Kenyatta Esters
@kesters2.bsky.social
Healthcare Emergency Manager
Policy Analyst
Health Promoter
Blog Author
LSU Microbiology 🧪 and
Public Administration Graduate 📝
Mississippi State University
Environmental Geosciences Graduate🌪️
https://weatherandwellness.blogspot.com
Policy Analyst
Health Promoter
Blog Author
LSU Microbiology 🧪 and
Public Administration Graduate 📝
Mississippi State University
Environmental Geosciences Graduate🌪️
https://weatherandwellness.blogspot.com
Due to cooler temps, less daylight, drier air, and more: fall weather can really affect your health. I discuss this in my “Weather and Wellness” blog! weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...
Weather and Wellness: Forecasting Fall’s Effect on Your Health
Break out your sweaters and grab a pumpkin spice latte (YUCK!) because it's fall, y'all! And guess what? I absolutely dread this time of yea...
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Due to cooler temps, less daylight, drier air, and more: fall weather can really affect your health. I discuss this in my “Weather and Wellness” blog! weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...
Your fall forecast: cooler temps, drier air, and ….rhinitis?!
Yes, the shift in seasons can trigger changes in your health! Join me in my latest “Weather & Wellness” blog as I unpack some of the health woes that accompany autumn.
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...
Yes, the shift in seasons can trigger changes in your health! Join me in my latest “Weather & Wellness” blog as I unpack some of the health woes that accompany autumn.
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...
October 9, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Your fall forecast: cooler temps, drier air, and ….rhinitis?!
Yes, the shift in seasons can trigger changes in your health! Join me in my latest “Weather & Wellness” blog as I unpack some of the health woes that accompany autumn.
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...
Yes, the shift in seasons can trigger changes in your health! Join me in my latest “Weather & Wellness” blog as I unpack some of the health woes that accompany autumn.
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...
Reposted by Kenyatta Esters
No, it's not just you. Summers are 21 days longer in Baton Rouge, 17 days longer in Lafayette, 11 days longer in New Orleans.
Here's how much longer Louisiana summers are lasting and why they're stretching into fall
No, it's not just you. Summers are 21 days longer in Baton Rouge, 17 days longer in Lafayette, 11 days longer in New Orleans.
bit.ly
October 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM
No, it's not just you. Summers are 21 days longer in Baton Rouge, 17 days longer in Lafayette, 11 days longer in New Orleans.
I have 2 fall -related “Weather & Wellness Wednesdays” blogs this evening! The first is a repost of my 2023 blog regarding cold fronts and their effect on respiratory health. Read it here and let me know if your lungs hate fall as much as mine do! weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/fall...
Fall Cold Fronts: Friend or Foe to Those Living with Asthma?
Note: I posted this article two years ago on another blog site. I wanted to share this as it will be relevant to my next "Weather and We...
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I have 2 fall -related “Weather & Wellness Wednesdays” blogs this evening! The first is a repost of my 2023 blog regarding cold fronts and their effect on respiratory health. Read it here and let me know if your lungs hate fall as much as mine do! weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/fall...
Reposted by Kenyatta Esters
Yesterday marked the end of National Preparedness Month, but for caregivers, readiness is never seasonal. I published a new piece on my Weather and Wellness blog, and this one got a bit personal.
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Weather and Wellness: Preparedness- A Caregiver's Story
In December 2023, I participated in my commencement ceremony at Mississippi State University. I had received a Master’s degree in Environm...
tinyurl.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Yesterday marked the end of National Preparedness Month, but for caregivers, readiness is never seasonal. I published a new piece on my Weather and Wellness blog, and this one got a bit personal.
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Yesterday marked the end of National Preparedness Month, but for caregivers, readiness is never seasonal. I published a new piece on my Weather and Wellness blog, and this one got a bit personal.
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Weather and Wellness: Preparedness- A Caregiver's Story
In December 2023, I participated in my commencement ceremony at Mississippi State University. I had received a Master’s degree in Environm...
tinyurl.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Yesterday marked the end of National Preparedness Month, but for caregivers, readiness is never seasonal. I published a new piece on my Weather and Wellness blog, and this one got a bit personal.
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness.
tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w
Reposted by Kenyatta Esters
Just a reminder that NWS is considered essential during a government shutdown. Meteorologists will still go to work, forecasts will still be made, watches and warnings will be issued, data will flow. We won’t be paid until the shutdown ends, but we’ll still protect life and property as always.
October 1, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Just a reminder that NWS is considered essential during a government shutdown. Meteorologists will still go to work, forecasts will still be made, watches and warnings will be issued, data will flow. We won’t be paid until the shutdown ends, but we’ll still protect life and property as always.
First Coastal Louisiana AMS (CLAMS) meeting of the fall starting soon with Phil Grisby of NWS New Orleans speaking to the group tonight! Come join us if you are in the Baton Rouge area!
