Disasters

Iowa 'hurting' after storm, seeks nearly $4B in disaster aid
Iowa homes, cornfields, utility companies and government agencies have losses estimated at nearly $4 billion from last week's derecho, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Sunday.
Crews battle wildfires amid brutal heat wave in California
Firefighters struggled to contain three wildfires near Los Angeles on Saturday amid triple-digit temperatures. In Northern California, the National Weather Service warned fire crews of the possibility of a rare fire tornado.
Iowa governor defends storm response as residents struggle
About 65,000 customers in the Cedar Rapids area remained without power Friday, and 100,000 more across the state. Alliant Energy said it anticipates replacing 2,500 damaged poles in a week — work that would normally take eight months.
Forecasters look to learn from deadly Midwest derecho
Scientists say Monday's derecho traveled 1,000 miles from South Dakota to northwest Ohio. A wind gust of 112 mph was recorded in Iowa, placing the storm at the strength of a category 3 hurricane.
3 dead, 6 in hospital after train derails in Scotland
A passenger train derailed in northeast Scotland after stormy weather, killing three people and injuring six others Wednesday, authorities said.
'Lots of destruction, but this is the future': Photos inside the homes of Beirut
After explosions convulsed Beirut, here is a selection of photos showing Beirut residents in their destroyed house or workplace, along with a glimpse of their experiences, in their own words.
Firefighters responded to an eight-unit apartment building in the city's East Hillside neighborhood about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.
1 dead, 4 rescued after gas explosion levels Baltimore homes
A “major gas explosion” completely destroyed three row houses in Baltimore on Monday, killing one person and injuring several others, the Baltimore Fire Department said. At least one person was trapped in the wreckage.
Mauritius races to contain oil spill, protect coastline
Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius were working around the clock Sunday, trying to reduce the damage to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef.