It's Not Just Minneapolis: Noem Continues To Botch Her FEMA/Disaster Role, Too

Ice storm damage in Oxford, Mississippi last month.
While understandable ire goes toward Kristi Noem
and her "creative" approach to immigration
enforcement, she's also getting terrible marks
dealing with natural disasters in the U.S;.

Everybody is hating on U.S. Homeland Security Secretary  Kristi "ICE Barbie" Noem. For good reason 

ICE Barbie's oversight of ICE and the U.S Border Patrol is obviously gaining the most headlines, due to what is basically the invasion of Minnesota and exceptionally cruel and unlawful ICE arrests across the U.S. 

The outrage reached a crescendo in late January with ICE Barbie's outrageous remarks ad reponse about two people in Minneapolis who were killed by federal immigration agents. 

Within hours of Alex Pretti's  death, both Noem and the equally odious White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller described him as a domestic terrorist who "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

Never mind that we all saw the video taken by witnesses of Pretti's murder with our own eyes. 

 "Imagine how they lie when there's no evidence to contradict them," Jon Stewart recently said, "And maybe that, more than anything, explains why Alex Pretti really was a threat. Because he was brandishing a weapon: A handheld, aluminum 1080p, 60fps weapon of mass illumination, " referring to Pretti's camera phone. 

I really do think this administration's greatest fear is camera phones. Hard to spin bull all over the place when there's plenty of footage to debunk their lies.

It's pretty clear Noem should not be the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary. But MAGA loves cruelty, incompetence and grift, so here we are.  Noem's incompetence extends to where the cameras aren't: In her offices, dealing -  or in her case not dealing - with disaster assistance. 

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC recently had the following to say about Noem's work on disaster relief:

"Another part of the Secretary of Homeland Security job is disaster response and I cannot tell you enough how incompetent she is on that score as well. The data clearly shows that something is seriously wrong here. 

Under Secretary Noem's lack of leadership, FEMA has invented an entirely new set of bureaucracies, the likes of which I've never seen. And I'm in a state that deals with a disaster almost every season. 

Under Noem's leadership, which is supposed to be more efficient, more effective and more responsive to the disaster in western North Carolina and the other states that were affected look like the EKG of someone who's having a heart attack. She needs to get out of the C-suite."

Meanwhile, as Inside Climate News reports, disaster victims from across the United States are pleading with Congress to restore FEMA as an independent agency, one that would be no longer under the politicized leacdership of ICE Barbie.

The disaster victims and advocates say ever since FEMA fell under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, it has become more slower, more restrictive e and less accountable. 

FEMA was formed in 1979 and until 2003 reported directly to the President and Congress, But FEMA wss consolidated under the Department of Homeland Security after the 9/11 terror attack.

The disaster survivor group says FEMA is held hostage inside an agency that's focused on violent immigration enforcement. Disaster relief has at best become an afterthought. 

LATEST DISASTER

ICE Barbie did appear to want to at least pretend she was gearing up for the immense winter storm that hit the U.S. on the weekend of January 24-25. 

She waltzed into the FEMA headquarters just before the storm to give a rah-rah little pep talk. 

"I was shocked she showed up after all the shit we've been put through and what she's said," one FEMA official told CNN, adding that you could hear a pin drop in the center that day."

CNN continues:

"In the case many FEMA insiders were heartened by Noem and her team's sudden show of support, but aren't convinced the heavy-handed overhaul and downsizing are over. 'I doubt that this is permanent. I hope it is, but I doubt it,' one high-ranking official said."

More likely than not, ICE Barbie's appearance at the FEMA headquarters was just window dressing. In all the news stories about the immense ice and snow storm that caused so damage and misery on January 23-26, I hear very little about FEMA involvement in what was truly a huge disaster. 

A FEMA help page did appear last week, and Donald Trump has declared federal disaster areas in Mississippi and Tennessee. And some federal help arrived in some of the hardest hit states

But I didn't really see boots on the ground FEMA help like we saw in other disasters during the Biden administration. Vermont was crawling with FEMA personnel during and after the big summer floods of 2023 and 2024, for instance . 

FEMA in January had been poised to terminate waves of disaster-specific workers in waves, according to the Washington Post. 

However, just before the big winter storm in late January, DHS paused the FEMA firings. Bad PR to get rid of the help when it's really needed, I guess.  

I'm not optimistic about victims of last month's winter storm given the handling of other disasters over the past year. 

FEMA under Ice Barbie have faltered with big disasters like the aftermath of Helene. That storm hit in 2024 and North Carolina has only gotten a fraction of the requested federal aid.ON

Only about one fifth of applicants in Kerr County, Texas,  hardest hit by last July's extreme flooding, have been deemed eligible for financial help so far.

Additional big calamities are almost certainly in the pipeline. Tornado season will ramp up in a month or two. The western U.S is deep in drought, which makes me and a lot of other people worried about the summer fire season. 

Last year, the U.S. got lucky with no hurricane landfalls. Can we do two in a row? Fingers crossed, but it's a long shot. 

Unfortunately, I've said this before and I'll say it again. Anyone who gets nailed by a natural or climate disaster under this administration is on their own. 

 

Some Of America's Wildest Winter Storm Videos Of 2026 Part 2

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina did not look like the warm
vacation destination it usually is judging by this photo
taken just after last weekend's southern snowstorm.
Photo from Visit Myrtle Beach
South Carolina via Facebook.

It's been a dramatic winter of storms in the U.S. There's been a lot of videos floating around social media proving that fact. 

I've already put up one round of videos back on January 28.

But, more storms, more video! So let's get into it: 

Back in late January, just after the ice storm that slammed Mississippi, Tennessee and surrounding areas, the weight of the ice was still crumbling southern buildings even a couple days after the precipitation ended. 

Here's a dramatic surveillance video of a building in Benton, Arkansas losing the battle against the weight on the roof. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Video by Storm Chaser Aaron Rigsby of wild blizzard conditions on Cape Hatteras last Saturday and Saturday night, followed by a house fire Sunday morning in Nags Head. People down there had their hands full. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that.

