natural disasters

The federal government hasn't declared a drought in several decades for any county in Ohio. Farmers in Ohio are seeing its impacts, as they're forced to adapt to dryer weather.

More severe weather is ahead for many of the same areas already hit hardest by the historic winter weather, with more than 100 million people in the path of the latest storms.

2020 and 2016 are virtually tied for the hottest year on record. That means more powerful hurricanes, more intense wildfires, less ice and longer heat waves.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says President Trump has approved some $350 million in wildfire recovery funds. A FEMA statement had said the state and local governments could handle the damage.

"If ordered to evacuate by local officials, leave!" the National Weather Service office in New Orleans says. Delta's possible path includes Cameron, La., which is recovering from Hurricane Laura.

Delta went through "a very impressive rapid intensification episode," the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning after the storm strengthened to Category 4. It's weakened somewhat since then.

In addition to dangerous smoke and fog, there is now concern that two of the biggest fires threatening cities and towns near Portland, Ore., might combine.

Sally is now forecast to fall just short of being a Category 3 hurricane. But flooding poses a huge threat: "Slow movement means more rain," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham says.

"This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state's history," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. Fires are burning more than 900,000 acres across the state.

Farm workers in California are facing the double health threat of working during the coronavirus pandemic and fire season. Wildfire smoke often makes the air quality dangerous for harvesting produce.