Olney Reporter, Local News, Montgomery County, Maryland

10/24/2025

TONIGHT, THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER has gotten much more specific about its warnings on Melissa. Pay attention...please.

Key Messages:

1. Jamaica: Due to Melissa’s slow motion, the risk of a prolonged
multi-day period of potentially damaging winds, heavy rainfall
resulting in life-threatening flash flooding and numerous
landslides, and storm surge continues to increase for Jamaica.
Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to
completion, since strong winds and flooding rains could begin in
Jamaica by Saturday.

2. Haiti: Heavy rainfall will result in catastrophic flash
flooding and landslides across southwestern Haiti by this weekend
into early next week. Extensive damage to roads and buildings is
expected, potentially isolating communities for an extended period
of time. This is a life-threatening situation and immediate
preparations to protect life and property should be taken. Strong
winds could also potentially last for a day or more over the Tiburon
peninsula of Haiti.

3. Remainder of Hispaniola and Eastern Cuba: Heavy rainfall could also produce significant, life-threatening flash flooding and
numerous landslides in southern Dominican Republic. Interests in
Cuba should monitor the progress of Melissa since the risk of heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and storm surge appears to be increasing.

hour by hour updates at

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/24/2025

One of the many cliches used about hurricanes is to say this or that "is in the bullseye of the approaching storm". Jamaica isn't in the bullseye, it is right on the edge of the predicted path. This could be an major, life taking disaster all along the southern coast of this beautiful island and inland as well. The forecast calls for Melissa to drag slowly along the southern coast as a major category hurricane FOR THREE LONG DAYS. Is the population being evacuated properly? Are people getting out of low lying areas and other flood zones? Away from the shorelines?

Here's the deal: the National Hurricane Center is moderate in its warnings this far, a few days, ahead. They don't want people to panic and then wind up being wrong about the whole forecast. I understand this approach. This is no time for moderation, however. The word tonight and tomorrow for Jamaicans is simple, straight forward: get out of the danger zone. Move inland if you have a safe place to go. The north side of the island is probably safer but being in a place beneath hills and mountains would still be dangerous.

As a major hurricane, Melissa could easily move inland from the projected forecast. Furthermore, high winds can easily extend outside of the projected path.

Talk to your neighbors, listen to what local officials have to say but don't just sit there and wait for it to come and get you and your family. Inland, half way up a hill or mountain on the lee side of the wind would probably be a safer place but no one can be absolutely certain right now. The best advice is to take this very seriously and devise the best plans you can for yourself and family based on the forecast information as it becomes available.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/23/2025

The hurricane brewing up south of Haiti looks like it could be a very dangerous event, especially for Jamaica. The heavy rains are reported to be hitting Haiti and the Dominican Republic today but Jamaica could be in for some devastating rains, flooding and landslides starting Friday and through the weekend. IF YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS or relatives in Jamaica, especially anyone who lives near hills or mountains, call them and see if they are making preparation. MELISSA is forecast to be at major hurricane strength as it more or less settles off the southern coast of Jamaica for the coming three days. This is very serious. If you can reach anyone to share the warnings from the National Hurricane Center, do so TODAY.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/21/2025

Here's a link to video of last Saturday's NO KINGS demonstration in Olney.

10/18/2024

NEW STORM off the coast of the Yucatan.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/15/2024

Are you getting my substack? If not, there's the pitty. Here's a link to my posting today and there will be more coming all the time whether anyone likes it or not. Okay?

The coming of winter

10/08/2024

Lots of links to coverage of the coming hurricane at ERN NEWS, including evacuation zones and other advice from the state of Florida. One of the greatest dangers on the coastline, after storm surge, is the potential for flying debris piled up after the last hurricane, less than two weeks ago.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/08/2024

HURRICANE MILTON is on course now for impact on the western coast of Florida somewhere north or south of Tampa Bay. Still time to evacuate during the day, Tuesday, with going south toward Miami most likely to evade the worst of the storm. Check the latest forecast if you haven't departed yet.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/08/2024

One option for people trying to get away from Hurricane Milton is to head south and west, toward the Miami area. In that zone, winds are only expected to reach around 39 miles an hour and, of course, there is no storm surge inland. Miami has flooded streets a lot of the time even without a hurricane passing over, so that is something to consider. Overall, if the roads are blocked or at a crawl heading north, heading southward could be an option.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/07/2024

One of the biggest problems with the hurricane approaching Florida, after storm surge, is the massive piles of debris from the last storm. There is no time to adequately clean this up, even with emergency efforts. The result is that the storm will be much more dangerous as the debris gets launched into the air, potentially wrecking more houses and buildings and killing anyone who gets hit. You won't see reporters standing out in this, if they want to live.

Evacuation from the previous impacted areas is mandatory.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.

10/06/2024

THIS IS A NOTE FOR PEOPLE MUCKING OUT FROM THE FLOODING IN N. CAROLINA AND ELSEWHERE:

IF YOU HAVE ANY LEFTOVER MASKS FROM THE PANDEMIC OR CAN GET ANY OTHER MASKS, PUT THEM ON WHILE WORKING CLEAN UP! Don't try to show how brave you are or just to show your dedication. Dirt, mud, chemical pollutants and everything else is floating around in the area as you clean. You will breathe these particles right in while you work. Ordinary masks might not protect you much but they are better than nothing. "Breather masks" with a filter on the front would likely be better but don't wait for them to be brought in. Protect yourself as best you can with whatever is available.

HTTPS://ERNNEWS.COM

1. There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation along portions of the Florida Gulf Coast where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect, including Tampa Bay and the Big Bend region of Florida. Inundation of 8 to 12 feet above ground level is expected somewhere between Chassahowitzka and Au...

10/06/2024

I have been in and through a lot of hurricanes and seen the damage they can cause up close but I have never seen anything like western North Carolina where so many major portions of roads are simply gone, washed away. Interstate 40 normally carries a heavy load of local and other traffic heading to and from Tennessee. Major chunks of the highway are impassable, with the land that the road had been passing over, gone. I-26 is also not functional. In addition, there are dozens of small roads with bridges out and, in the backwoods mountain areas, dirt and rock roads that are washed away or covered in landslides in various places.

People are not going to be able to get to jobs, groceries and medical appointments, in addition to problems with schooling for children. This is a compound, evolving set of problems. FEMA is not equipped to address this load of disaster. In addition to everything else, it is likely going to take some sort of federal effort to get money into the hands of those who can't work and earn a living, just like what happened nationally during the worst of the pandemic. Unemployment benefits are too meager. One can only hope it doesn't take months for officials in Washington, DC, and the state capital to realize the sheer depth of the disaster.

Get real-time storm warnings and track hurricanes with hour by hour updates on approaching storms in North America. Information used wisely saves lives and it can save yours, your family, relatives, friends and co-workers.