Floods could hit San Francisco Bay Area; rain storm targets California

SAN FRANCISCO – A "brutal" storm system building over the Pacific Ocean is poised to slam across Northern California on Wednesday, battering a region already struggling from a weekend of record rains and flooding.

The storm could drop as much as 8 inches of rain in some areas, falling on already overflowing rivers and saturated ground, according to the National Weather Service in San Francisco, which provided an image of what's approaching.

"The impacts will include widespread flooding, roads washing out, hillside collapsing, trees down (potentially full groves), widespread power outages, immediate disruption to commerce, and the worst of all, likely loss of human life," the weather service warned in a statement. "This is truly a brutal system that we are looking at and needs to be taken seriously."

LATEST UPDATES WEDNESDAY:Bomb cyclone to pummel California coast Wednesday; Bay Area braces for flooding

A weather phenomenon known as an “atmospheric river” that swept across much of the state over the weekend dumped more than 5 inches of rain on San Francisco and nearly 10 inches elsewhere in the state.

On Wednesday the state will face another atmospheric river – or, the term more common years ago, a Pineapple Express. These are storms with heavy rainfall that occur when a line of warm, moist air flows from near the Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific Ocean to the West Coast.

When it reaches the cooler air over the western landmass, the water vapor falls as heavy rain. Atmospheric rivers are long, flowing regions of the atmosphere that carry water vapor across a swath of sky 250 to 375 miles wide. They can be more than 1,000 miles long – and can carry more water than the Mississippi River.

WHAT IS AN 'ATMOSPHERIC RIVER'? These rivers of water vapor can extend thousands of miles

►High winds warnings will be in effect for the San Francisco Bay Area and California's central coast from 4.a.m. Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday.

►Heavy snow was forecast to return to the Sierra Nevada on Wednesday.

►Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories were in effect for much of Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and for portions of northern Michigan and the higher elevations of Arizona and New Mexico.

►Ice Storm Warnings were in effect for portions of central and eastern Nebraska through northwestern Iowa and southern Minnesota.

►High Wind Warnings were in effect for portions of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas.

8 MORE INCHES OF RAIN? Storm-battered California faces another round of severe weather; tornadoes possible in South

More storms could follow next week

The storm could impact a broad swath of coastal California, reaching as far south as Los Angeles and well past San Francisco to the north, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles said in a news conference Tuesday.

The worst will be felt in the northern part of the state. Because the ground is already saturated due to the New Year’s Eve storm, Wednesday’s tempest could result in localized mudslides from Monterey Bay up the coast, he said. There’s a high risk of flash floods, urban flooding, shallow landslides and mudslides, he said, though major river flooding is unlikely.

“The big wild card is what happens next week,” Swain said, warning that one and possibly two more atmospheric river events target the coast in the coming days. “Then all bets are off and the potential for much more significant flooding could very realistically emerge.”

Leaders urge residents to prepare

San Francisco has distributed more than 8,000 sandbags since Saturday – and was running out. "Please save sandbags for people who need them," San Francisco Public Works tweeted. "Those whose properties are prone to flooding."

In San Mateo County, authorities said they were replenishing depleted sandbag supplies and provided updated lists of locations where they could be acquired.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein urged residents to monitor updates on the storm and follow the directives of local officials.

"Dangerous weather including strong rain, snow and wind is expected to hit California this week," she tweeted. "It’s imperative that everyone is ready."

In San Jose, the city manager signed a proclamation of local emergency and evacuation order Tuesday night amid a flood watch. The city's emergency management and police plan to deploy loudspeaker announcements to evacuate unhoused residents from waterways, according to a statement.

Sacramento County braces for another hit

In California's Sacramento County, crews rushed to repair a 200-foot section of a levee system along the Cosumnes River that protects more than 53 square miles of vineyards and cattle ranches. Flooding caused by rainfall and the swelling Mokelumne and Cosumnes rivers may rapidly inundate some areas, the National Weather Service warned.

Saturday’s storm prompted county officials to order the evacuation of the Point Pleasant Community – including 1,075 inmates and staff at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center. Inmates were taken to nearby jails with no timetable for their return, according to County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Amar Gandhi.

CALIFORNIA DISASTER:Experts warn the state of a disaster 'larger than any in world history.' It's not an earthquake.

Could 'megafloods' be looming for California?

The wave of storms comes months after the release of a study warning that a "megafloods" crisis could be looming for California. The state faces an increasing risk of floods that could submerge cities and displace millions of people across the state, according to a study released in August. Swain, the UCLA climate scientist, was a co-author of the study. It warned that a monthlong storm could bring feet of rain to hundreds of miles of California.

Similarly, unrelenting storms have happened in the past before the region became home to tens of millions of people. Now, each degree of global warming dramatically increases the odds and size of the next megaflood, the study said.

'ABSOLUTE MIRACLE':4 people survive after Tesla plunges over cliff along Pacific Coast Highway

Tornadoes in Arkansas damage buildings, trap people in homes

At least three tornadoes were reported Monday in the South-Central U.S. The National Weather Service said it had reports of a damaging twister in Montrose, Arkansas, that trapped people in their homes. Another near Jessieville, Arkansas, damaged at least 14 homes and multiple commercial and government buildings, including a local high school, AccuWeather reported.

The storm hit with little warning, Jessieville School District Superintendent Melissa Speers told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. It was the first day of school after the holiday break.

"Out of the blue, high winds, awnings began to blow away, the flagpole blows over," she said. "Students and staff began moving to the safe room. We didn't have any prior warning."

Southeast struggles with flooding, more rain on the way

Flash flooding was prompting water rescues and school closures in parts of Kentucky, and severe thunderstorm warnings were posted for much of the state. In Muhlenberg County, near the Tennessee border, the Greenville Fire Department said it had responded to numerous stranded motorists and provided water rescues from residences. Numerous roadways were flooded, and first responders and road crews were blocking flooded roadways. The school district was one of several across Kentucky that canceled classes.

Forecasters issued severe thunderstorm warnings across much of Mississippi. In Alabama, forecasters warned of severe storms and possible tornadoes Tuesday and Wednesday. The weather service said moisture from the Western Gulf of Mexico surging northward over the Lower Mississippi Valley and much of the Southeast was fueling the foul weather.

Snowy winter so far in Midwest

Across much of the Midwest, heavy snow, significant freezing rain and some sleet were expected Tuesday and Wednesday. Intense snow rates of 1-3 inches per hour, in some instances accompanied by thunder, were forecast for parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.

Gusty, 30 mph winds will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow throughout the day Tuesday. The precipitation will result in snow-covered roads, reduced visibility and "difficult-to-impossible travel," the National Weather Service warned.

The young season's snowfall totals are already well above average across much of the nation's Plains and Upper Midwest. Minneapolis has received 32.6 inches of snow since Nov. 1, compared to the average of 18 inches, AccuWeather reports. Rapid City and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Fargo, North Dakota, have also seen snow amounts 150%-160% of normal since Nov. 1.

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Alaska's western coast is expecting high winds and flooding in ...

CNN —

The remnants of Typhoon Merbok are putting residents of western Alaska on high alert as a coastal storm is expected to bring flooding and strong winds this weekend.

Wind gusts as high as 65 mph are expected for Kotzebue Sound and Chukchi Coast, according to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks. Winds are scheduled to peak early on Saturday morning.

Forecasters call it “the strongest storm in over a decade.”

Officials in the Nome area, with about 10,000 residents, have urged people to prepare.

“Port users should secure boats and vessels in the harbor and on Belmont Point. Please check your lines and gear periodically to avoid losses,” the town of Nome said on its Facebook page.

The town said its recreation center will serve as the emergency shelter.

“The many local, state, federal, tribal, and non-government agencies and emergency response organizations are aware of this storm’s potential and are preparing their response capabilities,” the Alaska Division of Homeland Security said. “The State Emergency Operation Center staff will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with communities in the path of the storm.”

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities asked people to report road conditions to its Nome maintenance station.

The system was moving over the Bering Sea, which spans the northern Pacific Ocean between Alaska and Russia.

“This is a dangerous storm that is expected to produce widespread coastal flooding south of the Bering Strait with water levels approaching levels not seen in nearly 50 years,” the weather service warned Thursday.

Along Alaska’s shore, the main threats are a double-whammy of coastal flooding and winds up to 60 mph with higher gusts that could displace loose objects, damage buildings and bring down powerlines.

Weather officials in Alaska also urged residents to prepare for the storm as it could threaten to overwhelm critical infrastructure and wash away roads. The storm’s impacts are expected Friday through Sunday morning, with water levels rising the highest Saturday.

Coastal flood watches have also been issued for all coastlines along the west coast of Alaska between just north of the Arctic Circle down through the Kuskokwim Delta coast.

CNN Weather

The last time Alaska saw a storm this strong was in 2011, when it left behind a wide swath of destruction. Like Merbok, the 2011 system was an extratropical storm. An extratropical storm or cyclone has cold air at its core – unlike a tropical storm or cyclone which has a warm core. Both can cause significant damage from strong winds, heavy rain and storm surge.

“When a big storm comes in, we always say, ‘Does it compare to the 2011 storm?’” Jonathan Chriest, a meteorologist with the weather service in Fairbanks, told CNN. “This is the first storm since 2011 that we have high confidence … will compare impact-wise.”

On Friday, the remnants of Merbok are forecast to move into the Bering Sea and “bomb out” in a process also known as bombogenesis, referring to a pressure drop of 24 millibars in 24 hours or less. That means the storm is rapidly strengthening and has the potential to cause significant damage.

“Winds will peak early Saturday morning near Shishmaref, and during the day Saturday near Kotzebue and the Chukchi Coast,” the weather service said. “Coastal flooding will occur, in addition to significant beach erosion.”

While most areas will see around 1 inch of rain with this storm, some could pick up as much as 3 inches through the weekend.

Even if Anchorage – more than 500 miles from Nome – picks up 1 to 2 inches from this storm, it will push this year into the top five wettest years on record.

Chuck Johnston Aya Elamroussi
Chuck Johnston
Aya Elamroussi

Hurricane Fiona causing 'catastrophic' flooding in Puerto Rico as the ...

Editor’s Note: Get the latest top news and live updates Monday on Hurricane Fiona.

In the storm’s path? Bookmark CNN’s lite site for fast connectivity.

CNN —

Hurricane Fiona made landfall along the extreme southwestern coast of Puerto Rico, near Punta Tocon, at 3:20 p.m. ET Sunday with winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The hurricane is already causing catastrophic flooding as it moves just west of Puerto Rico and heads for the Dominican Republic, the center said in a 5 p.m. update.

GET LIVE UPDATES

The hurricane center is forecasting 12-18 inches of rainfall with a local maximum of 30 inches, particularly across eastern and southern Puerto Rico. Nearby in the norther and eastern parts of the Dominican Republic, 4-8 inches of rainfall is expected, with a local maximum of 12 inches possible along the northeast coast.

“These rains will produce life-threatening and catastrophic flash and urban flooding across Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic, along with mudslides and landslides in areas of higher terrain,” the hurricane center said.

A flash flood emergency was issued for Sector San Felipe and Mosquito in Salinas County Sunday night as heavy rainfall pounded the region, where 10-15 inches of rain have already fallen, and another 2-4 inches are possible, according to the National Weather Service.

The heavy rainfall in Salinas County has already led to multiple swift water rescues, and the Weather Service is urging people to “move to higher ground now. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.”

All of Puerto Rico lost power earlier Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us, as the Category 1 storm approached the islands.

Many rivers on the eastern side of the territory are in moderate to major flood stage. One river in the southeast has risen over 12 feet in less than seven hours and is now over 25 feet, breaking the previous record of 24.79 feet set in 2017 during Hurricane Maria.

Hurricane Fiona is the third of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season and forecast to become a major hurricane – a storm of Category 3 or higher – in about 48 hours, east of the Bahamas.

Tropical storm conditions are expected to reach portions of the Dominican Republic within the next few hours and then in the Turks and Caicos Islands and portions of the southeastern Bahamas by early Tuesday.

The government of the Bahamas issued a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos and for the Southeastern Bahamas, including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana and the Ragged Islands.

The storm’s impacts have already been felt: At least one death has been reported in Basse-Terre in the French territory of Guadeloupe, according to the vice president of the territory’s environmental agency, who said the capital had been devastated by flooding.

Puerto Rico without power as hurricane lashes the islands

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi confirmed the territory-wide outage in a tweet, noting the entire electric system was out of service and officials have activated the proper protocols to work to restore power.

The Authority of Electric Energy and LUMA Energy, which operates Puerto Rico’s power grid, continue to work on the islandwide power outage affecting nearly 1.5 million customers, according to Pierluisi.

The blackout – which followed hours of progressively worsening power outages – comes five years after Puerto Rico’s power grid was devastated by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, leaving many residents without electricity for months.

But officials have stressed it won’t be like last time: Not long before the lights went out, Abner Gomez, head of public safety and crisis management at LUMA Energy, said utility authorities plan to repair and restore electricity with the help of local government agencies. “This is not Maria, this hurricane will not be Maria,” Gomez said.

President Joe Biden on Sunday morning approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico, freeing up federal resources, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for emergency response and disaster relief efforts.

There are more than 300 FEMA responders on the ground working “hand and glove” with the Commonwealth and their emergency management structure, Anne Bink, FEMA’s Assistant Administrator for Response and Recovery, told CNN Sunday.

“Our heart goes out to the residents that are again going through another catastrophic event five years later,” Bink said, noting Fiona has hit close to Hurricane Maria’s five-year anniversary.

Bink said FEMA’s response is dual focused, including emergency generation and power missions for critical facilities and ensuring command and control structure is in place for things like search and rescue, emergency power generations and long-term needs once the island moves into recovery.

Evacuees are seen in a classroom of a public school being used as a shelter as Hurricane Fiona and its heavy rains approach in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on Sunday. Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters

Fiona’s winds are expected to increase along the immediate coastline, while conditions are forecast to deteriorate throughout Sunday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service’s office in San Juan.

Already, authorities have responded to one landslide: Emergency officials responded Saturday evening to a landslide around 8 p.m. ET at an apartment complex in Guaynabo, according to fire and public safety officials. There were no initial reports of injuries.

Fiona's current forecast storm track across the Atlantic. CNN Weather

Around 120 shelters with 25,000 cots have been opened for those in need, the governor said. Classes Monday have been canceled and government workers – save emergency workers – should stay home, too.

Forecast rainfall accumulations due to Tropical Storm Fiona. CNN Weather

A hurricane warning – indicating hurricane conditions are expected – was issued for Puerto Rico, including the islands of Vieques and Culebra, and later expanded to include the eastern Dominican Republic from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo. The Dominican Republic’s northern coast, from Cabo Frances Viejo west to Puerto Plata, were under a hurricane watch Sunday morning, meaning hurricane conditions are possible in the next 48 hours.

Dakin Andone Haley Brink Melissa Alonso
Dakin Andone
Haley Brink
Melissa Alonso

California weather: Bomb cyclone slams into North State with 80 ...

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Tuesday morning and predicted rain and snow off and on for the day, and snow began accumulating in Mount Shasta and other mountain locations by early afternoon.

By evening, much of the North State was blanketed by snow.

The worst of the snowfall was expected to happen between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday, "with near impossible travel," the weather service said. The forecast called for accumulations of 2 to 7 inches of snow.

Residents reported power outages across Northern California.

A map of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. at one time showed in Shasta County and parts of northern Tehama County alone, more than 4,700 customers were without power, the number dropping to about 3,200 by Wednesday morning. Affected areas included Anderson, Cottonwood, Centerville, French Gulch, Igo, Lakehead, Mountain Gate, Round Mountain, Shasta and Shasta Lake.

Live updates:What we know Wednesday about the snowstorm

Redding Electric Utility crews, too, were called to reported outages in neighborhoods along Parkview Avenue and just west of Highway 273.

In Weed, the forecast called for up to 10 inches of snow and winds gusting up to 80 mph overnight, the weather service said.

Travel along the roadways had already become hazardous early Tuesday afternoon, with numerous spinouts and crashes reported as ice and snow fell on most of the mountain highways around Redding.

There is also a chance of small hail producing thunderstorms Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Valley rainfall may cause minor flooding due to clogged drains, given it has been several months since the last widespread rain, the weather service said.

RELATED:Historic 'bomb cyclone' crashes into coast, sending rain and snow shock waves inland

Residents reported snow flurries as low as Shasta Lake near the valley floor early Tuesday afternoon.

After Thanksgiving Day, widespread hard freeze is possible Friday morning. Another significant winter storm will affect the Sierra Saturday night and Sunday with snow levels around 5,000 feet, the weather service said.

"Redding area will be ... back and forth snow/rain/snow over the next 24 hours," the National Weather Service office in Sacramento said.

"Thunderstorms Wednesday may bring accumulating small hail and brief (heavy) rain which may result in clogged drains and urban flooding issues," the weather service said.

More wet weather, including snow, also is forecast for the weekend, the weather service said.

RELATED:I-5 now closed in both directions north of Redding

The California Department of Transportation cameras set up along highways in the North State also shows snow in Shingletown and Dunsmuir and some areas in northern Shasta County along Interstate 5.

Snow on the highways has already begun to cause traffic issues, according to the California Highway Patrol. Emergency dispatchers said they received reports of cars spinning out on Highway 44 in the Shingletown area.

The CHP's traffic incident page online said two cars went off Highway 44 and landed in a ditch near Shasta Forest Drive.

Several other weather-related incidents were reported off Interstate 5, Highway 299 near Burney, Highway 89 east of McCloud and on Highway 44.

Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

Alec Baldwin shooting, nor'easter, Pfizer vaccine: 5 things to know ...

Editors

USA TODAY

Authorities to give update on 'Rust' shooting incident

The district attorney and sheriff in Sante Fe, New Mexico, will hold a news conference Wednesday to discuss the investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the movie "Rust." On Thursday, a prop gun fired during rehearsal by Alec Baldwin, star and producer of the period Western, killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza, 48. No criminal charges have been filed and production remains on hold. Not long into filming, "Rust" was facing crew complaints about working conditions, and one camera crew eventually walked out. Also, assistant director Dave Halls, who had declared the gun safe before Baldwin took possession, had faced safety complaints in previous productions, the Associated Press reported.

Nor'easter batters East Coast as wild weather hits large swaths of the US

Wild weather is expected to continue to affect several large swaths of the U.S. Wednesday as the bomb cyclone that slammed the West Coast over the weekend heads east. The heaviest rainfall, totals of 4-8 inches, was forecast for parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut into Wednesday, AccuWeather reported. Gusty winds as a nor'easter will be confined to Long Island, New York, Massachusetts' Cape Cod and north to coastal New Hampshire. The storm is forecast to complete a loop near the Northeast coast into Wednesday night, which will prolong adverse conditions, Accuweather reported. Farther south, storms will move through the eastern parts of Oklahoma and Texas Wednesday morning, Accuweather said. Severe weather risks will persist and continue to shift eastward across part of South Central states and along the Gulf Coast. The severe system that rolled across California has weakened, but it was strong enough to cause widespread flooding, mudslides and rock slides that closed roads throughout the state.

COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 is closer to approval

A COVID-19 shot for children aged 5 to 11 is one step closer to approval after a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel unanimously voted Tuesday to authorize use of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for the age group. The resounding support is a major step forward for making school-age children eligible for inoculation — likely by next week — but there are still three crucial hurdles to clear: The FDA will have to sign off, an independent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel will review the data, and then the CDC director would have to give her clearance. Pfizer-BioNTech reported 10 micrograms of their vaccine, a third of the dose administered to adults, is 90.7% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, a growing concern for children. More than 40% of American children in the 5-to-11 age group have already been infected with COVID-19, according to one study. Hundreds of children ages 5 to 11 have been hospitalized for COVID-19, and 94 have died this year. It was the eighth-leading cause of death in that age group.

Kids flooded hospitals with COVID and other bugs in the fall. What will winter bring?

What will winter bring? COVID-19 fallout for Native Hawaiian children: Obesity, depression, anxiety

Recommendation to charge Brazil's Bolsonaro over COVID deaths

A Brazilian Senate committee recommended Tuesday that President Jair Bolsonaro face a series of criminal indictments for actions and omissions related to the world's second highest COVID-19 death toll. The 7-to-4 vote was the culmination of a six-month committee investigation of the government's handling of the pandemic. It formally approved a report calling for prosecutors to try Bolsonaro on charges ranging from charlatanism and inciting crime to misuse of public funds and crimes against humanity, and in doing so hold him responsible for many of Brazil’s more than 600,000 COVID-19 deaths. The president has denied wrongdoing, and the decision on whether to file most of the charges will be up to Prosecutor-General Augusto Aras, a Bolsonaro appointee who is widely viewed as protecting him. Sen. Omar Aziz, the chairman of the inquiry, said he would deliver the recommendation to the prosecutor-general Wednesday morning.

Astros look to even World Series in Game 2 against the Braves

The Houston Astros will look to tie the World Series with the Atlanta Braves when they play Game 2 Wednesday night in Houston (8:09 p.m. ET, FOX). The Braves grabbed Game 1, behind an early offensive surge, including a home run from Jorge Soler to lead off the game and another blast by Adam Duvall in the third inning. Atlanta led 5-0 after three innings and never looked back. However, the vibes weren't all positive for the Braves as they lost Game 1 starter Charlie Morton to a broken leg after getting struck by a line drive early in Tuesday's game. The pitching matchup for Wednesday will see the Braves sending ace Max Fried (2-1, 3.89 ERA in the playoffs) to the mound and Jose Urquidy, who struggled in his lone postseason pitching appearance last week in the ALCS, gets the start for the Astros.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Winter storm: 'Significant icing' and treacherous travel conditions ...

CNN —

A brutal winter storm walloping much of the Southeast has brought a trio of rare sights: freezing rain, snow and ice. And the Northeast is up next.

Snow has fallen as far south as Florida, with the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, tweeting a Pensacola, Florida, resident’s video of flurries at his home and traces reported in nearby Walnut Hill.

Winter weather alerts stretch nearly 1,000 miles from Georgia to Maine on Sunday, covering as many as 80 million people, CNN meteorologists said.

Meanwhile, nearly three million people in the Northeast are under high wind warnings, including in New York City and Boston. Winds gusting between 40 and 50 mph are possible – which could lead to power outages – while some parts of Maine could see gusts up to 65 mph.

Philadelphia was added to the winter weather advisory Sunday evening and snow began just after 6 p.m., CNN’s Gene Norman said. He added the city would likely see a few hours of snow before it mixed with rain overnight. Light snow began falling in New York City around 7 p.m. and flurries are also possible in Boston, he said.

