severe weather news stories on Newser

Afghan Flash Floods Kill 19

Sun, 20 May 2012 05:25:48 CDT

Flood waters ravaged a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 19 people and destroying hundreds of homes, officials said earlier today. About 60 other people were missing and rescuers were looking for them across Sar-e-Pul, the capital of a province with the same name, said the national disaster...

Hot Weather Leads to 'Yucky' Maple Syrup

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:48:38 CDT

The record high temperatures in March resulted in maple syrup that one syrup distributor refers to as simply “yucky,” and total syrup output in the US fell as much as 40%, Reuters reports. "It was kind of a disaster," the company owner says with regard to the 2012 season. Sugar...

3 Kids Among Dead in Tornado Strike

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:42:21 CDT

Officials say three children were among the five people killed when a tornado ripped through a northwest Oklahoma town early today and destroyed dozens of homes. It was one of a series of tornadoes that also struck Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska over the weekend, authorities said. Woodward Mayor Roscoe Hill...

'Life-Threatening' Tornadoes, Hail Hit Midwest

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:39:17 CDT

More than a dozen possible tornadoes were reported today as forecasters warned residents across the nation's midsection to brace for "life-threatening" weather. An apparent tornado took down barns, outbuildings, and large trees in southeast Nebraska, and Johnson County emergency director Clint Strayhorn said he was still trying to determine how...

Much of US Choked by Drought

Matt Cantor — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:01:34 CDT

Last year, dry conditions cost Southern farmers some $10 billion, and once again, things are looking bleak. Some 61% of the lower 48 states is experiencing drought or "abnormally dry" weather—the biggest proportion of the country since September 2007, USA Today reports. Just two states have completely escaped such...

Tornado Blasts Texas

Kevin Spak — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:38:01 CDT

A tornado touched down near San Antonio yesterday, damaging roughly 50 homes and sweeping others away entirely, the National Weather Service has confirmed. The twister touched down about 25 miles southwest of the city and moved toward it, but never reached it, instead damaging mostly rural property, Reuters reports. The...

Tornadoes Tear Into Homes, Prison in Alabama

Kevin Spak — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:25:44 CST

What appeared to be a series of tornadoes tore through northern Alabama today, destroying several homes, sending several to the hospital, and ripping the roof off a maximum-security state prison, the AP reports. A portion of the prison's fence was also knocked down, but the Alabama Department of Corrections says...

9 Killed as Violent Storms Lash Midwest

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:41:04 CST

At least nine people are dead as a violent storm system sweeps across the Midwest, causing tornadoes, pounding rain, high winds, golf-ball-sized hail, and "dangerous lightning." "It's like nothing I've ever seen, and something I don't care to see again," says the mayor of Harrisburg, Illinois, where Reuters reports that...

Winter Storm Pounds Colorado

Matt Cantor — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:48:28 CST

Heavy snowfall in Colorado has shut down sections of I-70 and I-25 amid a number of accidents, as snow piled up at two inches per hour on the Eastern Plains. An area near Denver has already seen a foot and a half of snow, and another foot is likely in...