(SIMI VALLEY, Calif.) — Rachel Castillo, a mother of two who disappeared last week under suspicious circumstances from her home in Simi Valley, California, has been found dead, authorities said.
Castillo’s remains were found in a remote location in Antelope Valley, the Simi Valley Police Department said Sunday.
Police have named Castillo’s ex-husband, 25-year-old Zarbab Ali of Hawthorne, as the primary suspect. He was arrested Sunday afternoon at this parent’s house in Victorville in connection with the homicide, Simi Valley police said.
“This investigation has rapidly evolved over the past few days,” police said. “This case is still under investigation and some details cannot be released due to legal and investigative reasons. The Simi Valley Police Department will release additional details related to this case when it is available.”
local police said earlier Sunday that there was “a significant amount of blood” left at the scene following Castillo’s disappearance.
“Upon further investigation, a significant amount of blood was located in her home. Rachel’s whereabouts are unknown. Given the circumstances, it is believed Rachel is at risk,” the Simi Valley Police Department had said in an earlier statement.
Castillo, 25, has two children and lives with her sister just miles away from their parents, her family told ABC affiliate KABC.
She had dropped off her children to their father Thursday morning, before she disappeared, her family told KABC.
“As soon as I saw the blood, that’s when I realized something wasn’t right,” Emily Castillo, her sister, told the local station. She had returned home Thursday night. “So I called my mom to let her know to come over and then I immediately called 911.”
Many of her belongings — including her phone, keys and car — were still at the home, her family said.
Anyone with information can contact the Simi Valley Police Department at 805-583-6950.
(LOS ANGELES) — Rachel Castillo, a mother of two, disappeared last week under suspicious circumstances from her home in Simi Valley, California, leaving behind “a significant amount of blood” at the scene, according to local police.
Simi Valley Police believe Castillo is in danger, and the family is desperately seeking answers.
“Upon further investigation, a significant amount of blood was located in her home. Rachel’s whereabouts are unknown. Given the circumstances, it is believed Rachel is at risk,” the Simi Valley Police Department said in a statement.
Castillo, 25, has two children and lives with her sister just miles away from their parents, her family told ABC affiliate KABC.
She had dropped off her children to their father Thursday morning, before she disappeared, her family told KABC.
“As soon as I saw the blood, that’s when I realized something wasn’t right,” Emily Castillo, her sister, told the local station. She had returned home Thursday night. “So I called my mom to let her know to come over and then I immediately called 911.”
Many of her belongings – including phone, keys and car – were still at the home, her family said.
Detectives said Castillo is 5 feet 2 inches tall, and weighs 105 pounds. She has brown hair and eyes.
Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts can contact the Simi Valley Police Department at (805) 583-6950.
(DALLAS) — A collision occurred at a World War II airshow in Dallas on Saturday, authorities said.
The crash occurred at the event Wings Over Dallas at the Dallas Executive Airport, which was holding flying demonstrations of WWII fighter planes.
A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided and crashed around 1:20 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It is unclear how many people were on board the bomber and fighter aircraft, it said.
The airport said there was an “incident” during the show and that Dallas Fire and Rescue is responding.
Bystanders captured a cloud of black smoke following the crash. Debris from the planes could also be seen littering a nearby highway.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the collision.
The airshow, timed to coincide with Veteran’s Day, is organized by the Commemorative Air Force, an education association focused on American military aviation.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the incident a “tragedy” while updating on Twitter that state agencies were assisting local officials in the response.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(ATLANTA) — A passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight who allegedly boarded the plane with two box cutters and was seen acting erratically was taken into custody after an emergency landing Friday night, according to the airline and the Transportation Security Administration.
Several passengers on the flight, including military veterans and a former law enforcement officer, helped crew members subdue the man after they landed, according to eyewitnesses.
The flight was en route to Tampa from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport when it was diverted to Atlanta “after a passenger on board the aircraft was observed in possession of a box cutter,” Frontier said in a statement.
TSA said in a statement on Saturday that the plane was diverted around 9:30 p.m. “after a disturbance involving a disruptive passenger, in possession of a box cutter was declared.” Following a search, a second box cutter was found in the unidentified passenger’s carry-on, according to TSA.
Atlanta police assisted federal partners in detaining the suspect, Atlanta Police Department spokesperson Officer John Predmore said. Predmore directed further questions to the FBI, which is leading the investigation.
The FBI declined to comment and instead referred ABC News to the TSA statement.
