November Surprise! Another Storm Brewing in the Caribbean With Eyes Toward Florida

Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denied that climate change affected Hurricane Milton or Hurricane Helene, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) begs to differ. In its State of Science Fact Sheet, NOAA says that artificial climate change is responsible for rising ocean temperatures, making hurricanes worse.

According to NOAA, hurricanes will get dramatically worse with 15 percent higher rain totals, a 10 percent increase in Category 4 or 5 hurricanes making landfall, a 3 percent increase in sustained winds, and an increase in the total number of named storms. They also anticipate a two to three-foot sea level rise by the end of this century.

Rising sea levels directly threaten Florida, especially the Gulf Coast, Florida Keys, and South Florida beach towns. Despite this threat, Governor DeSantis’ government has ordered the removal of the term “climate change” from all governmental documents and school textbooks.

Whether or not state officials believe climate change is responsible for the worsening hurricanes that are hitting the state, they better prepare for another storm in early November.

The National Hurricane Center has identified a low-pressure area in the southwestern Caribbean with favorable conditions to develop into another named storm in early November.

This new low-pressure area has developed due to the Central American Gyre, which helped develop Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene, and Tropical Storm Nadine. The Central American Gyre is a large area of low pressure that develops over Central America during its rainy season, which runs from May to November.

The Central American Gyre and warm temperatures in the southwestern Caribbean create the perfect conditions for this new storm’s development. Although forecasters agree that the storm should develop in early November, they are still uncertain of its path and anticipated strength.

It has been under three weeks since Hurricane Milton made landfall in Central Florida, and the cleanup continues. However, Central Florida is not out of the woods yet. With hurricane season lasting until the end of November, there’s still another month left to deal with these massive storms.

If the state can make it another until the end of next month, it will have survived another hurricane season, and cleanup from Milton and Helene will continue until the next hurricane season.