Weather, Flood | featured news

New York became the latest state to declare a state of emergency in a scramble to get ahead of Hurricane Irene as the storm prepares to make a potentially deadly drive up the East Coast. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's declaration Thursday follows those of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue - whose state is projected to take the first hit Saturday when Hurricane Irene makes landfall in the U.S. - limited her declaration to counties east of Interstate 95.

Virginia officials warned residents on Thursday to prepare for massive power outages, flooding and damage from Hurricane Irene comparable to that of Hurricane Isabel, which knocked out power to about 2 million people as it tore through the state in 2003.

A temporary earthen levee is the only barrier standing between Hamburg, Iowa, and the floodwaters of the Missouri River.

Crews are trying to beat floodwaters expected in an Iowa town on Tuesday by building up a secondary barrier to protect it from a massive hole in its main Missouri River levee.

More flooding across central China has killed 41 people, state media reported Friday, bringing the total killed in seasonal flooding this year to at least 95.

Monster tornadoes, historic floods, massive wildfires and widespread drought may all be related to La Nia weather pattern.

The swollen Missouri River is threatening to inundate a small southwest Iowa town where officials are piling massive sandbags on a faltering levee to contain floodwaters that could leave the community under several feet of water....

Mississippi state officials expect to evacuate 2,000 to 5,000 people in coming days. In Louisiana, more spill gates are opened to divert floodwater.

The swollen Mississippi River rolled south Wednesday as communities along its delta braced for flooding, and vast farms remained under threat as it left a trail of submerged homes.

Officials are warning residents in low-lying areas to leave, as the Mississippi River approached a crest Monday.