TreasureCoast, Fl- Two South Florida counties are partnering to keep you safe this hurricane season. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Martin County Fire Rescue, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Lucie County Fire Rescue are forming a partnership to help residents during and after severe weather. Yesterday, the agencies announced details of their partnership and displayed new equipment, including four high water rescue vehicles that will be used in the event of hurricanes or strong storms in Martin and St. Lucie Counties. Rapid deployment teams, comprised of deputies from both agencies, have been federally trained to deploy anywhere in either county to save lives.

 Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its outlook for the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs until Nov. 30. NOAA now predicts there will be 10 to 17 named storms, of which 5 to 9 could become hurricanes, including 2 to 4 major hurricanes. Right now though, the tropics are quiet. There is no tropical cyclone activity expected for the next 48 hours. 

Meteorologists say July was the hottest month measured on Earth since records began in 1880. According to NOAA, July was 1.71 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th century average for the month. That topped the previous all-time high for July, set just three years ago in 2016. The results had been expected after several European countries reported new all-time temperature records in July. Scientists say the upward trend will likely continue because of man-made climate change. June also set a record for that month. Locally, the numbers weren’t all that bad for July. The heat didn’t break records along the Treasure Coast, coming in at just 0.4 degrees warmer in both Fort Pierce and Vero Beach.