Weather

Tens of thousands are displaced in Brazil after weeks of flooding in Bahia state

6:29pm December 29, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Gram Slattery, Brazil correspondent for Reuters, about the deadly flooding currently happening in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil.

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National

'You never get over it.' Remembering the EF5 tornado that hit Joplin in 2011

6:16am December 29, 2021

by Frank Morris

One of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history struck Joplin, Mo., a little over 10 years ago. Despite a massive recovery effort, the survivors still bear psychological scars.

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Stuck motorists are seen along Brunswick Road as heavy snow continues to fall early Monday, in Grass Valley, Calif.

National

Winter storms are breaking snow and temperature records — and there's more to come

11:50am December 28, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The weather sweeping parts of the Western U.S. and the Pacific Northwest has brought heavy snow and record low temperatures in some areas — and there's more to come.

In this image taken from video from a Caltrans remote video traffic camera, traffic is stopped along a snow covered Interstate 80 at Donner Summit, Calif., on Thursday. Snow continued over the Christmas weekend in the area.

National

Winter weather makes travel nearly impossible in parts of California, Nevada

5:26pm December 27, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Roads remains closed in many areas of the Sierra, as dozens of flights have been canceled. It's been the snowiest month in the Sierra in more than 50 years.

An Afghan farmer uses a donkey to carry water canisters across the dried-out river near Sang-e-Atash, Afghanistan. A severe drought has dramatically worsened the already desperate situation in the country.

Changing climate parches Afghanistan, exacerbating poverty

3:30am December 23, 2021

by The Associated Press

A severe drought, now in its second year, has dramatically worsened the already desperate situation in the country with an economy in freefall following the Taliban takeover in August.

National

Texas is urging power plants to prepare so there won't be another winter blackout

5:07pm December 22, 2021

by Wade Goodwyn

Nearly a year after Texas' deadly winter blackout, the state is urging power plants to be better prepared. But critics say not enough has changed to avoid mass outages if there's more extreme weather.

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President Biden signs the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, part of Biden's climate plans, in November on the South Lawn at the White House.

In 2021, climate ambitions soared and crashed in the U.S. and around the world

5:00am December 22, 2021

President Biden's lofty domestic goals were brought down to earth by congressional opposition, notably from one Democratic senator. International efforts to fight planetary warming also fell short.

National

Kentucky native on losing his home in deadly tornadoes

5:29pm December 21, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Matthew Brazzel, a Kentucky native who lost his home in deadly tornadoes on Dec. 10. Some of Brazzel's family photos have been found across the border in Indiana.

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People walk their dogs along a narrow road as the first winter frost blankets the fields in Oudeland van Strijen in the Netherlands on Tuesday. It's the shortest day of the year and official start of winter.

It's the shortest day of the year. Things can only get brighter from here

10:44am December 21, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Tuesday is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. That means from now till June, each day will be a little bit longer — and brighter. Here are some ways you can celebrate the season.

Loren Grable searches in the rain for mementos in rubble that was once her grandparent's home before it was destroyed the tornado on Dec. 10 in Dawson Springs, Ky.

National

How does Kentucky recover from the tornado? Joplin shares some lessons and hope

5:00am December 21, 2021

Western Kentucky is dealing with the aftermath of a deadly tornado now, but 10 years ago Joplin, Mo., was in the same place. Joplin Mayor Ryan Stanley offers his advice for those in Kentucky.