Month: June 2022

By AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press HELENA, Mont. — A torrent of rain combined with a rapidly melting snowpack caused a deluge of flooding that forced the evacuation of some parts of Yellowstone National Park, cutting off electricity and forcing park officials to close all entrances indefinitely, just as the summer tourist season was ramping up. While numerous homes and other structures were destroyed, there were no immediate reports of injuries. Yellowstone officials said they…

By FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The northern Arizona city of Flagstaff is synonymous with mountains — lush with ponderosa pines, meadows and hiking trails that are a respite from the desert heat. Now, parts of them are burning yet again this year, fueled by winds that grounded air resources Monday. Fire crews were anticipating more moderate winds Tuesday and throughout the week, which could help them get a better handle on the…

HELENA, Montana — Major flooding swept away at least one bridge, washed away roads and set off mudslides in Yellowstone National Park on Monday, prompting officials to close the entrances to the popular tourist attraction and evacuate visitors. The flooding hit after recent “unprecedented rains,” park officials said on Facebook. “Our first priority has been to evacuate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides and others issues,”…

Ocracoke, N.C. — We may be able to thank the first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season for carrying a rare sea bird to the North Carolina coast. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted a photo of the striking white and black seabird on Facebook, saying it is an “unusual visitor” normally found in the tropical open ocean. The Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) was spotted Tuesday on Ocracoke Island. Officials believe the effects of…

A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone that forms either in the Atlantic or Pacific ocean, on either side of North America. These storms can range in size from small tropical wind storms to massive hurricanes. There are three steps to categorizing a storm: formation, track and strength. But how are hurricanes categorized? The five categories of a hurricane | The Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale up to hurricane category 5 The Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale is a…