At least four people were killed, and 29 were injured in a multi-vehicle pileup on Interstate 25, just south of Pueblo, Colorado, on February 17, 2026. Authorities said strong winds caused brownout conditions, reducing visibility to near zero along the route.
Extremely critical fire weather conditions developed across parts of eastern Colorado, western Kansas, and the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles on February 17, 2026, as a strengthening storm system produced very strong winds and exceptionally low humidity. Wind gusts locally exceeded 95 km/h (60 mph), while afternoon relative humidity values fell into the single digits. The Storm Prediction Center issued an Extremely Critical Fire Weather Outlook, and multiple National Weather Service offices posted Red Flag Warnings, including Particularly Dangerous Situation designations in some counties.
A potent Pacific storm is bringing heavy snow and flooding to much of the U.S. West Coast, prompting water rescues. Road closures were reported across the region through February 16, as the storm triggered landslides, whiteout conditions, and localized flash floods. Another Pacific system will move onshore on Wednesday.
Kīlauea volcano’s Halemaʻumaʻu crater produced one of its most intense eruptive episodes in months on February 15, 2026, when dual vents discharged lava at rates up to 780 m³/s (1 000 yd³/s) and fountains rose 400 m (1 300 feet) high before the activity paused at 23:38 HST. The episode released an estimated 11.4 million m³ (15 million yd³) of lava and covered about half of the crater floor.
Multiple storms are forecast to bring heavy snowfall to California through February 18, 2026, with snowfall rates exceeding 76 mm (3 inches) per hour in parts of the Sierra Nevada. Extreme impacts are possible across higher elevations, with travel conditions dangerous to impossible, and 1.2–2.4 m (4–8 feet) of snow forecast above pass level.
A section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line failed on January 19, 2026, in Montgomery County, Maryland, releasing more than 920 million liters (243 million gallons) of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River. By volume, the incident ranks among the largest documented municipal wastewater spills in U.S. history. Elevated bacterial concentrations prompted recreational advisories and shellfish closures while emergency bypass operations continued into mid-February.
Multiple tornadoes touched down across parts of the Southern Plains and the Southeast overnight on February 14, 2026. These include at least five EF-1 tornadoes that have been confirmed in Mississippi and Texas, along with others reported in Louisiana. The twisters were the result of a storm system that brought significant rainfall, localized flash floods, and widespread wind damage to the region over the Valentine’s weekend.
Evacuation Warnings were issued for residents living near the Palisades and Eaton burn scar areas in Los Angeles County, California, effective from 21:00 LT (05:00 UTC) on Sunday, February 15, through 09:00 LT (17:00 UTC) on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, ahead of a winter storm forecast to bring heavy rainfall. Officials warned that debris flows and mudflows could damage property and pose life-threatening risks in recently burned areas. Winter storm warnings were also issued across parts of California and Nevada for heavy mountain snowfall and strong winds.
A storm moving from the Southern Plains into the Southeast will generate widespread showers, locally heavy rainfall, and severe thunderstorms across the southern and eastern United States through February 16, 2026. Slight Risk areas for Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall extend from east Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley, with additional Marginal Risk areas across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Florida has entered its worst drought in 25 years, with 100.00% of the state classified in drought categories D0–D4, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Severe to extreme drought now covers 85.46% of the state, marking the most extensive spatial coverage since the 2000–2001 drought event.
