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

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!

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.

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.

Today is International #ShakeOut Day, the world's largest earthquake drill & a good time to learn (or practice) what steps to take in an earthquake & how to prep for these unpredictable hazards. I updated @nytwirecutter.bsky.social's guide with advice, tips, & tools: www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...

Before catastrophic floods swept through the Alaska Native village of Kipnuk on Sunday, the EPA canceled a $20 million grant intended to protect the community from extreme flooding. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/c...

"Disasters in remote Alaska are not like disasters anywhere in the lower 48 states....While East Coast homeowners recovering from a nor’easter can run to Home Depot for supplies or drive to a hotel if their home floods, none of that exists in remote Native villages."

New: There was an "emergency" all-hands meeting inside part of NOAA today basically to tell people they have no idea what to expect re a potential shutdown. "Even less than usual," per one source. There is no guidance yet available and no info on what specifically the OMB memo means. So that's cool.

Pilots reporting reduced visibility near Mount Saint Helens in Washington. Not because of an ongoing volcanic eruption, but because of gusty winds whipping up ash deposited from the 1980 eruption! USGS says this happens occasionally during gusty, snow-free conditions. Credit: USGS Volcanoes

note how Trump explicitly links approving disaster aid for Wisconsin and South Dakota to the fact he won Wisconsin and South Dakota

I spent six months walking the Lower Ninth Ward, speaking w/ dozens of neighbors, + combing through 6,000 pages of FOIA docs. My latest reveals what recent documentaries left out. If Katrina’s legacy moved you, don’t miss what’s happening to the community now capitalbnews.org/katrina-anni...

Disaster survivors are waiting longer for federal aid. A new Associated Press analysis found that it's taking more than a month, on average, for President Trump to approve major disaster declarations. That's up from an average of less than 2 weeks during the 1990s and early 2000s. buff.ly/4X0IhT6

"Half the population” of greater Los Angeles "now meet the government’s criteria for reasonable suspicion," in the wake of today's 6-3 SCOTUS ruling. www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Question for people working in the world of disasters & extreme weather: What conferences do you try to attend each year? Why?

I wrote about how Hurricane Katrina helped spur pretty remarkable improvements in hurricane forecasts since 20 years ago and how current and planned budget cuts by the Trump administration to research could set us back.

For @nytimes.com Magazine, I visited the Palisades burn scar to write about fire and resilience www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/m...

This is happening now:

"Two people fighting the Bear Gulch fire on the Olympic Peninsula were arrested by federal law enforcement Wednesday, in a confrontation described by firefighters and depicted in photos and video." www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

The FEMA Review Council's third meeting will take place tomorrow at 11a ET & is available for the public to view at this link: www.dhs.gov/federal-emer...

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will no longer administer a grant program that has so far provided millions of dollars to local television and radio stations to upgrade the equipment they use to send out emergency alerts ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/08/21/r...

Workers at FEMA worry that demanding disaster survivors access services using email could shut out people without internet connectivity from receiving government aid. www.wired.com/story/fema-n...

The U.S. Forest Service has spent decades blocking efforts to better protect its wildfire fighters, sending crews into smoke without masks or warnings about the health risks, a New York Times investigation found. nyti.ms/4mm9oMr

More than 400 people suspected to have died from extreme heat so far this summer in Phoenix, Arizona, and surrounding county - Temperatures have at least 110F (43C) nearly every day in August #climatecrisis Story by @ninalakhani.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Energy Secretary Chris Wright says Trump admin is altering previous National Climate Assessments. These were produced by hundreds of climate scientists and mandated by Congress. (1/2)

🚨SCOOP: A "select" number of FEMA probationary employees have been involuntarily reassigned to ICE, effective immediately, to "assist with hiring and vetting." If the employees don't report to ICE within seven days, they are threatened with termination. prospect.org/labor/2025-0...

My friend and fellow journalist @alecluhn.bsky.social is missing. If you have any info/sway that could help this situation please send me a message 💛

Emergency alerts/warnings followers: I'm looking to speak with experts about what the funding cuts to public broadcasting mean for this space. If you're interested in talking on this topic, please send me a message!

The Gifford fire had burned 65,000 acres by early Monday, scorching through part of Los Padres National Forest in south-central California and putting hundreds of people under evacuation orders.