Reed Timmer, who normally chases tornadoes, chased the winter storm down to Emerald Isle, on the barrier islands not far from Cape Lookout, North Carolina. He found snow drifts nearly burying cars. Click on this link to view or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina looked strange in the snow, too. Those palmetto trees looked out of place in the near blizzard conditions and in under the bright blue skies and blowing snow the next day. Again click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Farmers in Florida often spray water on crops when temperatures fall below freezing. This actually protects the plants when temperatures go into the upper 20s and low 30s. 

But in at least one case, at a blueberry farm, the ice quickly grew inches and inches thick because it was so cold, and the subfreezing temperatures lasted so long, that the ice accumulated rapidly. The wind also knocked over equipment, increasing the volume of water hitting the fields.   Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

If people thought the snow was too deep where they were, they should look at the Tug Hill Plateau near Lake Ontario, New York. The region gets blasted by huge lake effect snows almost every winter. This year has been especially big on snow there, as the lake keeps delivering, and a lack of thaws has kept much of the snow on the ground. 

By the way, a little more lake affect snow is forecast for the area in the next few days, but it will only be a few inches. Not several feet. For a look, here's a news video from the area: As always, click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Sad stories come out after storms like this from sometimes unexpected places. In Nashville, a plant store that sold mostly cactus and succulents lost power for a week, damaging the plants to the point they can't be sold. The owner lost $100,000 in merchandise. The insurer State Farm initially said they would cover the damage, but, as big corporations do, found a way to weasel out paying. 

It does look like people are trying to donate to help the store owner out. Here's the cautionary news cast. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below click on that.  

Winter Weather: The South Is Doing It Again With Near-Blizzard, Intense Cold

This house in Rodanthe, North Carolina was one
of at least 15 Outer Banks houses that fell into
the ocean in 2025. A fierce nor'easter packing
winds of up to 75 mph, battering waves and
blizzard conditions is threatening more houses.

For the second time in a week, a wild blast of winter weather is brewing in the South, this time setting its sights on the Carolinas, and part of Georgia and Virginia. 

It might even snow a little in Florida again as that state, and much of the Southeast is once again facing bitter cold temperatures. 

This one, much like the Gulf Coast snowstorm a year ago, will be one for the history books. 

The main story is the nor'easter about to develop near North Carolina. It's the same one we were wondering a few days ago whether would see anything from it here in Vermont. We won't.

Eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia could get eight to 12 inches of snow. The heaviest weather would come through Saturday night and early Sunday with strong winds and whiteout conditions - basically a blizzard.

The real scary spot will be out on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which will be close to the center of the fast-intensifying and powerful nor'easter. This barrier island chain should see four to eight inches of snow with winds gusting to as high as 75 mph. So again, a blizzard.

In fact, it's possible the National Weather Service will ultimately issue a blizzard warning for the Outer Banks.  If that happens it will be the first time such a warning was issued for the area.

If a foot of snow falls near the coast, it'll be the first time since 1980 or 1989, depending on where you are near the North Carolina shore.   

Coastal flooding is a given, since forecasters predict a two to four foot storm surge and large, breaking waves of up to 12 feet.

At least 15 shoreline homes have fallen into the sea in 2025 in the Outer Banks, especially in and near the town of Rodanthe and Buxton. Those collapses occurred during only moderate-sized storms or due to hurricanes far offshore. 

It's a little frightening to think what might happen with an intense nor'easter scoring a direct hit on this area.  

Officials have declared a shelter-in-place emergency in the Outer Banks, meaning anyone who is safe from coastal flooding needs to stay indoors during the storm. 

Much of central and western North and South Carolina is expecting at least three to seven inches of snow out of this. What's known as a "deformation band" might set up somewhere in the region, giving some places in the central parts of the Carolinas up to a foot of snow. Exactly where that happens is still open to debate.

For the second time in a week due to a winter storm, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has declared a state of emergency for his state. 

Further south, Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina are expecting about six or seven inches of snow, mostly Saturday night and early Sunday.  The area around Charleston, South Carolina can expect three to six inches of new snow .

The storm will extend into eastern Georgia, where places like Athens will see three to five inches of snow with winds or 35 mph. There could even be a little snow in northeast Florida. 

This snow will also be more unusual than most. In the rare times it does snow along the Southeast coast, it's wet and heavy. This snow will mostly be powdery. That means it'll blow around a lot, reducing visibility. On the bright side, there won't be many power outages. Especially since little if any freezing rain will hit anywhere with this storm. 

The nor'easter will largely avoid the rest of the East Coast. It will probably clip far southeastern New England with strong winds, a few inches of snow and the risk of coastal flooding on Sunday. It could give a nasty blow to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in Canada early next week.

EXTREME SOUTHERN COLD

As the storm begins to depart from North Carolina Sunday, it will pull extremely cold air into the Southeast from more northern parts of the U.S.

Meteorologist expect many record lows to be set with this cold wave. That, in addition to the dozens of record lows this week in the wake of last weekend's winter storm. 

Extreme cold warnings are in effect throughout the Southeast. Places in northern Mississippi that still do not have electricity after last weekend's ice storm can expect temperatures near 10 degrees this weekend.  

The cold wave in Florida is going to be odd. Usually, frost and freezes in Florida have relatively little wind. 

This time, the frigid temperatures Saturday night will be accompanied by winds of up to 40 mph or even more in a few spots. That'll bring wind chills well into the single digits and teens to a state that's not prepared for that kind of weather. Officials are worried about the homeless population around the state. 

On Saturday night, strong northwest winds coming off the Gulf of Mexico into the deep cold in Florida could produce snow flurries as far south as Tampa. There's a very slight chance Tampa could receive measurable snow, even if it's a quarter inch or less. If that happens, it'll be only the third time history the city has gotten measurable snow. The other times were in 1899 and 1977.

The Tampa area saw flurries that did not accumulate in December, 1989 and January, 2010.

Many areas of Florida will have their hardest freeze in years. 

