Storm tracker: Potential hurricane could hit Gulf Coast this week
ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A potential hurricane — which would be named Helene — is churning in the Caribbean and is forecast to make landfall in Florida on Thursday.
The system is forecast to become Tropical Storm Helene early Tuesday morning.
It will then move into the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen to a hurricane on Wednesday morning.
Hurricane watches were issued in Tulum, Mexico; Cancun, Mexico; and Cuba.
The storm is forecast to continue to strengthen to a Category 2 or Category 3 hurricane before making landfall along the Florida Panhandle or Florida’s Big Bend area on Thursday night.
Flash flooding, strong winds and storm surge are the biggest threats.
The Tampa, Florida, area and the Florida Panhandle are expected to get the worst of the storm surge.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s declared a state of emergency in 41 counties.
“Now is the time to make an emergency plan, know your evacuation zone, and be as prepared as possible for the storm,” he said on social media.
After landfall, Helene’s heavy rain and flash flooding may move inland to Tallahassee, Florida; Atlanta; and Nashville, Tennessee.
(SIERRA VISTA, Ariz.) — An Arizona man was taken into custody in connection with an alleged social media threat to kill former President Donald Trump, according to officials.
Ronald Lee Syvrud, 66, of Benson, was taken into custody on Thursday without incident, a Cochise County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told ABC News.
Syvrud was wanted for “suspicious activity,” the sheriff’s office in southeastern Arizona said.
“Syvrud is being sought as an investigative lead for threats to kill a presidential candidate,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release on Facebook.
The sheriff’s office did not provide any additional details on the alleged threats, including the name of the candidate. However, two sources told ABC News the alleged social media threat was directed at Trump.
Trump was scheduled to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County on Thursday.
The U.S. Secret Service is aware and monitoring the incident, according to sources.
“The U.S. Secret Service investigates all threats against our protectees. As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time,” a Secret Service spokesperson said.
An FBI spokesperson said they are aware of the incident but deferred to the local sheriff’s office for further comment.
Syvrud was also being sought for several outstanding warrants, including failure to appear for a DUI in Wisconsin and failure to register as a sex offender and a hit and run in Graham County, Arizona, the sheriff’s office said.
(BOISE, Idaho) — A 5-year-old boy who went missing after wandering away from his own birthday party is believed to have been found dead, Idaho police said Tuesday.
Matthew Glynn was last seen at home late Monday afternoon while celebrating his fifth birthday with friends and family, Boise police said.
Following a massive search, search crews found a body in a canal on Tuesday, Boise police said. The Ada County Coroner’s Office will make an official identification, though the victim is believed to be Matthew, police said.
The body was found in a canal about a half-mile north of where the boy went missing, police said. There appears to be no signs of foul play, police said.
“We are heartbroken over this development today,” Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said in a statement. “We want to thank our many partners for their response as well as the public for their willingness to help another member of our community in a time of need.”
Officers had responded to a report of the missing child shortly before 6 p.m. local time, Winegar said. Matthew, who was nonverbal and had autism, was wearing Batman pajamas when he went missing, Winegar said.
Authorities immediately launched a large-scale search involving drones, ATVs, UTVs and tracking dogs that primarily focused on waterways in the area, as Matthew was drawn to water, the police chief said.
Police also conducted door-to-door searches to check people’s backyards, Winegar said.
Ron Christensen with Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue said 30 personnel were also involved in the search Monday night, including mountain bike teams that covered parts of a local greenbelt.
The group deployed UTVs with flashing lights and played the song “Wheels on the Bus” through speakers to try to attract Matthew, Christensen said.
The Boise Fire Department was also involved in the search.
“Sadly, this is not the outcome we were all hoping for. Our hearts go out to Matthew’s family, and we extend our deepest condolences during this incredibly difficult time,” Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer said in a statement.
Middletown High School released this photo of Delilah Van Ness, a sophomore, and Paul Pelletier, an Aerospace and Manufacturing teacher, Middletown. Vt., Sep. 9, 2024. (Middletown High School)
(NEW YORK) — Four people are dead after a small plane crashed in Vermont on Sunday, police said.
Vermont State Police identified the deceased as Paul Pelletier, 55; Frank Rodriguez, 88; Susan Van Ness, 51; and Delilah Van Ness, 15.
Pelletier was an aerospace and manufacturing teacher at Middletown Public Schools in Connecticut, the school said in a statement. Delilah Van Ness, a sophomore, was one of his students, and Susan Van Ness was her mother.
“This unimaginable loss has left a void in our hearts and our community,” said the district’s superintendent, Alberto Vázquez Matos. “Paul, Delilah, and Susan were special individuals whose absence is already being felt throughout our district and city.”
Officials did not provide information on Rodriguez’s connection to the others in the crash.
According to Connecticut ABC affiliate WTNH-TV, Delilah Van Ness had been taking flight lessons with Pelletier.
Police said the four departed Sunday morning in a privately owned four-seat aircraft from Windham Airport in Connecticut and flew about two hours to Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. Upon reaching their destination, the occupants had brunch, then left the restaurant shortly after noon to fly back to Connecticut.
A witness said they saw the airplane on the runway at about 12:15 p.m. local time, state police said.
State police said they did not receive any reports of a plane crash or an aircraft in distress, but after the plane did not return to Connecticut, relatives contacted police.
Just after midnight on Monday, investigators found the crashed aircraft in a wooded area east of the airport in Vermont.
All four occupants were found dead.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Middletown High School will be closed Tuesday, and crisis teams will be made available for members of the school community in need of counseling or other support, the school said.
“As the community grieves, Middletown Public Schools calls for unity and mutual support,” the school said in a statement. “The district aims to honor the memory of Paul, Delilah, and Susan by upholding their legacies of compassion, dedication, and kindness.”
