Disasters

"CalMatters and The Markup reported on how residents in each of California’s 58 counties can sign up for local emergency alerts, and found a few surprises along the way. Here’s how you can build the same guide in your state."

"Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated while others were told to shelter in place Sunday to avoid contaminants from a chemical plant fire that sent a massive plume of dark smoke high into the sky that could be seen from miles away."

"On Thursday night Helene crashed into Florida’s coast as a Category 4 hurricane. ... The disaster underscores Americans’ dangerously low levels of flood insurance coverage, especially away from coastal areas."

"Authorities struggled to get water and other supplies to isolated, flood-stricken areas across the U.S. Southeast in the wake of Hurricane Helene as the death toll from the storm rose. A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed due to the storm, and several other fatalities reported in North Carolina Sunday pushed the overall death toll to at least 91 people across several states."

"Drought is devastating Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, and some rivers are falling to historic lows. Images of one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries, the Negro River, show just how dramatically water is dwindling."

"The National Hurricane Center has warned of the risk of significant landslides through Friday in parts of Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas."

"Hurricane Helene has made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Perry, Florida, bringing devastating storm surge, severe winds and heavy rain. At least three people have died as a result."

Tim Harris and Jan Wesner Childs report for the Weather Channel September 27, 2024.

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"Wildfires have burned through 40,000 hectares (400 square kilometers) of Argentina's central farming region of Cordoba, according to officials, leaving charred cattle, houses, forests and fields in their wake."

"Officials were working Wednesday to assess the scene the day after a chemical leak from a railcar prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents in southwestern Ohio."

"The National Hurricane Center predicts Helene will make landfall in northern Florida as a Category 4 hurricane with a “deadly” storm surge up to 20 feet."