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Tag: Storm
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New storm threatens millions as Northeast digs out from last storm
New storm threatens millions as Northeast digs out from last storm – CBS News
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Heavy surf pounds the Southern California coast, prompting warnings and shutting down piers
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Some of the heaviest surf in years pounded the Southern California coast on Saturday, while high tides triggered warnings of flooding and closures of beaches and piers.
Waves as high as 20 feet were forecast in Ventura and Los Angeles, while larger swells were rolling in along the Central Coast and in Northern California. Officials warned that the powerful waves and strong currents could sweep people onto rocks and jetties and into the ocean.
“It is generating extremely dangerous conditions at beaches,” said Rose Schoenfeld, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“This is the highest surf we’ve had in the last year,” Schoenfeld said. “It’s definitely more like once every few years.”
The huge swells rolled in while rain swept across Southern California on Saturday.
An initial round of strong waves pummeled the Ventura coast on Thursday, sending onlookers scrambling as the waves swept past seaside barriers and barreled down city streets. At least eight people were injured and several businesses were damaged as the waves broke windows and flooded buildings.
Saturday brought a second peak of hazardous waves. Residents with homes along Pacific Coast Highway in part of Ventura County were under an evacuation warning “due to high surf impacting structures in the area,” the Ventura County Fire Department said in a post on social media.
All beaches and coastal parks in Ventura County were closed Friday and will remain closed over the New Year’s weekend, including the Ventura Pier, seaside campgrounds and harbor entries, officials said.
The surging water flooded some parking lots in the area. And piers were closed in places from Ventura to Manhattan Beach.
As powerful waves pummeled the shore, officials closed the Venice Pier on Saturday. Crowds gathered along the sand berm, watching the biggest sets scrape the bottom of the pier. Huge walls of waves broke across the beach as storm clouds gave way to sunny skies.
“Definitely some of the biggest in years,” Venice surfer Tim Sullivan said of the heavy swell.
The pier is a popular surf spot, but no one dared to venture out — except an L.A. County lifeguard. The lifeguard maneuvered a jet ski across the whitewater and rode some of the larger waves, apparently practicing his rescue skills.
Officials also warned people to be wary of “sneaker waves,” much like the one that caught Ventura beachgoers by surprise this week. The powerful waves are created by larger-than-average swells that can suddenly surge much farther inland than expected, breaking over rocks and lifting logs or driftwood onto the beach with deadly force.
The swells were generated by a low-pressure system to the north, west of Oregon, a few days ago. And the big surf combined with elevated high tides, which have been gradually decreasing after peaking Dec. 26, Schoenfeld said.
“It’s that combination of the really high surf with the fact that our tides are elevated in the lunar cycle right now,” Schoenfeld said. “We’ve gotten reports of pretty significant coastal flooding all up and down the coast.”
Warnings for heavy surf and coastal flooding were in effect throughout Southern California and the Central Coast. Forecasters said the highest surf and surges would hit west- and northwest-facing beaches, such as Hermosa Beach and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
In Ventura and elsewhere, some surfers ventured into the giant waves, while lifeguards kept watch.
Near San Francisco, the waves grew to massive over the past few days. The National Weather Service said breaking waves were forecast to reach as high as 33 feet along some Bay Area beaches on Saturday.
In Half Moon Bay, at the renowned surf break known as Mavericks, spectators gathered along the bluffs to watch surfers ride the giant waves. Nearby, at the Old Princeton Landing restaurant and bar, employee Jon Dorn said surfers were continuing to paddle into waves on Saturday, though “it’s a little smaller than Thursday.”
Meanwhile, Saturday’s storm brought up to three-fourths inches of rain to Los Angeles and Ventura counties, while nearly 2 inches fell in Santa Barbara County, according to the weather service. Patchy showers were fading, while forecasters said mainly light rain is expected Sunday night into Monday.
In addition to the heavy surf, the rain also brought other potential hazards at beaches. L.A. County’s Department of Public Health advised people to avoid contact with water through Tuesday because flowing storm drains and creeks can lead to higher levels of bacteria and chemicals.
Times reporters Karen Garcia, Christian Martinez, Ashley Ahn and Nathan Solis contributed to this report.
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Ian James, Robert J. Lopez
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Massive waves, flooding pummel West Coast
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Massive waves, flooding pummel West Coast – CBS News
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Dangerous waves, some as big as 40 feet, wreak havoc along Pacific coast
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Dangerous waves, some as big as 40 feet, wreak havoc along Pacific coast – CBS News
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Another storm is coming to Southern California. Could it rain on the Rose Parade?
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The Los Angeles area is heading for a wet end to the year, with rain showers forecast for later this week, raising the possibility that Rose Parade attendees might need a poncho or umbrella on New Year’s Day.
This week will be overcast, and a light storm is expected to arrive in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties by Wednesday, dropping a quarter of an inch of rain or more, according to the National Weather Service. Los Angeles and Ventura counties could receive a quarter of an inch of rain Friday heading into Saturday and likely clearing up by Sunday.
