Aviation expert on what should give searchers hope amid missing Alaska flight
A search of Alaskan waters is underway in rough weather after a regional flight with 10 people on board went missing during a flight, according to local and state officials. CNN aviation analyst Miles O'Brien explains what we know so far and the conditions that should give officials hope as they search for the aircraft.
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Alaska's first-ever Heat Advisory issued as Fairbanks sees temps soar
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2 days ago
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Out-of-control Oregon wildfire forces evacuations and highway closures as gusty winds challenge firefighters
A wildfire burning out of control in Oregon, near the state's border with Washington, has forced hundreds of evacuations and closures of major roadways as gusty winds threaten further spread and challenge firefighting crews. The Rowena Fire has burned 2,500 acres since it ignited on Wednesday afternoon in Wasco County, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal. It's 0% contained as of early Thursday morning. More than 800 homes were under evacuation orders in part of northern Wasco County Wednesday night, CNN affiliate KATU reported. An additional 2,500 homes were under evacuation warnings or advisories urging residents to be ready to evacuate soon – including parts of The Dalles, the county's largest city and home to about 15,000 people. Interstate 84 was shut down in both directions for nearly 20 miles on Wednesday evening but reopened early Thursday morning, with travelers urged to use caution, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. Nearby US-30 remained closed in both directions for about 10 miles Thursday morning. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on Wednesday afternoon, allowing the state's fire marshal to mobilize resources to help combat the fire, according to a news release. 'This early season conflagration should come as a reminder to Oregonians to be ready for wildfire,' State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in the release. 'The predictions for this summer are extremely concerning. I am asking everyone to take that extra minute to mindful of the conditions and remember it takes a single spark to ignite a disaster.' Oregon and the Pacific Northwest baked under intense heat this week that dried out soil and left vegetation vulnerable to fire start and spread. The high temperature hit triple digits in The Dalles on both Sunday and Monday – Monday's high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit broke a record for the date that had stood since 1955. Windy conditions on Wednesday, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph, fanned the flames once the Rowena Fire sparked in the afternoon. Wind will pose a continued challenge for fire crews Thursday. Gusts of 10 to 15 mph in the morning will increase to 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon, and a few gusts past 30 mph are possible. Winds will remain gusty at times through Friday and no rain is expected into at least early next week. CNN's David Williams contributed to this report.
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03-06-2025
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After Trump cuts, National Weather Service is hiring. What about Florida?
As an active hurricane season looms for Florida, the National Weather Service is hiring. The Trump administration, through billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has slashed workforces in multiple federal agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which encompasses the NWS and the National Hurricane Center. With concerns rising over whether the stripped-down agencies will be enough to handle increasingly dangerous weather in the U.S., CNN has reported that the NWS has received permission to temporarily lift the hiring freeze and hire about 125 new meteorologists and specialists for its forecast offices around the country. The NWS is also hoping to continue hiring more people under a public safety exemption, CNN said. ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location As of June 3, any hiring is still in the planning stages. NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei told Newsweek that the agency is planning to hire additional staff members to "stabilize" the department to address people who took the voluntary early retirement option. In May, USA TODAY reported that the weather service was working to transfer meteorologists from well-staffed offices to fill 155 positions where they're needed. "Additionally, a targeted number of permanent, mission-critical field positions will soon be advertised under an exception to the department-wide hiring freeze to further stabilize front-line operations," Cei said. More than 550 of the 4,800 weather service employees have been dismissed, retired or accepted incentive offers to step down. Many of the country's 122 local weather service forecast offices, usually staffed 24 hours day, seven days a week, were left shorthanded with staff reductions from 20-40% and scrambling to cover staffing and maintain the usual quality and number of measurements. Several offices were forced to end or reduce weather balloon launches, which can reduce the agency's ability to predict weather, and CNN reported on May 2 that 30 NWS offices no longer had a lead meteorologist. NOAA, which studies Earth's atmosphere, oceans and climate, has also canceled events in a public awareness campaign on the importance of early preparation. 'This has never happened before. We've always been an agency that has provided 24/7 service to the American public,' Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, told ABC News. 'The risk is extremely high — if cuts like this continue to the National Weather Service, people will die.' The Trump administration laid off an estimated 650 NOAA employees in February in the name of cutting government spending, including two flight directors and an electronic engineer at NOAA's Office of Aircraft Operations, home of the NOAA Hurricane Hunters. That could affect the agency's ability to conduct the twice-daily flights necessary during a significant hurricane threat, according to former Hurricane Hunter and cofounder of Weather Underground Jeff Masters, especially if one or more becomes unavailable or sick. NOAA employees have been told to expect a further 50% reduction in its staff of almost 12,000. Hurricane season fears: Will federal cuts and state budget battle put Florida's hurricane readiness in peril? The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season began Sunday, June 1, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 30. However, storms can and do occur outside of those dates. AccuWeather is predicting the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season could bring: Named storms: 13 to 18 Hurricanes: 7-10 Major hurricanes: 3-5 Direct U.S. impacts: 3-6 NOAA is predicting a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance for a below-normal season. Forecasters predict: Named storms: 13-19 Hurricanes: 6-10 Major hurricanes: 3-5 Colorado State University meteorologists predict: 17 named storms 9 hurricanes 4 major hurricanes Dr. Ryan Truchelut of WeatherTiger hedged his bets and predicted that the 2025 season has a 50-50 chance of landing in the ranges of: 16-21 tropical storms 7-9 hurricanes 3-4 major hurricanes Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: National Weather Service to hire about 125 to replace DOGE losses
