Subscribe Now

May 26-June 1, 2013 is Hurricane Preparedness Week.  Hurricanes come with many hazards – storm surge, high winds, heavy rains, inland flooding and even tornadoes. The official Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and ends on November 30.  As peak season approaches, it is important to understand and prepare for hurricane hazards, even if [...]

This is the time of year when migratory birds are on the move!  Migratory birds are traveling from their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central and South America to the U.S. and Canada, where they feast on abundant insects and plant foods during spring and summer.  How do they know when to leave and where to [...]

This is the time of year when migratory birds are on the move!  Migratory birds are traveling from their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central and South America to the U.S. and Canada, where they feast on abundant insects and plant foods during spring and summer.  How do they know when to leave and where to [...]

This is the time of year when migratory birds are on the move!  Migratory birds are traveling from their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central and South America to the U.S. and Canada, where they feast on abundant insects and plant foods during spring and summer.  How do they know when to leave and where to [...]

With the first warm sunny days of spring comes the buzzing of mosquitoes. As you are preparing the backyard for your next barbeque, make sure these pesky bugs don’t stop by for a bite. Mosquitoes rely on stagnant pools of water for breeding grounds.  These pools can form in things like abandoned bird baths, buckets, [...]

It’s that time of year again, when we open our windows, work on our lawn and gardens, watch the flowers bloom and get ready for the cookout. Just one slight problem: those little blood-suckers would like to enjoy the spring temperatures, too – while hanging out with you. It’s bug season! Viewer Tip: Here are [...]

Friday, April 26 is National Arbor Day.  Trees not only add beauty and value to our landscape, they also provide many environmental benefits.  In one year, a single healthy tree has the same cooling effect as ten room-sized air conditioners running continually; absorbs 750 gallons of storm water, preventing erosion and protecting water quality; and [...]

Itching to get out and shake off the cabin fever? Go ahead and brush the dust off your spring hiking boots and get ready to hit the trail. Spending time in nature is one of the best ways to find solitude, explore and enjoy the landscape where you live. Before you hit the trail, make [...]

Consider a rain garden to reduce watering needs in your yard and replenish groundwater. A rain garden is lower than the surrounding landscape, allowing rain to soak into the soil. This filters out pollutants and keeps runoff out of city storm sewers. Viewer Tip: The ideal spot if you want the most plant choices is [...]

When rain falls, some of the water ends up in lakes and rivers, some is used by plants, some evaporates back into the atmosphere, and some seeps through the ground into aquifers – large, natural underground water storage areas.  This groundwater provides more than 40 percent of the U.S. population with drinking water.  Not only [...]

Louisiana observes severe Weather Awareness Week from March 3-9, 2013. This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather you might experience in your area. Some common Louisiana natural hazards are hurricanes, floods and extreme heat. One of the worst natural hazards to hit [...]

North Carolina observes Severe Weather Awareness Week from March 3-9, 2013. This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather you might experience in your area. Some common North Carolina natural hazards are hurricanes, floods and thunderstorms. One of the worst natural hazards to [...]

Alabama observes Severe Weather Awareness Week from February 17-22, 2013. This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather you might experience in your area. Alabama’s most common natural hazards are floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. One of the worst tornadoes in Alabama’s history struck [...]

Arkansas observes Severe Weather Awareness Week from February 18-22, 2013. This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather you might experience in your area. Arkansas’ most common natural hazards are tornadoes, wildfires and thunderstorms. One of the worst natural hazards to hit Arkansas [...]

El Nino years correspond to higher temperatures and above average rainfall in the Southeastern U.S. If this increased rainfall comes in frequent and steady showers instead of a few strong storms, then conditions for mosquito breeding are ideal. Yellow Fever, which has been eliminated in the U.S. due to mosquito control efforts and a vaccine, [...]

The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, or the cyclical movement of heat in the tropical Pacific Ocean, influences annual rainfall amounts on Florida’s Gulf Coast. In Tampa Bay, seven out of ten strong El Nino years are years when wintertime rainfall is above average. In the Lakeland/Fort Myers area, winters with above average rainfall [...]

Over the last 40 years in the eastern U.S., there has been an increase in the frequency during warm months of 30-day periods when there is no rain. These dry spells now occur about twice as often as they did in the 1960′s. Rainfall events push water through municipal sewer and storm water systems. During [...]

A warmer atmosphere results in an amplification of the water cycle. Some areas of the world are net importers of rainfall (such as tropical rainforests), while some are net exporters (such as oceans around the tropics). The “amplification” of the cycle means that dry regions become drier, and wet regions become wetter. During the 20th [...]

A warmer atmosphere results in an amplification of the water cycle. Some areas of the world are net importers of rainfall (such as tropical rainforests), while some are net exporters (such as oceans around the tropics). The “amplification” of the cycle means that dry regions become drier, and wet regions become wetter. During the 20th [...]

Since 1910, overall precipitation in the lower 48 states has increased by ten percent, and the region with the largest increase in rainfall is the Mississippi River Basin. Because of fertilizer use on farms, lawns, and gardens in the Basin, wet years mean that more nitrogen (an ingredient in fertilizer) is carried with rainwater into [...]