At least 254 people were killed in the in the city of Mocoa (population 40,000) in southwest Colombia near the border of Ecuador early Saturday, when torrential rains triggered a debris flow on a nearby mountain that surged into the town as a huge wall of water carrying tons of mud and debris. The disaster is the fourth deadliest weather-related disaster in Colombia’s recorded history.
Jeff Masters and Lee Grenci • 4:07 PM GMT on April 03, 2017
A worrisome juxtaposition of very high instability and extreme wind shear will fall into place across a large swath of eastern Texas and northern Louisiana on Sunday, setting the stage for a potential round of multiple strong tornadoes. The NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center has placed the region under a moderate risk of severe weather (its second-highest risk category), with a chance of significant tornadoes (EF2 or stronger).
Bob Henson • 2:00 PM GMT on April 02, 2017
National Hurricane Center director Dr. Rick Knabb announced last week that he was leaving NHC to take a position as The Weather Channel’s chief hurricane expert this summer. The excellent Dr. Knabb served ably for five years as NHC director, and will be missed. His successor has already been named—it will be Dr. Gail Spinner, the first-ever female head of the agency.
Jeff Masters • 1:31 PM GMT on April 01, 2017