Eric Zerkel - Extreme Weather Editor
Eric Zerkel
Extreme Weather Editor
Eric Zerkel is an editor on CNN's climate team covering extreme weather and its intersection with the climate crisis.
Latest
Parts of the US face their most significant tornado and severe storm threat in months
Oct 30, 2024
Second severe storm season is about to kick into gear with the threat of strong tornadoes and other dangerous storms.
Critical Antarctica glacier appears to be smoking in rare view from space
Oct 29, 2024
A vital glacier in western Antarctica appears to be smoking in a rare view captured by a NASA satellite earlier this month.
Before-and-after images show Helene wiped parts of North Carolina off the map
Oct 3, 2024
New before and after satellite photos paint a grim picture of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in parts of western North Carolina that have been hard to access after the storm swiped away the state’s roads and bridges.
Hurricane Francine will continue to strengthen on its collision course with Louisiana
Sep 11, 2024
Francine has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and is forecast to keep strengthening – possibly to a Category 2 storm – ahead of landfall along the Louisiana coast Wednesday.
Southern California wildfire burns so intensely that it creates its own weather as it spreads, forcing evacuations
Sep 8, 2024
Some Southern California residents were forced from their homes Saturday after an explosive wildfire grew by more than 3,000 acres in mere hours – and is burning so intensely that it is creating its own weather.
Watch the glacier outburst that sent a surge of water into Juneau, causing ‘unprecedented’ flooding
Aug 7, 2024
A rush of water unleashed by an ailing glacier swelled an Alaska river to record levels Tuesday causing unprecedented flooding in Juneau nearly a year to the date of a similar destructive event.
Tropical Storm Debby forms in the Gulf of Mexico, expected to reach hurricane strength before landfall in Florida
Aug 4, 2024
Tropical Storm Debby has sustained winds of 40 mph and is located about 270 miles south of Tampa, Florida, according to the hurricane center’s 8 p.m. ET update on the storm.
Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, is rapidly approaching the Caribbean
Jun 29, 2024
Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with stronger gusts, according to a 5 p.m. EST update from the National Hurricane Center.
A plant that’s everywhere is fueling a growing risk of wildfire disaster
Jun 9, 2024
A ubiquitous, resilient and seemingly harmless plant is fueling an increase in large, fast-moving and destructive wildfires in the United States.
1 dead, homes damaged after destructive tornadoes and storms hit three states and a DC suburb
Jun 7, 2024
Storms with damaging tornadoes hit parts of Maryland on Wednesday, leaving at least one person seriously injured and knocking down trees on homes and other buildings in several areas.
Unwieldy wildfires scorch Canada and threaten a community scarred by past catastrophe
May 15, 2024
Improving winds and a storm moving into western Canada are providing a temporary boost to firefighters battling massive wildfires, but the danger remains heightened as they burn close to three communities.
Rapidly-spreading fires are threatening to burn through Canadian towns and degrading air quality
May 15, 2024
Dangerous wildfires have scorched tens of thousands of acres and are closing in on multiple Canadian towns, forcing thousands of evacuations and degrading air quality.
Dozens of blazes burning in Canada are sending smoke to the US. Several major fires have forced hundreds of evacuations
May 14, 2024
More than 100 blazes are burning across Canada Monday, with several major wildfires prompting evacuations for hundreds of residents and threatening to swallow up communities.
The US is in the middle of an exceptional tornado streak. Here’s what it looks like
May 9, 2024
It started in Utah, of all places. A whirling tendril of air descended from a roiling sky above a southwest suburb of Salt Lake City, punctuating the horizon. It was a tornado – the first of many over the course of weeks.
About
Eric Zerkel is an editor on CNN’s climate team covering extreme weather and its intersection with the climate crisis.
He joined CNN from The Weather channel where he served in various roles during his decade with the company, including his last position as head of subscription content. There he also assigned and edited text stories, videos and podcasts for weather.com, covered weather and climate science and developed and launched subscription weather content, newsletters and alerts. Prior to The Weather Channel, he reported for the New York Daily News, The Wall Street Journal and Esquire.
Originally from Florida, Zerkel has a BS in Political Science and English from Florida State University and a master’s degree in journalism from New York University.