The dangerous combination fueling the L.A. fires: Exceptional dryness and strong winds
Prolonged drought, an exceptionally dry winter and powerful Santa Ana winds set up a dangerous triple whammy of extreme conditions that have fueled several out-of-control wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Fast-moving fires have engulfed the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, along with parts of the Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena, Sylmar, and other areas, with 16 deaths reported and more than 12,000 structures destroyed as of Saturday.
'Dramatic and apocalyptic': LA fire captain details obstacles allowing wildfires to ravage the city
Los Angeles Fire Department captain Sheila Kelliher details how persistent wind has prevented firefighters from extinguishing the flames surrounding parts of L.A. and allowed the "dramatic fire" to engulf the area.
Heating bills set to climb as millions endure bitter cold from winter storm
Heating bills are expected to rise again this winter, especially for those who warm their homes with electricity. U.S. home heating costs are projected to climb 8.7% to an average of $941 for the season, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, which represents state administrators of federal utility aid to low-income households.
California wildfires: At least 2 dead; thousands evacuated as strong winds fuel at least 3 blazes in L.A. area
Janisse Quiñones, the chief executive officer and chief engineer of Los Angeles' Department of Water and Power, said there has been "tremendous demand on our [water] system in the Palisades," resulting in tanks being emptied three times in less than 24 hours. "We pushed the system to the extreme, four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight which lowered our water pressure. We were pushing 75 CFS (cubic feet per second) on our trunk line to try to keep water pressure in the system," she explained.
Winter weather: Freezing conditions put 31 million under cold alerts
A man died in a crash with a PennDot plow truck on Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said. The crash occurred due to snow impacting visibility, according to the crash synopsis. The crash unfolded on State Route 89 in Greenfield Township around 2:30 p.m. Thomas Dedinsky, 74, driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee, was traveling northbound as the snow plow was traveling southbound. Snow blew from the west and blocked the plow driver’s view and the plow’s driver applied the brakes, according to the crash synopsis. The Grand Cherokee then struck the plow.
Wildfires are breaking out in Southern California as the ‘most destructive windstorm’ in over a decade hits
Wildfires began breaking out in Southern California Tuesday morning as a life-threatening, widespread windstorm that could be one of the most destructive to hit the region in over a decade roars to life and creates extremely dangerous fire weather conditions.
'Life-threatening' windstorm fans fires in Southern California as blazes burn in Los Angeles
Millions of people across Southern California are under a red flag warning as a dangerous windstorm fanned blazes in the Los Angeles area, including the Palisades Fire, which has triggered evacuations and burned hundreds of acres. A "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red flag warning has been issued for 19 million people in the region, including metropolitan Los Angeles. That class of warning is issued "in rare situations when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible," according to the National Weather Service.
Winter storm: At least 4 dead as heavy snow and ice create dire travel conditions
A wide swath of blacked-out businesses and residences has followed the path of the storm as it moved from Missouri to Virginia since the weekend. Utility tracker PowerOutage.us' data show nearly 230,000 utility customers in seven states remained without power as the storm was expected to exit off the Atlantic coast overnight, with cold air forecast to fill in behind it.
Major winter storm threatens much of the U.S. with intense cold, snow and ice
Tens of millions of people were bracing Sunday for a massive winter storm forecast to bring the heaviest snowfall and coldest temperatures in over a decade to parts of the country. Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky and Virginia declared states of emergency as the storm, driven by a polar vortex, moved east after it struck the central United States. Southern states like Mississippi and Florida also warned of dangerous cold and treacherous conditions, according to the National Weather Service.
60 million under weather alerts as winter storm aims for Plains to mid-Atlantic
Around 60 million people were under weather alerts from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic as a winter storm threatens to slam the regions with heavy snow and crippling ice. The developing low-pressure system is forecast to affect the regions for the next three days, and includes cities such as Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Missouri; Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis and Indianapolis.