NCPR Regional Weather

Flooding continues to plague the Midwest as a massive surge of rainwater pours down the Mississippi River. At least three Red Cross workers from the North Country have flown to the region to help with recovery efforts. Ed Gordon, from Queensbury, is a former fireman who volunteers with the Adirondack-Saratoga chapter of the Red Cross, headquartered in Glens Falls. Gordon told Brian Mann that he's helping to coordinate the huge number of volunteers pouring into the region.

Several thousand utility customers in the North Country are still dark this morning, mostly in Franklin, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties Martha Foley has more.

Downed tree limbs littered the Orebed Rd. and nearby yards in Pierrepont yesterday. The powerful storm tore branches from century maples at Helen Hutchinson's home. She was aiding her hospice patient in Parishville when the storm struck.

Thousands remains without power this morning after thunderstorms rolled across upstate New York yesterday and last night. Todd Moe has more.

Supporters of an ambitious bill to reduce risks of global warming say they don't have the votes to pass it in the US Senate today. The bill would require dramatic cuts in greenhouse gases, and nudge the nation's energy priorities away from fossil fuels. Even if it passes, President Bush says he'll veto it. Meanwhile, a new government report says climate change is already affecting crops, forests, water and wildlife. Lester Graham reports.

By the Myanmar junta's own count, at least 134,000 people are dead or missing after a cyclone three weeks ago. The U.N. says up to 2.5 million survivors are hungry and homeless and there are worries about disease outbreaks. The ruling generals have restricted visas for foreign aid workers and barred foreigners in the country from visiting affected areas. Still, there are non-governmental efforts, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, other NGOs…and those of individual people. North Creek residents Woody and Elise Widlund found one of the smallest and most personal aid pipelines. In five trips to Myanmar with Nevada Wier, a photographer who specializes in taking pictures of indigenous people living in traditional ways, they’ve visited villages that had not seen westerners in 20 to 30 years. They’ve made friends, including Phyo, who’s now out on the Irrawaddy delta, delivering supplies bought in part by an e-mail network of people like the Widlunds in North Creek. Martha Foley spoke with Woody Widlund yesterday. He said the key link in the chain is Nevada Weir, who forwarded news from Phyo a couple days ago.
(Nevada Wier, PO Box 8032, Santa Fe, NM 87504.)

Conditions are just about perfect for brush fires in many areas of the North Country. Martha Foley has more.

With temperatures warming and deep snowpack in some areas, emergency officials in New York and Vermont are worrying about flooding. National Weather Service officials say in some places the snow is still so deep it's the equivalent of 15 inches of rain. Lake Champlain is of particular concern. Jonathan Brown reports.

It's spring and there is no shortage of rituals and traditions surrounding the arrival of the season of renewal. Many early peoples celebrated for the basic reason that their food supplies would soon be restored. Longer days and more sunlight are a big deal here in the North Country, as well as parts of Canada, Alaska and northern Europe. Colton artist Irja Boden grew up in Sweden where longer days begin as a speck on the late-winter horizon.

The recovery continues this morning following Saturday's brutal winter storm that knocked out power and closed roads across the North Country. Todd Moe has more.