Hurricane Isaias threatens more than coastline with impacts to push inland across South

THE TAKEAWAYPowerful waves from Tropical Storm Rachel damaged multimillion-dollar homes and destroyed sections of Long Beach’s historic boardwalk. Eight buildings representing 13 residential addresses were red-tagged as unsafe to enter, while one additional building received a yellow tag. Long Beach is launching emergency repairs and a multistep coastal-protection plan as El Niño threatens to bring more erosion and high-surf events. LONG BEACH, Calif. – Powerful waves generated by Tropical Storm Rachel tore through the Long Beach Peninsula over the weekend, damaging lavish multimillion-dollar oceanfront homes and destroying sections of the historic boardwalk as the California city continues battling rapid coastal erosion.

GALVESTON, Tex. - A red tide bloom along the Texas coast is prompting warnings from officials as the toxic algae could cause respiratory problems for beachgoers. Red tide is a naturally occurring, higher-than-normal concentration of microscopic algae that can affect fish and cause respiratory irritation to humans, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. HURRICANE SWELLS REVEAL FORGOTTEN HISTORY BENEATH ICONIC CALIFORNIA BEACH red tide beach in florida (TriggerPhoto / Getty Images)The department said staff have been monitoring fish kills and taking water samples from Crystal Beach and Bolivar Penninsula south to the north jetty at Boliver Roads. Additional areas being monitored include southern Galveston Island from the south jetty for about 12 miles, including the Steward Beach and Pleasure Island Pier, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. WHAT VIRUSES MAKE UP A RED TIDE BLOOM? Biologists with the department started receiving reports of a red tide bloom off the Galveston coast on Sept. 8.

Tanystylum kiixin, a new species of sea spider, with round eggs inside its legs. Researchers in Canada have discovered two new species that are related to spiders, but you don't have to worry about them crawling across your living room. The new species are part of the sea spider family and were found in shallow waters in the Salish Sea between Washington State and the Canadian province of British Columbia. These sea spiders are the first to be found in that area in more than 100 years, according to the researchers. The newly discovered species, which measure about a centimeter across, were collected between September 2023 and August 2024 off of the islands of Vancouver and Quadra in British Columbia.

An October nor'easter is developing in the Atlantic, where it will bring high surf, rip currents, coastal flooding, winds and rain to parts of the East Coast for several days this week. The National Hurricane Center has it highlighted as an area to watch this week for potential subtropical development. However, regardless of development, this system will bring dangerous conditions to the East Coast this week. Fortunately, this system doesn't look to be as strong as the one in September. But the bad news? It could linger for much of the week, so impacts could have a longer duration than you would think. There are currently coastal flood alerts across parts of coastal North Carolina and Virginia, where anywhere from 1 to 4 feet of inundation is possible. Key takeawaysWe do not expect this storm to be as strong as the late September nor'easter. The area most likely impacted the longest appears to be from the Delmarva Peninsula to eastern North Carolina, with more models pointing to primarily eastern North Carolina.

Thousands evacuate Southern California as wind-fueled fires burn homesFire crews in Southern California gained ground Saturday on a wind-driven blaze that charred hills and damaged or destroyed at least six large coastal homes, allowing evacuation orders to be lifted and thousands of people to return home. The fast-moving Norte Fire sparked the previous day in San Clemente amid hot, strong Santa Ana winds that drove it into San Juan Capistrano, prompting the evacuation of about 16,000 residents. Firefighters work to douse a house fire during the Norte Fire on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Hundreds of firefighters deployed to combat the blaze in the hills of Orange County. At one home engulfed in smoke and fire, photos showed them using hoses to try to douse the flames. Most of the evacuations were lifted Saturday evening, except for one street in San Clemente. The Norte Fire was one of several in the region hit by the Santa Anas, which blow from the interior and toward the coast.

Marine technician crosses world's roughest sea to document AntarcticaFor Andrew Naslund, Antarctica is his “favorite place in the world.”He’s a marine technician for Scripps Institution of Oceanography. And while not a professional photographer, he’s capturing Antarctica’s beauty along his research journey. Andrew Naslund, Scripps Institution of Oceanography marine technician.(Andrew Naslund)The researchNaslund spends months aboard a research vessel, the R/V Roger Revelle (AGOR 24), which he describes as “basically a floating laboratory.”“The purpose of this ship is to provide a platform for scientists to reach some of the most remote reaches of our oceans,” Naslund said. A big part of his role is assisting the scientists to safely deploy and recover their instrumentation over the side of the ship. He also keeps track of incoming data, ensuring the scientists are getting the information that they came out there to get. “[We’re] a mobile weather station. So anywhere that we travel in the world, we’re collecting meteorological weather data,” he says.