ITHACA, N.Y. — On Thursday night, Ithaca may be greeted by a rare geomagnetic spectacle, potentially showing residents the Northern Lights and bringing possible impacts to critical infrastructure technology. 

A solar flare erupted from the sun Tuesday evening and arrived to Earth at 11:15 a.m. Thursday. The latest predictions anticipate the storm will go on until Friday, according to the NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Those interested in viewing the Northern Lights will have the best chance overnight from Thursday to Friday, though it will depend on weather conditions at the time.  

The flare that erupted Tuesday was rated as X-class, the strongest category of flare. 

A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) accompanied the solar flare, sending “solar material and embedded magnetic fields” hurtling through space and toward the Earth, said Shawn Dahl, the service coordinator for the SWPC. 

The sun is nearing its peak level of activity during the 11-year solar cycle, a period generally marked by an increased number of sunspots during which the sun experiences more solar flares and more CMEs. Last May, the Earth was hit by a historic geomagnetic storm, causing auroras to be visible as far south as Florida, but Dahl does not think Thursday’s storm will get this strong. 

Regardless, Thursday’s CME may prove strong enough to paint the night sky with the glow released by molecules of oxygen and nitrogen in our atmosphere. The molecules are excited by the energetic electrons brought here by the storm. When these molecules relax, they glow, Hysell said. 

For the best opportunity of catching a glimpse of the light show, Ithaca residents may want to travel southwest to avoid the less stable air northeast of the city, said meteorologist and Ithaca Voice development reporter Brian Crandall. 

For ideal conditions, residents will also want to avoid places with light pollution and too much foliage, he said. 

The aurora may be visible as far south as Alabama and northern California, but with the advances in smartphone photo technology, people have been able to readily see the red aurora much farther south than previously.

Geomagnetic storms are measured on a scale from G1-G5. Since arriving this morning, the storm’s intensity has been observed at G4, but there’s a slight chance the strength will increase to G5, according to the SWPC.

At this level of intensity, the storm could not only pose problems to the power grid, but also for spacecraft operations, radio communications and GPS. Passengers and crew high altitude airplanes flying through polar latitudes may also be exposed to solar radiation. As of Thursday afternoon, there’s a 40% chance of a strong to extreme radio blackout, according to the SWPC.

To reach Earth, this CME traveled 93 million miles, crashing into the Earth at one and a half million miles per hour. Luckily for humans and all other living beings on Earth, the planet is very good at shielding life from the impact of solar storms, said professor David L. Hysell, who studies ionospheric plasma physics at Cornell University. 

“At the same time, humanity has gotten much better with making its systems resilient to phenomena like what’s taking place today,” Hysell said.

However, if the storm is sufficiently intense, Hysell said there’s a possibility it could blow out transformers, though it is more likely that it will just trip breakers.

That being said, alerts have been raised in the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton because the geomagnetic storm has the potential to put increased stress on the region’s already precarious grid and communications system. 

“We’ve already been engaged with FEMA. […] This time, with all the hurricane relief efforts going on and the inbound hurricane going into Florida and across the peninsula, we found it prudent to immediately contact them now,” Dahl said during SWPC’s Wednesday night presentation.

This Monday, a less severe G3 geomagnetic storm hit Earth. As far as SWPC knows, the storm had no significant impacts to communication when it came to hurricane response.

If residents choose to stay up until midnight and chase the lights out into the country, Hysell suggests avoiding self-driving cars because the storm may impact the vehicle’s positioning system.

The post Northern Lights potentially visible Thursday night in Tompkins County area appeared first on The Ithaca Voice.

NC county elections directors have been seeing high turnover. But some have started the job only weeks before Election Day 2024.

‘Like drinking from a fire hose.’ New NC elections directors start just ahead of 2024 vote. is a story from Carolina Public Press, an award-winning independent newsroom. Our breakthrough journalism shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing North Carolina’s 10.4 million residents. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

While most areas in Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs fared well through Hurricane Milton as it tore through the area as a Category 1 storm, Seminole County Emergency Management officials said that Gee Creek, Howell Creek and the Little Econlockhatchee River experienced major flooding and cautioned that the St. Johns River, which those water bodies feed into, is expected to rise higher and higher over the next few days and possibly rise into the major flood stage. And Hurricane Milton damage is continuing to be assessed in the wake of the storm.

