Hurricane Helene reached Category 5 strength on Monday as the storm moves over the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall in Florida later this week. The National Hurricane Center posted to X just before noon ET that data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated that Milton had intensified to Category 5 status with maximum sustained winds estimated to be 160 miles per hour with higher gusts. A Category 5 hurricane is the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, which is based on a storm’s sustained wind speed. With such a powerful storm, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), “catastrophic damage” will occur. …MILTON RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES INTO A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE… Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that Milton has strengthened to a category 5. The max sustained winds are estimated to be 160 mph with higher gusts. https://t.co/dv1LkCViaN pic.twitter.com/zUwi2CNJhi — National Hurricane Center (@NWSNHC) October 7, 2024 The National Hurricane Center said in a 10 a.m. discussion post that Hurricane Milton was undergoing “remarkable rapid intensification,” but explained the storm would encounter a “much less favorable environment” that would promote weakening before it reaches the Florida Gulf Coast. “However, the system is still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland,” the National Hurricane Center added. “Key Messages” in the post warned of the possibility of storm surge, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 51 counties. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration, making federal resources more readily available to assist with response efforts. Evacuation orders have been given in counties throughout the southwest part of the Sunshine State. Hurricane Milton has strengthened into a major hurricane and is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida as soon as Wednesday evening. @FLSERT is addressing more than 600 resource requests from communities in the storm’s path. We are deploying truckloads of food and… pic.twitter.com/M6V76oibn8 — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 7, 2024 Landfall could happen by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, although the reach of the storm extends far beyond the center. The National Weather Service said that if the hurricane stays on its current track, it will be the “worst storm” to impact the Tampa area in more than 100 years. Millions of people live in the region. 10/07/24 11am Major Hurricane Milton Update⚠️Now a Category 5 Hurricane⚠️If the storm stays on the current track, it will be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in over 100 years. ⚠️Please evacuate if told to do so. ⚠️Complete all prep before tomorrow night. #flwx pic.twitter.com/Cq9tJsfr2A — NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) October 7, 2024 Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a “major” Category 4 hurricane less than two weeks ago, and its remnants swept across Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia. At least 232 people died, towns were destroyed, and millions of people lost power, cell phone service, and running water. Recovery efforts are still underway, with a great deal of scrutiny being placed on the federal response. The Atlantic hurricane season is ramping up just weeks ahead of the 2024 presidential election, in which former President Donald Trump faces Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House race. Trump has criticized the federal response to Helene while taking jabs at President Joe Biden and Harris. All three of them have visited states that were struck by the storm in recent days.

From on-screen friendship to off-screen romance, these School of Rock kids are now engaged. Caitlin Hale and Angelo Massagli teased fans of their engagement with an epic, glam photoshoot. Caitlin shared some of the stunning photos on her Instagram page, and fans are going wild over the elegance. “School Of Rock” Kids Get Engaged Caitlin and Angelo played two of Jack Black’s students in the film, Marta and Frankie. While they may have been children when they met, they are full-fledged adults now. Caitlin and Angelo took some stunning engagement photos together, as Caitlin showed off her sparkly new ring. The actress shared a carousel of photos celebrating their upcoming wedding. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Caitlin Hale, RDMS (@caitlinmhale) The post captioned, “Sneak peek .” Signifying that there will be even more to come. The first photo is of the pair in elegant black attire, holding one another romantically. Caitlin has her back to the camera, looking over her shoulder as Angelo holds her by the waist. All the photos are in black and white, giving them an even more elegant appearance. Second, the two look off in the distance on a rooftop with a massive skyscraper and a beautiful bridge as their backdrop. Third, the pair are nuzzled up together in front of a beautiful archway. Finally, the last photo is more close-up. It shows the pair laughing and obviously so in love. The actress looked stunning in her strapless black dress, and her soon-to-be husband sported a suit jacket and matching black pants and shoes. Fans are loving the posts and this School of Rock engagement. One user wrote, “Congratulations to the actors who played my two favorite characters in School of Rock! .” Another added, “The old Hollywood glam is just….to die!!!!!” A third chimed in, “OKAY you both look amazing. So happy for you ” The Beginning Of Their Love Story The couple met in 2003 when they were filming School of Rock and didn’t start dating until many years later in 2016. PEOPLE revealed that Angelo said the pair hit it off when “he learned Hale was moving to Florida, where he was living at the time.” The School of Rock kids had a group chat where they all kept in touch and updated one another on major life events. So Caitlin notified the group when she was moving, and Angelo got the memo. The duo met up for lunch and drinks, and love bloomed from there. Angelo admitted after a few meetings, “The rest is history.” He claimed, “This is locked down. Yes. This is it.” While Angelo knew his former co-star was special even when they were children, his admiration for her blossomed even more as adults and led to their engagement. This star didn’t just announce the news that she was engaged. Caitlin continued to share all of their special and happy moments together on her Instagram page and fans cannot wait to see what she shares next. This story’s featured image is by Lee Celano/WireImage via Getty. The post Two Kid Actors From “School Of Rock” Fell In Love & Got Engaged, See Their Gorgeous Photos appeared first on InspireMore.

