The photos and videos out of the Northeast look like scenes from “Mad Max,” as a monstrous cloud of smoke spewed by Quebec’s wildfires engulfed communities.

Video above: Timelapse video shows smoke engulfing NYC over a 3-hour period

The air is an eerie shade of orange and the visibility is low. Distant buildings that you would otherwise be able to see on a clear day are blotted out by the murky haze.

But why is it orange – and not white, gray or some other color?

Wildfire smoke turns the air orange for the same reason clear air makes the sky look blue – it has to do with what kind of tiny particles are in the air, how many there are and what wavelength color they block.

Think back to the days in school when you learned about ROYGBIV, all the colors of the rainbow. Sunlight contains all of those colors. As it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, the sun’s light hits all of the molecules and particles in the air.

The colors we ultimately see are whatever wavelengths are left over after they’ve interacted with those particles. Wildfire smoke blocks the shorter wavelengths – like yellow, green and blue – leaving just the red and orange to pass through.

This effect is even more pronounced in the morning and evening, when the sun is low in the sky. The light has more atmosphere to pass through before it gets to our eyes, which amplifies the colors and how thick the smoke looks in the air.

Major metro areas had air quality indexes ranging from 200 to 300 – which is considered “very unhealthy,” according to government website AirNow.gov.

The enormous cloud of pollution could cause long-term health effects, depending on the individual and their amount of exposure, experts have warned. And officials have urged many residents to stay indoors. Smoke conditions could last through at least Thursday.

Tick-borne disease has been on the rise in the U.S., with the number of cases growing 25% from 2011 to 2019. Among them is babesiosis, which has become significantly more prevalent in the Northeast in recent years.Seven states were already considered to have endemic transmission of babesiosis, with a consistent presence of the disease: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added three others to that list — Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont — where case rates have grown the fastest and now match or surpass other states.Video above: New Hampshire is one of the states where tick-borne illness is on the riseIn those 10 states, reported cases of babesiosis have increased in all but two: Minnesota and Wisconsin, where case rates were about 30% lower in 2019 than they were in 2011. Overall, more than 16,000 cases of babesiosis have been reported to the CDC between 2011 and 2019, according to the report.Symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle and joint pain and headache. Illness can range from mild to severe, and it can be fatal in rare cases. Infections can also be asymptomatic, so patients may not always know to be tested.Video below: How to prevent tick bites and when to go see your doctor if you get oneThe CDC cautions that the increasing prevalence of babesiosis could pose risks to the blood supply. The disease is transmissible through blood transfusion, and infections acquired this way have shown to have significantly worse outcomes and higher risk of death than those acquired through a tick bite, the report says. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently recommends blood donation screening for babesiosis in 14 states and Washington, D.C., in and around areas where transmission is endemic."Persons spending time outdoors in states with endemic babesiosis should practice tick bite prevention, including wearing long pants, avoiding underbrush and long grass, and using tick repellents," according to the CDC.

More than 3,700 flights in and out of the East Coast are already canceled Friday, ahead of the major winter storm expected Saturday.

The Weather Channel is forecasting Winter Storm Kenan will bring up to two feet of snow in some areas, including Boston.

As of Friday afternoon, FlightAware reported 94% of flights out of Boston Logan International were canceled.

Boston Logan is a hub for JetBlue and Delta.

Rhode Island T.F. Green International out of Providence, R.I. had the same number of cancelations.

LaGuardia Airport in New York followed close behind with 93% of flights canceled.

Delta, JetBlue and United Airlines have issued travel waivers to passengers affected by the East Coast storm.

They can rebook their flights without paying the fare difference.

Amtrak has also canceled several Saturday train service lines, including routes between Boston and New York, and Washington, D.C. and Boston.

Service between Boston and New York will be limited.

Amtrak said it will waive change and cancelation fees.

Snow is expected to taper off by Sunday morning in much of the Northeast, the Weather Channel reports.

During what has been another devastating surge of COVID-19 across the country, there is good news: Some states are starting to see infection numbers and hospitalizations drop. But that's not the case everywhere.

As cases seem to begin plateauing, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Northeast are down by about 11% after reaching a peak about a week ago and have also dropped slightly — about 6% — in the Midwest region, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. And new COVID-19 hospital admissions are beginning to decline nationwide, a sign that total hospitalizations may soon begin going down too in every part of the country.

