Shark sightings are on the rise as the “Super” El Niño brings in warmer water, as scientists warn Americans about their next trip to the beach. 
Scientists are predicting a 63% chance of a “<a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/super-el-nino-high-temperatures-disease">Super El Niño</a>” this year, a nickname for very strong weather events, which can result in temperatures in the Pacific Ocean increasing by at least 2℃ above average. This year could bring in the strongest El Niño on record.
With these weather shifts driving warmer water “deeper and faster” than before, sharks will move closer to shore. 
“Scientists are issuing a warning that California will see an exponential increase in sharks with intensely warming waters fueled by El Niño,”<a href="https://abcnews.com/video/133929304/"> ABC News</a> said.  
Dr. Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said that Southern California in particular will see a drastic uptick, having “double the sharks” than in a normal year, according to ABC News. 
Sharks can also appear in areas where they wouldn&#8217;t typically go, according to Lowe. 
“During strong El Niños, like the one that&#8217;s being predicted, we get tiger sharks, bull sharks, whale sharks, manta rays and even hammerheads,” Lowe said. “We have all these species that we don&#8217;t normally get.”
The <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/el-nino-forms-expected-to-strengthen-say-noaa-forecasters">El Niño</a> is a weather phenomenon occurring when the temperature in the equatorial Pacific is 0.5℃ above average for several consecutive months, coupled with a disruption of an atmospheric pattern called the Walker Circulation. 
These weather changes have global impacts, altering clouds, jet streams, air pressure, and storms. It also makes dry places wetter, and wet places drier, intensifying in the fall and culminating in the winter. <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/what-is-el-nino-and-how-could-it-affect-weather-this-year">The most recent El Niño</a>, one of the five strongest on record, caused high global temperatures, severe droughts, and intense cyclones.
During the last El Niño ending in May 2024, Southern California saw 20 to 25 juvenile great white sharks, which can reach up to nine feet long. Scientists predict Southern California could see just as many great whites again this year. These sharks can also be as close to the shore as waist-deep water.
The <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/2015-state-climate-el-ni%C3%B1o-came-saw-and-conquered">2015 El Niño</a>, equivalent to the “record-strong events of 1982 and 1997-98,” resulted in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/09/shark-attacks-record-high-2015-global-tally">98 unprovoked</a> shark attacks globally, a record high event. 
Australia has already seen four fatal shark attacks this year, and a great white shark was spotted in the Mediterranean, which is unusual. 
On June 8, a Navy base employee was injured in a shark attack in Panama City, Florida. 
With the anticipated increase in shark sightings, Lowe said people should be vigilant, not fearful.
“We know there’s safety in numbers,” Lowe said. “Statistically, it is very rare for somebody to be bitten if they’re in a group, but they’re more likely to be bitten if they’re by themselves.&#8221; 
Being aware of your surroundings, where you are swimming, and not swimming near a shark’s prey are further ways to ensure safety. 
Since it is more likely to be <a href="https://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/sharks/most-dangerous-shark.htm">killed by a cow</a>, <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2022/07/sharks-vending-machines-death.html">vending machine</a>, or <a href="https://www.ifaw.org/journal/faq-about-sharks">champagne cork</a>, swimmers should be aware in the water and not do anything foolish like the infamous <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2025/05/17/influencers-are-getting-too-close-to-sharksand-its-getting-people-hurt/">shark riders</a>. Sharks kill fewer than 10 people a year, while people kill on average 100 million sharks annually. 
Sharks are also just not that <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/el-nino-could-bring-sharks-to-beaches-that-have-never-seen-them-12049558">interested in humans</a>. Lowe said that the most recent data in California shows great white sharks are “around people all the time, people just don’t know they’re there.” 
​​&#8221;Using drone footage, we see sharks swimming right by people and not even changing their path,” Lowe said. “They&#8217;re completely ignoring people.”

Second largest aquarium in Europe: Lisbon Oceanarium

A Very Sharky Summer Could Be Ahead For The U.S.

shark

summer

U.S.

Weather

The UFC fights scheduled to take place at the White House on Sunday evening had to be pushed back an hour due to approaching thunderstorms.
The seven scheduled fights are expected to go on for approximately four hours, and the UFC is prepared to enforce 30 minute delays for lightning — but the likelihood of thunderstorms in the area was high enough that the organization opted to <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/14/sports/ufc-freedom-250-delayed-for-an-hour-due-to-looming-thunderstorms/">push everything back</a> one hour. Live coverage was still set to begin at 8p.m. ET, but the first fight was delayed until 9p.m.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UFC calls for Freedom 250 delay due to looming thunderstorms <a href="https://t.co/sEFx6Mz3aH">https://t.co/sEFx6Mz3aH</a> <a href="https://t.co/b3s1JMupZg">pic.twitter.com/b3s1JMupZg</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2066294430147981473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As The New York Post reported, &#8220;Weather Channel projections called for a 57 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms in the 8 p.m. hour and a 100 percent certainty of thunderstorms in the 9 p.m. hour.&#8221;
Dana White addressed the possibility of weather-related delays earlier in the week, saying, &#8220;I don’t care if it snows, rains, whatever; we’re going. And even lightning. You guys all played sports when you were growing up — whenever there was lightning, you’d sit the lightning out, and then when it was over, you played. That’s what we’ll do.&#8221;
The Weather Channel posted the forecast earlier on Sunday, prompting a defiant response from the White House: &#8220;Rain or shine, we’re celebrating our great country no matter what. GOD BLESS AMERICA!&#8221;
Eric Trump gave fans a sneak peek of the UFC set-up from the roof of the White House just hours ahead of the event: &#8220;All right, guys, UFC starts in a couple hours. Here&#8217;s what it looks like from the top of the White House.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/NNvczB02Nr">pic.twitter.com/NNvczB02Nr</a>
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) <a href="https://x.com/EricTrump/status/2066251995925594228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/NNvczB02Nr">pic.twitter.com/NNvczB02Nr</a>
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) <a href="https://x.com/EricTrump/status/2066251995925594228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Once the fights <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/14/sports/ufc-freedom-250-live-updates-full-card-highlights-and-winners/">get started</a>, any lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of the White House will trigger an automatic 30-minute delay.

President Trump Hosts UFC Freedom 250 Fight Topuria v Gaethje At The White House

White House UFC Fights Delayed As Storms Threaten

White House UFC Fight Delayed As Storms Threaten

America 250

Donald Trump

White House

Tornadoes tore through parts of Oklahoma on Thursday, injuring at least 10 people and causing serious property damage, according to <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/tornado-enid-braman-oklahoma-damage-video/71116783" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KOCO News 5</a>.
No fatalities were reported from the severe weather, which primarily hit the northern part of the state.
One of the hardest-hit communities was Enid, where roughly 40 homes were damaged, <a href="https://ktul.com/news/local/officials-40-homes-damaged-in-enid-garfield-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KTUL</a> reported. The city is home to Vance Air Force Base, and a dramatic video from the area showed a massive tornado moving near it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dramatic video captured a powerful tornado near Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, on Thursday evening. <a href="https://t.co/zqzebLRoDl">pic.twitter.com/zqzebLRoDl</a>
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) <a href="https://twitter.com/accuweather/status/2047657770514837972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt urged prayers for those affected.
“Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonight’s tornado,” Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) posted to X last Thursday night.
“I have spoken with Enid’s local leaders and will continue working with them as they assess the damage and identify needs. My prayers are with everyone on Vance Air Force Base and the surrounding neighborhood, and I am asking God to bring healing and comfort in the days ahead.”
Stitt warned that storms will “continue to move across Oklahoma tonight.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mother Nature’s wrath on full display..Daylight pictures of Gray Ridge neighborhood in Enid after last nights violent tornado..Some houses are slabbed..Best news..NO FATALITIES thanks to advanced warnings and people taking the info seriously <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrayersForEnid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrayersForEnid</a> 
📸 <a href="https://twitter.com/koconews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@koconews</a> <a href="https://t.co/ztfbQX6VcR">pic.twitter.com/ztfbQX6VcR</a>
— Todd Miller (@PlayByPlayGuy1) <a href="https://twitter.com/PlayByPlayGuy1/status/2047706394804023450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch in 14 Oklahoma counties until 9 p.m. Friday, including parts of east-central and southeastern parts of the state.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is asking people to report storm damage.
“Damage assessments are ongoing today,&#8221; the department posted.
&#8220;Reporting damage helps authorities understand the impact of damages and can help connect you to recovery resources,” the post continued.
Other officials expressed an outpouring of support for the community, which has just over 50,000 people and is just over 100 miles north of Oklahoma City.
&#8220;Our prayers are with the people of Northern Oklahoma as they recover from the damage caused by tornadoes. My office stands ready to protect the interests of these individuals against those seeking to take advantage of them during this vulnerable time,&#8221; Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond <a href="https://x.com/Okla_OAG/status/2047691039948075240?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a>.

Oklahoma Town Of Barnsdall Hit By Deadly Tornado

Tornado Ravages Through Community Near Air Force Base: ‘Vulnerable Time’

Kevin Stitt

Oklahoma

Tornado

Eight skiers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ten-skiers-missing-after-avalanche-6-others-stranded-awaiting-rescue">caught in an avalanche</a> near Lake Tahoe in California were confirmed dead and a ninth skier is presumed dead after a rescue team braved harsh conditions to search the area for any survivors, Nevada County, California, Sheriff Shannan Moon said on Wednesday.
The tragic update comes after rescuers found six survivors near Truckee, California, and brought them to safety following one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history. Fifteen, including four guides and 11 clients, were on their way back from a three-day backcountry excursion to Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains when they were caught in an avalanche the size of a football field on Tuesday, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/nine-skiers-still-missing-six-rescued-after-california-avalanche-2026-02-18/">reported</a>. Authorities initially said there were 16 total skiers, but they later said that one person who was planning on going on the trip backed out at the last minute.
Authorities will attempt to recover the bodies of the deceased skiers when the weather calms down and allows for safer travel.
&#8220;Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing, as well as our search for the remaining skier,&#8221; Moon said.
Boreal Mountain Ski Resort said that roughly 30 inches of snow came down in the area within 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday. Search teams made up of around 50 people braved a blinding snow storm during their rescue operation and were forced to ditch their snow cat vehicles for skis when they got within two miles of the avalanche site to avoid causing another avalanche. Up to 18 inches of snow is expected for the area on Thursday and Friday, which could push the authorities&#8217; timeline for recovering the bodies back even further. One of the deceased skiers was the spouse of a person on the rescue team, authorities said.
The group of skiers were part of a guided tour that included nine women and six men. Five of the survivors were clients of the guide company, Blackbird Mountain Guides, and one survivor was a guide. Blackbird Mountain Guides has faced scrutiny over its decision to move ahead with the backcountry ski trip despite the forecast for harsh weather and the avalanche risk. Sheriff Moon said during a press conference on Wednesday that she talked to the guide company about its decision.
The area near Truckee is one of the most popular destinations for skiers and is known for its beautiful scenery and heavy snowfall.
&#8220;The backcountry, it’s beautiful. There’s not a lot of people out there, and that’s where a lot of people like to recreate,” Sheriff Moon <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/18/us/lake-tahoe-avalanche-missing-skiers/c8047596-8e19-5498-862f-9672114112a2?smid=url-share">said</a>. “I myself like to recreate in that area, but Mother Nature, it doesn’t seem to matter, no matter how prepared you are, no matter how experienced you are.&#8221;

Rescue teams deploy to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains

8 Skiers Confirmed Dead In One Of America’s Deadliest Avalanches

Avalanche

California

Nashville, Tennessee, where The Daily Wire is headquartered, is covered in a massive sheet of ice.
A weekend of freezing rain coated every surface in Music City and surrounding areas of middle Tennessee with an inch-thick layer of ice, causing massive power outages and dangerous structural damage. With temperatures hovering in the teens, there is no thaw in sight.
The main culprit has been downed trees, which are blocking roads and taking down power lines all around the Nashville area.
Below are some of the scenes, collected by our staff.
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IMG_3475