Last week, a winter storm drenched Southern California and dropped a month’s worth of rain in some areas. The latest storm passing through the region this week pales in comparison.
“Not even close. This is not even in the same realm as that one,” said meteorologist Mike Wofford of the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. “This storm system will be much weaker.”
Temperatures are expected to drop to below normal for most areas heading into the weekend, hovering around the 60s in the coastal and valley areas and the 50s in the Antelope Valley.
Forecasts are still too far out to determine what the weather holds for New Year’s Day in Southern California. But there is still a slight chance of rain for the Los Angeles region, including right over the Rose Parade route in Pasadena — though it should not be anything close to the downpour that drenched the area in 2006, raining on the parade for the first time in 51 years.
Los Angeles Unified School District band director Tony White remembers that soggy parade route — it rained when his students got off the bus and kept going all while they marched down Colorado Boulevard.
“That was a tough parade,” said White, who has led the district marching band for the last 22 years.
This year, 330 students will march with the L.A. Unified band and will likely start getting prepared by 2:30 a.m., White said. A bit of rain shouldn’t be too much of a problem; brass instruments, cases and drums made of wood can take a beating during a rainy march.
“There’s excitement and enthusiasm from students whenever they participate. They see the people cheering them on,” White said. “If it rains, we’ll make the best of it.”
Another group gearing up for the parade, rain or shine, includes a shiba inu with an underbite, a Chihuahua, a pug, a Pomeranian, and a mixed pit bull terrier. The dogs will ride aboard the Pasadena Humane Society’s first Rose Parade float in 20 years, said President and Chief Executive Dia DuVernet.
“We’re ordering rain ponchos for the dogs just in case, and even for the humans too,” DuVernet said.
The timing of a New Year’s Day storm is still uncertain, Wofford said; the rain could arrive later Monday after the parade is over, but the forecast will become clearer heading into the weekend. The Rose Parade sets off at 8 a.m., followed by the national semifinal Rose Bowl Game between Michigan and Alabama at 2 p.m.
“You can’t rule out that there could be some light rain during the parade,” Wofford said.
Southern Californians will also be under a high surf warning or advisory over the next few days, depending on where they live. Residents along northwest- and west-facing beaches can expect to see large swells, reaching 3 to 5 feet in Los Angeles County on Wednesday, but giving way to much larger swells starting Thursday with some waves around 10 to 15 feet, and peaking around 15 feet and over Saturday. Surfers along the Central Coast might also spot waves around 13 to 15 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
Hermosa, Santa Monica, Venice, Dockweiler and Redondo beaches will be among those with the most wave activity, said Kealiinohopono “Pono” Barnes, spokesperson for the L.A. County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division.
“This will be the first relatively big swell event of the year,” Barnes said.
The widespread high surf is expected to coincide with high morning tides on Thursday, bringing an increased threat of coastal flooding and beach erosion and flooded beach-side parking lots. The advisories and warnings will end Saturday or Sunday, depending on the location, so residents are advised to stay up to date with their local areas or Los Angeles County lifeguards.
Coupled with the high surf, large tidal swings are expected to reach around 5.5 feet. Anyone heading out to the beach this weekend should check in with an on-duty lifeguard, officials said.
“Let them know you’re there and the lifeguard can point you in the direction of the best spot to put you in the water,” Barnes said.
Moderate swimmers should be cautious when heading to the water during the advisories this weekend.
“You should swim, surf or board within your abilities,” Barnes said. “This may not be the best time to try and flex your skills.”
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Nathan Solis
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In roguelite city builder Against the Storm, failure is part of the process
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I love city-building sims during every step of play — from laying down the foundations to planning a city grid, upgrading the complexity of buildings, and handling the bureaucratic elements of the late game. I’ve spent late nights playing Frostpunk and Timberborn, sucked into the fine balance of evading total town collapse. That said, if you had told me a week ago, “You’re going to spend about an hour making a settlement — and then you’re going to start over, again and again,” I’d have balked. But Against the Storm, the roguelite city builder that just came out of early access on Dec. 8, proves this formula is not only sensible, it’s fantastic.
To be clear, there are other games with this unconventional genre pairing. In Cult of the Lamb, there’s a home base that functions like a sim game where cultists work, worship, and obviously make live sacrifices. You can leave this base in order to partake in roguelike dungeon crawls. But Against the Storm doesn’t have that separation of mechanics. They’re perfectly married in a way that keeps things fresh while also empowering you to add complexity in each subsequent run. Fifteen hours in, I can hardly peel myself away.
