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A powerful and strengthening Hurricane Earl forecast to pass to the southeast of Bermuda Thursday evening as a Category 3 storm is not heading toward a U.S. landfall. But that doesn’t mean the U.S. east coast won’t feel Earl’s effects in the form of dangerous rip currents along South Florida beaches up through north and central Florida over the weekend.

The entire U.S. eastern seaboard is paying attention.

“It’s fair to say that Earl will cause dangerous rip currents along much of the east coast United States from northeastern Florida across to Maine,” said Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center.

Cape Canaveral northward is where the rip currents may get most severe starting later Thursday, Blake said.

Local forecasters at the National Weather Service pinpointed when Florida could start to see some of these swells and building rip currents.

“We are expecting to see some swells from Earl make their way down the Florida peninsula and, obviously, the higher swells would be further north out of our area and for central and northern Florida,” said meteorologist Larry Kelly of the National Weather Service in Miami.

“We can see swells begin to move in really fast in the Palm Beaches, northern portions of our area, beginning Friday and Saturday,” Kelly told the Miami Herald.

These swells would work their way south through the weekend and into Monday when they should start reaching Miami-Dade County, Kelly said.

“Starting with Palm Beach earlier in the weekend and then continue to work down the coast as we move through Sunday and Monday. As of right now it looks like Monday is going to be the highest day for rip currents,” Kelly said on Thursday with an eye toward Miami-Dade.

On Thursday morning, the wind direction was buffering parts of the Florida coast, he said.

“The one thing that is kind of benefiting is that the winds are going to be offshore. We have south-southeasterly winds the next couple of days. They eventually do turn to our southeast and easterly later in the weekend. So that’s also why the rip currents will go up later in the weekend as well,” Kelly said.

The Florida Keys are not facing Earl-spawned rip currents. But the weather service did alert parts of the island chain about a coastal saltwater flooding possibility through Thursday for the middle and lower Keys due to isolated and scattered thunderstorms.

For Orlando, the incoming swell from Hurricane Earl was about 900 miles east of Cape Canaveral early Thursday morning and was producing a moderate risk of life threatening rip currents. But the risk may become high Friday and on the weekend due to the swell, the weather service in Melbourne said. The same forecast applies to the Cape Canaveral region of the state.

As of Thursday, the weather service has no mentions of rip currents for Tampa Bay area or Jacksonville area beaches, though there is a flood watch warning from Thursday into Saturday night for the Jacksonville area, portions of northeast Florida and Georgia due to existing showers and thunderstorms.

Naples beaches run a moderate risk Thursday, with the possibility of an elevated risk over the weekend if swells reach the area, the weather service said.

Rip currents can be deadly. On Sunday, Cutler Bay Middle School teacher Michelle Vargas, 49, drowned after she saved her son, Michael, 10, after they got caught in a rip current during a family vacation in El Salvador.

If you get caught in a rip current you can get out of them safely, experts say.

? Heed warnings and lifeguards’ directions. Pay attention to posted beach patrol flags and signs.

? Don’t panic if you get caught in a rip current. “Relax and float,” the National Weather Service suggests.

? Don’t swim against the current toward the shore, NOAA says. If you can, swim in a parallel direction following the shoreline and then at an angle toward the beach.

? If those tips are not working and you can’t escape the water’s pull, face the shore and call or wave for help. Always wise to swim near a staffed lifeguard station, just in case you should need assistance.

Thunderstorms are in South Florida’s forecast from Thursday into the weekend. Thursday and Friday eyes a 70% chance and Saturday and Sunday has a 50% chance, according to the weather service, as well as CBS Miami meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez.

“We’ll get pretty wet,” Kelly said. Gonzalez pronounced Thursday an “alert day” due to the storm chance.

GAINESVILLE — The proclamations came quickly after a big weekend from Florida’s Big Three.

The Gators upset No. 7 Utah in a thriller at The Swamp. No. 16 Miami scored 70 in Mario Cristobal’s debut. The Seminoles held on for a one-point win over LSU in arguably the most important win of the Mike Norvell era.

“This,” FSU receiver Ontaria Wilson told reporters afterward, “means Florida State is back.”

Not quite. Despite a weekend that was encouraging as it was entertaining, neither Florida State nor the state of Florida is truly back. But if they get there soon — this year or soon after — we’ll look back on Week 1 as the two-day stretch where a renaissance first started to look possible.

Florida showed the most promise by beating the reigning Pac-12 champions. The Utes may not be the College Football Playoff contender we expected, but they had an experienced roster, an all-conference quarterback and a program built on strength and stability. And the Gators beat them with a first-year staff and a transcendent quarterback (Anthony Richardson) making his first career home start.

