Category: Climate

Mapping the Waters of Valdez, Alaska for Tsunami and Landslide Preparedness

7/31/2025 - By oceanservice.noaa.gov. A new partnership between NOAA and the City of Valdez, Alaska will help emergency managers prepare for future earthquakes, tsunamis, and underwater landslides. This partnership will support mapping 34 square nautical miles of the Port of Valdez — an important gateway to interior Alaska. A devastating earthquake in 1964 caused… SEE MORE

The Gentle Wisdom of Pacific Rockfish: A Story of Natural Adaptation

7/29/2025 - By US Harbors. Discovering how one of the ocean's most patient survivors navigates changing waters—and what it teaches West Coast anglers. Something beautiful is unfolding beneath Pacific waters. As ocean conditions gently shift and change, black rockfish have revealed a survival approach that speaks to nature's quiet wisdom: they're thoughtfully… SEE MORE

Things you can do to be Better Prepared for Major Flooding

7/13/2025 - By Caleigh Wells. Catastrophic floods can be difficult to prepare for. Sometimes evacuation is the right call, but if it’s too late the best bet is to find higher ground nearby. The stakes can be high, because a flash flood may give those in its path only minutes or seconds to react.… SEE MORE

May Brought Storms and Heavy Rain from the South to the Northeast; Spring was the Second Warmest on Record

6/13/2025 - By ncei.noaa.gov. Key Points: Thirteen states experienced one of their five wettest Mays on record, while dry conditions persisted across much of the Northwest. Two significant severe weather outbreaks on May 15–16 and May 18–20 resulted in over 200 tornado reports, very large hail and damaging winds. Alaska had its… SEE MORE

Lane Simmons of the U.S. Geological Survey collects a water-quality sample at the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, Louisiana (USGS 07374000). Credit: Scott Dennis, USGS.

NOAA Forecasts an Average Summer ‘Dead Zone’ in Gulf

6/11/2025 - By oceanservice.noaa.gov. Low-oxygen conditions expected to impact 5,574-square-mile area NOAA is forecasting this summer’s Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) “dead zone” to be average-sized, covering approximately 5,574 square miles — an area roughly three times the size of Delaware. The dead zone, or hypoxic zone, is an area of… SEE MORE

Hail Camera Invention will Help Improve Hail Forecasts

6/7/2025 - By research.noaa.gov. High speed cameras encased in bullet-resistant polycarbonate. LED lights 30 percent brighter than the sun. All mounted to the back of a diesel pick up truck wrapped in a metal cage. That’s the latest innovation in hail storm science from the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). Each… SEE MORE

Unmasking the Complicated Chemistry of Wildfire Smoke: How far have Scientists Come?

6/5/2025 - By Amber Liggett. Each time Lisa Patel stepped out of her apartment, a burning sensation stung her eyes and nose. The thick, toxic air made it difficult to breathe, tightening her chest as she moved through the streets of New Delhi. With asthma, every breath felt like a struggle. Amid… SEE MORE

Satellite image of Tropical Storm Hone from NOAA's GOES-18 satellite on August 24, 2024, as it approached the Big Island of Hawaii and shortly before the storm intensified to hurricane strength.

NOAA Predicts Less Active 2025 Central Pacific Hurricane Season

5/19/2025 - By noaa.gov. Forecasters urge public to prepare well ahead of upcoming season Today, forecasters with NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center and Climate Prediction Center announced a 30% chance of below-normal tropical cyclone activity for the upcoming central Pacific Hurricane Season. The 2025 outlook also indicates a 50% chance of a near-normal hurricane season and… SEE MORE

Assessing the U.S. Climate in April 2025

5/13/2025 - By ncei.noaa.gov. April brought widespread rainfall and severe storms to the central U.S., and much of the West, South and East remained dry and unseasonably warm Key Points: A slow-moving storm system in early April brought widespread flooding and over 150 tornadoes to the South and Midwest, resulting in numerous… SEE MORE

US will Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather Fueled by Climate Change

5/11/2025 - By Alexa St. John. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change. NOAA… SEE MORE