As the major winter storm tracks from the Southeast up the East Coast today, keep track of snow & ice totals plus wind reports using our Local Storm Reports page! Visit the page via the link here: https://t.co/MpUoy7ZqFP pic.twitter.com/wIapcPJDEn — NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 16, 2022

The storm is disrupting transportation, with warnings to stay off roads and at least 2,987 flights canceled on Sunday, according to FlightAware.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville, South Carolina, warned Sunday night “mixed precipitation and black ice” overnight in parts of upstate South Carolina, northeast Georgia and western North Carolina and its Piedmont region would make driving dangerous.

“Wet roads will refreeze, becoming icy and slippery,” it said. “Widespread black ice should be expected Monday morning, and may be a concern into the middle of the week. DOT asks persons to stay off roads unless absolutely necessary.”

The South Carolina National Guard has been activated to assist with the storm and keep roads clear.

“At the direction of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, the South Carolina National Guard has activated approximately 120 service members to be available to support our state partners in response to the winter weather impacting areas of the state,” said US Army Maj. Gen. Van McCarty, the adjutant general of South Carolina, in a Sunday news release.

Tweets by the South Carolina National Guard showed guardsmen assisting stranded motorists on roadways.

More than 130,000 people were without power as of 12 a.m. ET, according to PowerOutage.US. The top areas by outage included:

South Carolina 34,779

North Carolina 33,729

Virginia 33,037

Georgia 26,115

Maryland 22,357

On Sunday, a snow plow driver tried to clear Main Street in Greenville, South Carolina. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

“North Carolina is now feeling the effects of a winter storm that will continue to move through the state today,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Sunday.

“As much as eight to 12 inches of snow has fallen in some counties, and significant icing is causing trouble in the central part of the state,” Cooper said. “Conditions vary across North Carolina and are dangerous in many areas.”

At least 25 North Carolina counties have declared a state of emergency, and Cooper said some counties are prepared to open shelters to house those who do not have power or heat.

Road conditions are “treacherous” across North Carolina, state transportation secretary Eric Boyette said.

Authorities responded to more than 400 crashes Sunday, North Carolina State Highway Patrol spokesperson First Sgt. Christopher Knox told CNN on Sunday night.

“We have responded to 444 collisions and 989 calls for service from midnight today until late this afternoon in affected areas of the state,” Knox said.

He said two people, both age 41 and from Myrtle Beach, SC, were killed Sunday morning on I-95 in Nash County after their vehicle traveled off the road and struck several trees in the median.

“Exceeding a safe speed for the conditions is the proximate cause of the collision,” Knox said. “Weather at the time was a mixture of wintry precipitation.”

The NWS warned that ice accumulations will become very dangerous along and east of I-85 including Spartanburg, South Carolina, all the way up to Salisbury, North Carolina. This includes the entire metro Charlotte area.

Charlotte could get up to a foot of snow in the foothills and up to a half-inch of ice, forecasters said. Raleigh is expected to get up to 2 inches of snow and possibly a quarter-inch of ice.

Bookmark this site to check if snow is forecast for your region

The Virginia State Police say they have responded to at least 142 traffic crashes and 162 disabled vehicles since midnight due to the ongoing winter storm.

“Pls stay off the roads. Since midnight (1/16) thru 12:45 PM (1/16), #VSP responded to 142 traffic crashes & 162 disabled vehicles. Few injuries. No deaths reported,” it tweeted Sunday afternoon.

All lanes on I-81 in Roanoke County are back open this evening after being closed due to multiple tractor-trailer crashes, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

“WEATHER TRAFFIC ALERT: All lanes are open at #I81 MM 134 in @RoanokeCounty. Detour has been removed at exit 132. Conditions remain hazardous. Avoid travel. Other crashes along I-81 still blocking lanes,” VDOT’s Salem District said in a tweet.

Travel is being discouraged tonight on I-81 as crews continue to battle the snow and ice.

“Western Virginia has terrain with steep grades increasing the hazardous nature of travel, especially trucks, during a heavy snow/ice event. Trucks should avoid traveling on #I81 and #I77 in Virginia Sunday into Monday. ALL drivers avoid nonessential travel. Please!,” VDOT’s Salem District tweeted.

“We can’t stress this enough. Please avoid travel if at all possible during winter storms, especially when ice is present…,” VDOT said in an earlier tweet.

The Virginia National Guard said in a news release it had approximately 75 personnel staged for possible winter storm response operations at various locations across the state.

Freezing roads in northern Georgia have led to perilous conditions, the National Weather Service in Atlanta said.

“We are getting reports of numerous accidents across north GA from the ATL metro east,” the agency said in a Twitter post. Please, please, take it easy out there. Roads are beginning to freeze up as very cold air continues to filter in.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp asked residents to stay off the roads.

“Potential for black ice tonight with the temperatures dropping down into the 20s, so please stay off the roads tonight and tomorrow, if at all possible. It’s going to be very treacherous in a lot of parts of our state,” the governor said on Twitter. “Also, the potential for downed power lines is very high right now. So, the less traffic we have on the roads the easier it is for our partners to clear the roads and restore power.”

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is asking residents to stay home while it clears roads, saying Sunday afternoon that a portion of a major interstate was closed due to an overturned semi in Humphreys County.

“I-40 East closed due to an overturned semi in Humphreys Co. at the 136 mm. Wrecker is on scene to move the truck. The road is clear of snow but conditions are wet and could be slick. Take it slow out there,” spokesperson Rebekah Hammonds said in a tweet.

Snowfall rates could top one inch per hour from northeast Georgia into the western Carolinas and far eastern Tennessee, the Storm Prediction Center said. Heavy snow is also possible in western Virginia.

The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are under the gun

Forecasters say the storm will move up the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions on Sunday and Monday.

Key Messages for the winter storm moving through the Mid-South have been updated. Stay up-to-date with the latest forecast as conditions can change rapidly! pic.twitter.com/6AQdjJFG2n — NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 15, 2022

“The highest snowfall totals are expected along the spine of the Appalachians as well as across the lower Great Lakes,” the National Weather Service said Sunday.

Snow covered Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday morning. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appea/USA Today Network

From the Mid-Atlantic through New England, “precipitation is forecast to begin as snow before changing over to ice/sleet and eventually rain with the approach of the storm center,” the NWS said.

Some snow will fall in major metro areas, but a change to rain will hold down the accumulations. Washington could get 2-4 inches, while Philadelphia could get 1-2 inches. New York and Boston are expected to get about an inch each.

But heavier snow is expected elsewhere.

“As is common with this storm track, the Shenandoah Valley back toward the Alleghenies will be the likely winners in terms of highest snowfall totals,” NWS Baltimore said Saturday.

“7 to 10 inches is possible, but over a foot is not out of the question where heavier bands form.”

Snowfall intensity in the region may be heavy enough to evade significant icing, but NWS Baltimore warned untreated surfaces could still lead to dangerous travel conditions where ice accumulates.

The majority of accumulating snowfall will occur Sunday afternoon through Monday morning.

Interior cities such as Charleston, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Syracuse and Burlington, Vermont, will see the heaviest snow.

Coastal flooding also expected

Alongside the snowfall potential, strong winds from the east associated with the storm system could cause major coastal flooding of up to 3 feet above ground in some areas along the Northeast coast during high tide.

Parts of New York City, Long Island and some areas of Connecticut are under coastal flood warnings, forecasters said.

There will be a strong coastal storm approaching Sunday night and moving through early Monday with increasing concerns about coastal flooding and high winds. Coastal flood watches are in effect for much of our coastlines for high tides on Monday. #NYCwx #NYwx #NJwx #CTwx pic.twitter.com/c7pb2MhIae — NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 15, 2022

The timing of winds shifting from the east to the south will largely determine the severity of flooding, with moderate flooding potential if winds shift prior to high tide.

