At least 22 people, including three monks, were killed at a monastery in Myanmar’s Southern Shan State on Saturday as local insurgent groups and the military-backed junta accused each other of carrying out a massacre.

Myanmar has been mired in political violence since military leader Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a 2021 coup that upturned any hope the Southeast Asian nation of 55 million people would become a functioning democracy.

The coup was followed by a brutal military crackdown against pro-democracy protesters that saw civilians shot in the street, abducted in nighttime raids and allegedly tortured in detention.

Since the coup, at least 2,900 people in Myanmar have been killed by junta troops and over 17,500 arrested, the majority of whom are still in detention, according to advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

The coup has also resulted in a surge in fighting between the military and a raft of resistance groups allied with long-established ethnic militias in a country that has been plagued for decades by insurgencies.

Resistance groups have repeatedly accused Myanmar’s military of carrying out mass killings, air strikes and war crimes against civilians in the regions where fighting has raged, charges the junta repeatedly denies – despite a growing body of evidence.

The latest allegation of an atrocity emerged last week in Shan State, the remote and mountainous northeastern chunk of Myanmar that borders China, Laos and Thailand.

Many were seen wearing civilian clothes and had multiple gunshot wounds. Among them were also three bodies dressed in saffron orange robes, traditionally worn by Buddhist monks.

In the video provided by the group, visible bullet holes could be seen on the walls of the monastery.

The bodies were seen lined up and slumped against the monastery’s walls with pools of blood on the ground below.

‘Tortured and executed’

Both the KNDF and Myanmar’s military agree fighting took place in the area but two competing narratives have emerged in the aftermath of the killings at the monastery.

Fierce fighting had taken place between local insurgent groups and Myanmar’s military in an area near Nan Nein Village last week.

That fighting spilled over with the military shelling and launching airstrikes directly at the village forcing the civilians to take refuge in the nearby monastery, Soe Aung said.

Describing the carnage, Soe Aung said: “These civilians and monks were tortured and executed by the Burmese military.”

“The monks did not want to leave their monastery so civilians and monks stayed there together,” he continued.

Because of the way the bodies were discovered lined up in front of the monastery, Soe Aung suggested that they were killed by “a hit squad.”

The victims were all unarmed and many bodies showed signs of “torture and beatings” with “sustained bullet wounds to the head,” he added.

Blame game

Myanmar’s junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun dismissed accusations the military was responsible.

In comments carried by the state run newspaper Global Light of Myanmar on Tuesday, he blamed “terrorist groups” for the violence at the monastery, naming the Karen National Police Force (KNPF), the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), an administration uniting ethnic groups in the state.

Zaw Min Tun claimed fighters opened fire after “the Tatmadaw (cooperated) with the local people’s militia and took security measures for the region.”

“When the terrorist groups violently opened fire… some villagers were killed and injured. (Others) ran away.”

“It is not our policy to put fighters in the village because it could bring conflicts to the civilians,” he said.

The area has seen fighting for several weeks, he added – most of it concentrated in surrounding jungle and mountain areas.

The Myanmar military’s attack on the Nan Nein Village also included a “bombardment” involving air strikes, according to the KNDF.

‘Terror campaign’

The junta’s coup toppled the government of democratically elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was later sentenced to 33 years in jail following a string of secretive and highly-politicized proceedings.

Aung Myo Min, spokesman for the National Unity Government that represents the ousted civilian leadership, called the latest attack in Nan Nein village “a terror campaign” and said the country was in the “worst situation” right now.

“In the past three months, there has been an increasing number of civilians killed. The number of mass killings committed by the military has increased and… the military has been using more forms of violence against the people,” he said.

“The casualties in this massacre… it’s very clear that they are civilians (and) not involved in any kind of opposition movement against the military,” he added.

Myo Min described the killings as “cold blooded” and said they fit a pattern of the Myanmar military routinely attacking civilians.

Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch Phil Robertson called for stern action.

“Every day across the country, Myanmar’s military and police are committing brutal acts that constitute crimes against humanity. Massacring civilians in a hail of bullets at a Buddhist monastery shows the desperate savagery of a regime wholly divorced from the Burmese people,” Robertson said.

“Governments around the world should recognize that Myanmar’s military junta government does not care about words,” he added.

“It must be hit by a global arms embargo imposed by the UN and the kind of decisive sanctions needed against the Tatmadaw and its business interests… that keep this atrocious, rights abusing military in the field – massacring civilians without remorse.”

