weather

As the Category 4 storm aims for somewhere near Tampa Bay, Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister urged residents to finalize plans with a simple message: "We’re approaching that 11th hour."

Outgoing Senate President says "a whole new philosophy of reconstruction and resilience and resiliency in our state" will need to be discussed when lawmakers meet in March.

The forecast shows the storm making landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday near Tampa Bay. Meantime, Gov. Ron DeSantis assures evacuating residents that there is plenty of fuel available.

The death was apparently the first in Florida related to the hurricane, which was producing tropical storm-strength winds in the Tampa Bay area.

County emergency responders were expecting to find fatalities after a surge that reached 16 feet in some areas, significantly over the forecasted heights. Many coastal residents were caught off guard.

While Central Florida was spared from destruction in the Big Bend, many residents were surprised by the flooding while the hurricane was hundreds of miles away.

When a storm hits, autism families typically have more hurdles to clear than others. A survey helped a Lee County advocacy group develop priorities for them.

The city doesn't just react when temperatures soar. It plans months in advance: practicing, talking to vulnerable people, installing air conditioning units and just figuring out what to do when things get nasty.

The federal government's new "HeatRisk" tool can help people assess when heat goes from uncomfortable to dangerous.

A developing storm should produce multiple rounds of heavy rain over parts of Florida on Friday and Saturday. Localized flooding is expected over parts of South Florida. Severe thunderstorms are possible along the immediate Gulf Coast of Florida.

Research shows the soaring costs hint at widespread, unpriced risk as the global climate warms, with states like California, Florida and Louisiana hit hardest.

Researchers used DNA samples and findings to conclude the presence of two particularly concerning species in coastal waters: Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus.