DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

PinnedImage Thunderstorms were expected to affect a wide swath of the Eastern United States on Monday, forecasters said. Credit... NOAAA “complicated and active” storm system was sweeping across the Eastern United States on Monday evening, bringing widespread thunderstorms with damaging winds that caused nearly one million homes and businesses to lose power. Around 900,000 homes and businesses across the eastern United States had lost power as of 7 p.m., according to poweroutage.us. The National Weather Service said a couple of tornadoes, small hail and wind gusts up to 70 m.p.h. Ahead of the storms, the United States Office of Personnel Management said federal offices in Washington would close by 3 p.m. Lauren McCarthy and Livia Albeck-Ripka contributed reporting.

Persons: Lauren McCarthy, Livia Albeck, Ripka Organizations: Eastern, NOAA, National Weather Service, Tornado, Environment Canada, New, United States, Management Locations: Eastern United States, New York, Georgia, Airports, McGraw, Syracuse, N.Y, Delaware , Maryland , New Jersey , New York , Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Canada, Ontario, Quebec, United States, poweroutage.us . Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania , Tennessee, New Jersey, New York City, Washington

A “complicated and active” storm system swept across the Eastern United States on Monday evening, delivering widespread thunderstorms that killed at least two people, grounded thousands of flights and left more than a million homes and businesses without power. The line of storms barreled through a stretch from Georgia to New York, downing power lines, sending trees crashing into homes and tearing roofs from buildings, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service. At least one tornado was confirmed, just after 5:30 p.m. in the village of McGraw, about 30 miles south of Syracuse, N.Y. In Florence, Ala., a 28-year-old man died after he was struck by lightning in a parking lot in the city, about 60 miles west of Huntsville, local police said. And in Anderson, S.C., a 15-year-old boy was killed when a large tree fell and struck him, according to local fire officials.

Organizations: Eastern, National Weather Service, Weather Service Locations: Eastern United States, Georgia, New York, McGraw, Syracuse, N.Y, Florence, Ala, Huntsville, Anderson, S.C

☆ Severe Weather Expected in Eastern U.S., Forecasters Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A “complicated and active” storm system was sweeping across the Eastern United States on Monday, bringing the potential for multiple rounds of widespread thunderstorms that are capable of producing damaging winds, flash flooding, hail and tornadoes, forecasters said. Unsettled weather was expected to stretch from New York to Georgia, with the highest risk in the Mid-Atlantic.

Organizations: Eastern Locations: Eastern United States, New York, Georgia

Dangerous heat that has scorched other parts of the country for more than a month spread to the nation’s most populous region on Thursday, with spiking temperatures and a blanket of oppressive humidity that prompted widespread heat warnings in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The heat will probably peak in the region on Friday, when about 118 million Americans, more than a third of the population, were expected to be in the “danger” zone, where the heat index — a measure that combines temperature and humidity — would rise into the 100s, according to a New York Times analysis of National Weather Service and U.S. Census Bureau data. That’s among the largest proportions of the U.S. population to be threatened at the same time by extreme heat so far this year. More than a dozen daily heat records could be set across the Northeast on Thursday and Friday, meteorologists said, with many of them likely to occur at night, when temperatures are unlikely to cool down as much as usual.

Organizations: New York Times, National Weather Service, Census Locations: New England

☆ Risk of Excessive Rain Returns to the Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A moderate risk of excessive rain capable of causing flash flooding is forecast for southern Vermont and a portion of upstate New York on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Light rain Thursday morning was expected to ease before thunderstorms approach the area in the afternoon. These storms could drop rainfall at a rate of two inches or more per hour. “Additional heavy rainfall will pose a rapid increase in the risk for flash flooding following the intense rainfall and flooding earlier this week,” forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center said Thursday morning. This rain might not be as bad as what fell earlier in the week, but forecasters are concerned about any rain that falls on the saturated ground.