A freeze watch is in effect as far south as Miami-Dade and Broward counties away from the coast. Temperatures in Miami are forecast to fall into the mid-30s Saturday night with wind chills in the 20s. 

The weather is generating weird headlines like this one in the Miami Herald: "Will Insurance Cover Frozen Iguana Damage In Miami?"

Iguanas get stunned by the cold and fall from trees. They can be heavy enough to damage cars and lightweight buildings.  The answer to the Miami Heralds question is yes, depending on whether you have comprehensive coverage or not. 

Temperatures across the Southeast are forecast to warm up somewhat by early next week. But temperatures will remain well below at least through the week. 

Trump Administration Screws Hurricane Helene Victims Again

FEMA is dragging its feet in approving buyouts
for North Carolina homeowners whose property was
wrecked by Hurricane Helene 15 months ago. 

A popular Federal Emergency Management Agency feature is the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. People whose homes were wrecked in disasters and are at risk of being hit again after repairs can apply for a buyout. 

Qualfied applicants under the voluntary program can get the pre-storm value of their home. Then they can take the money and move somewhere that's less disaster prone. 

The damaged home is torn down, and the site would never be developed again. The community benefits because they won't have to deal with that property in the next disaster, since there would be no house there.  

More than 800 Hurricane Helene victims in western North Carolina applied for buyouts, some of them as long ago as this past February. North Carolina officials, having vetted the applications, sent nearly 600 of those to Washington for processing. More will likely get approved in North Carolina.

But so far, the only thing FEMA has heard in response is crickets. FEMA has not so much as approved one of the buyout applications.  

Reports the Washington Post:

"So far...not a single approval has come through. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has called the paralysis 'absolutely unacceptable,' and has pushed for answers. Earlier this month, he wrote to FEMA's acting administrator, detailing the startling number of applications that 'remain without a final decision.'"

By the time the Washington Post published the story more than a week ago, nobody from FEMA responded to requests for comment. 

However, once the story was published, the agency sent a short statement, saying it "remains committed" to North Carolina Helene recovery. The FEMA statement said many applicants had not been approved yet "because they do not comply with federal regulations." 

That's news to William Ray, the director of North Carolina Emergency Management, as NPR reports. "we do not have anything in hand that says that officially things are ineligible. We are not able to get a good answers from FEMA as to why they are not moving forward."

Join the club, William.  

Maybe the problem is Homeland Security Director Kristi "Ice Barbie" Noem, whose department has authority over FEMA.  She has a rule in which she personally approve every expenditure over $100,000.

My accusation is all conjecture and sarcasm on my part, but it wouldn't surprise me if Ice Barbie is gumming up the works with FEMA assistance because she's so busy kicking non-whites out of the country and cosplaying some sort of weird ICE assassin or something.  

 In the best circumstances, these buyouts take awhile to arrange. A 2019 study found that it takes a median of roughly five years to complete a buyout from start to finish. However, FEMA says it usually takes two years to complete. 

However, the Trump administration has deeply cut staffing at FEMA this year, so who's left to manage the buyout process. Plus, the very existence of FEMA is in question, as its future is being debated both Trump Powers That Be. 

Which leads us to another broken Trump promise. He had said that he would "slash through every bureaucratic barrier" and said "every single inch of every property will be fully rebuilt, greater and more beautiful that it was before."

So far. Trump's administration hasn't even been able to tear down damaged properties, never mind build everything back. North Carolina is still a mess, 15 months after the hurricane. 

I'll let WaPol handle this:

"The reality is that local governments continue to wait for large sums in federal reimbursements for debris cleanup and other projects. Roads still need repairs. Renters and homeowners remain displaced."

Click on this link to read the entire, very worthwhile WaPo article. 

     

More North Carolina Homes Fall Into Ocean Amid Moderate Nor'easter

A rainbow appears above the wreckage of more houses
that collapsed into the surf in Buxton, North Carolina
this week. Photo via Facebook, Island Free Press.

 If you've been keeping track like I have, more homes fell into the ocean on North Carolina's Outer Banks Tuesday. 

One of the collapses was a large green home that has been teetering precariously since waves from hurricanes Humberto and Imelda battered it between September 30 and October 3. Nine homes fell into the surf on those dates. 

Another home was ready to fall because a neighboring one that collapsed on October 18 struck its pilings, making it vulnerable to new waves. 

During a moderate-sized nor'easter on Tuesday, four of the homes fell within less than two and a half hours of one another. The other collapsed late in the afternoon. Winds were gusting to 50 mph and tides were higher than normal. 

A total of 27 homes have collapses since 2020. Fifteen of those collapses have happened in the past month. One in Rodanthe, North Carolina and the others in Buxton. 

Brett Barley, a professional surfer from Buxton wrote on Facebook: 

"The Oceanfront of Buxton is becoming unrecognizable.....As I stood at the end of Cottage Ave. this evening with @danielpullen, neither one of us could wrap our heads around what we were looking at, or had just witnessed this afternoon.

Both of us have grown up our whole lives running every dune of this area, chasing waves & beach days, and Daniel actually spending years living on Cottage Ave, its hard to witness the end of these roads just laid bare, Not just the front line of houses, but now homes that were 2 back and 3 back from the ocean are gone or at water's edge. Not just rental houses at stake, but now main dwellings of locals, or houses of family friends.....it's heartbreaking to see, and a lot to take in & process." 

Hurricane Melissa was passing far offshore of North Carolina today. That storm will probably send more swells into North Carolina's Outer Banks. The swells, in turn will threaten more vulnerable homes. 

Locals are monitoring three homes that look like they will collapse at any moment. 

To review what's happening. Barrier islands always shift, and that's what's happening in the North Carolina Outer Banks. However, changes there are on turbocharge lately because climate change is making sea levels rise and intensifying stories, 

Video:

Clips of some of the homes in Buxton, North Carolina falling into the sea Tuesday. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below click on that. 

Another House Into North Carolina Ocean, As More Storms Loom

An 11th house to fall into the ocean at the Outer Banks
of North Carolina sits in the water shortly after it fell
last weekend. The one that fell is on the right. The one on
the left was damaged by the wreckage and is in danger,
The green house in the background
is also ready to go

 In case you're keeping track, another North Carolina house fell into the Atlantic Ocean a week ago.