A gargantuan mass of seaweed that formed in the Atlantic Ocean is headed for the shores of Florida and other coastlines throughout the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to dump smelly and potentially dangerous heaps across beaches and put a big damper on tourist season.

The seaweed, a variety called sargassum, has long formed large blooms in the Atlantic, and scientists have been tracking massive accumulations since 2011. But this year’s sargassum mass could be the largest on record — spanning more than 5,000 miles from the coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.

The blob is currently pushing west and will pass through the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico during the summer, with the seaweed expected to become prevalent on beaches in Florida around July, according to Dr. Brian Lapointe, a researcher at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.

“This is an entirely new oceanographic phenomenon that is creating such a problem — really a catastrophic problem — for tourism in the Caribbean region where it piles up on beaches up to 5 or 6 feet deep,” Lapointe added.

He noted that in Barbados, locals were using “1,600 dump trucks a day to clean the beaches of this seaweed to make it suitable for tourists and recreation on the beaches.”

What is sargassum

Sargassum is a catch-all term that can be used to refer to more than 300 species of brown algae, although Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans are the two species most commonly found in the Atlantic.

The algae has its upsides when adrift at sea.

“This floating habitat provides food and protection for fishes, mammals, marine birds, crabs, and more,” according to the Sargassum Information Hub website, which is a joint project among various research institutions. “It serves as a critical habitat for threatened loggerhead sea turtles and as a nursery area for a variety of commercially important fishes such as mahi mahi, jacks, and amberjacks.”

The problems arise when sargassum hits the beaches, not only piling up in mounds that can be physically difficult to navigate but also emitting a gas that can smell like rotten eggs. And it can quickly turn from an asset to a threat to ocean life.

“It comes in in such a large quantities that it basically sucks the oxygen out of the water and creates what we refer to as dead zones,” Lapointe said. “These are normally nursery habitats for fisheries … and once they’re devoid of oxygen, we have lost that habitat.”

Sargassum can also be dangerous to human health, Lapointe noted. The gas that the rotting algae releases, hydrogen sulfide, is toxic, and it can cause respiratory problems. The seaweed itself also contains arsenic in its flesh, making it dangerous if ingested or used for fertilizer.

“You have to be very careful when you clean the beaches,” he warned.

Mounds of algae dumped on beaches also cost millions of dollars to clean up, notes the Sargassum Information Hub.

Why 2023 has a sargassum problem

Just like plants and crops on the ground, the proliferation of seaweed can shift year to year depending on ecological factors, affected by changes in nutrients, rainfall and wind conditions, said Dr. Gustavo Jorge Goni, the director of the Physical Oceanography Division at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Likewise, currents at sea can alter sargassum’s annual growth and how much accumulates, Goni added. Phosphorus and nitrogen in the sea can also serve as food for the algae.

Those elements can be dumped into the ocean from rivers, which gain concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen from human activities, such as agriculture and fossil fuel production, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

For now, researchers are looking into ways to thwart its impact on beaches, possibly by sinking the seaweed to the bottom of the ocean or harvesting it for use in commercial products such as soap, Goni said.

Goni also cautions that research into these sargassum accumulations is new, and it’s likely scientists’ understanding of how the algae grows will shift over time.

“Whatever we believe we know today, it may change tomorrow,” he said.

After the NFL scouting combine, the beginning of the free agency period is the next major milestone in the upcoming season’s checklist.

While it officially opens at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on March 15 when the new league year begins in earnest, teams are able to negotiate with the agents of upcoming unrestricted free agents during a two-day period before that point.

Upon the beginning of the new league year, players can officially sign with new teams, trades become official and contracts come to an end.

In recent years, spending has risen – the annual salary cap for each team has grown to $224.8 million per team in 2023 – and teams have been more aggressive with their willingness to part with draft stock for proven assets.

And this year looks to be no different with some massive deals reportedly completed.

All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey has reportedly been traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Miami Dolphins and numerous quarterbacks have agreed to deals already – Geno Smith at the Seattle Seahawks, Daniel Jones at the New York Giants and Derek Carr with the New Orleans Saints.

But there are some huge dominoes yet to fall, which could shape the fabric of the league.

Quarterback questions

As the most important position in the sport, it is only right that the biggest questions surround some of the highest profile quarterbacks in the league.

The majority of the interest surrounds two main names at very different points in their careers.

For Aaron Rodgers, he likely has one big decision left in his career at 39 years old.