Seminole County spokesperson Andy Wontor said that folks in low-lying areas should monitor water levels. Seminole County said a sandbag location will open in Geneva at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11 so that folks can protect their homes from rising water. The county has has not released a location yet. Check here for updates.

Milton poured 13 inches of rain on the area, which is less than the levels experienced in 2022 after Hurricane Ian, which dumped 15 inches of rain in a single night, in part because Milton moved faster through the area than Ian. The storm had wind gusts more than 89 miles per hour creating “pretty significant damage across the county,” Wontor said.

More than 900 people sought refuge in emergency shelters, a number that increased through the night because of trees crashing into homes and because of flooding, Wontor said. Seminole County experienced no deaths or serious injuries and received 368 9-1-1 calls, which is 150% above the typical average. The only “significant call” the department got was from a person who needed to be rescued after they were pinned in bed by a tree that went through their window.

Power outages

Wontor said there are 115 traffic signals that are out across the county and that drivers should treat those as four way stops.

As of Thursday there were around 50,000 customers without power in the county.

Roadways 

More than 100 roads are currently blocked to some level, so county officials cautioned for people to only drive when necessary, to drive with care when necessary and to turn around if flooding is encountered to prevent drowning.

Wontor said that S.R. 46 could close as water continues to rise and that the county has pre-positioned vehicles in vulnerable areas to help those folks if needed.

Here is a list of road closures:

For Seminole County road closure updates please visit www.fl511.com or call 511.

Schools

Seminole County Public Schools plan to open on Tuesday, Oct. 15. 

Debris and trash collection

Seminole County has not made an announcement concerning debris collection yet. 

Resources

Reporting damage

Wontor urges anyone who experienced damage to fill out a damage assessment form at prepareseminole.org, saying that knowing the level of damage could get the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offer assistance faster.

Disaster distress hotline 

24/7/365 crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters

Call or text: 800-985-5990

Emergency food pantry 

Second Harvest Food Bank 

Phone: 407-295-1066

Visit online: Second Harvest Food Bank 

Federal aid

See if you qualify for emergency funding from FEMA. Apply for assistance here or call 1-800-621-3362. 

Find gas 

Check Gas Buddy for live updates on fuel and power availability. 

Internet access

Spectrum opened Wifi access points across Florida. Find connections here. 

The post Hurricane Milton damage? Here’s where to find help locally appeared first on Oviedo Community News.

BELLEFONTE — More than $1 million in aid is available to people in four rural Pennsylvania counties hit hard by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby.

Heavy rains and floods devastated parts of Lycoming, Potter, Tioga, and Union Counties in early August. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $1.3 million to help those displaced or otherwise affected by the storm.

As of Oct. 7, the federal agency has received 960 requests for assistance from Pennsylvanians. The deadline to apply for individual assistance is Nov. 12. So far, Tioga County residents have submitted the most requests, totaling 403.

Where some see a “rural neighborhood watch” that saves money, others worry about liability and…

The post In a rural stretch of Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy first appeared on InvestigateWest.

The post In a rural stretch of Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy appeared first on InvestigateWest.

Carolyn Wilson sat on her deck, looking out at the railroad tracks that run through Flemington, and reflected on the toll the drug epidemic has taken on her family.

One of her daughters is in prison. She thinks the other one is in Clarksburg, but she doesn’t hear from her.

“You see them destroying themselves, and there’s nothing you can do,” Wilson said. 

Mountain State Spotlight is asking people in all 55 of West Virginia’s counties what they would like to hear candidates talking about as they compete for votes. In Taylor County, residents said they’re concerned about drugs, crime and the rising cost of living.

After seeing her grandchildrens’ experiences, Wilson said she’d like elected leaders to improve the state’s child welfare system by retaining quality Child Protective Services workers and stricter vetting for foster care parents.

“The foster care system is broken,” she said.

Next door, Carol Ware said she likes the slower pace of life in Taylor County. Most of her in-laws live in the nearby houses on the hillside and it feels safe. 

But, she worries about crime and about her daughter who attends West Virginia University, particularly now that concealed carry is allowed on college campuses.

“Teachers should be teaching, not carrying guns,” she said.

Flemington, a town of around 300 people, sits along railroad tracks. The railroad is an industry that was vital to the development of Taylor County. Eastbound trains pass through on the way to Grafton, one of the nation’s first railroad towns and the county seat.

At the turn of the 20th century, Grafton was a boom-town as coal and timber were transported to the nation. Glass factories also provided stable employment.

