Following Hurricane Helene’s toll on Florida’s Big Bend, Hurricane Milton landed on the west coast of Florida and tore through the state, leaving widespread devastation and fatalities. Many scientists, including Dr. Sarhadi Ali and Dr. Zachary Handlos of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), point to global warming and rising sea temperatures as reasons for the storm’s rapid formation. 

Hurricane Milton grew at record rates, transforming from a weak tropical storm to a major Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours while crossing the Gulf of Mexico on its way to Florida.

Handlos is a senior academic in EAS who serves as an undergraduate advisor and teaches several upper-level meteorology classes. Sarhadi is an assistant professor in EAS whose main field of study is climate extremes, with a focus on tropical cyclones. They attribute the rapid intensification of Hurricane Milton to a combination of environmental phenomena. 

“Rapid intensification is defined by the National Weather Service as an increase in a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained wind speed of at least 30 knots — about 35 mph within 24 hours. That increase can be enough to escalate a storm from Category 1 to Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Milton’s wind speed went from 80 mph to 175 mph from 1 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Monday, and its pressure dropped from 988 millibars to 911. Most of that intensification was over just 12 hours,” Handlos and Sarhadi wrote in an article for The Conversation.

Several factors contributed to this rapid intensification, including wind speed, water depth and water temperatures. 

“In the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, where Milton formed, water temperatures were at a minimum 85 degrees Fahrenheit, if not warmer than that. You also want water to be fairly deep, usually about 200 feet deep or greater, to sustain temperatures that warm. So all those things just came together at the right time. And it’s important to note that water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are at record levels this year. So during an already warm season, the waters are even hotter than usual,” Handlos said.

Sarhadi further explored the underlying causes of the rapid intensification and examined whether it was a result of natural variability or influenced by climate change.

“Most of the heat from global warming is absorbed by oceans and studies have shown that in the Atlantic Ocean, global warming has likely increased the frequency and intensity of major hurricanes like Milton. Researchers run models to simulate hurricane activity both with and without the influence of greenhouse gas emissions. When greenhouse gasses are factored in, the models show a trend of increasing hurricane frequency and intensity, matching what we’re seeing today. So, we can say that it’s very likely that the heat from global warming is contributing to the intensification and increased frequency of hurricanes, especially in the Atlantic,” Sarhadi explained.

Along with the hurricane’s size, the accompanying rain and storm surges were said to be record-breaking and detrimental for Florida.

“As for storm surges, after Milton intensified, it dropped to Category 4 and then regained Category 5 status before making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. During this process, an eyewall replacement cycle occurred, causing the hurricane to grow in size. As the hurricane grows, it pushes more water from the ocean toward land, generating storm surges. Essentially, the high winds and increased size of the hurricane pushed more water, similar to a tsunami,” Sarhadi stated.

The severity of Hurricane Milton was evident through its devastating aftermath in Florida and the solemn reactions of experienced meteorologists and scientists. NBC Miami meteorologist, John Morales, became visibly emotional while reporting on Hurricane Milton in anticipation of its landfall. 

“I apologize,” Morales said through tears, “This is just horrific. The maximum winds are 160 mph, and it is just gaining strength because the seas are just so incredibly hot, record hot. You know what’s driving that — I don’t need to tell you — global warming, climate change.” 

Handlos and Sarhadi pointed to an upward trend in the number of intense hurricanes since the 1980s. As for the future, Sarhadi explained that predictions indicate that this trend will continue. 

“This is an active area of research. Based on current models, it’s expected that with continued global warming, we’ll see more intense hurricanes, at least in the Atlantic Basin. While the overall frequency of tropical cyclones worldwide may not change significantly, the frequency and intensity of major hurricanes, those in the higher categories, will likely increase. The extent of this increase is uncertain, but with more global warming, say two to three degrees, it’s very likely we’ll experience more intense hurricanes. Generally, the total frequency of tropical cyclones may remain stable, but the stronger storms, category 3 and above, will become more frequent,” Sarhadi stated.