No injuries to passengers or crew have been reported, the airline said. The Federal Aviation Administration, which is also investigating, said the plane landed safely “after the crew declared an emergency due to an unruly passenger.”
Before the emergency landing, multiple passengers noticed the man acting erratically, eyewitnesses said.
Passenger Ben Mutz told ABC News he spoke to the person who was in the window seat next to the man after they deplaned. The passenger told Mutz that the man “flashed a box knife at me and said, ‘I want to kill or I want to stab people,'” Mutz said.
Larry Cumberbatch was seated in the third row, flying from Cincinnati to Tampa to visit his son for his birthday. He told ABC News that a woman who was initially sitting in an aisle seat next to the man reported seeing “some kind of knife” and was afraid for her safety.
Flight attendants asked if anyone had any military or police background and would switch seats or go to the back of the plane, he said. Cumberbatch, a Navy veteran, volunteered to switch seats with the woman, he said.
At the back of the plane, Cumberbatch found the man leaning against the window-seat passenger with his feet up in the aisle seat, before getting up to go to the bathroom.
When the man exited the bathroom, he confronted Cumberbatch in the aisle, in what Cumberbatch described as a “showdown.”
“People back there, you could literally see they’re afraid. So that’s why I stood there, to give them a calming presence and let this guy know there’s somebody watching, someone who you will have to deal with if you take it to the next level,” Cumberbatch said.
Cumberbatch said a former law enforcement member talked to the man during the landing to calm him down.
Once the plane touched down, passengers were told to leave without taking any of their belongings, according to Mutz. He said he and others were unaware they had made an emergency landing until they turned on their phones and realized they were in Atlanta.
Cumberbatch and an Army veteran remained on the plane while the former officer helped escort the man down the aisle, he said. When police officers arrived, the man “got agitated” and the former officer gave him a warning before tackling him, Cumberbatch said.
“In my mind, he was really the hero right at that moment,” Cumberbatch said.
The man was then taken into custody by police, according to Cumberbatch, who said he spoke to FBI agents following the incident.
Cumberbatch said he “wasn’t surprised” that veterans responded in the moment.
“We’re going to take control of any situation that we’re in,” he said.
The passengers on the flight were provided hotel accommodations and rebooked on a new flight to Tampa on Saturday morning.
Box cutters are banned in the cabin, but allowed in checked luggage.
TSA said it is conducting an internal review of the incident and will examine surveillance footage and “airport security checkpoint processes/operations.”
(NEW YORK) — The Jewish community has been reeling from recent anti-Semitic comments made by Ye, formerly known as Kayne West, that have brought the rapper and designer into a storm of controversy.
Ye has been outspoken and controversial for decades. Yet his recent actions, including a string of anti-Semitic remarks and a stunt in which he showed up to a fashion show wearing a shirt that read “White Lives Matter,” have led to even his most devoted fans and collaborators, including designers Balenciaga and Adidas, taking a step back.
The rapper has also been spreading misinformation about the murder of George Floyd, leading the family to consider filing a lawsuit against the artist earlier this fall.
“Since this has happened, it’s been very, very tough for me,” Israel-based rapper Nissim Black told ABC News correspondent Ashan Singh.
The rapper, who is an orthodox Jewish Black man, spoke with Singh on the latest episode of “IMPACT x Nightline” about Ye’s downfall.
“It’s been very tough for me because he was one of my favorites, all-time,” said Black. “I felt very let-down.”
A number of activists within the Jewish community spoke in a roundtable discussion about the intersections of Jewish identity, Black identity and the impact of Ye’s inflammatory comments.
“I would say that I was a fan of Kanye West and I grew up on his music,” said Israeli-rights activist Rudy Rochman.
“I’m not wearing his shoes anymore and I’m not listening to his music,” said Rochman. “That is my personal choice. I think there’s a certain level where you have to decide how much respect you have for yourself.”
“I think it’s really important for us to call out hurtful, anti-Semitic rhetoric and then look at the individual as well,” said Yolanda Savage-Narva, assistant vice president of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Union for Reform Judaism.
“We have to understand how these things manifest themselves,” she said, “and how as activists at this table, we do what we need to do to root them out and to move our communities, our collective communities, in the right direction.”
Kosha Dillz, a Jewish rapper known for his appearances on MTV’s Wild ‘n Out, released a diss track last month in response to Ye’s comments called “Death Con 3.”
“It was a big bummer,” Dillz told ABC News about the remarks. “Cause– I play Kanye. You know?” And now, he said, “he’s gone.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. are at an all-time high, up 34% from 2020 to 2021 with more than 2,700 incidents happening last year.
“Did I ever hear him say racist things about people? Never,” Jason Lee, one of his former employees who quit this fall, told ABC News. Lee was the head of media and partnerships for Ye’s latest album.
But, Lee said, he noticed the rapper “didn’t have a regard for the impact of his words on social media because he was blinded with emotion from his divorce or for other things.”
Beth Kean, the CEO of the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles, pointed out that “Kanye has over 30 million social media followers. That is twice as many Jews living on this Earth.”
“How can you use your platform to fuel hatred like that?” she said.
The Holocaust Museum extended an invitation for Ye to visit and to “understand just how words can incite horrific violence and genocides,” they wrote in a public statement. Ye declined the invitation publicly on a podcast.
Participants in the roundtable recounted the ongoing impact of the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the deadliest antisemitic attack on U.S. soil.
“My brother and my niece and nephew live down the street from the Tree of Life Synagogue,” said arts and culture journalist Justin Joffe. “I remember in the aftermath of that shooting it felt very real to me.”
“To know at that age that a sector of the country hates you and doesn’t think you have a right to exist,” he said, referring to his young nieces, “is not something anybody in this country should have to grow up with.”
(NEW YORK) — Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday before weakening to a tropical depression later that night.
It was the second-latest hurricane landfall in a calendar year on record in the United States.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Latest headlines:
-Remnants of Nicole race up East Coast
-Nicole weakens to tropical depression
-Evacuations ordered of ‘unsafe’ buildings in Florida county
-Four dead in Orange County, Florida
Here’s how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Nov 11, 3:31 PM EST
Artemis rocket suffered minor damage
NASA’s new moon rocket Artemis suffered minor damage when Nicole’s powerful winds blew through Cape Canaveral, Florida, Wednesday night, according to Jim Free, associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA.
Free said the damage can be repaired easily.
NASA is targeting Nov. 16 at 1:04am ET for the launch. The uncrewed mission to the moon will last 25 days, with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
ABC News’ Gina Sunseri
Nov 11, 3:20 PM EST
Remnants of Nicole race up East Coast
The remnants of Nicole are racing up the East Coast, bringing rain to the central Appalachian Mountains, the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Flash flooding is possible from the central Appalachians into western Pennsylvania and New York state.
A tornado watch remains in effect for parts of eastern Virginia and North Carolina until 6 p.m.
The heavy rain will persist in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through the night. Winds will be gusty at times, especially along the coast.
The rain will mostly wrap up Friday night, lingering into early Saturday morning across New England.
ABC News’ Dan Peck
Nov 11, 6:45 AM EST
Nicole churns over Georgia with ‘heavy’ rain
Tropical Depression Nicole was churning over Georgia early Friday morning, wielding maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour with higher gusts, according to the National Weather Service.
The center of Nicole is forecast to move across central and northern Georgia on Friday morning and over the western Carolinas later in the day. Nicole is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later Friday, then dissipate overnight as it merges with a frontal system over the eastern United States.
In a public advisory early Friday, the National Weather Service said that Nicole will continue to bring “heavy” rainfall to portions of the southeastern U.S. There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Nov 10, 11:28 PM EST
Here’s where Nicole is headed next
Areas of heavy rain and gusty winds will continue to impact parts of the Southeast overnight as the system begins its move up the East Coast.
A tornado threat continues for portions of Georgia, South Carolina and now southern North Carolina as of Thursday night.
A tornado watch is in effect until at least 1 a.m., including in Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
(PHILADELPHIA) — Philadelphia police are investigating an armed home robbery involving Temple University students that occurred Friday morning at an off-campus apartment, school officials said.
Some of the victims recounted the harrowing experience to ABC Philadelphia station WPVI-TV, which they said started when one of the roommates responded to a knock at the door.
The roommate let the two young men in the apartment, believing they knew someone inside, the students told the station.
Several of the roommates were then woken up by an armed man, who took one of them to wake up the rest, the students said.
Eleven people were in the home at the time, including six female residents, three boyfriends and two female friends who had stayed over, WPVI-TV reported. They were all locked in the apartment’s basement for over an hour, the students said.
While in the basement, some of the victims were able to get their laptops and messaged anyone they could think of to call 911 and report that they were being held up, they told WPVI-TV.
The victims told WPVI-TV they believe the suspects were at the wrong address because the two men repeatedly asked, “Where are the drugs?”
The students were ultimately forced to hand over their cellphones, car keys and debit cards along with their PINs, they told WPVI-TV. Police said the pair also stole a 2015 Infinity minivan, according to WPVI-TV.