And there really wasn't much of a storm going on. Like many houses battered by recent storms, the sand dunes removed from underneath them, it was time to sadly collapse. 

It was the 11th one to go since mid-August, when powerful Hurricane Erin passed by far offshore. Under sunny, beach weather skies, Erin send battering waves into Cape Hatteras, starting the chain of collapses, 

They all went due to large swells from offshore hurricanes, or a fairly routine nor'easter. Theses were by no means any kind of record breaking, intense storms raking North Carolina's Outer Banks. 

It's just the ever shifting sands of barrier islands, which want to move westward, leaving the houses to the whims of the ocean. This is made all the more precarious by rising sea levels brought on by climate change. 

Which means this isn't going away,.

The house that collapses last Saturday was built in 1956.  It was once well inland from the beach, but the sands shifted and eroded, and the sea level came up, making its destruction inevitable.

The wreckage of the house that just fell smacked into another one, which I'm sure caused damage. There's other houses, battered, on rickety stilts cracked by the pounding of waves, which will inevitably make them fall.

Maybe within the next few days. 

Two nor'easters, one Tuesday, the other Thursday or Friday, will buffet the Carolina coast. Hurricane Melissa, now menacing the Caribbean, is expected to finally scoot northward far offshore the East Coast toward the end of the upcoming week. Melissa will probably swing more battering ocean waves into the Outer Banks, too.

Video:

Aerial views of the latest house to collapse into the waves, and views of other homes that are in imminent danger. As always when I put videos in this here blog thingy, click on this link to view. or if you see the image below, click on that.

Nor'easter Continues Its Storm Surge And Rough Surf Slog Today

Flooding from the nor'easter in North Wildwood,
New Jersey Sunday. Photo from Chris 
Sowers via Facebook. 

 The nor'easter that has been hammering away at the East Coast was still at it this morning, battering shorelines from the Carolinas to Long Island.  

It's a long slog with such a slow-moving storm. It caused damage Sunday, and we'll do it again today. In fact, today will probably we worse, with even more extensive storm surges, flooding and serious beach erosion.

This nor'easter is truly a coastal storm. Almost all the problems it's causing is right along the shore. If you go a couple miles inland, the storm has been causing unpleasant weather to be sure, but not much damage. 

To be sure, the entire I-95 urban corridor from Virginia to New England is miserable, with soaking rains, gusty winds and chilly temperatures. Winds have gusted as high as 58 mph on Long Island.  

Up here in Vermont, the storm, such as it is, seems to be playing out as expected. See further down for Green Mountain State details.

The real problem today will continue to be the storm surges. From about North Carolina north, today's high tides will be the worst of the lot. 

In North Carolina, the storm surges might not be quite as high as Sunday's but they'll be close. The Outer Banks have been battered by huge waves for days, so even if today's tides aren't as strong as Sunday's, they have the potential to create added damage.   

We've been watching homes on the verge of collapse into the ocean and that might happen today. A green house that's been getting hit day after day lost many of its decks Sunday, and the pilings beneath the house look displaced and cracked. Other houses look just as rickety.  

In a video, the News & Observer likened the threatened homes to "terminal patients."

Streets in Jersey Shore communities like North Wildwood were under water Sunday during high tide and the water is forecast to be even deeper today.  Similar scenes hit shoreline towns in Long Island. 

In Delaware, a voluntary evacuation was underway at Bowers Beach due to the destruction from waves. Quite a bit of damage and flooding is anticipated at Delaware resorts like Rohoboth and Bethany beaches. 

The biggest threat for damage in the Northeast today is along Green South Bay Long Island and Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, where major flooding is predicted with today's high tides. 

Holiday events continue to be canceled due to the weather. New York City's 81st annual Columbus Day parade is among the cancelations. 

Southern New England is on the edge of the nor'easter's destructive, with coastal flood advisories up in Connecticut and Rhode Island, Wind warnings and advisories are in effect for Cape Cod and the Islands. 

VERMONT EFFECTS

Things are playing out pretty much as expected in the Green Mountain State today. Southern Vermont is getting a rainy, and in some places windy Monday. The rain is creeping north while weakening. 

Rainfall totals still look like they'll be somewhere near an inch down by Brattleboro. They'll taper off pretty quickly as you head north. Those of us near the Canadian border an expect only a tenth of an inch or less. 

The clouds and rain will keep temperatures down in the 50s today. 

It's going to be a cool week, as brisk north winds take hold especially between Tuesday night and Friday morning. Highs most days will be in the 50s, with maybe even some upper 40s in higher elevations north. 

We'll have to watch things on Thursday, especially north. Those areas won't get much rain. The humidity is expected to get quite low by Thursday. Gusty north winds might well create another big fire hazard. We're getting sick of that situation, but we're stuck with it until our drought eases some.

A little help might in about a week. Long range forecasts are hinting at some rain next Sunday or Monday. 

Two More Houses Falls Into Sea In North Carolina. Video Shows Sad Home Destruction, Somber Onlookers

"Skybox," a house on the shore in Rondanthe,
North Carolina that has been teetering
for days, finally collapsed into the waves
Friday evening. Photo via Facebook
Wes Snyder Photography.

On Thursday, I told you seven houses fell into the Atlantic Ocean at Buxton, North Carolina, thanks to big swells created by now-former hurricanes Humberto and Imelda.  

Later on Thursday, an eighth house fell in. Like many of the other homes, this one was widely caught on video. 

One video, by Brett Barley I found to be quite striking.  It really brings home the sense of loss and sadness in the Outer Banks as climate change teams up with a naturally unstable barrier island to create a slow motion disaster. 

I'll link to it on the bottom of this post.

A ninth house known as "Skybox", collapsed in nearby Rodanthe, North Carolina last evening, bringing to 21 the number of houses lost to the rising sea over the past five years. 

Skybox had been teetering for days, and local residents were impressed by it resilience, despite being battered by hurricane swells for days. 

Several other houses look ready to go in the inevitable next hurricane or nor'easter 

The collapses over the past five years are often taking place under clear, balmy skies. Gorgeous weather, except for the falling houses. It's often been distant storms hurling powerful swells into the Outer Banks that have caused the destruction. 

In Barley's video, you can see a large crowd had gathered just behind a big debris field left by the other homes that fell to the waves.  It was a somber crowd, without the kinds of hoots and hollers you get the people watch other dramatic moments. 

Barley explains why in the note below the YouTube video:

"The majority of these homes were built buy locales, they are maintained by locals, the visitors who come and stay in them support the local economy. They are more than 'just someone's rental property.' They are a part of this community regardless of who owns it. 

They have helped put food on the table for may families here over and and over again. They have made memories for those who came and stay.... weddings, birthdays, honeymoons, family vacations, etc. They are part of the memories of those who live here and work/play amongst the beach and neighborhoods they make up."

Much like the case of Skybox, people root for other clearly doomed houses. Part of us always want to deny the inevitable. 

When the house in Barley's video first collapses, it bumps in a large green house next door, which is also being battered by the swells from the two distant hurricanes. You can see the green house is in rough shape, and could go at any time. The porches are askew, and you can detect a slight lean toward the ocean. One of the main pilings is badly cracked. 

Comparison photo showing homes in
Buxton, North Carolina a decade ago
and this week. The erosion has been
incredible. Photo via Facebook, 
Edward Sneed. 

Meanwhile the house that collapsed in the video slowly breaks apart. The first floor was partially crushed in the immediate crash, and the waves take apart the rest of the lower walls. The second floor briefly stays intact, which is what we've seen in previous collapse videos from the Outer Banks. 

The video lingers on how pieces of somebody's life come apart with each wave.  A striped couch and matching chairs suddenly bob in the waves. Then a refrigerator floats out of the house 

As the house is slowly disintegrates, it starts out to the left of the green house, and the waves take it front of that green house, and finally leave the wreckage to the right of the green house. The collapsed house never really hits the green house after the initial bump.

But sure enough, we'll one day, probably soon, see video of the green house collapsing, or the wreckage of it floating in the surf. 

The collapsed houses are an enormous mess, of course. The debris - wood, broken glass, nails, potentially toxic insulation and other materials, spread along for miles of beach.

Crews were moving in fast to remove the wreckage, but the waves are faster. All the Outer Banks collapse videos this week show debris spreading far and wide. 

I've seen a lot of talk about people being dumb to build houses right on the water. But the houses that just collapsed in North Carolina actually used to be at least a block or two inland from the beach. 

One person who commented on Barley's video said they rented the house that collapsed a year ago. They said at the time, the house seemed quite stable, despite a strong storm they experiences while staying there. 

Rising sea levels inevitably change the shape of the seacoast, and this is what you get. 

In North Carolina, a 2024 report stated that 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures are at risk from erosion. Dealing with this is expensive. Reinforcing the shore with dredged sand or rock is expensive. So is using state or federal funds to buy out the threatened homes and demolish them before the waves do. 

We're going to see more and more of this, not just in North Carolina, but up and down the East Coast as those sea levels rise and storms get more intense with climate change. Meanwhile, people are still flocking to the seacoast. 

This is going to be part of a very costly depressing future. 

VIDEO

Video of a house collapsing into the water Thursday in Buxton, North Carolina and then gradually disintegrating . Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Houses Collapse in NC Ocean As Hurricanes Humberto, Imelda Get Really Weird

Of of seven houses that fell into the ocean at Buxton,
North Carolina floats in the surf generated by
Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda. The house in
the background collapsed soon afterwards, 
done in by the high surf and debris from the
houses that had already fallen. 

That weird pairing of Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto has stayed well offshore the United States, but that didn't prevent them from causing damage. 

Six homes collapsed into the powerful waves stirred up by the hurricanes in Buxton, North Carolina. That's on the vulnerable Outer Banks of coastal North Carolina.   

The storms remained hundreds of miles off the North Carolina coast, but hurricane waves can travel a thousand miles or more. 

Five of the homes collapsed Tuesday within 45 minutes of each other. A sixth collapsed later. 

All six were not occupied because they had been declared uninhabitable after they were damaged from waves in August. Those waves were generated by offshore hurricane Erin. 

Last night, a seventh home collapsed into the waves on the Buxton shore.

The seven homes lost to the ocean brings the total that collapsed into the waves to 19 in Buxton and Rodanthe, North Carolina in the last five years.

As of this morning, Hurricane Imelda and now-former hurricane Humberto were still stirring up big waves and surf up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Local officials in North Carolina said more beach houses might collapse into the water. 

Part but certainly not all of the problem is climate change. Sea levels are rising, so waves during storms can extend further inland. 

Also, land overall in eastern North Carolina is sinking, too. The North Carolina Outer Banks are skinny barrier islands which have also always shifted and moved over time. 

It's probably not a good idea to build on unstable barrier islands, with or without climate change. 

This week, the waves hitting the Outer Banks were especially powerful, thanks to the dual efforts of Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, far offshore. 

Hurricane Imelda hit Bermuda early this morning with strong winds. I don't have early reports of the outcome, but Bermuda is among the most hurricane-proof islands in the world. 

STRANGE INTERACTION

Schematic showing the wind flow around Hurricanes
Humberto and Imelda a couple days ago. They
were close enough to create one big wind
field.  You can see the calm eyes (blue shading,
indicating lighter winds). Also, halfway between 
the storms, the two circulations canceled each
other out, creating another small pocket
of light winds. 

I've been telling you in the past week about how Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda have interacted with one another, since they have been oddly close to one another. 

Humberto was initially the more powerful storm and had dominance over Imelda. 

Humberto, being the bigger, macho one, pulled Imelda away from the southeast U.S. coast, sparing the Carolinas a much bigger disaster.

Though each hurricane had its own internal core circulation, their close proximity created an even larger overall circulation, with an odd calm spot in the ocean halfway between the two storms.  

