Weather

More than a quarter million bats are suffering from the sub-freezing temps in Houston, and some kind folks have jumped in to provide them some warmth.

Houston is an ice box ... it's also home to 300,000 bats, which are going into hypothermic shock and falling from under a bridge to the pavement.

The Mexican free-tailed bats live near a bridge, and there's no buffer from the cold and the wind.

The Houston Humane Society's Wildlife Department is corralling the bats and placing them near heat sources. The Director of the org says her people are giving the bats fluids under their skin to provide hydration and then offering them food.

They've actually lined the ground below where the bats live with foam, to cushion the blow when they fall.

As for why all the fuss, well aside from the humane aspect, bats eat moths, mosquitoes and other pests, so it's all part of ecosystem balance.

The winter weather this year is no joke, and visibility is getting severely worse in places with extreme conditions ... which is exactly how this reporter seemingly appeared out of nowhere due to an insane whiteout.

CNN's Polo Sandoval performed his reappearing trick Friday in Buffalo, NY, as he showed viewers just how bad the conditions have gotten ... and if ya squint real hard, you might be able to spot him at the beginning of the clip.

Polo -- wearing all-black, mind you -- says he's seen a few cars on the road ... a big mistake, especially with a current driving ban on the area. He says the lack of visibility comes from high winds, because there isn't a ton of snow being created.

CNN's anchor, Kristin Fisher, admits she completely lost Polo at the beginning -- before he stepped through the rough storm.

It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of year -- but not if you've got to travel this holiday season -- 'cause extreme weather has rocked the U.S. and canceled thousands of flights in the process.

Parts of the country have experienced everything from hurricane-strength winds to blizzards and a bomb cyclone ... causing power outages in nearly 1.5 million homes.

The Midwest has been hit hard with freezing cold weather, and some of those temperatures are said to get even colder than temps on Mars!!!

The winter weather has caused nearly 2/3 of the U.S. to be placed under a winter weather alert.

Of course, this weather isn't ideal for folks trying to get home for the holidays ... more than 3,000 flights have been already been delayed or canceled around the country on Friday morning alone.

From NYC to Chicago the winter weather is wreaking havoc in the U.S. ... and the worst is supposedly still to come.

In Seattle, people were taking to the streets to ice skate during one of the worst ice storms the city has seen in years.

Dozens of people were injured during a Hawaiian Airlines flight that required medical transport of at least 20 individuals -- this after several passengers were rocked in the air.

The scary news was announced Sunday and confirmed by the airline themselves. They say HA Flight 35 -- which was flying from Phoenix to Honolulu this AM, with 288 people onboard total -- experienced major turbulence that reportedly sent people flying every which way, including upwards toward the ceiling.

There are photos and videos circulating online right now that show some of the upper luggage compartments crushed ... presumably due to bodies crashing into them.

All in all, 36 people suffered injuries ... and 20 needed to be taken to the hospital, with 11 of them being listed in serious condition. There's video of some of these passengers being attended to on the ground -- you can see them in neck braces, getting gurneyed away.

The turbulence is reported to have hit about 30 minutes before the plane landed -- it's unclear what exactly caused it. A mix of passengers and crew members are said to have been harmed -- and the youngest of the bunch is reported to have been just 14 months old.

The plane was obviously able to land in the end, and HA says they're keeping tabs on everyone affected. They add, "Medical care was provided to several guests & crewmembers at the airport for minor injuries while some were swiftly transported to local hospitals for further care. We are supporting all affected passengers & employees and are continuing to monitor the situation."

The injuries sound intense, especially for the 11 who were utterly thrashed. They're described as bruises, lacerations, head injuries and even loss of consciousness for some. EMS workers responded to the incident as a "mass casualty emergency" upon touchdown.

A terrifying ordeal on the water has left one cruise passenger dead and another 4 injured after a MASSIVE "rogue wave" smashed the side of the ship, busting out several windows.

