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USA Today
an hour ago
- General
- USA Today
Explosion rocks ship near site of Baltimore bridge collapse: Officials
Baltimore officials confirmed a ship explosion in the Patapsco River Monday, Aug. 18 near where the former Key Bridge site once stood before last year's fatal collapse. The blast occurred on a 751-foot commercial vessel at around 6:30 p.m. local time, the Baltimore City Fire Department said on Facebook. A total of 23 people were on board and there were no reported injuries, the fire department said. The bulk carrier sustained damages from the explosion and fire but remained afloat, officials confirmed. Tugs boats will move the vessel to a designated anchorage area, where it will stay awaiting clearance from the U.S. Coast Guard. The fire department did not offer provide information regarding the cause of the explosion. USA TODAY has reached out to the Coast Guard for additional information. Baltimore bridge collapse killed six people After midnight on March 26, 2024, a 984-foot-long cargo ship known as the Dali rammed into the Key Bridge causing the structure to collapse into the Patapsco River and killing six construction workers. The collision occured after the Dali lost power while departing Baltimore's harbor, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The agency has faulted state of Maryland for failing to conduct a risk assessment on the bridge that would have shown its vulnerabilities to such a strike. More than a year after the strike, commuters have been subject to daily traffic delays along east-west interstates while businesses have coped with a sustained decline in revenue. Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
A dangerous storm is sweeping the nation with severe weather risk
An outbreak of severe weather this weekend and into early next week could impact millions of Americans, with the potential for thunderstorms, large hail, destructive winds and tornadoes, forecasters said Saturday. More than 180 million people could see severe weather through midweek, with more than two dozen states at risk, according to AccuWeather. The threat will start Saturday night, with hail, damaging winds, flash flooding and tornadoes that could impact cities including Dallas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Topeka and Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa. Then on Sunday, the weather will shift further east and into the middle Mississippi Valley and portions of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, AccuWeather said. "On Sunday, we are probably looking at a dozen or two tornadoes," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. And to the north, ice, snow and sleet is expected in states from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes region to New England where winter weather advisories blanketed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and parts of New York, according to the National Weather Service. Light to moderate snow and freezing rain is expected in the New England states. "These amounts of ice are likely lead to tree damage and power outages," the weather service said. Saturday into Sunday, between 2 and 4 inches of snow is expected, with some higher amounts locally up to 8 inches, in northern Nebraska, southern South Dakota, central Minnesota, far northern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. More than 4 million people were under red flag warnings on Saturday across most of New Mexico and parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Gusty winds, higher-than-usual temperatures and low moisture levels put the area at "critical risk" for wildfires on Saturday and Sunday, the weather service said. Avoid open flames and sparks, don't park vehicles on dry grass and discard of cigarettes carefully, the weather service in Albuquerque warned Saturday, adding that winds will be at their strongest Saturday and again on Tuesday. An outbreak of wildfires in the Carolinas has forced evacuations and destroyed homes over the last 10 days. Firefighters in North Carolina were still battling blazes and fires continue to pop up. Though weather conditions are expected to improve Saturday, the risk for new fires continues. The largest fire in the region is the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, South Carolina, which doubled in size Friday and crossed the state line into Transylvania County in North Carolina. In North Carolina, large wildfires are burning in Polk County, the Deep Woods and Black Cove fires; Swain County, the Alarka Fire; and Haywood County, the Rattlesnake Branch Fire, that has forced the closure of Shining Rock Wilderness in Pisgah National Forest. Carolina fire updates: Western NC wildfires blaze on Saturday, March 29 Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; The Asheville Citizen Times This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe weather risk in forecast for millions as storm sweeps US
USA Today
28-03-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
15 heartbreaking images show the destruction after earthquake in Thailand, Myanmar
15 heartbreaking images show the destruction after earthquake in Thailand, Myanmar Show Caption Hide Caption Deadly earthquake rocks Myanmar, Thailand A 7.7 earthquake shook Southeast Asia, killing over 140. The epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmar. A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Southeast Asia around lunchtime Friday, killing at least three people in Thailand and bringing down multiple buildings in Myanmar, prompting the military-run government to declare a state of emergency in multiple regions. The powerful earthquake, which had its epicenter in central Myanmar about 13 miles from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, struck around 12:50 p.m. local time, the New York Times reported. It was followed by several tremors, including a 6.4 magnitude aftershock which occurred just 11 minutes later. In Bangkok, Thailand, almost 900 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, a high rise building collapsed, killing at least three people and touching off a search for 81 workers believed to be trapped in the rubble, Defense Minister Phumtham told reporters. Video showed the skyscraper crash to the ground as crowds nearby ran from billowing plumes of smoke. The Thailand National Institute for Emergency Medicine said 320 workers were at the site when the building collapsed. The earthquake brought down buildings across Myanmar, including a section of a mosque in the town of Tuangoo, killing at least three people, Reuters reported. Local media reported at least two people died and about 20 were injured in the collapse of a hotel in the town of Aung Ban. Two bridges, including a railway bridge and a road bridge, were also destroyed. Myanmar's military-run government declared a state of emergency in six regions. "The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," the junta said on the Telegram messaging app. Earthquake: Buildings collapse as powerful earthquake rocks Myanmar and Thailand; many feared dead See photos of earthquake aftermath in Myanmar, Thailand Editor's note: Graphic visuals. Viewer discretion advised. Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY / Reuters Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
USA Today
05-03-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
North, South Carolina fires ablaze as severe weather threatens states: See wildfire maps
North, South Carolina fires ablaze as severe weather threatens states: See wildfire maps In North Carolina alone, around 2,235 acres are on fire, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. Show Caption Hide Caption South Carolina couple's dramatic evacuation from wildfire Two South Carolina residents captured their harrowing experience while evacuating from the Carolina Forest fire. Firefighters are working to put out over 175 wildfires across North and South Carolina, as threats of severe storms and tornadoes loom over the states. Wildfires erupted in the area over the weekend due to dry conditions and low humidity, according to the National Weather Service. The fires prompted evacuation orders across both states. As firefighters make gains in North Carolina, the state faces an enhanced risk of severe storms on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the "main hazards" being "damaging straight line winds and isolated tornadoes," according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh, North Carolina. On Wednesday, there's also a chance for numerous severe thunderstorms to move across Charleston, South Carolina, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston. North Carolina wildfire map South Carolina wildfire map North Carolina's biggest fire: Melrose Fire Dozens of fires have been reported or are classified as active across North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. The Melrose Fire, a fire in Polk County, North Carolina, around 85 miles west of Charlotte, is the biggest active fire in the state at 593 acres and is currently 63% contained. The county is under evacuation due to the large fire. As of Tuesday, at 8:30 a.m. ET, 189 fires in North Carolina have set around 2,235 acres ablaze, according to the North Carolina Forest Service's website. Included in the number of fires are active, controlled, contained and reported fires. South Carolina Forestry Commission Burning ban On Saturday, the South Carolina Forestry Commission issued a statewide burning ban that prohibited all outdoor burning, including the following, according to a media advisory: Yard debris burning Prescribed burning Campfires The state saw 102 wildfire ignitions on Saturday alone, the day the ban was issued. "While a majority of the current wildfire activity is concentrated in the Pee Dee region, the rest of the state is experiencing a dramatic uptick in wildfires today, straining the capacity of agency firefighters to respond," the commission's media advisory stated. Contributing: Christopher Cann, Thao Nguyen; USA TODAY Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
USA Today
08-02-2025
- General
- USA Today
Washington DC plane crash disaster happened 10 days ago: What to know
Ten days after a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board, investigators have recovered most of the debris from the wreckage and worked Saturday to find what might remain on the river floor. The crash on Jan. 29 involved a military-operated helicopter on a routine training mission and an American Airlines plane about to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from Wichita, Kansas. The collision sent both aircraft into the frigid waters below. Early morning Saturday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was tasked with performing a scan of the bottom of the Potomac to identify any objects that might remain from the crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The collision is the most deadly among several recent deadly aviation disasters across the country. Days later, the fatal crash of a Medevac jet in Philadelphia killed seven people and injured more than 20 others. On Thursday, a small airplane carrying 10 people in Alaska went missing and was found crashed amid sea ice on Friday with all presumed dead. Here's what to know about the investigation into the deadliest aviation disaster in over two decades: Where the investigation stands A preliminary report on the crash from the National Transportation Safety Board is expected in late February. NTSB officials have said little about the cause of the crash as the investigation continues. NTSB investigators have interviewed all five people working in the control tower at the time of the collision, collected data from the black boxes recovered from the aircraft, obtained maintenance and flight logs, and have begun piecing together a timeline of the events leading up the crash, synchronizing flight data and communications. The wreckage from both aircraft will be placed in a hangar at DCA to be inspected by investigators, the NTSB said. They will examine cockpit switch positions and instrument readings. The NTSB said further inspection of the helicopter would help determine details under intense national scrutiny like the altitude it was flying at. Investigators scan bottom of river Saturday To help divers identify additional items for removal from the Potomac, NOAA was set to fly a low-altitude TopoBathy lidar flight overnight, officials said. The technology uses a green laser to scan the river floor and help investigators map out its layout. The scan was scheduled from 2 to 5 a.m. Saturday, the NTSB said. Passersby would be able to see the green laser, which is safe to look at, but local police said direct eye contact should be avoided. Crews finished retrieving all the "major components" of both the helicopter and the plane out of the Potomac River earlier this week, officials said, but some parts were still unaccounted for. That included the right engine and tail rotor, the NTSB said on Thursday. Contributing: Christopher Cann, Chris Kenning and Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY; Reuters