Despite hinting at a divorce from the Green Bay Packers for multiple seasons, now seems to be the closest Rodgers has come to leaving, with the New York Jets pursuing the four-time NFL MVP with vigor.

With a young and talented team, the Jets seem just a quarterback away from serious contention and Rodgers could be that missing puzzle piece.

By contrast, Lamar Jackson has a lot more of his career to come but, like Rodgers, could also be heading for pastures new by leaving his longtime home with the Baltimore Ravens.

Having failed to come to terms on a long-term contract over the last two years, the Ravens applied the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson last Tuesday. That means that 26-year-old is free to negotiate with other franchises, but should he sign an offer sheet with another team, the Ravens will have five days to either match the deal or receive two first-round picks in return.

The Ravens have made it clear for a while that they want to have Jackson, an MVP winner in 2019, at the helm for many years to come, but the two sides haven’t been able to reach an agreement on a contract for a while now. The non-exclusive tag comes with a salary-cap cost of $32.4 million for the upcoming season.

While Rodgers’ decision appears to be remain in Green Bay or sign with the Jets, Jackson’s options seem wide open. Numerous teams across the league – Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers – are reportedly all interested.

Both Rodgers and Jackson could transform franchises from outsiders to title challengers. But with as many as four quarterbacks projected to be drafted high up in this year’s draft, it throws into question whether teams prefer a long-term project or a short-term fix.

Defensive stars on the move

Although offenses have been prioritized over recent years as scoring has gone through the roof, we could see defenses around the league bolstered with some big names on the move.

The biggest move set to happen is Ramsey’s return to Florida after being traded from the Rams to the Dolphins in exchange for a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long.

The arrival of three-time first team All-Pro Ramsey transforms a Dolphins team from up-and-comer to title challenging outfit, whilst also continuing the Rams’ rebuild.

Elsewhere, there are a number of key defensive players who are available through free agency, including two from last season’s Super Bowl runners up.

Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and cornerback James Bradberry would all make excellent additions to new teams with their contracts with the Philadelphia Eagles having expired, whilst also earning themselves a pretty penny.

Bobby Wagner, Lavonte David, Byron Murphy and Jordan Poyer could all be valid contributors too.

Offensive weapons at a premium

In terms of the offensive side of the ball, teams will have to be selective about the talent they decide to acquire.

Many of the offensive weapons who were scheduled to hit the open market were given the franchise tag by their teams.

That means a one-year tender offer of the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position for the current year, or 120 percent of his previous salary, whichever is greater.

Running back Saquon Barkley will return to the Giants, tight end Evan Engram to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Josh Jacobs to the Las Vegas Raiders and Tony Pollard to the Dallas Cowboys.

Elsewhere, firepower is in high demand and short supply. Odell Beckham did not play last season, Jackobi Myers is a solid No. 2 or No. 3 receiver and JuJu Smith-Schuster, coming off a Super Bowl ring, was quiet in the playoffs.

The tight-end market could prove a little more fruitful for teams, with Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki and Robert Tonyan all available.

Teams could also replenish offensive line needs with Orlando Brown, Kaleb McGary, Dalton Risner and Isaiah Wynn available.

Editor’s Note: Chris Wallace sits down with new NCAA President Charlie Baker in his first televised interview since taking over the organization. Watch “Inside the Madness: Basketball, Brackets and Business” tonight at 9 p.m.

It is one of the few things in sports which has never been achieved before.

March Madness is a few weeks which many sports fans have circled on their calendars. And one of the favorite activities associated with the climax of the college basketball season is being able to fill out one’s bracket.

Will X team continue its dominant form and romp through its competition? Or will there be an upset on the cards?

These are the kind of questions fans will be asking as they fill in their brackets, hoping to successfully predict each result in all 63 games up until a national champion is crowned.

However, the feat of correctly predicting every result in a March Madness has remained elusive.

And given the odds of correctly doing so, it might be a while until we see it done – if ever.

A really, really… really, long shot

Filling in your bracket can be a simple or a complicated process.

Once all teams are selected and given seeds, some choose to deliberate for hours over each game, flip-flopping between outcomes before finally settling on a winner. Others decide to blitz through the process, not deliberating too much over each choice as they plot the path of each team.

But they all have one thing in common: members of both camps have never been able to successfully predict every possible result.

A bracket is a way of referring to the 68-team format which plots the route of each team if they were win their matches. After teams are seeded, they are split into four regional groups and scheduled against teams at the other end of seeding scale. For example, the first seed faces the 16th seed and the second faces the 15th and so on.

