In this screen grab from a video released by the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station, a tortoise was sucessfully rescued after the owner’s home was destroyed by fire. Via San Dimas Sheriff’s Station/Instagram
(LOS ANGELES) — A beloved pet tortoise has been found safe in the wake of California wildfires.
The rescue occurred after the family’s Altadena home was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, according to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.
In a video the station shared Saturday to Instagram, a deputy was seen bringing the 100-pound tortoise, Rocky, to safety.
Rocky was found in a hole in the family’s backyard, the sheriff’s office said.
The family can be heard cheering and celebrating as a deputy carried Rocky over to them.
“Yay! Rocky’s home!” a woman can be heard saying in the video.
ABC News has reached out to Rocky’s family for comment.
Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Deviations from normal weather patterns are putting several regions in the U.S. at risk for an uptick of disease-spreading pests as winter turns to spring, according to a new analysis.
A surge in disease-spreading pests like ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and rodents is expected in regions that experienced especially warm or wet winters this season, according to the National Pest Management Association’s bi-annual Public Health Pest Index.
These pests can spread dangerous diseases such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Salmonella, plague, and hantavirus, said Jorge Parada, medical adviser for NPMA with a focus on infectious disease, in a statement. These types of pests can also trigger asthma and allergies, Parada said.
Warm winters typically allows more rats to survive, while unusual weather patterns — such as snow in New Orleans — can present a host of new pest problems, Jim Fredericks, senior vice president of public affairs for NPMA, told ABC News.
Ticks and mosquitoes survive better when it is moist, so regions that experienced especially wet winters will likely see those pests on the rise during the spring, Fredericks said.
“If the temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, ticks will be active and in search of food,” Fredericks said.
Changes in climate — both in terms of warmer temperatures as well as the extreme weather events occurring as global temperatures rise — will have a greater impact on the threats these pests pose in the future, Fredericks said. The range for pests like ticks are also spreading due to warmer temperatures, Fredericks said.
The top U.S. cities named on the pest index include:
Boston:“Brutal” snowstorms and cold snaps pushed rodents indoors in search of warmth and food sources, according to the NPMA. In addition, a forecasted warmer start to spring could give ticks a jumpstart to the season.
Cleveland:“Mild, soggy conditions” during the winter could allow for pest populations like cockroaches and ticks to flourish as temperatures rise, the analysis found.
“The pathogens that they carry that could cause food-borne illness,” Fredericks said, adding that rodent dander and urine can also exacerbate asthma symptoms.
Denver: “A frigid and snow-packed” start to the season will likely drive house mice into homes and businesses, while white-footed mice activity inside structures could increase in rural areas, according to the NPMA.
“The white-footed mouse is actually one of the vectors for hantavirus,” Fredericks said.
Grand Rapids, Michigan: “Record-breaking” snowfall is expected to drive rats and mice indoors, and heavy rain forecasted for the area could lead to a rise in tick populations as temperatures rise, according to the NPMA.
Louisville, Kentucky: Rats and mice are expected to enter structures due to extreme cold and historic snowfall. Tick activity may also begin earlier than usual due to a warm spring.
New Orleans: Historic snowfall in the region sent rats and cockroaches into homes, and mosquitoes are expected to make a “fierce comeback” as temperatures climb, the analysis found.
Salt Lake City: Winter conditions could send house mice and white-footed mice indoors.
San Antonio: “Record-breaking warmth” during the winter allowed mosquitoes, cockroaches and ticks to stay active, and a “pest boom” is expected come spring — with a surge in bites, infestations and pest-related health concerns forecasted.
Seattle: A warm, dry start to winter could lead to an increase in rodent and cockroach activity indoors and an increase in tick populations could occur with the spring rains, according to the NPMA.
Washington, D.C.: A “rollercoaster” winter that started unusually warm and ended in heavy snowfall has made rodent activity climb significantly in the nation’s capital, the report states. Tick populations could surge if spring arrives early.
Florida: The group has issued a statewide warning for Florida, pointing to the Sunshine State’s humid climate that allows disease-carrying pests to thrive year-round, the report stated. Although the winter brought dry, cool conditions, a surge is expected this spring as rising temperatures and humidity create ideal breeding conditions.