In Against the Storm, you’re the queen’s viceroy in a land with cataclysmic weather events — you’ve been tasked with building settlements out from the capital, Smoldering City, toward a series of mysterious seals. You begin each “run” by selecting a tile on the game’s broody overworld map. You then pick your starting population out of a delightful fantasy lineup of lizards, beavers, humans, harpies, and more. Finally, you gather some basic supplies — stone, some edible mushrooms perhaps — before heading into the settlement site. Then it’s off to the races: At the site, you build shelters and basic structures, like a woodcutter to cut down trees, or sometimes even giant orchids. There’s a dark fantasy flavor to it all. Each site is full of hidden glades; reveal them and you might just find a poisonous flower that makes your food rot, or a cemetery that strikes fear in the hearts of your villagers.
Image: Eremite Games/Hooded Horse
From there the game turns into a resource puzzle. Each scenario gives you different choices for a series of “orders” to fulfill. You might need to deliver bags of crops, or enter a certain number of “dangerous glades” in a set amount of time. Completing these awards you with Reputation points. You typically need 14 points to win a scenario. All the while, you’re battling a capricious queen. The “Queen’s Impatience” meter only fills over time, and if it maxes out before reputation does, then you’ve lost the settlement.
This is the challenge and joy of the game: Creating a successful strategy as you go, before knowing what tools you’ll even have. Think of it like Hades, where Zagreus is presented with various boons from the gods — while all the options are fun, some can create awesome and unexpected synergies when fighting enemies. But in Against the Storm, you get options for building types, global perks, glades to discover, and orders to fulfill. You constantly have to finesse resource allocation: Your wood will be used for keeping the hearth warm, building new key buildings, and fulfilling a barrel order. And oh, by the way, don’t forget to make some food for your villagers. It’s so easy to screw yourself over at any step in Against the Storm.
Suffice it to say this is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s worker “resolve” and “hostility” — each citizen excels at different work and simply must have certain luxuries. These are delightfully silly: Lizards love to eat jerky and work in cookhouses (they’re coldblooded and love warmth); beavers enjoy biscuits and are very good at cutting wood. There’s also a weather cycle that dictates the timing of the harvest and how angry all the workers get. It’s called Against the Storm, so I’ll let you guess how much these dudes like rain. (Spoiler: They hate it.)
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Image: Eremite Games/Hooded Horse
It sounds complicated, but it’s actually very digestible. The game effectively drip feeds its complexities, which helps curb the overwhelming feeling that can come with these sorts of management sims that have a dozen menus and mechanics at play. There’s a perk tree you can unlock over the course of the game, which introduces new gameplay mechanics — win or lose, you’ll be able to buy some of these upgrades. You don’t really need to worry about trading early on, for example, but as you unlock more perks, it becomes a major force.
Against the Storm always has a new trick up its sleeve, and like any great roguelite, it’s encouraged me to make unusual, gutsy plays that I would never try in a more typical city builder. Knowing each run has a finite end means I can always start over if things don’t work out. And when they do — it’s even sweeter.
Against the Storm was released on Dec. 8 on Windows PC. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.
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Nicole Clark
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November shatters global temperature records, marking 6 record-warm months in a row
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The planet has experienced an astounding six-month run of record-breaking temperatures, including the hottest November on record, federal officials announced Thursday.
Global average temperatures last month were 2.59 degrees above the 20th Century average — 0.68 degrees above the previous record from November 2015, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose records date back to 1850.
The planet also experienced its hottest autumn on record — September through November — and its hottest ever January through November.
“It is virtually certain, with one month remaining in the year, that 2023 will be the warmest year on record,” said Karin Gleason, monitoring section chief with the agency’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
The simmering month saw record-breaking temperatures on land and in the oceans, Gleason said. South America, Africa and Asia each had their warmest November on record, while North America saw its second-warmest November on record.
In the contiguous United States, the average temperature in November was 44 degrees, or 2.7 degrees above the average, marking the 19th warmest November on record, she said.
The warming is largely driven by a strengthening El Niño, the tropical Pacific climate pattern associated with hotter global temperatures. Its counterpart, La Niña, is associated with cooler temperatures and had been in place previously for several years.
The hotter climate pattern is enhancing the effects of human-caused global warming, experts say.
“The overall trajectory, or trend, is warming, and then you have these influences of which [El Niño] is a primary player,” she said. “The strong El Niño kind of broke through the barrier, and we’re starting to see temperature anomalies that we really haven’t seen historically in the record.”
The news comes only weeks after world leaders gathered in Dubai for COP28, an annual United Nations climate conference, during which nearly 200 countries agreed for the first time to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels.
Officials stressed that transitioning away from such fuels is critical to preventing additional planetary warming.
“As long as greenhouse gas concentrations keep rising, we can’t expect different outcomes from those seen this year,” read a statement from Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service in Europe, which has also affirmed that this was the hottest November on record. “The temperature will keep rising and so will the impacts of heatwaves and droughts. Reaching net zero as soon as possible is an effective way to manage our climate risks.”
NOAA officials said the effects of this warming are already being felt around the globe. The first 11 months of 2023 rank the highest for the number of billion-dollar climate and weather disasters in the U.S., Gleason said.