Following the opening round – colloquially called the “First Four,” which sees four teams exit – the remaining 64 teams play in elimination games in neutral venues to eventually crown the national champion.

Due to the number of upsets and “Cinderella” stories March Madness tends to throw up, it has proven an impossible feat so far: the odds of getting every result correct are an extraordinary one to nine quintillion.

You might have not heard of a quintillion before. As explained by Tim Chartier – distinguished visiting professor at the US National Museum of Mathematics and Joseph R. Morton professor of mathematics and computer science at Davidson College – nine quintillion is a nine followed by 18 zeroes.

Or more simply put, according to Chartier, it is two to the power of 63. That’s two multiplied by two 63 times.

To put it into context: “I’m going to pick one second in 292 billion years, and your job is to tell me which second I pick,” Chartier explains.

If you’re struggling with the raw numbers, Chartier suggests a physical representation of the nine quintillion to help. He says that the height of nine quintillion dollar bills stacked on top of one another is equivalent to the distance of going from Earth to Pluto over 60 times.

Because of the unlikely nature of achieving the perfect bracket in March Madness, the usual comparisons of the probability of getting struck by lightning or winning the lottery seem incomparable.

Chartier outlines that after running some calculations himself, he came up with some probabilities which help better put it into perspective.

“So you have better odds of winning the Powerball with two consecutive tickets than getting a perfect bracket,” he said. “You’ve better odds that a family of four will all get hit by lightning in their lifetime than picking a perfect bracket.

“There is a stat out there that there’s a one in 10,000 chance that you get injured by a toilet. So there are better odds that that same family of four all get injured by the toilet than picking a perfect bracket.”

‘That’s why we watch sports’

Despite the long odds, fans come back every year to fill in their bracket in the hopes of becoming the first to successfully predict every correct result.

The longest streak of correct predictions came in 2019 by a neuropsychologist from Ohio who managed to pick the winner in the first 49 games of March Madness that year correctly.

Gregg Nigl became the first person to have a verified bracket which picked every game correctly through the tournament into the Sweet 16, only falling in the 50th game when No. 2 seed Tennessee lost to No. 3 seed Purdue in overtime.

But as daunting a task as it seems, Chartier believes it is a feat that will be achieved – he does admit that it may not be done in his lifetime.

And when it does happen, Chartier – who spends much of his time researching the art of bracketology and teaching people how to implement his research into March Madness brackets – believes it will be done by someone who knows “nothing about basketball.”

“They’re just going to, three minutes before some deadline, whip out teams that they like for their colors,” he said.

“And that’s because a lot of times you’re trying to predict literally the unpredictable, is that you’re trying to predict randomness, that there are certain games that that outcome is relatively random. Some of it isn’t. Sometimes, there’s something about a team that we just didn’t realize, it was the perfect match up for another team.”

But while some might be dismayed by the long odds, Chartier believes the joy of picking your perfect bracket goes back to why we love sports.

“A lot of times people will ask me: ‘Oh, you didn’t have the right pick.’ And ironically I’ll often say: ‘Yes, I did. I didn’t have the correct pick, but it was the right pick,” he explains. “And the reason I say that is because sometimes that team probably had a five or 10% chance of winning that game.

“It’s just that when you flipped that weighted coin, it happened to come up on their side. It’s kind of like ‘The Hunger Games.’ The odds were ever in their favor. If they had played 10 more times, they wouldn’t win any other time, but they did on that day.

“And I argue that’s why we watch sports. I think we know that inside. I think we know that things can fall down the wrong way. And I think that part of the reason we like sports is that’s kind of a microcosm of life is that you might have actually made a good choice, you just didn’t make the choice in the way things would fall down.”

The story of the underdog is one of life’s favorite fables.

David’s rock crashing into Goliath’s head, Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, defeating heavy-favorite Sonny Liston, or Mike Eruzione firing team USA ahead during the Miracle on Ice – it is written into human nature to route for, and then remember, the unlikely hero.

When Harry Ford walked up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh at Chase Field, the Great Britain baseball team was already on the cusp of adding themselves to this list of longshots – with a World Baseball Classic win against Colombia in the team’s tournament debut.

Leading off the innings in Phoenix, Arizona the 20-year-old did not seem burdened by the potentially historic feat and, with a one and two count, Ford got the pitch he was waiting for.

The Seattle Mariners prospect crushed a home run into left-field and gave Great Britain some much-needed breathing space with a 6-3 lead.