PICTURES: Ice Wreaks Havoc On Nashville, Leaving Thousands Without Power

Nashville

Snow

Tennessee

From Texas to Maine, this weekend will be icy and dicey for 230 million Americans. One of the country&#8217;s most notable meteorologists, The Weather Channel&#8217;s Jim Cantore, explained to The Daily Wire the impact and consequences of this weekend&#8217;s forecasted winter storm and frigid temperatures.
Much of the country will experience three different types of precipitation from this storm: snow, sleet, and freezing rain, according to Cantore.
&#8220;In Dallas, they&#8217;re gonna have multiple precipitation types. They&#8217;re going to start to snow, maybe go to freezing rain, and then end with the snow again,&#8221; Cantore said. &#8220;Nashville starts to snow, sleet, freezing rain. Then ends as snow or freezing drizzle. Washington D.C. starts to snow, heavy snow, goes to sleet, then freezing rain, maybe even a little rain just east of D.C., and then back to cold behind this cold front.&#8221;
The three types of precipitation are why Cantore says the forecast for the storm, officially named Winter Storm Fern, has fluctuated over the last week.
&#8220;All those cities I just mentioned are going to have different precipitation types at different times,&#8221; Cantore explained. &#8220;Exactly how much time you spend in the sleet, the freezing rain, the snow, it&#8217;s hard to forecast that. But at the end of the day, if there&#8217;s a two-inch liquid equivalent of all of that, that&#8217;s the pie. So how you cut up that pie into sleet, freezing rain, snow, rain — sometimes you can&#8217;t do it until the day of the actual event.&#8221;
Cantore says the worst part about the storm forecasted to cover more than half the country is that everyone affected will likely see ice, which can be the most dangerous form of precipitation.
&#8220;An inch of freezing rain in parts of Northern Louisiana, maybe even North Texas, in Northern Mississippi is a disaster because timber is one of their major economic inputs. So they have huge amounts of timber in Mississippi, and now you&#8217;re talking about one inch or two of ice — so they&#8217;re gonna lose trees, they&#8217;re gonna lose power lines. Two inches of ice on a power line weighs about 2,250 pounds. Even if they get an inch and a half, that is bad enough. That&#8217;s still 800 to 1,300 pounds, a tremendous weight on those lines.&#8221;
Cantore said it doesn&#8217;t take much ice to have severe consequences.
&#8220;You can have power loss with a 1/4 inch of ice. You can get more extensive power loss with a 0.5-inch [of ice]. Severe widespread power loss with 3/4 of an inch, and once you get over one inch of ice, now you&#8217;re talking about bringing the lines down and trees down,&#8221; Cantore said.
Areas affected by more than an inch of ice could be without power for more than a week, according to Cantore. The time frame to restore power depends on how quickly the ice thaws, which may not be immediate. The meteorologist explained that an arctic cold front follows Winter Storm Fern. For the South, Cantore estimates a thaw to begin sometime Tuesday or Wednesday.
The unpredictability of the storm and cold front calls for preparedness. Friday is almost too late, according to Cantore, but he suggests getting a generator if one is available, having a gas grill for cooking if power goes out, and stocking up on blankets and firewood to stay warm.
Cantore will ride out the storm in New York City, where the city could break its record for most consecutive days below freezing, which currently stands at 14.
&#8220;This is a big deal. We will likely have hundreds of thousands of people without power because of this large area of freezing rain potential, and that is a huge concern,&#8221; Cantore said.

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

America’s Favorite Meteorologist Breaks Down This Weekend’s Wild Weather Forecast

America's Severe Weatherman Jim Cantore Explains This Weekend's Wacky Weather

freezing rain

Jim Cantore

News

Severe Weather

The Weather Channel

Winter storm

Snow and ice are expected to coat the South less than a week after rare snowfall peppered spots of Florida and Georgia.
The United States’ South is expected to be hit by a major weather system over the coming weekend, with icy weather anticipated to begin Friday and last through Sunday. Snow and ice are expected as far south as Houston, Texas, and as far east as Virginia Beach. Rain is likely to blanket much of the Deep South.
Projected amounts of precipitation are unreliable at this point as current models vary and are likely to change in the coming days, according to the <a href="https://nashvillesevereweather.com/2026/01/19/potential-for-snow-this-weekend/">Nashville Severe Weather</a> blog. But the models generally show wintery conditions covering a large part of the south from Friday to Sunday, potentially wreaking havoc on any weekend travel plans.
“It is still early, but models are suggesting that multiple cities in the South could see at least some winter weather. They could get everything: rain, snow, ice or a combination of them all,” <a href="https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2026-01-19-rain-snow-ice-mix-south-southeast">The Weather Channel</a> reports.
Freezing weather may extend in some regions as well, so any snow that does land is likely to stick around and compound any effects from the storm itself.
Wintery weather across the South is expected to ramp up significantly on Friday, with snow falling in parts of north Texas up into the Great Plains region. By Friday night, the area of potential snowfall is likely to stretch from Colorado to Virginia and North Carolina.
Into the weekend, the system is expected to tilt slowly down into the Gulf Coast of Texas and up into the Northeast, with much of the South staying under the system. Wintery conditions on Saturday night could stretch from Houston up to New York City.
The storm system that will potentially blanket the South comes less than a week after wintery weather hit Georgia and parts of northern Florida – a rare event for the area. A separate system hit the Northeast at the same time, snarling traffic and causing significant air travel delays, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/winter-weather/winter-weather-travel-mlk-weekend-rcna254664">NBC News</a>.
The twin storm systems placed roughly 55 million people under winter weather alerts. Air traffic in the United States face delays with roughly 7,700 flights within, into, or out of the United States delayed, and more than 500 canceled, according to <a href="http://flightaware.com">FlightAware.com</a>. In Michigan, snow and ice-covered roads <a href="https://x.com/foxweather/status/2013306132475806039">contributed</a> to a 100-car pile up.

