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A new storm is brewing in the Caribbean, poised to become the next named system of the 2024 hurricane season, potentially bringing even more chaos to an already turbulent year.
Hurricane Milton. Credit: The National Hurricane Center
Hurricanes Helene and Milton: A Season of Destruction
The tail end of September brought catastrophe to Florida and other parts of the United States when Hurricane Helene, the fifth hurricane and second major one of 2024, tore through the country, resulting in the tragic loss of over 200 lives. Just as locations began to recover, Hurricane Milton slammed into Central Florida two weeks later, leading to widespread closures, including beloved attractions like Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort. These back-to-back storms prompted stars like Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift to lend financial support, trying to alleviate the suffering of affected communities.
Sara on the Horizon
Now, over a month after Hurricane Milton’s devastation, meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a new disturbance forming in the south-central Caribbean. According to a recent report from Click Orlando, “[The] National Hurricane Center has highlighted our newest area of interest and already bumped odds up to a 40% chance of development by this time next week.” If the system strengthens as predicted, it will be named Sara.
Credit: Canva
Unusual Patterns
What’s raising eyebrows in the meteorological community is how this season’s storms are behaving. Earlier in November, Hurricane Rafael defied historical patterns by veering westward in the Gulf of Mexico instead of following the typical November route toward Florida. This unusual movement has opened the door for Sara to potentially follow a similarly unpredictable path.
Click Orlando analysts explain, “The trough extending down toward the south opens up a pathway for the system to not only take advantage of additional rising motions in the atmosphere but to naturally gravitate toward this area of low pressure.” As Florida braces for two incoming cold fronts, there are growing concerns these shifts in the atmosphere might steer the storm into the Gulf, setting it on a collision course with the state once again.
Credit: Jamie S., Inside the Magic
“The two successive cold fronts hitting Florida will alter the large-scale steering pattern for this tropical low pressure,” meteorologists warn. This shift could mean the difference between the storm dissipating or intensifying as it draws closer to land.
The Final Chapter of the 2024 Hurricane Season
As the 2024 hurricane season nears its official end on December 1, many are hopeful that Sara will not become yet another name etched into the long list of destructive storms this year. But with atmospheric conditions still ripe for cyclonic development, the Sunshine State may not be out of the woods just yet.
How do you feel about the potential impact of Sara? Will it bring more heartache, or will it fizzle out? Share your thoughts with Disney Dining below!