The agency's data includes both patients who are hospitalized because of COVID-19 complications and patients who may have been admitted for something else but tested positive for COVID-19. That has been true throughout the pandemic, but the share of patients who fall into each category may have changed over time.

"All of the current data is showing very encouraging trends, with many of our key health metrics consistently and substantially declining," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday. "But we're not out of the woods. Even though we have been able to attain considerable drops in the metrics, and they're continuing to drop, they're still much higher than they have been or where we need to be."

Also this week, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker announced the state was seeing a decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations, and ICU and ventilator usage, and in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont said cases and hospitalizations were also going down.

And in New York, the state's "percent positivity is in the single-digits," for the first time since Dec. 20, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday.

But in other parts of the country, a different picture. COVID-19 hospitalization numbers were up about 15% over the past week in the West and up by about 6% in the South — with many hospitals stretched thin from the surge in patients and the severe staffing shortages.

In North Carolina, where health officials say the omicron variant "is sending record numbers of people" to hospitals, the Department of Health and Human Services and North Carolina Emergency Management requested federal support Friday for the Charlotte region to help stressed hospital systems. In a news release, health officials said hospitalization numbers could increase further this month. The vast majority of people hospitalized with the virus are not vaccinated, officials said.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Friday that COVID-19 hospitalization increased to a record of 1,658, but said he is "hopeful we will see the cases go down." In West Virginia, where COVID-19 hospitalizations are continuing to rise, Gov Jim. Justice appealed to residents to get their vaccines and boosters, saying not doing so would be a "real mistake."

"Getting vaccinated or getting boosted stacks the deck to keep you out of the hospital -- I'm living proof," said Justice, who tested positive for the virus earlier this month.

Tracking the omicron surge

CDC weighs 'pivot' on language on vaccinations

As the highly contagious omicron variant continues to spread, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to "pivot" its language around what it means to be fully vaccinated, Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a White House briefing Friday.

But the director stopped short of saying the definition of fully vaccinated needs to change, and instead focused on what it means to be "up to date" on COVID-19 vaccinations.

Fully vaccinated people who are eligible to receive a booster dose of vaccine but are not boosted are not considered "up-to-date" on their vaccinations, Walensky said.

"What we really are working to do is pivot the language to make sure that everybody is as up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as they personally could be, should be, based on when they got their last vaccine," Walensky said.

"So, importantly, right now, we're pivoting our language. We really want to make sure people are up to date," she added.

Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the CDC hasn't updated its definition of "fully vaccinated" because their recommendations are about "how well you are protected rather than a definition."

"It becomes almost a matter of semantics," said Fauci, who noted the terminology can confuse people.

"One of the things that we're talking about from a purely public health standpoint is how well you are protected, rather than what a definition is to get someone to be required or not required," said Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert.

Roughly 63.3% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. Of those people, only about 39.5% have received their booster shots.

New studies make powerful argument for boosters

Three new large studies from the CDC highlight the importance of getting a booster.

Getting boosted was 90% effective at preventing hospitalizations during a period in December and January when omicron was the dominant variant, according to a CDC study that looked at nearly 88,000 hospitalizations across 10 states. In comparison, getting two shots was 57% effective when it had been at least six months past the second shot.

Getting boosted was 82% effective at preventing visits to emergency rooms and urgent care centers, according to the study, which looked at more than 200,000 visits in 10 states. In comparison, getting two shots was only 38% effective at preventing those visits when it had been at least six months past the second shot. That study was published Friday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

A second study, published in the same place, concluded people with three shots were less likely to get infected with Omicron. And the third study, to be published in the medical journal JAMA, showed that having a booster helped prevent people from becoming ill with Omicron.

"I think it's the third dose that really gives you the solid, the very best protection," Dr. William Schaffner, a longtime CDC vaccine adviser who was not involved with the studies, said.

At least eight people were killed due to flooding as the Northeast was slammed by torrential rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, officials said Thursday.

Seven of the deaths were reported in New York City and an eighth was in New Jersey.

Across the entire Northeast, roads were transformed into fast-flowing rivers, the nation's largest subway system was almost at a standstill and water rescues were reported after the record-setting downpour.

States of emergency were declared for New York State, New York City and New Jersey.

Four of the New York deaths occurred in the borough of Queens, according to the New York Police Department.

A woman in her 40s and a man in his 20s from the 183rd Street area were killed in their homes after police were not able to reach them in the flooding, the NYPD told CNN. At a different location in Queens, near Grand Central Parkway, a woman in her 40s was dead due to the flooding in her home, NYPD said. Another person was killed due to a partial collapse of a side wall of a building, officials said.

In Brooklyn, a man in his 60s was found dead in his flooded home near Ridgewood Avenue by a police officer, the department told CNN.

New York institutes a travel ban for non-emergency vehicles

The tri-state region was deluged by the remnants of Ida.

New York's Central Park and Newark, New Jersey, both set record daily rainfall amounts Wednesday. A report from the National Weather Service put rainfall in Central Park at 7.13," smashing the old record of 3.84" set in 1927. New Jersey's largest city received 8.41" of rainfall, breaking the old record of 2.22" set in 1959.

The city's subway system was halted with the exception of two lines due to the flooding, leaving many people stranded and unsure of how they would get home.

Some were idled on a subway near Times Square around 1:20 a.m. after traveling from the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Queens. Videos from the station showed a waterfall flowing off of the train car roof and onto people trying to get out as well as a drink kiosk being whirled around by the wind.

As water gushed into stations, first responders have been evacuating people from trains, Acting MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement.

The city also instituted a travel ban for all non-emergency vehicles until 5 a.m.

"We will have a tough few hours coming up until we get the rain out of here. I want to really urge everyone moving around tomorrow, do not go into a street, a road, a highway with a lot of water accumulated. That can be super dangerous," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday night.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the level of flooding was far more than anyone expected.

"We can take all the precautions in advance, and we did deploy our assets to be on the ground in anticipation, but mother nature will do whatever she wants, and she is really angry tonight," Hochul told CNN. "We have to be prepared to cleanup tomorrow. I'll be on site in the morning to make sure this is going well, but right now we're in a very dire situation."

Tornado touches down in South Jersey

In neighboring New Jersey, the body of a man in his 70s was retrieved from the flooding after his vehicle was caught in rushing water, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora told CNN.

Firefighters were swept under the vehicle, making it nearly "impossible" for them to reach the man, Lora said.

The firefighters were able to rescue two other individuals in the vehicle, according to the mayor.

Many towns in the North Jersey area reported massive flooding, damaging homes and businesses and forcing drivers to abandon their cars. In Clifton, a fire ambulance was seen submerged in the flood waters along with several other submerged vehicles.

Related video: Train pushes through high flood waters in New Jersey as it pulls into Rutherford Station

In South Jersey, a tornado touched down in Mullica Hill, which is about 25 miles from Philadelphia. In two videos, debris can be seen twisting up in the tornado.

"I had just left the gym and headed in the same shopping area to a small sandwich shop. I parked my car and called my husband to see if he wanted me to bring home food," said Kristi Johnson who recorded the videos and shared what she witnessed with CNN.

"While I was on the phone I looked out my driver's window and saw the swirling clouds and debris flying toward me. I rolled my window down and it sounded like a train coming. I hung up on my husband and started to drive away from it. It was extremely scary."

Meanwhile, Newark, the state's largest city, recorded its all-time wettest day Wednesday. And in Trenton, the state capitol, officials advised residents in the Island neighborhood to evacuate by 8 a.m. Thursday.

41 passengers pulled from Pennsylvania school bus

The wrath of Ida's remnants was felt in other states before slamming the New York region.

In Pennsylvania, the storm had trapped a school bus in floodwaters in Shaler Township,. The school district and local volunteer fire company confirmed that 41 passengers were rescued from the bus.

Video shows a team of at least four wading through water nearly up to their waist to help the passengers onto a small boat. The rescued students were then transported safely to the high school, Shaler Area School District said.

With a flash flood emergency and tornado watch, Gov. Tom Wolf encouraged residents to stay home Wednesday and take the storm seriously.

"This is an extremely dangerous storm that is impacting the entire state," said Wolf according to a press release. "As we continue to monitor the conditions, I ask everyone to please stay home if you're able."

In Maryland, Ida's downpour flooded an apartment complex, leaving one person dead and another missing.

Fire and Rescue personnel evacuated dozens of people from the Rock Creek Woods apartment complex in Rockville, officials said Wednesday. From the storm, 50 apartments were impacted and 12 were flooded, according to police.

A 19-year-old man was found dead, but the cause of death has not been confirmed, Montgomery County Police Department Public Information Officer Casandra Durham told CNN. Three individuals and one firefighter were transported to area hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.

The rest of the residents were transferred to a local recreation center where the Red Cross and Montgomery County Health and Human Services were stationed to help.