Police responded to the apartment building around 7 a.m. and are looking for the suspects. Investigators were canvassing the area for surveillance footage, according to WPVI-TV.
No injuries were reported, though the students were left shaken.
“You never think it’s going to happen to you, but when it does, it’s like a shock,” one student told WPVI-TV.
“I think the sad part is, we all talked in the room — we all realized that once they came in the room, everyone was kind of, ‘Oh, it’s our time now,'” another student told the station.
The university confirmed in a statement to ABC News that Temple students “were robbed at gunpoint at an off-campus property,” located outside of the patrol zone of the Temple University Police Department.
“The most important thing is that no one was reported hurt or injured during this incident,” the university said. “The safety of the Temple community remains the university’s top priority.”
The Philadelphia Police Department did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
(NEW YORK) — Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday before weakening to a tropical depression later that night.
It was the second-latest hurricane landfall in a calendar year on record in the United States.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 11, 6:45 AM EST
Nicole churns over Georgia
Tropical Depression Nicole was churning over Georgia early Friday morning, wielding maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour with higher gusts, according to the National Weather Service.
The center of Nicole is forecast to move across central and northern Georgia on Friday morning and over the western Carolinas later in the day. Nicole is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later Friday, then dissipate overnight as it merges with a frontal system over the eastern United States.
The storm will continue to bring heavy rainfall to portions of the southeastern U.S. There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect, according to the National Weather Service.
Nov 10, 11:24 PM EST
Here’s where Nicole is headed next
Areas of heavy rain and gusty winds will continue to impact parts of the Southeast overnight as the system begins its move up the East Coast.
A tornado threat continues for portions of Georgia, South Carolina and now southern North Carolina as of Thursday night.
A tornado watch is in effect until at least 1 a.m., including in Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
Nov 10, 11:06 PM EST
Nicole weakens to tropical depression
Nicole has weakened to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds now down to 35 mph.
The storm is currently moving to the northwest at 15 mph and the center is located about 20 miles north of Tallahassee.
All tropical storm and storm surge warnings have been canceled.
Nov 10, 9:59 PM EST
Evacuations ordered of ‘unsafe’ buildings in Florida county
Officials in Volusia County declared that 49 beachfront buildings are “unsafe” and have ordered people to evacuate amid now-Tropical Storm Nicole.
“The structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented,” County Manager George Recktenwald said on the county’s website. “We have never experienced anything like this before, so we ask for your patience as we make our assessments. As always, the safety of our residents and visitors is our top priority. This is going to be a long road to recovery.”
Some of the impacted buildings are hotels and condos, officials said.
Nov 10, 7:49 PM EST
Tropical Storm Nicole moving northwest, 40 miles away from state’s capital
Tropical Storm Nicole is making its way northwest in Florida at around 15 mph. The storm is generating wind speeds of 40 mph and is located about 40 miles southeast of Tallahassee as of 7 p.m. ET.
-ABC News’ Daniel Peck
Nov 10, 3:58 PM EST
4 dead in Orange County, Florida
Four deaths have been tied to Tropical Storm Nicole, all in Florida’s Orange County.
A man and a woman died after they were electrocuted by a downed power line on Thursday morning, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We are urging all of our residents and visitors to use extreme caution if they are outside in the wake of the storm today,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Never touch a downed power line. If you are driving and see a downed power line, change directions immediately.”
Two others died in a car crash on Florida’s Turnpike in probable storm-related deaths, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said.
Nov 10, 3:48 PM EST
Coastline damage ‘unprecedented’ in Volusia County
In Volusia County, Florida, damage along the coastline is “unprecedented,” according to county manager George Recktenwald.
Nineteen hotels or condos and 40 single-family homes have been compromised after sustaining damage from the storm, said Kevin Captain, the county’s director of community information. Some of the buildings partially collapsed, he said.
No deaths have been reported in the county, Captain said. One person has been injured, he said.
-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio
Nov 10, 3:25 PM EST
Nicole’s forecast
Tropical Storm Nicole’s heavy rain is focused on North Florida as its powerful winds pummel Florida and the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.
Nicole will continue to weaken over the next 24 hours as it races up the East Coast.
On Friday morning, the rain will target Georgia, the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic. Flash flooding is possible.
The eastern Carolinas and eastern Virginia could see severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
The rain will spread into Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia Friday morning and then reach New York by lunchtime and New England in the afternoon.
The heaviest rain and biggest potential for flash flooding will be in the interior Northeast.