Despite being born in America, Ford has quickly become one of the faces of British baseball during his young career.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia to British parents, the catcher was crucial to his side’s entry to the World Baseball Classic and has continued his good form on the big stage.

Speaking to MLB.com before joining up with his Great Britain teammates, Ford touched on his Britishness.

“My dad is the big one. My mom’s British, too. But my dad is like really, really British,” Ford explained.

“He still has his accent and everything. For him, [playing for Team GB] was one of the best things ever. Just because he’s always been at every single one of my baseball games since I started, and being able to just to represent his country and play and be the first Great Britain team to make it this far, too, has really meant the world to him.”

Like Ford, a lot of the players in the GB squad were not born in Britain, but the players have fully embraced their role of representing the nation.

With Britain trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Bahamian born Chavez Young hit a single to left-field and enabled Nick Ward and Darnell Sweeney to score.

After an error from Colombia’s Harold Ramirez, Young advanced to second and celebrated by pretending to sip from a cup of tea – a celebration which has become a staple of the team’s repertoire.

After Young’s two-run single, Great Britain was now level at 3-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, and with runners waiting on second and third, youngster Jaden Rudd stepped up to the plate. The 20-year-old hit hard and low to left-field – sending Ward and Sweeney home for their second runs of the game.

Ford’s homer followed two innings later and for Great Britain it was now time to believe. After sending the ball to space, Ford was draped in a regal robe by his teammates and sported a crown fit for a king as he made his way back to the dugout.

With Ward capitalizing on a wild pitch for his third run of the game, Great Britain took a 7-3 lead.

Ian Gibaut was then tasked with seeing Great Britain home. The pitcher grew up on the much more traditionally British sport of cricket. His father, Russel, played professionally for Welsh team Glamorgan and English team Lancashire before emigrating to the US.

The 29-year-old must have inherited his dad’s ability in bat and ball sports and entered the game in the top of the eighth with Colombia looking to mount a comeback.

The Cincinnati Reds reliever survived the late scare and Great Britain won its inaugural World Baseball Classic game 7-5.

Speaking after the game to the MLB Network, Great Britain manager Drew Spencer exclaimed that this could be a turning point in the future of baseball on the island.

“I think there will be people who can use this moment as inspiration to come out and play the game and to believe that someone with [Great Britain] on the front of their chest can be successful,” he said.

The Ireland women’s rugby team has made a permanent switch from white to navy shorts in response to players’ concerns about period anxieties.

The navy shorts will be debuted in Ireland’s opening game of the Women’s Six Nations against Wales on March 25, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) said on Tuesday.

“The top way to ensure we perform to our best on the field is by removing any unnecessary distractions,” said Ireland international Enya Breen.

“Wearing navy shorts instead of white is such a small thing, but for us it’s a big step from [kit supplier] Canterbury and the IRFU.

“Our hope is that it will help women at all levels of rugby feel more comfortable on the field so they can get on with performing at their best in the game that they love.”

Canterbury is offering teams and players – at all levels – who initially bought white Canterbury shorts the chance to swap them for a pair of a different color, the IRFU said.

Some soccer teams, including West Bromwich Albion Women, have similarly changed the color of their shorts to allay period anxieties, while Wimbledon announced last year that it will relax its white clothing rule to allow women to wear dark undershorts.

“It’s what you wear underneath that’s important for your menstrual period.”

The season’s first nor’easter has dropped nearly 3 feet of snow over parts of the US Northeast as of Tuesday evening, piling on trees and power lines and causing power outages for tens of thousands in the frigid weather with more snow possible into the night.

More than 240,000 customers across the region were without electricity as the sun went down Tuesday, including in New York, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.

Areas from upstate New York into southern New England have reported snowfall totals of at least 2 feet since Monday night, and parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could see another 6 to 12 inches through the night, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

The heavy snowfall, coupled with strong wind gusts, created dangerous conditions for drivers Tuesday, with New York state’s transportation department warning residents the safest place to be is home.

Millions of people in the region were under winter storm warnings or winter weather advisories Tuesday evening during the nor’easter – a type of storm that travels along the Eastern Seaboard and brings winds from the northeast.

Live updates: Snow, rain and flooding pummel US coast to coast

Here’s what to expect going into Wednesday:

• The nor’easter is expected to continue dumping snow across New England overnight and taper off early Wednesday, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

• The winds won’t slow down as quickly: Areas from the mid-Atlantic through the Northeast will experience strong wind gusts through Wednesday afternoon, which could mean more power power outages and woes for travelers.

