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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NATSO and SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers, are responding to the Federal Highway Administration’s announcement that it will suspend approval of state electric vehicle infrastructure deployment plans under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grant program. “The NEVI program has in many states helped catalyze existing gas stations and truck stops to install fast, state-of-the-art EV charging stations,” said David Fialkov, executive vice president of government affairs for NATSO and SIGMA. In other states, NEVI has been implemented poorly, with chargers either still not built or, if they are, they’re in places nobody wants to stop.” Fialkov noted that it is encouraging that Trump Administration is reevaluating rather than abandoning the NEVI Program. “(We) intend to work closely with the Administration to share our experience and keep what’s been working, while reconsidering clearly unproductive approaches.” Rolling Back In his inauguration speech on Jan. 20, President Donald J. Trump emphasized his commitment to rolling back federal regulations related to vehicle emissions, which he referred to as the “electric vehicle mandate.” “With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers,” Trump said. “In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice. We will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago. And thank you to the auto workers of our nation for your inspiring vote of confidence. We did tremendously with their vote.”

DETROIT (AP) — Experts are questioning President Donald Trump’s latest effort to slow the electric vehicle charging buildout in the U.S. In a letter Thursday night, the Trump administration directed states to stop spending money for EV charging infrastructure, funds they were allocated under former President Joe Biden. Trump has slammed federal funding for electric vehicle chargers as “an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.” The administration may need an act of Congress for this, and it’s unclear there will be one. Industry leaders say customer demand will continue to drive growth in the charging network, regardless of federal funding. The Tesla Supercharger network — led by CEO Elon Musk, now a prominent member of Trump’s inner circle — itself has received millions of dollars through the program that was just halted. But it also has a massive footprint of chargers across the country. Tesla will continue expanding its network regardless of federal money — and likely still benefit from its competitors receiving fewer funds. What is President Trump trying to do with EV charging? On his first day in office Trump paused billions of dollars in funding for a nationwide buildout of fast electric car chargers that had been allocated to states through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula program. Then the Federal Highway Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation that administers NEVI funding, told states Thursday to stop carrying out their plans pending new guidelines. It’s part of the broader effort to dismantle many environmental policies and incentives put in place by the Biden administration. Some states, including Alabama and Rhode Island, already had suspended their programs with the Inauguration Day order, but Thursday’s directive is a further push from the Trump administration to halt federal efforts to electrify the roads and reduce planet-warming emissions from transportation. States that currently have NEVI-funded projects up and running mostly have been reimbursed by the federal government. But the new memo means states with projects in the works, or those currently contracting for them, have to come to a screeching halt, and they don’t know if or when they will be able to proceed and request reimbursement. Why does this effort matter for EV drivers in the U.S.? NEVI was created through the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed by Congress in 2021, to fill gaps in the EV charging infrastructure network. For example, before, it might not have penciled out for a private company to install a charger along a rural highway with little traffic versus in a busy city, so this funding is an incentive to electrify those neglected regions. NEVI also addresses the concern many car buyers have for road trips where charging stations are too far apart. The NEVI program awards states $5 billion over five years, but they’ve struggled with permitting delays, complicated electrical upgrades and contracting. Estimates suggest $3.3 billion of NEVI funding had already gone out the door to states. Legal challenges for charging stations along highways This announcement creates uncertainty, said Ryan Gallentine, managing director at business association Advanced Energy United. “Most of the unawarded money is sitting in state Department of Transportation bank accounts ready to be spent,” Gallentine said in a statement. States are under no obligation to stop these projects based solely on this announcement, he said. “We call on state DOTs and program administrators to continue executing this program until new guidance is finalized.” Others say the effort is sure to start legal battles. “There’s no legal basis” for stopping plans that have already been approved and funded, said Andrew Wishnia, former deputy assistant secretary for climate policy at the DOT who helped author the NEVI program. Regardless, Loren McDonald, chief analyst at Paren, a company that tracks EV charging data, emphasized EV range concerns will linger. “If you don’t have convenient access either where you live or where you work or in between, why would you get an EV? It just doesn’t make sense,” he said. Money that was leftover after states met their highway obligations was meant to fill other gaps in charging: areas where there are low rates of EVs, including low-income areas or areas with a lot of apartment buildings where it hard for people to charge. What’s next for U.S. highway EV charging? The federal buildout is not the only or even the central effort to build EV charging across the nation. Private companies have collectively spent billions on this infrastructure. Industry leaders say that the demand from drivers for EV chargers will propel companies to build more of them. “I think the trend will continue. Maybe it’ll slow down over the next four years … but it’s going to continue,” said Bassem Ammouri, the chief operating officer at EV Connect, a major EV charging platform. The fear for some is that delaying critical charging infrastructure could have a domino effect on the EV transition, because it could slow sales, said Matt Stephens-Rich, director of programs at the non-partisan group Electrification Coalition. “As the world is shifting to electric vehicles, any slowdown will put the U.S. auto industry further behind,” Stephens-Rich said.