Today, the largest employers in the county are a coal mine owned by a subsidiary of Arch Coal, the schools, Walmart, the hospital and the state prison in Pruntytown.

Behind the counter at Robert’s New & Used, an antique store in Grafton, Cheryl Austin greets visitors with a smile. She looks after the store for the owner from time to time. A lifelong resident, she homeschooled her kids after her son was bullied in elementary school.

She said she wishes that there were more fun activities like parks or pools in the area to keep kids and adults out of trouble. There’s things to do in Bridgeport, but that’s a 25-minute drive away.

“The kids in Taylor County are not going to go to Bridgeport because a lot of them are poor,” she said.

At the antique store, she said some people come in who are visibly high. Austin said drug addiction has gotten worse and it’s the biggest issue facing the area. 

“It’s horrible in this town,” she said.

She gives each person who visits the store a card about the love of Jesus, and she prays over it, hoping they’ll find Christ.

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Austin isn’t on social media and hardly watches television. But she said she appreciated a candidate who stopped by the store to hand out a brochure that included her personal cell phone number.

“I was like, ‘Wow, I could actually talk to her or read it,’” Austin said, adding that she did vote for the candidate because she wasn’t hiding behind false promises.

On the front porch of his house along the river in Grafton, Doug Spring fiddles with a cigarette and leans back with a calm expression. He moved here when he was six and has lived here most of his life.

“I’m a country boy,” he said. “West Virginia’s country. You either hunt, fish or that’s it.”

For over two decades, he worked at a glass factory in Taylor County until it closed in 2015. After going through a job retraining program, he works at the Clarksburg airport in aviation maintenance.

The biggest issue on his mind as the election approaches is the drug epidemic. He said he’d like to see law enforcement more aggressively investigate and prosecute people who sell drugs. 

It’s been difficult to watch his kids deal with addiction.

“Me and my wife, we’ve had to endure a lot of pain,” he said. “Watching them go through that and not being able to help them.”

His daughter lives in nearby Bridgeport while his two sons still live in Grafton. 

The sons live nearby and work at Rex-Hide Industries, which operates a tire flaps factory just north of town. But Spring said the area needs more jobs and he hates to see his sons have to work just as hard as he did for fewer benefits.

“When I first started — I’m 61 — I did get a pension,” he said. “Now, you don’t get a pension. You don’t get healthcare. You don’t get nothing, unless you pay for it.”

Empty talk from politicians at the federal level frustrates him, and he’d like to hear them talk about the policies they plan to enact. 

“How are you going to save me money?” he asked. “How are you going to lower my taxes?” 

But he thinks West Virginia and elected officials are doing pretty well — not a lot of complaints.

“I think that they are trying to do good for the state.”

As election nears, Taylor County residents look for candidates to address opioid epidemic and bring jobs appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia’s civic newsroom.

What to know when getting ready to apply to FEMA for assistance after Tropical Storm Helene hit North Carolina.

Applying for FEMA aid in NC after Tropical Storm Helene is a story from Carolina Public Press, an award-winning independent newsroom. Our breakthrough journalism shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing North Carolina’s 10.4 million residents. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Community support has been overwhelming as the Three Affiliated Tribes battle round-the-clock to contain wildfires raging across northwest North Dakota. 

One of at least six outbreaks over the weekend, the Bear Den Fire near Mandaree remains 20% contained at time of publication. As of early afternoon more than 11,000 acres were actively burning, including significant portions of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

The fire has burned more than 28,000 acres since it began early Saturday, according to the North Dakota Forest Service. They said a priority on Monday was controlling the fires with air support from the National Guard Black Hawk helicopters. 

The Bear Den Fire destroyed two residences and multiple structures but caused no injuries, according to authorities. The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation’s Emergency Operations Center lifted mandatory evacuation orders for residents of both Four Bears and West reservation segments by Sunday afternoon.

Authorities said a fire located near Ray killed one man, 26-year-old Johannes Nicolaas Van Eeden of South Africa, and left another in critical condition.  

As crews continue battling blazes that began in the early morning hours on Saturday, community members are ensuring hot meals, toiletries and other supplies are available to those coming off long shifts or residents affected by the fires. 

Rancher Howard Fettig was on fire watch near Bear Den Bay when he spoke to Buffalo’s Fire in the late morning on Monday. It’s been “neighbors helping neighbors, both on and off reservation,” he said. 