Snow Hits New York

Snowpocalypse 2026: Severe Winter Weather Expected To Blanket The South

General

United States

It may not be a white Christmas for most of the United States when people wake up to open gifts Thursday morning, but storms are forecast to dump snow and ice on parts of the Midwest and Northeast late Christmas Day and into the weekend. Meanwhile, Southern California faces flood risks on Christmas Eve and into Christmas.
Travelers in the Midwest and Northeast should exercise caution when traveling for Christmas and when heading home after the holiday. Much of New York, including New York City, New England, and northern Pennsylvania are expected to get anywhere between 1 to 12 inches of snow Thursday night into Friday, AccuWeather <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/late-week-snowstorm-looms-for-part-of-northeast-including-nyc/1846942">reported</a>. The areas likely to see the most snow are southeastern New York and northeastern Pennsylvania, which are slated to get between 6 and 12 inches.
“This fast-moving storm will pack a punch in the Northeast right after Christmas. Holiday travelers should prepare for major slowdowns on roads and at airports,&#8221; said AccuWeather&#8217;s Senior Meteorologist, Tyler Roys.
Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Baltimore could also see a snow-rain mix.
Much of Michigan and Wisconsin are forecasted to get a snow-ice mix between Thursday and Saturday, with parts of eastern and mid-Michigan forecasted to get hit with a severe ice storm on Friday. Parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota could also be hit with ice or a wintry mix. Most of Ohio and parts of Indiana and northern Illinois, including Chicago, are expected to see rain. Thunderstorms are forecasted to hit central and southern Ohio, along with parts of northeastern Kentucky and western and northern parts of West Virginia, according to AccuWeather.
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The storm is expected to be New York City&#8217;s biggest snowfall of the year so far — between 3 and 6 inches — potentially causing travel disruptions for millions of people. ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/holiday-weather-forecast-white-christmas/story?id=128615555">reported</a> that travelers should expect &#8220;treacherous commutes&#8221; on I-80, I-70, I-90, and I-95.
Southern California was hit with heavy rain on Wednesday, with the stormy weather expected to stick around until Friday, ABC 7 Los Angeles <a href="https://abc7.com/live-updates/southern-california-weather-atmospheric-river-bring-storm-possible-flash-floods-region/18307242/">reported</a>. The storm has sparked flood warnings, concerns about potential mudslides, and at least one tornado warning on Wednesday. The tornado warning, which was issued for parts of east-central Los Angeles County, was canceled at 10:40 a.m. local time, but the National Weather Service said that damaging winds would continue throughout the day.
The storm is expected to dump several inches on Southern California, and thousands of customers lost power on Wednesday.
Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-heavy-rain-winds-snow-storm-holiday-travel-31f4d77881d7580659c6df6764ae52ee">warned</a> earlier this week, &#8220;If you’re planning to be on the roads for the Christmas holidays, please reconsider your plans.&#8221;

Snowstorm

Snow, Ice, And Flooding Threaten Christmas Travel Across U.S.

Christmas

flooding

The Steve Miller Band recently announced that the rest of their tour is being canceled due to extreme weather events that have been happening around the country.
The band had 31 scheduled upcoming dates beginning August 15 in Bethel, New York, and concluding in Anaheim, California, in November. But now fans won’t have the chance to see the “Jet Airliner” recording artists in any of those cities.
“Dear Steve Miller Band fans,” the statement shared to social media says. “You make music with your instincts. You live life by your instincts. Always trust your instincts…”
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<a href="https://t.co/9PcUoQzDK9">pic.twitter.com/9PcUoQzDK9</a>
&mdash; Steve Miller Band (@SMBofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SMBofficial/status/1945635867055313343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“The Steve Miller Band has cancelled all of our upcoming tour dates,” it says. “The combination of extreme heat, unpredictable flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes and massive forest fires make these risks for you our audience, the band and the crew unacceptable. So …You can blame it on the weather… The tour is cancelled.”
The statement concludes, “Don’t know where, don’t know when… We hope to see you all again. Wishing you all peace, love and happiness. Please take care of each other.”
Many fans shot back on social media, saying the cancellation of the whole tour seemed extreme. Some followers posted images of available seats for some of the tour stops, suggesting that it was because of low ticket sales.
“Are you serious? I’m a big fan and got tickets for this tour , but next time please find a [better] excuse,” one person <a href="https://x.com/marchenajr/status/1945662577012363533">wrote</a>.
“I am embarrassed FOR you…” another said.
“You’re canceling all tours …….. because of nature? That is matter-of-fact dumb,” a third <a href="https://x.com/NathanMirlywx/status/1945638489690722554">wrote</a>.
“Our ticket sales aren&#8217;t exactly buoyant, but at least we can get a little virtue signaling in,” another <a href="https://x.com/GlennisWil24642/status/1945818670426378677">said</a>.

