Severe Weather

In the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, an outlandish conspiracy theory about the Federal Emergency Management Agency that has percolated for decades started to reappear online. Now, the government agency is making one of its strongest pushes against the claim to date.

Milton’s tornadoes were part of an unusual trend this year: Hurricanes in the U.S. have produced an abnormally high number of strong twisters.

As Hurricane Milton continues to to churn towards Florida, remaining a ferocious storm that could have damaging and life-threatening impacts, many are wondering just how high hurricane categories go.

As Hurricane Milton continues to to churn towards Florida, remaining a ferocious storm that could have damaging and life-threatening impacts, many are wondering just how high hurricane categories go.

It’s not uncommon for hurricanes to threaten the Florida coast in October, but the rapidly evolving Hurricane Milton is not quite the norm, experts say.

Hurricane Milton has now become a dangerous Category 5 storm as it heads toward Florida, but what does that mean exactly?

Hurricane Milton “rapidly” intensified to a dangerous Category 5 storm as it barreled down a path toward Florida, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.

Meteorologists calculate that more than 40 trillion gallons of rain drenched the Southeast United States in the last week from Hurricane Helene and a run-of-the-mill rainstorm that sloshed in ahead of it. It’s an unheard-of amount of water that stunned experts.

The U.S. Southeast grappled Sunday with rising death tolls, a lack of vital supplies in isolated, flood-stricken areas and the widespread loss of homes and property while the devastating toll of Hurricane Helene became more clear and officials warned of a lengthy and difficult rebuild.

The storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, was expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 58 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and left millions without power.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a man and his dog during Hurricane Helene after their sailboat became disabled and began taking on water.

The Chicago area is facing a variety of weather threats this week, including scorching heat, suffocating humidity, and severe storms.

The Chicago area is dealing with a variety of weather threats this week, with scorching heat, suffocating humidity and severe storms all in the forecast.

Hurricane Ernesto, which made landfall on the tiny British Atlantic territory of Bermuda, brought heavy rains and strong winds before moving north-northeast away from the area.

Tornadoes spawned by Debby leveled homes, damaged a school and killed one person early Thursday, as the tropical system dropped heavy rain and flooded communities across North and South Carolina.

Some in the Chicago area were roused awake early Tuesday by rumbles of thunder, heavy downpours and lightning as a severe thunderstorm pounded parts DuPage, Cook and Lake Counties through 4:45 a.m.

Following a morning of severe thunderstorm warnings that led to grounded flights at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, severe weather loomed over the afternoon forecast with chances for hail, heavy downpours, gusty damaging winds and the possibility of tornadoes.

Severe weather loomed in the Monday forecast. Alicia Roman has more.

A steamy, stormy day with the threat of severe weather is in store for the Chicago area Monday, with some waking up to rain and rumbles of thunder and the chance for more showers and storms expected in the afternoon.