One mom was totally blown away when her son’s teacher wrote an entire book to help the autistic boy understand his younger brother’s cancer diagnosis. Kelsey Hines shared the sweetest post on social media showcasing this educator’s gentle way of explaining the illness. This beautiful, homemade book was the perfect way to communicate the situation to the then-non-verbal five-year-old. His family was truly grateful for this teacher’s effort! In a heartbreaking slideshow, Kelsey shared pages from the book describing what three-year-old Ryder would go through as a cancer patient. As the teacher explained how the illness would affect the young child, she was very sensitive to his older brother’s feelings. “Ryder might start to look different,” she wrote. “He might lose his hair, but that is ok. He is still my brother and I love him!” Screengrab from TikTok This teacher also explained in her book that Ryder’s cancer diagnosis meant that some things would change around the house. For example, the toddler would have to stay at the hospital, and Mom and Dad would sometimes stay there with him. She wanted his older brother to know that he wasn’t selfish if he had some negative feelings about this. “It is ok to feel sad about Ryder being sick,” the teacher wrote. “It is ok to miss Mom or Dad when they aren’t home.” Screengrab from TikTok At the end of her social media post, Kelsey shared some amazing news. Her younger son was in remission and had been for the past year. While continuing to celebrate this wonderful update, she wanted to thank her older son’s teacher for the incredible impact she made. Her book really helped the autistic boy as he grappled with the difficult reality of his brother’s cancer. “She has no idea what this meant to us,” the grateful mother said in her post. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Teacher Creates Special Book To Help Autistic Boy Understand His Brother’s Illness appeared first on InspireMore.

When waiting at an airport, the last thing you want to hear are the words, “Your flight has been delayed.” That said, passengers on a flight from San Francisco to Houston, Texas were given news of their delay mid-flight. That’s because one of the passengers, unfortunately, experienced a medical emergency. This left the pilot with no choice but to make an emergency landing in New Mexico — but he had an act of kindness up his sleeve. Thankfully, the passenger in need was rushed to a local hospital as soon as the plane landed. As for everyone else, they’d be waiting a long time to catch a new flight. Because some crew members had reached their maximum shift hours, as set by the Federal Aviation Administration, new crew were required. But getting them there would take time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by United Airlines (@united) With the new crew set to arrive for a 10:30 p.m. departure, the passengers had to wait for hours. In turn, they were given meal vouchers. That said, between when passengers got the vouchers, and the airport restaurants’ limited hours, the situation was not ideal. Luckily, the pilot of this delayed flight pulled off an act of kindness that changed the entire mood of the evening. When Passengers Are Left Waiting and Hungry, This Pilot’s Act of Kindness Saves the Day @ladyt98tanya #unitedairlines #pilots #great #greatness #greatpilots #christlike #thankyou #california #sanfrancisco #houston ♬ Powerful songs like action movie music – Tansa To ensure every single passenger was fed, the pilot ordered 30 pizzas from a nearby restaurant. This act of kindness meant the world to the 150 people who found themselves stranded at the airport. Plus, the pilot himself waited until everyone else had eaten before grabbing a bite himself. How cool is that!? “Everybody always thinks of something negative happening in this world — this world is doomed,” Tanya Stamos, the passenger who shared the above video says. “What I take away from it is that goodness always prevails, you know?” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Pilot Goes Above & Beyond To Feed Passengers During Hours-Long Flight Delay appeared first on InspireMore.

Lindsey Keys, filmmaker and advocate, contributes her insight about living with a chronic illness, how our physical and mental health are connected, what the “quiet epidemic” is, and more!

An image shared on X claims to show a statue of St. Michael the Archangel slaying a dragon outside the United Nations (UN) building. Fun fact: There’s a statue of Archangel Michael slaying a dragon whose body is a nuclear missile outside of the UN building. pic.twitter.com/BFOZR3UoIW — James Lindsay, anti-Communist (@ConceptualJames) October 3, 2024 Verdict: […]

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