Environment & Science

For those who lost power in their homes due to the tornado that raced through Allentown on Monday, the first thought would be to call PPL. Think again.

It’s the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower and WLVR’s Brad Klein speaks with a local amateur astronomer about how best to see meteors in the night sky.

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.

February is "going to be loaded,” meteorologist Bobby Martrich said, describing an “overrunning pattern” that goes through mid-month and could potentially bring the Lehigh Valley no fewer than three — and possibly four — storm chances before Valentine’s Day.

A contentious land-use battle is underway, and it's headed to the Pennsylvania's Environmental Hearing Board. Both sides are confident they'll win.

On the night of Jan. 13, the full moon passed directly between Earth and Mars, blocking our view of the ‘red planet’ for over an hour.

Forecasters say the Lehigh Valley should see another coating of snow to start off the "snowiest" month of the year. More snow is expected in the other half of the week.

About 150 people are expected to gather at Covered Bridge Park in South Whitehall Township early Sunday morning for the Lehigh Valley groundhog lodge's annual celebration.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week Megan talks to environment and science reporter Molly Bilinski and Northampton County reporter Ryan Gaylor.

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.