Environment & Science

An Allentown homeowner caught on video the moment an EF-1 tornado touched down in the city’s Midway Manor neighborhood on Monday night.

As cleanup continues from Monday’s severe weather, the Lehigh Valley will see a period of rain Thursday that could bring localized flooding to some areas.

The National Weather Service determined damages during a severe thunderstorm Monday night were from straight-line winds as high as 100 mph, but no tornadoes touched down there.

The National Weather Service rated the tornado as an EF-1 — the second-weakest on the scale. It hit the Midway Manor neighborhood of Allentown and crossed into Bethlehem briefly, according to a weather service statement.

A National Weather Service survey team confirmed a tornado touched down in Allentown’s Midway Manor neighborhood Monday night on the east side, but the twister was unwarned.

Starting at 9 a.m., officials from Princeton Hydro, a New Jersey-based engineering consultant, will treat the lake’s shoreline via airboat to tamp down invasive Phragmites, a genus of four species of large perennial reed grasses.

The ordinance adjustments approved Monday night would align the township with the state model for stormwater management guidance.

Neighbors in the Midway Manor neighborhood of Allentown reported seeing a twister as the storm tore through the city's East Side on Monday night. There were no reports of serious injuries, but property damage was extensive.

A severe storm knocked out power to thousands in Lehigh County and sent Musikfest revelers searching for cover Monday night. As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, 16,000 customers have lost power.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for the Lehigh Valley and much of the Mid-Atlantic region.

The results of the 2023 citywide greenhouse gas inventory are in. The project was part of Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program.

Allentown has secured a $100,000 grant to continue participating in the Youth Climate Action Fund for 2025, supporting youth-led projects focused on climate change awareness, mitigation, and sustainability, while aligning with the city’s upcoming Climate Action Plan.

The National Weather Service issued the bulletin in effect from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday for freezing rain, with total ice accumulations up to a tenth of an inch possible.

Projects in Wilson and Easton will receive $225,000 in funding to support trails, parks, recreation and watershed initiatives.

Food & Water Watch on Tuesday held a rally outside Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s city office in defense of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. A Republican congressman earlier this month introduced a joint resolution to repeal it.

Applications are open for the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program. Funding supports projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats.

A farm in Lehigh County has tested positive for HPIA, according to a news release Monday from the state Department of Agriculture. A response team is in place and the farm has been quarantined, officials said.

This week, WLVR's Brad Klein explore The Pleiades, a prominent winter asterism, or group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the night sky.

State officials announced the theme for this year’s annual tick-themed art contest, “Protect. Check. Remove.” Last year, there were no winners in the Lehigh Valley.

A cold snap that sent temperatures near historic lows brought record winter demand for electricity across numerous regional grids and service territories, including the Lehigh Valley.

Emmaus is one step closer to remediating two of its PFAS-contaminated wells. PFAS are also called "forever chemicals" because they are slow to breakdown in the environment and are linked to a variety of health issues.

Bird flu has arrived in the Lehigh Valley, contributing to the deaths of about 5,000 migrating snow geese at sites Lehigh and Northampton counties.