Latest news with #tornado
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tornado chance arises as eastern Ontario, Quebec sees severe weather threat
Thursday will be a day to watch closely in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, as the recent high heat and humidity are providing ample storm energy across the province. MUST SEE: The Laurentians and areas near the Quebec-New Brunswick border will have notable, atmospheric conditions for tornado development on Thursday, while eastern Ontario and the Eastern Townships are at risk of flooding. You'll want to stay updated on the weather alerts in your area as conditions can change quickly when severe weather hits. Thursday: Ample thunderstorm energy leads to strong storms, tornado risk Forecasters are keeping a close eye on Thursday, with a low-pressure system and strong cold front expected to bring more severe weather to eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. The system will track over the Great Lakes Thursday morning and continue eastward through the day. Ample thunderstorm energy, fuelled by several days of 30°C heat and high humidity, could lead to strong thunderstorms with torrential downpours. Between 50-100 mm of heavy rainfall is possible under storms, increasing the risk of localized flooding. DON'T MISS: Non-severe thunderstorms are expected to move through the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) before peak afternoon energy develops. Thunderstorm energy will be abundant by the afternoon hours, with ample moisture, and signs of notable shear will result in strong and severe storm clusters over the Ottawa Valley and southern Quebec. Multiple rounds of strong to severe storms are likely for Quebec City. -4 p.m. will be the highest risk for severe weather in Ottawa with the cold front. 6 p.m. for Montreal. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Quebec City. The Ottawa and St. Lawrence valleys will be concerned with flooding potential, while tornado ingredients may be present over the Laurentians and areas near the Quebec-New Brunswick border, although confidence is still low and conditions are being closely monitored by forecasters. The active weather will be followed by a welcome cooldown, offering relief from the heat. WATCH: How storm chasers in Canada got into the action-packed job Click here to view the video Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across Ontario and Quebec.
CBS News
11 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Big Brother will re-air at 1:37 a.m. Thursday following weather interruption
Big Brother's episode scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, will run at 1:37 a.m. on Thursday following weather interruptions due to tornado warnings in the area. Baltimore and Carroll counties were under a tornado warning on Wednesday, prompting WJZ to break into CBS programming.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Watch: Drone video shows tornado spinning to life in southern Wisconsin
SAUK CITY, Wis. – Drone video shot Wednesday showed a tornado spinning up in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Footage showed debris being thrown 6,000 feet into the air as the twister formed and made its way across homes through the southern Wisconsin town. The tornado was one of several produced by severe storms moving through the Great Lakes region. A Tornado Watch had been issued for much of southern Wisconsin until 6 p.m. local time, with a Tornado Warning being issued for some areas throughout the late morning and early afternoon. The National Weather Service warned of the possibility of more tornadoes, strong damaging winds and rainfall as the storms passed. How To Watch Fox Weather They noted that thunderstorms may return this article source: Watch: Drone video shows tornado spinning to life in southern Wisconsin
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
What FEMA's funds mean for the next disaster
Published: | After flooding hit Saint Ann and the greater St. Louis area in Missouri in 2022, Beth Gutzler received help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 'Basements were flooded. I hate to say it, but that's almost become normal,' she mentioned. 'FEMA was the first person that I called,' she said. 'I have this memory of having emergency funds in my account within a week. I just have this memory of how it's supposed to be.' Currently, Gutzler is having difficulty getting any response for assistance with damages caused by a tornado that struck the St. Louis area in March, impacting her new community of Florissant. Meanwhile, others across the state are also seeking help following another tornado that hit the region in May. 'There was absolutely no response from FEMA until weeks and weeks later,' she said. 'I would assume it's administration and their capacity.' Drawing on her background in customer service, she added, 'I know what you're taught to do if people call and you can't have answers for them. You're taught to just delay.' As the Atlantic hurricane season begins in the eastern US and officials deal with with deadly flooding in Texas, FEMA is under increasing pressure, competing for limited resources amid broad federal staffing reductions. Experts are concerned that there may not be sufficient funding or personnel available when the next major disaster strikes. 'We know this is going to be an active Atlantic hurricane season,' said Shana Udvardy, senior climate resilience policy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit group. 'All we need is one big hurricane, and we're going to probably be in 'immediate needs' funding,' she said, referring to a special designation when disaster funds run low. Disaster relief fund Donald Trump has issued a disaster declaration following this month's devastating floods in Texas. This designation enables both public agencies and local residents to request federal assistance. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is already under significant financial strain due to a rising number of increasingly severe disasters. According to the latest estimates, its Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) could face a shortfall of approximately $1.6 billion to $2.3 billion by the end of September. Despite this, White House budget director Russell Vought stated that there are adequate funds available to respond to the Texas disaster. He told reporters this month that 'FEMA has $13 billion in its reserves right now to continue to pay for the necessary expenses,' adding, 'The president has said to Texas anything it needs, it will get.' Still, should the disaster fund dip too low, the government would shift to an 'immediate needs' status—prioritizing only critical emergency expenditures while postponing other projects. 'It's just adding more stress for those states and local communities that are relying on this funding to come through,' Udvardy said. FEMA declined to comment on the matter. States, municipalities, and non-profit organizations had been receiving enhanced support for disaster prevention efforts through initiatives such as the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. However, in April, FEMA announced the termination of BRIC, labeling the program 'wasteful' and 'politicized,' and stated that any remaining funds would be redirected to the Disaster Relief Fund. Several lawmakers in Congress have urged Trump to reinstate the program grants and are questioning whether staff reductions at FEMA and other federal agencies, such as the National Weather Service, hindered the response to the Texas flooding. The administration 'cannot ignore the fact that natural disasters are becoming more severe and more frequent due to climate change,' said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. 'The president threatening to eliminate FEMA, firing scientists and muzzling experts helps no one and puts us all in danger,' Thompson said. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem commented on FEMA saying it has been 'disastrous' and 'incompetent' in some cases throughout the years, especially after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 'It has been slow to respond at the federal level - it's even been slower to get the resources to Americans in crisis, and that is why this entire agency needs to be eliminated as it exists today and remade into a responsive agency,' she told the FEMA Review Council. Local solutions One approach the administration might take to preserve the relief fund is by reducing the number of major disaster declarations, though this essentially transfers the burden of recovery expenses to state and local governments. 'Certainly it appears that they are much less eager to provide disaster funding post-disaster, or at least declaring a major disaster,' said Steve Ellis, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group. In response to the growing frequency and severity of climate-induced storms, wildfires, and hurricanes, nonprofit organizations, along with state and local authorities, have been developing their own strategies.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Elderly man still recovering in hospital after his campervan was flipped in suspected Northland tornado
A 79-year-old man remains in hospital in Northland after suffering multiple injuries when a suspected tornado flipped his campervan. What was described by campers as a twister hit Tauranga Bay Holiday Park in the Far North at 8.05am on Tuesday, picking up a caravan and hurling it into a tree about 60m away. The owner of the caravan, Phil Wallan, told RNZ he was certain he would have died if he had been in it at the time. He had driven to Kerikeri to pick up supplies just a short time earlier. Phil Wallan's caravan was destroyed when it was blown more than 60m into a tree by a suspected tornado. Photo: Supplied A large campervan was also flipped onto its side, trapping its injured owner inside. Fellow campers managed to climb inside to offer first aid while emergency services were on their way. He was rescued by volunteer firefighters from the Kerikeri and Kāeo brigades who cut through the windscreen to get him out. A campground staff member who visited the 79-year-old in hospital said he had a gash to his head, a broken collarbone and a sore back, but was recovering. The nature of his back injury had yet to be ascertained. The suspected tornado flipped this campervan on its side, injuring the 79-year-old occupant. Photo: Supplied Kerrin and Jane Mangos, who were parked nearby, said it felt like an earthquake when the twister hit. Their caravan's stabilisers had been damaged so they were planning to take it for repairs before any more wild weather hit. Campground manager Leah Bowsher said the flipped campervan had been righted and loaded onto a truck on Wednesday. A cleanup of debris from the destroyed caravan was continuing. A power box had also been wrecked and several campervans had lost their awnings. Co-manager Harry Bowsher told RNZ campers were shaken by Tuesday's drama, and "very, very lucky" no one had been more seriously injured. No one was luckier than Phil Wallan, whose caravan was picked up like a plaything and smashed into a Norfolk pine. "If he'd been in there we'd be taking out a body," he said. No one spoken to by RNZ saw a tornado that morning but some campers saw a waterspout forming a day earlier. CCTV from the holiday park office showed debris swirling in circles, lending credence to claims of a twister, before the caravan half-rolled, half-flew across the campground. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
