Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ

March 21, 2018

The Latest: Heaviest California rains still to come

The Latest on a storm that has forced evacuations in California (all times local): 6:45 a.m.

March 21, 2018

7 sites for disaster tourism

From tornado-ravaged towns to terrorist attack sites, there's something about tragedy that causes us to recoil in horror – but then run to the source to see it for ourselves. Sites of major disasters – whether man-made or entirely natural – can be extraordinarily compelling. But why? "A lot of people feel very sympathetic to victims of disasters, yet feel incapable of helping or supporting people who have suffered," says Dr. Michael Brein, a travel psychologist and author. "To some extent, when you go to revisit the scene of a disaster, you're paying homage, expressing sympathy with what has happened." The 9/11 Memorial in New York City is a striking example of this theory at work – within months of opening in 2011, upwards of one million visitors had visited the site of the worst terrorist attack in American history. "Some of us feel, if we can revisit the scene of these disaster areas, we can maybe get a more genuine, more hands on, more sensory input of what has happened," says Dr. Brein. In instances such as 9/11, he says, "we all go through a form of grieving – just as in the normal grieving process, visiting gives you some kind of completion, that you can now turn it around." Still, visitors must be appropriately sensitive, says Kelly Schulz, spokesperson for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Schulz's family home of 30 years was devastated in the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina, in 2005. "I think the most important thing is to approach the situation and the local people with respect," says Schulz. "Also know the right time to go," she says. "Stay out of the way until it is appropriate for visitors to travel to that site." Here are seven popular sites that will leave a lasting impression:

March 12, 2018

Hurricane center updates Irma death toll in US, Caribbean

The death toll from Hurricane Irma's catastrophic rampage across the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S. has risen to 44 fatalities directly caused by its strong winds and heavy rains, plus 85 fatalities indirectly linked to the storm, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

March 1, 2018

Storm hits California, evacuations ordered in mudslide area

Motorists were warned to stay off Northern California mountain roads as a major winter storm was expected to bring heavy snowfall, powerful winds and torrential rains at lower elevations Thursday.

February 28, 2018

Major winter storm could threaten burn areas of California

A powerful winter storm was bearing down Wednesday on California and forecasters warned of heavy snowfall in the northern mountains while predictions of widespread rainfall elsewhere raised concern about flash flooding near wildfire burn scars.

February 22, 2018

Man convicted of fatally beating boy gets life sentence

An Ohio man convicted of beating a 14-month-old boy to death and tossing his body into a creek with the help of the child's mother has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 19 years.

February 22, 2018

States face flooding, other problems in Midwest amid storms

Sandbags were holding back floodwaters in parts of Michigan as a storm system moved across several Midwest and Great Plains states on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, snow and ice to the region.

February 16, 2018

Man convicted of beating boy to death, tossing body in river

An Ohio man has been convicted of beating a 14-month-old boy to death and tossing his body into a creek with the help of the child's mother.

February 12, 2018

Heavy rains cause flooding woes in Appalachia

Heavy rains flooded areas and caused mudslides in parts of Appalachia, forcing dozens of people out of their homes and into shelters as the high water closed roads and schools.

February 6, 2018

Forget making it rain: Man accused of flooding strip club

A man is accused of causing massive flooding at a South Carolina strip club through the destruction of a toilet.