Hurricane season

Saturday marks the official end of a busy and destructive hurricane season, in which the weeks that usually see peak activity were puzzlingly quiet.

Cuba was left reeling on Thursday after Rafael, a fierce Category 3 hurricane, ripped across the island.

The magnitude of the impact remained unclear through the early hours of the day, but forecasters warned that Hurricane Rafael could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods to Cuba after ravaging parts of the Cayman Islands and Jamaica.

Hurricane Rafael picked up in intensity and became a Category 3 storm before making landfall in Cuba Wednesday.

A system in the Caribbean became Tropical Storm Rafael Monday and was expected to become a hurricane later in the week, forecasters said.

Local abortion providers have seen an influx of patients from regions of the United States impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, with the Chicago Abortion Fund acting to provide logistical and financial support to those seeking an abortion.

“Tiny” Oscar intensified into a hurricane Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the owner of a dog found abandoned amid Hurricane Milton was identified and will face one count of aggravated cruelty to animals.

As Hurricane Milton barreled into and across Florida, it spawned dozens of tornadoes, knocked out power to millions, damaged homes, flooded neighborhoods and led to hundreds of rescues.

The Tampa Bay area is recovering Thursday after Hurricane Milton left a path of destruction on its way through Florida. NBC Chicago’s JC Navarrete reports.

An Illinois teen is expressing gratitude after a stranger offered them their plane ticket out of Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall. NBC Chicago’s Randy Gyllenhaal reports.

Back-to-back storms leave residents feeling exhausted, sleepless and coping with mixed feelings of gratitude and guilt.

As Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, some residents of the state plan to ride out the storm. NBC Chicago’s JC Navarrete reports.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday before weakening to Category 2 strength later in the evening. NBC Chicago’s Natalie Martinez reports.

Hurricane Milton barreled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after plowing across Florida, pounding cities with ferocious winds and rain.

The dog was found tied to a fence off the highway on Wednesday as millions evacuate their homes before the storm makes landfall.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled as Hurricane Milton barrels towards Florida. NBC Chicago’s Christian Farr reports.

NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters have captured rare, dramatic footage from inside the storm, battling intense turbulence as they gather critical data.

Hurricane Milton spared Mexico’s Quintana Roo as it takes aim at Florida’s battered Gulf Coast.