Then a funny thing then happened. Imelda grew stronger and became the dominate storm. The dance between the two hurricanes ended with Imelda shoving Humberto northward into a cold front, which turned Humberto into a regular, non-tropical, albeit still strong storm. 

The move left room for Imelda to strengthen further, enabling it to blast into Bermuda last night. 

The experience turned Humberto transsexual, in a way. Now that it's a non-tropical storm, Humberto is a powerful storm in the Atlantic, complete with a warm front and a stormy cold front and lots of dangerous winds. The UK Met Office has renamed it Amy. 

Storm Amy is expected to create widespread wind gusts in the 60 to 70 mph across Scotland and northern England. Some parts of northwest Scotland could see gusts to 95 mph. 

Now that Imelda is past Bermuda, it, too, has just transitioned to a non-tropical storm as of early this afternoon. It will sort of follow Humberto Amy into the North Atlantic, but it remains to be seen whether former Imelda will affect the British Isles.    

Now that Humberto and Imelda are out of our hair, the National Hurricane Center is watching two new areas. 

A disturbance not far from Miami is forecast  to move northwestward across Florida. There's a low chance it could become a weak tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico in a few days. Whatever happens, large parts of Florida should expect heavy rain over the next 

Forecasters are also watching another weather disturbance emerging off the west coast of Africa. It, too could develop into a tropical storm next week. 

VIDEO:

Video shows collapse of homes and lots of debris as five homes collapse into the waves in Buxton, North Carolina on Camp Hatteras.  Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that.

 

Humberto And Imelda Continue Their Dance; Will Carolinas Escape Trouble?

As pot this morning, Hurricane Humberto to the right
is a classic, intense hurricane. Meanwhile, that elongated
cluster of clouds in eastern Cuba and the Bahamas
will become Tropical Storm Imelda, Click on this
photo to make it bigger and easier to see.

The Southeast continues to watch super powerful Hurricane Humberto and what as of early this morning was still soon to be Tropical Storm Imelda. 

The news is cautiously optimistic for the Carolinas as early hints take what will be Imelda a little further offshore than previously forecast.  

The reason: Hurricane Humberto is by far the dominant one in this relationship.  It achieved Category 5 status Saturday with top winds of 160 mph.  Category 5s used to be relatively rare, but they seem to have gotten more common.

Hotter water brought on by climate change is powering up many more hurricanes to Category 5 than we used to see.

 This hasn't been a particularly busy Atlantic hurricane season so far, and yet this is the second Category 5 of the year. Hurricane Erin reached that status in August.

Humberto was marginally weaker early this morning with top winds of 155 mph, so still wicked powerful. 

Since Humberto is so strong, compared to relatively weak Imelda, it will have more influence over the situation. Imelda is still forecast to move northward through the Bahamas parallel to the Florida east coast today, through Monday into Tuesday. 

Imelda didn't strengthen into a tropical storm Saturday as some forecasts indicated. But it was getting better organized just off the northeast coast of Cuba early this morning so today will be the dawn of Tropical Storm Imelda. I guess she didn't want to be a Saturday baby or something. 

The water north of Cuba and toward the Bahamas is quite warm, and that will fuel Imelda.  Meteorologists think it will manage to become a hurricane by around late Monday night or Tuesday morning. 

Imelda will still be weaker than big bad Humberto, though. probably will manage to become a hurricane by around late Monday night or Tuesday morning. Between the influence of Humberto and the fact a weather disturbance over the interior southeastern United States won't be able to draw Imelda toward the coast, it's looking a bit safer for the Carolinas, and Georgia, and even Florida for that matter. 

Instead, the best guess is by midweek, Imelda will slow down, and take a turn to the northeast, and follow big Humberto into the north Atlantic, where both will eventually die in the cold water up there. 

That's not to say the Southeast coast is completely out of the woods. A few forecasts still bring Imelda close to or even on the coast, which would be a mess, but most keep it offshore. 

Even if forecast is accurate and Imelda lingers offshore, it will probably come close enough to send heavy rain bands and gusty winds into coastal areas of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina. And maybe Georgia and coastal Florida. 

Imelda could also bring some storm surges and rough seas to the Southeast coastline. Because it will be moving so slowly, it'll have a lot of time to pound and erode the beaches.

Plus, remember, Humberto is still out there and is a monster. Much like Erin in August, it will send swells and rough surf to the entire East Coast to augment what Imelda plans to do. 

We might be lucking out with our unfriendly couple Humberto and Imelda in that the U.S. avoids another direct hit by a hurricane. The two storms will cause trouble for us, but thankfully, probably no cataclysm. We don't need another one. 

No guarantees, but it's possible a hurricane might not make landfall in the United States this year. It's slightly past the peak of hurricane season, and there's plenty of time for tropical trouble in October. But so far, unlike the devastation of recent years, the U.S. might get a break from hurricanes. 

With all the other weather and climate disasters this year - and there has been many of them - along with the nation's political instability, we'll take any break we can.  

Hurricane Erin Update: It Maintains Its Power. North Carolina Evacuations As Storm Surge, Tropical Storm Watch Issued

This afternoon's satellite view of Hurricane Erin,
Tropical storm and storm surge watches just
went up for coastal North Carolina. 

Hurricane Erin continues to cause a lot of headaches and worries, especially for a storm that will not make landfall.  

As of 5 p.m. today, Hurricane Erin's top winds were still at 140 mph, up from 125 mph on Sunday. It was catered about 815 miles, south, southeast of Cape Hatteras and moving toward the northwest at 10 mph.

A tropical storm and storm surge watch were issued late this afternoon for much of Cape Hatteras/the Outer Banks as winds there should reach at least 39 mph when Erin makes its closest approach Wednesday night and Thursday.

To nobody's surprise, evacuation orders went up for the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Hurricane Erin will not make direct landfall in the United States. But the power of Erin, and its expanding wind field, will stir up enormous waves.

Under a Dare County, North Carolina emergency order, tourists to the outer banks were told to start getting out by 10 a.m. today. Permanent residents need to start leaving by 8 a.m. tomorrow.  Long lines of cars could be seen today on Route 12, heading north off Hatteras Island to destinations inland. 