So far, there have been 25 billion-dollar disasters this year — 5 more than the previous record set in 2020. They include devastating flooding in California in January through March; flooding in the Northeast in July and Hurricane Idalia in Florida in August.
The total cost of 2023 events now exceeds $81 billion, and they have resulted in at least 482 direct and indirect fatalities, Gleason said.
Warmer ocean temperatures have also contributed to an above-normal hurricane season, with 20 named storms in the Atlantic and 17 named storms in the eastern Pacific this year, according to Matt Rosencrans, a meteorologist with the NOAA Climate Prediction Center.
That includes August’s Hurricane Hilary, which brought the first issuance of tropical storm watches and warnings in California. Ocean temperatures in November were a record-breaking 1.8 degrees above normal for the month.
El Niño isn’t only associated with warmer global temperatures. The pattern is also associated with wetter conditions in California, and the storms coming into the state now are likely related to it, Rosencrans said.
“Going forward, the forecast is that El Niño is expected to continue through this northern hemisphere winter — with a robust El Niño, potentially of historical strength,” he said. There is a 54% chance of a historically strong El Niño during the November through January season.
The impacts of that could include an enhanced southern storm track, which may effect Southern California as well as the Gulf region and the Southwest U.S., Rosencrans said. Long-term forecasts favor above-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures in California in January, Februrary and March.
However, the conditions this year have had at least one benefit for the Golden State, which was declared drought free in November for the first time since 2020.
But the overall trends remain concerning, said Petteri Taalas, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization, which also declared record-warmth this year.
“We cannot return to the climate of the 20th century, but we must act now to limit the risks of an increasingly inhospitable climate in this and the coming centuries,” Taalas wrote in an update at the end of November.
“Greenhouse gas levels are record high. Global temperatures are record high. Sea level rise is record high. Antarctic sea ice is record low,” he said. “It’s a deafening cacophony of broken records.”
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Hayley Smith
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Slow-moving storm to bring heavy rain and flooding to Southern California before Christmas
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There is no snow in the forecast for Southern California this holiday season, but residents can expect heavy rain, flooding on roadways and creeks, and thunderstorms as a slow-moving winter storm system lingers over the region through Friday.
Forecasts show that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be warmer and dry.
A tightly-wound and well-defined low-pressure storm system about 300 miles off the coast of the San Francisco Bay Area is slowing making its way south, according to the National Weather Service.
Typically, winter storm systems are propelled by the Pacific jet stream, meteorologist Ryan Kittell from the National Weather Service in Oxnard said. But this holiday low-pressure system is cut off from the stream and merely wobbling its way toward Southern California in a cyclonic flow.
The National Weather Service issued a special marine weather warning for the Central Coast on Wednesday morning due to the potential for water spouts and strong winds. There is a slight chance that the current conditions will cause a tornado or water spout to form in the area between Point Conception in Santa Barbara County and Los Angeles County, according to the forecast.
There is a flood watch in effect for the next two days for most of Southern California. Residents in San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties should be on the lookout for debris flows, flash flooding, general flooding and overflowing rivers, the National Weather Service said.
Areas along the Santa Ynez and Santa Monica coastal ranges near isolated thunderstorms could see rainfall rates of an inch an hour Wednesday and Thursday. Other areas could expect to see 0.30 to 0.60 of an inch of rain per hour.
“It’s not a typical or classic winter storm that would drop rain for a few hours and then move along,” Kittell said.
The brunt of the storm is forecast to hit San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, according to the National Weather Service. Los Angeles County will also see heavy rainfall, but forecasters are a bit uncertain if the area will get the same drenching as is expected for the counties further north and west.
The storm is expected to bring flooding for most of the region through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, which cautioned drivers to avoid driving on roads that appear to be under water.
“Rain may be locally heavy at times, & numerous floods are likely,” the National Weather Service said in their social media channels. “Flash & urban flooding are expected, & debris/mud flows will be possible. Turn around, don’t drown!”
Southern California residents can expect showers throughout Friday, which will give way to gusty winds on Saturday and slightly warmer temperatures by Sunday, according to the forecast.
The slow-moving storm is also a bit warmer than average, Kittell said, dashing any hopes for snow below the 7,500-foot mark.
“It’s going to be cold, but not terribly cold,” Kittell said.
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Nathan Solis
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Photos show devastation caused by deadly tornadoes in Tennessee
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Deadly tornadoes ripped through Tennessee on Saturday, claiming the lives of six people, including two children, and injuring more than 50 others, according to preliminary reports.
Severe weather pummeled west and middle Tennessee with 13 tornadoes reported in the state, including two deadly storms that caused widespread damage and thousands of power outages, according to The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
One deadly tornado in Clarksville tore through hundreds of structures, leaving at least three people dead and causing numerous injuries in its wake. Roughly 50 miles away in the Nashville suburb of Madison, another powerful storm also killed at least three people when a mobile home was tossed and landed on top of a neighboring one.
