Tag:

Wildfires

Electricity, Gas Bills Surge Nationwide: Here's Why Electricity, Gas Bills Surge Nationwide: Here's Why
Electricity, Gas Bills Surge Nationwide: Here's Why If your latest utility bill made you do a double take, you are far from alone.  Across the country, Americans are seeing their electricity and natural gas costs soar, squeezing household budgets just as summer temperatures peak. Several key factors are fueling these price hikes.  Experts say the combination of increased energy demand, supply chain disruptions, and decades of underinvestment that have left the US grid with aging infrastructure are all contributing to the higher bills.  In addition, the growing need for power from AI-driven data centers, expanded oil and gas …
US Economy Shrinks, Private Jobs Report Disappoints As Trump's Tariffs Spark Financial Slump US Economy Shrinks, Private Jobs Report Disappoints As Trump's Tariffs Spark Financial Slump
US Economy Shrinks, Private Jobs Report Disappoints As Trump's Tariffs Spark Financial Slump The US economy shrank during President Donald Trump's first three months back in office, breaking a three-year growth streak as imports surged ahead of his trade wars. Real gross domestic product fell at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on Wednesday, April 30. It marked the first quarter of negative growth since early 2022. The economic contraction is a dramatic drop from the 2.4% GDP growth the US experienced in the fourth quarter of 2024. The shrinking was largely due to a 41.3% spike in imports …
Wind Gusts Up To 40 MPH Arrive Amid Topsy-Turvy Weather Pattern: 5-Day Forecast Wind Gusts Up To 40 MPH Arrive Amid Topsy-Turvy Weather Pattern: 5-Day Forecast
Wind Gusts Up To 40 MPH Arrive Amid Topsy-Turvy Weather Pattern: 5-Day Forecast The passage of a strong cold front accompanied by severe thunderstorms has been followed by blustery conditions with strong winds. Widespread gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour on Sunday, April 27, will make it feel colder than temperatures that will be below seasonable averages, the National Weather Service says. "A changeable weather pattern will bring rounds of rain and temperature swings to the Northeast for the final days of April and the first few of May," according to AccuWeather. "The series of storms and cold fronts making for the topsy-turvy weather will not be equal opportunit…
Millions In MA Breathing Unhealthy Air, New Study Warns: Here's Why Millions In MA Breathing Unhealthy Air, New Study Warns: Here's Why
Millions In MA Breathing Unhealthy Air, New Study Warns: Here's Why Nearly half of all people in the United States, including millions across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to a new study. The American Lung Association released its 2025 edition of the "State of the Air" report on Wednesday, April 23. The study, now in its 26th year, highlights troubling air quality trends in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The report found that 156 million people – about 46% of the U.S. population – are living in counties that earned failing grades f…
NJ Wildfire Explodes To 12,500 Acres: Latest From Forest Fire Service NJ Wildfire Explodes To 12,500 Acres: Latest From Forest Fire Service
NJ Wildfire Explodes To 12,500 Acres: Latest From Forest Fire Service An otherwise idyllic spring day along the New Jersey coast was darkened by thick plumes of smoke as a massive wildfire scorched through 12,500 acres — threatening homes, destroying property, and leaving thousands without power Wednesday, April 23. 🚨 A massive wildfire, dubbed the Jones Road Wildfire, is tearing through 1,200 acres in Barnegat Township’s Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, Ocean County, NJ, as of April 22, 2025, with 0% containment. Mandatory evacuations are underway for Wells Mills Road from Bryant… pic.twitter.com/61nPv8YRcH — Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) April 2…
New LA Wildfires Update: Death Toll Hits 16, With 40,000 Acres, 12,000 Structures Destroyed New LA Wildfires Update: Death Toll Hits 16, With 40,000 Acres, 12,000 Structures Destroyed
New LA Wildfires Update: Death Toll Hits 16, With 40,000 Acres, 12,000 Structures Destroyed The number of confirmed deaths from six separate wildfires in the Los Angeles area has climbed to 16. The situation remains dire, with at least another 16 people still reported missing, and authorities anticipate that this number may increase as the search continues. The wildfires have destroyed 40,000 acres -- more than twice the size of Manhattan and almost the size of Washington, DC, while The creating apocalyptic scenes that seem straight from a horror movie. More than 12,000 structures have been destroyed. A red flag warnings for dangerous fire conditions through Wednesday, Jan.…