Organizations: National Weather Service, Weather Prediction Locations: Vermont, New York, New England

☆ See How Much Rain Fell in the Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Judson Jones | Lazaro Gamio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

See How Much Rain Fell in the NortheastA slow-moving, unnamed weather system meandered through the Northeast, releasing astounding amounts of water that led to the worst flooding in New England since Tropical Storm Irene. Bridges were washed away and streets in downtown Montpelier, Vt., looked like a Venice canal. River levels over the past four days Winooski River at Montpelier, Vt. 0 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft. Flood stage Winooski River near Essex Junction, Vt. 0 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft. Flood stage Lamoille River at Johnson, Vt. 0 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft.

Persons: Irene, Bea Malsky, “, Phil Scott, Vermont’s, Brian Snyder, Mr, Scott Organizations: Tropical, Weather, United State Military Academy, ”, Weather Service, Reuters Locations: New England, Bridges, Montpelier, Vt, Venice, New York, West, Vermont, Plymouth, Montpelier , Vt, Essex, Johnson, Vermont’s

A concrete patio was washed into a brook behind a home after flash flooding left widespread damage to the downtown in Highland Falls, N.Y., on Monday, July 10, 2023. Ms. Dagaev looked outside. Ms. Dagaev was unsteady on her feet on dry land. She called her friend, Laurie Tautel, the county legislator, who was just minutes away on Main Street in Highland Falls. “You’ve got to get me out of here!” Ms. Dagaev shouted.

Persons: Katharine Dagaev, Dagaev, Younger, Pat Flynn, Flynn, they’re, “ Let’s, Mr, couldn’t, Laurie Tautel, Tautel, “ You’ve, “, ”, ’ Organizations: “, Credit, Firefighters Locations: Highland Falls, N.Y, Highland, Hudson, New York, West Point

PinnedTorrential rainfall generated widespread flooding across western New England and parts of New York State on Monday, flooding homes and washing away roads and bridges as people were stranded in vehicles. In Vermont, where flooding was expected to intensify throughout the day, officials said about 20 people so far had been rescued by boat, with another two dozen evacuated from homes. And at least one person, a woman in her 30s, died in the flooding in New York’s Hudson Valley, the authorities said. The downpour was generating flash flooding in five counties across northern Vermont, where up to three inches of rain have fallen so far, the Weather Service said. In central Vermont, Addison, Orange, Rutland and Windsor counties are at risk of a flash flood through the early afternoon.

Persons: Steven M, Neuhaus, ”, ABC’s, Mr, John F, Irene, Claire Moses Organizations: New York State, America, National Weather Service, Weather Service, New York, Orange, Kennedy, Boston Logan International Airport, Amtrak, Weather Prediction Locations: New England, New, Vermont, Hudson Valley, Orange County, N.Y, “, Burlington, Addison, Orange, Rutland, Windsor, Hudson, New York, LaGuardia, Boston, New York City, Albany, East

Continued rain and widespread flash flooding are expected Monday in New York and into New England, a day after heavy rain flooded homes, stranded vehicles, made roads impassable and caused other damage in the Hudson Valley on Sunday. At least one person died, the authorities said. State Senator James Skoufis, who represents Orange County, said that the victim was a woman in her 30s, but the circumstances surrounding her death were still unclear.

Persons: James Skoufis Locations: New York, New England, Hudson, Orange County

The air quality index Wednesday morning reached the “unhealthy” benchmark in cities across the United States including Seattle, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. Major cities most often see these air quality index spikes after Fourth of July celebrations, said Dan Westervelt, an associate research professor at Columbia University and air pollution adviser to the State Department. “Basically, there was a huge spike particulate matter pollution last night. It’s still lingering around today, but I expect it wont last tomorrow,” Dr. Westervelt said. “I think the risk to healthy individuals is fairly low, since it is so short-lived.”

