Florida panhandle

Lulu Gribbin, of Mountain Brook, was 15 when she survived a shark attack off the coast of Florida. She lost her left hand, part of her right leg and almost her life. Gribbin’s story has inspired new federal legislation to authorize emergency alerts to mobile phones to warn beachgoers when a shark has bitten someone in the area. Her home state of Alabama approved such a warning system last year.

A new shark alert system, inspired by a teen who survived an attack last year, that warns beachgoers when a shark has bitten someone in the vicinity will be established in Alabama under legislation signed by Governor Kay Ivey. The system will issue a public notice to cellphones when there's been a shark attack nearby.

Helene has made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida's northwestern coast as a Category 4 hurricane. Forecasters say the storm is threatening a “catastrophic” storm surge in northwestern parts of Florida as well as damaging winds, rains and flash floods. In Alabama, the impact of the storm is lessening across the state.

Florida A&M University has postponed its upcoming college football game against Alabama A&M because of Tropical Storm Helene. The Rattlers rescheduled the game for Friday, Nov. 29, in anticipation of Helene strengthening into a major hurricane Wednesday while moving north toward the United States.

Stranded people - stranded animals - all need help after a disaster like either of the two hurricanes that have caused such catastrophic damage in Florida…