Steve Miller Band

Steve Miller Band Cancels 31 Future Tour Dates: ‘Blame It On The Weather’

Steve Miller Band Cancels 31 Future Tour Dates: 'Blame It On The Weather'

Entertainment

Music

Natural Disaster

Just days before central Texas was hit with major flooding when Tropical Storm Barry dumped 15 inches of rain over parts of Kerr County, Rainmaker Technology Corporation flew a small plane over Runge, Texas, to release silver iodide into two clouds in hopes of producing some rain for the area that was facing a drought, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/10/texas-floods-cloud-seeding/">reported</a>.
Runge is 100 miles southeast of Kerr County, where at least 96 people, including 36 children, perished in the once-in-a-century flooding over the July Fourth weekend. But did Rainmaker&#8217;s weather manipulation project play any part in the deadly flood? That&#8217;s the question some Americans — and several lawmakers — are asking amid the controversy over the Texas flooding.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin addressed concerns over weather modification and geoengineering in a video posted to X on Thursday, announcing that the Trump administration is releasing everything it knows on the topics.
&#8220;EPA shares the significant reservations many Americans have when it comes to geoengineering activities,” <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-new-online-resources-giving-americans-total-transparency-issues">said</a> Zeldin.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Trump EPA is committed to total transparency. I tasked my team <a href="https://twitter.com/EPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EPA</a> to compile everything we know about contrails and geoengineering to release to you now publicly. I want you to know EVERYTHING I know about these topics, and without ANY exception! <a href="https://t.co/izKBz0lFvr">https://t.co/izKBz0lFvr</a> <a href="https://t.co/FkOCgBm3K9">pic.twitter.com/FkOCgBm3K9</a>
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) <a href="https://twitter.com/epaleezeldin/status/1943322077152313855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) <a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1941482077729255695">introduced</a> legislation over the weekend &#8220;that prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity.&#8221;
&#8220;We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering,&#8221; Greene said.
Rainmaker CEO Augustus Doricko <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6375463972112">appeared</a> on Fox News host Will Cain&#8217;s show on Wednesday to respond to the criticism of his company&#8217;s operations in Texas and explain that Rainmaker did not add precipitation to the region of Texas slammed by flooding.
&#8220;The question is whether or not Rainmaker cloud seeding on July 2 contributed to storms that occurred on July 4,&#8221; Cain said. &#8220;Did it enhance, did it intensify what we saw some 36 to 48 hours later?&#8221;
&#8220;Unequivocally, our cloud-seeding operations on July 2 did not impact the flooding that occurred later,&#8221; Doricko replied. &#8220;And that said, my heart and prayers are still with all the people of Texas, and all of the families that have been affected. It was a tragedy.&#8221;
Doricko said that his company complies with licensing requirements put forward by Texas, requiring them to suspend operations in areas where the National Weather Service issues flash flood or severe storm warnings.
&#8220;Our meteorologists actually proactively suspended operations a day before the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings, so we were ahead of the curve there,&#8221; Doricko added. &#8220;And even so, the precipitation that we induced, the very best operations can induce tens of millions of gallons of precipitation over hundreds of square miles. That is de minimis relative to the remnants of the tropical storm that came in and dumped trillions of gallons of precipitation.&#8221;
Some atmospheric scientists agree with Doricko, arguing that Rainmaker&#8217;s cloud-seeding operation could not have affected the flooding in Texas two days later.
