Tropical Storm “Hilary” — previously a Category 4 hurricane — reached California on August 20, 2023, marking its position as one of the rare storms to maintain integrity upon reaching the state. The storm, with surface winds over 80 km/h (50 mph), brought with it record-breaking rainfall and caused widespread flooding and power outages across the region.
Hilary rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane at 06:00 UTC on August 18, 2023, and continued moving WNW toward Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Significant flooding impacts are possible across portions of the Baja California Peninsula and the southwestern United States.
Destructive wildfires in Maui, Hawaii have claimed at least 80 lives in just a couple of days, as of late Friday (LT), August 11, 2023. This makes them the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since it joined the United States in 1959.
There is high confidence in a dangerous heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, with locations in the interior valleys and lower elevations of western Oregon facing one of their hottest five-day stretches on record (by average temperature), with above 38 °C (100 °F) highs likely.
A long-lasting, green fireball was recorded over Florida, U.S. around 01:18 UTC on August 11, 2023 (21:18 LT, August 10). The event lasted at least 15 seconds.
At least 36 people lost their lives to wildfires that engulfed Maui over the past couple of days. Fueled by the strong winds of distant Hurricane Dora, the fires have razed hundreds of structures in the historic town of Lahaina. A mass evacuation of people north of the town is in progress.
In July 2023, Tampa, Florida experienced the warmest month ever recorded, with average high and low temperatures peaking at 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above the norm. The lack of expected summer rainfall is a significant contributing factor to the record heat.
Alaska’s Trident volcano has seen a significant increase in seismic activity and ground uplift over the past five months, leading to concerns about a potential volcanic eruption. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) has confirmed that this unrest is the result of magma intrusion beneath the volcano. The rising magma, which can trigger an eruption, has also caused increased seismic activity in the neighboring volcanoes of the Katmai volcanic cluster, including Katmai, Martin, Mageik, and the Novarupta vent.
A major eruption is ongoing at Shishaldin volcano in Alaska, with satellite imagery suggesting the top of the ash cloud was approaching 12 km (40 000 feet) above sea level just before 08:00 UTC on July 23, 2023. As a result, the Aviation Color Code was again raised to Red.
Severe storms, characterized by high winds and large hail, swept across the United States from the southern Plains to the Northeast on Thursday, July 20, 2023, resulting in one fatality and leaving more than 500 000 customers without power. The storms, which reached their height in the evening, caused widespread damage to crops, trees, and buildings.
