Disasters costing at least $1bn killed 474 people last year, government figures show

California has seen so much rain over the past few weeks that farm fields are inundated and normally dry creeks and drainage ditches have become torrents of water racing toward the ocean. Yet, most of the state remains in severe drought.

The pounding rains of New Year’s Eve had ceased, but the pastures, freeways and neighborhoods surrounding the tiny community of Wilton continued to disappear beneath a vast, growing ocean of muddy water that left only the roofs of sunken vehicles visible to rescue helicopters.

The powerful storm that struck California has left tens of thousands without power and prompted evacuation orders and flood warnings throughout the state, officials said Wednesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier declared a state of emergency as the weather was expected to bring heavy rain, snow and flooding. The declaration will allow state agencies to respond quickly as the storm develops and support local jurisdictions.

More than half the deaths occurred in western New York, which struggled with super-size snow drifts that snarled emergency vehicles. Buffalo's responders rescued hundreds trapped in cars.

A deadly blizzard pummeled Buffalo, New York, on Christmas Day, trapping people in their cars, causing power outages and raising the death toll from a severe winter storm system that swept the United States. Twenty-eight people have died so far in weather-related incidents, according to an NBC News tally. CNN reported 26 deaths Sunday morning.

Rivers are critical corridors that connect cities and ecosystems alike. When drought develops, water levels fall, making river navigation harder and more expensive. In 2022, water levels in some of the world’s largest rivers, including the Rhine in Europe and the Yangtze in China, fell to historically low levels. The Mississippi River fell so low in Memphis, Tennessee, in mid-October that barges were unable to float, requiring dredging and special water releases from upstream reservoirs to keep channels navigable.

A new European satellite launches on Tuesday that will greatly enhance forecasting of sudden, violent storms so that we can better prepare for them. An Ariane rocket will lift the Meteosat-12 weather satellite into the sky to watch over the European continent, the Middle East and Africa.

As subtropical storm Nicole moved across the Atlantic Ocean toward Florida on Monday afternoon, NASA confirmed that its Artemis I mission would remain at the launch pad along the state's east coast. "Based on current forecast data, managers have determined the Space Launch System rocket and Orion will remain at Launch Pad 39B," the agency said.

As the south-western United States faces the worst drought in more than a millennium, a city on the banks of a dry riverbed may have answers for gleaning water from the desert.

Europe is warming faster than any other region, according to a new State of the Climate in Europe report from the World Meteorological Organization.

A severe tropical storm has killed at least 45 people in the Philippines, unleashing floods and landslides in southern provinces, officials say. Storm Nalgae caused the most havoc in Maguindanao province, on Mindanao island. There is extensive flooding in and around the city of Cotabato.

Floodwater often contains pollutants and pathogens that can sicken and kill people in the aftermath of a storm.

To help electric vehicle owners affected by flooding New South Wales & Queensland (March 2022), we’ve put together some information about the risk of electric vehicle battery fire & electrocution.

The Mississippi River is flowing at its lowest level in at least a decade, and until rain relieves a worsening drought in the region, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain water levels high enough to carry critical exports from the nation’s bread basket.

As California struggles with an increase in extreme wildfires, researchers are studying exactly what a healthy or fire-resistant forest looks like.

Barbara Liz-Ortiz tried everything she could to bring her young daughter’s fever down, giving the child fluids and even a cold shower. The one thing she didn't have was medicine, and she couldn't leave her home to get any. Like thousands of Floridians who weathered Hurricane Ian, Liz-Ortiz was trapped at home – not by devastating winds or storm surge but by catastrophic flooding.

Hurricane Ian destroyed a cross-section of Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, forcing patients from nursing homes and hospitals, cutting off a popular barrier island and obliterating a historic waterfront pier. Nearly 2.7 million people lost power as rain fell and waters rose.

Floods have affected half a million people, including 100,000 displaced, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency says

In a remote cave in northeast India, rainwater has slowly dripped from the ceiling in the same spots for over 1,000 years. With each drop, minerals in the water accumulate on the floor below, slowly growing into calcium carbonate towers known as stalagmites. These stalagmites are more than geological wonders – like tree rings, their layers record the region’s rainfall history. They also carry a warning about the potential for catastrophic multiyear droughts in the future.