Stalled Melissa threatens Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic

 

Tropical Storm Melissa stalled in the central Caribbean on Friday, threatening to intensify into a major hurricane as it nears Jamaica and drenches southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Forecasters warned of catastrophic flash floods and landslides in Haiti, where at least three people were killed, and said Jamaica could...

Jamaica Braces as Melissa Rapidly Intensifies

 

Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean are bracing as Tropical Storm Melissa, nearly stationary 150 miles south-southeast of Kingston with 45 mph winds, is set to intensify into a Category 4 hurricane by Sunday. Days of pounding rain have flooded Haiti and the Dominican Republic; Haiti reports three deaths. Tropical...

U.S. Advances Arctic Refuge Drilling, Izembek Road

 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum finalized plans to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1.5 million-acre coastal plain to potential oil and gas drilling, restoring previously canceled leases and clearing the way for future sales promised by President Donald Trump. The move, welcomed by Alaska leaders and Kaktovik’s Iñupiat corporation but...

Trump administration finalizes ANWR plan, Izembek road

 

The Trump administration finalized plans to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1.5 million-acre coastal plain to potential oil and gas drilling, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced, also restoring leases canceled by the prior administration. The move fulfills pledges by Trump and congressional Republicans and follows a court ruling that...

Trump Administration Revives Alaska Oil, Road Plans

 

The Trump administration announced steps to allow oil and gas drilling in Alaska, including a winter lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1.56-million-acre coastal plain and the reinstatement of seven leases canceled by the Biden administration. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the land “should and will be supporting...

Florida’s Reef Builders Declared Functionally Extinct

 

A sweeping new Science study led by Shedd Aquarium biologist Ross Cunning declares Florida’s elkhorn and staghorn corals functionally extinct after the record 2023 heat wave. Divers assessed more than 52,000 colonies at nearly 400 sites and found 97.8% to 100% mortality in the Florida Keys and near Dry Tortugas—erasing...

Slow-Moving Melissa Threatens Caribbean With Flooding

 

Tropical Storm Melissa is creeping through the Caribbean at as little as 2 miles an hour and could strengthen into a hurricane as steering influences stay weak and waters run unusually hot. Meteorologist Kerry Emanuel says potential intensity is elevated, and conditions favor the storm’s slow crawl. Research points to...

Database Returns; 2025 First Half Sets Record

 

Retired by the Trump administration in May, the Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Database has been relaunched outside government by Climate Central, using the same methods and led by previous administrator Adam Smith, a former NOAA economist. Its first update shows the first half of 2025 is costliest since 1980,...

Climate Central: 2025 Disasters Set Cost Record

 

Climate Central reports the first half of 2025 was the costliest on record for US disasters, with 14 events topping $1bn and $101bn in damages. Ferocious January wildfires in Los Angeles drove the toll—$61bn, about 16,000 buildings lost and roughly 400 indirect deaths—ranking among the priciest US climate disasters and...

Typhoon Halong Devastates Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Communities

 

Typhoon Halong battered Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim delta, damaging up to 15 villages. In Kipnuk, state officials estimate 90% of homes destroyed; nearly all 700 residents were evacuated. Record tides and 107 mph winds swept away houses; 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok died and two relatives are missing. The storm exposed deepening climate...