Storm

Hurricane Paloma churned toward the Cayman Islands and Cuba with winds of about 75 mph. Forecasters say the storm could become a major Category 3 hurricane by Saturday as it approaches Cuba. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Caymans, where the storm could dump up to 8 inches of rain, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Swimmer Diana Nyad was doing better on Monday after a tough night during her attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. Nyad was hit by storms on Sunday, which blew her off course and into some jellyfish, which stung her. Nyad's last attempt, in 2011, was cut short because toxins built up in her system after multiple jellyfish stings. Nyad, 62, is trying to become the first person to swim across the Straits of Florida without a shark cage. Mark Sollinger, a Nyad representative, told NBC's"Today" show that things couldn't be going better for her. "Her stroke looks good, and we're moving in the right direction," he said.

BELLE CHASSE, La. -- The sounds of a small chorus singing "Happy Birthday to You" floated through Belle Chasse Auditorium on Tuesday as Allen Williams Sr. turned 93. He was surrounded by his family and scores of strangers living amid cots and small bundles of clothing in a shelter set up for people in the path of Hurricane Isaac. This wasn't the birthday celebration the large Williams clan had envisioned, but its members have learned not to dawdle when officials of Plaquemines Parish order evacuations.

Burning Man , the mash-up of art, music and "radical self-reliance" in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, will light up its signature Big Burn of the Man at 9 p.m. PDT Saturday. Tickets sold out for the first time in the festival's 25 years, so those who couldn't get access to Black Rock City (population right around 50,000) for the big event likely will be watching on the live streaming webcast . The website is chock-full of all that happens at Burning Man, but my favorite story so far was posted Thursday on the Burning Blog by John Curley, who has been in attendance since 2004: "The Burning Man guide book will tell you that love on the playa is a complicated thing.

NEW YORK - At least eight people were killed by massive storm Sandy as it moved inland after roaring ashore in New Jersey with 80 mph winds Monday night. Floodwater swamped New York City, pouring into subway tunnels and filling the enormous construction site where the World Trade Center was destroyed in 2001. Much of Lower Manhattan was plunged into darkness after exploding transformers cast a rosy glow against the gloomy sky. New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the downed power lines had sparked numerous fires.

Floods and fires, seawater surges and electrical outages, fierce rains and lashing winds continued to pummel parts of the Northeast as Sandy continued its destructive march on Tuesday. From Chicago to the Atlantic Ocean, through major cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington, the impact of the storm continued to grow. Transportation systems in New York and New Jersey were crippled. More than 16,000 airlines flights have been canceled. Sandy continued to generate wind gusts up to 80 mph and dump up to a foot of rain and as much as 2 feet of snow in some areas.

Five people were feared drowned today as the tail-end of Hurricane Charley swept Britain with torrential rains and fierce winds. Three people were reported missing and feared drowned in Scotland and two in Wales.

More than 570,000 customers still lacked power after the devastating New England ice storm that hit upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine late last week. Utilities in hardest-hit New Hampshire said power might not be fully restored to the region until Thursday or Friday. President Bush declared a state of emergency for New Hampshire and nine of Massachusetts' 14 counties, directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide relief assistance.

Hank Homburg, of Orcutt, Calif., was on his way home from a family snowboarding trip in February when some severe clouds moved in. About 10 miles south of Bishop, Calif., on Highway 395, he shot this picture of a cottonwood tree aglow against the darkening sky, using a Kodak Digital EasyShare DX 6490. "It happened to be right before a storm was starting and the clouds were amazing," said Homburg, a Santa Barbara firefighter.

Two storm systems will begin moving into the region today and Friday, producing heavy rain and snow at times in Southern California, the National Weather Service said. The first storm system is expected to hit tonight, but it will be the weakest of the two, producing about half an inch of rainfall, said weather specialist Stuart Seto. Snow levels in the local mountains will be between 5,500 and 6,000 feet, with 2 to 4 inches of snowfall, he said. The storm is expected to taper off by Friday afternoon, Seto said.