Energy & Environment — Hurricane Milton brings tornadoes with rain

View Online Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story  Why tornadoes form within hurricanes Extreme weather tied to Hurricane Milton included tornadoes — a phenomenon known to occur as such storms move inland — that have killed at least five in Florida's St. Lucie County. © AP Tornadoes are more commonly associated with areas less vulnerable to coastal storms, like the southern and midwestern U.S. But they can form once a hurricane transitions from sea to land and its winds encounter greater friction.   Between 1994 and 2014, a full two out of three tornadoes that hit the U.S. between August and September had a link to tropical cyclones, according to The Weather Channel.   While hurricanes are over the ocean, "the water is kind of acting like a frictionless surface [and] winds at the ground don't get a whole lot slower as they're encountering the water," said Jana Houser, an associate professor at Ohio State University who specializes in radar analysis of tornadoes.   "Water does not have much friction," noted William Gallus, a professor of meteorology at Iowa State University, who compared a hurricane over the ocean to a can of soup being spun, spinning as a single unit in one direction.   But once a storm approaches land, Houser said, the winds closer to the ground begin to slow as they encounter resistance from the ground, while those at higher altitudes accelerate.   This alone doesn't form a tornado, as the winds are still spinning horizontally, Houser said, but when a strong thunderstorm is added to the mix, it reorients the winds from "spinning like a bike tire to spinning like a top."   Read more at TheHill.com and follow The Hill's live coverage here. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: Hispanic advocacy group calls for Harris to press clean-energy message with Latinos A Latino-centric environmental advocacy group is calling on Vice President Harris's campaign to expand its clean energy economy messaging to reach young Latino men, a group that's proven elusive for the Democratic presidential nominee.  Full Story Why tornadoes form within hurricanes — and how climate change could make it more common The extreme weather associated with Hurricane Milton has included tornadoes that have killed at least five in Florida's St. Lucie County, a phenomenon known to occur as such storms move inland.  Full Story Oregon officials name gas utility in climate deception lawsuit, in nationwide first Northwest Oregon officials have announced the inclusion of a publicly traded gas company in a massive climate suit against fossil fuel producers, marking the first instance in which a gas utility has been named in such a case nationwide.  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Greene takes fire for remarks about weather Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has again thrown herself at the center of controversy over her embrace of claims that the government and humans are "controlling" the severe weather as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida.   Full Story What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Five (and Soon, Maybe Six) of the Country's 10 Largest Coal Plants Have Retirement Dates (Inside Climate News)   A World in Need of More Gas Isn't Getting New Supply Fast Enough (Bloomberg) Glitter has lost its shine – but scientists may have found a safer substitute (The Guardian) What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Democrats start to hit the panic button Democrats' nerves are at an all-time high.  Read more 5 things to know about the TD Bank scandal Toronto-Dominion Bank, commonly referred to as TD Bank, is facing unprecedented fines and penalties from U.S. officials after allegedly failing to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in drug money laundering.  Read more Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: Harris should promise to elevate FEMA head to Cabinet Letting Azerbaijan host the UN climate conference is a sick joke   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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