Extreme Weather Chaos Across the U.S.: Fires, Floods, and Hazy Skies

The U.S. faces extreme weather with wildfire smoke blanketing the East, floods in Texas, and new fires in the Pacific Northwest. Over 100 million Americans face hazardous conditions, and 68 fires burn over 15 states. Human-driven climate change is linked to these extreme events, experts say.

The eastern U.S. was engulfed in wildfire smoke from the Great Lakes to Washington, D.C., while Texas's Hill Country saw floodwaters for the third day, and new fires erupted overnight in the Pacific Northwest. In total, 68 large blazes are now burning across 15 states, causing millions to face dangerous conditions, with advisories to remain indoors.

The National Interagency Fire Center reports over 17,400 personnel, 140 helicopters, and four military C-130 air tanker crews deployed to combat the wildfires. Nearly 3.72 million acres have burned nationwide, surpassing last year's mid-July figures by over a million acres.

Experts attribute these extreme events to climate change, as they link stalled jet stream patterns and increased temperatures to the rising number of simultaneous disasters. The smoke has affected air quality in major cities like Chicago, which recorded the second-worst air quality globally, prompting closures of parks and beaches.