With the increase in the frequency of hurricanes, comes a rise in inland hazards. 

Sarhadi said, “So, the three main hazards are high-speed winds, storm surge, and freshwater flooding. And it’s not just coastal areas at risk. Inland areas can experience significant rainfall and flooding, as we saw in Western North Carolina where hundreds of people were killed by heavy rainfall during Hurricane Helene. We need to prepare for more intense hurricanes, both in coastal and inland areas, and adapt our infrastructure to minimize damage.”

When asked what governments, communities, and civilians can do to minimize the hazards caused by the hurricanes, Sarhadi proposed a two stage approach: mitigation and adaptation. 

“We need to push governments and policymakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep global warming to a manageable level, like under the two-degree target set by the Paris Agreement. Beyond that, things will get more chaotic.” Sarhadi said.

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Following the chaos of Hurricane Helene, a fire broke out in the BioLab warehouse in Rockdale County, 30 miles east of Atlanta. 

On Sept. 29, at around 5 a.m., an unknown source caused the eruption. Local fire department officials released a statement saying that the water from the sprinkler system had reacted with various chemicals in the building. The roof collapsed due to the fire, after which the fire reignited until it was fully extinguished at 3:30 p.m. later that day. All BioLab employees were accounted for, and no injuries were reported.

Based in Lawrenceville, GA, BioLab is the swimming pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Products. BioLab was founded in 1955 and provided cleaning products to the poultry industry before switching its focus to pool and spa chemicals in 1962. Their portfolio includes manufacturing chemicals used in swimming pools for product lines ProGuard and Pro Series, Atlanta-based pool supplies contractors.   

After the fire broke out, a plume of smoke erupted that was visible from as far as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, releasing several chemicals, including chlorine, chloramine and chlorine compounds. By Monday, the Georgia Emergency Services and Homeland Security Agency announced a local area emergency for residents within a 50-mile radius of the BioLab facility.

Dr. Joseph Sadighee, professor in the School of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Tech, told 11Alive, “Chlorine gas is very poisonous in high concentrations. It was the first substance used in chemical warfare during World War I. Now, I don’t want to alarm anybody — that was used deliberately at very high concentrations.”

The danger in air quality prompted a mass evacuation of the city of Conyers while Rockdale County was put under a shelter-in-place order. As of Monday, the shelter-in-place order for most of the county has been lifted, except for those living within a two-mile radius of the BioLab facility. 

Rockdale County Schools were closed for fall break during the incident but resumed lessons online. Virtual learning was in effect through Oct. 9. 

In response to the fire, BioLab has set up a website with the latest updates to mitigate the safety and health concerns Conyers residents are facing. 

BioLab states, “We take our role in the Conyers community very seriously and we deeply regret the impact of the fire at our warehouse. Our priority is remediating this situation with the health and safety of the community at the top of our minds. The response is being led by the Unified Command, under the direction of the Rockdale County Fire Chief, and is comprised of local, state and federal officials and BioLab senior leaders — along with the technical specialists. We are all working diligently to make progress onsite.” 

By Oct. 1, scientists in Atlanta began monitoring the air quality around the city. The team, led by Tech Professor Sally Ng from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was observing real-time data through a network of atmospheric measurement sites across the U.S. The instruments offer immediate insights into local air conditions, allowing the team to document changes in the air due to the fire.

“When the fire occurred, pollutants were carried outside by the wind, and that’s when our team detected a spike in chlorine and bromine-containing particles,” said Ng.

The spike was brief, and Ng stated that the recorded levels are still within the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety standards. Most of what they saw in Dekalb County on Oct. 1 has dissipated and air quality has returned to normal. 

Atlanta residents also received alerts that the air quality was being monitored, with assurances that everything appeared normal at that time.

