Topic: National Weather Service

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US heat wave: 5 places that make it look milder

What may be a record-setting summer in America is relatively routine in other parts of the world that experience months of weather like this – and not necessarily with air conditioning.
As much of US swelters, here are 5 worst heat waves of past 30 years

Many Americans across the US were feeling the heat Monday, but how hot is it? Here is a look at the five deadliest US heat waves/droughts since the worst recorded since 1980.
In Pictures: Phoenix dust storm
In Pictures: Missouri floods
Five of the costliest US river floods

The 2011 Mississippi River flood, which has broken records in some places, is creating steady destruction in America's midsection. Hurricanes tend to cause more financial damage, and flash floods typically take more lives. But overflowing rivers deliver a long, slow economic punch. Arkansas farmers have lost an estimated $500 million in crops to this year's flood. Mississippi homes and catfish farms – a leading industry – are threatened. In Louisiana, the diversion of water through a spillway to spare Baton Rouge and New Orleans still puts hundreds of homes, businesses, and chemical plants and oil refineries at risk. Total damages could run into the billions. Here's a look at five of the most expensive river floods in the US, according to estimates from the National Weather Service and historical accounts (reported in 2011 dollars):

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Subtropical Storm Beryl: Dixie beachgoers batten down for big Memorial Day soak

It’s not the way Memorial Day event organizers from South Carolina to Florida wanted the unofficial summer kickoff to go, with Subtropical Storm Beryl bearing down, threatening beach barbecues, but sparing the big NASCAR race.
Hope, resiliency, and unity mark the Joplin tornado anniversary

One the worst tornadoes in US history hit Joplin a year ago. The Missouri city has good reason to now celebrate its path to recovery.
A tropical storm in May? How unusual is Alberto?

Tropical storm Alberto is packing 40 m.p.h. winds while riding the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, but it should dissipate and perhaps end up as rain in New England. It's not the earliest tropical storm on record.
Cover Story
CSI Tornado: Decoding – and chasing – supercells with the experts

CSI Tornado: Chasing supercells, interviewing a homeowner sucked off his front porch in an Oklahoma tornado outbreak, and examining the path of a destructive funnel, an expert expedition shows how science is close to decoding the way a tornado works.
Spring snowstorm hammers New York, Pennsylvania (+video)

A Spring nor'easter is forecast to dump more than a foot of snow in Pennsylvania, and parts of New York, closing schools and causing power outages. Flood watches have been issued for Maine and New Hampshire
Tornado warnings saved lives, but sirens aren't enough (+video)

Tornado sirens aren't designed to awaken residents and aren't fail-proof, as Woodward, Okla. learned. What tornado warnings were effective this past weekend.
Tornado watch: Early warnings may have saved Iowa town

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., issued a stern warning about oncoming storms more than 24 hours in advance. Residents credited early warnings with saving lives.
Midwest tornadoes pose severe threat across hundreds of miles

Tornadoes raking communities across the Midwest and Plains left five people dead and at least 29 injured in Oklahoma as a vast severe weather front plunged eastward Sunday across the nation's midsection.
As Midwest storm bears down, forecasters use more urgent voice in tornado warnings

The National Weather Service is testing phrases like 'catastrophic' and 'unsurvivable' to describe looming storm systems in a bid to engage Americans’ survival instincts. Saturday's tornado-bearing storm was called 'high-end' and 'life-threatening.'
4 feet of hail? Massive hail storm hits Texas panhandle

4 feet of hail: Snow plows were brought out to clear muddy piles of hail that were up to 4 feet high on Route 287 in Texas. More hail is forecast for this weekend.
A tsunami-warning system makes waves

Big lessons can be learned from Wednesday's giant earthquake off Indonesia that led to an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami warning. The new system, set up since the big 2004 disaster, worked.
Texas tornadoes: 296 American Airlines flights canceled Friday

Texas tornadoes: American Airlines is still recovering from the tornadoes earlier this week. Texas Gov. Rick Perry declared three counties disaster areas in the wake of the tornadoes.
Texas tornadoes: How much warning time was possible? (+video)

Texas tornadoes that hit the Dallas area Tuesday resulted in no fatalities, in part due to timely warnings. But a new model could improve tornado warning times dramatically.
Texas tornadoes: Why no fatalities after a dozen tornadoes? (+video)

Texas tornadoes: An estimated 650 homes were destroyed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but no one died. One reason: Daylight tornadoes are often less deadly.
Two 'extremely dangerous' tornadoes reported in Dallas area

The National Weather Service reported at least two separate 'large and extremely dangerous' tornadoes south of Dallas and Fort Worth.
Colorado wildfire: 900 homes evacuated, and one fatality

A 3,000-acre wildfire near Conifer, Colo. has destroyed at least five homes, and may be the cause of one death. Help was coming from Arizona and air tankers will drop fire retardant on the wildfire Tuesday.
Mysterious booms shaking dishes, and nerves, in Wisconsin city

Residents of Clintonville, 40 miles west of Green Bay, have been kept awake this week by a flurry of underground booms. Engineers are looking for the source, but it may never be known.
Flood warnings for Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri

Heavy rains and flooding are forecast to continue in eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and western Missouri, says the National Weather Service.
Flooding, tornado hit San Antonio and other parts of Texas

A tornado touched down southwest of San Antonio Monday night damaging half a dozen homes. Severe flooding is forecast from Texas to Missouri over the next several days.
Spring into summer: Unseasonable heat helps pave way for violent weather

Spring is just beginning, but in many parts of the country it already feels like summer. As a storm moves into especially warm humid air in the center of the country, Texas is under the gun for violent storms.
Arizona digs out from mega snow storm

The winter snow storm forced Arizona officials to temporarily close Interstate 40 and parts of Interstate 17. Both highways later reopened Sunday afternoon.
At least 125 homes hammered by tornadoes in Michigan (+video)

Thursday night, Dexter, Mich. was hit by a tornado that left a 10-mile path of destruction. Two other tornadoes were reported in Michigan.
Tornado tears through Michigan towns

The twister touched down not far from Ann Arbor, in southeastern Michigan.
Sun continues to spew

The sun continues its active streak this week, spitting out yet another solar flare from the same region that produced two powerful eruptions this week.
Biggest solar storm in years now bombarding Earth (+video)

The two huge solar flares that erupted on the sun on Tuesday have produced a wave of charged particles that are now glancing off our planet's magnetic field.