“Widespread moderate to locally major flooding of vulnerable areas is possible near the waterfront and shoreline, including roads, parking lots, parks, lawns, and homes and businesses with basements near the waterfront,” the NWS in New York said Saturday.

Inundation could cause road closures and structural damage along the Atlantic coastline.

Alanne Orjoux Holly Yan
Alanne Orjoux
Holly Yan

Nor'easter bomb cyclone: For 75 million from the Southeast to New ...

Editor’s Note: Caught in the path of the storm? Use CNN’s lite site for low bandwidth.

CNN —

A weekend nor’easter that’s forming off the coast of the Carolinas Friday night will likely quickly strengthen as it begins making its way up the East Coast overnight into Saturday.

The storm is threatening the region with heavy snow and vicious winds, a dangerous combination that could knock out power for many Americans, flood coastal areas and create dangerous travel conditions.

Blizzard warnings Friday were expanded to cover 10 million people across 10 states in coastal counties from New England to Virginia. The zone includes Portland, Maine; Boston and Cape Cod, Massachusetts; the eastern half of New York’s Long Island; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Ocean City, Maryland.

Whiteout conditions will make travel difficult to impossible, the National Weather Service predicts. In a blizzard, snow is joined by winds gusting over 35 mph for more than three hours, creating visibility of less than a quarter mile.

“The heaviest snowfall is likely to fall across a swath extending from the Eastern Shore of Maryland up through most of Maine where 6-12 inches are likely. Parts of coastal New England, where blizzard conditions are forecast, may see between 1-2 feet of snow with locally higher amounts possible, specifically over coastal Massachusetts,” the Weather Prediction Center said early Friday.

“Powerful winter storm to produce significant impacts across parts of New England and coastal Mid-Atlantic/Northeast on Saturday,” it said.

Bands of heavier snow will set up, too, hitting isolated areas again and again – piling up to 30 inches in some spots. If a band reaches Boston, the city could near the its one-day snowfall record of 23.6 inches, set on February 17, 2003.

Sign up for weather email alerts

The storm forecast also includes:

• Eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, could see between 18 to 24 inches of snow combined with wind gusts up to 70 mph, forecast models show. Two to 4 inches per hour could fall in the city, with conditions due to peak Saturday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Similar snow total and wind predictions are in place for Rhode Island.

• New York City could get 8 to 12 inches of snow with 45 mph gusts, while 14 inches could pile up elsewhere in New York state and in Connecticut, with wind gusts as strong as 55 mph, the CNN meteorologists and the weather service predict. Effects will peak in the nation’s most populous city Saturday from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• The Philadelphia area in eastern Pennsylvania is expected to get 4 to 11 inches of snow, with a winter storm warning in place from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday. Up to an inch of snow an hour is possible, along with gusts of 35 mph. Similar conditions are expected in the Dover, Delaware, area.

• In Washington, DC, snowfall could be 1 to 3 inches, with higher amounts in some parts and conditions due to peak Friday between 4 and 9 p.m.

• Richmond, Virginia, could get 1 to 3 inches of snow, and the whole state is under a state of emergency. Raleigh, North Carolina, may see 1 to 2 inches of snowfall. Winter weather advisories run from Friday evening to midmorning Saturday in those places.

Winter weather alerts also are in place Friday as far south as Kentucky. And already, more than 2,000 US flights are canceled Saturday, according to FlightAware.

The American model (move bar to the left) shows less snow due to the storm tracking farther from shore, while the European model (move bar to the right) indicates more snow across the region due to a storm track just offshore.

Snow, wind and coastal flooding to slam Northeast

The storm is expected to unleash a double whammy of heavy snowfall and strong winds throughout parts of the Northeast, but the exact impact across the region remains in question.

“This storm is likely to strengthen at a rate, and to an intensity, equivalent to only the most powerful hurricanes, so the high-end potential of this storm cannot be overstated,” CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. “But with nor’easters, like in real estate, it will all come down to location, location, location.”

Extremely cold temperatures are possible, the Weather Prediction Center warned, as is coastal flooding. And the stronger the storm, the greater the coastal surge along the coast will be.

Video Ad Feedback How strong a blizzard's impact may be 01:20 - Source: CNN

“Coastal flooding is a concern thanks to astronomically high tides on Saturday,” the weather service office in Boston said. “The combination of strong northeast winds and high seas will bring storm surges that, if coinciding with high tide, would lead to minor or moderate coastal flooding.”

The difference in storm timing – even as few as six hours – would make a massive difference in impact on coastal flooding and erosion concerns.

The storm is expected to strengthen through a process called bombogenesis. Also referred to as a bomb cyclone, it happens when a storm drops a certain amount of atmospheric pressure over 24 hours.

‘Historic’ storm for eastern New England

The National Weather Service said Friday evening there is “high confidence” this will be a “historic major winter storm for eastern New England,” with widespread snowfall of one to two feet. Areas including eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island may see up to three feet of snow with blizzard conditions, with the added possibility of thunder amid the snowfall.

Snowfall rates in those areas could reach two to four inches an hour, the service added. The snow, in addition to powerful winds, will mean “bitterly cold wind chills” Saturday, it said.

Boston is declaring a “snow emergency” on Friday at 9 p.m., Mayor Michelle Wu announced.

“We are expecting as much as 18 to 24 inches of snow and 40- to 50-mph winds. This is likely to be an intense, dangerous storm, with heavy snow, high winds and whiteout conditions.”

Peak snowfall is expected on Saturday morning, stopping sometime Sunday, said Wu. The potential for strong winds to line up with high tide means there’s also a risk of flooding, she added.

The city’s public works department has more than 38,000 tons of salt ready to treat roads and the ability to put more than 800 pieces of snow management equipment on the road with the help of contractors, said Chief of Streets, Transportation and Sanitation Jascha Franklin-Hodge.

This storm “has the potential to be one for the record books,” and residents shouldn’t expect everything to go back to normal once the snow stops falling, Franklin-Hodge emphasized.

Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee said his state is well-equipped to handle the 12 to 18 inches of snow forecast. It has 75,000 pounds of salt to preemptively treat roads tonight, and a blizzard warning is in effect as of Friday morning, he said said Friday at a news conference.

Rhode Island also has 150 plows of its own, plus 350 plows contracted through vendors, Transportation Department Director Peter Alviti Jr. said, who added conditions Saturday are going to get “very intense, very quickly.”

State-run Covid-19 vaccination and testing sites will close Saturday, McKee added.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the state is ready for this weekend’s “wicked snowstorm,” adding the state will deploy over 600 snow plows to help clear the snow.

“I’d like to think that we’re as ready as we can be,” he said Friday afternoon at a news conference.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency starting at 5 p.m. Friday. All state offices closed at 3 p.m.

“Our advice to everyone is to be prepared to hunker down once you get home this afternoon and stay home,” Murphy said. “Stay home tonight, and stay home tomorrow.

“Whatever you may need to get through a snow day, get it on your way home today so you do not have to venue out,” he said, and also asked residents to report power outages and downed power lines.

New York declares state of emergency

New York City could get between eight and 12 inches of snow, with wind gusts over 50 mph, according to CNN meteorologists. But the weather service early Friday said there is a 10% chance the bomb cyclone may dump more than 17 inches of snow there, and also gives a 10% chance of four inches of snow.

Confidence is increasing for a strong storm system to impact the area Friday night through Saturday. The Winter Storm Watch has been expanded farther west, and snowfall totals have been increased slightly. Latest briefing at https://t.co/vQq8WzGwqw pic.twitter.com/h39PTPNk9a — NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 27, 2022

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency beginning at 8 p.m. Friday night for Long Island, New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley, urging residents to “avoid unnecessary travel.” The governor said parts of the state could see anywhere “from six inches to two feet” of snow.

“This is likely to be one of the most significant storms we have seen over the last several years,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.

