lightning News

Severe Flooding in Greece Leaves at Least 4 Dead and 6 Missing, Villages Cut Off

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Widespread flooding in central Greece left at least four people dead, six missing and dozens trapped, with severe rainstorms turning streams into raging torrents, bursting dams, washing away roads and bridges, and hurling cars into the …

Evacuations Ordered After Winds Whip Calif. Forest Fire Near Site of 2022 Deadly Blaze

HAMBURG, Calif. (AP) — Rural areas near California`s border with Oregon were under evacuation orders Wednesday after gusty winds from a thunderstorm sent a lightning-sparked wildfire racing through national forest lands, authorities said. The blaze in Siskiyou County, dubbed the …

Lightning to Blame for $952M in Homeowners Claims in 2022

Claims involving lightning in 2022 resulted in homeowners insurance payouts approaching $1 billion, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The total value of claims in 2022 attributable to lightning was $952 million, down from $1.3 billion in 2021, said Triple-I. …

Fire Victims Seek over $85 Million for Tamarack Fire Damages

RENO, Nev. (AP) — People who lost their homes and property in last summer’s Tamarack Fire in northern Nevada and California have filed a claim against the U.S. Forest Service seeking more than $85 million. The filing by attorney William …

17 Missing, 121 Hurt as Fire Rages in Cuban Oil Tank Farm

HAVANA (AP) — A fire set off by a lightning strike at an oil storage facility raged uncontrolled Saturday in the city of Matanzas, where four explosions and flames injured 121 people and left 17 firefighters missing, Cuban authorities said. …

One Home Destroyed, 155 People Told to Evacuate Alaska Fire

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — One home has been destroyed by a wildfire burning in Alaska’s interior, while a majority of people under evacuation orders are sheltering in place, an official said Friday. The Clear fire is burning near the community …

Four Buildings at Observatory in Arizona Lost in Wildfire

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Four non-scientific buildings at the Kitt Peak National Observatory southwest of Tucson were lost in a wildfire, but early indications show other buildings on the property didn’t appear to be damaged, authorities said Saturday. Buell T. …

Firefighters Battle Large Forest Fire in White Mountains

BARTLETT, N.H. (AP) –Firefighters in New Hampshire are battling a large forest fire that’s burned hundreds of acres in the White Mountains this weekend. The U.S. Forest Service said federal, state and local personnel responded to a fire on state …

Wildfire Destroys at Least 150 Structures in New Mexico Town

RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — A wind-driven wildfire swept through neighborhoods in a mountain community in drought-stricken south-central New Mexico, burning at least 150 structures and forcing the evacuations of schools with 1,700 students, officials said Wednesday. Homes were among the …

Hundreds of Lightning Bolts Hit Dry Oregon, Start New Fires

SALEM, Ore. (AP) _ Lightning bolts struck the parched forests of southern Oregon hundreds of times in 24 hours, igniting some 50 new wildfires even as the nation’s largest wildfire continued to burn less than 100 miles (161 kilometers) away, …