Natural Disasters

Latest about natural disasters

The Mississippi River laps at the stairs on a protective levee in New Orleans as Tropical Storm Barry approaches on July 11, 2019.

New Orleans Braces for Intense Floods As Tropical Storm Barry Rolls In

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

New Orleans is bracing for a tropical storm that is expected to hit tonight or tomorrow, bringing with it chances of intense flooding.

Hurricanes
A September 2013 image shows the then-brand new island.

Pakistan's 'Earthquake Island' Has Vanished

By Rafi Letzter published

A mud-volcano island that burst from the waters off the coast of Pakistan during a deadly earthquake in 2013 has disappeared beneath the waves.

Earthquakes
Highway workers repair a hole that opened up after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked an area near Ridgecrest, California on July 5, 2019.

SoCal Has An 8% Chance of Another Huge Quake This Week

By Stephanie Pappas published

Even so, the chance of big quakes near Ridgecrest, California, decreases with time.

Earthquakes
A storm caused extreme flooding in parts of Washington, D.C., including in East Potomac Park where you could dangle your feet in the water while sitting on a park bench, on July 8, 2019.

The Science Behind Washington's Scary 'Flash Flood Emergency'

By Rafi Letzter published

One critical factor turned the heavy rainfall in Virginia and Washington D.C. into a flash flood emergency.

Flooding
magnitude 7.1 Ridgecrest quake map

An Even Larger Quake Just Rocked Southern California. Experts Say the Fault System Is Growing.

By Tia Ghose published

This time, a magnitude-7.1 temblor struck the region near Ridgecrest, California. Experts say the next one could be even bigger.

Earthquakes
crack that opened up in Earth after Ridgecrest quake

As Aftershocks Rattle Southern California, a More Powerful Earthquake Could Soon Strike, Experts Warn

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

Southern California was rattled by a magnitude 6.4 quake on Thursday (July 4). Bigger quakes could be coming soon.

Earthquakes
The moon's shadow passes south of Hurricane Barbara during the total solar eclipse of July 2, 2019, in this photo captured by the NOAA/NASA GOES West satellite.

Satellite Image Captures a Total Solar Eclipse and a Hurricane in One Awesome Shot

By Mike Wall published

The GOES-West weather satellite captured the gorgeous shot.

Space
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Human Civilization Will Crumble by 2050 If We Don't Stop Climate Change Now, New Paper Claims

By Brandon Specktor published

Human society could collapse by 2050, a new climate policy paper claims.

Climate Change
A strong tornado hit the edge of Kansas City yesterday (May 28).

Powerful Tornadoes Rip Through Midwest, the Plains, Leaving Trail of Destruction

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

A destructive tornado moved through the outskirts of Kansas City on Tuesday, injuring at least a dozen people and killing one.

Weather
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Why Thousands of Aftershocks of a 1959 Earthquake Just Rumbled Through Yellowstone 60 Years Later

By Brandon Specktor published

Recent rumblings at Yellowstone National Park are actually aftershocks of a quake that occurred 60 years ago.

Earthquakes
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