As local leaders urged residents to avoid travel, Bellone said they expect “blind out conditions” on the roads, which could also make it difficult for plow operators.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority – which serves million of people across New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York state and Connecticut – made various adjustments ahead of the storm, including suspending all Long Island Rail Road service Saturday morning and suspending branch line service on all Metro-North train lines.

Amtrak canceled some Saturday services, including all of its high-speed Acela service between Washington, DC and Boston and regional service between Boston and New York, the company said.

The New York City Emergency Management Department issued a hazardous travel advisory for Friday evening through Saturday. Snow is expected to start around that time with more than an inch per hour, acting commissioner Christina Farrell said, and sustained winds will be around 25 to 35 miles per hour, with wind gusts reaching 50 mph.

All vaccine appointments scheduled for Saturday have been rescheduled for Sunday, the city’s mayor said.

Hurricane Ian's rainfall was a 1-in-1000 year event for the hardest-hit ...

CNN —

Hurricane Ian slammed into the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday with record-breaking storm surge and devastating winds. But as it tracked inland, extreme rainfall became the most destructive aspect of the storm for central Florida.

Radar estimates suggest well over 12 inches of rain fell in just 12 to 24 hours in a wide swath from Port Charlotte to Orlando. In some of the hardest-hit locations, Hurricane Ian produced 1-in-1,000-year rainfall, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Live updates: Rescuers pull victims from roofs

A 1,000-year rainfall event is one that is so intense it’s only seen on average once every 1,000 years – under normal circumstances. But extreme rainfall is becoming more common as the climate crisis pushes temperatures higher. Warmer air can hold more moisture, which loads the dice in favor of historic rainfall.

CNN Weather

Locations in Florida that experienced a 1,000-year rainfall event from Ian:

Placida – just north of where the hurricane’s eye made landfall – received more than 15 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Wednesday. This exceeds the city’s 1-in-1,000-year rain event of 14.0 inches.

Lake Wales, which is east of Tampa in central Florida, reported nearly 17 inches of rain within 24 hours, exceeding its 1,000-year rain event of 16.8 inches.

Several other locations likely experienced 1,000-year flood events based on radar estimates, including Winter Park (12 inches in 12 hours); North Port (14 inches in 12 hours); and Myakka City (14 inches in 12 hours).

10% wetter

Hurricane Ian’s rainfall was at least 10% wetter because of climate change, according to a rapid analysis released Thursday by scientists at Stony Brook University and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The analysis used the same methodology as a recent peer-reviewed study that looked at the influence of climate change on the 2020 hurricane season.

Michael Wehner, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley who ran the analysis, noted that the physical relationship between air temperature and water vapor would suggest that Hurricane Ian’s rainfall should have only been around 5% higher due to climate warming.

“This means that the storms are more efficient at precipitating the available moisture,” Wehner said in a statement. He also cautioned that their result is a “conservative estimate.”

“Climate change didn’t cause the storm but it did cause it to be wetter,” Wehner said.

Stronger storms

Scientists are very confident that climate change is increasing rainfall rates – how hard the rain is falling – and the amount of rain a storm can produce.

It’s also making storms stronger and pushing them to intensify faster. Hurricane Ian strengthened rapidly Wednesday morning as it approached Florida. The storm’s maximum wind speed increased by 35 mph in less than three hours, going from a Category 3 to a strong Category 4 in the process.

Despite being squarely in hurricane territory, major hurricanes – Category 3 or stronger – are uncommon for this part of Florida. When Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday with maximum winds of 150 mph, it tied 2004’s Hurricane Charley as the strongest storm to make landfall on the west coast of the Florida Peninsula.

This rapid intensification – a hurricane’s winds strengthening rapidly over a short amount of time – is something scientists say is historically rare but is becoming more likely as ocean temperatures increase, giving hurricanes more fuel to strengthen.

“Climate change is increasing both the maximum intensity that these storms can achieve, and the rate of intensification that can bring them to this maximum,” Jim Kossin, a senior scientist at the Climate Service, previously told CNN. Kossin noted that Hurricane Ian, which rapidly intensified before hitting Cuba and before landfall in Florida, was a good example “of very rapid intensification, and there have been many others recently.”

A broken section of road and destroyed houses are seen in Matlacha, Florida, on Saturday, October 1. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden talk to people impacted by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, during a tour of the area on Wednesday, October 5. Evan Vucci/AP Greg Guidi, left, and Thomas Bostic unload supplies from a boat on Pine Island, Florida, on Tuesday, October 4. With the roads onto the island made impassable, people were getting supplies to the island by boat. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Members of a search-and-rescue team comb through the wreckage on Fort Myers Beach on Tuesday. Win McNamee/Getty Images Stephanie Fopiano, right, gets a hug from Kenya Taylor, both from North Port, as she gets emotional about her situation at the Venice High School hurricane shelter in Venice, Florida, on Monday, October 3. Mike Lang/USA Today Network Workers and residents clear debris from a destroyed bar in Fort Myers on Saturday, October 1. Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images Beachgoers look at a large shrimping boat that was swept ashore in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Saturday. Jonathan Drake/Reuters Local muralist Candy Miller, left, embraces Ana Kapel, the manager of the Pier Peddler, a gift shop that sold women's fashions, as she becomes emotional at the site where the store once stood on Fort Myers Beach on Friday. Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/AP Waters from a rain-swollen pond cover grass and a foot path around Quarterman Park in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Friday. Meg Kinnard/AP Members of the US Army National Guard help people evacuate from flood waters in North Port, Florida, on Friday, September 30. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Water streams past buildings on the oceanfront on Sanibel Island, Florida, on Friday. Steve Helber/AP University of Central Florida students use an inflatable mattress as they evacuate an apartment complex in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, September 30. Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentintel/AP A firefighter examines a fallen tree in Charleston, South Carolina, on Friday. Alex Brandon/AP A man tows a canoe through a flooded street of his neighborhood in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Friday. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images People wait in line to enter a Home Depot store in Cape Coral, Florida, on Friday. Many in Florida were still without power. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/Getty Images The wreckage of a car teeters on a buckled roadway on Friday in Matlacha, Florida. Win McNamee/Getty Images Members of the Texas A&M Task Force 1 Search and Rescue team look for anyone needing help on Friday in Fort Myers, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images A man takes photos Thursday, September 29, of boats that were damaged by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida. Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images Bob Levitt returns to his condemned home to retrieve his cat, which he found hiding in a bedroom Thursday in Palm Beach County, Florida. A tornado spawned by the hurricane left residents homeless. Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in Fort Myers Beach on Thursday. Wilfredo Lee/AP Jake Moses and Heather Jones explore a section of destroyed businesses in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Thursday. Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/Zuma Workers in Naples, Florida, clean up debris on Thursday. Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images A section of the Sanibel Causeway is seen on Thursday after it collapsed due to the effects of the storm. Steve Helber/AP Stedi Scuderi looks over her flooded apartment in Fort Myers on Thursday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images A resident of Orange County, Florida, and a couple of dogs are rescued from floodwaters on Thursday. From Orange County Government A boat lies partially submerged in Punta Gorda, Florida, on Thursday. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images Tom Park begins cleaning up in Punta Gorda on Thursday. Win McNamee/Getty Images Residents of Port Charlotte, Florida, line up for free food that was being distributed from a taco truck on Thursday. Win McNamee/Getty Images A causeway to Florida's Sanibel Island is seen on Thursday. The causeway is the only way to get to or from Sanibel and Captiva Islands to Florida's mainland. Wilfredo Lee/AP People clear a large tree off their home in Fort Myers on Thursday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Homes are flooded in Port Charlotte on Thursday. Win McNamee/Getty Images Jonathan Strong dives into floodwaters while he and his girlfriend, Kylie Dodd, knock on doors to help people in a flooded mobile home community in Iona, Florida, on Thursday. "I can't just sit around while my house is intact and let other people suffer," he said. "It's what we do: community helping community." Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/AP Brenda Brennan sits next to a boat that pushed up against her apartment building in Fort Myers on Thursday. She said the boat floated in around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images People walk along the beach looking at property damaged in Bonita Springs, Florida, on Thursday. Sean Rayford/Getty Images An Orlando resident is rescued from floodwaters on Thursday. John Raoux/AP Vehicles make their way through flooded streets in Fort Myers on Thursday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Stefanie Karas stands in her flooded apartment in Fort Myers on Thursday. She is an artist and was salvaging what she could from her home. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Heavily damaged homes are seen on Sanibel Island on Thursday. Wilfredo Lee/AP A spiral staircase lies next to a damaged pickup truck in Sanibel, Florida, on Thursday. Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Presss A flooded street is seen in downtown Fort Myers after Ian made landfall on Wednesday, September 28. Marco Bello/Reuters A woman surveys damage through a door during a power outage in Fort Myers on Wednesday. Marco Bello/Reuters A satellite image shows the hurricane making landfall on the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday. NOAA/NASA The streets of Naples, Florida, are flooded on Wednesday. City officials asked residents to shelter in place until further notice. Naples Police A woman is helped out of a muddy area Wednesday in Tampa, Florida, where water was receding due to a negative storm surge. Ben Hendren/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Strong winds hit Punta Gorda on Wednesday. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images A woman holds an umbrella inverted by the wind in Tampa on Wednesday. Ben Hendren/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Sailboats anchored in Roberts Bay are blown around in Venice, Florida, on Wednesday. Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/TNS/Abaca/Reuters Melvin Phillips stands in the flooded basement of his mobile home in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday. Crystal Vander Weit/TCPalm/USA Today Network A man walks where water was receding from Tampa Bay on Wednesday. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images Damage is seen at the Kings Point condos in Delray Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Officials believe it was caused by a tornado fueled by Hurricane Ian. Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network A TV crew broadcasts from the beach in Fort Myers on Wednesday. Marco Bello/Reuters Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot Wednesday in The Villages, a Florida retirement community. Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/AP Highways in Tampa are empty Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall. Several coastal counties in western Florida were under mandatory evacuations. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters An airplane is overturned in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday. Wilfredo Lee/AP Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her home in Davie, Florida, early on Wednesday. Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Crews in Cuba have been working to restore power for millions after the storm battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, causing an islandwide blackout. Ramon Espinosa/AP People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, on Tuesday. Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images Southwest Airlines passengers check in near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday. Chris O'Meara/AP Maria Llonch retrieves belongings from her home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on Tuesday. Ramon Espinosa/AP Traffic builds along Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday. Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP A man carries his children through rain and debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday. Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters People drive through debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday. Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images NASA's Artemis I rocket rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. The launch of the rocket was postponed due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station on Monday, September 26. NASA via AP Waves kick up along the shore of Batabano as Hurricane Ian reaches Cuba on Monday. Ramon Espinosa/AP A Cuban family transports personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood of Havana on Monday. Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano on Monday. Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco store in Orlando on Monday. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T's in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store's windows on Monday. Mike Lang/USA Today Network A man helps pull small boats out of Cuba's Havana Bay on Monday. Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Imagaes Shelves are empty in a supermarket's water aisle in Kissimmee on Monday. Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map Monday that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate. Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach on September 24. Andrew West/USA Today Network In pictures: Hurricane Ian slams the Southeast Prev Next