“The amount of energy involved in making storms like that is astronomical compared to anything you can do with cloud seeding,” Bob Rauber, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign atmospheric science emeritus professor, told the Post. “We’re talking about a very small increase on a natural process at best.”
<h3>How does cloud seeding work?</h3>
Researchers in the United States first began experimenting with cloud seeding in the 1940s. The rain-inducing weather manipulation tactic works by sending an airplane or drones into clouds armed with small amounts of silver iodide, a chemical compound that helps form ice crystals in clouds that eventually lead to the clouds producing snow and rain. Cloud seeding can also be done through ground generators that release silver iodide into the atmosphere.
The United States military used cloud seeding during the Vietnam War, hoping to prolong the monsoon season, which would slow down the enemy&#8217;s supply lines by saturating roads and washing out river crossings.
<h3>Is cloud seeding effective?</h3>
A <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107328#:~:text=Cloud%20seeding%20may%20increase%20water,from%200%20to%2020%20percent.">report</a> published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2024 said that cloud seeding &#8220;may increase water availability and result in economic, environmental, and human health benefits,&#8221; but it admits that &#8220;it is difficult to evaluate the effects of cloud seeding due to limitations of effectiveness research.&#8221;
Long-term <a href="https://www.dri.edu/cloud-seeding-program/what-is-cloud-seeding/">projects</a> over the Nevada mountains have shown that cloud seeding can increase snowpack by 10% or more each year, and a 10-year cloud-seeding project in the Sierra Madre Range in Wyoming showed a 15% increase in snowpack. The benefits of cloud seeding include supplementing the water supply and fighting off droughts and wildfires, especially in the Western United States.
&#8220;My intention is to serve God,&#8221; Doricko told Cain when asked if his cloud-seeding technology is getting too close to trying to play God.
&#8220;I think that in Genesis 1:26-28 and then throughout the Psalms and the rest of the Bible, God tells us to take dominion over and steward creation for our sake, creation itself, and then to honor him. And so if there are droughts and we have the tools to mitigate the damage done by them&#8230;then we should deploy those for the sake of tending to and stewarding the world.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Cain: Are you playing god? Are you messing with things you should not be messing with when it comes to the weather? <a href="https://t.co/13fpcX6RcI">pic.twitter.com/13fpcX6RcI</a>
&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1943051093736608076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h3>Are there risks to cloud seeding?</h3>
Some scientists have expressed <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2022/08/dodging-silver-bullets-how-cloud-seeding-could-go-wrong/">concern</a> that cloud seeding, if implemented at a large scale, could be used by governments for nefarious purposes. Along with cloud seeding being used to induce rain, it can also divert rainfall from certain areas, as was done by the Chinese government to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/aug/08/olympics20081">clear skies</a> for major events during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In 2009, an unusually massive blizzard slammed China in the country&#8217;s dry northern region, and the government-run media pointed to China&#8217;s weather modification as likely playing a part in the storm, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125814710015847539">reported</a>. China&#8217;s Weather Modification Office, however, denied involvement in the blizzard.
The silver iodide used in cloud seeding has also been the subject of debate, since silver iodide is a toxic chemical. Proponents of cloud seeding argue that the amount of silver iodide used for the practice is so small that it has no measurable effect on humans or the environment, but some studies have pointed to potential risks for aquatic life from silver iodide in an area that gets repeated exposure.

Texas rain

Controversy Erupts Over Weather Modification Following Texas Flooding

Floods

Texas

Just days after flash floods ravaged central Texas — leaving at least 100 people killed and more than 160 still missing — a similar warning went out along New Mexico&#8217;s Ruidoso River as it rose rapidly on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service office in Albuquerque posted a warning as the river began to rise, warning residents to avoid the area and not to make any effort to drive through the floodwaters.
&#8220;A DANGEROUS situation is unfolding in RUIDOSO! A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY remains in effect! Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW! Do NOT attempt to drive through the floodwaters. The current will carry away your vehicle!&#8221; the initial post read.
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A DANGEROUS situation is unfolding in RUIDOSO! A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY remains in effect! Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW! Do NOT attempt to drive through the floodwaters. The current will carry away your vehicle! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nmwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nmwx</a>
— NWS Albuquerque (@NWSAlbuquerque) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSAlbuquerque/status/1942690477632893088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Additional warnings came out a short time later, showing just how quickly the river was rising.
&#8220;The flood wave on the Rio Ruidoso has reached the Hollywood gage. Stay away from the river! This is a look at the change in the river depth in just 30 minutes, courtesy of the USGS!,&#8221; the post read. Side by side photos showed the change over 30 minutes.
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Another 30 minutes later and it&#8217;s hard to tell where the riverbed is. The river is now in major flood stage at over 15 feet. Stay away from the river! Seek higher ground NOW! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nmwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nmwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/gd3ecndelG">pic.twitter.com/gd3ecndelG</a>
— NWS Albuquerque (@NWSAlbuquerque) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSAlbuquerque/status/1942706313244361145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A follow-up post showed a photo taken after another 30 minutes, and the river bed was even higher: &#8220;Another 30 minutes later and it&#8217;s hard to tell where the riverbed is. The river is now in major flood stage at over 15 feet. Stay away from the river! Seek higher ground NOW!&#8221; the NWS warned.
The latest update showed data indicating that the river&#8217;s 20.24 foot provisional crest on Tuesday was a full five feet higher than last year&#8217;s 15.86 foot crest on July 20, 2024.
&#8220;The Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood reached a provisional crest of 20.24 feet this afternoon while significant flash flooding was occurring. If this is confirmed, it would be a record high crest (compared to last year&#8217;s crest of 15.86 feet on July 20th),&#8221; the NWS announced.
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The Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood reached a provisional crest of 20.24 feet this afternoon while significant flash flooding was occurring . If this is confirmed, it would be a record high crest (compared to last year&#8217;s crest of 15.86 feet on July 20th). <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NMwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NMwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/QHtTrXLf3H">pic.twitter.com/QHtTrXLf3H</a>
— NWS Albuquerque (@NWSAlbuquerque) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSAlbuquerque/status/1942733999396286668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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ANOTHER Catastrophic Flood event unfolding NOW this Tuesday evening in New Mexico. The Ruidoso River in NM rose by 20 feet+ in less than an hour shattering a record. Videos coming in now breaking of homes floating down the Ruidoso River. Several inches of rain has fallen on burn… <a href="https://t.co/7yZufCdejH">pic.twitter.com/7yZufCdejH</a>
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) <a href="https://twitter.com/NbergWX/status/1942721251954332091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Flooding in Ruidoso

‘Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW’: Dramatic Ruidoso River Rise Sets Off Flash Floods In New Mexico

'Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW': Dramatic Ruidoso River Rise Sets Off Flash Floods In New Mexico

National Weather Service

New Mexico

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott provided another tragic update on the catastrophic floods on Tuesday, saying that 161 people remain missing in Kerr County, Texas, while another 12 people are still missing in other parts of the state.
Earlier on Tuesday, <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/1942691818065580061">reports</a> had the number of those missing at 40, but the governor&#8217;s latest update reveals an even grimmer situation after the state was devastated by the floods that hit over the July Fourth holiday. The death toll from the flooding across the state reached 109 on Monday, including dozens of children.
“To put this into perspective &#8230; there are far more fatalities than there were in Hurricane Harvey. That’s how catastrophic this is,” Abbott <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/07/08/texas-gov-greg-abbott-provides-latest-numbers-regarding-fatalities-missing-people-in-hill-country-floods/">said</a>, giving an <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1942682122839376065">update</a> from Hunt, Texas, in Kerr County.
&#8220;Know this: We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/texas-floods-live-updates-death-passes-100-rcna217415/rcrd84625?canonicalCard=true">added</a>. &#8220;Know this also: There very likely could be more added to that list.&#8221;
Five young girls and one counselor remain missing from Camp Mystic, the Christian girls&#8217; camp that took the brunt of the flooding when the Guadalupe River in Central Texas rose more than 30 feet in under an hour in some spots. Camp Mystic said on Monday that the death toll of campers and counselors had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unimaginable-tragedy-camp-mystic-says-27-campers-and-counselors-killed-in-sudden-flash-floods?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Unimaginable+Tragedy%E2%80%99%3A+Camp+Mystic+Says+27+Campers+And+Counselors+Killed+In+Sudden+Flash+Floods">risen</a> to 27.
Emergency responders have rescued at least 850 people. One United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, Scott Ruskan, is credited with saving 165 people, most of them children, alone.
As more days go by in the rescue operation, however, hope for finding anyone alive fades into dread that any bodies found will only add to the already-large death toll.
“The primary job right now continues to be locating everybody who was affected by this flood,” Abbott said.
Flood victims include children such as 8-year-olds, Renee Smajstrla and Eloise Peck, who were attending Camp Mystic, and 64-year-old Sherry Richardson, whose cabin in Liberty Hill, Texas, was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/08/us/texas-floods/d4fb0256-df9f-5328-a32a-8b77c20670c0?smid=url-share">swept away</a> on Saturday morning. The bodies of sisters Blaire and Brooke Harber were <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/sisters-found-hands-locked-together-following-20630269.php">found</a> 15 miles from where the flood waters washed them away from a cabin near the river, according to the Houston Chronicle. Blair and Brooke, ages 11 and 13, were found clinging to each other while holding rosaries, their aunt said.

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