• Parts of Massachusetts could also see minor coastal flooding and beach erosion Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

More than 1,000 flights canceled

The weather caused major disruptions for air travelers, with hundreds of flights canceled or delayed Tuesday.

More than 1,100 flights within, into or out of the US were canceled, and more than 5,200 were delayed, according to FlightAware.com.

Among the most affected airports in the US were New York’s LaGuardia Airport and the Boston Logan International Airport – both of which urged passengers to check their flight status before going there.

Also in New York, the nose gear of a Delta Air Lines plane went beyond the paved taxiway at Syracuse Hancock International Airport while taxiing for departure to LaGuardia on Tuesday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

‘Please check on your neighbors’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency across dozens of upstate counties that went into effect Monday night.

The governor’s office said it activated the state’s emergency operations center Monday in response to the severe weather, and also activated the state’s National Guard to help with any response efforts.

“This winter storm has already dumped nearly 2 feet of snow in some of the eastern regions of the state, north of Westchester County, with heavy, wet snow causing power outages,” state Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said Tuesday.

“As power restoration and snow removal efforts continue, please check on your neighbors and loved ones to make sure they are weathering the storm safely,” Bray added.

In Massachusetts, roughly 1,700 pieces of equipment were deployed to help with snow and ice response, the state’s transportation department said.

“Right now, the biggest concern for residents is to make sure they stay home and they stay safe,” he said.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills closed all government offices on Tuesday and advised residents to “stay off the roads if they can, plan for extra time if traveling, and give plenty of space to road crews and first responders working hard to keep us safe.”

Utilities and transit agencies announced preparations and gave advice in anticipation of the storm’s impacts.

Power company ConEdison, which serves New York City and neighboring Westchester County, brought in more than 400 outside workers to assist with possible outages, the utility said in a news release.

ConEdison warned customers to avoid downed wires – which could be hidden by snow, leaves or water – and report them to the utility or local authorities.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which serves a 5,000-square-mile travel area surrounding New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York state and Connecticut, announced plans to maintain as much service as possible.

“MTA employees will be deployed throughout the operating region spreading salt and clearing surfaces of snow, keeping signals, switches, and third rails operating, and attending to any weather-related challenges,” a news release from the authority said.

Another atmospheric river is walloping storm-ravaged California, inundating cities already flooded by recent rain and forcing residents to flee – or risk not getting help if they need it.

About 30 million people across the state were under flood alerts as the 11th atmospheric river to hit the West this season slammed Northern California on Monday and took aim at central and Southern California on Tuesday.

“We weren’t expecting it to be as bad as we’re seeing it,” Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson said.

Rain could fall as fast as 1 inch per hour in some places – which could result in significant flash flooding. The two areas of most concern are along the central California coast between Monterey and Santa Barbara counties, as well as parts of the Sierra Nevada foothills near Fresno to Bakersfield.

More dangerous flooding is expected over Central and Southern CA today with another strong atmospheric river. 40% of ALL flood related fatalities and 80% of ALL flood related damages occur within WPC High Risks. Be prepared to act quickly should a warning be issued for your area. pic.twitter.com/t1AcvqKFa1

— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) March 14, 2023

The atmospheric river also brought hurricane-force wind gusts to parts of central California Tuesday, along with widespread rainfall totals of up to 3 inches – and nearly half a foot in some areas. A high wind warning was in effect for almost 15 million people in the state.

Many parts of California haven’t recovered from last week’s deadly atmospheric river – a long, narrow band of moisture that can carry saturated air thousands of miles like a fire hose.

Heavily saturated soil can’t soak up much more water, and melting snow could amplify dangerous flooding.

More than 360,000 residences and businesses were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US. Many of the outages – just over 130,000 – were in Santa Clara County.

The alerts affect residents in several counties:

• Santa Barbara County issued an evacuation warning Monday night for southern parts of the county and said it planned to upgrade the alert to an evacuation order on Tuesday. Those who refuse to heed the order might be on their own if they get trapped, the county warned.

“BE PREPARED to sustain yourself and your households for multiple days if you choose not to evacuate, as you may not be able to leave the area and emergency responders may not be able to access your property in the event of road damage, flooding, or a debris flow,” the county said in a written notice.

• The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order Tuesday for parts of the county. “An evacuation order means you should leave immediately,” the sheriff’s office warned.

• An evacuation alert was issued for parts of Monterey County, where residents along the Salinas River were ordered to flee.

• In Los Angeles County, “Due to increased potential for debris flows and mudslides, the County has issued several evacuation warnings in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County that have burn scarring from recent wildfires,” the office of emergency management said.

