Natural disasters and severe weather: reported damage, affected communities and disruption to everyday services.
Ordered by reported development. Each article describes what was known at the time shown.
On September 24, 2026, Hurricane Polo remained offshore but sent seawater through homes in Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. Heavy rain threatened flooding and landslides, while the storm was forecast to turn north toward the coast after moving away.
Heavy rain and flooding triggered 57 storm-related calls in El Paso, including stranded vehicles, home flooding, damaged roads and utility problems. The airport remained open after leaks, while a sinkhole was reported in Central El Paso.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected through Thursday, with a flood watch in effect for the San Juans. Heavy rain could trigger flash flooding around waterways, canyons and burn scars.
The FBI is investigating fires at an Enbridge office and a Line 5 reroute drilling site in northern Wisconsin, weeks after a major gas-liquids leak. Cleanup and environmental monitoring continue at the original site.
A recurring outburst flood from Suicide Basin beside Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier sent about 16 billion gallons of water toward Juneau in August. The flood ranked as the city’s fourth-largest, while reported damage was limited by a new mitigation measure.
Hawaii declared a state of emergency as Tropical Depression Fifteen-E approached the islands. Flood watches covered Hawaii and Maui counties, with heavy rain and possible flooding, power outages and road closures expected as forecasts developed.
Six-year-old Success Ezenwafor was swept away when a school bus overturned on Nibo–Isiagu Road in Awka South, Anambra State. Police and community members recovered his body the next morning; nine other occupants were rescued and treated.
XPRIZE announced awards across wildfire-detection and autonomous-response tracks after competition testing. Winning systems demonstrated faster detection and, in one live-fire test, autonomous suppression, but the results do not establish routine deployment or guaranteed wildfire control.
A developing nor’easter may bring strong winds, heavy rain, dangerous surf and coastal flooding to Long Island and the Jersey Shore from Friday through Sunday. Forecast confidence remains limited because the storm’s track and strength are unsettled.
Nairobi has deployed additional earth-moving machines to flood-prone areas and is widening, deepening and clearing drainage channels. The county has also waived approvals for minor repairs, including gutters, before the anticipated rains.
Hurricane Polo reached 165 mph winds and a reported 905-millibar pressure while about 210 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Its slow movement could prolong concern along the southwestern coast, where authorities use alerts, school closures, port restrictions and shelters.
Schools in parts of Sri Lanka’s Kandy District and six Andhra Pradesh districts in India were closed because of adverse weather, including heavy rain and a deep depression moving toward the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha coast.
Typhoon Dujuan caused landslides and flooding in Japan’s Kanto region, killing nine people and leaving four missing. More than 500 buildings were destroyed, damaged or flooded, while power and rail services were disrupted in affected prefectures.
The United States announced an additional $31 million for Nepal’s flood recovery, including bridge construction, humanitarian assistance and U.S.-made drones. About 70 Americans remained unaccounted for, according to the State Department statement cited.
Recent floods in Nepal have destroyed villages and displaced survivors, while cuts to international climate-adaptation and disaster-preparedness programs leave countries facing greater potential losses. The reporting links the funding gap to reduced U.S. and other donor support.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency across 19 counties after severe storms and flooding. State agencies were directed to provide personnel, equipment and supplies for response, cleanup and damaged-infrastructure support.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast across parts of Colorado and the U.S. Borderland, with flood watches and flash-flood threats around Thursday. Forecasts call for 2–3 inches broadly in the Borderland, with isolated totals of 3–5 inches.
A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal brought moderate to heavy rain to coastal Andhra Pradesh. Schools closed across six districts, while disaster-response teams were deployed; intensification into a cyclone remained a forecast rather than a confirmed development.
The Atlantic has reached mid-September without a hurricane, breaking the previous record for the latest first hurricane in the satellite era. Six named storms have formed, while El Niño and wind shear are suppressing development; the season continues through November 30.
Forest and land fires across Indonesia have produced toxic haze affecting Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Indonesia’s health ministry recorded 174,694 acute respiratory infection cases in affected areas from August through September 21, including more than 40,000 among toddlers.
Authorities in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district have identified seven high-risk glacial lakes in the Mago area and launched an awareness drive about possible glacial lake outburst floods. The sources do not establish that flooding is occurring now.
Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain to Japan’s Pacific coast, triggering landslides and flooding. NHK reported four deaths, six missing people and electricity outages affecting about 45,000 homes.
Heavy rain and flooding left Iowa farmers with fewer than two suitable field-work days in the week ending September 20. USDA data showed 4% of corn and 2% of soybean acres harvested, both behind recent benchmarks.
A potentially record-breaking El Niño is expected to bring severe drought, heatwaves, flooding and other disruptions across Asia and elsewhere. Experts and the UN World Food Programme warn that food security could worsen, with Southeast Asia already reporting water, wildfire and fishery pressures.
Floods in Nepal’s Dhading, Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts left more than 500 children in temporary shelters, with parents dead or missing. More than 32,000 children were displaced, while officials and nonprofits work on family tracing and reunification.
A depression over the Bay of Bengal may strengthen before crossing between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur. Forecasts warn of heavy to very heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas affecting coastal areas in India and potentially Sri Lanka.
A climatologist says the current El Niño has tied the 2015–2016 event on one metric, with effects already reported from Central America to Indonesia. The broader climate implications remain uncertain.
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal is forecast to bring heavy rain across Odisha over the next couple of days. Urban authorities are preparing response teams, shelters, pumps and possible evacuations, particularly in southern districts.
Tauranga City Council approved up to NZ$500,000 for an 18-month programme responding to a review of the fatal 22 January 2026 Mount Maunganui landslide. The programme will address risk-management failures and implement accepted recommendations.
California declared a state of emergency on September 21, 2026, to prepare for possible winter storms, flooding, landslides and coastal hazards as forecasters saw a strong El Niño developing.
Hurricane Polo rapidly strengthened to Category 1 strength off southwest Mexico. Its moisture could increase flash-flood risks across New Mexico and the wider U.S. Southwest, while the track remains uncertain.
A 2024 firefighting-foam spill at Brunswick Executive Airport contaminated waterways draining into Harpswell Cove. Researchers found PFAS levels four to five times higher in nearby eider ducks and bald eagles than in birds sampled farther away.
A multi-agency investigation is seeking witnesses and evidence about the Aug. 7 Bald Range wildfire near Summerland, British Columbia. The fire reached 25,163.2 hectares and destroyed more than 100 structures before being brought under control.
A firefighting helicopter crashed near the Wawona Dome wildfire in California’s Yosemite National Park, killing both people aboard. More than 580 firefighters were battling the blaze, which was 15% contained; smoke and trail closures affected the area while the park remained open.
Indonesia lowered Mount Anak Krakatau’s alert from Level III to Level II on September 21 after volcanic activity and deformation declined. A two-kilometre exclusion zone remains in place.
A human-caused wildfire in the Sooke Hills near Sooke, British Columbia, grew from two to 15 hectares by Monday afternoon. Smoke was visible across Greater Victoria, while officials said Juan de Fuca Park and Highway 14 were not affected at that time.
Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain, flooding and landslides around Tokyo. Two people died, four remained missing, more than a million residents received evacuation advisories, and hundreds of flights were cancelled, according to reporting citing Japanese authorities and NHK.
A Texas Air National Guard F-16 crashed during a training mission in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, after its pilot ejected safely. Authorities ordered evacuations within one mile of the site after a hazardous chemical spill, and 30 people were evaluated for possible exposure.
A wildfire near Villa de Leyva in Boyacá has burned nearly 300 hectares of vegetation. Emergency crews were still working to contain it amid dry conditions associated with El Niño.
El Niño’s central Pacific temperature has reached 3.05°C above average, exceeding the previous modern-record high of 3.02°C set in 2015. Forecasts cited in the report put the event’s possible peak in November and December, though that projection remains uncertain.