September 25, 2025 at 11:05 PM
First Coastal Louisiana AMS (CLAMS) meeting of the fall starting soon with Phil Grisby of NWS New Orleans speaking to the group tonight! Come join us if you are in the Baton Rouge area!
This is a very insightful article covering increasing heat-related deaths in Louisiana. www.nola.com/news/environ...
In Louisiana, heat-related deaths have soared. The quiet disaster is ‘going to get worse.’
Extreme heat is a silent threat, one that experts warn could become more deadly as temperatures continue to rise.
www.nola.com
September 11, 2025 at 3:55 PM
This is a very insightful article covering increasing heat-related deaths in Louisiana. www.nola.com/news/environ...
My take from the discussion at tropical.colostate.edu/Forecast/202... is to not let your guard down even though hurricane season has not been very active. The note of the possibility of a strong Central American gyre concerns me as I know that the CAG can give rise to “home grown” storms in October
September 9, 2025 at 6:50 PM
My take from the discussion at tropical.colostate.edu/Forecast/202... is to not let your guard down even though hurricane season has not been very active. The note of the possibility of a strong Central American gyre concerns me as I know that the CAG can give rise to “home grown” storms in October
From the Atmospheric Science Dept. at Colorado State: “The NHC currently is not expecting any TC formations in the next 7 days. If that forecast verifies, it will be only the 2nd yr since 1950 w/no Atlantic named storm activity between 8/29 and 9/16. The only other year was 1992”
September 9, 2025 at 6:48 PM
From the Atmospheric Science Dept. at Colorado State: “The NHC currently is not expecting any TC formations in the next 7 days. If that forecast verifies, it will be only the 2nd yr since 1950 w/no Atlantic named storm activity between 8/29 and 9/16. The only other year was 1992”
Currently viewing a CDC Heat Preparedness webinar. I am happy to hear how health departments are using the HeatRisk took. I’ve been a fan since the tool’s experimental days with the Western Region.
August 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Currently viewing a CDC Heat Preparedness webinar. I am happy to hear how health departments are using the HeatRisk took. I’ve been a fan since the tool’s experimental days with the Western Region.
I have a saying: “Gulf Coast emergency managers always labor on Labor Day”. I’ll gladly take a quiet end to August and start to September! But I know my fellow EM’s are concerned about the second half of the season and the “home grown threats” that can occur during that time.
Erin’s extratropical, but we may get Fernand near & east of Bermuda next. However, it does appear that the tropics are going to begin to settle down, just as we are approaching the historical peak in activity. We explain what’s happening over the next couple weeks today below or at theeyewall.com
Tropics starting to quiet down a bit just in time for the historical peak in activity
Though we are likely to get Fernand by tomorrow
open.substack.com
August 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I have a saying: “Gulf Coast emergency managers always labor on Labor Day”. I’ll gladly take a quiet end to August and start to September! But I know my fellow EM’s are concerned about the second half of the season and the “home grown threats” that can occur during that time.
If this is true then a lot of us in BR are…well….gone, lol
BATON ROUGE/RYAN,LA (BTR) ASOS reports gust of 373 knots (429.3 mph) from NE @ 2225Z -- KBTR 192225Z COR 05025G373KT 3/4SM +TSRA FEW013 SCT024 BKN048 25/21 A2995 RMK AO2 PK WND 05043/2224 LTG DSNT SE AND S RAB17 TSB09E10 PRESRR P0063 T02500211 RVRNO
August 19, 2025 at 10:38 PM
If this is true then a lot of us in BR are…well….gone, lol
I really enjoyed listening to 2 emergency management superstars on the most recent @ametsoc.org “Clear Skies Ahead” podcast! Great job Ashley Morris @missashes92.bsky.social & Melissa Sizemore! I was nodding in agreement throughout the entire discussion!
August 19, 2025 at 10:36 PM
I really enjoyed listening to 2 emergency management superstars on the most recent @ametsoc.org “Clear Skies Ahead” podcast! Great job Ashley Morris @missashes92.bsky.social & Melissa Sizemore! I was nodding in agreement throughout the entire discussion!
It’s move-in weekend at colleges across the U.S. Families are hauling boxes, climbing stairs, and trekking back and forth in the August heat. There’s a public health angle to move in day that I don’t think we discuss enough (especially for universities in the south)… 🧵
August 17, 2025 at 8:06 PM
It’s move-in weekend at colleges across the U.S. Families are hauling boxes, climbing stairs, and trekking back and forth in the August heat. There’s a public health angle to move in day that I don’t think we discuss enough (especially for universities in the south)… 🧵
Interesting study from researchers at Tulane University regarding the increase in heart related ED visits after exposure to the combination of extreme heat and humidity. www.linkedin.com/pulse/study-...
Study: As temperatures and humidity rise, so do emergency room visits for heart conditions
Extreme heat can be hard on your heart. As temperatures rise, the heart pumps faster to move blood toward the skin to cool the body.
www.linkedin.com
August 16, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Interesting study from researchers at Tulane University regarding the increase in heart related ED visits after exposure to the combination of extreme heat and humidity. www.linkedin.com/pulse/study-...
