Fireball spotted in skies over Southeastern states may have been a meteor
Shocked onlookers saw what appeared to be a fireball shooting across parts of the Southeast on Thursday.
The National Weather Service office in Atlanta wrote on X that the fireball appears to be 'a meteor or space junk' that moved over north Georgia shortly before 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
'Reports of an earthquake came in shortly after, followed by sightings & video of a flash across the sky seen as far as Macon & Upstate South Carolina,' the weather service said.
A Georgia resident reported a rock coming through the roof of their home that left a golf ball-sized hole 'around the time of the reports of the 'earthquake,'' the weather service added in a follow-up post, citing Henry County emergency officials.
'We are presuming that a piece of the object fell through their roof,' the service said.
Emergency officials are investigating after the object fell about 25 miles southeast of Atlanta.
Dashboard and doorbell cameras across several Southeastern states caught glimpses of the fireball that appeared to be plummeting straight down towards the earth.
More than 140 people in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee reported the object to the American Meteor Society.
Meteors and other space debris frequently enter Earth's atmosphere, but it is rare for an object to be so bright it can easily be seen in daylight.
Bright fireballs are caused by friction as an object enters the atmosphere and slows down considerably. Almost all objects break into minuscule pieces before striking the ground, according to NASA.
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Week of sweltering US heat – is this the new normal in a warming world?
The list of climate-related disasters in the US was long last week as vast swathes of America sweated under a brutal heatwave. There was a 'mass-casualty event' of fainting high-schoolers in New Jersey as a K-pop concert was cut short in Washington. Young hikers had to be rescued in New Hampshire as tarmac roads bucked and melted in South Dakota and Nebraska. Luckless Amtrak passengers were stuck on a train with no air conditioning in a Baltimore tunnel, while some subway services in New York were suspended. The Trump administration declared a power emergency in the US south-east, and in Georgia the agriculture commissioner advised residents to make sure their animals had water and shade. 'Remember to take care of our friends also,' Tyler Harper said. These incidents – and many more – were the result of the highest temperatures across the northern and middle swath of the US at this early summer date in some cases since the late 19th century. Nearly 130 million people were under extreme heat warnings or heat advisories on Thursday, according to Noaa's Weather Prediction Center, with 282 locations breaking daily heat records this week, with another 121 equalling with previous highs, Noaa data showed. Daily heat records were set in at least 50 cities in the eastern US on Tuesday alone, according to the National Weather Service, with New York City recording its hottest day since 2012, according to Noaa. Climate scientists blamed a rapidly warming Arctic for the heat dome – a consequence that they say is the result of the 'stuck' weather patterns that come from a wavier polar jet stream, which can cause not just heatwaves but also heavy rainfall and floods. A new study, published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said found that stalled atmospheric patterns have tripled over the last 70 years. 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The Guardian
15 hours ago
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How to get the most out of your window air conditioner during extreme heat
The central and eastern US have been hit with a heatwave this week, with several cities recording their highest temperatures of the year thanks to a 'heat dome'. High humidity and night-time lows are contributing to oppressive and potentially dangerous weather, making it difficult for many people to keep cool. When one's abode starts to feel more like the inside of an armpit, air conditioning can provide sweet relief. But if you live in an older home or apartment, you're less likely to have central air. That means you have to drag out whatever machine you use to keep cool. Most often, this is a window air conditioning unit, says Darcy Carbone, vice-president of sales at APA HVAC Technologies and a member of the residential buildings committee at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. These units cool, circulate, filter and dehumidify air in a home. But using a window unit means more than just sticking it on the sill and letting it rip. 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Clean the filters: Start by cleaning the unit's filter. If you remove the front panel, you'll see the filter, which you can slide out. These are washable, Carbone explains. Shake off any debris, wash the filter by hand with a mild dish detergent, then rinse. If you want to clean your filters again after the unit is in the window, be sure to turn off and unplug the AC first. 'Filters should be washed at the beginning of the season,' Polchinski says. 'Generally, once a year should be enough. But depending on how dirty the air is in the environment, they may need to be cleaned more than once during the season.' Check the coils: Next, Carbone recommends assessing the AC's coils. A unit has two sets of coils: evaporator coils and the condenser coils. Evaporator coils help remove hot air from your home and are located behind the filter. Condenser coils expel heat and are located at the back of the unit, near the vents. You'll want to take care of these before the unit is in the window. 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Because a lack of fresh air increases how much indoor pollutants are inside, Li recommends using a carbon dioxide monitor to assess indoor air or alternating between using the AC and opening windows to encourage natural ventilation. Cleaning the unit's filters can help it stay energy efficient because clogged filters block airflow and cause problems. Dirty filters also increase the chance of mold and mildew growing inside the unit. This can lead to health issues and cause the air that exits the unit to smell musty, explains Li. Some AC units have a drain pan built into the unit to collect condensation. If this pan fills, mold can grow, which could also lead to a bad smell. Sign up to Well Actually Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life after newsletter promotion If drainage or filters don't seem to be an issue, but you still notice a bad smell, Carbone says to open up the unit and clean the coil with bleach. If you try all the above and it still smells funny, 'get rid of it', she says. Part of AC ownership also means knowing when to say goodbye. While window units can last for eight to 10 years, certain signs can indicate that something is amiss. Polchinski explains that an AC may be at the end of its run if 'your electricity bills are running much higher, but the price of electricity hasn't changed'. If your usage hasn't increased much from year to year, that suggests your unit is running less efficiently, he explains. That might mean that the motors are getting weaker, or there could be a 'low charge in the refrigerant, which could be an indication that there's a small leak', Polchinski says. Frozen coils can also be a sign of a slow refrigerant leak, says Carbone. If you have frozen coils, there's likely ice buildup around the coils and the unit isn't efficiently cooling your home. Window units use refrigerant, a chemical cooling agent, to remove heat and humidity from a room. During the process, the refrigerant changes state from liquid to gas. A leak can cause the refrigerant to escape as a gas. If an AC is leaking liquid, that's more likely to be condensation buildup. Older units also simply don't work as well. 'You're just going to be paying for non-efficient equipment,' Carbone says. You can bring an older AC to a specialist to see if they can fix whatever's wrong. But Polchinski says that, because it's expensive to repair and AC units are getting cheaper, 'it probably doesn't pay to repair it'. Carbone doesn't personally recommend getting your AC unit secondhand and says she wouldn't opt for one that's more than five years old. She also advises that you make sure the seller has cleaned the filters and the coils. Polchinski would also look for any signs of damage to the coil, adding, 'I would want to plug it in somewhere and test it – even if it's not in a window – just to make sure that it sounds right.' Listen for loud buzzing, hissing, banging and 'pinging or scraping noises that could be an indication of rotating parts touching something that they shouldn't be touching'. When buying secondhand or new, you'll also want to consider how the AC will work for the size of your room. A bigger unit isn't necessarily better: if it's too large, it will cool the room before removing humidity, making it feel clammy. You can do some simple math to figure out the size you need. Meanwhile, Polchinski says the most energy-efficient units are those that are Energy Star-rated. Carbone says you'll also want to consider what refrigerant the AC uses. Because refrigerants absorb heat, they are helpful in cooling systems, but if they leak, they can contribute to climate change. Newer machines use more environmentally friendly refrigerants. One major mistake Polchinski observes is when 'people turn the AC unit to maximum cold thinking that is going to get the room cooler faster.' He equates it to people 'constantly pressing an elevator button, thinking that's going to make the elevator get somewhere faster'. Ultimately, an AC can only reach a programmed temperature at a certain speed. Temperature control isn't like volume control, he explains. It simply means the compressor keeps running until you get to the selected frigid setting. Another issue is that people tend to cool buildings when it's 'perfectly comfortable outside' or a ceiling fan would be sufficient, says Liz McCormick, an architect, and professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who's written a book about the impacts of air conditioning. That's not great for the planet, and it changes our tolerance and perception of different conditions. 'It's completely changed the way we live and work,' McCormick says of air conditioning. 'But I do think we can continue to evolve the technology and find ways to balance this modern marvel with the healthful benefits of the outdoors.'
