Washington state fires destroy hundreds of buildings and force Spokane-area residents to evacuateVideo
SPOKANE, Wash. — Some residents returned to devastated neighborhoods in eastern Washington state to find their homes leveled by wildfires that erupted across a parched landscape over the weekend, covering yards in charred debris. In some cases, only chimneys were left standing. The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s...
Heavy rain moving east of Pittsburgh after storms bring flash flooding, tornado warnings
The threat of severe weather and flooding that affected the Pittsburgh region for most of the day Sunday has ended, the National Weather Service said. Around 9 p.m., the weather service said that heavier rain had ended or moved east of the area. Remaining showers or storms no longer pose...
Heat wave expected to bring record-breaking temps, heighten wildfire risk to parts of Western U.S.
A dangerous heat wave will bring record-breaking temperatures to parts of the Western U.S. this weekend, prompting warnings for people to stay inside and heightening wildfire risks in areas that already are dry or burning. A ridge of high pressure is holding heat close to the ground — what’s known...
Europe’s wildfire crisis eases in west as danger shifts east to Greece
LE PORGE, France — Europe’s wildfire emergency eased across much of western Europe on Saturday, but its most dangerous front shifted to Greece, where gale-force winds drove flames through a seaside resort, forced hundreds to flee by sea and hampered firefighting aircraft. For Greece, the danger carried grim resonance: a...
Heavy rains lead to water rescues, grist mill destruction in upstate New York
CASTLETON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — Cleanup efforts were underway in parts of upstate New York on Thursday following two days of heavy rains that led to flash flooding, water rescues and the destruction of a centuries-old grist mill. Nearly a foot of rain fell in parts of Columbia and Rensselaer counties near...
Tropical Storm Fausto to splash past Hawaii as Hurricane Genevieve sends swells to Mexico
MIAMI — Rough surf was possible for Hawaii and Mexico on Tuesday thanks to two tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean that forecasters said were sending strong waves to some coastal areas. Tropical Storm Fausto was expected to pass just north of the Hawaiian islands starting Tuesday night, according to...
Wisconsin tornado causes extensive damage and cuts power to thousands of homesVideo
MADISON, Wis. — A tornado struck Monday in northeastern Wisconsin, blackening the midday sky and sending workers sheltering in office basements as ferocious wind splintered homes, scattered twisted metal across a highway and knocked out power to more than 30,000 people. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Winnebago...
Sweltering heat wave grips central and southern U.S. for a 2nd straight day
At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings Sunday across central and southern parts of the United States as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day. Heat indexes well above 100 degrees stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending...
Heat dome expands across the central United States, creating dangerous conditions for millions
WASHINGTON — Dangerously hot weather will expand across much of the central United States this weekend and into next week, pushing temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit from Dallas to North Dakota with roughly 70 million people facing heat advisories. A heat dome, where atmospheric conditions trap heat, will create sustained...
Smoke could return to Pittsburgh region next week
The smoke that clouded Pittsburgh’s skies last week may return as wildfire smoke in Oregon and Washington mixes with smoke from the ongoing wildfires in Canada, weather experts say. The matter of when the smoke from western wildfires will come back remains unknown. Colton Milcarek, a meteorologist from the National...
Hurricane Fausto strengthens into Category 2 storm, expected to approach Hawaiian Islands next week
MIAMI — Hurricane Fausto has strengthened into a Category 2 storm in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to approach the Hawaiian Islands next week, forecasters said. The risk of some impacts from wind and rainfall in the area is increasing, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Friday, but...
2 dead in flash floods caused by heavy rain in West Virginia, governor’s office says
BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Two people have died in flash floods caused by torrential rains in West Virginia this week, the governor’s office said Thursday. An emailed statement from Lars Dalseide, communications director for Gov. Patrick Morrisey, did not provide details on where the bodies were found or how the people...
Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall on southern Louisiana with threatening winds
Tropical Storm Bertha crawled into southern Louisiana on Wednesday, making landfall and packing strong winds far from its center after closing beaches from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi. The National Hurricane Center said Bertha made landfall in the afternoon in St. Bernard Parish, about 40 miles east of New Orleans....
Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall on southern Louisiana with threatening wind
Tropical Storm Bertha crawled into southern Louisiana on Wednesday, making landfall and packing strong winds far from its center after closing beaches from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi. The National Hurricane Center said Bertha made landfall in the afternoon in St. Bernard Parish, about 40 miles east of New Orleans....
National Guard deploys as flash floods in West Virginia inundate homes, businessesVideo
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Torrential rain caused flash floods in West Virginia that inundated homes and businesses, washed out bridges and led to numerous water rescues. The state’s governor said Wednesday that some residents were unaccounted for as search operations continued. Gov. Patrick Morrisey sent hundreds of National Guard members to...
Tornado touches down in Butler County; weather improves rest of week
National Weather Service meteorologists confirmed a tornado appeared to have touched down in Portersville, Butler County on Tuesday. Video footage of the event was posted on the NWS Pittsburgh’s Facebook page at 8:15 p.m. Meteorologist Shannon Hefferan said the tornado was also picked up on radar. A team is expected...
Multiple rounds of severe storms heading toward Western Pa.; flooding possible
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch from 1 p.m. Tuesday through the evening for Allegheny County and higher elevations of Westmoreland and Washington counties. Forecasters are anticipating that afternoon and evening storms could drop between 2 and 4 inches of rain as they move through, with excessive...
Why Western Pa.’s rainfall is getting more intense — and overwhelming infrastructureVideo
It isn’t just your imagination: When it rains in Western Pennsylvania these days, it pours harder than it used to — and the region’s infrastructure is buckling under the weight. While weather experts debate whether overall storm frequency has increased, the data shows rainfall has gotten significantly heavier in recent...
Tropical Storm Bertha forms on track approaching U.S. Gulf CoastVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Tropical Storm Bertha formed Monday evening in the Gulf of Mexico south of the Florida Panhandle and is expected to strengthen further as it approaches populated coastal areas bearing a threat of heavy rain, storm surge and damaging wind gusts, forecasters say. The center of Bertha was...
5.5 magnitude earthquake hits Peru’s Andes region and kills at least 6 people
LIMA, Peru — A 5.5 magnitude earthquake shook the Andes region of Peru, killing at least six people, injuring more than 30 and displacing 300, authorities said Sunday. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake struck on Saturday at 9:24 p.m., with its epicenter located 1.24 miles west-southwest of the...
Tornado touched down in Derry Township in Saturday stormVideo
Victoria and Grace Tumulty saw the sky spiraling Saturday evening above the Derry Township Agricultural Fair. Across the fairgrounds, like much of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties yesterday, rain poured, strong winds whipped and lightning struck. But in Derry, something different happened than the rest of the Pittsburgh region: a tornado...
Thunderstorms will clear wildfire smoke from Northeast ahead of World Cup final, meteorologists say
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Smoke from the Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say. Warnings of unhealthy air quality...
Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota pushes farther into the U.S. and engulfs D.C. in haze
NEW YORK — Millions of people in the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states muddled through another day of unhealthy air from uncontrolled wildfires on Friday. The thick smoke enveloped the nation’s capital in a gloomy, eerie haze and prompted Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians to postpone their game against...
‘Kind of suffocating’: Wildfire smoke worsens air quality across Pittsburgh region
The air smelled as bad as it looked Thursday in Western Pennsylvania, as wildfire smoke from Minnesota and Canada created an eerie haze across the sky and carried a distinct odor of burned wood. Many sports teams canceled outdoor activities or moved them inside, Pittsburgh pools closed early, Kennywood closed...
At least 1 person has died as Texas flooding forces evacuations and rescues, governor says
UVALDE, Texas — Rescuers saved dozens of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes from catastrophic flooding in Texas while many more fled to higher ground Thursday across a region still recovering from devastating floods just a year ago. So far, at least one person has died, said Gov. Greg...