32-Year-Old Former Child Star Among Those Killed In LA Wildfires 32-Year-Old Former Child Star Among Those Killed In LA Wildfires
32-Year-Old Former Child Star Among Those Killed In LA Wildfires A former child star and motivational speaker is among the victims of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, his family has confirmed. Click here for a new, updated story - Death Toll Hits 16, With 40,000 Acres, 12,000 Structures Destroyed Rory Sykes, 32, an Australian who gained media attention as a boy for sharing his experiences living with disabilities, died on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at his family’s estate in Malibu, his mother, Shelley Sykes, announced in a post on X. “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yeste…
Blue Supermoon: What You Need To Know About Rare Lunar Event Blue Supermoon: What You Need To Know About Rare Lunar Event
Blue Supermoon: What You Need To Know About Rare Lunar Event There's an out-of-this-world lunar event set to begin this week.  From Monday, Aug. 19, through Wednesday, Aug. 21, the moon will appear bigger and brighter in the night sky than normal. It's called the supermoon. It's the first one of the year, but that's not why this one is special.  A supermoon occurs when the moon is full and closest to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA. That closeness makes the rocky satellite appear 15 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter.  What makes August's supermoon so unique is that it's a blue moon. No, the light of the moon won't change co…
Hazy Skies In Western Massachusetts Result Of Raging Canadian Wildfires Hazy Skies In Western Massachusetts Result Of Raging Canadian Wildfires
Hazy Skies In Western Massachusetts Result Of Raging Canadian Wildfires Massachusetts residents may have noticed slightly hazy skies this week but could not figure out what was causing said conditions.  The explanation: a massive smoke plume generated from numerous wildfires out of the western Canadian province of Alberta.  The concentrated smoke plume from the fires extended into parts of Western Massachusetts, during the day on Tuesday, May 9, according to the National Weather Service. Concentrated smoke plume aloft from Alberta fires extending from Eastern Ontario southeast to New England. pic.twitter.com/qtZwrzOHGb — NWS Caribou (@NWSCaribou) May 9, 20…
These US States Most At Risk For Blackouts This Summer, New Report Says These US States Most At Risk For Blackouts This Summer, New Report Says
These US States Most At Risk For Blackouts This Summer, New Report Says As temperatures climb, attention is turning toward the nation’s power grids and whether they can handle the added demand this summer. Though the Northeast should fare well, much of the US is facing an elevated risk of power blackouts between June and September, according to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The risk assessment found that the entire western half of the US is in the “elevated” risk category, meaning the potential for insufficient operating reserves in above-normal conditions. Regulators said a number of factors could disrupt the power…
Hazy Skies Caused By Wildfires Clear Up in Northeast Hazy Skies Caused By Wildfires Clear Up in Northeast
Hazy Skies Caused By Wildfires Clear Up in Northeast After smoke from wildfires caused days of hazy skies and poor air quality in the Northeast, a cold front has brought some relief.  AccuWeather meteorologists reported that smoke from wildfires in Canada and the Pacific Northwest traveled 1,000 miles in the past week, causing air quality advisories in the region, including New York City and Philadelphia.  "Due to the fact that smoke particles are small and light, they can be transported hundreds if not a few thousand miles away from their source," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said. A cold front that traveled southward fr…
New Summer 2021 Forecast Reveals When To Expect Frequent Storms, Hottest Stretch New Summer 2021 Forecast Reveals When To Expect Frequent Storms, Hottest Stretch
New Summer 2021 Forecast Reveals When To Expect Frequent Storms, Hottest Stretch Most associate summer with sun and fun. But it's also a season marked by severe weather, including storms, wildfires, extreme heat, and droughts. The first part of the summer will feature frequent thunderstorms across the Northeast, according to AccuWeather. Those storms in June and July will help ward off long-duration heat waves. (See first and second images above.) The hottest conditions of the summer will come in August, according to AccuWeather's lead long-range forecaster Paul Pastelok. “We could have a dry spell later in the summer that could spark some intense heat for a time,” P…