Heat advisory in effect for New York City and across Northeast: Latest
ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A heat advisory is in place across the Northeast, from Maryland to Maine, where residents are bracing for temperatures 5 to 15 degrees above average.
The heat index — what the temperature feels like with humidity — could reach 103 degrees in Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday.
New York City and Boston could feel like 100 degrees with humidity on Wednesday and Thursday.
Further north, the heat index may climb into the upper 90s in Burlington, Vermont, and Syracuse, New York, on Wednesday.
The dangerous heat is also invading the South and West.
The heat index could hit a scorching 105 to 109 degrees on Wednesday in New Orleans; Memphis, Tennessee; and Little Rock, Arkansas.
In the West, a heat advisory is in place from Northern California to northern Washington with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above average. Portland, Oregon, could near 100 degrees on Wednesday and Seattle could reach the 90s.
(NEW YORK) — The catastrophic flash floods in Texas have left communities reeling, claiming at least 90 lives and displacing families across the Hill Country. As recovery operations continue, safety concerns have intensified — not just for the current disaster but for how future flash flood events will be managed.
Officials say the tragedy has spotlighted confusion surrounding how disasters are categorized and managed, particularly around terms like response, rescue and recovery. Understanding these distinctions is essential to grasping how emergency teams work during such events.
How disaster response is organized
In the U.S., large-scale disaster management follows a tiered structure called the Incident Command System (ICS). This well-established framework is designed to ensure consistent coordination during crises, whether it’s a terrorist attack like 9/11, a major hurricane like Katrina, or the devastating floods currently hitting Texas.
Under ICS, the response is managed at local, state and federal levels. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott emphasized that all three tiers are currently active in the flood response, with resources being shared across jurisdictions. The terminology used under ICS is standardized, helping ensure that all agencies involved are aligned in their actions and goals.
As of this week, Abbott extended the state’s disaster declaration to cover 15 counties, while President Donald Trump approved a federal disaster declaration for Kerr County, one of the hardest-hit areas.
Response vs. Rescue vs. Recovery
Disaster operations follow a general pattern: response, then rescue, then recovery.
The Response Phase begins when the ICS is activated. This involves setting up an Emergency Operations Center and appointing an incident commander to coordinate efforts across all agencies.
The Rescue Phase prioritizes saving lives. In an event like the Texas floods, it would typically include: – Land-based search teams using GPS grid searches. – K9 search-and-rescue dogs. – Boat and helicopter rescues carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard and Texas National Guard. – A U.S. military “Reaper” drone providing aerial surveillance to guide rescue teams.
Importantly, the safety of responders is a top priority — ensuring they don’t become additional victims.
A family reunification process is also underway to help reconnect loved ones affected by the flooding.
Eventually, operations will shift to the Recovery Phase, which focuses on finding those still missing and restoring the devastated infrastructure. Abbott said that this transition in Texas will not happen until all missing people are accounted for. For comparison, after 9/11, the shift from rescue to recovery at Ground Zero occurred around 24 to 48 hours post-impact.
Investigations and mental health support
Due to the tragic loss of life, evidence recovery is now part of the process. Investigators may need to conduct forensic or criminal inquests to determine the cause of deaths and evaluate any liability.
Mental health support teams are already in place. The trauma of such a disaster affects victims, families and even the rescuers. Crisis counselors, FBI and state victim support specialists and grief support services should be available and will be a key part of the long-term response.
The long road ahead
Recovery will include debris removal, damage assessments and rebuilding efforts — a difficult road that will require extensive state and federal support.
Meanwhile, officials are urging all Texans to be vigilant and prepared for future weather emergencies.
What to do in a flash flood
If you’re in a flood-prone area, here are key safety tips:
– Always be weather aware and monitor alerts. – Leave early if conditions deteriorate. – Have an emergency kit and communication plan. – Seek high ground immediately when flooding is imminent.
Several resources can help you stay informed:
– FEMA Mobile App — Provides real-time alerts and shelter information. – Weather alert apps — Multiple are available for download and can offer advanced warnings.
For all types of disasters, meteorologists say that it’s important to have at least two ways of receiving important weather alerts. Your phone should have the Emergency Alert System activated, but you’ll also need a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather radio because it does not require cell service or electricity to operate.
“I really believe every person in the country should have a NOAA weather radio,” ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee said. “This is battery powered and will wake you from a dead sleep. The timely warnings from NWS that night can be programmed to go off and would wake folks and give them at least a few minutes, if not longer, to seek higher ground.”
How you can help
The American Red Cross is one of several organizations assisting with victim support, shelter and supplies.
Donald J. Mihalek is an ABC News contributor, retired senior Secret Service who served on the president’s detail and as an NSSE coordinator for UNGA contingency operations. He was also a police officer and served in the U.S. Coast Guard helping coordinate search and rescue operations.
Richard Frankel is an ABC News contributor and retired FBI special agent who was the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Newark Division and, prior to that, the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism TASK force. He was involved in the investigation and recovery efforts of TWA Flight 800, the 9/11 attacks and the 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Kenya.
The opinions expressed in this story are not those of ABC News.
(MINNESOTA) — Minnesotans are lining up at the state capitol on Friday to honor a slain lawmaker and her husband as their accused killer made a brief appearance in court.
Melissa Hortman is the first woman to lie in state, according to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Next to the Hortmans was their golden retriever, Gilbert, who was wounded in the attack and later had to be euthanized, officials said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and first lady Gwen Walz are among those paying their respects.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the couple’s private funeral on Saturday, according to a source familiar with Harris’ plans.
Harris spoke to the Hortmans’ two children, Sophie and Colin, in the last week “to express her deep condolences and offer her support,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Hortmans’ alleged killer, Vance Boelter, who faces federal charges including stalking and state charges including first-degree murder, briefly appeared in federal court on Friday.
Boelter alleged the conditions in jail have kept him from sleeping for 12 to 14 days, according to Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP. Boelter claimed the doors are slammed incessantly, the lights are always and that he sleeps on a mat without a pillow, KSTP reported. He also allegedly said an inmate next to him spreads feces, KSTP reported.
The judge agreed to push back Boelter’s hearing to July 3, according to KSTP. Boelter has not entered a plea.
Boelter is accused of shooting and killing the Hortmans at their home in Brooklyn Park and shooting and wounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their house in nearby Champlin in the early hours of June 14, authorities said.
Boelter, 57, allegedly showed up to their doors, impersonating a police officer and wearing a realistic-looking latex mask to carry out his “political assassinations,” prosecutors said.
Investigators recovered a list of about 45 elected officials in notebooks in his car, according to prosecutors. Two other lawmakers were spared the night of the shootings, officials said.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway and Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.
(ORANGE COUNTY, CA) — A shooting occurred at Featherly Regional Park in Yorba Linda on Sunday afternoon, according to a post on X from the sheriff’s office in Orange County, California, where the wilderness park and Canyon RV campsite is located.
There was an altercation earlier in the day, after which a man returned to the park and tried to run over another man with his car, a police information officer said in a video posted to X on Sunday evening.
The driver then exited the vehicle and shot two people — “firing several rounds at them before turning the gun on himself,” the PIO said.
All three gunshot victims were transported to the hospital, the video explained, adding that the person who was hit by the car suffered minor injuries and was assessed by firefighter paramedics but was not hospitalized.
The victims’ conditions are unknown as of Sunday night.
The incident happened in front of multiple people, according to police.
It’s believed that all of the victims and the suspect knew each other, officials said, calling it an “isolated incident.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
