Deadly storm sandwich: Ingrid soaks Mexico's Gulf coast, Manuel attacks from Pacific

Torrential rainfall and strong winds from Hurricane Ingrid threatened a wide swath of Mexico's Gulf coast early Monday and Tropical Storm Manuel drenched the country's Pacific coast, as mudslides and flash floods killed 21 people and prompted thousands of evacuations.

Mexico's Civil Protection coordinator Luis Felipe Puenta confirmed 14 deaths in Guerrero, three in Hidalgo, three in Pueblo and one in Oaxaca on Friday.

Ingrid, which strengthened Saturday to become the second hurricane of the Atlantic season, had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph late Sunday and was expected to reach Mexico's eastern coast early Monday, the National Hurricane Center said. A hurricane warning was in effect from Cabo Rojo to La Pesca, and people in South Texas -- including the Brownsville and Corpus Christi areas -- were advised to monitor the storm, Weather.com reported Sunday.

The hurricane was centered about 110 miles northeast of the Tamaulipas state city of Tampico and was moving west-northwest at 6 mph.

The threat of the approaching hurricane led Mexican officials in the Tampico, Madero and Altamira to cancel Independence Day festivities on Sunday and Monday, The Associated Press reported. The Sept. 15-16 events commemorate Mexico's battle for independence from Spain.

In Veracruz, more than 5,000 people were moved to higher ground on Friday as officials issued a hurricane alert for parts of the state ahead of Ingrid. More than 1,000 homes were affected and scores of bridges and highways suffered damage from flooding caused by already heavy rains, the AP reported.

Manuel weakened as it made landfall Sunday afternoon near the western port of Manzanillo, but not without drenching the region first. The National Hurricane Center warned more flash floods and dangerous landslides were possible Monday in the southern states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, particularly in mountainous areas.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/15/20497513-deadly-storm-sandwich-ingrid-soaks-mexicos-gulf-coast-manuel-attacks-from-pacific?lite

Asteroid will zoom close past Earth this week, but it isn't a threat

A tiny asteroid discovered just last week is set to zip by Earth on Wednesday, passing between our planet and the moon. It is small enough and distant enough that it poses no threat to people, scientists say.

Astronomers first observed the space rock, named 2013 RZ53, on Friday, according to data from the Minor Planet Center, a clearinghouse of information on comets andasteroids based in Cambridge, Mass.

The asteroid measures only 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) across, and it is expected to pass at a safe distance of more than 148,000 miles (230,800 kilometers) away from Earth when it makes its closest approach on Wednesday at 6:20 p.m. (The moon orbits Earth at an average distance of 239,000 miles, or 384,600 km.)

Even if it were aimed directly at our planet, the newly discovered space rock is so small that it would likely burn up in the atmosphere before it could hit the ground.

By observing the asteroid over several days, researchers pieced together its trajectory. They also put together an animation of asteroid 2013 RZ53's path, showing that it comes relatively close to Earth's orbit.

The space rock belongs to the Apollo family of near-Earth asteroids — the same group from which the meteor that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in February 2013 is thought to have originated. The Russian meteor was much larger than the newly discovered asteroid, estimated to have been about 56 to 66 feet wide (17 to 20 m) before it exploded.

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/asteroid-will-zoom-close-past-earth-week-it-isnt-threat-4B11176450

Powerful typhoon Man-yi strikes Japan, forcing thousands to flee

A powerful typhoon made landfall in central Japan on Monday, forcing the evacuation of 320,000 households across the country.

Torrential rain in Kyoto city caused a river to overflow, inundating homes and stores near Arashiyama mountain, a popular tourist site.

A 71-year-old woman was found dead after a mudslide crushed her home in Shiga Prefecture, according to the public broadcaster NHK. Four others were reported missing across three states.

Bullet train services were suspended throughout the day and over 400 domestic flights were cancelled because of the storm.

http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/16/20519891-powerful-typhoon-man-yi-strikes-japan-forcing-thousands-to-flee?lite

Heavy rains hamper attempts to rescue at least 1,000 stranded Coloradans

The death toll continued to rise Sunday in flood-ravaged Colorado — as even more heavy rains hindered efforts to rescue at least 1,000 stranded residents, officials said.

“Mother Nature’s not cooperating with us today and currently we are not flying,” said Shane DelGrosso, incident commander of rocky mountain incident management team at an afternoon press conference.

He said that about 500 people were rescued on Saturday, but at least 1,000 people remained trapped with no way to get out on Sunday.

