A participant walks past waterfall poster at the Palais des congres during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Quebec, on December 18, 2022. (Photo by Lars Hagberg / AFP) (Photo by LARS HAGBERG/AFP via Getty Images) LARS HAGBERG/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Heavy rain from Hurricane Helene caused destructive flooding in North Carolina this year. A new study from the United Nations Environment Programme shows the world is on track for more severe climate impacts, like severe storms and extreme rain. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have spread into Southern California in the past decade, likely introduced from the U.S. Southeast, where technicians photographed these mosquitoes trapped on a sticky pad. Unlike California's native mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti are capable of spreading dengue fever— a disease common in the tropics, but still rare in most of the United States. Last year was the first time the disease spread locally in Southern California. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption
This is one of the last photos ever taken of the species Achatinella lila in the wild. They now only live in the Snail Extinction Prevention Program’s captive rearing facility. On the right, Laminella sanguinea is a very striking and rare snail endemic to the Wai‘anae Mountains of O‘ahu. David Sicho hide caption
More than a million species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades because of human actions. This week, world leaders are meeting in Colombia to discuss how to preserve biodiversity and prevent habitat loss. Ivan Valencia/AP hide caption
Residents fill up sandbags in Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall in Florida, October 2024. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images) hide caption
Miriam Saladin and her husband, Benny, in the living room of their new home, a rented apartment in Alburtis, Pa. Emma Lee/WHYY hide caption
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the EPA's emission rules to continue while litigation continues in the lower courts. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images hide caption
The waters off Central California are now part of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the result of a decades-long campaign by local Indigenous leaders. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
“I’m done raising my kids. They're both in college. And this was gonna be my little paradise,” Sharon Austin said. “It still will be.” Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption
Curt and Ann Neal volunteer with Texans On Mission, a disaster relief organization connected to the Southern Baptist Convention. The couple says they’ve responded to about a dozen disasters this year. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption
A USPS worker inspects trucks that had been relocated to protect them from wind but which are now underwater as intense rain from Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, on Friday, in New Port Richey, Fla. Mike Carlson/AP hide caption
A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on Thursday. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A jogger trots in light rain ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Fla. Julio Cortez/AP hide caption
A palm tree next to the beach before Hurricane Milton's arrival on Wednesday, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Viral rumors and conspiracy theories have made it more challenging for federal and state officials to share information about the storm and evacuation plans. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on October 10, 2024. MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Asheville, North Carolina was billed as a "climate haven." Now it's seeing widespread destruction from Hurricane Helene. Sean Rayford/Getty Images hide caption
Flood waters inundated the main street in Tarpon Springs, Florida after Hurricane Helene passed offshore. A new study finds that Helene was more powerful, rainier, and significantly more likely because of climate change. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
A satellite image shows Hurricane Milton to the north of the Yucatan Peninsula as the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is forecast to start bringing dangerous conditions to Florida's western coast on Wednesday. NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East hide caption
An Azerbaijani environmental activist waves a national flag during a protest against what they claim is illegal mining at the Lachin corridor, the only land link between the Armenian-populated breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region and Armenia. Tofik Babayev/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Workers, community members and business owners clean up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Marshall, N.C., on Sept. 30. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption
Extreme rain is becoming an increasing danger across the country. Scientists in Asheville, North Carolina, which saw severe flooding, have been on the forefront of tracking that. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption
