Storms hit the South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time.
Nation and World
Five people died in Texas as a storm system brought tornadoes and flooding to the state on Saturday, increasing the death toll from harsh weather in the southern United States this week to 23, according to officials and local media.
Crews and utility workers began cleaning up widespread damage on Thursday left by severe storms that spawned tornadoes across six states in the South and Midwest, killing at least 14 people and destroying scores of homes.
It’s beginning to look a lot like — September? While retailers may be hitting their full holiday shopping season stride, Mother Nature is not doing her part to put people in the Christmas spirit.
Hurricane Patricia, one of the most powerful storms on record, struck Mexico’s Pacific coast on Friday with destructive winds that tore down trees, moved cars and forced thousands of people to flee homes and beachfront resorts.
A typhoon swept across the northern Philippines killing at least nine people as trees, power lines and walls were toppled and flood waters spread far from riverbeds, but tens of thousands of people were evacuated in time.
Heavy rains touched off flooding and mudslides in foothill communities north of Los Angeles on Thursday, swamping cars, stranding drivers and prompting authorities to close several major roads.
The U.S. Coast Guard also said one of its helicopter crews had rescued 12 mariners who abandoned their sinking 212-foot (64.6 m) cargo ship after it was beset by heavy weather from Joaquin on Thursday evening off the northwest coast of Haiti.
Joaquin, formerly a tropical storm, has strengthened into the third hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.
At least 14 people have died and four people remain missing after Typhoon Soudelor slammed into southeastern China, state media reported Sunday.
A 4.0 magnitude earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay area on Tuesday and spooked residents, although officials said there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.
The death toll from natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms and heatwaves rose sharply worldwide in the first six months of 2015, the world‘s largest reinsurance company Munich Re said on Tuesday.
Several tornadoes touched down in the Kansas City area Monday evening and vehicles were caught up in floodwaters that the storms produced.
Flooding is still a threat in Texas, thanks to the rain from Tropical Depression Bill, according to the National Weather Service.
A surging Red River that flooded northwest Louisiana this week, damaging hundreds of structures and displacing scores of people, slowly began to recede on Wednesday but was still expected to be above flood stage for several more days.