A tornado has struck northeastern Wisconsin, causing widespread damage and power outages. The National Weather Service confirmed Monday afternoon's tornado in Winnebago County. Cities including Appleton and Menasha reported severe impacts, with roofs ripped off homes and vehicles flipped over. Menasha Police Chief Matt Albrecht said many businesses and homes were severely affected. Despite the destruction, there have been no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities. Emergency officials are still assessing the damage and searching the stricken area. The storm knocked out power to over 30,000 people, and authorities have opened a shelter for those displaced.
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A wildfire in southwest France grew so powerful that its towering smoke column became a thunderstorm, generating lightning that struck the ground and ignited new fires beyond the original blaze, French officials said. The so-called pyrocumulonimbus — which France’s national firefighters federation said had never before been seen in the country — also generated violent, erratic winds that could drive the flames in new directions. The inferno was no longer simply being propelled by the weather around it. It had begun creating its own.
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Tropical Storm Bertha brought heavy surf and some flooding to southern Louisiana and Texas as it came ashore on the Gulf Coast before it was downgraded to a tropical depression. The National Hurricane Center says wind gusts of tropical storm force were still possible along the upper Texas coast Thursday evening. Heavy rain into the evening may trigger isolated flash flooding. No deaths or significant damage have been reported since Bertha formed Monday in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm made landfall for the first time Wednesday as it grazed the Louisiana coast. It came ashore again Thursday near Galveston, Texas.
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Tropical Storm Bertha has made landfall on the southern tip of Louisiana. The storm moving slowly along the Gulf Coast on Wednesday is packing strong winds that extend as much as 100 miles from its center. Damaging wind and storm surge are the main threats for the Deep South states. The National Hurricane Center says a tropical storm warning includes New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. Storm surge up to 3 feet is possible, as well as heavy rain. Bertha is expected to weaken as moves toward Texas. The storm earlier forced beach closures in the Florida Panhandle and along the tips of Alabama and Mississippi.
Torrential rains in West Virginia have caused flash flooding that inundated homes and businesses. Authorities say the floods washed out bridges and led to numerous water rescues in portions of the state. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties Tuesday night. Forecasters said up to 7 inches of rain fell in some places. There are no reports of deaths or missing people. Morrisey has sent more than 300 National Guard members to affected areas. The rains were part of wide-ranging storms that produced reports of tornadoes in several states.
Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to weaken in the Gulf of Mexico as it chugs closer to the U.S. But forecasters say it still could bring coastal flooding and heavy rain from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana. Those areas along the northern Gulf Coast are under a tropical storm warning through Wednesday and could see rain and flooding into Thursday morning. New Orleans is under a tropical storm warning. Authorities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida have opened sites to provide sandbags. Red flag warnings are posted along some Gulf Coast beaches advising swimmers about the dangers of rip tides.
Meteorologists say smoke from the Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area. Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained in effect Saturday across a wide swath of the United States. At MetLife Stadium, where the final is taking place, it rained heavily and thunder boomed. State police urged people to leave the stadium seating bowl and field and take shelter. The sky was the same thick, soupy gray it has been for days. This storm front will largely move the smoke out of the Northeast before the final between Spain and Argentina.
Authorities in Texas have rescued hundreds of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes and at least two people have died due to catastrophic flooding. The region is still recovering from devastating floods a year ago. The governor said Thursday that the hardest-hit areas are expecting more rain and are not out of danger yet. The National Weather Service says a “deadly flood wave” churned down the Guadalupe River that runs alongside Camp Mystic. That's where two dozen children and two counselors were killed last July. Gov. Greg Abbott says more than 2,000 first responders had been deployed and that some evacuations began before the worst of the flooding.
Severe storms have dumped over 20 inches of rain in parts of Texas, causing significant flooding. The Guadalupe River rose rapidly early Thursday, affecting areas still recovering from last year's deadly flash floods. Experts say slow-moving storms fueled by lots of moisture created days of downpours. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said drones and helicopters are being used for rescues. Experts said the flooding is severe but not as bad in some areas as last year. Climate change may be creating conditions that make storms like these more common.