The West Coast is in the midst of a long-lasting heavy rain event tied to a bomb cyclone in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, with the National Weather Service warning of "life-threatening flooding" in Northern California.
Threat level: The rapidly intensifying storm that is directing a strong atmospheric river at southwestern Oregon and Northern California brought hurricane-force winds to parts of Oregon, Washington and Canada late Tuesday into early Wednesday, causing widespread power outages.
Climate change strengthened the maximum wind speeds of Atlantic hurricanes by an average of 18 mph during the past five years, a new study published Wednesday shows.
Why it matters: The study is among the first to show a link between hotter ocean temperatures and stronger hurricane wind speeds. It ties climate change to a hurricane's destructive potential.
Meta Platforms is planning to build a multibillion-dollar data center in northern Louisiana, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Louisianahas emerged as an attractive area for data center campuses as Big Tech searches for new regions outside of energy-constrained hubs.
