NWS News

Rare Washington State Tornado Strongest Since 1986

An extremely rare tornado that touched down west of Seattle was the strongest to hit Washington state since 1986, the National Weather Service said Wednesday. A Weather Service storm team surveyed the damage just south of Port Orchard, Washington, and …

Southeast Faces Wintry Mess of Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain

A storm spreading snow, sleet and freezing rain across a wide swath of the South has millions of people in its path, raising the threat of immobilizing snowfalls, icy roads and possible power outages. Governors and local officials in several …

Rare December Tornadoes in the Central U.S. Leave 1 Dead

Residents in central Illinois on Sunday assessed the damage after rare December tornadoes, including one the day before that was a half-mile-wide, ripped roofs off homes, downed power lines and injured at least 20 people. The severe weather in Illinois …

Southwestern US Could See Drought Relief From El Nino

Climatologists said Wednesday that conditions are right for an El Nino weather pattern to develop that could bring wetter-than-normal conditions this winter in drought-stricken areas of the southwestern U.S. But they also note there is no guarantee that an El …

Central Texas Floods Destroy Bridge, Force Evacuations

Fast-moving floodwaters destroyed a bridge, forced the evacuation of riverside homes and led to numerous water rescues in Central Texas on Tuesday after more than a foot of rain fell in recent days. The bridge crumbled as it was overrun …

Travel Still Hazardous in Flooded Areas of North Carolina

Travel remained dangerous Saturday in southeastern North Carolina, where the governor warned of “treacherous” floodwaters more than a week after Hurricane Florence made landfall, and urged residents to stay alert for flood warnings and evacuation orders. Gov. Roy Cooper said …

Data Mapping: Florence Could Disrupt Supply Chains Beyond Mid-Atlantic Region

The areas projected to be affected the most by Hurricane Florence—counties that have been asked to evacuate prior to landfall—are less populated than the areas affected by the 2017 hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Nate and Maria. Some urban areas directly impacted …

Why 4 Inches of Rain Caused so Much Flooding in Wisconsin

A lot of rain – but maybe not as much as you think – fell Aug. 20 on the shallow, 281-square-mile basin of land that drains into Madison’s lakes Mendota and Monona. Most of the 12- to 15-inch deluge that …

Deadly Tornadoes Leave Trail of Damage in Wisconsin

An 11-year-old boy nearly lost his life in a waterlogged drainage ditch in eastern Wisconsin but was pulled to safety by an eagle-eyed firefighter who spotted his finger poking through a manhole cover, officials said, following another round of storms …

Improved Radar Coverage in the Works After Deadly North Dakota Tornado

The National Weather Service is taking steps to improve weather radar coverage for western North Dakota after a deadly tornado in the area raised awareness of gaps in coverage. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has committed to studying whether …