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More than 600 Californians have taken refuge in 32 shelters across 13 counties, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said.

‘Extensive street flooding is likely’

Los Angeles County is the nation’s most populous county, with about 10 million residents. But some of those residents could find their neighborhoods under water.

“Heavy rain and excessive runoff may result in dangerous flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” the National Weather Service’s local office said.

“Extensive street flooding is likely. There may be mudslides and rockslides, especially in and near steep terrain.”

Across California, 40 of the state’s 58 counties were under a state of emergency. Crews positioned across the state are bracing for more overflowing rivers, floods, mudslides and impassable roads.

A wave of life-threatening flooding is likely along much of the coast, central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills, the National Weather Service said.

The “high-impact” atmospheric river was expected to thrash Southern California on Tuesday afternoon before starting to taper off Wednesday, forecasters said.

A levee breach widens, threatening more flooding

Crews are racing to patch up a broken levee in Monterey County that was breached Friday by the swollen Pajaro River – forcing thousands to evacuate as water flooded the nearby community.

“It was 120 feet when the levee initially broke, and now it’s expanded to 300 feet,” the mayor of Monterey said Monday.

Engineers are focusing on short- and long-term fixes. “The situation is dynamic and evolving,” said Jeremy Arrich, manager of the division of flood management for California’s Department of Water Resources.

For now, crews are trying to use a temporary rock-and-sand wall to slow the flow of water into Pajaro.

“A permanent fix will be undertaken once this crisis has passed,” Monterey County officials said.

Aside from the Pajaro River, the bloated Salinas River “is looking at breaching one of the major highways that folks use to get to the (Monterey) Peninsula,” said Williamson, the Monterey mayor.

It’s not clear how badly Highway 68 will get hit. But some Monterey Peninsula residents could soon find themselves on a virtual island, cut off by floodwater.

‘A whole hell of a lot of water’ packed in snow

This new wave of storms is pummeling areas already buried by heavy snowfall from the past two weeks.

Now, snowmelt could exacerbate flooding in the Sierra Nevada, where there’s likely 3 to 5 feet of snow at elevations higher than 7,500 feet, the National Weather Service said.

During the last storm, the deep snowpack generally absorbed more water than it melted, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said.

“There is more snow water in the southern and possibly central Sierra than there has ever been at this time of year – and possibly at any point during the year, especially in the southern Sierra,” Swain said.

“So there is a whole hell of a lot of water up there right now stored in the snowpack.”

Yet another atmospheric river is on the way

After this system, another atmospheric river is expected to hit the West Coast next week.

“Heavy rain, melting snowpack, saturated soils, and swollen streams may lead to prolonged flooding concerns and the potential for shallow landslides in some areas of California,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said.

“High winds could lead to coastal erosion and may exacerbate localized flooding.”

From severe flooding to long droughts, water-related disasters have intensified over the past two decades as global temperatures climbed to record levels, new research shows.

Across the country, another major winter storm is walloping the Northeast. Widespread, heavy snowfall is forecast from northeast Pennsylvania through much of New York state and New England.

The Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunters” are flying missions in both the atmospheric river on the West Coast and the nor’easter on the East Coast, collecting data to help improve the forecast for those regions impacted by the storms.

We at it again flying another #AtmosphericRiver in the Pacific and the developing #snow storm in the Atlantic. The @53rdWRS is continuing to gather critical data from coast to coast to improve forecasts of these highly impactful late-season winter storms. pic.twitter.com/x0KSub68OT

— Jeremy DeHart (@JeremyDeHart53d) March 14, 2023

Until the last few years, forecasters had to rely solely on satellites and forecast models for forecasting atmospheric rivers – which can become very muddy without truly knowing what’s happening inside the storms.

Now, the University of California, San Diego, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes have teamed up with the Hurricane Hunters, who are able to drop instruments called “dropsondes” inside an atmospheric river to relay pinpointed live weather data.

The information is immediately put into weather forecast models, which drastically improves the accuracy of the forecast.

If you’re ever stranded in your car because of a bad winter storm, being prepared can be the difference between survival and serious harm or death.

Winter storms, bad weather and sloppy road conditions can be frightening and dangerous for travelers, and “are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter,” according to AAA.

“Just as we prepare for hurricane season — even if a hurricane doesn’t come to our location, it’s still better to be prepared,” she added.