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Survivors of Lake Tahoe boating disaster credited for life-saving decision after 'freak storm' killed eight
The two survivors of the deadly Lake Tahoe tragedy that claimed eight lives were wearing life jackets at the time of their rescue. Ten boaters abroad a 27-foot gold Chris-Craft vessel set out the California side of Lake Tahoe last weekend, eager to enjoy a sun-drenched day on the water for a 71st birthday celebration. But the day turned fatal when a sudden, powerful storm erupted over the lake - unleashing eight-foot waves, pounding hail and torrential rain - that struck without warning and ultimately capsized their boat, claiming eight lives. The victims of the disaster were identified as: Paula Bozinovich, 71, Terry Pickles, 73, Joshua Antony Pickles, 37, Peter Bayes, 72, Timothy O'Leary, 71, Theresa Giullari, 66, James Guck, 69 and Stephen Lindsay, 63. However, the two unidentified individuals who survived the tsunami-like storm were revealed to be wearing life jackets when rescued, before being transported to a local hospital, according to a Facebook post from the Washoe County Sheriff's Hasty Team. 'The most common mistake boaters make it not being aware of the forecasted weather,' BM1 Justin Smith, executive petty officer of Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 'Life jackets being worn continue to be the primary survivability factor,' he added. On the morning of June 21st, the conditions outside were perfect for a carefree weekend outing - clear skies, gentle breezes and steadily rising temperatures. Despite a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms - a common occurrence for seasoned boaters - hundreds still took to the water that day. But something shifted around 2pm - some boaters spotted whitecaps forming on the water, while others noticed the wind suddenly picking up, blowing fiercely from the north, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. From that moment, conditions deteriorated rapidly, transforming a calm day into a desperate race against time and nature - as eight-foot waves, 30-knot winds, snow and hail engulfed the lake within just minutes. 'It felt like we were in a tsunami that was starting,' Brittany Glick, who was on a nearby pontoon celebrating a bachelorette party, told NPR. 'I had never experienced anything like that.' 'It happened suddenly. The water was just screaming toward the shore,' Ms Brigantino, who was visiting the lake with friends, told BBC. 'It was bad.' Some vessels broke free from their moorings, while others sank or crashed into nearby piers. Several buoys were also washed ashore, according to the LA Times. Before many could reach shore amid the chaos, several boats capsized - hurling passengers into the raging, churning waters. At around 3pm, multiple people reported seeing a group in the water after their boat met the same fate - all while waves in the area at the time were around eight-feet high, according to a news release from the El Dorado Sheriff's Office. Both the sheriff's office and the Coast Guard swiftly responded to the shores of D.L. Bliss State Park, where they successfully rescued two individuals wearing flotation devices. 'Weather in the Tahoe Basin can be unpredictable and change quickly,' Smith warned boaters while speaking with Fox News. 'Mariners should be hesitant to operate in conditions where wind advisories or small craft advisories have been issued,' he added. A massive search-and-rescue operation involving multiple agencies was quickly launched to locate the remaining boaters, including North Tahoe Fire, California State Parks, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, and the United States Coast Guard. The recovery operations also required advanced divers and specialized teams, including Wilderness Finder Search Dog Teams. Six bodies were recovered on the surface of the water near the capsized boat shortly after the storm, according to the Facebook post. The following day, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office responded to a request from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office to assist in recovering the two remaining victims. An extensive underwater search was conducted by the Washoe County's Search and Rescue Hasty Team, the Specialized Vehicle Unit aboard Marine 10 and the Marine 9 crew, the department wrote. Both the sheriff's office and the Coast Guard swiftly responded to the shores of D.L. Bliss State Park, where they successfully rescued two individuals wearing flotation devices The search employed the team's Outland 1000 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), equipped with multiple cameras, lights, onboard sonar, and an articulating claw - capable of diving to depths of up to 2,000 feet. That afternoon, a seventh victim was found at a depth of over 300 feet. Then, on Monday afternoon, the final missing boater was discovered deceased at a similar depth, bringing the death toll to eight, according to the department. 'The success of the search and recovery operations would not have been nearly as efficient without the assistance of our partner agencies,' the sheriff's office said. Among those who lost their lives was 37-year-old DoorDash executive Josh Pickles, along with his parents - 73-year-old Terry Pickles and 71-year-old Paula Bozinovich, ABC 7 News reported. Pickles' wife had stayed home taking care of their seven-month-old daughter at the time of the disaster, according to Fox News. The group was celebrating his mother's 71st birthday on Lake Tahoe. Two other victims were also from California: Josh Pickles' uncle, 72-year-old Peter Bayes, and 71-year-old Timothy O'Leary. The three remaining victims - 66-year-old Theresa Giullari, 69-year-old James Guck and 63-year-old Stephen Lindsay - were visiting from New York. 'These individuals were part of a closely connected family group enjoying a birthday gathering on the lake,' the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said in a June 24 statement. 'We extend our deepest heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were lost and all those who have been affected by this tragic event.' But even boaters who managed to reach shore during the storm weren't out of danger - many suffered after falling into the frigid water, which remained below 60 degrees throughout the day, LA Times reported. 'There was just a massive amount of people that were in hypothermia or shock,' Joby Cefalu, a lifelong Tahoe boater, told the outlet. 'It was just a tragic day on Lake Tahoe.' Last weekend's tragedy is believed to be the deadliest boating incident in the Golden State since 2019, when a 75-foot boat caught fire and sank near Santa Cruz Island, killing 34 people.