Scattered thunderstorms are also possible.
-ABC News’ Dan Peck
Nov 10, 1:15 PM EST
Nicole hammers Florida with wind, rain
Tropical Storm Nicole is about 45 miles north of Tampa and is moving northwest at 15 mph, slamming Florida with rain and wind. Nicole’s winds have decreased to 45 mph.
The gusty winds are also extending to the Georgia and South Carolina coast.
Tornado watches are in effect in Savannah, Georgia; Brunswick, Georgia; and Beaufort, South Carolina.
-ABC News’ Dan Peck
Nov 10, 10:57 AM EST
Beach erosion in four counties, Saint Johns River at major flood stage
Florida’s Brevard, Volusia, Flagler and Saint Johns counties, which had already seen beach erosion from September’s Hurricane Ian, are now seeing major beach erosion from Nicole, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday.
DeSantis and Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie warned that the flooding along the Saint Johns River is at major flood stage and could continue to get worse.
DeSantis said 17,000 linemen are standing by to repair the downed power lines and 250 Department of Transportation crews are ready to clear roads and inspect bridges once it’s safe to do so.
Nov 10, 10:05 AM EST
100 mph winds batter NASA’s Artemis moon rocket
NASA’s new moon rocket reportedly experienced 100 mph winds at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday night, as Tropical Storm Nicole took aim at the Sunshine State.
Despite the incoming storm, NASA announced in a statement on Monday evening that its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket would remain on launchpad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, citing “current forecast data.” In another statement on Tuesday evening, NASA said that the $4.1 billion test flight — the opening shot in the space agency’s Artemis moon-exploration program — “is designed to withstand” 85 mph winds.
“Current forecasts predict the greatest risks at the pad are high winds that are not expected to exceed the SLS design,” the agency added. “The rocket is designed to withstand heavy rains at the launch pad and the spacecraft hatches have been secured to prevent water intrusion.”
NASA had been aiming for a third launch attempt on Nov. 14 but is now looking at Nov. 16, “pending safe conditions for employees to return to work, as well as inspections after the storm has passed,” the agency said.
Nov 10, 9:46 AM EST
Almost 330,000 without power in Florida due to Nicole
Nearly 330,000 customers were without power across Florida on Thursday morning due to Tropical Storm Nicole, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 9:34 a.m. ET, a total of 329,965 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 9:42 AM EST
Tornado threat for Florida, Georgia, Carolinas
A “few” tornadoes are possible over parts of coastal east-central and northeastern Florida on Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado threat will spread northward across parts of southeastern Georgia and the Carolinas later Thursday through Friday morning.
Meanwhile, “large” swell waves generated by Nicole will affect the northwestern Bahamas, the east coast of Florida and much of the southeastern U.S. coast during the next few days.
“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Thursday morning.
Nov 10, 9:38 AM EST
Nicole to bring ‘dangerous’ storm surge, ‘heavy’ rain
A “dangerous” storm surge from Tropical Storm Nicole combined with the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, according to the National Weather Service.
If the peak occurs at the time of high tide, the National Weather Service said, the water could reach up to 5 feet above ground from Florida’s Jupiter Inlet to Georgia’s Altamaha Sound, from Florida’s St. Johns River to the Fuller Warren Bridge, and from Anclote River to Ochlockonee River in Florida.
“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the north of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” the National Weather Service warned in a public advisory on Thursday morning.
Through Saturday, Nicole is expected to produce 3 to 5 inches of rainfall from the northwestern Bahamas into portions of the Florida Peninsula, with a maximum of 8 inches of localized rain. The southeastern United States into the central Appalachian Mountains and eastern portions of Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio could see 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, with a maximum of 6 inches of localized rain along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The northern Mid-Atlantic region into New England could get 1 to 4 inches of rainfall.
“Flash and urban flooding will be possible, along with renewed river rises on the St. Johns River, across the Florida Peninsula today,” the National Weather Service added. “Heavy rainfall from this system will spread northward across portions of the Southeast, upper Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England today through Saturday, where limited flooding impacts will be possible.”
Nov 10, 9:28 AM EST
Latest forecast as Nicole moves across central Florida
The center of Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to move across central Florida on Thursday morning, possibly emerging over the far northeastern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday afternoon, then move across the Florida Panhandle and Georgia on Thursday night and Friday, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
Although “additional weakening” is in the forecast, the National Weather Service warned on Thursday morning that “Nicole remains a large tropical storm” and “strong wind, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area.” Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 450 miles from Nicole’s center, especially to the north. Sustained winds of 49 mph with a gust of 70 mph were reported early Thursday in Daytona Beach, Florida.
