RSS Feed
Author Archive
New York suburbs hit by flash floods after record rainfall
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on August 14th, 2014
Reuters: More than a foot of rain hit parts of New York's Long Island on Wednesday, enough to set a preliminary state record, triggering flash floods and swamping cars on major roads that were turned into rivers during the morning rush hour. Much of the rain fell during a particularly intense, two-hour burst while commuters were traveling to work. A total of 13.26 inches (33 cm) of precipitation was measured at MacArthur Airport in Islip. That is believed to be the most to have ever fallen in any area of...
Posted in 
Yosemite wildfire still raging, keeps tourists away
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on August 30th, 2013
Reuters: Fire crews battling to outflank a monster wildfire inside Yosemite National Park made headway on Friday in confining flames to wilderness areas but were powerless to salvage the region's sputtering tourist economy at the end of its peak summer tourist season.
By morning, the tally of charred landscape from the so-called Rim Fire surpassed 200,000 acres, or nearly 315 square miles, three-quarters of that in the Stanislaus National Forest west of the park, fire officials said.
But a second straight...
Massive Wildfire Prompts New Travel Restrictions Through Yosemite
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on August 29th, 2013
Reuters: Firefighters determined to keep a massive blaze from invading the heart of California's Yosemite National Park took advantage of cooler weather early on Thursday to slow the spread of flames ahead of a holiday weekend marking the end of the peak summer tourist season.
Progress came after a long stretch of Yosemite's main east-west road was closed on Wednesday through the western half of the park as crews tightened their grip on the blaze, extending containment lines around 30 percent of the fire's...
California wildfire heads deeper into Yosemite, entry road closed
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on August 29th, 2013
Reuters: Firefighters determined to keep a massive blaze from raging into the heart of California's Yosemite National Park have shut down half of its main east-west corridor, just days before a holiday weekend marking the end of the peak summer tourist season.
A long stretch of Tioga Road through the western half of the park was closed on Wednesday as fire crews tightened their grip on the blaze, extending containment lines around 30 percent of the wildfire's perimeter by the end of its 12th day.
The...
Wildfire expected to burn deeper into Yosemite National Park
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on August 27th, 2013
Reuters: A wildfire raging in the northwest part of Yosemite National Park was expected to advance farther into the park on Tuesday and continue to threaten a reservoir that supplies most of San Francisco's water.
The so-called Rim Fire has charred more than 160,000 acres, which is larger than Chicago, most of that in the Stanislaus National Forest west of Yosemite.
But the blaze was expected to move east overnight and push deeper into Yosemite, as well as in areas to the north, said U.S. Forest Service...
Wildfire rages to Yosemite’s edge in hot, dry weather
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on August 23rd, 2013
Reuters: A California wildfire swept further into Yosemite National Park on Friday, remaining largely unchecked as it threatened one of the country's major tourist destinations.
The so-called Rim Fire, which started on Saturday in the Stanislaus National Forest, had blackened 11,000 acres at the northeastern corner of Yosemite as of Friday afternoon after exploding in size overnight, park spokeswoman Kari Cobb said.
The blaze burning in the western Sierra Nevada mountains is now the fastest-moving of...
Crews break ground on largest California dam removal
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on June 22nd, 2013
Reuters: Demolition crews on Friday began work on the biggest dam removal in California, a project aimed at protecting homes threatened by the aging, obsolete structure and restoring spawning grounds for native trout. Plans call for the 94-year-old San Clemente Dam, built on the Carmel River about 120 miles south of San Francisco, to be torn down in stages over three years, followed by rerouting of the river around the dam site and wildlife restoration. "In 10 years, when you come to the site, you won't...
Goldfish influx threatens to cloud pristine Lake Tahoe waters
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on February 22nd, 2013
Reuters: Giant goldfish have mysteriously found their way into the famously crystalline waters of Lake Tahoe, the nation's second-deepest lake, alarming researchers and raising questions about the invasive species' long-term effects.
Goldfish weighing as much as 4 pounds and measuring up to a 1-1/2 feet in length have recently been caught in Tahoe, which straddles the California-Nevada border, and scientists say the influx threatens native species while posing a potential waste pollution problem.
"These...