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Duffy was confirmed Tuesday as transportation secretary, giving him a key role in helping President Donald Trump cut regulations and fix the nation’s infrastructure. The former Wisconsin congressman has promised safer Boeing planes, less regulation and help for U.S. companies developing self-driving cars — while not giving any breaks to Elon Musk, a key player in that technology. Duffy, a 53-year-old former reality TV star, was approved with bipartisan support on a 77-22 vote in the Senate. He takes over the Department of Transportation at a crucial time at the agency, a massive employer of more than 55,000 that spends tens of billions of dollars annually, oversees the nation’s highways, railroads and airspace and sets safety standards for trains, cars and trucks. At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Duffy vowed to “restore global confidence” in Boeing, hire more air traffic controllers, cut DEI programs at DOT and create federal rules for self-driving cars instead of leaving that to patchwork of state regulations that critics said holds back U.S. development. One of the biggest beneficiaries to a such a regulatory overhaul would be Musk. Stock his electric vehicle maker, Tesla, has soared since Trump was elected president on hopes that unified federal rules will be passed. Investors are also expecting the DOT’s investigations into Tesla to be eased now that Musk is a key adviser to the president. One of the biggest beneficiaries to a such a regulatory overhaul would be Musk. Stock his electric vehicle maker, Tesla, has soared since Trump was elected president on hopes that unified federal rules will be passed. Investors are also expecting the DOT’s investigations into Tesla to be eased now that Musk is a key adviser to the president. “Without clear rules, or a patchwork of rules state by state, we put ourselves behind those countries that allow innovators to expand and grow,” Duffy said at his hearing before Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation “We are in direct competition with China.” The agency has several open investigations into the safety of Tesla vehicles, some focusing on what the company calls Full Self-Driving, a misnomer because the vehicles require human intervention at any moment. In October, NHTSA launched a probe into Tesla’s self-driving system covering 2.4 million vehicles after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. Musk, the world’s richest man who has dubbed himself “first buddy” of Trump, gave an estimated $250 million to Trump’s presidential campaign. Duffy’s decisions at DOT will have a direct impact on profits not only at Tesla but Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, which has billions of dollars of contracts with federal agencies. DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration has occasionally fined the company for violations, including $633,000 last year for alleged safety violations during two Florida launches.

CASTAIC, Calif. (AP) — Nearly 20,000 people were ordered to evacuate on Wednesday, Jan. 22, as a huge and fast-moving wildfire swept through rugged mountains near foothill communities north of Los Angeles, as parched Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend. The Hughes Fire broke out in the late morning and within hours charred nearly 8 square miles of trees and brush, sending up plumes of dark smoke near Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area about 40 miles from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week. Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into wooded canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft tried to prevent the wind-driven fire from crossing the interstate and toward Castaic, where most of the 19,000 residents were ordered to evacuate. Another 15,000 people in the area were warned to prepare to leave at a moment’s notice, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department. Later on Wednesday, the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) shut down I-5 because of the wildfire. On Thursday, traffic was once again flowing along I-5. Kayla Amara drove to Castaic’s Stonegate neighborhood to collect items from the home of a friend who had rushed to pick up her daughter at preschool. As Amara was packing the car, she learned the fire had exploded in size and decided to hose down the property. “Other people are hosing down their houses, too. I hope there’s a house here to return to,” Amara said as police cars raced through the streets and flames ripped through trees on a hillside in the distance. Amara, a nurse who lives in nearby Valencia, said she’s been on edge for weeks as major blazes devastated Southern California. “It’s been stressful with those other fires, but now that this one is close to home it’s just super stressful,” she said. To the south, Los Angeles officials prepared for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides and reinforce roads. Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite sediment removal in fire-impacted areas. “As the fires have settled, new challenges lie ahead,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday news conference. “Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real.” A 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 centimeters), according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Los Angeles office. However, up to an inch (2 1/2 centimeters) could fall in localized thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough falls on scorched slopes. “But even if the rain doesn’t materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years,” Kittell said Tuesday. Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins. In 2018, Montecito, a town 80 miles up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire. Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged. Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through 8 p.m. Thursday in LA and Ventura counties. Officials remained concerned that the Palisades and Eaton fires could break their containment lines as firefighters continue watching for hot spots, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned strategically allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA, San Diego and Riverside counties, officials said. Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency kits, and quickly report any new fires. Bass warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city’s website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event. LA County public health director Barbara Ferrer cautioned that the ash could contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful materials. “Even a brief exposure can potentially cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems,” Ferrer said Wednesday, asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning up. The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued battling the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 68%, and the Eaton Fire was at 91%. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his department was still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All of those reported missing are adults, he said. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings. Several lawsuits have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, alleging Southern California Edison’s equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started. President Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address Monday, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday. Barger said Wednesday that details of Trump’s visit were still being worked out. According to the California Highway Patrol,  Interstate 5 is one of the most frequent traveled freeways in the United States and a major thoroughfare between northern and southern California. Currently, an average of 85,000 motor vehicles pass our facility on an everyday basis with 30% of those vehicles being commercial vehicles. The Trucker’s Bruce Guthrie contributed to this report.

ST. LUCIE, Fla.  — Just a few weeks shy of a year since the incident where a Florida Highway Patrol officer was killed along with the driver of an 18-wheeler in pursuit of a suspect, the family of the truck driver has filed suit against the FHP and the estate of the deceased trooper. Trooper Zachary Fink, a three-year veteran of the FHP, was pursuing a person who was driving a white Kia in a “reckless manner” and speeding on I-95 just before 3 a.m. on Feb. 2 of last year. According to a Florida news report, FHP Col. Gary Howze described 11 months ago that the vehicle that Fink was pursuing attempted to make a U-turn to drive northbound in the southbound lane in an attempt to escape the pursuit. “The driver made an abrupt turn to travel the wrong direction on Interstate 95,” Howze said. “Trooper Fink, in an attempt to continue to apprehend the subject, and to warn unsuspecting motorists of the danger in the area, turned also with the vehicle. And unfortunately, turned into the immediate path of a semi tractor trailer, which struck the left driver’s side of his patrol car.” The driver, Arsenio Mas, was also killed and left behind three children. The lawsuit states that Mas, “was operating a commercial truck in the inside lane closest to the median and was en route to deliver cargo as part of his employment.” “In the early morning hours of February 2, 2024, Mas was driving southbound on I-95 in St. Lucie County, Florida,” the suit states. “He was operating a commercial truck in the inside lane closest to the median and was enroute to deliver cargo as part of his employment.” At or about the same time, the suit states Fink was driving southbound on I-95 in St. Lucie County, Florida pursuing Michael Addison.  The suit is accusing Fink of “recklessly and negligently” driving the FHP vehicle “upwards of 120 mph in pursuit” of Addison.  “Even worse, … Fink recklessly and negligently cut across all southbound lanes of traffic (from the outside lane to the inside lane),” the suit states. The suit also accuses that Fink disregarded all policies and procedures of the FHP and disregarded the safety of himself and others, including Mas.  Other allegations against the late Florida trooper include: Operated the FHP vehicle at an excessively high rate of speed Cut across several lanes of traffic without warning and at an excessively high rate of speed Failed to consider how his reckless pursuit of a fleeing vehicle could endanger the lives of the motoring public Continued his pursuit of the fleeing vehicle even after the fleeing vehicle cut across all southbound lanes of traffic and attempted a U-turn onto the northbound highway Disregarded FHP’’ policies and procedures for pursuing fleeing vehicles Failed to avoid crashing into the plaintiff’s truck Failed to keep a proper lookout for vehicles, including the plaintiff’s truck Failed to follow safe and reasonable procedures and protocols for operating a vehicle in the State of Florida Was otherwise negligent and/or reckless for allowing his unreasonable pursuit of the fleeing vehicle to jeopardize the safety of the motoring public  

A major, disruptive winter storm was sweeping across the central U.S. on Sunday, forecasters said, bringing with it a dreaded combination of snow, ice and plunging temperatures. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from Kansas and Missouri — where blizzard conditions are expected — to New Jersey. In the two states where blizzard warnings were in effect, travel “could be very difficult to impossible,” with snow whipped around by high winds reducing visibility, the NWS said. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches. “Do not travel unless necessary!” the NWS said. The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually stays penned up around the North Pole, spinning like a top. But sometimes it escapes or stretches down to the U.S., Europe or Asia — and that’s when large numbers of people experience intense doses of cold. Studies show a fast-warming Arctic gets some of the blame for the increase in polar vortex stretching or wandering. Snow and ice in the forecast By Saturday evening, widespread heavy snow was likely between central Kansas and Indiana, especially along and north of Interstate 70. Part of the interstate was closed in central Kansas by the afternoon. Total snow and sleet accumulations for parts of Kansas and northern Missouri were predicted to be as high as 14 inches (35.6 centimeters). The storm was forecast to move then into the Ohio Valley, with severe travel disruptions expected. It will reach the Mid-Atlantic states on Sunday into Monday, with a hard freeze even expected as far south as Florida. Severe thunderstorms, with the possibility of tornadoes and hail, were also possible ahead of the storm system’s cold front as it crosses the Lower Mississippi Valley, the National Weather Service warned. Parts of upstate New York saw 3 feet (0.9 meters) or more of snow from a lake effect event expected to last until late Sunday afternoon. Car wrecks start as storm hits A fire truck, several tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles overturned west of Salina, Kansas. Rigs also jackknifed and went into ditches, state Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner said. He posted a video showing his boots sliding across the highway blacktop like an ice-skating rink. “We are in it now,” Gardner said as he drove to the scene of an accident. Online, he begged for prayers and warned that some roadways were nearly impassable. Freezing rain in Wichita, Kansas, sent authorities to multiple crashes in the morning, and police urged drivers to stay home if possible and watch out for emergency vehicles. Governors in neighboring Missouri and nearby Arkansas declared states of emergency. Whiteout conditions threatened to make driving dangerous to impossible, forecasters warned, and heighten the risk of becoming stranded. “Please stay off the roads. Crews are seeing too many vehicles out and sliding off,” Missouri’s transportation department said on the social platform X. Air travel also was snarled The Kansas City International Airport temporarily halted flight operations in the afternoon due to ice. Dozens of flights were delayed, including a charter jet transporting the Kansas City Chiefs, before the runways reopened. “Work will continue overnight to keep the airfield clear,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a message on X. Getting ready to ride out the storm Stores in Wichita were filled with shoppers stocking up on groceries in advance of the storm, and warming centers opened in churches and libraries. Several businesses closed across the Kansas City area, and the school district in suburban Independence, Missouri, said it might need to cancel classes for one or more days. “Get where you’re going now & stay put. If you must travel, consider packing a bag & staying where you’re headed,” the Missouri Department of Transportation said in a message on X. The agency warned Friday that a shortage of workers could hamper the ability to clear roads. In Columbus, Ohio, crews treated major roadways with anti-icing liquids. “It will be a major headache,” said Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. “The storm not only has the snow threat to it but the ice threat.” Power outages could be significant particularly south of the Kansas City area, Kines said. Temperatures dip, though no records break Starting Monday the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience dangerous, bone-chilling cold and wind chills, forecasters said. Temperatures could be 12 to 25 degrees (7 to 14 degrees Celsius) below normal as the polar vortex stretches down from the high Arctic. In Chicago on Saturday, temperatures hovered in the teens (minus 7-10 Celsius) and around zero in Minneapolis (minus 18 C), while dropping to 14 below (minus 25 C) in International Falls, Minnesota, on the Canadian border. Disruptions extend southward Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Friday evening ahead of the storm and encouraged residents to vote early on Saturday ahead of the state’s special elections Tuesday in a statement on X. Similar declarations were issued in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and multiple cities in central Illinois. “This is the real deal,” meteorologist John Gordon said at a press conference in Louisville, Kentucky. “Are the weather people blowing this out of proportion? No.” Officials in Annapolis asked residents to remove vehicles from emergency snow routes. The historic state capital near the Chesapeake Bay also announced plans to open several garages Sunday for free parking. The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 inches (about 20 to 30 centimeters) of snow for the Annapolis area, with temperatures remaining below freezing throughout the weekend. In Baltimore, an extreme weather alert was issued instructing agencies to provide shelter and assistance for those in need. City officials said wind chills were expected to dip to 13 degrees Fahrenheit (-10.56 degrees Celsius) overnight Saturday and remain in the teens through Tuesday. In Louisiana, crews were racing to find a manatee that was spotted in Lake Pontchartrain before the cold temperatures hit. The manatee was first seen New Year’s Eve in the Mandeville area. While manatees are common in the area during the summer, winter sightings are a concern since they can begin to experience cold stress symptoms when the temperature falls below 68 degrees (20 Celsius). “We are doing everything we can to get our hands on this animal,” said Gabriella Harlamert, stranding and rehab coordinator for Audubon Aquarium Rescue in New Orleans.

