The Story
The US's southeast coast is dealing with a major hurricane.
What's the latest?
There are states of emergency in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, and Maryland. Last night, Hurricane Florence went from a Category 2 storm to a Category 1 storm. Meaning: wind speeds have died down a little, but are still really effing dangerous with 90-mph winds. Officials warn the storm is especially dangerous because of how wide and relatively slowly it's moving – which could cause catastrophic flooding. More than 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate. More than 1,000 flights have been canceled. Tens of thousands of people have already lost power – and millions more are at risk. The eye of the hurricane is expected to make landfall today.
Why does this keep happening?
It's hurricane season. Hurricanes rely on warm water to form and keep going, and this time of year is when they tend to get especially out of hand. Scientists think global warming isn't helping. This year, Florence is the first major Atlantic hurricane to hit the US. Last year was an especially deadly season.
I remember.
Speaking of last year's storms, Puerto Rico's governor recently said nearly 3,000 people died as a result of Hurricane Maria. But yesterday, President Trump cast doubt on the updated death toll. Trump has called his admin's response to Maria an "unsung success." He blames the revised figures on Democrats trying to make him look "as bad as possible" – but is getting pushback from both sides of the aisle. Meanwhile, the head of FEMA is being investigated over how he's been traveling on taxpayers' dime.
theSkimm
Florence is already reminding people of last year's Hurricane Harvey because of how damaging the flooding might be. It's on track to be the most dangerous hurricane North Carolina has seen in decades – and nearby states are on watch, too. Stay safe.
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