Disaster

A large wildfire on one of California’s Channel Islands remains under investigation. U.S. Coast Guard details indicate a stranded sailor’s distress flares may have been involved, as rescuers carried out a dramatic operation on Santa Rosa Island while the fire burned nearby.

Multiple strong tornadoes tore through parts of Nebraska and Iowa Sunday evening into Sunday night, damaging and destroying homes in several communities. Rescuers and neighbors pulled a man and a dog from the debris near Saint Libory, Nebraska, as additional tornado reports and power outages emerged in western Iowa. The severe weather threat was expected to continue into Monday.

Flash flooding can transform a calm creek into a dangerous torrent in minutes. Mountain “funnels,” rain-enhancing terrain, wildfire burn scars, and even urban drainage limits can combine to make flooding faster, harder to detect, and more difficult to escape.

Colorado residents posted videos of a late-season storm that dropped more than two feet of snow in some locations, a striking turn after what had been described as the state’s driest winter in 40 years.

Multiple tornadoes tore through central and southern Mississippi, damaging hundreds of buildings. In Purvis, a pastor described “total devastation” after a tornado destroyed parts of his church, while video from the region shows damage stretching across a seemingly endless path.

A sudden pyroclastic flow at the Mayon volcano sent residents fleeing as heavy ashfall spread across dozens of villages in three towns, forcing hundreds of families to remain away from their homes amid ongoing mild eruptions since January.

Southern Georgia is experiencing exceptional drought, the highest category on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Meteorologist Sara Tonks explains that the region’s surge in wildfire acreage is tied not only to dryness but also to storm damage from Hurricane Helene, which left downed trees that later served as fuel.

Residents in Moscow woke to an unusual late-April snowstorm that dropped heavy, wet snow across the city, toppling trees and power lines and contributing to travel disruptions, including grounded flights.

Drone footage from Runaway Bay, Texas, shows damage consistent with an EF2 tornado, as officials report at least two deaths in North Texas and dozens of families displaced after a brief but intense track of destruction.

Storm chasers recorded rare footage of two tornadoes spinning near Braman, Oklahoma, as residents were urged to take cover. Officials in Kay County reported damage in the area but said Braman itself was not directly hit.