Disasters

Weeks without power or water ahead as Laura cleanup begins
The destructive storm surge has receded, and the cleanup has begun from Hurricane Laura, but officials along this shattered stretch of southwestern Louisiana are warning returning residents they will face weeks without power or water amid the hot, stifling days of late summer.
Laura victims may go weeks without power; deaths climb to 14
Laura made landfall as one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. Most of the deaths were from trees crashing into homes or from carbon monoxide poisoning tied to generators. Meanwhile, the hurricane’s remnants drifted north and threatened to bring flooding and tornadoes to Tennessee.
Laura carves destructive path through Louisiana; 4 dead
Laura has weakened to a tropical storm after blasting the Louisiana coast with high winds and heavy rain for hours. The system that came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane is being blamed for two deaths and widespread damage around Lake Charles, an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people.
Big California wildfires burn on as death toll reaches 7
Three massive wildfires chewed through parched Northern California landscape as firefighters raced to dig breaks and make other preparations ahead of a frightening weather system packing high winds and more of the lightning that sparked the huge blazes.
California fires claim 5 lives, threaten thousands of homes
Although the temperatures were expected to ease slightly Friday, they were expected to be hot enough that firefighters couldn't count on cool evening weather to aid them. Erratic winds also could drive the fires unpredictably in multiple directions, state fire officials said.
Can the Midwest expect more derechos as the climate changes?
Climate change is expected to increase the number of hot, humid days in the Midwest. But will the heat and humidity, which are key components of derechos, translate into more of the destructive windstorms?
Northern California wildfires threatening thousands of homes
Fire officials say hundreds of thousands of acres and well over 100 buildings have burned, including homes. At least 8,000 people were ordered to evacuate Wednesday night because of fires in the Russian River area of Solano County. Other fires north, east and south of San Francisco are causing terrible air quality over the city.
San Francisco blanketed in smoke as California fires rage
Thousands of people were under orders to evacuate in areas surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area Wednesday as nearly 40 wildfires blazed across the state amid a blistering heat wave now in its second week. Smoke blanketed San Francisco.