CNN-weather/environment

By Aya Elamroussi, Haley Brink, Ray Sanchez and Alaa Elassar, CNN Hurricane Ida is expected to rapidly strengthen before pummeling Louisiana on Sunday, forcing evacuations in New Orleans and the surrounding coastal region on the eve of the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. On Saturday, Ida was moving away from Cuba and into the Gulf

By Steve Almasy and Dakin Andone, CNN When Ida makes landfall — likely Sunday– a dangerous storm surge of 10 to 15 feet is expected from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Hurricane Center. While many people focus on the wind speed of storms, the danger often

By Jason Hanna, Paul P. Murphy and Melissa Alonso, CNN Hurricane Ida whipped western Cuba on Friday and the Category 1 storm is expected to slam the US Gulf Coast as an even stronger cyclone Sunday, putting states from Louisiana to Florida on alert for fierce destruction. Ida briefly will reach Category 4 strength before

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at some statistics from Hurricane Katrina. August 29, 2005 Katrina makes landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm with winds near 127 mph.– Severe flooding damage to cities along the Gulf Coast, from New Orleans to Biloxi, Mississippi. – Numerous failures of levees around New Orleans

CNN Editorial Research Here is a look at the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Past coverage of the 2020 and 2019 hurricane season and the latest weather news can also be found on CNN. Follow the storm tracker for the path and forecasts of the latest storm. Facts The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June

By Aya Elamroussi, CNN Weather conditions in California for the next few days could be dangerous for fire activity, officials say, potentially making the state’s wildfire season even more devastating. And with a red-flag warning in effect for Northern California, fires in the region could present additional challenges for those on the front lines of

By Aya Elamroussi, Rachel Ramirez and Stella Chan, CNN Hundreds of California residents are under evacuation orders after new fires were sparked Wednesday, with another heat wave expected to make fighting the flames even more challenging. California is already battling the massive Dixie Fire, the state’s second-largest fire and 14th most destructive on record, which

By Judson Jones, CNN Meteorologist Tropical Storm Ida has formed in the Caribbean Sea and confidence is growing that a potentially major hurricane could hit the United States by late this weekend or early next week. Exactly where and when is still to be determined, with these details expected to come into better focus once

By John Keefe, Angela Fritz and Rachel Ramirez, CNN The Western US experienced extreme drought this year that severely strained water resources and primed the landscape for perilous wildfires. In California, this summer’s drought was the most extreme in the state’s entire 126-year record, with July 2021 as the driest month ever since data gathering

By Aya Elamroussi, CNN Seven Western states are under air quality alerts due to raging wildfires, which have forced thousands to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of homes. The 92 large wildfires burning in the US have scorched more than 2.5 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, and their smoke has put thousands

By Jennifer Gray, CNN Meteorologist Everyone from Texas to Florida should be on alert as a new, potentially strong storm threatens to impact the northern Gulf Coast less than a week after Henri made landfall in New England. A disorganized cluster of thunderstorms just north of South America has an 80% chance of developing into

By Andy Rose, Cheri Mossburg and Hollie Silverman, CNN Health officials in Reno, Nevada, are warning residents to remain indoors as smoke from the Caldor Fire, burning east of Sacramento, California, has drifted across state lines and created historically bad air quality. In California, more than 42,000 residents have been told to evacuate their homes

By Jennifer Gray, CNN meteorologist If you woke up this morning feeling like the last two days lasted for two weeks, you’re not alone. Tens of thousands of our friends woke up with no power, trees down surrounding their homes, and, in Tennessee, there’s heartbreaking devastation. We are with you. Weather is our passion, but

By Cheri Mossburg and Kelly McCleary, CNN More than 42,000 Californians have been forced to flee their homes as nine large wildfires continue to burn out of control in the northern part of the state, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to request a major disaster declaration from President Biden. The Caldor Fire, which has scorched 106,562

By Hollie Silverman and Michael Guy, CNN Utility crews worked Monday to restore service to thousands of customers without power throughout the Northeast on Monday after Tropical Storm Henri churned through the region, knocking out electricity to more than 100,000 customers at its peak. Henri brought a storm surge that flooded streets and powerful winds

By Brandon Miller, CNN Meteorologist In New York, downpours from Hurricane Henri set rainfall records this weekend. At the same time in Tennessee, an astonishing amount of rain led to flash flooding that killed at least 21 people. Though separated by nearly 1,000 miles, these two extreme weather incidents are examples of the same phenomenon: