Hurricanes

Navy members help evacuate people on a boat from the Karata and Wawa Bar communities ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Iota in Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, on Sunday.

World News

2 Weeks After Eta, Nicaragua Braces For Massive Hurricane Iota

10:32am November 16, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Iota, now a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 160 mph, is expected to hit Nicaragua on Monday evening, bringing catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge and extreme rainfall.

Residents clear debris from a flooded street in the Driftwood Acres Mobile Home Park, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Eta, on Tuesday in Davie, Fla.

National

Hurricane Eta Works Its Way Up Florida's Gulf Coast

11:17am November 11, 2020

by Scott Neuman

After lashing Central America and the Florida Keys, the storm is expected to make landfall north of Tampa on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and potentially dangerous storm surge.

Satellite images of storms forming in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Wilfred is the last named storm of the 2020 season using the English alphabet.

So 2020: New Storm Forms, Named Alpha Because We've Run Out Of Letters

6:06pm September 18, 2020

There's only been one other year – 2005 – that Greek names have been needed. The National Hurricane Center on Friday announced storms called Alpha and Beta have formed in the Atlantic.

An aerial view of Lake Charles, La., shows damage to houses last week after Hurricane Laura, one of the most powerful storms ever to hit Louisiana, tore through the area.

National

Amid National Crises, Louisiana Mayor Fears His Decimated City Will Be Forgotten

4:10pm September 01, 2020

Most buildings in Lake Charles, La., were damaged by Hurricane Laura. As the city tries to rebuild amid a global pandemic, Mayor Nic Hunter worries the country will look away.

A home damaged by Hurricane Laura is seen Friday in Hackberry, La. Damage estimates from the storm range from around $4 billion to $12 billion.

National

Hurricane Laura Losses Include 10 Deaths, Up To $12 Billion

5:07pm August 28, 2020

by Bill Chappell

Laura is blamed for at least 10 deaths, and it's estimated to have caused anywhere from $4 billion to $12 billion in damages. But officials and experts say the price tag could have been far worse.

The five largest fires in California history have occurred since 2003, a sign that climate change is making extreme wildfires more frequent.

Science

Everything Is Unprecedented. Welcome To Your Hotter Earth

1:07pm August 28, 2020

Hurricanes, wildfires, heat waves and disease outbreaks are all a preview of our hotter future. Dramatically cutting greenhouse gas emissions would help.

Queue Listen Now

Hurricane Laura blows trees near the Golden Nugget Hotel in Lake Charles, La., as it comes ashore early Thursday. The storm is blamed for four deaths, all caused by trees falling on homes.

National

4 Dead In Louisiana From Hurricane Laura, Governor Says

3:58pm August 27, 2020

by Bill Chappell

All of the deaths that are blamed on the Category 4 storm were attributed to powerful winds, far from the shore.

Damaged homes sit among floodwaters after Hurricane Laura passed through the area Thursday in Holly Beach, La.

National

Hurricane Laura's Intense Winds Cut Through Louisiana Coastline

2:57pm August 27, 2020

One of the most powerful storms to hit the state in living memory leaves destruction and misery in its wake, with debris from homes and businesses scattered about and at least one death.

"On the forecast track, the center of Laura is forecast to move over Arkansas tonight, the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday, and the mid-Atlantic states on Saturday," the National Hurricane Center says.

National

Laura Weakens Into A Tropical Storm, But Dangers Persist

2:26pm August 27, 2020

by Bill Chappell

Even as the storm's center nears Louisiana's border with Arkansas, a storm surge warning remains in effect for a large section of the coast.

Hurricane Laura's arrival at the Louisiana coast early Thursday prompted the National Hurricane Center to warn: "Take action now to protect your life!

National

Hurricane Laura Brings 'Catastrophic Storm Surge' And Fearsome Winds To Gulf Coast

11:25am August 27, 2020

by Bill Chappell

When the storm's eyewall moved onshore around 1 a.m. ET, forecasters told people in its path, "TAKE COVER NOW!"