A major winter storm forecast to produce heavy snow, significant ice and frigid temperatures was set to begin in the central U.S. on Saturday and move east over the next several days, according to the National Weather Service. Here is what to know about the storm expected to affect millions in the eastern two-thirds of the country: Major winter storm sets up A large system made landfall along the West Coast on Friday afternoon, bringing rain to the Pacific Northwest with snow expected in the Cascade Mountains, according to meteorologists. The system will be responsible for the development of a major winter storm from the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic this weekend into early next week. Snow to fall throughout Central Plains and move east By Saturday evening, widespread heavy snow is likely in areas between central Kansas and Indiana, especially along and north of Interstate 70, where there is a high chance of at least 8 inches (20.3 centimeters). For places in the region that typically experience the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade, meteorologists said. The storm will then move into the Ohio Valley, where severe travel disruptions are expected. It will reach the Mid-Atlantic states on Sunday into Monday. Blizzard conditions possible Wind gusts higher than 35 mph (56 kph) and heavy rates of snowfall could lead to blizzard conditions, particularly in Kansas and nearby portions of the Central Plains by Sunday morning. Whiteout conditions may make driving dangerous to impossible and heighten the risk of becoming stranded. Freezing rain expected from eastern Kansas to the Ozarks Dangerous sleet and freezing rain, particularly detrimental to power lines, also is anticipated to start Saturday from eastern Kansas to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and much of Kentucky and West Virginia. Treacherous travel conditions are expected with power outages likely in areas with more than a quarter-inch (a half centimeter) of ice accumulation. “It’s going to be a mess, a potential disaster,” private meteorologist Ryan Maue said. Frigid air from the Artic to blast areas as far south as Florida Starting Monday, hundreds of millions of people in the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience dangerous, bone-chilling air and wind chills, forecasters said. Temperatures could be 12 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 14 degrees Celsius) colder than normal as the polar vortex stretches down from the high Arctic. “This could lead to the coldest January for the U.S. since 2011,” AccuWeather Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said Friday, noting there could be up to a week or more of “temperatures that are well below historical average.” The biggest drop below normal is likely to be centered over the Ohio Valley, but significant and unusual cold will extend south to the Gulf Coast, said Danny Barandiaran, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. A hard freeze is even expected in Florida, he added. “The wind chills are going to be brutal,” Woodwell Climate Research Institute climate scientist Jennifer Francis said. “Just because the globe is warming doesn’t mean these cold snaps are going away.” Weather may be triggered by a fast-warming Arctic The brutal weather may be triggered in part by a fast-warming Arctic, a reminder that climate change gooses weather extremes, said Judah Cohen, seasonal forecast director at the private firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research. The polar vortex — ultra-cold air spinning like a top — usually stays above the North Pole, but sometimes stretches down to the U.S., Europe or Asia, causing intense doses of cold. Cohen and colleagues have published several studies showing an increase in the polar vortex stretching or wandering. Cohen and others published a study last month attributing the cold outbreaks partly to changes from an Arctic that is warming four times faster than the rest of the globe.