Higher storm surge

Storm surge is generated mainly by the hurricane’s strong winds, which blow from the ocean toward land and push huge amounts of water beyond the coast.

And although hurricanes are rated based on their wind speeds, storm surge is their most deadly aspect. Around 90% of hurricane-related deaths are water-related, according to the National Hurricane Center, and around 50% are caused by storm surges.

In the region south of Hurricane Ian’s eye – including the Ft. Myers and Naples areas – storm surge swelled to record levels. In Naples, water levels climbed 2 feet above record level early Wednesday afternoon before the gauge stopped working.

Collier County Commissioner Rick Locastro told CNN that his county, which includes Marco Island and Naples, was hit hard by storm surge, calling Hurricane Ian “a totally different hurricane.”

“We survived Irma and other hurricanes, which were more about the wind and yes, always water. But storm surge is something that we have not seen here to this intensity ever,” Locastro said. “We experienced every inch of that storm surge, in some areas well over 12 feet.”

A sea level rise of only a couple of inches can make a dramatic difference in how far inland a hurricane’s surge can travel. Since 1880 – before the industrial revolution and widespread burning of fossil fuels – global sea level has risen on average 8 to 9 inches. Two-thirds of that increase has occurred in just the last two and a half decades, driven mainly by the rapid melting of the world’s ice sheets and glaciers.

Pre-Christmas blizzard could become a bomb cyclone in northern US

With winter a day away, a strengthening pre-Christmas blizzard that experts say could become a bomb cyclone is set to bring heavy snow, strong wind gusts and plummeting temperatures to the Central and Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes this week.

The winter storm system brewing along an incoming Arctic front could create treacherous holiday travel conditions as federal forecasters expect the blizzard to slam much of the Midwest and Great Lakes late Wednesday through Christmas Eve.

Winter storm warnings, wind chill warnings and winter weather advisories were in effect across parts of the Midwest and Pacific Northwest – where up to 24 inches of additional snow was anticipated in Washington on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for over 40 million people in the North Central U.S., including Chicago, where forecasters expected high winds and low temperatures to be more of a concern than snow.

WINTER STORM READY:Best ways to prepare yourself and your home for a blizzard

WHAT DEFINES A BLIZZARD? Heavy snow and high winds expected to sweep across country

By Friday, heavy rain drenching a melting snowpack may trigger flooding concerns across the Northeast, according to the weather service.

Here's what to know about the blizzard expected to impact the U.S. ahead of Christmas:

When is the snowstorm expected to hit this week?

National Weather Service forecasters expect the storm system to develop Wednesday night and gather strength before heading over the Great Lakes by early Friday. Blizzard conditions were likely to unfold across the Midwest on Thursday in places like Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois, according to AccuWeather.

The Windy City can expect to live up to its nickname Thursday and Friday, when the strongest gusts along with falling snow will help temperatures drop to minus 20 F and minus 25 F, according to NWS Chicago.

16 BILLION-DOLLAR DISASTERS:How the US was impacted by weather in 2022

Chicago's deteriorating conditions may also cause low to zero visibility during the peak storm period from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Brett Borchardt told USA TODAY.

Also on Thursday, sleet and freezing rain were expected to fall over the Ohio Valley into parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Virginias, according to AccuWeather.

How frigid could the temperatures get in the US?

The short answer: extremely cold in some spots. Over 26 million people were under a National Weather Service-issued wind chill watch in parts of the North Central and South Central U.S. on Tuesday. Federal forecasters predicted bitter cold and dangerous wind chills over the northern Plains that would surge south over the central U.S. by Thursday.

Meteorologists in the Twin Cities forecasted wind chills as cold as minus 40 F Thursday through Friday. Even locations as far south as Orlando, Florida, could potentially see below-freezing conditions this week, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva.

WHAT IS WIND CHILL? Understanding the wind chill index and how it's calculated

Temperatures could drop up to 30 degrees below normal for the center of the country from the Gulf Coast up to the Northeast, DaSilva said.

“Records will be challenged in some areas, but you’re not going to be seeing records fall in every state,” he said, calling the plummeting temperatures “very impressive” for this time of year.

'BIG MESS' AHEAD:Major winter storm to bring snow, arctic temps and travel headaches

When will this blizzard become a bomb cyclone?