The problem for North Carolina is that Hurricane Erin is already larger in size than most hurricanes, and it's getting even bigger.  As of late this afternoon, hurricane force winds of 74 mph or more extended out 80 miles from the center and those tropical storm winds go out 230 miles from the center. 

Although Erin is generally moving in the direction forecasters have said for days it would, the hurricane will pass a little closer to Cape Hatteras than meteorologists thought a few days ago. So that makes the impacts a little worse than originally thought. 

All these factors mean waves of 15 to 20 or more feet are forecast to slam into the Outer Banks, which would cause terrible erosion, flooding and destruction of coastal homes and other buildings,

The only real way in or out of the Outer Banks is Route 12. Emergency managers are sure the road will be inundated and impassable as Erin blows by.   If anybody stays behind, emergency responders won't be able to reach them. That's why they're kicking everybody out of the Outer Banks. 

In Rodanthe, North Carolina, at least two homes are in grave danger of collapsing into the ocean when Erin passes through. More than a dozen homes have fallen into the ocean since 2020, including six last year. 

Sea level rise and increasingly ferocious storms due to climate change are at least partly to blame for all this. Additionally the land in the region is slowly sinking as well.

There are unconfirmed reports of 50 rescues at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina today already due to high surf and rip currents. 

Erin might be weakening a tiny bit late this afternoon, thanks to some dry air the hurricane gulped in today from the north. But the weakening will either stop, or be so slow as to not make a difference on how it affects North Carolina, or anyplace else for that matter. 

Tropical storm conditions are already hitting or soon will hit the Turks and Caicos, and much of the Bahamas. It'll also eventually get stormy in Bermuda. 

In Puerto Rico, the outer rain bands of Erin were enough to bring winds and rains heavy enough to cut power to 50,000 customers. The Virgin Islands also dealt with gales and flooding Sunday.

Dangerous surf, rip currents and waves are expected up and down the entire United States East Coast and most of Canada's east coast as well this week.  

 

"Slow" Start To Atlantic Hurricane Season Just Started Getting More Interesting

 Now that we're into August, it's time to watch the Atlantic tropics more intently. 

After a slow, but typical start of the Atlantic hurricane
season, the ocean is suddenly abuzz with areas
that might develop into storms. 

Right on schedule, there are signs of life in the tropical Atlantic.  There's nothing dire going on. But it's a sign the danger season is about here.   

As of today, Sunday, there are now two sort of interesting areas in the Atlantic. Neither is a big threat but one of them has potential to be quite a ways down the road. 

The first semi-exciting thing is a small storm forming along an old cold front off the North Carolina coast. The National Hurricane Center gives this thing a 70 percent chance of turning into a tropical or subtropical storm. 

Like the first three tropical systems of this year - Andrea, Barry and Chantal - this thing off the North Carolina coast will be pretty weak and short-lived, if it forms into the fourth named storm of the year, they'll name it Dexter.      

Even weak tropical storms can turn dangerous. The remnants of Barry contributed greatly to the tragic, fatal July 4 weekend flood in central Texas. And Chantal set off destructive flooding in central North Carolina. 

In Wannabe Dexter's case, it should move out into open water and not be a concern. Although a couple models keep it as a weak system but have it hugging the East Coast from North Carolina to New England.   

Since Wannabe Dexter looks lame, it does seem like the 2025 hurricane season is off to a slow start. 

That's actually pretty typical for the early season.  But compared to the hyper-active past few years, the summer of 2025 just seems anemic in the tropical storm department. 

But there's other parts of the Atlantic that's making hurricane forecasters sit up and take notice. One of them is a disturbance off the Southeast Coast that could develop into something late in the week. 

Another, possibly more ominous disturbance is expected to come off the west coast of Africa.  This type of disturbance usually have the potential to develop into a real hurricane, if overall conditions in the Atlantic Ocean work out. 

This one is the first African disturbance that has the potential into developing into something a bit scary. It will be watched carefully once it reaches the central Atlantic Ocean.  It's way too early to figure out for sure if it will indeed turn into a hurricane if so, where it will go. For now, it has a 40 percent chance of developing into...something. 

The bottom line the heart of the hurricane season is just beginning, and hurricane forecasters have to be at the top of their game for the next couple of months at least.  

Big Carolina Flood Overshadowed By Texas, But Had Similarities

Flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm 
Chantal in North Carolina Sunday. 

 The roots of tragic Texas Hill Country flood over the Fourth of July weekend in part stemmed from what was a nothing burger, weak tropical storm named Barry that limped ashore in northeastern Mexico. 

The remnants of that storm combined with other factors to unleash the torrents that led to the Texas tragedy. 

One week after Barry, another forgettable tropical storm, Chantal came ashore early Sunday near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, again with little fanfare and no real damage. even less damage 

But the remnants of Chantal moved inland, and let loose a huge flash flood Sunday in central North Carolina - a state that really, really doesn't need another flood disaster. Chantal was another tropical storm didn't leave its mark until after people thought it had gone away for good. 

Chantal was another reminder that tropical storms and hurricanes can cause serious danger long after they have officially dissipated. 

The North Carolina flooding has killed at least four people. Authorities were also searching for a  canoers who went missing in the storm on Jordan Lake in Chatham County, North Carolina. A fellow canoer there was found deceased, 

The flooding displaced dozens of people from their homes.   Several roads in the region were shut down by flooding, including parts of Interstates 40 and 85 between Raleigh and Greensboro, North Carolina. 

The area in and around Chapel Hill, North Carolina was especially hard hit.  One example, provided by the Associated Press:

"Floodwaters inundated Chapel Hill's Eastgate Crossings shopping center, where the red-framed glass doors of a Talbots store were blown in and debris-speckled white mannequins littered the floor.

Next door, the Great Outdoor Provision Co. manager Chad Pickens said kayaks ended up 30 feet from where they had been on display, and shelves in the shoe room were toppled like dominoes." 

Sunday's North Carolina flood  avoided the area hit hard by catastrophic Hurricane Helene last September. 