Residents and visitors work to clear debris in search of pets and belongings of a destroyed home in the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through in Clarksville, Tennessee, on December 9, 2023.
Jon Cherry/Getty
Clarksville
The tornado that devastated Clarksville was rated EF3 intensity with peak winds of 150 mph and traveled about an 11-mile path and, according to a Sunday storm survey by the Nashville office of the National Weather Service (NWS).
Officials confirmed three deaths in the area and said 62 people were being treated for injuries at local hospitals. Details about the Clarksville victims were not released at the time of publication.
A destroyed home is pictured in the wake of a deadly tornado that ripped through Clarksville, Tennessee, on December 9, 2023.
Jon Cherry/Getty
The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) released a preliminary damage report for Clarksville on Sunday, stating that 65 structures have minor damage, 339 have moderate damage, and 271 have major damage “making them uninhabitable. “
“There are 91 structures that are totally destroyed based on the latest assessment from EMA,” the agency reported. “The vast majority of these structures are residential dwellings. Numbers continue to be gathered.”
Homes were destroyed by a deadly EF3 tornado on December 9, 2023, in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Clarksville Fire Rescue
Search and rescue efforts in Montgomery County city were completed on Sunday evening, according to a statement by the Clarksville Police Department (CPD) sharing volunteer information.
“The recovery phase is underway,” CPD said. “We appreciate your willingness to volunteer as we help our neighbors through this traumatic and historic event.”
There will be a coordinated volunteer cleanup effort in areas with extensive tornado damage on Monday at 8 a.m., Clarksville officials said, adding that volunteers are asked to gather at Mosaic Church located at 1020 Garrettsburg Road, according to the CPD.
Newsweek reached out via email and social media on Sunday to the CPD for comment and update.
Crews assess and search the rubble left by the deadly EF3 tornado that ravaged Clarksville, Tennessee, killing at least three people.
Clarksville Fire Rescue
Madison
The tornado that ravaged Madison was rated EF2 intensity with peak winds of 125 mph, according to the NWS.
In the city north of Nashville, a tornado killed 37-year-old Joseph Dalton, 31-year-old Floridema Gabriel Pérez and her 2-year-old son, Anthony Elmer Mendez, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
Dalton was inside his mobile home when the storm launched it on top of Pérez’s residence, police said, adding that two other children were taken to a hospital with injuries.
In an aerial view, a mobile home park where three people perished is pictured in the aftermath of a tornado on December 9, 2023 in Madison, Tennessee.
Jon Cherry/Getty
As of Sunday, dozens of people were injured in the Nashville area, city officials said. A church north of downtown collapsed during the storm, resulting in 13 people being hospitalized, the Nashville Office of Emergency Management said in a statement. Those injured at the church were later listed in stable condition.
A single standing wall of the nave of Sabbath Day Church of God in Christ is seen in the aftermath of a tornado in Madison, Tennessee. Multiple long-track tornadoes were reported in northwest Tennessee on December 9, causing multiple deaths and injuries and widespread damage.
Jon Cherry/Getty
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said during a press conference that more than 20 structures had collapsed in the area as a result of Saturday’s storm and that “countless others have sustained significant damage.”
Additional information about injuries and structural damage was not available at the time of publication.
Newsweek reached out via email on Sunday to the MNPD for comment and update.
Ronald Harris searches the office of Sabbath Day Church of God in Christ in the aftermath of a tornado on December 10, 2023, in Madison, Tennessee.
Jon Cherry/Getty
Nashville Electric Service executive Teresa Broyles-Aplin told the Associated Press that electric substations in north Nashville and in nearby Hendersonville suffered significant damage and that outages could last days for some residents.
Broyles-Aplin said it was possible that the viral video showing a massive fireball during the storm on Saturday could have been caused by Nashville Electric equipment.
“That gives you a good idea of the extent of damage that we’re dealing with at some of these substations,” she told the AP.
A destroyed home is seen in the aftermath of a tornado on December 10, 2023, in Madison, Tennessee.
Jon Cherry/Getty
A jaw-dropping aerial video shared by MNPD on X, formerly Twitter, shows buildings in Madison reduced to rubble.
“MNPD Aviation flew over the storm damage this morning in Madison,” the department posted on X. “This is above the scene on Nesbitt Lane where 3 people, including a child, were fatally injured. Be advised there are still several road closures in that area where downed power lines/poles are awaiting repair.”
MNPD Aviation flew over the storm damage this morning in Madison. This is above the scene on Nesbitt Lane where 3 people, including a child, were fatally injured. Be advised there are still several road closures in that area where downed power lines/poles are awaiting repair. pic.twitter.com/rnGhfStmZs
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 10, 2023
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Atmospheric river brings heavy rain, flooding to Pacific Northwest
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An atmospheric river brought heavy rain, flooding and unseasonably warm temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, closing rail links, schools and roads as it shattered daily rainfall and temperature records in Washington state.