This is not the first time a fire has erupted at BioLab. Similar incidents occurred in 2020, 2016, and 2004. The 2004 fire occurred when the plant contained 12.5 million pounds of pool chemicals and oxidizers, which caused thousands of residents to evacuate. 

The EPA told AJC that its responses to the 2004 and 2020 fires were “very similar to current response actions.”

With numerous incidents affecting Rockdale County, crowds of frustrated residents spoke out at the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners meeting on Oct. 8, with many residents urging that the plant be permanently shut down. 

Rockdale County Chairman Osborn (Oz) Nesbitt responded by saying he would address any concerns after the situation is under control and the air quality is back to normal.

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The Georgia Tech Experimental Rocketry team (GTXR) embarked on an ambitious trip to the Mojave Desert this summer, where they launched two rockets, “Fire on High” and “Strange Magic”. 

The launch, following a five-day journey across the country, marked a significant milestone in GTXR’s pursuit of becoming the first collegiate team to launch a two-stage rocket into space. “Fire on High” and “Strange Magic” were built after a year of planning and preparation by several key club members, including Connor Johnson, M.S. AE and GTXR’s co-president.

“‘Fire on High’ started in the summer of 2023. We had a team-wide discussion of our club goals for the year and how our design cycle would operate. This year was unique because we decided to make two single-stage rockets,” Johnson said.

GTXR, a subgroup of the Ramblin’ Rocket Club, is an interdisciplinary high-altitude rocket development team. They have routinely built one two-stage rocket per year since 2018. The decision to build “Fire on High” and “Strange Magic” was prompted by a failure during the 2023 launch of “Material Girl,” a two-stage rocket. This past year, they built two one-stage rockets to better isolate and improve specific technologies. The choice is a part of GTXR’s larger goal of becoming the first collegiate team to launch a two-stage rocket into space.

Rockets are built in stages to improve efficiency, with each stage containing its own engine. As the rocket launches, it drops the empty stages, allowing the rocket to keep accelerating. Multiple stages are used for bigger payloads that keep the rocket in the air. With a single stage, “Fire on High” reached 9,000 feet into the atmosphere and reached speeds of Mach 1.8, which refers to the speed of the rocket relative to the speed of sound. 

“Our goal is to eventually reach space with a two-stage rocket. Building two separate rockets this past year allowed us to learn the specific boundaries we have to meet to do that. We were able to conduct better simulations and testing and engineering design while improving overall performance,“ said Jaiden Patel, third-year AE and GTXR’s co-president.

GTXR follows a tradition of naming its rockets after popular songs that represent that specific rocket’s purpose. Their inventory includes “Sustain (Stayin’) Alive,” “Rubber Band Man” and “Mr. Blue Sky.” “Fire on High” symbolizes the potential altitude the rocket could achieve, while “Strange Magic” represents the experimental nature of its avionics. 

GTXR is structured into several subteams, including avionics, simulations, ground systems and internals, propulsion and structures. “Fire on High” and “Strange Magic” required all teams to be especially dedicated to overcoming the specific challenges of building two rockets in one year. 

“It was pretty difficult from a structural perspective. “Fire on High” is our first rocket that uses an 8-inch diameter rocket motor and “Strange Magic” is our first rocket that uses a completely custom flight computer. We also changed the architecture and design for the fins, which required a lot of testing and analysis on the ground before flight,” Johnson stated.

The team executives credit the success of “Fire on High” to the team’s persistence and motivation during the past year. 

“We had a horizontal work structure to make sure we progressed as quickly as possible and we were lucky to have a lot of dedicated members who made these challenges not seem as daunting,” Parth Garud, fourth-year AE and GTXR’s Chief Engineer, stated. 

The journey to California has taken place every year since 2018 and involved a massive undertaking. 

“63 people went this summer,” Johnson said, “It took a lot of logistical planning to get everyone and all the supplies out there.” 

