Disasters

August's Iowa derecho was most costly thunderstorm event in modern U.S. history
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.
'We can’t lose our momentum:' Louisiana vows to rebuild
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.
Smokey skies are the new normal. Are they making us sick?
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.
Minnesota firefighters find new challenges in confronting Oregon wildfire
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.
Tropical Storm Beta churns slowly toward Texas and Louisiana
Tropical Storm Beta trudged toward the coasts of Texas and Louisiana on Sunday, threatening to bring more rain, wind and stress to a part of the country that has already been drenched and battered during this year's unusually busy hurricane season.