Persons: Dan Westervelt, It’s, Westervelt, “, ” Organizations: Columbia University, State Department Locations: United States, Seattle, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, West Coast

☆ As the South Stews, Temperatures Are Set to Rise in the West, Too
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Emily Cochrane | Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When forecasters predicted that oppressive heat would settle over much of the South for days this month, one of the first thoughts for staff members at the Mobile Botanical Gardens was how to protect their most sensitive plants. But with the prolonged heat now stretching toward the weekend, their focus has shifted to the safety of the people drawn to the gardens, particularly tourists unfamiliar with the mental and physical toll of the steamy conditions. “This heat is a different animal,” said Robin Krchak, the gardens’ executive director, who now closes online ticket sales at noon to encourage visitors to come in the relative cool of the mornings. The few employees and volunteers who keep the gardens humming are arriving earlier or cutting their workloads short to avoid heatstroke and heat stress.

Persons: ”, Robin Krchak

☆ When Will the Heat End?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dangerous heat is continuing to expand east this week, delivering the hottest temperatures of the year for many states in the South outside of Texas. “The full wrath of summer is set to take hold of the South this weekend,” forecasters in Atlanta warned on Wednesday. More than a dozen daily high-temperature records could be broken across the region through the end of the week. These high nighttime temperatures occur because the humidity keeps the air from cooling as efficiently at night. This is why the heat index, which accounts for the combination of temperature and humidity, is an important measure of what the actual temperature feels like.

Locations: South, Texas, Atlanta

An upcoming study from researchers at Stanford University offers a new way to trace far-flung smoke and pollution back to individual wildfires of origin. What’s burning in a wildfire determines what kind of pollution is in the smoke. Dr. Ford and others have studied wildfire smoke patterns, as well as the resulting exposure to particulate matter pollution. But the Stanford researchers have pulled off something new by putting the two together, she said, especially over so many years and so much land area. Aside from that, Dr. Lin thought the Stanford study would be very useful in figuring out the real human toll of wildfire smoke.

Persons: ”, Jeff Wen, Mr, Wen, Bonne Ford, it’s, Ford, John Lin, Lin, Stanford Organizations: Stanford University, Stanford, . Canadian Forces, Reuters, Seaboard, Colorado State University, University of Utah Locations: United States, U.S, Mistissini, Quebec, Georgia, Florida

How has the smoke affected air quality in the American Midwest? Image Chicago on Tuesday, where the Air Quality Index reached “very unhealthy” levels. Canada wildfires Burned Hotspots Source: Canadian Wildland Fire Information SystemHow far has Canadian wildfire smoke spread? In Canada, Environment Canada warned Tuesday that air quality would deteriorate overnight in Toronto, Canada’s largest city and financial capital. Poor air quality has also buffeted Montreal, where the sun has appeared in recent days as a lurid red dot.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Judson Jones Organizations: NASA, Agence France, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Environment Locations: Canada, Quebec, American, Europe, Coast, United States, New York City, Washington, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Swiss, Green Bay, Wis, Grand Rapids, Mich, East, ., Portugal, Spain, France, Toronto, Canada’s, Montreal, Mont Tremblant, Ontario, New York

☆ Texas Heat Wave Shows No Signs of Letting Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A weather pattern that has brought unrelenting heat to Texas for more than a week is unlikely to end until at least early July, according to forecast models, with record-breaking heat expected to expand into nearby states this weekend. “It feels like you stuck your head in an oven,” said Tom Decker, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Angelo, Texas, describing what it has been like when he stepped outside this week. The temperature recorded at his forecast office tied its record of 111 degrees on Monday and shattered it again on Tuesday and Wednesday with readings of 114 each day. When it is this bad, Mr. Decker said, he spends most of his time in an air-conditioned office or home. But he is concerned for people who don’t have that luxury, such as the crews drilling for oil, and the ranchers and the farmers in his forecast region.

Persons: ”, Tom Decker, Decker Organizations: National Weather Service Locations: Texas, San Angelo , Texas

This week’s attempt to rescue the five individuals trapped in the submersible, includes both the U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard. But, she said, when the cost of search and rescue efforts “crosses a certain threshold, funds may be diverted from N.P.S. The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to questions about the expense of past extensive search and rescue efforts. Credit... U.S. Coast Guard, via Associated PressMr. Derreumaux said he was thankful to the Coast Guard for saving his life, along with the lives of many others in need of its help. “I would not have called the Coast Guard if it weren’t a life-threatening situation,” he said.

Persons: ”, Chris Boyer, —, Boyer, Cynthia Hernandez, Peter Anderson, Cyril Derreumaux, kayaker, Derreumaux, “, ” Claire Fahy Organizations: U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, National Association for Search, National Park Service, OceanGate Expeditions, Abercrombie, Kent, The Coast Guard, San Francisco Chronicle, Coast Guard helicopter, . U.S . Coast Guard, Associated Press, Guard Locations: United States, New Hampshire, N.P.S, California, Hawaii, Marin County, Calif, . U.S

☆ Extreme Heat, More Storms Threaten an Already Battered Oklahoma
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Edgar Sandoval | Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Battered by severe storms that killed at least two people and left thousands without electricity, Oklahoma faced more relentless heat and severe storms on Wednesday as crews worked furiously to restore power in the hard-hit northeast part of the state. Ambulance crews in the Tulsa region were struggling to keep up with calls related to the storm and power disruptions, according to Adam Paluka, a spokesman for the Emergency Medical Services Authority in Tulsa. Many of the calls were related to heat exhaustion or to people falling ill because they had no power for medical equipment in their homes. Storms, possibly with hail, were expected to continue battering Tulsa and others parts of the state on Wednesday and the next few days. But officials were more worried about the relentless heat, which is expected to reach triple digits by the weekend.

Persons: Adam Paluka, “, ” Mr, Paluka, ” Organizations: Oklahoma, Ambulance, Emergency Medical Services Authority Locations: Tulsa

But Titan, the lost submersible from the company OceanGate, is a technological maverick based on novel concepts that differ from standard designs. “I’ve had three people ask me about making a dive on it,” he said in reference to the lost submersible. Private vessels — those used on superyachts, exploratory craft, tourists jaunts — are not formally regulated by any governmental or intergovernmental agency. Nor do they meet the rigorous standards that are applied to deep-sea craft used by the United States Navy and other government agencies. “We are proud that every submersible delivered remains in active service and certified to its original design depth,” it says on the company’s website.

Persons: ”, Bruce H, Robison, Alfred S, McLaren, Navy submariner, “ I’ve, ‘, OceanGate, submersibles, jaunts, Jennifer, Dr Organizations: Aquarium Research, Explorers Club of New, United States Navy, Lloyd’s, American Bureau of Shipping, ” Triton, Triton Locations: Monterey, California, Navy, Explorers Club of New York City, British, Everett, Wash, Houston, American

“The submersible industry had significant concerns over the strategy of building a deep sea expedition submersible without following existing classification safety guidelines,” Mr. Kohnen said. OceanGate said in the post that because its Titan craft was so innovative, it could take years to get it certified by leading assessment agencies. “Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation,” the company wrote. The submersible sustained modest damage to its exterior, he wrote, leading OceanGate to cancel the mission so it could make repairs. Still, Mr. Concannon wrote in the filing, 28 individuals had been able to visit the Titanic wreckage on the craft in 2022.

Persons: —, Will Kohnen, Mr, Kohnen, Rush, OceanGate, Bart Kemper, ”, Kemper, Charles Kohnen, Will Kohnen’s, “, David Concannon, Concannon, Rebecca Beach Smith, Kitty Bennett Organizations: The New York Times, Stockton Rush, Manned, Vehicles, Marine Technology Society, Titan, Atlantis, Eastern, of, Court Locations: Canadian, U.S, of Virginia

☆ Here’s Where the Smoke from Canada’s Wildfires Will Linger on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

People in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions will again face smoke from Canada’s wildfires on Friday, capping a chaotic workweek that brought hazy conditions and poor air quality to millions of people as far south as North Carolina. However, based on a New York Times analysis of the forecast models, there will be far less dense concentrations of wildfire smoke for most people on Friday. Pockets of dense smoke could significantly reduce air quality and lead to low visibility, the National Weather Service said early Friday, singling out areas around southern Ontario and across parts of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia could be the two cities that see the worst of the smoke Friday, but even then it should be better than it has been. A wider region across the eastern United States of light to moderate haze may continue to lead to opaque skies and orange sunsets and sunrises, which have dotted social media profiles this week.

Organizations: New York Times, National Weather Service Locations: Great, North Carolina, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, United States

Fires are burning across the breadth of Canada, blanketing parts of the eastern United States with choking, orange-gray smoke. So much wildfire smoke pushed through the border that in Buffalo, schools canceled outdoor activities. The average global temperatures today are more than 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than in the preindustrial era. The trees and grasses of eastern Canada turned to tinder. “We should expect a stunning year of global extremes,” he wrote.

Persons: It’s, El Niño, Justin Trudeau, ”, Alexandra Paige Fischer, Park Williams, Wiliams, Brendan Rogers, haven’t, La, Jeff Berardelli, El, Ada Monzón Organizations: Northern, University of Michigan, Stanford, University of California, Climate Research, El, Twitter Locations: Canada, United States, Puerto Rico, North America, El, Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, Alberta, Vietnam, China, Siberia, WFLA, Tampa Bay, Fla, WAPA

☆ How long will the smoke last?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The worst period of hazy, unhealthy air in New York City will last from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning, according to a New York Times analysis of computer forecast models. The haze will likely vary in thickness through the overnight hours and could last through the day Thursday. The Washington, D.C., region can expect dense smoke to arrive Wednesday night and last into the day Thursday. Forecast models for smoke near the surface show that from Thursday night into Friday, the main swath of dense smoke could move further west, into western Pennsylvania and Ohio. However, the further into the future you go, the less confident forecasters are in predicting the effects and density of the smoke.

Organizations: New York Times, D.C Locations: New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, Ohio

Bad air can be dangerous, especially if you’re breathing it over a lifetime. In East Asia, years of chronic air pollution is one reason that wearing face masks was common well before the coronavirus pandemic. School children there are used to playing inside on bad air days. In South Korea, would-be presidents have made reducing air pollution part of their campaign platforms. In other cases, urban air has improved because of something that no one saw coming.

Persons: it’s, Paiboon, Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, ”, Lee Hyung, “ It’s Organizations: New York State, World Health Organization, National University of Singapore, World Bank, Mexico City Locations: Midwest, United States, Cities, Asia, Africa, America, New, Bangkok, South Asia, East Asia, Seoul, South Korea, China, Beijing, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Mexico, New Delhi

In Ontario, a layer of haze blanketed parts of Ottawa and Toronto, where Canadian officials warned residents about the poor air quality, as smoke floated over portions of New York State and Vermont. All of New York City was under an air quality alert on Tuesday because of the smoke; by the afternoon, the Manhattan skyline was obscured by hazy skies. In eastern Canada, Quebec was most affected by wildfires as of early Tuesday afternoon, with more than 150 active blazes across the area, according to the fire agency. Weather officials warned that people more sensitive to poor air quality, such as people with lung disease and heart disease, children and older adults, should limit certain activities outdoors. Air quality alerts were also in place in New York City and in multiple counties in upstate New York through midnight.

Persons: Jiménez, Derrick Bryson Taylor, Bill Blair, ” Mr, Blair, Eric Adams Organizations: New York, New, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Residents, U.S . National Weather Service, Weather Service, Weather, Twitter, New York State Department of Environmental Locations: United States, Canada, Minnesota, Massachusetts, In Ontario, Ottawa, Toronto, New, New York State, Vermont, New York City, Manhattan, Quebec, Lake Superior, New York, “, Connecticut , Massachusetts

Search resuls for: "Judson Jones"

25 mentions found