According to the National Weather Service, tropical storm conditions will continue along portions of the eastern coastlines of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the warning areas on Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to occur within the warning area along Florida’s west coast through Thursday night.
Nov 10, 7:40 AM EST
215,000 without power in Florida due to Nicole
More than 215,000 customers were without power across Florida on Thursday morning due to Tropical Storm Nicole, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 7:04 a.m. ET, a total of 215,443 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 6:56 AM EST
175,000 without power in Florida as Nicole moves inland
More than 175,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday morning, as Tropical Storm Nicole moved inland over the Sunshine State, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 6:23 a.m. ET, a total of 177,423 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 6:50 AM EST
Tornado watch issued for parts of Florida, Georgia
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia on Thursday morning, in effect until 1 p.m. local time.
Brief spin-up tornadoes are common in tropical storm systems, so more watches could be issued throughout the day.
Nov 10, 5:35 AM EST
100,000 without power in Florida after Nicole’s landfall
More than 100,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday, shortly after Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 10, 4:17 AM EST
Nicole weakens back into a tropical storm
Nicole weakened back into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane along Florida’s east coast early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, as it moves inland across the Sunshine State. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
Nevertheless, the National Weather Service warned that “strong winds, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area.”
A hurricane warning from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia County line in eastern Florida has been changed to a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm warning south of Boca Raton to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued, along with a hurricane watch for Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.
A storm surge warning from North Palm Beach to Jupiter Inlet in eastern Florida has been discontinued. A storm surge watch south of North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued.
All warnings have been discontinued for the northwestern Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service.
Nov 10, 3:22 AM EST
Nicole makes landfall as Category 1 hurricane in Florida
Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast on North Hutchinson Island, just south of Vero Beach, at 3 a.m. local time on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s the second-latest hurricane landfall on record in the United States.
Nov 10, 1:58 AM EST
38,000 without power in Florida ahead of Nicole’s landfall
More than 38,000 customers in Florida were without power early Thursday, ahead of Hurricane Nicole’s landfall, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 08, 10:11 PM EST
Latest forecast as Nicole approaches Florida
Hurricane Nicole is approaching Florida as a large Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
The latest forecast shows Nicole touching down along Florida’s east coast after midnight but before sunrise, with one model estimating landfall between Cocoa Beach and Fort Pierce at 4 a.m. local time, although projections can change.
Hurricane warnings have been issued from West Palm Beach north to Daytona Beach, with tropical storm warnings extending inland from Miami through Tallahassee, and even extending into parts of southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina.
Nov 09, 6:15 PM EST
Nicole strengthens into hurricane
Nicole has strengthened into a hurricane while making landfall on Grand Bahama Island, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The storm has estimated maximum wind speeds of 75 mph.
Nov 09, 1:21 PM EST
Latest forecast
Nicole may strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall overnight near Fort Pierce. Over the next 24 hours, the biggest threats for Florida will be damaging beach erosion, storm surge up to 5 feet, isolated tornadoes and wind gusts around 70 mph.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from West Palm Beach to Daytona Beach. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of Florida and extend up to coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
After landfall, Nicole will quickly weaken as it moves across central Florida and the Panhandle, but it’ll bring rain, powerful winds and storm surge.
Three feet to 5 feet of storm surge is expected from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville while Florida’s Big Bend area could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.
The heaviest rain — 8 inches — will hit central Florida. Flash flooding is also possible.
As Nicole moves north, the heavy rain will stretch into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Pennsylvania to Vermont could see 2 to 4 inches of rain. Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see 2 inches of rain and gusty winds.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Nov 09, 12:01 PM EST
Nicole makes landfall in Bahamas
Tropical Storm Nicole has made landfall on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
Nov 09, 11:47 AM EST
Disney World parks to close
Disney World parks will close early Wednesday evening and will remain closed through Thursday morning due to the storm.
Nov 09, 11:18 AM EST
Nicole could make landfall twice
Once Nicole makes landfall early Thursday in Martin County as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm is expected to cross the state of Florida, hit the Gulf of Mexico and possibly make landfall again along Florida’s Big Bend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned.
The major concerns for Nicole are winds, flooding, beach erosion and possible tornadoes, DeSantis said.
He said 15 shelters are open for those urged to evacuate.
The governor said 16,000 linemen have been staged to immediately work on restoring power as soon as the storm passes.
Nov 09, 10:52 AM EST
Florida counties announce evacuation orders
Several of Florida’s 67 counties have announced evacuation orders in anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole’s arrival.