“We have all of the mosquito species here,” Ryan Carney, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida’s Department of Integrative Biology, told ABC News. “There’s a huge diversity, over 90 species of mosquitoes. Fourteen of those are anopheles, which spread malaria.”
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on the planet, killing more than 1 million people per year from the diseases they carry, and Florida is no stranger to outbreaks of mosquito-borne illness. In 2023, nearly 200 people contracted dengue fever, and there were more than 1,500 cases of Zika in the state from 2016 to 2018, Carney said.
A citizen science project run by USF creates artificial intelligence algorithms to help identify and stop disease-carrying mosquitoes before they are able to infect humans and other large mammals.
“These citizen sciences, especially for mosquitoes, are a way that people can report these sightings of mosquitoes or mosquito bites, and that helps us scientists understand the biodiversity of mosquitoes in the area,” Carney said.
(NEW YORK) — At least 13 people are dead after severe weather hit parts of Missouri and Arkansas overnight, officials said.
Ten storm-related fatalities were reported in the Missouri counties of Ozark, Butler, Wayne and Jefferson, the state highway patrol said. Three people were confirmed dead in Independence County, Arkansas, the state’s emergency management division said.
At least 29 people were injured in eight Arkansas counties, state emergency officials said.
Additionally, almost 300,000 customers are without power across five states — Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Texas and Arkansas, according to Poweroutage.us.
Millions of Americans across the country are on alert for severe weather with tornado watches in effect for eight states: Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.
A new tornado watch has been issued for the south that is in effect until 1 p.m. CT — including Alexandria, Louisiana; Shreveport, Louisiana; Greenville, South Carolina; and Tupelo, Mississippi.
Violent, long-track tornadoes are possible — a couple could be intense — along with damaging gusts of up to 75 mph and scattered large hail.
A Tornado Watch from Louisville to Indianapolis is in effect until 10 a.m.
Emergency management is working through the damage Saturday morning, but Robert Myers with the Butler County Emergency Management Agency said daylight will give them a better idea of the amount of destruction.
The Black River Coliseum has been opened as shelter and Myers said that there are people with injuries in nearby hospitals but did not have an exact number.
There is a rare high risk warning issued for violent tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama on Saturday afternoon and into the evening.
So far there have been 23 reported tornadoes overnight across four states – Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and Mississippi as the severe weather outbreak continues into Saturday. Winds gusted up more than 80 mph causing damage in the Midwest from Missouri to Wisconsin.
The Storm Prediction Center said that numerous significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-track and potentially violent, are expected and cities in the high risk areas include Hattiesburg, Jackson, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.
The most dangerous tornado threat should begin Saturday during the late morning to early afternoon hours in Louisiana and Mississippi before spreading into Alabama late afternoon into the evening, followed by the western Florida panhandle and into western Georgia through late Saturday night.
The severe storms are expected to be weaker on Sunday as the storms reach the East Coast from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic.
Damaging winds, large hail and brief tornadoes on Sunday afternoon will be possible for the Southeast, while heavy rain and damaging wind threat will reach the Northeast Sunday evening into the overnight.
The severe weather outbreak is all part of a major cross-country storm system that is also prompting fire danger and red flag warnings across the Plains.
A 13-year-old was apprehended for allegedly targeting young girls in a string of home invasions in Michigan, authorities said. Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
(DETROIT) — A 13-year-old was apprehended for allegedly targeting young girls in a string of home invasions in Michigan, authorities said.
The teen was allegedly involved in nine break-ins in Pontiac and two in Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
On Feb. 4, the suspect — who was wearing a ski mask and was armed with a knife — choked a sleeping 10-year-old girl, according to the sheriff’s office. The girl screamed, and then her mom saw the suspect run down the stairs and out of the house, the sheriff’s office said.
“This is the worst nightmare for any parent — that somebody might be trying to climb in through a window to get after their kids, especially a young teenage girl,” Bouchard said at a news conference.
There were few physical injuries, but Bouchard stressed the immense “emotional trauma” of being targeted in bed.
The break-ins began two years ago, Bouchard said. The suspect allegedly looked for unlocked windows and had a knife during several incidents, he said.
Charges are not yet clear. The 13-year-old’s parent has been cooperative, Bouchard said.