MIDLAND, Texas — According to a report from the Midland Reporter-Telegram, at about 8:20 p.m., a Freightliner semi-truck towing a trailer was traveling northbound on State Highway 349, a few miles from Interstate 20, when it struck a Chevrolet Sonic traveling westbound on Farm-to-Market Road 1213/East County Road 160, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety press release. The Chevrolet Sonic disregarded the stop sign at the intersection, DPS said. The driver, identified as Manuel de Jesus Sanchez Velasco, 45, of Fort Bend, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Freightliner, identified as Jorge Luis Marquez, 40, of Horizon City, was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital with a minor injury. Midland Fire Department personnel assisted with the incident. The semi-truck was towing a belly-dump trailer, according to photos shared by the city of Midland.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center says there is a 60% chance that a weak La Nina event will develop this autumn and could last until March. La Nina is part of a natural climate cycle that can cause extreme weather across the planet — and its effects vary from place to place. Although there is no guarantee how this La Nina will play out, there are some general trends. Experts say northern parts of South America could see more rain than usual. Southern regions of the U.S. and parts of Mexico could be drier than average. The northern tier of the U.S. and southern Canada could be wetter than average. La Nina is the cool phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, a naturally occurring global climate pattern that involves changes in wind and ocean temperatures in the Pacific and can cause extreme weather across the planet. El Nino is the warm phase and happens when trade winds that typically blow across the Pacific toward Asia weaken, allowing warm ocean waters to pile up along the western edge of South America. But during La Nina, the trade winds intensify and cold water from the depths of the sea rises up, resulting in cooler than average ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific. These cold ocean temperatures and changes in the atmosphere affect the position of the jet stream — a narrow band of fast moving air flowing from west to east around the planet — by bumping it northward. The jet stream sits over the ocean and can tap into its moisture, influence the path storms take and boost precipitation. Just recently Earth experienced a “triple-dip” La Nina event from 2020 to 2023. “We had three back to back winters where we had La Nina conditions, which was unusual because the only other case of that happening was back in 1973 to 1976,” said Michelle L’Heureux, a climate scientist at NOAA. L’Heureux said that La Nina’s tend to last longer and be more recurrent than El Nino events. “It’s unusual although it’s not unprecedented,” said Ben Cook, climate scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies affiliated with Columbia University, about the forecast for a possible La Nina this year. Cook noted that the frequency of La Nina events can be stressful for regions that have been dealing with drought lately, such as East Africa. “If we’re moving into another La Nina event, it means kind of a continuation of those really bad conditions.” La Nina weather impacts The influence La Nina has on the weather varies based on location and the season, said L’Heureux. Parts of South America, such as eastern Argentina, can be drier than average while Colombia, Venezuela and northern parts of Brazil can be wetter than normal. “It depends exactly where you are. Part of that is because there’s a monsoon cycle, wet and dry season, that goes through Central America and South America, so La Nina is basically modifying the intensity and placement of those monsoon cycles,” explained L’Heureux. In the U.S., the Northeast and Ohio Valley typically see wetter than normal conditions with an active storm track due to the position of the jet stream, said Samantha Borisoff, climate scientist at NOAA’s Northeast Regional Climate Center based at Cornell University. The waviness of the jet stream can also cause more frequent cold outbreaks, particularly in the central U.S. Borisoff said snowfall is difficult to predict and highly dependent on the storm and path it takes, but noted that New England, New York and the Great Lakes region tend to be snowier during La Nina winters, but that is never a guarantee. The southern and southeastern regions of the U.S. are farther away from the active storm track and tend to be drier and warmer than normal. La Nina, El Nino and climate change Scientists say the link between climate change and La Nina and El Nino is not entirely clear. Paul Roundy, climate scientist at the University at Albany, said climate models tend to indicate more frequent El Ninos and less frequent La Ninas, but not all models agree. Computer models also struggle to separate normal variation in the El Nino and La Nina phases from climate change’s warming influence on the oceans and atmosphere. “I would not infer from that that climate change isn’t actually causing more El Nino emergence,” Roundy said. “It’s just that nature itself has such strong swings on its own. So we can get multiple La Nina events, and maybe in 40 or 50 years we’ll be seeing the opposite.” This story was first published on Oct. 16, 2024. It was updated on Oct. 17, 2024 to correct a scientist’s name. It is L’Heureux. The AP also misinterpreted a scientist’s comments about cold outbreaks. These are expected in the central United States, not the southern. The name of the University at Albany, State University of New York was also misstated.