“The great thing is the effort was there, the physicality was there, the toughness was there, the passion,” coach Billy Napier said Monday. “I thought the chemistry and morale of the team was good. I thought we saw some leadership emerge.”

All of those things were, at times, lacking last season. That means UF enters Saturday’s SEC opener against No. 20 Kentucky with clear on-field progress to back up its off-field gains in recruiting and facilities.

FSU’s progress was just as obvious after the Seminoles persevered against a big-name opponent. It wasn’t the first time FSU has done so under Norvell — the fourth-and-14 win over Miami jumps out — but it was another step in the climb.

So, too, was how it happened: a blocked extra point (to go along with a fumble recovery on a muffed punt and a blocked field goal). Norvell believes special teams are the best indicator of a program’s culture. By that measure, FSU finally looks like it’s back in a good place.

The last time the Big Three all started with wins was in 2016 (which featured ). It ended up being a fine season; all three finished in the top 20, with UF winning the SEC East and FSU beating Michigan in the Orange Bowl.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation groups notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that they intend to sue over the agency’s failure to make a timely designation of lifesaving critical habitat for the endangered Miami tiger beetle.

Proposed critical habitat includes areas in Miami’s Richmond Pine Rocklands, which are under imminent threat from development.

“Miami tiger beetles can’t wait any longer for critical habitat,” said Ragan Whitlock, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “They live in one of North America’s most endangered habitats, which will continue to be lost rapidly to development unless the Service protects their home.”

The Miami tiger beetle is found in a very limited range and is currently known to occur in only two populations separated by urban development.

“The Service’s continued delay in designating critical habitat for the beetle continues to compromise the likelihood of the species’ survival,” said Dennis Olle, president of the Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association. “There is no excuse for this, especially given the fact that this inaction goes against the Service’s statutory and ethical duties.”

“Miami is home to one of the rarest tiger beetles in the U.S.,” said Tropical Audubon Society’s conservation director Lauren Jonaitis. “Just as remarkable, the species is endemic to Miami-Dade's Pine Rocklands, a globally critically imperiled habitat unique to South Florida. Both the Miami tiger beetle and the pine rocklands are in urgent need of saving. The most expeditious, effective way to accomplish that is to designate critical habitat for our local beetle — a designation that's long overdue.”

In response to a Center petition in 2014, the Service listed the beetle as endangered in 2016 but did not concurrently designate critical habitat as required by the Endangered Species Act. Following litigation by the Center, the Service finally proposed critical habitat for the beetle in 2021 but has failed to finalize the protections.

The Center filed the 2014 petition after learning that an area known as the Richmond Pine Rocklands in south Miami was under immediate threat from proposals for a strip mall and waterpark. This area is where the beetle was rediscovered in 2007, six decades after it was initially discovered. The pine rocklands contain the vast majority and largest single block of remaining habitat for the beetle, as well as several other endangered species. The strip mall has since been built, but not the waterpark, which would be adjacent to Zoo Miami.

The Miami tiger beetle is beautifully gem-like, with an emerald sheen. It is named for its aggressive, predatory behavior and strong mandibles. Its proposed critical habitat largely overlaps with designated critical habitat for Carter’s small-flowered flax, Florida brickell-bush, Bartram’s scrub-hairstreak and Florida leafwing.

Animals with federally protected critical habitat are more than twice as likely to be moving toward recovery than species without it. Federal agencies that fund or permit projects in critical habitat must consult with the Service to ensure habitat is not adversely modified.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

The Miami Blue Chapter serves southeastern Florida, specifically Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. We are a membership based, not-for-profit organization working to increase the public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies. The Chapter is named after one of the rarest butterflies in North America, which used to (and one day will again) call Miami home.

Tropical Audubon Society is a science- and solutions-based nonprofit conservation organization driven by its grassroots community and principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. Tropical Audubon’s Legacy is to protect, conserve and restore South Florida ecosystems by working closely with local governments and other stakeholders, and by fostering wise stewardship of native habitats, birds and other indigenous wildlife.

Matchup: USF (2-3-0) vs. Miami (3-0-2) When: Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. Where: Corbett Stadium Watch: ESPN+ Listen: Bulls Unlimited Stats

Matchup: USF (2-3-0) at Georgia (4-2-0) When: Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. Where: Athens, Ga. Watch: SECN+ Stats

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 7, 2022 – The University of South Florida continues its 2022 campaign with a home match against Miami on Thursday followed by an away game against Georgia on Sunday.

