Environment & Science

Dr. Jana Houser specializes in radar analysis of tornadoes and the supercell thunderstorms that produce them. She recently served as a consultant on "Twisters."

Pluto is perfectly positioned in orbit this week. While it's too small for us to see even with a decent telescope, NASA has us covered.

Development has divided wildlife habitats across Pennsylvania, leading to more vehicle-animal collisions. A new report from the state Legislature argues reconnecting the pieces through wildlife corridors would help.

The National Scenic Visitors Center’s “Earthwalk Explorer” exhibit is at the Banana Factory Arts and Education Center, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem. The traveling, tactile exhibit is centered around a 3D map of the northeastern United States and is in town all next week.

Keystone Cement Co. in East Allen Township is renewing its hazardous waste permit with the state Department of Environmental Protection. Part of the company's plan is to change how it transports waste, from trucks to rail.

Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio said a 93-year-old woman from Upper Macugie Township was pronounced dead in her home Thursday. It's the first heat-related death reported in the area.

Mosquitos carrying West Nile virus were recorded within city limits. Here's where officials are spraying Wednesday.

Applications for a seat on the council, launched in 2022 and aimed at growing public participation, are being accepted through the end of the month. Here's how to apply.

The Lehigh County Coroner's Office has confirmed the name of a man who drowned while tubing in the Lehigh River on Monday afternoon.

Gov. John Shapiro last month signed HB 1333 into law, which allows for recycled materials to be used in stuffed toys manufactured and sold statewide. In the Lehigh Valley, one toy manufacturer plans to launch a sustainable line.

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.

WLVR’s Brad Klein speaks with Environment & Science Reporter, Molly Bilinski about the start later this month of the annual Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.