Disasters

In parts of Colorado, the sky has been gray, the sun hazy and the odor of a burning campfire has persisted for much of September and October. Normally, snow helps tamp down the devastation by this time of year, but drought across Colorado and warming temperatures have dragged out the misery wrought by wildfires.

The powerful derecho that swept through the Midwest in August, focusing its destruction on central Iowa, is officially the most costly thunderstorm event in recorded U.S. history with at least $7.5 billion in damage.

Back-to-back hurricanes in the space of six weeks left parts of Louisiana blanketed Sunday with tarpaulins, mangled metal and downed power lines — but not necessarily despair.

Hurricane Delta made landfall near Creole, La., the National Hurricane Center announced at 7 p.m. ET.

Scientists know that tiny particles from smoke can be inhaled deep into a person's lungs and even enter the bloodstream. But the long-term health effects of this are not fully understood.

Twenty-nine firefighters from all over Minnesota are back home after battling wildfires for two weeks in southern Oregon. The crews worked 12-hour days and spent their nights in camps with hundreds of colleagues. Wilderness firefighting was quite a change of pace for most of the Minnesotans.

Wildfires in California have set a new record, but some fire scientists say focusing on that number is doing more harm than good.

Hurricane Delta is bringing a dangerous storm surge and winds to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It has weakened — but Delta could become a Category 4 hurricane again by late Thursday.

"The 4 million mark is unfathomable. It boggles the mind, and it takes your breath away," a spokesperson for Cal Fire said.

The Minnesota State Patrol reports six traffic fatalities around Minnesota over the weekend, keeping the state on track to surpass last year's total.