News articles in Hurricane Season

Southern Philippines Struggling in Aftermath of Typhoon Bopha

(Dive Travel Business News - December 6, 2012) -- At least 325 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 400 still missing after a typhoon hit the southern Philippines. Typhoon Bopha caused havoc in eight provinces but eastern Mindanao was the worst hit. Typhoon Bopha, the strongest storm to hit the country this year, packed winds of 160 mph - equivalent to a category 5 hurricane - when it struck Mindanao on December 2, 2012.

The head of the national disaster agency said 332 people were killed and 379 are missing after Bopha triggered landslides and floods along the coast and in farming and mining towns inland in the southern Mindanao region. Nearly 200,000 people remain in shelters in more than a dozen provinces in the southern Philippines, as officials appeal for food, water and clothing.

Many of the victims were killed when flash floods hit emergency shelters. Roads and bridges have been destroyed and many parts of the country have been left without electricity. The death toll could rise further, with local government officials reporting higher numbers of missing and dead. read more »

DEMA Announces Disaster Assistance Program for Show Exhibitors, Attendees Impacted by Hurricane Sandy

(Dive Travel Business News - November 1, 2012) -- The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) announced today that the DEMA Board of Directors has approved the activation of the Disaster Assistance Program to assist those DEMA Show Exhibitors and Buyers impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

DEMA's Disaster Assistance Program contains funds specifically for companies that planned to exhibitor buy at DEMA Show but which were subsequently impacted by a natural disaster. Based on their exhibit size as contracted by close of business on Monday, October 22, 2012, each exhibitor involved from affected locations as outlined below, may apply for funds to help them get to the trade show. Buyers who planned to attend DEMA Show can also apply for funds to assist in staying onsite at DEMA Show 2012. read more »

Flight Cancelations, Tourist Evacuations as Hurricane Sandy Blows thru Central Caribbean.

Tourists Evacuated as Hurricane Sandy Hits Cuba.

(Dive Travel Business News -- October 25, 2012) --Tens of thousands of tourists and residents have been evacuated from vulnerable areas as Hurricane Sandy hits south-east Cuba. The US National Hurricane Center said Sandy has now strengthened into a category two hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 114 mph reported in Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest city. read more »

Tropical Storm Isaac heads across Gulf of Mexico, Expected to grow into Hurricane.

(Dive Travel Business News - August 27, 2012) -- Tropical Storm Isaac rolled over the open Gulf of Mexico on Monday, where it was expected to grow into a hurricane before hitting land somewhere between Louisiana and Florida and close to the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane warnings have been issued along the northern Gulf Coast from Morgan City, La., to Destin, Fla., including New Orleans and coastal Mississippi. According to the National Hurricane Center, a storm surge between six and 12 feet could threaten the northern Gulf Coast if the storm makes landfall during high tide.

At 2 a.m. ET on Monday, the center of the storm was located about 110 miles west of Key West and 455 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at about 15 mph. The storm had maximum sustained winds of about 65 mph. Isaac is expected to strengthen as it moves out over the open, warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. read more »

Update: Atlantic Hurricane Season 2012

Four Storms so far in Atlantic Hurricane Season 2012

(Dive Travel Business News - July 10, 2012) -- This year's Atlantic Hurricane Season began June 1, 2012 and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a less active season compared to recent years.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says there’s a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms (with top winds of 39 mph or higher), of which four to eight will strengthen to a hurricane (with top winds of 74 mph or higher) and of those one to three will become major hurricanes (with top winds of 111 mph or higher, ranking Category 3, 4 or 5). Based on the period 1981-2010, an average season produces 12 named storms with six hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

While the overall trend toward is toward stormier seas since 1995, three factors are expected to limit hurricane formation:

1. Strong wind shear, which should tamp down hurricane formation.
2. Cooler sea surface temperatures in the far eastern Atlantic, where storms are often given life.
3. The potential for an El Nino in the Pacific, which tends to limit Atlantic hurricane activity. read more »

Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season 2012 Off to a Busy Start

(Dive Travel Business News - July 8, 2012) -- The Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season has gotten off to a busy and early start of the season. So far there have been 5 named storms, including 3 that have turned into hurricanes.

The season was scheduled to officially start on May 15, 2012, but started one day early when Tropical Storm Aletta unofficially kicked-off Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season on May 14. Aletta reached maximum sustained winds of 65 kph located about 650 mi south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico before dissipating further out to sea.

Hurricane Bud began off Panama on May before moving northward to the western coast of Mexico. On May 24, Bud intensified into a Category 3 major hurricane before weakening to a strong tropical storm, as it began making landfall on Western Mexico.

On June 13, Tropical Storm Carlotta gathered strength turning into a Cat 2 Hurricane before it weakened and made landfall near Puerto Escondido, Mexico. read more »

South Pacific Cyclone Season 2012

(Dive Travel Business News - December 30, 2011) -- While tropical cyclones in the South Pacific may occur throughout the year, the U.S. Department of State advises travelers that the South Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season began on November 1 and ends April 30. Travelers to the region should monitor local weather reports and take other appropriate action as needed. read more »

Hurricane Rina Churns Towards Mexico's Caribbean

Hurricane Rina churns towards Cozumel, Cancun

(Dive Travel Business News - October 26, 2011) -- Mexico issued a hurricane watch along the Yucatan coast and readied 1,130 storm shelters in Quintana Roo, the state that includes Cancun and Cozumel. Authorities are evacuating fishing communities on Mexico’s resort-studded Caribbean coast and some tourists began to leave, as Hurricane Rina took aim at Cancun and the island of Cozumel on Wednesday.

Rina’s maximum sustained winds remained steady at about 110 mph (175 kph) early Wednesday, said the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, making it a Category 2 storm. Forecasters predict it will strengthen as it nears the Mexican coast Wednesday night before rolling over the island of Cozumel, a popular dive spot and cruise-ship port, then along the coast to Cancun.

State Tourism Director Juan Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez said there were about 83,000 tourists in the state, with about 45,000 of those on a stretch of coast south of Cancun that includes Tulum and Playa de Carmen, and almost 28,000 in Cancun. read more »

Pacific Typhoon Season

(Dive Travel Business News - July 5, 2011) -- Typhoons in East Asia and the West and Central Pacific regions north of the Equator may occur year-round however historically, the most active Pacific typhoon months are June through November, with peak months from August to October corresponding to Atlantic Hurricane Season. This basin features the most globally intense storms on record. The area just northeast of the Philippines is the most active place on Earth for tropical cyclones to exist. The most frequently impacted areas of the Philippines by tropical cyclones are northern Luzon and eastern Visayas where cyclone season peaks in September. read more »

"StormCheck" Live-aboard Guarantee During Hurricane Season.

(Dive Travel Business News - May 1, 2011) -- Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet expect passengers to have a safe and fun dive vacation as they leave their worries at home. However, a named meteorological disturbance can make the seas rough and adversely affect valuable dive time. This is why Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet have developed "StormCheck". read more »