Some 17,494 homes have been damaged and 1,502 wrecked in the flood, according to an estimate from the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.

Sixteen helicopters were prepared to deploy in Larimer County but would not take flight until “weather allows them to do so,” said Nick Christensen, executive officer at the Larimer Country Sheriff’s Department.

In areas experiencing a reprieve from the flooding, residents got a chance to evaluate their very wet homes.

The Poudre River in Laporte swept through Wendy Clark’s home but has since receded.

"This mud smells disgusting," said Clark. "I don't know how long that's going to be around."

Storms Spark Chicago-Area Tornado Warnings

A string of storms prompted a second round of severe weather alerts for Labor Day weekend.

Severe storms continued to power through the northwest suburbs Sunday evening, producing winds up to 60 mph. The National Weather Service doppler radar indicated severe thunderstorms, prompting alerts in McHenry, Lake, DuPage and Cook counties just before 8 p.m. 

Earlier storms sparked tornado warnings for Grundy, LaSalle and Kendall counties Sunday.

Those warnings were allowed to expire after the storm that prompted the warning "weakened," according to an alert from the National Weather Service.

Two people were critically injured Friday when a strong line of storms raked the Chicago area, bringing down trees and power lines, knocking out power to thousands, and delaying the travel of thousands of commuters heading into a busy holiday weekend.

Temperatures in the Chicago area on Friday were in the upper 90s, and with high humidity the heat index was more than 100 degrees. All of that hot, humid air was fuel for the line of storms that began crossing the Wisconsin/Illinois state line in mid-afternoon.

The storms topped out at about 55,000 feet and were moving to the south and east at about 25 MPH at about 5 p.m.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/weather/stories/Storms-Ahead-as-Midwest-Drought-Worries-Rise-221783631.html

Tropical Storm Kiko

Kiko was the eleventh named storm of the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season, forming late Friday August 30, 2013.  It entered a relatively favorable environment and quickly became a strong tropical storm by Saturday night.  Kiko, packing winds of 70miles per hour, was nearly a hurricane. 

After peaking in intensity at 70-mph tropical storm, over the Labor Day weekend, Kiko weakened substantially and become a remnant on Monday, September 2, 2013.

Kiko was never a threat to land and swirled off the coast of Baja California, before dissapating.  

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/tropial-depression-eleven-storm-hurricane-kiko-eastern-pacific-20130830

Super Bowl 2014: Farmers' Almanac Predicts Winter Storm for Northeast in Time for Game

 The Farmers' Almanac is using words like "piercing cold," "bitterly cold" and "biting cold" to describe the upcoming winter. And if its predictions are right, the first outdoor Super Bowl in years will be a messy "Storm Bowl."

The 197-year-old publication that hits newsstands Monday predicts a winter storm will hit the Northeast around the time the Super Bowl is played at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands in New Jersey. It also predicts a colder-than-normal winter for two-thirds of the country and heavy snowfall in the Midwest, Great Lakes and New England.

"We're using a very strong four-letter word to describe this winter, which is C-O-L-D. It's going to be very cold," said Sandi Duncan, managing editor.

Readers who put stock in the almanac's forecasts may do well to stock up on long johns, especially if they're lucky enough to get tickets to the Super Bowl on Feb. 2. The first Super Bowl held outdoors in a cold-weather environment could be both super cold and super messy, with a big storm due Feb. 1 to 3, the almanac says.

Said Duncan: "It really looks like the Super Bowl may be the Storm Bowl."

http://www.weather.com/sports-rec/farmers-almanac-says-winter-storm-super-bowl-20130826

Harsh, dry winds hamper moves to Douse California Wildfire

A monstrous California wildfire that has charred an area roughly the size of Chicago was inching closer to the northwest flank of Yosemite National Park on Sunday, threatening thousands of rural homes, according to officials.

The so-called Rim Fire had grown to just over 200 square miles by early Sunday, looming ominously over more than 5,500 residences, with 23 structures, including four homes, already ravaged and burned, according to the AP. The fire also threatened the San Francisco power grid, but it remained some 150 miles outside the city Sunday, said Johnny Miller, a spokesman for CalFire.

While some surrounding highways have been closed due to the wildfire, Yosemite National Park remains open, according to the National Park Service website. However, the massive fire threatens the park’s pristine beauty and has caused a hit to summer tourism.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/25/20169597-harsh-dry-winds-hamper-moves-to-douse-monstrous-california-wildfire?lite