Articles written by Maureen K. Fleury

Through the use of technology and observation, hurricanes can be detected and tracked well in advance of making landfall.

Mar 24, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 stuck Christchurch, New Zealand at 12:51pm local time on February 22, 2011. Original death toll was 63 persons.

Feb 22, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

Not all lightning behaves the same way. Some bolts hit the ground while others remain in the clouds.

Feb 18, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

Several people in the past and present have tried various methods to create rain but was it luck or a true scientific discovery?

Feb 8, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

Climate changes in the Arctic will also affect global weather patterns, wildlife, agriculture, and population.

Jan 25, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

The equatorial climate is influenced by the position of the sun, the earth's rotation, and the movement of the prevailing winds.

Jan 16, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

In addition to having one of the coldest climates on Earth, Antarctica also experiences fierce winds and extreme dryness.

Jan 6, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

Despite an early winter and below normal temperatures in December, the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver were almost a washout.

Jan 2, 2011 - Maureen K. Fleury

The water of the Atlantic Ocean follows a pattern and it can moderate the climate of the land that lies in the path of this ocean current system.

Dec 16, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Also known as thundersnow, this rare phenomenon during a winter storm usually indicates a heavy snowfall is going to follow.

Dec 15, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The World Meteorological Organization's latest report indicates the first 10 months of 2010 were some of the warmest on record.

Dec 5, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Atmospheric conditions can turn precipitation into ice during the summer as well as during the winter.

Nov 28, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Fog is caused by sudden changes in temperature or movement of air or the variation in land elevation or the proximity to bodies of water.

Nov 17, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

What causes these two weather events and how they affect the climate patterns on the east and west sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Nov 10, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Melting glacial ice and a small earthquake on Grimsvotn is a sign of magma building inside the volcano, which could lead to an eruption.

Nov 3, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

After an earthquake, a tsunami and an erupting volcano, the death toll in Indonesia has risen to 334 with over 300 people missing.

Oct 30, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

A glacial avalanche in the mountains at the Alaska - B.C. border buried a remote mining camp resulting in the death of 26 men.

Oct 25, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Weather stations use several resources for tracking severe weather, such as weather radar, Doppler radar, computer modeling and a network of spotters.

Oct 19, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

A Nor'easter that brought severe blizzard conditions to the eastern U.S. caused the Knickerbocker Theater's roof to collapse in Washington. D.C.

Oct 4, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Recorded as the worst mining disaster in American history, 362 men and boys perished in an underground explosion in the Fairmont Coal Company mine.

Sep 12, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The collision of the French ship Mont-Blanc, loaded with explosives, and the Norwegian ship Imo caused an explosion that flattened the Halifax waterfront.

Aug 22, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

In Boston, a wall of molasses from an exploding storage tank resulted in crushed buildings, overturned vehicles and a collapse in the overhead railway.

Aug 20, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Maintenance on the platform's gas pumps caused an explosion where 167 people were killed, making this the worst offshore oil disaster in history.

Aug 1, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Officials say that the temporary cap on BP's ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico will be able to stop leakage during the evacuation.

Jul 22, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Ice and snow on the wings of a Fokker F-28 Fellowship commuter plane caused the crash of this aircraft minutes after take-off near Dryden Ontario, Canada.

Jul 9, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Windsor is the only city in Canada to have two tornadoes listed in the country's top ten deadliest tornadoes, with a ranking of 3rd and 6th place.

Jun 25, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Also known as the Big Smoke, air pollution was responsible for over 12,000 deaths and 100,000 people fell ill in London over a four-day period.

Jun 22, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The rain from the first tropical storm of the Pacific hurricane season triggered landslides and flooding in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

May 31, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Ash fallout shuts down major airports and hundreds of homes destroyed by a downpour of lava rock from Tungurahua and Pacaya volcanoes.

May 30, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Most destructive river flood in US history led to the Flood Control Act in 1928 where the US Army Corps of Engineers were assigned to tame the Mississippi.

May 23, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

On May 10, 2010, a severe weather system spawned several tornadoes in Oklahoma State. Three people died in Oklahoma City and three in Cleveland County.

May 12, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Heavy rains and widespread flooding pounded Tennessee on Sunday May 2, 2010 with further damage expected as floodwaters crest and rescue efforts continue.

May 3, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Severe winter weather downed a chartered plane near Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959 that was hired to transport these rock stars during the Winter Dance Party.

May 2, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

At least ten people are dead in Mississippi after a tornado swarm started to sweep across central and southern United States on April 22, 2010.

Apr 25, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The volcano under the icecap at Eyjafjallajokull had minor activity in March but a major eruption on April 14, 2010 impaired air traffic.

Apr 16, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

San Fernando Valley residents were awakened at 4:30 am by a 6.7 M earthquake that caused the collapse of many buildings and freeway structures.

Apr 12, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Blizzard conditions and ice contributed to the cause of the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 on January 13th, 1982 in Washington D.C. where 78 people lost their lives.

Apr 4, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

On February 14, 1982, bad weather and waves on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada tipped the Ocean Ranger. All 84 crew members died when the rig capsized.

Mar 25, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Tornado activity is triggered by the movement of the jet stream combined with the clashing of warm and cold air. Land topography also has an effect on storm activity.

Mar 21, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The Great Chicago Fire raged from Sunday, October 8th to Tuesday, October 10th, 1871. Hundreds of people were killed and four square miles of downtown Chicago destroyed.

Mar 16, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

With the epicenter near Concepcion, Chile, this massive earthquake also caused damage in Santiago and triggered a tsunami.

Feb 27, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The city of Funchal and other towns on the south coast of the island of Madeira were hit with violent winds and torrential rains, which triggered floods and landslides.

Feb 21, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Soon after the S.S. Eastland left the dock in Chicago, it tilted and capsized. Over 800 employees of the Western Electric Company lost their lives.

Feb 14, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

Sudden fog, a crowded runway and misinterpreted instructions caused Boeing 747s owned by KLM and Pan Am to collide at the Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Feb 7, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has recorded over 1000 earthquakes since January 17, 2010. Does this mean a volcanic eruption is possible?

Jan 28, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

According to the US Geological Survey, the most violent earthquakes in the world have occurred in Chile, Alaska, Sumatra, Russia, and Ecuador since 1900.

Jan 24, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

The worst earthquake in 200 years hit Haiti at 4:53 pm on January 12th, 2010, followed by at least 24 aftershocks ranging from 5.0 to 5.9 on the Richter scale.

Jan 13, 2010 - Maureen K. Fleury

In the early morning of February 16, 1959, heavy snow dislodged rocks on Signal Hill in Newfoundland and buried several homes in the Outer Battery neighborhood.

Dec 27, 2009 - Maureen K. Fleury

On May 29th, 1914, the Empress of Ireland departed from Quebec Harbor and collided with the Norwegian collier Storstad a few hours later on the St. Lawrence River.

Dec 20, 2009 - Maureen K. Fleury

Loaded with Christmas trees for the holiday season in Chicago, the three-masted schooner Rouse Simmons sunk near Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The crew of 17 lost their lives.

Dec 14, 2009 - Maureen K. Fleury