Tropical Storm Bertha is limping toward Texas and about to make its second landfall (did you even notice the first?), but its most significant weather is happening a thousand miles away.

The storm is sending tropical moisture northeast into Virginia and the Carolinas — a setup that could produce torrential rain and dangerous flash flooding there. Some storms could dump rain at rates of 2 inches per hour, fast enough to overwhelm roads and drainage systems, especially if repeated downpours track over the same places. It’s a good reminder that tropical storms are much more than the little dot marking their center on a map.

This is a good moment to download the app if you’re in either location — the Gulf Coast or the Mid-Atlantic — since we have experts covering developments in both places. (Meteorologists are standing by!) What I like most about the app, besides its gorgeous and clean design, is how we are covering different stories for different locations. Maybe we’ll be tracking something for you next. —Angela

From Vivien Williams

An aerial view of the Herbert Glacier, north of Juneau, Alaska. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, is known for its glaciers and fresh air. Alaska is actually warming twice as fast as the rest of the country. This is leading to permafrost melt and coastal erosion.

Juneau got its name in 1881 after gold prospector Joe Juneau. It was designated the capitol of Alaska in 1906 and has a current population of about 32,000. Juneau is very remote, only accessible by boat or plane, and is a popular cruise ship destination. It is also the largest state capital by land area, bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. It is also the only state capital that borders a foreign country (our neighbors Canada).

A brown bear catches a sockeye salmon in midair on August 12, 2023 at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park. Alaska has more national park and wilderness land than anywhere in the United States. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Alaska has more bald eagles than any other state, with 15,000 to 30,000 bald eagles in Juneau alone. It’s also bear country with black, brown, and even blue bears. Yes, blue bears. Also known as glacier bears, they are an uncommon variant of black bears. Despite the name, they’re more of a grey color, and can only be found in a small area of southeast Alaska and western Canada that includes Juneau.

There is even a bear island called Kootznoowoo, which translates to “fortress of the bears” in the language of the native Tlingit people. Also known as Admiralty Island National Monument, this island is home to 1,600 brown bears, which is more than the rest of the country combined.

A map showing the past 50-year change in annual average temperature in Alaska. (NOAA/NCEI/Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy)

But Juneau is grappling with rising temperatures, decreased snowfall and increased rain — trends detrimental to the capital and the state as a whole. Snowfall is important to glacier and icefield health, adding mass and helping to insulate the flow in summer to protect from the sun. Over the last 60 years Juneau has been facing a roughly 3 degree Fahrenheit increase in average winter temperatures. That may not sound like much, but it's enough of a change to push Juneau above freezing more often in the winter — with dramatic effects.

The changes in climate may be coming faster than wildlife can adapt, possibly leading to local and global extinction. For example, salmon is incredibly important as a food source (for both humans and those lovely bears), for the economy and the overall ecosystem. But rising stream temperatures lower the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, making it more difficult for salmon to breathe.

Salmon are collected in a bucket on Joseph John Jr.'s boat on July 1, 2015 in Newtok, Alaska. Newtok has a population of approximately of 375 ethnically Yupik people and was established along the shores of the Ninglick River by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1959. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

For the best views of Juneau, ride the Mount Roberts Tramway, a 5-minute ride that goes up to 1,800 feet “from sea level to see level.” At the top explore the sky bridge and mountain house owned by the local native corporation where you can check out the bald  eagle display, hike, and look at native tree carving atop the mountain. In the mountain house there is also a free 18-minute film called “Seeing Daylight” about the Tlingit way of life.

The Mount Roberts Tramway is located near downtown Juneau, Alaska. (Sergi Reboredo/VW PICS/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

A tree carving near Mount Roberts in Juneau, Alaska denotes the territory of the Raven clan Tlingit Indians. (Sergi Reboredo/VW PICS/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

When temps warm, there is less snow falling and more rain, instead. There has been a long trend in increased rates of precipitation in Juneau with yearly precipitation up roughly 20 inches over the past 90 years. So if you’re planning a trip up there, pack an umbrella! More rain has also meant more landslides, which have caused fatalities in Southeast Alaska as well as being responsible for significant property damage.

The Medenhall Glacier looms behind a boardwalk near Mendenhall Lake close to Juneau, Alaska. There is also an area by the lake that is closed protect nesting Arctic terns. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images)

Make sure  to check out the Mendenhall glacier while you still can. Projections from the university of Alaska Southeast estimate you won’t be able to see the glacier from its own visitor center by 2050. Residents of Juneau are documenting its collapse. On the Mountain Research Initiative website, you can find a community photo essay that captures the glacier diminishing, with the earliest photo from 1987.

A man walks by the Walt Disney Concert Hall on a hot day in downtown Los Angeles on July 22. (Daniel Cole/Reuters)

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