Tuesday, February 21

We have a lot of news today, so let's dive in.

A major winter storm is moving into the Midwestern US, with dangerous blizzard conditions coming into the Dakotas, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and the New England area soon after. Over two feet of snow are expected in some areas across the northern US, so we'll be seeing some serious traffic jams; though the best thing to do during a winter storm is to just stay inside. Right now, Winter Storm Olive is pummeling the Pacific Northwest, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, and it will soon move east. So if you are in any of these areas, watch out!

Also related to weather: Cyclone Freddy has made landfall as a Category 4, after smashing through Mauritius and the French territory of Réunion. It is currently pummeling Madagascar with 130+ mph winds, having already killed one person, and will move into Mozambique later this week. If you live in these affected areas, it might be wise to evacuate, but if it is too late for that, take shelter!

Also, another earthquake has struck Turkey, just weeks after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Turkey-Syria border. Six people are dead and hundreds of others are injured after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake damaged homes and destroyed structures. Seismologists say that strong aftershocks like this can continue for weeks, months, or even years after the main earthquake, depending on how strong it was.

On another note, the EPA has finally announced that they will send someone to check out the damage and threat to the environment and to people after a train carrying hazardous chemicals crashed in East Palestine, Ohio. Residents are reporting rashes, headaches, nausea, and other symptoms that may be related to the crash. Thousands of fish have been found dead in rivers, and some of the pollutants have even floated down the Ohio River all the way down to Missouri!

Lastly, we have more bad news. Over 44 people are dead after torrential rain battered southern Brazil, specifically in the São Paulo state. Many cities have even canceled the celebration of Carnival, because of the landslides, floods, and serious damage to infrastructure. The area received over two months worth of rain in 24 hours, which was just too much for the ground to handle. In fact, officials of the area said that the death toll is likely to rise, since many people are still missing and they suspect that most of them are buried under the mud.