Flagler County: Evacuation orders go into effect Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. local time for residents and visitors in Zone A, the barrier island from Flagler Beach to Marineland, as well as mobile homes and RVs countywide, according to the Flagler County Emergency Management.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time for residents and visitors east of the Intercostal Waterway, all mobile homes east of Interstate 95, all low-lying areas and other areas prone to flooding as well as all campsites and RV recreational parks, according to the Volusia County Emergency Management.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Tuesday at 7 a.m. local time for Zones A and B, including mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying areas, according to Palm Beach Mayor Robert Weinroth.
Nov 09, 9:55 AM EST
Nicole close to hurricane strength as it heads for Florida
Tropical Storm Nicole barrelled toward the northwestern Bahamas and eastern Florida on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds near 70 miles per hour — almost as a strong as a hurricane, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The center of Nicole is forecast to approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday morning, move near or over those islands by midday, then approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday night. The storm’s center is expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday, then across the Carolinas on Friday.
“Some strengthening is expected today, and Nicole is forecast to become a hurricane near the northwestern Bahamas and remain a hurricane when it reaches the east coast of Florida tonight,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Wednesday morning. “Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night over the Mid-Atlantic states.”
As of early Wednesday, Nicole was already spreading gusty winds and rain showers into Florida, where it is later expected to make landfall between the southeastern cities of West Palm Beach and Melbourne as either a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane. Its tropical storm-force winds currently extend outward up to 460 miles, especially to the north of the center. In the early morning hours, a National Ocean Service station at the Lake Worth Pier, just south of West Palm Beach, reported sustained winds of 44 mph and a wind gust of 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Because Nicole is so close to hurricane strength, the National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings along Florida’s east coast from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, Miami is under a tropical storm watch and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Florida’s west coast as well as from Jacksonville up through Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina.
Storm surge will be the highest on the eastern coastlines of Florida and Georgia, from the border down to West Palm Beach, where water could rise as much as 5 feet above normal tide levels. Some storm surge is also possible on Florida’s west coast from Sarasota to Tampa, where water could rise as much as 3 feet and up to 4 feet in the Big Bend area and Apalachicola. Storm surge will be felt all the way to Charleston, South Carolina, where water could rise up to 4 feet.
The areas that will see the heaviest rainfall will be right where the storm touches down on Florida’s east coast, with the potential for up to 8 inches of localized rain. Heavy rain will track north and inland, into Georgia, the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee and North Carolina to Pennsylvania and into western New York where more than 4 inches of rain is possible.
Nov 09, 5:04 AM EST
Biden approves Florida emergency declaration
President Joe Biden on Tuesday night approved an emergency declaration for Florida due to conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Nicole, according to the White House.
In anticipation of the storm’s arrival, Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts, the White House said.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, according to the White House.
(NEW YORK) — Mallorie Berger said she always knew her late grandfather, Private Mauricio Burns, was a U.S. veteran. But it wasn’t until last year she learned about his historic legacy.
“Something clicked. Something led me to believe that, you know what, I think, Papa — that’s what we call him — was a Montford Pointer,” she said in the ABC Owned Television Stations documentary Mission Montford Point.
Established in 1942, the Montford Point Marines, an all-Black, North Carolina-based unit, became this country’s first Black marines. Until then, Black men were not allowed to join the Corps.
James Willis, a Montford Pointer, called those men the “best and brightest and the toughest.”
“And I said, ‘That’s me,'” Willis said in the documentary.
Though the unit was 20,000 strong, the U.S. military’s records of them are incomplete, partially due to a fire that destroyed some documents, leaving only 2,000 intact with the rest of the men’s identities nearly forgotten and lost to history.
“I used to be offended when I would read about the Tuskegee Airmen and Buffalo Soldiers,” Willis said. “I’d say they’re all recognized. I’d go to the movies and I’m seeing the heroics and things that happened at Iwo Jima. I don’t see no Black marines. That used to bother me.”
Now, Berger and many others are on a mission to find the remaining living Montford Point Marines and the families of the deceased.
“If our grandfathers could succeed up against the things that they were presented with, the very least that we can do is help to find the additional 18,000 that are out there and their families,” she said.
Houston Shinal, National Montford Point Marine Memorial director, said the majority of Montford Pointers are now in their 90s or older.
“We know that there will come a point when there won’t be any of them, but we still have to figure out how we keep the story alive,” Shinal said in the documentary.