Gray speaks from experience. “I learned it the hard way — that Atlanta snow jam in 2014. I was stuck on the road for 15 hours, and I didn’t have anything in my car,” she said. “It was incredibly scary.”

You should, of course, minimize non-essential travel during severe winter weather, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency recommends.

Regardless of where you live, “no part of the US can handle a road turning into an ice rink,” Gray said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are as far as a driver in winter weather.” But if you simply must travel, here’s how to prepare in case you encounter severe weather this winter.

Winterizing your car

Regardless of whether a severe storm is coming, prepping your car to handle winter weather is something you should do every fall, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Have your vehicle serviced as often as its manufacturer recommends, and do the following, the CDC advises:

• Have the radiator system serviced or check the antifreeze level with an antifreeze tester. Add antifreeze as needed.
• Replace windshield wiper fluid with a winter-suitable mixture (which will contain additives to prevent freezing).
• Ensure the tires have sufficient tread and air pressure, which you can measure with a tire gauge. Replace worn tires and fill low tires with air to the pressure recommended for your car.
• Keep the gas tank near full to help avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
• Keep your car in proper working condition by checking the heater, defroster, brakes, brake fluid, ignition, emergency flashers, exhaust, oil and battery.

Preparing and packing

Before leaving, check the weather forecast and tell loved ones where you’re going. If you become stuck in your car during a storm, being able to keep warm, signal distress, and stay safe, energized and nourished are top priorities, according to AAA, the Georgia agency, State Farm, the CDC and Almanac magazine.

For such purposes, these organizations recommend you pack the following items (you can download the full list at the bottom of this story):

Well-being

• Nonperishable, high-energy foods such as nuts, granola bars, dried fruit or beef jerky
• Extra bottled water (using an insulated bottle can help prevent freezing)
• Cup or makeshift cup in which you can melt snow — using waterproof matches — for drinking water
• First aid kit including adhesive bandages, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, antiseptic cream, medical wrap and pocketknife
• Rags and hand cleaner (such as baby wipes)
• Medications
• Books, games or DVDs for occupying children, if applicable

Warmth

• Hats, wool socks, coat, hand and feet warmers, gloves, scarves, and blankets (which you can use to both cover up with and insulate your car by putting them in your windows)
• Hiking boots (especially important if you must leave your car)
• Sleeping bag
• Rain poncho

Tools, distress signals and navigation

• Battery-powered flashlight, extra batteries and flares
• A brightly colored cloth, which you could tie to your vehicle’s antenna or secure atop your rolled-up window to ensure you are visible
• A cell phone (which you should fully charge beforehand) and portable cell phone charger
• Jumper cables, booster cables with fully charged battery or an external battery charger to start your car if the battery dies
• Basic tool kit
• Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
• Small fire extinguisher (5-pound, Class B or Class C type) in case of car fire
• Tire gauge to check pressure
• Canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair
• Tire or tow chains
• Glass scraper for clearing windows
• Small, collapsible shovel to clear snow from exhaust pipe, since a blocked exhaust pipe can cause sickening or deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the vehicle while the engine is running
• Sand or cat litter for gaining traction
• Road salt
• Anti-gelling fuel additive if your vehicle runs on diesel
• Extra winter windshield wiper and antifreeze
• General car emergency kit, which you should have on hand during any season: local and regional road maps, garbage bags, toilet paper, paper towels, and gas can
• Jack and lug wrench to change tires
• Duct tape
• Foam tire sealant for minor tire punctures
• Scissors and string or cord
• Spare change and cash
• Compass

Behaviors to avoid

If you’re stuck in snowy or icy conditions, there are a few behaviors you should avoid. Don’t leave your car unless you have to, as staying inside it provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to find you, according to AAA.

You can exercise in your vehicle to keep warm, but don’t exhaust yourself while doing this or clearing your windows or exhaust pipe. Turning your car on for about 10 minutes each hour — and then off for the rest of the hour — can help you conserve gas and ensure you’re able to occasionally generate warmth.

During nighttime, keep your dome light on if possible, since it uses only a small amount of electricity and can help rescuers find you.

If traffic is still moving, slow down to at least half your normal speed and use a low gear, but not cruise control. When driving up a hill, don’t stop — get some inertia going on a flat road before you drive up the hill. Avoid steering or braking in an abrupt manner so you don’t skid or spin out. At night, keep your headlights on low beam to avoid glare, and leave at least double the typical following distance between yourself and the car in front of you.

If you see a truck spreading salt and gravel, don’t try to pass it. Gravel could bounce upward and break your windshield.