Katrina survivors reflect on hurricane’s lasting impact 20 years later
Hurricane Katrina survivors reflect on the storm 20 years later, sharing voices of resilience, loss and recovery as they remember its lasting impact.
Don’t look now and spoil your Labor Day weekend, but by this time next week, another tropical system could be worth watching as it crosses the Atlantic Ocean.
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical wave expected to move off the African coast on Aug. 31. After it moves into the Atlantic, environmental conditions in the region could support slow development of a tropical storm as the wave moves westward, the hurricane center said.
If a named storm forms, it would be the seventh tropical storm of the season. According to the official list of names for the 2025 season, the next name up is Gabrielle.
The center’s outlook map shows a 30% chance of a tropical system formation within seven days, along a path stretching between the Cabo Verde Islands and the middle of the tropical Atlantic.
The timing and location of the westward- to northwestward-moving wave would coincide with a long-term outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center that showed increased chances of a storm forming in the region over the week between Sept. 3 and 9. From Sept. 10, the center predicts enhanced chances for storm activity in the midst of the tropical Atlantic as well as a greater than 20% chance of activity in the southern Gulf and northwestern Caribbean.
Over the 30-year period between 1991 and 2020, the seventh storm of the season forms on average by Sept. 3.
Erin was the only hurricane so far this season, even though the second hurricane typically forms by Aug. 26. Erin battered beaches and sea turtle nests along much of the Atlantic coast. Rough surf and rip currents stirred up by its high winds and large size are blamed for the deaths of two swimmers, one in New Hampshire and one off Long Island. A boater in his 50s went missing after a vessel capsized off the Massachusetts coast on Aug. 25
Seasonal outlooks for the 2025 season from NOAA and others have predicted a busier than normal season, and forecasters say they still expect that to be the case.
The annual hurricane season in the Atlantic typically reaches its peak on Sept. 10, but 13 of last year’s named storms formed on or after Sept. 9, including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. The Atlantic season officially began on June 1 and will last through the end of November.
See where the disturbance is forecast to go
How do hurricanes form?
Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression.
A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane.
Prepare now for hurricanes
Delaying potentially lifesaving preparations could mean waiting until it’s too late. “Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends.
- Develop an evacuation plan. If you are at risk from hurricanes, you need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there.
- Assemble disaster supplies. Whether you’re evacuating or sheltering in place, you’re going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for a possibly lengthy aftermath, NOAA said.
- Get an insurance checkup and document your possessions. Contact your insurance company or agent now and ask for an insurance checkup to make sure you have enough insurance to repair or even replace your home and belongings. Remember, home and renters insurance don’t cover flooding, so you’ll need a separate policy for those. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent or the National Flood Insurance Program. Act now, because flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period.
- Create a family communication plan. NOAA says you should take the time now to write down a hurricane plan and share it with your family. Determine family meeting places and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation.
- Strengthen your home. Now is the time to improve your home’s ability to withstand hurricanes. Trim trees and install storm shutters, accordion shutters and impact glass; seal outside wall openings.