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — When ankle-deep floodwaters from Hurricane Helene bubbled up through the floors of their home, Kat Robinson-Malone and her husband sent a late-night text message to their neighbors two doors down: “Hey, we’re coming.” The couple waded through the flooded street to the elevated front porch of Chris and Kara Sundar, whose home was built on higher ground, and handed over their 8-year-old daughter and a gas-powered generator. The Sundars’ lime-green house in southern Tampa also became a refuge for Brooke and Adam Carstensen, whose house next door to Robinson-Malone also flooded. The three families met years earlier when their children became playmates, and the adults’ friendships deepened during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. So when Helene and Hurricane Milton struck Florida within two weeks of each other, the neighbors closed ranks as one big extended family, cooking meals together, taking turns watching children and cleaning out their damaged homes. And as Milton threatened a direct strike on Tampa last week, the Malones, the Sundars and the Carstensens decided to evacuate together. They drove more than 450 miles (725 kilometers) in a caravan to metro Atlanta — seven adults, six children, four dogs and teenage Max Carstensen’s three pet rats. “Everyone has, like, the chain saw or a tarp,” Robinson-Malone said Sunday. “But really the most important thing for us was the community we built. And that made all the difference for the hurricane rescue and the recovery. And now, hopefully, the restoration.” Recovery efforts continued Sunday in storm-battered communities in central Florida, where President Joe Biden surveyed the devastation. Biden said he was thankful the damage from Milton was not as severe as officials had anticipated. But he said it was still a “cataclysmic” event for people caught in the path of the hurricane, which has been blamed for at least 11 deaths. The number of homes and businesses in Florida still without electricity dropped to about 500,000 on Sunday, according to Poweroutage.us. That was down from more than 3 million after Milton made landfall Wednesday as a Category 3 storm. Fuel shortages also appeared to be easing as more gas stations opened, and lines at pumps in the Tampa area looked notably shorter. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced nine sites where people can get 10 gallons (38 liters) each for free. While recovery efforts were gaining steam, a full rebound will take far longer. DeSantis cautioned that debris removal could take up to a year, even as Florida shifts nearly 3,000 workers to the cleanup. He said Biden has approved 100% federal reimbursement for those efforts for 90 days. “The (removal of) debris has to be 24/7 over this 90-day period,” DeSantis said while speaking next to a pile of furniture, lumber and other debris in Treasure Island, an island city near St. Petersburg that has been battered by both recent hurricanes. “That’s the way you get the job done.” National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Close said rivers will keep rising for the next several days and result in flooding, mostly around Tampa Bay and northward. Those areas got the most rain, which came on top of a wet summer that included several hurricanes. Meanwhile, residents unable to move back into their damaged homes were making other arrangements. Robinson-Malone and her husband, Brian, bought a camper trailer that’s parked in their driveway. They plan to live there while their gutted home is repaired and also improved to make it more resilient against hurricanes. “These storms, they’re just going to keep happening,” she said. “And we want to be prepared for it.” The Carstensens plan to demolish what’s left of their flooded, low-slung home, which was built in 1949, and replace it with a new house higher off the ground. For the time being they are staying with Brooke Carstensen’s mother. Chris Sundar said he’s questioning his plan to remain in Tampa until his children have all graduated from high school a decade from now. His house remains the home base for the families’ kids, ages 8 to 13. On the wall there is a list of chores for them all, from folding laundry to emptying wastebaskets. Brooke Carstensen, a teacher, has helped the children through an extended period without school. The Sundars lost both their vehicles when Helene’s storm surge flooded their garage, so they drove Robinson-Malone’s car when they evacuated to Georgia. Arriving, exhausted after the 14-hour trek, Chris Sundar said to Robinson-Malone: “This is where community shines or it falls apart.” “And that night we got together and we all hung out,” he said. On Sunday back in Florida, they worked together to remove sticks and logs from a large oak limb that dangled over another neighbor’s driveway. Brian Malone cut it up with a chain saw. Tackling recovery as a group has made it seem far less overwhelming, Brooke Carstensen said. The families share tips and ideas on a group text thread. The Sundars threw an impromptu 13th birthday party for her son at their house between the storms. And she found solace and laughter from Brian Malone’s advice about rebounding: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It’s why she wants to remain in Tampa, despite her concerns that Helene and Milton won’t be the last storms. “Why do we live here in a place that’s trying to destroy us?” Brooke Carstensen said. “Well, it’s all the people that we have here.”