Amtrak said Tuesday that no passenger trains will be running between Seattle and Portland, Oregon, until Thursday because of a landslide. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings in parts of western Washington, including in areas north and east of Seattle and across a large swath of the Olympic Peninsula.
In Beaverton, a suburb of Portland, a man’s body was discovered in a creek Tuesday morning, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The victim’s cause of death is under investigation, although officials said there were no signs of injury.
In Rosburg, Washington, near the Oregon border, the Coast Guard said it rescued five people who got trapped in floodwaters. Four of those were hoisted by a chopper when they became stranded in a home that was surrounded by four feet of water, the Coast Guard said. A fifth was hoisted from a truck that got trapped in a flooded roadway. Coast Guard video showed the victim sitting on the roof of the truck while a guardsman was lowered down to pull them to safety.
U.S. Coast Guard
In Monroe, Washington, just northeast of Seattle, fire and rescue crews reported bringing to safety four people and a dog who had been trapped in a park by swollen waters.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue
The wet conditions also brought warm temperatures to the region. At 64 Fahrenheit in Walla Walla in southwestern Washington, it was as warm as parts of Florida and Mexico, according to the NWS. Seattle reported 59 degrees F at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, breaking its previous daily record high, the weather service said.
Atmospheric rivers, sometimes known as a “Pineapple Express” because the long and narrow bands of water vapor convey warm subtropical moisture across the Pacific from near Hawaii, delivered enormous amounts of rain and snow to California last winter.
On the Olympic Peninsula, the small town of Forks — whose claim to fame is being the rainiest town in the contiguous U.S. — saw its rainfall record for Dec. 4 more than double after it received about 3.8 inches of rain, the NWS said. By early Tuesday morning, it had recorded 4.7 inches of rain over 24 hours — more rainfall than Las Vegas has received in all of 2023, according to the agency.
About 100 miles farther south, the daily rainfall record for Dec. 4 was broken in Hoquiam, which received about 2.6 inches of rain on Monday, the NWS said. Seattle also set a new rainfall record for that date with 1.5 inches, said Kirby Cook, science and operations officer at the NWS office in Seattle.
“We’ll continue to see significant impacts, especially with river crests and rises on area rivers” through Wednesday morning, he said.
A section of Washington State Route 106 was closed as rising water levels in the Skokomish River overflowed onto the roadway, state transportation officials said.
The NWS said it expected to see precipitation and temperatures climb to record-breaking heights in western Washington on Tuesday.
In Granite Falls, Washington, about 45 miles north of Seattle, video posted on social media by Kira Mascorella showed water surrounding homes and flooding driveways and yards. Mascorella, who lives in nearby Arlington, said it was “pouring down rain” when she woke up Tuesday and was still raining hard late in the afternoon. She said she called out of work because of water on the roadways and wasn’t sure if they would be passable Wednesday.
A landslide closed parts of a Seattle trail popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists, the city’s parks department said. Crews were assessing the damage to the Burke-Gilman Trail and working on setting up detour routes.
Heavy rains also battered Oregon. Parts of coastal U.S. Highway 101 were closed because of flooding, including in areas around Seaside and at the junctions with U.S. Route 26 and Oregon Route 6, the state’s transportation department said.
At least three school districts along the Oregon coast shuttered for the day because of flooding and road closures.
Officials have urged drivers to use caution, avoid deep water on roadways and expect delays.
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A Fan-Favorite Character Gets Mythical in ‘Immortal Thor’
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Immortal Thor #4, written by Al Ewing and drawn by Martín Cóccolo, is out in comic book stores, and it continues the audacious story of Thor’s battle against gods even more ancient and powerful than he is. But Thor’s got allies, and he’s not afraid to recruit them!
Spoilers for Immortal Thor #4 ahead!
In Immortal Thor, Thor faces an uber-god named Toranos. Toranos is from Utgard, “the shadow-lands, home to those who sit above even the Gods,” and he immediately proves to be far too powerful for Thor to face alone. After Loki preps Thor on a far-off planet through a series of labyrinthine tests, Thor decides to form a team. His first pick? Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm of the X-Men.
Storm is, of course, a natural pairing for Thor, since they’re both storm gods. Immortal Thor isn’t their first team-up, but it’s still fun to watch them banter, especially since Ororo isn’t too pleased at being abruptly summoned to help fight Thor’s battle. (She softens up when she sees what they’re actually up against.)
But Storm is only part of Thor’s—and Loki’s—plan. While Thor is talking to Ororo, Loki recruits Beta Ray Bill, the alien hero capable of wielding Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Once the four of them are together, Jane Foster shows up in her guise as Valkyrie—and is transformed back into the iconic Mighty Thor. At the end of the issue, we finally see what Thor is up to: he gives each of his allies the power of Thor, turning them into temporary thunder gods. He’s created the Thor Corps!