Those first Black marines, segregated from their white counterparts, faced extreme adversity, including brutal discrimination, during training and deployment.
“Once you came in that gate, you forgot about your name because you were either boy or ni****,” Carroll Braxton, a Montford Point Marine, said.
Several men also endured hazing, George McIvory, a Montford Pointer, said, adding that after witnessing this, he was “ready to turn around.”
William “Jack” Mcdowel, another Montford Point Marine, said “the whole idea, from what I could understand at the time, was to frustrate you so much that you would either quit and go home or stay in.”
Despite the discriminatory treatment they faced, 20,000 stayed, many deployed to combat missions during World War II, fighting on the front lines of some of the bloodiest battles.
“[President Roosevelt] says, ‘Men, you have broken records that the white Marines have had for years. Far as I’m concerned, you are just as good a marine as any marine that puts on that uniform. Send them overseas,'” Braxton said.
In 2011, the United States government finally acknowledged their achievements, awarding the Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Montford Point Marines.
Mcdowel said it was a “very emotional day to be, for the first time, recognized.”
And this year, on the 80th anniversary, five original members and 11 families of deceased Montford Pointers received replicas of that Congressional Gold Medal.
Berger said she believes the honor recognizes the “outstanding perseverance and courage” of these men and their sacrifices to inspire social change in the Marine Corps.
Other descendants of Montford Pointers said the same.
Reginald Moore, the grandson of Montford Point Marine, said he “stands on the shoulders” of his grandfather and other men he served alongside.
“To see them, to see the ones that are still here, it’s like reaching back in history and knowing I came from that. I came from them and it’s utterly amazing,” Moore said.
Maurice Smith, the grandson of a Montford Point Marine, said, “If I could say anything to my grandfather today. We did it. We did it.”
The search for more of those Montford Point Marines and their families continues. The National Montford Point Marine Association asks that anyone with knowledge of a living or deceased member visit their website and contact them.
(NEW YORK) — Three former Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, police officers pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment during a court hearing on Thursday in the fatal shooting of Fanta Bility, an 8-year-old girl who was killed last year after officers fired shots into a crowded area.
Former officers Brian Devaney, Devon Smith and Sean Dolan were each charged on Jan. 18 with 12 criminal counts of manslaughter and reckless endangerment. They pleaded guilty to the lesser charge as part of a plea agreement requested by the girl’s family, according to Philadelphia ABC News station WPVI-TV.
A request for comment to the officers’ attorneys was not immediately returned.
Fanta Bility’s family attended the hearing and told reporters they hope the officers’ guilty pleas will help bring their family some “closure.”
“The agony we feel constantly reliving the loss of our dear Fanta who was just 8 years old when she was killed by Sharon Hill police officers, is impossible to describe with words,” Fanta Bility’s uncle, Abu Bility, told reporters who gathered outside the courtroom. “Since her mother and siblings were witnesses to this tragic incident, they will have to live with that trauma imprinted in their memories for the rest of their lives.”
Abu Bility said “after much prayer and discussion,” the family decided that a plea agreement ensuring that the “police officers take responsibility” was in the “best interest of the family.”
“We pray that as a result of the police officers being held accountable, we can, as a family and as a community, finally have some closure and begin the healing process,” he said.
Fanta was shot on Aug. 27, 2021, in Sharon Hill while exiting a football game at Academy Park High School with her family. Devaney, Smith and Dolan fired their guns toward the crowd after two teens opened fire in a personal dispute close to the high school, according to Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.
“We have now concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that it was, in fact, shots from the officers that struck and killed Fanta Bility and injured three others,” Stollsteimer said in a January press release announcing the charges.
“This is a terrible tragedy that was caused by armed and violent criminals who turned a high school football game into a crime scene in which an innocent child lost her life and others were seriously injured,” Raymond Driscoll, Steven Patton and Charles Gibbs, the lawyers for the three officers, said in a joint statement after the charges were announced. “These three officers ran to the sound of gunshots and risked their own lives to protect that community. These three good men are innocent, and remain heartbroken for all who have suffered because of this senseless violence.”
In September, a Delaware County judge denied a motion filed by the attorneys representing the three officers to dismiss the manslaughter charges in this case. According to WPVI, the lawyers argued that manslaughter charges were not warranted because investigators were not able to determine which officer fired the bullets that killed the 8-year-old.
“Each of the three officers shot at the same target. We are bringing the charges against all three,” said Stollsteimer on Sept. 26 after the judge denied the motion.
The Sharon Hill Borough Council voted on Jan. 21 in favor of terminating the three officers.