A tornado also touched down in the state, according to Bud Zapata, the Annapolis Fire Department Public Information Officer.

The tornado was reported to have touched down in a primarily commercial area of Annapolis. No injuries have been reported, but some private residences were damaged and there is an active gas leak in the area. Fire, police and other agencies are assessing damage, Zapata said.

The National Weather Service had tweeted that a radar-confirmed tornado was in the area and to "seek shelter if you are in the path of this storm!"

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Parts of the Northeast could begin to experience impacts from Tropical Storm Henri as soon as late Saturday, as the system that is expected to become a hurricane by the end of the day barrels toward the region.

Storm surge and the tide could cause high water in coastal New England as Henri moves inland, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Heavy rain and wind may also produce flooding.

Henri was centered Saturday morning about 195 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and about 555 miles south of Montauk Point, New York. It was a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds at 70 mph, and was moving north-northeast at 12 mph.

Forecasters said Henri was expected to become a hurricane Saturday. It was expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it made landfall, which the hurricane center said could be in New York's Long Island or southern New England.

If it made a direct hit on New England, it would be the first hurricane to do so in the region since Hurricane Bob in 1991, a Category 2 storm that killed at least 17 people.

The hurricane center storm surge between 3 and 5 feet was possible with Henri from Flushing, New York, to Chatham, Massachusetts; and for parts of the North Shore and South Shore of Long Island.

Rainfall between 3 to 6 inches was expected Sunday through Monday over the Northeast.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday urged people vacationing on the Cape to leave well before Henri hits, and those who planned to start vacations there to delay their plans. “We don't want people to be stuck in traffic on the Cape Cod bridges when the storm is in full force on Sunday,” he said.

Baker said up to 1,000 National Guard troops were on standby to help with evacuations if needed.

“This storm is extremely worrisome,” said Michael Finkelstein, police chief and emergency management director in East Lyme, Connecticut. “We haven’t been down this road in quite a while and there’s no doubt that we and the rest of New England would have some real difficulties with a direct hit from a hurricane.”

Finkelstein said he’s most concerned about low-lying areas of town that could become impossible to access because of flooding and a storm surge.

Large swaths of the Eastern seaboard were mopping up on Friday from the effects of Henri's predecessor, Tropical Depression Fred. In North Carolina, Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher said four people died and five individuals remained unaccounted for, down from around 20 people reported missing on Thursday.

The weather service warned of the potential for damaging winds and widespread coastal flooding from Henri, and officials in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York cautioned that people could lose power for a week or even longer. Authorities urged people to secure their boats, fuel up their vehicles and stock up on canned goods.

Video below: Mariners secure boats on Cape Cod ahead of Henri

At Safe Harbor Marina in coastal Plymouth, Massachusetts, Steve Berlo was among the many boaters having their vessels pulled out of the water ahead of the storm.

“It’s rare, but when it happens, you want to be sure you’re ready,” said Berlo, 54. “Got to protect our second home. So that’s that. Now I can sleep tonight.”

In the Hamptons, the celebrity playground on Long Island’s east end, officials warned of dangerous rip currents and flooding that’s likely to turn streets, like mansion-lined Dune Road on the Atlantic coast, into lagoons.

Ryan Murphy, the emergency management administrator for the Town of Southampton, said that while the storm’s track continues to evolve, “we have to plan as if it’s going to be like a Category 1 hurricane that would be hitting us.”

The National Weather Service also warned residents and beachgoers on the North Carolina coast of rip currents and rough surf associated with Henri. Meteorologist Steven Pfaff of the weather service’s Wilmington office said swells from Henri were expected to create hazardous surf conditions beginning Friday and continuing on Saturday.

At the U.S. Navy’s submarine base in Groton, Connecticut, personnel on Friday were securing submarine moorings, installing flood gates in front of doors on some waterfront buildings, and doubling up lines on small boats, officials said. Families were being encouraged to watch the forecast and make any necessary preparations.

The Coast Guard urged boaters to stay off the water, saying in a statement: “The Coast Guard’s search and rescue capabilities degrade as storm conditions strengthen. This means help could be delayed.”

At the Port Niantic marina in Niantic, Connecticut, Debbie Shelburn and her employees were already busy Friday hauling boats out of the water and into a large storage building.

“Basically, it’s become all hands on deck. No matter your position — mechanic, whatever — everybody is out there helping with the logistics of moving the boats and getting them secure on land,” she said.

Video below: New Hampshire emergency management, U.S. Coast Guard monitoring storm