Five days before the launch, four team executives transported the rockets and equipment from Atlanta to Ca., while the rest of the team followed later. The team rented houses in Los Angeles and drove to the Mojave Desert, where they began testing.

“The Friday before launch was a dedicated testing day without any live energetic materials. We went through a ‘go-no-go’ checklist before the launch window opened, which happened on Saturday morning,” Johnson stated. 

The launch day did not come without obstacles either.

“It’s inevitable to come into roadblocks when bringing all the subsystems together. Today we had a number of issues including undersized holes from paints, making sure the motor casing fit inside the airframe, and some final touches being made on the flight computer software,” Vincent Nguyen, fourth-year ME and Structures Lead, stated during the live stream of the launch. 

The team’s efforts culminated in a successful launch day for “Fire on High” at the Amateur Rocketry launch site, with several safety and organizational precautions, such as walkie-talkie communication throughout the desert and shelter in concrete bunkers during the launch. Fire extinguishers were also stationed by the bunkers to address potential bushfires.

“It does feel surreal. We have a tradition where we get a full group picture right before we launch because it does take a village, and we were lucky to have a prideful one. Having the opportunity to do this is something you don’t really get at other universities, especially at the timeline we do it. For those of us who are invested, there is a lot of tension every time we move one step down the “go-no-go” list until we launch. You can’t feel that type of excitement anywhere else as we see a year’s worth of hard work culminate,” Garud said.

“Fire on High” successfully launched, while “Strange Magic’s” launch was halted due to unforeseen issues with their flight software during the launch trip. The team looks forward to launching “Strange Magic” this fall, as well as developing new technologies and fine-tuning their subsystems for their new rocket, which will launch next summer in the Mojave Desert.

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Pride month celebrations commenced in Atlanta, this past June, marking 54 years since the first celebrations. The month-long observance started in June of 1970, commemorating the first anniversary of the violent police raid at Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York. The raid resulted  in 14 being arrested and several injured, sparking an international movement for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies who called for equal rights and visibility.

The events that occurred at Stonewall Inn serve as a powerful reminder of the progress made and the ongoing struggles faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. It represents the resilience and bravery of those who stood up against oppression, paving the way for future generations to live more openly and authentically.

Since then, communities around the globe have celebrated with vibrant marches, festivals, and dances as a way to honor individual identities and raise awareness for the LGBTQIA+ communities’ right to equal rights. 

Georgia joined in on the celebrations with several events, including festivals in Augusta, Smyrna, and Columbus. The festivals included speakers, entertainers, and pageants.

The St. Luke Lutheran Church in Atlanta hosted a “Drag me to Church” night centered around commemorating the Stonewall Riots. The event also saw performances from Atlanta-based drag queens. 

The Atlanta Pride Run took place on June 2nd. Through registration, local LGBTQIA+ organizations received funding and resources. Local charities fighting against HIV and AIDS also received aid.

Tech also actively participated in Atlanta’s Pride Month celebrations. Organized by the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center on campus, the festivities commenced with a partnership with the Atlanta Dream WNBA basketball team, who joined the students and faculty for a vibrant Pride-themed night.

The Smithgall building hosted a Pride Month kick-off breakfast, welcoming students and staff to start the month with a sense of community and celebration. The event was well-attended, with participants enjoying a festive atmosphere. 

The celebrations extended beyond campus with a special event at Six Flags Over Georgia. The “Ride for Pride” event offered students a chance to take part in a day of excitement and camaraderie.

Along with the happy celebrations, the Resource Center called for a solemn moment of remembrance and held a space on Instagram to honor the victims whose lives were tragically taken on June 12, 2015, at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, FL. The online tribute provided a space for community connection and reflection. 

In light of the vibrant Pride Month celebrations, the role of a supportive environment such as the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center becomes particularly significant.

