U.S. hit with a weird combination of fire, water and ice
Storm chasers get ahead of a tornado in Mapleton, Iowa, on Friday.
April 11th, 2011
12:32 PM ET

U.S. hit with a weird combination of fire, water and ice

Hailstones covered a beach in Southern California over the weekend; tornadoes tore up a small town in Iowa; residents of Fargo, North Dakota, escaped a flood threat; and West Texas is battling the biggest wildfire outbreak in its history.

Yes, it’s spring in America.

The crazy weather is expected to continue today, with record temperatures predicted along the East Coast. Highs will top 80 as far north as Philadelphia, and it will feel like summer in the South. But an advancing cold front will set off a line of potentially severe storms from Texas to the Great Lakes, according to the National Weather Service. That line will head east into the evening.

Residents of Newport Beach, California, were soaking in a Jacuzzi, enjoying an unseasonably cool night, when the skies opened up, CNN affiliate KTLA reports.

At first they thought they were being pelted by raindrops, but it stung. The hail-snow combo covered the sand with icy pellets - and was the first time many residents had seen snow on the beach.

The small town of Mapleton, Iowa, was heavily damaged by a tornado Saturday night, but no deaths were reported. About 60% of Mapleton was damaged or destroyed, an official told KETV. The tornado leveled about 12 blocks on the southwest side of town.

Flooding was the issue farther north as the Red River threatened a repeat of the devastating floods of the past two springs in Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, according to KXJB.

The Red River crested at nearly 41 feet in 2009, but residents are breathing a sigh of relief Monday as the river recedes after cresting at just under 40 feet. Meanwhile, more than 600 members of the National Guard are helping out in other parts of the state that experienced flooding.

In West Texas, the Rock House fire burned at least 60 structures in and around Fort Davis and knocked out power to the community, according to KWES. Fort Davis schools were closed Monday. Another grass fire, dubbed the Hickman fire, burned about 40 buildings, including homes, in Midland County. And two large fires are burning near Alpine in northern Brewster County.

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Filed under: California • Iowa • North Dakota • Texas • Tornadoes • U.S. • Weather
soundoff (101 Responses)
  1. John

    Storm! Earth! and Fire! HEED MY CALL!!

    April 11, 2011 at 2:41 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Joey

    I thought that was what you wanted.

    April 11, 2011 at 2:45 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Ancient Marinator

    It's a Song of Ice and Fire.

    April 11, 2011 at 2:49 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Joey

    Sturm und Drang.

    April 11, 2011 at 2:50 pm | Report abuse |
  5. donald

    And these things shall come to past my God is on his way back be ready

    April 11, 2011 at 2:54 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Joey

    Ready and waiting.

    April 11, 2011 at 2:56 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Vic of New York

    The world is coming to an end!!! ... thanks to the excesses of the extremist religious Right, and Conservative Zombie Climate-Change deniers! God will punish you!

    April 11, 2011 at 3:01 pm | Report abuse |
    • American Idiot

      Based on the movies I've seen, I don't think most zombies are conservatives. They strike me as libertarians, mostly.

      April 11, 2011 at 5:47 pm | Report abuse |
  8. ANDRE HIMES

    Under racial profiling many BLACK AMERICANS were arrested and were either martyred within the prison system or were deported to AFRICA ,where many of them were martyred there and were buried in mass graves in the nation of the SUDAN and in the CONGO. A new non human BLACK AMERICA has arisen from the hiphop and the antebellum nations and is based on sterotypical images of poverty stricken, low class and criminaly l prone blacks and has replace the black human population who was sacrifice during the black holocaust 1968-2001

    April 11, 2011 at 3:03 pm | Report abuse |
    • JBHedgehog

      Andre...wrong story baby! This is weather stuff. Now, if weather was racial profiling blacks, then I think you'd be onto something. For instance...Rev. Al Sharpton vs. the Tsunami!

      April 11, 2011 at 3:07 pm | Report abuse |
    • scranton

      Andre put down that crack pipe, we talking weather now.

      April 11, 2011 at 5:57 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Otto

    Movie "300" Spartans: Earth and Water according to Xerxes, but then there were mention of fire; except the arrows. So we'll send all the Tea Party to Texas where they can fight in the shade.

    April 11, 2011 at 3:05 pm | Report abuse |
  10. ANDRE HIMES

    REVELATION CHAPTER NINE IN THE BOOK REVELATION IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION. And the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth and it was given unto him the key to the bottom less pit. And he opened the bottomless pit and there arose smoke out the pit as smoke of a great furnace and the sun and the air were darken by reason of the smoke of the pit and there came out of the smoke locaust upon the earth ,and it was given unto them power as the scorpions of the earth have power.And it was command unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth or any green thing neither any tree only those men who have not the seal of GOD in their forehead.Both hiphop and the antebellum black america arer the plagues of revelation chapter nine,and will someday torment the souls of those who do not have the seal of living GOD in their forehead

    April 11, 2011 at 3:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • Setup

      I don't like hiphop, and I'd rather not listen to Seal. So don't put any of his shet on my forehead, OK. I've got RAID in a can, just in case. Now will the brush fires be heading toward your church? I've got to pee, need any help?

      April 11, 2011 at 3:34 pm | Report abuse |
    • scranton

      Dude we are just talking about a prarie fire and a storm. No need to be crapping your pants.

      April 11, 2011 at 6:00 pm | Report abuse |
  11. banasy

    *Facepalm*

    Hi, Joey.

    April 11, 2011 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Joey

    How shall I recognize this seal?

    April 11, 2011 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse |
    • Newfie fisherman

      Just let me know, and I'll club 'er for ya.

      April 11, 2011 at 5:49 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Joey

    banasy, do you have a seal?
    Look in the mirror.

    April 11, 2011 at 3:29 pm | Report abuse |
  14. citizenUSA

    Just watch Discovery's " How the Earth Was Made". Lots of weird stuff over 4 billion years. Likely most of what's going on now but no one around to remember it.

    April 11, 2011 at 3:33 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Joey

    I don't like scorpions very much.
    I had one preserved in clear plastic once, but the plastic melted in the car's rear window and smelled bad. I threw it out.

    April 11, 2011 at 3:33 pm | Report abuse |
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