Weather

 

California walloped by winter storm with high winds and heavy rain and snow

California was walloped Feb. 16 by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.

Millions of Los Angeles County residents faced flash flood warnings as rain pounded the region and people in some areas scarred by last year’s devastating wildfires were under an evacuation warning through Feb. 17 because of the potential for mud and debris flows.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered emergency crews and city departments to be ready to respond to any problems.

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The storm wreaked havoc on roadways spanning from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes, the California Department of Transportation reported. In Santa Barbara County, a large tree toppled onto US-101, shutting down southbound lanes.

It has seemed ‘springlike’ for a large part of  2026, but winter is set to show it’s not quite done yet. California’s Office of Emergency Services said it was placing fire and rescue personnel and resources in areas most at risk for flooding, mud and debris flows.

Other states on Feb. 16 braced for different threatening weather events. Residents in parts of eastern Colorado received warnings that they could be in fire danger due to a combination of abnormally high temperatures, gusty winds and dry conditions. The risks were expected to continue further into the week as gusts up to 60 mph were likely to hit the Colorado eastern plains on Feb. 17.  Parts of  Texas, New Mexico and Kansas were also under red flag warnings.

Panorama of a massive mesocyclone weather supercell, which is a pre-tornado stage, passes over a grassy part of the Great Plains while fiercely trying to form a tornado.

A storm system sweeps across the Southeast triggering tornado watches and damaging winds

ATLANTA—A weekend storm system sweeping across the Southeast brought tornado warnings to Mississippi and Louisiana, and then took aim at parts of Georgia and Florida, as people in the Northeast were finally getting a reprieve from weeks of bitterly cold temperatures.

Some of the fiercest weather in the South was reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm overturned a horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float, damaged an airport jet bridge and flung the metal awning from a house into power lines. The damage was documented by National Weather Service employees who surveyed the area.

Residents, Reef Bennett and Joe Kapinski, dig out their car from deep snow along Boreal Ridge Road, near Donner Summit, Calif., on Feb. 18. Photo: Alibi Edwards/San Francisco Chronicle via APK

Tropical Cyclone Gezani hits Madagascar and crushes houses

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar—Tropical Cyclone Gezani collapsed houses in Madagascar’s main port city and left at least 31 people dead as it crossed the Indian Ocean island with high winds and rain, authorities said Feb. 11.

Madagascar is especially vulnerable to cyclones blowing in off the Indian Ocean and was battered by another deadly cyclone less than two weeks ago.

The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said building collapses caused some of the at least 31 deaths, and at least 36 other people were seriously injured as Gezani made landfall in the eastern city of Toamasina. The agency said four people were missing and more than 6,000 people were displaced from their homes.

Toamasina, with around 300,000 residents, sustained severe damage, residents told The Associated Press. The majority of the deaths were in that region, authorities said.

Gezani on Feb. 11 moved west across Madagascar, weakening to a tropical storm as it moved inland, according to the national weather service. Cyclone season in Madagascar is from around November to March and brings repeated weather disasters to one of the world’s poorest countries, which barely has time to recover before another hits.

Tropical storm leaves thousands displaced in Philippines after flooding and a landslide

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines— A tropical storm set off flooding and a landslide in the southern Philippines, leaving at least eight people dead, displacing more than 28,000 and trapping residents in houses in two flooded villages, officials said Feb. 6.

Tropical Storm Penha slammed ashore onto the southeastern province of Surigao del Sur from the Pacific late Feb. 5. It weakened into a tropical depression Feb. 6 night and was last tracked off the central province of Cebu with sustained winds of up to 34 miles per hour and gusts of up to 47 mph, according to the country’s weather agency.

More than 28,000 villagers were displaced due to the storm, with most evacuating to emergency shelters in southern and central provinces. Classes were suspended in many areas, the Office of Civil Defense said.

More than 7,400 passengers and cargo workers were stranded in 78 seaports after interisland passenger ferries and cargo ships were temporarily prohibited from venturing into rough seas, the Philippine Coast Guard said. Compiled by Associated Press reports.