It’s likely to happen Thursday into Friday, according to DaSilva, who defined a bomb cyclone as the dropping of a storm’s atmospheric pressure by 24 millibars in 24 hours.

“It's a measure of rapid strengthening of a storm, and it does look like the storm will achieve that ‘bomb-cyclone’ status because it's going to strengthen pretty rapidly," DaSilva said.

WHAT IS A BOMB CYCLONE: A winter hurricane, explained

What are the blizzard's expected impacts?

Florida officials urge residents to prepare for Tropical Storm Ian ...

CNN —

Floridians are bracing for Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to rapidly intensify and become a hurricane on Monday before hitting western Cuba, bringing with it the threats of strong winds and storm surge as high as 9 to 14 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Ian’s exact path beyond Tuesday remains unclear: The storm, which developed Friday in the central Caribbean Sea, is expected to reach the US later this week, but with models showing a wide spread of possible scenarios, it’s too early to know where the storm will hit, when – and how strong it will be.

The storm began strengthening Sunday night, with sustained winds of winds of 60 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. “Additional strengthening is forecast tonight, followed by more rapid strengthening on Monday and Tuesday,” the center said.

The first US tropical storm watches associated with Ian were issued Sunday and are in effect for the lower Florida Keys from Seven Mile Bridge to Key West and including the Dry Tortugas, the hurricane center said.

The storm is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday and then a major hurricane on Tuesday, meaning Category 3 or higher, the center said.

Meteorologists predict the storm will peak at Category 4 strength over the eastern Gulf of Mexico in three days, but Ian is then expected to weaken before reaching Florida.

Still, Florida officials are urging residents to be prepared for the worst, and the hurricane center warned Sunday morning of a “risk of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle” by the middle of the week, regardless of the storm’s exact track and strength.

“We’re going to keep monitoring the track of this storm, but it’s really important to stress the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference Sunday, warning residents that even if the storm weakens before landfall, it would “still have significant impacts.”

CNN Weather

Floridians can expect “heavy rains, strong winds, flash flooding, storm surge and even isolated tornadoes,” the governor said. But the director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management was particularly focused on the storm surge threat, cautioning that whatever surge develops while Ian is a major hurricane could persist as it nears land, even if the storm weakens.

“We could see a situation where we have Cat 4 storm surge and potentially a Cat 1 or 2 hurricane landfall,” Director Kevin Guthrie said.

Anne Bink, associate administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Response and Recovery, kept the message simple: “Prepare now.”

Florida residents should know their evacuation routes and have preparedness kits that can last them at least three days, Bink told CNN. “Things like food, water, battery chargers for your phone. Even things like your insurance documents – take pictures of them so you have them with you,” Bink said.

“We expect rapid intensification with this storm,” Bink said. “My message is: Please take this seriously, and please listen to your local officials.”

In the meantime, Ian is expected to be a major hurricane by the time it passes near or over western Cuba, the hurricane center said Sunday morning, and forecasters are becoming more confident residents there will face life-threatening storm surge and hurricane force winds.

As of Sunday night, Ian was about 160 miles south of Grand Cayman and about 430 miles southeast of western Cuba.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Grand Cayman and several Cuban provinces, including Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio and Artemisa, while a tropical storm warning has been issued for the provinces of La Habana, Mayabeque and Matanzas.

The Cayman Islands government has issued tropical storm watches for Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, according to the hurricane center.

Tropical storm conditions are possible across Cuba on Monday afternoon, and hurricane conditions will likely follow late Monday into Tuesday, the hurricane center said. Ian is forecast to bring 6 to 10 inches of rain with isolated totals up to 16 inches possible in western Cuba. That could contribute to flash flooding or even mudslides in areas of high terrain. And storm surge is forecast along the coast of western Cuba from Monday night into Tuesday.

According to the hurricane center, Ian will keep its major hurricane status as it moves north through the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida readies for potential hurricane, flooding and winds

Authorities in Florida are distributing sandbags and asking Floridians to prepare their property to reduce the risk of storm damage and to stock up on supplies like radios, water, canned food and medication. Residents should also pack up important documents and know their evacuation routes.

“This is the calm before the storm,” Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann told CNN on Saturday. “We experience this kind of adrenaline before a storm and the path could change at any time, but we want our citizens to be ready.”

DeSantis echoed that Sunday, telling reporters at his news conference, “It’s better to be prepared and not have to use those preparations.”

To that end, DeSantis on Saturday expanded an emergency order to include every county in the state, saying conditions are “projected to constitute a major disaster.” President Joe Biden declared an emergency for Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement response efforts. On Sunday, DeSantis announced 2,500 National Guardsmen had been activated ahead of the storm.

St. Petersburg, southwest of Tampa, is in a vulnerable position as a “peninsula within a peninsula within a peninsula,” Mayor Kenneth Welch told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday.

Despite the storm’s unpredictable course, Welch said he’s encouraging residents to prepare emergency provisions for at least a week.

“As we’re watching the storm, certainly praying it continues to move west, we at the same time are asking folks to prepare, make sure they have a plan, know their evacuation zone, take care of those things like food and water for seven days,” Welch said.

Any evacuation orders will be given at least 72 hours in advance, the mayor said.

In Daytona Beach, Bethune-Cookman University issued a mandatory evacuation order and canceled classes Monday with plans to resume online Tuesday. Concerns over Ian’s arrival have also delayed the Artemis I rocket’s third launch attempt planned for Tuesday. And in Cape Coral, Mayor John Gunter said the city’s emergency operation center was operating at an “enhanced level.”

“Right now, of course, we are like many other cities,” Gunter said. “We’re preparing for the worst. Hoping for the best.”

A Publix store was nearly sold out of water on Saturday in Orlando, Florida, as residents ready themselves ahead of Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to make landfall in the state as a hurricane. Cristobal Reyes/Orlando Sentinel/TNS/Getty Images

Storm surge – when the force of a hurricane or storm pushes ocean water onshore – can be one of the greatest threats to life and property from a hurricane. This is the primary reason Miami-Dade County residents are asked to evacuate before a hurricane, according to county officials.

“We’re outside of the cone of uncertainty. We can’t relax,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told CNN on Saturday. “We know there’s always a possibility it will shift. The storm has continued to move westward. This is the time everyone should make sure they have a plan.”

Levine Cava urged residents to ensure they have enough food and water and check their storm surge planning zone.

“We’re very hopeful that even with a major rain event, we’ll be able to manage it,” she said. “We’re on standby. We have extra pumps, and we’ve worked with the South Florida Water Management District to lower canal levels.”

Miami-Dade County is preparing its “extensive shelter system,” including for those fleeing the Florida Keys if evacuations are ordered there.

Heitmann is already seeing lines at the gas stations in Naples as residents brace for the potential hurricane, she said.

“They’re taking it serious, and I encourage those that are not to always take a storm serious, because you can never estimate where that storm might turn. And we need to be prepared and if it’s not coming directly for us, it might have strong winds,” Heitmann said.

In Sarasota, authorities are checking on generators, planning with local police, trying to estimate how much flooding is possible and warning residents to be prepared, Mayor Erik Arroyo told CNN.

“Don’t underestimate the dangers that come with gusts, with storm surges, with flooding, especially us being a coastal city. So we’re telling them to go now, be prepared early,” Arroyo said.

In neighboring Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp ordered the State Operations Center to prepare for any potential impact from the storm.

“Though models suggest it will weaken before making landfall on Thursday, and its ultimate route is still undetermined, Ian could result in severe weather damage for large parts of Georgia,” a Sunday news release from the governor’s office said.

“I urge my fellow Georgians to monitor this storm as it evolves and calmly take the necessary precautions to keep their families and neighbors safe, if the storm continues to intensify,” Kemp said.

Haley Brink Dakin Andone Nouran Salahieh