Nilesh Chakraborty, fifth year AE major, works as a student assistant at the resource center. Through the Resource Center, they plan activities that are tailored to meet the needs and interests of the LGBTQIA+ community on campus. 

“I work as a programming and logistics student assistant. I basically plan and create events by listening to the community to see what they want,” Chakraborty shared. 

Along with offering a community, a place to vent and counselors to talk to, the resource center also helps students with practical services to help them feel like they belong on campus. 

“We help students with practical steps like changing their name within the Georgia Tech system, and providing resources for legally changing their name,” Chakraborty explained.

By creating a safe haven on campus, the resource center is able to provide students with a place to go to feel supported. 

“Honestly, I barely knew about the Resource Center during my first year of college. I would say, just come hang out. We have free coffee and tea and it’s a great place to make friends and study,” Chakraborty stated.  “It’s a very accepting place where you can be yourself without judgment. The Resource Center is there for support and resources, and you don’t have to express yourself in any specific way to be accepted.” 

Pride month may have come to an end, but the spirit of Pride continues. Atlanta’s annual Pride Weekend will take place in October, during which Chakraborty will be hosting an annual fashion show through the Resource Center.

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Mental health awareness is crucial for everyone, especially for students. Without good mental health, participating in social activities, excelling in classes and maintaining proper nutrition are all at risk. 

Due to years of societal stigma, men often have a difficult time seeking resources to aid their mental health. June marked Men’s Mental Health Awareness month, and one of the ways Tech is making efforts to increase mental well-being resources on campus is through the Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) training.

The QPR training program is designed to offer hope and help to anyone displaying warning signs of suicide. Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month and Tech’s on-campus QPR training aim to address the stigma around mental health and provide a safe haven for any students experiencing harmful thoughts and feelings. By breaking down stereotypes and helping men seek mental well-being, the initiative not only improves their everyday lives but also provides peace of mind for their loved ones.

Aditi Bang, third-year BME, received her QPR certification through her role as a Resident Assistant (RA). She emphasized the importance of QPR training in providing practical tools for mental health support.

“QPR is like CPR but for the brain and mind. They both help the well-being of students,” said Bang.

“The training process was really relaxed and interactive,” said Eisha Sharma, fourth-year BME and RA, who completed the training. “The instructor walked us through scenarios, such as how to talk to someone experiencing suicidal ideation, and helped us understand how to question, persuade, and refer someone to get the help they need.”

With the rising statistics of men’s suicide rates compared to women’s, it is becoming a critical issue that often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men died by suicide 3.85 times more often than women in 2022. Sharma shared her observations of women reaching out for help more than men.

“As an RA for freshmen, I noticed that women are more likely to talk to me about their issues than men, even though I had more men on my floor,” Sharma said. “With QPR training, it often takes more time and effort to get to the root cause of the problem with men, as they might not respond to initial questions as often as women.”

The QPR sessions emphasize accessibility and relatability to students. They can be conducted virtually or in-person and are usually led by two QPR-certified instructors. They are tailored to the needs of the attendees and can offer help through conversation, PowerPoint or practice scenarios.

“QPR sessions do a great job of making sure they are inclusive of a diverse population. And people can share as much or as little as they want to during the sessions,” Bang said.

Tech has made significant efforts to promote these sessions across campus. Flyers and advertisements for QPR training and sessions can be seen in various buildings, including residence halls and academic departments. The ultimate goal of the marketing efforts is to increase the limelight on QPR sessions and help dismantle the societal expectations for men that can deter them from seeking help.

Tech’s QPR training sessions are part of a broader effort to create a campus culture that prioritizes mental health. These efforts help foster a supportive community where all students can feel safe and understood.

For students in need of support, the Institute offers various resources. The after-hours GT CARE number is 404-894-3498, where students can dial 1 to be connected to an after-hours counselor. Additional resources include the Victim-Survivor Advocate line at 404-894-9000, the Georgia Crisis and Access Line at 1-800-715-4225, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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