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Washington state governor declares drought emergency
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on May 16th, 2015
Reuters: Washington state Governor Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought emergency on Friday, saying drought conditions due to a lack of snowpack are some of the worst on record in a region normally known for its drizzly weather.
In an announcement in the state capital of Olympia, Inslee said the drought had "deepened dramatically in the past few weeks," with conditions expected to worsen as the hot summer months approach.
The emergency declaration will free up funds and water rights to help counties...
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Washington state community devastated by mudslide could face floods
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on October 23rd, 2014
Reuters: A Washington state community devastated by a mudslide that killed 43 people in March was bracing for its first rainy season since the disaster and the threat of flooding from a river that changed course as a result of it, officials said on Thursday.
A rain-soaked hillside collapsed above the north fork of the Stillaguamish River on March 22, unleashing a torrent of mud that buried a community near Oso, 55 miles (89 km) northeast of Seattle.
The risk of flooding remains a concern for hundreds...
California wildfire near Yosemite prompts evacuation of 700 homes
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on September 6th, 2014
Reuters: Crews battling a wildfire on the outskirts of Yosemite National Park in central California reported progress Saturday containing the blaze though evacuation orders for about 700 homes remain in effect, officials said. The blaze, named the Bridge Fire, was 25 percent contained and holding steady at 300 acres (120 hectares), one day after it erupted in Mariposa County near Oakhurst, some 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) southwest of the national park, according to the California Department of Forestry and...
Washington state wildfire claims first fatality, weather improving
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on July 21st, 2014
Reuters: Cooler weather and lower winds aided firefighters on Monday as they battled a week-old wildfire in Washington state that has destroyed up to 150 homes, scorched a wide swath of wilderness east of the Cascade Mountains and left one person dead.
Several miles of containment lines have been put in place around the perimeter of the Carlton Complex Fire, which has burned through 243,000 acres since it was sparked by lightning on July 14, fire officials said.
A drop in temperatures on Sunday, with...
Washington state wildfires force evacuation of town, destroy homes
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on July 18th, 2014
Reuters: A wildfire burning out of control in Washington state’s Cascade Mountains destroyed at least 35 homes and forced the evacuation of an entire town early on Friday, as firefighters faced another tough day battling the blaze amid drought-like conditions.
Four separate fires triggered by lightning in the Methow Valley merged into two on Thursday, quickly scorching 15 miles of land and sending flames encroaching on the central Washington town of Pateros, some 120 miles northeast of Seattle, local emergency...
Washington state wildfire grows, more evacuations urged
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on July 17th, 2014
Reuters: A fast-moving Washington state wildfire raging in the Cascade Mountains grew in size to threaten roughly 1,700 dwellings on Thursday near the Bavarian-style village of Leavenworth, officials said.
The Chiwaukum Creek fire continued to rage out of control through timber in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and on private land, two days after it was triggered by a lightning strike, according to the Chelan County Emergency Management office.
Evacuation orders were issued for about 900 homes...
Some New York City streets closed due to falling ice, snow
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on February 19th, 2014
Reuters: New Yorkers got a reprieve from the relentless winter weather on Wednesday only to find that the season's wrath created a fresh menace of large chunks of snow and ice falling from skyscrapers to the sidewalks below. Several streets in Lower Manhattan around One World Trade Center, the city's tallest building, had to be closed when packs of snow and ice began to melt and fall from the 1,776-foot (541 meter) building, according to the city's Office of Emergency Management. Some of the falling icicles...
Storm packing heavy snow bears down on Midwest, Northeast
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on December 14th, 2013
Reuters: The Midwest and East Coast braced for another round of wintry weather on Saturday as a massive storm spanning more than 1,000 miles promised heavy snow, slick roads and travel delays.
Even before snow began piling up, airlines reported weather-related delays and cancellations, with major airports in Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Newark, New Jersey scrubbing dozens of flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and FlightStats.com.
The fast-moving snow storm will hit...