Fay Brings Floods—and Gators

Florida cops warn against feeding 'alpha predators'

(NEWSER) - A 10-foot alligator is on the loose in North Miami Beach, which sounds bad enough—but it turns out local kids have been feeding the beast meat. They named the storm-drain resident Patrick and treated him to hot dogs and ham, which is a seriously bad idea, a police sergeant tells the Miami Herald . "People think it's like feeding the ducks, and you're not," he explains. "You're dealing with an alpha predator." More»

Nadia Bloom of Florida had been gone for 5 days

(NEWSER) - Nadia Bloom is covered in mosquito bites—a welcome reality, considering what the 11-year-old could have been bitten by in an alligator-infested Florida swamp. Bloom, who is believed to have a mild form of autism, disappeared from her Winter Springs neighborhood 5 days ago and was found today. More»

125K are losing coverage in middle of hurricane season

(NEWSER) - State Farm, Florida’s top home insurer, is ditching 125,000 of its coastal customers this year—right in the middle of hurricane season. The cancellation notices will start flowing this week, informing residents that they’ll be unprotected starting Aug. 1, NBC News reports. State Farm says it’s making the move because Florida regulators wouldn’t let them jack up rates 47.1%. More»

Oil companies shutting down rigs, evacuating workers

(NEWSER) - Hurricane Ida is surging toward the Gulf Coast, triggering emergency warnings in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. Ida "threatens the safety and security" of citizens along the state's southeast coastline, said an emergency declaration by Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Forecasters are hoping Ida will lose force as it heads north, but winds were clocked last night at 105 mph. Ida and an accompanying low pressure system killed 124 people in San Salvador in floods and mudslides over the weekend. More»

(AP) - Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall on the Florida Panhandle near Fort Walton Beach early this morning after dumping heavy rains on the area. The storm has been weakening as it moves farther inland, with winds at around 40mph, and forecasters said it would probably become a tropical depression later in the day. But in the Caribbean, Hurricane Bill became the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season. More»