I know that EM’s have been adjusting their H-hour plans to account for the possibility of RI. These plans will need to continuously be updated due to the more extreme cases of RI we’ve been seeing. How quickly can you evacuate health facilities, activate shelters, enact contraflow, etc.
A point I make in the article. With recent storms, the typical 3 day threshold is outdated for planning and decisions. Rapid intensification and hyper cases like this will need a new playbook
15 hours means a storm like this could be identified in the middle of the night and, if it was making landfall, you’d wake up needing to figure out evacuation later that day.
August 16, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I know that EM’s have been adjusting their H-hour plans to account for the possibility of RI. These plans will need to continuously be updated due to the more extreme cases of RI we’ve been seeing. How quickly can you evacuate health facilities, activate shelters, enact contraflow, etc.
Reposted by Kenyatta Esters
We don't compute RI as a percentage of storms but as a percentage of 24-hour periods.
Also, faster thresholds are getting more common.
40+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 3.6%
- 2000-2024, 4.4%
50+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 0.9%
- 2000-2024, 1.8%
Also, faster thresholds are getting more common.
40+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 3.6%
- 2000-2024, 4.4%
50+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 0.9%
- 2000-2024, 1.8%
August 16, 2025 at 3:02 PM
We don't compute RI as a percentage of storms but as a percentage of 24-hour periods.
Also, faster thresholds are getting more common.
40+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 3.6%
- 2000-2024, 4.4%
50+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 0.9%
- 2000-2024, 1.8%
Also, faster thresholds are getting more common.
40+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 3.6%
- 2000-2024, 4.4%
50+kt/24h:
- 1975-1999, 0.9%
- 2000-2024, 1.8%
Reposted by Kenyatta Esters
August 16: 11:20AM AST @53rdWRS find #Erin is now a Category 5 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Visit hurricanes.gov for the latest https://x.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1956738174408863936
August 16, 2025 at 3:33 PM
August 16: 11:20AM AST @53rdWRS find #Erin is now a Category 5 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Visit hurricanes.gov for the latest https://x.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1956738174408863936
917mb…..absolutely insane. But it feels like I’m saying that phrase every hurricane season now.
August 16, 2025 at 3:44 PM
917mb…..absolutely insane. But it feels like I’m saying that phrase every hurricane season now.
Reposted by Kenyatta Esters
🫣Still waiting/deciding? ⏳ You’ve got until Aug 21, 5 PM ET to submit for the 17th Conf. on Environment & Health. Your research deserves the stage and we want you in this conversation! 🌎💡
🔗 annual.ametsoc.org/2026/program...
#AMS2026 #EnvHealth
🔗 annual.ametsoc.org/2026/program...
#AMS2026 #EnvHealth
17th Conference on Environment and Health
The 106th AMS Annual Meeting will take place from 25 to 26 January, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
annual.ametsoc.org
August 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM
🫣Still waiting/deciding? ⏳ You’ve got until Aug 21, 5 PM ET to submit for the 17th Conf. on Environment & Health. Your research deserves the stage and we want you in this conversation! 🌎💡
🔗 annual.ametsoc.org/2026/program...
#AMS2026 #EnvHealth
🔗 annual.ametsoc.org/2026/program...
#AMS2026 #EnvHealth
Significant flash flooding has occurred over the US this month. I recently discussed the different types of flooding and how your health can be impacted. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...
Weather & Wellness (Special Friday Edition): Rising Waters-Understanding Flood Types and Health Impacts
Earlier this month, devastating flooding in Texas resulted in the deaths of 135 people. As of today’s posting (7/18/25), 100 people are stil...
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com
July 20, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Significant flash flooding has occurred over the US this month. I recently discussed the different types of flooding and how your health can be impacted. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...
Recent flooding across the US led to a special edition of my “Weather and Wellness” blog. Join me as I discuss different types of flooding, and the health impacts that rising waters can bring.
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...
Weather & Wellness (Special Friday Edition): Rising Waters-Understanding Flood Types and Health Impacts
Earlier this month, devastating flooding in Texas resulted in the deaths of 135 people. As of today’s posting (7/18/25), 100 people are stil...
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com
July 19, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Recent flooding across the US led to a special edition of my “Weather and Wellness” blog. Join me as I discuss different types of flooding, and the health impacts that rising waters can bring.
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...
weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...
Reposted by Kenyatta Esters
How can we make sure as many people are prepared for disasters as possible? Harris County Public Health has formed community-based resilience teams to help share information and build connections to resources. East and Central African community asset mapping underway today:
June 28, 2025 at 4:50 PM
How can we make sure as many people are prepared for disasters as possible? Harris County Public Health has formed community-based resilience teams to help share information and build connections to resources. East and Central African community asset mapping underway today: