By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press
Southern California is getting hit by a rare October storm that's pummeling the region with heavy rain and heavy winds. Mudslides are possible Tuesday. Some homes have been ordered evacuated in wildfire-scarred Los Angeles neighborhoods. Flames can leave hillsides without vegetation to hold soil in place and making it easier for the terrain to loosen during storms. The evacuations covered about 115 homes, mostly in Pacific Palisades and Mandeville Canyon. As downpours moved through the region, drivers hydroplaned and some accidents were reported on flooded roads. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings in several counties that recently had wildfires.
Residents of New Orleans are marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastating landfall on the Gulf Coast. Events from solemn memorial services to uplifting musical performances are being held in the city Friday to honor the dead, the displaced and the determined survivors who helped rebuild. A wreath-laying ceremony kicked off the day at New Orleans' memorial for dozens of unidentified storm victims. Hundreds observed a minute of silence in the Lower Ninth Ward, a majority Black neighborhood where the federal levee system was breached on Aug. 29, 2005. Residents and dignitaries also marked Katrina's anniversary in Mississippi, where hundreds more perished in the storm.
By ALLEN G. BREED and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
Strong winds and waves from Hurricane Erin have battered Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard as dangerous rip currents continue to threaten from the Carolinas to New England. But the storm is heading farther out to sea and forecasters say the unusually large hurricane will slowly weaken into the weekend. It has already dropped to Category 1 status. The menacing waves closed beaches from the Carolinas to New York City on Thursday. On North Carolina's Outer Banks, waves breached dunes in the town of Kill Devil Hills, and water and sand pooled on Highway 12. But the low-lying islands appear to have dodged widespread destruction.
President Donald Trump's administration has proposed revoking a scientific finding that's long been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration that determined carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health. The "endangerment finding" is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposed rule change on a podcast ahead of an official announcement set for Tuesday in Indiana. Three former EPA leaders say Zeldin's proposal would endanger the lives of millions of Americans.
A wildfire in a wilderness area of central California exploded in size as dry, hot weather raised the fire risk for large portions of the state ahead of the July Fourth holiday. The Madre Fire became California's largest blaze so far this year, ripping through grasslands after breaking out Wednesday in southeastern San Luis Obispo County. It swiftly grew to more than 55 square miles. There was just 5% containment Thursday. Evacuation orders and warnings are in place for tiny communities near State Route 166 as flames move through hilly terrain toward the Carrizo Plain National Monument east of Santa Maria. Dozens of smaller wildfires are burning across the state.
