Weather

Get the pumpkin spice ready — there is about to be an official shift in seasons

7:29am September 22, 2023

The fall equinox is when both hemispheres receive almost equal amount of daylight and darkness. In the Northern Hemisphere, the days grow shorter. The fall equinox arrives at 2:50 a.m. ET Saturday.

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A storm brewing off the southeastern U.S. coast is likely to strengthen over the next day or two as it hits North Carolina, forecasters said, posing flooding and other threats.

National

Tropical storm warning puts mid-Atlantic coast under threat of winds and flooding

8:42pm September 21, 2023

by Emma Bowman

A disturbance is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm when it's expected to hit North Carolina late Friday, forecasters said, posing flooding and other threats as far north as New Jersey.

An image satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows a potential tropical cyclone forming off the southeastern coast of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean.

Health & Safety

Tropical storm warning issued for US East Coast ahead of potential cyclone, forecasters say

5:10pm September 21, 2023

by Associated Press

A tropical storm warning was issued Thursday from coastal North Carolina to Delaware ahead of a potential tropical cyclone that's approaching the densely populated East Coast.

Smoky haze from wildfires in Canada obscures New York City's Empire State Building this year. The air in the U.S. has improved over the past 50 years, but smoke pollution from growing wildfires erodes much of that progress.

How wildfire smoke is erasing years of progress toward cleaning up America's air

8:45pm September 20, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

A new study finds that smoke from massive wildfires has eroded about a quarter of the air quality gains from the last few decades.

A motorist travels through floodwaters on a road that remains closed a day after Atlantic storm Lee passed through the region, on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, near Northeast Harbor, Maine.

National

Forecasters cancel warnings as Lee begins to dissipate over Maritime Canada

2:18pm September 17, 2023

by The Associated Press

A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, died in the storm Saturday after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle.

World News

Humanitarian needs remain high following devastating floods in Libya

5:10pm September 15, 2023

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Talal Burnaz, the acting country director for International Medical Corps in Libya, about the immense humanitarian needs after massive flooding.

National

Maine prepares as Hurricane Lee approaches

4:39pm September 15, 2023

by Kaitlyn Budion

Much of Maine is under a tropical storm warning and Lee is expected to bring high seas, heavy rain and strong winds. The governor has declared a state of emergency.

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Rich Snyder, who retired as the fire marshal of Sierra Madre, Calif., now works for Allied Disaster Defense, a California company that hardens homes against wildfire. One strategy is covering air vents with ember-blocking mesh.

Preparing homes for wildfires is big business that's only getting started

5:00am September 15, 2023

by Alina Selyukh

Climate change, technological leaps, panicked insurers, the shifting sense of responsibility: All are powering the still-nascent, but fast-growing industry of preparing homes for wildfires.

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Workers pull a boat out the water at York Harbor Marine in York, Maine. As Hurricane Lee heads to the area, many boat owners are putting their vessels in storage earlier than usual to avoid risking damage from the large storm.

National

Hurricane Lee puts parts of Massachusetts under a tropical storm warning

3:37pm September 14, 2023

by Bill Chappell

Winds on Cape Cod could gust as high as 50-60 mph, forecasters said on Thursday. The area is now under a tropical storm warning.

A volunteer takes a break on the rubble of a building in a flash flood-damaged area in Derna on September 14, 2023. The Libyan Red Crescent said Thursday that more than 11,000 were killed in the flood and another 10,000 were still missing.

World News

Death toll soars to 11,300 from flooding in Libyan coastal city of Derna

3:35pm September 14, 2023

by The Associated Press

Another 10,100 are reported missing from flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, the Libyan Red Crescent says.