Meanwhile, in Texas the death toll continued to climb mercilessly. At last check, 104 deaths had been reported, with dozens more still missing. 

The news will continue to remain grim with this one. 

Although  flash flooding is possible in various parts of the United States in the coming days. The threat of renewed flooding has eased somewhat in both Texas and North Carolina. 

The Year Of The Wildfires Continues: Carolinas Ablaze Again

Photo from the South Carolina Forestry Commission
shows a large fire burning on a mountain in western
South Carolina over the weekend. 

So far, this has been a year of awful wildfires. 

And we haven't even come close to peak season for this type of thing yet. 

Of course, we know about the horrible wildfires in California this past January that claimed at least 29 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage around Los Angeles.

Wildfires in Oklahoma and surrounding states claimed perhaps 400 homes during the middle of March

The Carolinas saw big wildfires earlier this month. Meanwhile, smaller but still dangerous brush fires have hit several Eastern states.

The latest problem is that the Carolinas are burning again. 

Western North Carolina is in the midsts of its peak wildfire season, which hits just before the hills and mountains turn green in the spring. 

This year is much worse than usual. 

There have been new evacuations because of these fires.  At least one home and two other structures have been destroyed in the fires, along with some cars and other property.  

The area most affected by the latest North Carolina wildfires are hitting an area devastated by Hurricane Helene last fall. Since that apocalyptic flood from Hurricane Helene last September, it really hasn't rained much in the Carolinas. 

Wreckage from that fire might be making the blazes worse and more challenging. Countless fallen trees and branches from that storm are drying out, adding potential fuel to those fires. 

That storm debris is also making things more dangerous for people needing to evacuate from the western North Carolina fires and the people fighting those blazes.  

Per CBS:

"It's to just the high winds, the low humidity, the steep terrain, but they're also dealing with storm debris that's blocking UTV trails, regular roads and them just getting in on foot because we have so many trees down,' Kellie Cannon, a spokesperson for Polk County told CBS affiliate WSPA."

Most of the western North Carolina fires were nowhere near containment as of Monday evening. 

Large fires were burning in western South Carolina, too, prompting evacuations. Another large fire in South Florida burned through 26,000 acres, and closed roads between southwest Florida and the Keys. 

Yet another large wildfire over the weekend in southern New Jersey briefly threatened homes. That part of New Jersey is now experiencing the most intense part of a drought that extends through much of the eastern U.S 

The Southeast, including the fire zones in the Carolinas, are expected to have dry, occasionally windy weather all week, which will keep the existing fires going and contribute to the fast spread of any new fires that could start. 

There is a little good news. But not much. Some rain is in the forecast for North and South Carolina toward Sunday and Monday, but it looks like the heaviest rain will pass to the west of the Appalachians in that region instead of thoroughly soaking the Carolina wildfire zone. 

Also, some rain is expected later this week in parts of western Texas and Oklahoma hit by the worst of the wildfires this month. But once again, the heaviest rain is expected to miss New Mexico, the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles,  and western Kansas, which need it the most.  

The bigger wildfires will shift to the West this summer. Drought condition continue in the Southwest and sections of the Rockies, so we can probably expect more big blazes in the western U.S. this summer and autumn.

VERMONT EFFECTS

It's the spring fire season here in Vermont, too and that state of affairs will last probably through April on dry weather days.

We've already had two or three days with high fire danger. So far, though, through Monday, Vermont has only seen five brush fires which combine have only burned just under an acre of land. So far, no crisis here.  

Damp weather over the the next several days should mostly keep fire danger here in Vermont to a reasonable level. There's also the possibility of a soaking storm Sunday and Monday, which would be good. 

However, with the dead weeds and stuff still prominent from last year, it would only take a couple days of dry, sunny, windy weather to set off another period of higher fire risk. Thankfully, so far at least, it doesn't look like Vermont will have the kind of long dry spell which would create the conditions for larger fires like those in the Carolinas.  

Videos: 

A good NBC News overview of the fires. Click on this link to view, or if you see the video below, click on that. 

To give you an idea how dry it is in the Carolinas, here's a video of how a small spark led to a fire that instantaneously spread across a South Carolina lawn. Looks like the landscape crew was able to put it out before it spread to houses. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Hurricane Ravaged Western North Carolina Now Dealing With Wildfires

Wildfire in North Carolina this week in the 
same area slammed by Hurricane Helene
back in September. 

 Western North Carolina does not need any more problems. 

They're still trying to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene back in late September.

People are still living in RVs and even tents in harsh winter cold. Piles of debris are still everywhere. Some roads aren't repaired yet. Perhaps thousands of people are still out of their homes, out of a job or both. 

But. of course, new issues have arisen.  Nothing is ever easy. The latest worry facing western North Carolina is wildfires.

Yes, wildfires. 

As AccuWeather reports, the larger of two fires, called the Crooked Creek Fire burning around the tiny hamlet of Old Fort, about 24 miles east of Asheville along Interstate 40.  This fire at last report covered 250 acres, forced evacuations, damaged one home and destroyed some outbuildings. 

The fires as of Sunday had been contained.  Evacuation orders were lifted. It did rain in the area Friday, and small amounts of rain are in the forecast later this week. 

 Parts of western North Carolina actually endured some renewed flooding with heavy rain at the end of December, but since then, little rain or snow has fallen. 

It's been dry and windy. All those toppled trees and shredded branches lying on the hurricane-damaged forest floor are drying out, creating a fire hazard. 

With fewer trees, and remaining trees leafless for the winter, sunshine can get through and dry things out when there's little rain or snow, like the western Carolina mountains have dealt with this month.  Dry, strong northwest winds have also frequently swept through this area during January. 

Wildfires are most common in the mountains of North Carolina in the late autumn and early spring but do break out from time to time during January if little rain or snow falls, like this month. 

The fallen trees and branches in the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee will continue to increase the fire risk during dry spells for a few years to come yet.  So yes, the wettest possible hurricane to hit the region also ironically is increasing the fire risk, 

VIDEO:

Drone video of the fires in North Carolina. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, clic on that.