The Puerto Rican government conceded Thursday that the devastation associated with Hurricane Maria killed more than 1,400 people, a number vastly exceeding the official count that for months noted only 64 deaths. The storm ripped through the island in September 2017, knocking out power and triggering widespread flooding. While the official death count stalled at 64, fatalities climbed amid impassable roads, lack of hospital access, and a power outage that lasted for months.

Fire officials began treating twin wildfires in Northern California Monday as one, making it the largest wildfire in state history. By Tuesday, the Mendocino Complex fire had destroyed 445 square miles, nearly the same area as the city of Los Angeles. The fire north of San Francisco continues to grow and threatens 11,300 buildings, leading to more evacuation orders over the weekend. More than 14,000 firefighters are battling more than a dozen major fires throughout the state, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott McLean.

President Donald Trump declared a major emergency in California as crews continued to battle devastating wildfires. The Mendocino Complex Fire, which flanks Clear Lake in Northern California, expanded at breakneck speed Sunday and was setting records as one of the state’s largest fires ever. Burning in mostly rural areas, the fire has threatened 9,300 structures, destroyed 68 homes, and damaged 12 other homes. A seventh person died in the Carr Fire in nearby Shasta County on Saturday.

Two young children and their great-grandmother are among the five people who have died in a raging wildfire in Northern California that doubled in size overnight. Relatives on Saturday identified them as 70-year-old Melody Bledsoe, 5-year-old James Roberts, and 4-year-old Emily Roberts. The blaze claimed the lives of two firefighters earlier in the week, and tens of thousands of people evacuated their homes and sought refuge in shelters. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for the state Saturday, allowing affected counties to access federal aid.

An explosive wildfire is wreaking death and destruction on Northern California communities. The so-called Carr Fire has killed a bulldozer operator and a firefighter, burned three more firefighters, destroyed dozens of homes, and forced thousands of terrified residents to flee the towns of Shasta and Keswick, and the more populated city of Redding. The fire is “taking down everything in its path,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesman Scott McLean said.

Residents in central Iowa had little to no warning Thursday before tornadoes ripped through the region. The twisters leveled buildings in the cities of Bondurant, Marshalltown, and Pella, injuring at least 17 people. The tornadoes formed suddenly, surprising weather forecasters and residents. Marshalltown’s only hospital was damaged, and patients were transferred to health facilities in Waterloo and Grundy Center. The storm also blew off the cupola of Marshalltown’s historic courthouse.

A flying blob of molten rock landed on a tour boat in Hawaii on Monday, injuring 23 people. One woman was flown to Honolulu in serious condition with a broken femur, and 22 others were treated at a hospital on the Big Island for minor scrapes and burns. The tour boat ventured to within 250 yards of where a lava flow from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean. Explosions can occur when the molten rock comes in contact with the cool seawater, sending rocks and lava into the air.