to gain strength this afternoon and itโs now a category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph. 5 a.m. Tuesday updateZeta made its first landfall along the Yucatan Peninsula and is now emerging into the Gulf of Mexico as a strong tropical storm. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings have been posted in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and western Cuba ahead of the stormโs arrival. On the forecast track, Zeta will move into the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall late Wednesday along the Gulf Coast.
Winds and rain whip Yucatan resorts as Hurricane Zeta nears
Read full article: Winds and rain whip Yucatan resorts as Hurricane Zeta nearsClouds gather over Playa Gaviota Azul as Tropical Storm Zeta approaches Cancun, Mexico, early Monday morning, Oct. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Garcia)MIAMI โ Hurricane Zeta lashed Mexico's Caribbean coast resorts around Tulum with high winds and rain Monday night as it headed toward the Yucatan Peninsula and then a possible landfall on the central U.S. Gulf Coast at midweek. It was the second time this month that boat captain Francisco Sosa Rosado had to perform the same maneuver, after Hurricane Delta hit the resort in early October. Trees felled by Hurricane Delta barely three weeks earlier still littered parts of Cancun, stacked along roadsides and in parks. There was also a Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005, but that year had 28 storms because meteorologists later went back and found they missed one, which then became an โunnamed named storm."
Suit: Feds ignore risk of huge spills to endangered species
Read full article: Suit: Feds ignore risk of huge spills to endangered speciesEnvironmental groups have asked a federal court to toss out the government's assessment of oil and gas activity's likely effects on endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico. A lawsuit filed Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, says the report doesnt consider the likelihood of another catastrophic oil spill like BP's Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010. He predicted the litigation will be lengthy because both the report and suit cover a huge area and many species. It will be largely a battle of experts, he said, but allegations about ignoring large spills are a strength of the suit. The suit said NOAA underestimated the largest spill likely.