There is no evidence that vaccines cause autism, but there is growing research that shows a link between wildfire smoke exposure in pregnant mothers and autism diagnoses. Two studies published in the last month indicate wildfire smoke has profound neurological impacts: grist.org/health/growi...
As @postguild.bsky.social assesses the damage from last week’s layoffs, it turns out between 44% and 47.5% of the newsroom has been axed. It “may have been the biggest one-day wipeout of journalists in a generation.” washingtonian.com/2026/02/09/a...
I'm told the catastrophic Washington Post layoffs today include at least 14 climate journalists. Totally gutting. Details: www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...
The pace of our news cycle makes it easy for stories to fall off the screen - but the disaster in parts of the South from the ice storm is still very much ongoing. Some important observations from the ground there - and more about the next major storm for the East. tinyurl.com/43987xnn
bsky.app/profile/nws....
Some quick tips from Wirecutter, which also has a great article about protecting your pipes: www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...
bsky.app/profile/nytw...
Going to thread some actionable, basic winter weather advice here. Please send me any you see/know from your own experience!
More than 160 million people across the U.S. are expected to face dangerous weather in the coming days amid a winter storm. Here's how much snow may fall where you live. nyti.ms/49BkZmS
Large, high impact winter storm incoming - forecast confidence has increased but plenty of uncertainty remains. I took a dive into some of the key forecast challenges, from how much sleet in the south central US to how the cold air "wedge" evolves in the Southeast. tinyurl.com/yu5ufffm
I was at the Power Resilience Forum in Houston for the past two days and can confirm that utilities are concerned. It was a little surreal as this bears down on us. Hopefully work and progress since Uri pays off.
Storm Poses Big Threats to Power Grids Across U.S. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/b...
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
The Weather Prediction Center warns of a high (>70%) chance of flash flooding in Southern California on Thursday. This is a rare issuance of a HIGH RISK Day 3 excessive rainfall outlook. High risk days are extremely dangerous from a deadly flooding perspective.
The Cajun Navy started after Katrina as volunteer boaters conducted rescues on the fly. Despite legal trouble, scandals and infighting, it's still going. And some leaders say they've been advising Trump officials on FEMA + the US disaster system. Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Breaking News: More than 100,000 people in Washington state were told to leave their homes after heavy rain pushed waterways to record levels, creating potentially deadly conditions.
PBS reporting that today's FEMA Review Council meeting — which is supposed to be happening right now — has been canceled.
Here's what Tumwater Falls looks like today.
There’s flood warnings and watches all over the state with 26 rivers at risk of flooding. Make sure you’re following weather alerts near you. Put your ZIP code in at weather.gov to find the latest.
In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires, residents repeatedly shared their concerns with me about the soil on their properties after debris removal. So, for @nytwirecutter.bsky.social, I dug into how to approach post-fire soil testing and mitigation: www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...
Indonesia is grappling with severe shortages of food, medicine, and clean water after catastrophic floods and landslides on Sumatra Island. Displacement has risen into the hundreds of thousands www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTnS...
In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires, residents repeatedly shared their concerns with me about the soil on their properties after debris removal. So, for @nytwirecutter.bsky.social, I dug into how to approach post-fire soil testing and mitigation: www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...
Floods across Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have killed nearly 1,000 people in less than a week.
"David Richardson on Monday resigned as acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to people familiar with the situation, ending a brief tenure leading an agency the administration had publicly expressed a desire to dismantle." wapo.st/4nYPtDa (gift link)
I'm rounding up coverage of federal shutdown impacts on disaster funding and services for an upcoming newsletter. If you've written any or noticed anything in your area, please send it my way!
I ask as someone who spent two hours waiting for a dozen emergency radios to potentially erupt...
Question for NOAA and other weather-world people: Does the shutdown mean there are no weekly NOAA radio alert tests?
So many outlets write about young people; very few do the work to write for young people, and that was just one sliver of what made Teen Vogue special. Grateful to have worked with @allegrak.bsky.social on articles that spoke to the often overlooked impacts of disasters on students.
The news comes amid the Trump administration’s effort to dramatically slash federal spending – including by proposed cuts to key weather and climate programs within NOAA.
(From KHNS - Haines)
As part of @technologyreview.com's big new package on conspiracy theories, I went long on weather modification — what's possible, what's not, what's happening and where, and why people will probably always find ways to blame weather disasters on shady forces:
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, causing widespread flooding and destruction.
A map image from the Flight Radar 24 service shows the flight track of a NOAA P-3 Orion aircraft flying over the Caribbean Sea, where Hurricane Melissa threatens to bring catastrophic rain and flooding to Jamaica and Haiti. Most other aircraft appear to be steering clear of the area.
NOAA hurricane hunters flying aboard a P-3 Orion aircraft ("Kermit") are monitoring Hurricane Melissa as most aircraft steer clear. The storm poses a catastrophic threat to Jamaica and Haiti.
The crew are among the many federal workers working without pay during the US government shutdown.