“I think it’s an eye-opener.” 

Howard Fettig, rancher helping create fire guards north of Mandaree

MHA Nation’s Emergency Operations Center in New Town is requesting donated snacks, coffee, toiletries, and bottled water. Community members at the Emergency Response building in Mandaree welcome donations of brown paper bags to make sack lunches, toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, kitchen trash bags, coffee, bath towels, and laundry soap. 

Lyda Spotted Bear told Buffalo’s Fire the support staff and fire fighters have been very thankful for the consistent supply of hot meals as they rotate through shifts. A steady flow of local volunteers is providing supplies and delivery, Spotted Bear said.

The fire’s path missed Fettig’s home by just half a mile, razing fences, trees and the pasture where he had planned to graze animals this fall. 

The crisis was nowhere over, he said, as Monday’s southern winds were making flare-ups’ path unpredictable. 

He was one of many farmers and ranchers standing by with tractors to create fire lines –  stretches of tilled soil stopping the spread of flames.

“I think it’s an eye-opener,” Fettig said. He hopes people understand it will happen again and “we need to have a better understanding on how to protect people.” Western North Dakota is in moderate to severe drought with no relief of dry conditions in the near future. 

The Bear Den Fire drew  a coordinated response from the tribes,  U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, North Dakota Forest Service, Department of Emergency Services, Army National Guard and Highway Patrol. 

Dry conditions and high northwest winds – with gusts recorded over 75 miles per hour – pushed fires southeast on Saturday. The exact cause of the fires remains unknown. 

Elkhorn Fire, which has burned more than 20,000 acres south of Watford City, was 20% contained Monday afternoon, with no reported injuries or destroyed residences.

By Sunday evening, emergency responders had almost entirely contained a fire near Arnegard and another by Charlson, the Garrison Fire near Emmet and two fires that merged between Ray and Tioga. Downed power lines have left more than 300 without electricity statewide. 

The post Three Affiliated Tribes emergency responders combat 11,000-acre Bear Den Fire appeared first on Buffalo’s Fire.

A week after Tropical Storm Helene hit NC, storm survivors in Yancey and Mitchell counties talk with CPP. Their stories and a photo essay.

Out of the mud. Talking with storm survivors in Yancey and Mitchell counties. is a story from Carolina Public Press, an award-winning independent newsroom. Our breakthrough journalism shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing North Carolina’s 10.4 million residents. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Storm aftermath response: Need help? Want to help? We have a list of resources available.

Montgomery and Pulaski have been added to the list of localities under the federal major disaster declaration issued in the wake of flooding and wind damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene in late September. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, amended the initial major disaster declaration to include nine localities: the counties of Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe and the city of Galax. 

Residents who sustained Helene-related losses in those counties can begin to apply for individual assistance at https://www.fema.gov/ or https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by using the FEMA App. 

As of Friday, one week after the devastation, federal, state and local emergency management agencies had determined that 519 homes had been damaged. That number includes 44 homes that were destroyed, 161 that sustained major damage, 146 that sustained minor damage and 168 that were affected. 

Those numbers are expected to rise as agencies continue to conduct assessments. 

Two Helene-related tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in Pittsylvania County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during a press briefing on Friday morning. His team is working to get that locality, along with others, added to the list, he said. 

About 200 FEMA personnel were on the ground in Southwest Virginia as of Friday, and more are expected to come over the course of the next week. FEMA will send people out to go door-to-door through the region to help residents fill out the forms needed to receive aid. 

What can FEMA aid cover? 

FEMA may be able to help people in Southwest Virginia who have been affected by Helene to pay for essential items, temporary housing, home repairs and other needs due to the disaster. Those other needs can include:

• Essential items such as water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, medical supplies and equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation;
• Financial assistance to help pay for hotel stays, stays with family and friends, or other options while seeking a rental unit as well as rental assistance if a person is displaced because of the disaster;
• Repair or replacement of a vehicle, appliances, room furnishings, personal or family computer;
• Books, uniforms, tools, computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment; and
• Moving and storage fees, medical expenses, childcare and funeral expenses.

As of Oct. 5, FEMA has provided $110 million to thousands of people affected by Hurricane Helene across the Southeast region of the U.S. Of that, more than $230,000 has been disbursed to over 50 households in Southwest Virginia. 

The post List of localities declared under a major disaster grows to nine in Southwest Virginia appeared first on Cardinal News.