A major tornado outbreak hit a wide area of the U.S. Midwest and South on Friday, March 31, 2023, producing several large and destructive tornadoes. At this time, it appears the worst affected were Little Rock and Wynne in Arkansas.
17 atmospheric rivers and several non-atmospheric-river storms since December 2022 pushed California’s snowpack to its largest level in recorded history, surpassing the previous record set in 1982-1983. In addition, the state’s drought conditions have improved significantly since the start of the water year, with severe to exceptional drought conditions now covering only 6.99% of the area, down from 93% just one year ago.
At least 16 people were killed and 7 are missing after a landslide hit Ecuador’s mountain village of Alausi.
A long-track, EF-4 tornado hit several towns in Mississippi around 21:00 LT on Friday, March 24, 2023, leaving massive damage in Rolling Fork. The same storm produced several other strong tornadoes, including an EF-3 that hit Winona.
An EF-1 tornado hit the city of Montebello near Los Angeles, southern California on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, ripping roofs off buildings, throwing cars around, and injuring 1 person. This is the strongest tornado to impact the Los Angeles Metro area since March 1983, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. It is also the second tornado to hit California within 24 hours.
Southern California faces a barrage of extreme weather as record-breaking rainfall, powerful wind gusts, and widespread power outages impact the region. At least 5 people lost their lives. While the torrential downpour provides relief from the long-term drought, it brings additional challenges, including flooding, flight cancellations, and complications for communities in the mountains still recovering from recent snowstorms.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit Hindu Kush, Afghanistan at 16:47 UTC on March 21, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 187.6 km (116.6 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.5 at a depth of 191 km (118.7 miles).
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 DZ2 will fly past Earth at a distance of 0.4 LD / 0.00117 AU ( 175 029 km / 108 758 miles) from the center of our planet at 19:51 UTC on March 25, 2023.
Tropical Cyclone “Freddy” has left at least 582 people dead and hundreds missing in Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius. The worst affected was Malawi where at least 476 people lost their lives and 349 are still missing, as of March 20, 2023.
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS and IGEPN as M6.7 hit Ecuador at 17:12 UTC on March 18, 2023. IGEPN is reporting a depth of 37 km (23 miles); USGS 66.4 km (41 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.7 at a depth of 80 km (50 miles).