Myths are the best when they feel mythical
What’s great about Immortal Thor—and Marvel’s Asgardian storylines in general—is that it has the feel of a modern myth. The stakes are colossal without feeling artificial. The story has an elevated, timeless quality to it, even as the characters trade modern-sounding quips. Plus, thanks to issue 1, we know that Toranos isn’t Thor’s final challenge. Back in Utgard, Utgard-Loki is waiting to strike.
It’s interesting that Immortal Thor is running as Loki season 2 wraps up, since the Loki finale also had a weighty, mythological feel to it. (Spoilers ahead!) Why does Loki turn the Sacred Timeline into Yggdrasil? How is he able to revive the timelines with only his magic and his bare hands? Why does he have to lock himself away in order to save the multiverse? Because he’s a god, and that’s how myths work. Even (or especially!) when they seem to operate according to dream logic, myths and legends are a pleasure to experience again and again.
Immortal Thor #5 comes out on December 13th, so we’ll get to see the Thor Corps in action.
(featured image: Marvel Comics)
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Julia Glassman
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Dozens killed as torrential rains pummel Dominican Republic, Haiti
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Torrential rainfall and severe flooding on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, killed two dozen people over the weekend, according to local authorities.
At least 21 individuals, including three children, died in the Dominican Republic after the island was pummeled by heavy rain, which flooded homes, triggered power outages and damaged roadways, Reuters reported on Sunday. The death toll includes nine people who were killed Saturday after a highway tunnel collapsed onto cars in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, reported the Miami Herald.
The Emergency Operations Center of the Dominican Republic said over 2,500 citizens had to be rescued by protection agencies during the storm, Reuters reported, and at least 45 communities were without communication outlets as of Sunday. The U.S. Embassy in the Dominican said in an announcement on X, formerly Twitter, that the storm was ignited by a tropical depression that roared into the area on Saturday.
Pedestrians on Saturday watch rescuers searching for people trapped under a wall that collapsed on several vehicles after heavy rainfall in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Officials said that over two dozen people died from severe storms on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican.
FELIX LEON/AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. Embassy also announced that local school districts were closed Monday and Tuesday due to the weather, and its building was closed to the public Monday.
In a post to X on Sunday, Dominican President Luis Abinader said that he was stunned by the death toll from the storms.
“Deeply shocked by the loss of life due to the heavy rains,” read Abinader’s post. “We are united in solidarity with the families affected in this difficult time. We offer our unconditional support to all those affected by this emergency.”
At least four people were killed in Haiti, reported the Herald, and two others are missing after heavy downpours led to flooding across the island of Hispaniola. The Office of Civil Protection of Haiti said Monday that traffic in downtown Port-de-Paix “remains difficult” due to severe flooding, adding that “several graves” were damaged at a community cemetery in Chardonnières. Health officials also fear that the wet conditions could lead to a further spread of cholera, a waterborne disease that’s already plaguing Haiti.
Three other deaths occurred in southwest Haiti, where disaster officials said they witnessed two men die while trying to cross the Acul River, according to the Herald, and at least 420 homes had been damaged.
Several others were swept away by rushing floodwaters, and responding Haitian officials told the Herald, “No body has been found so far.”
As of Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said that scattered showers and thunderstorms could be expected over the central Caribbean Sea. The system had a low chance (10 percent) of forming into a tropical storm over the next week.
Newsweek reached out to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for comment Monday.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says last-minute disaster assistance is
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says last-minute disaster assistance is “unconscionable” after record-breaking rain – CBS News
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Remnants of Ophelia lash Northeast
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Remnants of Ophelia lash Northeast – CBS News
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9/24: CBS Weekend News
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9/24: CBS Weekend News – CBS News
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Hurricane Lee’s path remains unclear
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2 dead as severe weather hits eastern U.S., knocks out power for thousands
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Severe weather sweeps east, knocking out power to more than 1 million and canceling flights
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Tornado watches and warnings were posted along the East Coast on Monday as meteorologists warned millions of people to brace for severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and large hail.
The National Weather Service forecast “very active” weather on the East Coast from late afternoon into the evening, with severe weather, heavy rains and flash flooding possible from the Southeast to the Mid-Atlantic and up into parts of the Northeast.
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Strong winds downed trees in Maryland, where more than 96,000 customers lost power across the state, CBS Baltimore reported. By Monday night, more than 1.1 million people across multiple states in the storm’s path had lost power, according to The Associated Press.
The greatest threat was expected across the southern and central Appalachians to the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the weather service. The storms knocked down trees and caused other damage in Tennessee earlier, and there were reports of golf-ball-sized hail in West Virginia.
“Some perspective: This is the first moderate risk for severe weather in at least 10 years for much of our forecast area,” the NWS service out of the Baltimore-Washington area said on social media.
National Weather Service
Federal employees in Washington, D.C., were told to go home early because of the extreme weather forecast, with federal offices set to close at 3 p.m., according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
In Florence, Alabama, a 28-year-old man died after being struck by lightning in the parking lot of an industrial park, police said.
Heavy rains and flash floods are a concern for eastern New York into New England Monday evening into Tuesday. Ping-pong ball-sized hail was possible in some areas.
With the threat of severe weather ongoing, there have been thousands of flight delays and cancelations, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was re-routing flights around the storms as much as possible in the afternoon, but then issued ground stops for a number of major airports stretching from Atlanta and Charlotte up through Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and the New York City area.
More than 400 flights at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport alone were canceled Monday, according to FlightAware.
Parts of the region have already dealt with extreme rain and flooding in recent weeks. Several people died in Pennsylvania during flash flooding last month. There was also deadly flooding in New York.
On Monday, New York City Emergency Management activated the city’s Flash Flood Plan in anticipation of the weather system.
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Severe storms threaten nearly one-third of U.S.
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Why Homeowners Need To Prepare For The Costs Of Climate Change
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A home is damaged from flooding (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty … [+]
Climate change is not a distant threat, but a present danger that is already wreaking havoc on our lives and homes. From devastating floods to scorching heat waves to raging wildfires, homeowners need to prepare for the consequences of our warming planet. Preparing for these challenges requires investments at both the household and government levels.The costs of natural disasters will multiply if homeowners and governments delay preparing for the increased frequency of devastating weather events.
How Homeowners Can Protect Their Property
Homeowners can take proactive measures to safeguard their properties against the effects of climate change. Installing rain gutters to redirect water away from the home can mitigate flood risks, an air conditioner can shield households from extreme heat, and a metal roof can protect against wildfires.
Homeowners can also protect themselves by securing insurance against natural disasters. Homebuyers and homeowners should anticipate that the cost of insurance will increase as disasters become more common. Wildfire risk in California and flood and storm risk in Florida has already caused insurers to stop issuing new policies. As this trend continues, some homes will see skyrocketing insurance costs, and some homes will become outright uninsurable.
In addition to rising insurance costs, homeowners should prepare for changes in their utility bills. In places with high drought risk, water bills will rise. In places with high heat risk, homeowners may need to spend more on electricity to power their air conditioning. Homeowners association fees may also increase as the cost of maintaining and protecting common areas rises.
The Government Can Do More Than Any Homeowner Can
Individual actions can only go so far in mitigating the risks of climate change. So homebuyers should consider not only the property’s resilience but also the community’s. Organizations like First Street Foundation analyze climate resiliency and provide detailed projections about the preparedness of communities for disasters like floods, fires and heat waves.
It is critical for residents to understand and advocate for their communities’ preparedness, because homes won’t be protected from disasters if the community as a whole is unprepared. Rain gutters won’t stop a home’s lower-level from flooding when the sewers are backed up because of outdated infrastructure. A home’s air conditioning can’t protect a household against heat risk when the electrical grid fails. In regions prone to wildfires, having a well-funded fire department equipped with state-of-the-art firefighting technology would do more to protect homes than anything an individual homeowner could do.
Homes in places that invest in climate adaptation initiatives will be more protected. This protection will attract homebuyers, which will, in turn, protect values for existing homeowners. Researchers at Redfin
RDFN
Funding Climate Resiliency
State and local governments play a crucial role in enacting comprehensive climate resilience strategies. Fully funded fire departments, improved sewer systems, resilient electrical grids and effective flood management are just some initiatives governments should prioritize to safeguard communities. However, these investments come at a cost.
The financial burden of preparing for climate change is twofold: it directly affects homeowners’ wallets, and it requires governments to raise funds through taxes. Homeowners may need to allocate a portion of their income or savings to climate resiliency, such as securing disaster insurance, installing energy-efficient systems, elevating structures to mitigate flood risks, or reinforcing buildings to withstand stronger storms. Furthermore, governments may need to raise taxes or reduce spending in other categories to fund climate resiliency. The more the government does, the lower the burden will be on individual homeowners.
The Benefits Of Early Action
While the upfront costs of climate adaptation may seem daunting, delaying action can lead to even more severe consequences in the future. The costs associated with rebuilding after a climate-related disaster far exceed the expenses of investing in preventative measures. And given the ongoing housing shortage, protecting the existing housing stock should be a priority where it is feasible.
Furthermore, proactive climate adaptation can reduce greenhouse emissions, which would lessen the long-run severity of climate change while supporting the economy. Green investments, like electric rail, flood walls, and preservation of flood-absorbing wetlands, can enhance property values, create jobs, and improve quality of life for residents.
Homeowners, homebuyers, communities and governments all need to prepare for climate change. We can proactively mitigate the financial risks associated with climate change while fostering a more sustainable and resilient future. The costs of preparation may be significant, but they pale in comparison to the costs of inaction.
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Daryl Fairweather, Contributor
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