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Our Daily Planet: Deadly Storms and the Oldest Shipwreck of the Caribbean

Each weekday morning, OurAmazingPlanet takes the pulse of the Earth, reporting on natural phenomena and exploration news from around the globe.

Severe Weather: Massive storms swept across the Midwest and South yesterday, killing several people. More than 900 severe weather events were reported, including 20 tornadoes across six states. [Related: Worst Severe Weather of the Year .]

Brett Israel was a staff writer for Live Science with a focus on environmental issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from The University of Georgia, a master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and has studied doctorate-level biochemistry at Emory University.