The Bulls are coming off a 1-0 victory over UTSA in its most recent match. (Highworth, England) scored in the 87 minute to seal the win against the future American Athletic Conference member.

Thunderstruck Situated in the lightning capital of the United States, Florida averaged 223 strikes per square mile in 2021, with Tampa ranking as the No. 1 city with more than 500,000 people by WeatherBug in 2015. The weather has targeted the Bulls this season, with three of its four games being delayed due to weather so far this season and one game being called early due to weather. In total, while the Bulls have spent seven hours and 18 minutes in weather delays.

She's A Keeper is making her case as one of the best keepers to come through the women's soccer program at South Florida. The fifth-year senior is currently ranked in all of the career goalkeeper lists that USF tracks. Her placements are below: - Goalie Minutes Played: 2nd; 6,193 (1st: 6,695). - Goals Against Average: 1st; 0.80. - Saves: 4th; 223 (3rd: 275, 1st: 318) - Saves Per Game: 10th; 3.23 (9th: 3.62; 1st: 5.07) - Save Percentage: 4th; .802 (3rd: .807; 1st: .825) - Shutouts: T1st; 24 (1st: 24) She also holds the single-season goals-against average record at USF with a 0.453 tally in 2020.

National Team Duty South Florida boasts a tremendous amount of experience with their respective national teams. and just completed competition for the U-20 Canadian National Team at the U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica. Bessette has also spent time in the Bulgarian National Team system, while (Denmark) and (Germany) have also represented their country in various levels of competition. USF also has a strong alumni base competing on the international level. In the most recent Olympic Games, Evelyne Viens (Canada) won a gold medal, while Christiane Endler (Chile), Olivia Chance (New Zealand) and Demi Stokes (Great Britain) all competed in the Games.

We're Twinning 'Em South Florida is one of 20 Division I soccer programs with at least one set of twins on the roster. Iris and joined the team in 2021 and are sophomores for the 2022 season. The Bulls are one of three sets of twins in the American Athletic Conference, joining the Parker sisters at Temple and the Fernandez sisters at Tulsa. Overall, there are 23 sets of twins between the 20 schools.

About USF Women's Soccer Be sure to follow USF women's soccer on social media (Twitter / Instagram/Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF women's soccer team has posted ten consecutive seasons of 10-plus wins under head coach Denise Schilte-Brown. The Bulls made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2010 and returned in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. South Florida has five consecutive seasons with a conference championship, earning the tournament title in 2017, 2019 and 2020 as well as the regular-season title in 2018, 2020 and 2021. The program had its first draft pick and second-highest pick in USF Athletics history with Evelyne Viens being taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft by Sky Blue FC, now Gotham FC. -#GoBulls-

Jillian Mayer's unassuming 20-foot black trailer disappeared over Labor Day weekend from a private storage lot in Islamorada.

If it was thieves who absconded with the trailer, they might've thought they were getting away with yard tools or a lawnmower. Instead, they got an artist's work four years in the making.

"I’ve been told that when people steal trailers, they expect landscaping equipment or ATVs or fishing gear, but instead they cracked open a sculpture and found a little habitat," Mayer tells New Times. Mayer, a Miami-based visual artist and filmmaker, had been working since 2018 on the project, which was equal parts artist residency and doomsday bunker. Before she could put on the finishing touches, the trailer/installation, entitled "Low Res," was stolen from the Islamorada lot in the Florida Keys, she says.

The trailer contained a bed, a working shower, and a kitchen complete with a custom ceramic sink. Much of the interior was handmade, as the project was forged in the same aesthetic as Mayer's "Slumpies" series of sculptures, a collection of colorful fiberglass art pieces that were exhibited at the Pérez Art Museum Miami.

Mayer tells New Times the Monroe County Sheriff's Office has put out a "Be on the Lookout" (BOLO) notice for the trailer, and says she has reason to believe whoever has it was bound for Miami.

Drawing inspiration from doomsday preppers, Mayer made "Low Res" in the fashion of a survivalist's haven, complete with solar panels, literature on survivalism, and — more worrisome now that they're stolen — knives, nets, and ropes.

"I am interested in how survivalists prepare for disaster, and how the objects they create betray universal anxieties and fantasies around an unstable future," Mayer wrote in promotional material for the art piece.

Mayer claims she was almost done with the project and was in talks with several art venues to host it. She had hoped for it to be a space where artists and creatives could pass time together, but all plans are on hold until the trailer is recovered, she says.

The artist encourages anyone who sees the trailer, which has New York license plates and a distinct after-market window on the side, to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Department's Islamorada substation at 305-664-6480. Witnesses can also message her on Instagram, she says.