Viking's Polaris cruise ship was heading towards Ushuaia, Argentina Tuesday night when the deadly wave hit the side of the boat during a storm. Viking says one guest -- who was reportedly a 62-year-old woman -- died because of the incident.

The company also says 4 other guests sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated by medical staff onboard.

One passenger on the ship during the huge wave crash told WRAL the massive blow felt like "we hit an iceberg." Several windows were left shattered, and Viking says the ship "sustained limited damage."

No, Drew Brees was not struck by lightning despite a scary video that appeared to show he was ... the NFL legend said Friday a bolt never touched him, and he's doing fine.

Brees relayed the message in a text to ESPN Saints reporter Katherine Terrell ... just hours after footage surfaced seemingly showing the ex-New Orleans quarterback in danger.

In the clip, which was apparently shot while Brees was filming a commercial for the sports gambling platform PointsBet in Catatumbo -- an area in Venezuela known for its consistent thunderstorm activity -- you can see a lightning bolt making a beeline for Brees' back.

The footage shows the bolt cracked onto the ground, sending the 43-year-old former football player and others scurrying away from the scene in a hurry.

It's unclear if it was all fake, staged or edited ... PointsBet refused to confirm or deny the situation in a statement released Friday morning.

"We are aware of the media coverage regarding PointsBet brand ambassador Drew Brees," the org. said.

"We are in communication with Brees' team and will continue to monitor events throughout the coming hours. At this stage we will not be making any further comment."

Brees, meanwhile, had tweeted earlier this week that he was "excited to be flying to a top-secret location later this week to shoot the new promotional video for @PointsBetUSA."

We've reached out to reps for Brees for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Yeah, the NFL probably made the right call to move the Bills vs. Browns game out of Buffalo this weekend ...

Check out insane photos of Highmark Stadium taken on Friday morning -- showing the field, seats and just about everything else at the venue covered in several FEET of snow.

In the pics, you can't even get a glimpse of green grass -- let alone the chairs where Bills supporters were supposed to sit for Sunday afternoon's contest.

According to weather reports, Orchard Park has been hit with 36 inches of snow in the past few hours ... and it's expected to get pelted with a bunch more in the near future as a massive storm continues to pound the Western New York area.

Things have gotten so bad, the Bills had to cancel their Friday practice over it all.

Meanwhile, at star quarterback Josh Allen's home near the stadium -- his doggo and girlfriend are struggling with the effects of the storm too.

Brittany Williams posted pics of her falling in the powder while trying to get the couple's pup to go to the bathroom.

As for the game on Sunday, it's been moved to Detroit -- with the NFL saying Thursday the conditions just weren't safe enough for all involved to play.

The Bills and Browns won't be playing inside of a snowglobe this weekend after all ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the NFL is moving the game to Detroit to avoid the massive storm that's set to hit Buffalo this weekend.

The contest had been lined up to be played at Highmark Stadium at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday ... and it was slated to be must-see TV, considering the area is expected to get pelted by roughly six feet of snow in the next few days.

But, league sources tell us the NFL put the axe to that idea on Thursday -- clearly believing the weather wouldn't make it possible for fans, essential personnel and maybe even players to attend the contest safely.

Detroit's Ford Field is open for use on Sunday -- as the Lions are playing against the Giants for a road game in New Jersey. It'll be the first of two games the Bills play there this month -- as they're set to play the Lions in the Motor City on Thanksgiving.

Playing in copious amounts of snow is not unprecedented for the Bills -- back in Dec. 2017, they played in a blizzard against the Colts, and won, 13-7, in overtime.

But, seems like 4-6 feet is just too much to cope with this weekend.

The show REALLY must go on -- and Daniel Cormier proved that on Tuesday ... staying calm, cool and collected when an earthquake hit while he was shooting a TV segment!!

DC had been filming his "DC & RC" ESPN show with Ryan Clark -- when he suddenly and abruptly stopped his train of thought to tell Clark he was experiencing an earthquake!

"Oh, my God, Ryan, there's an earthquake," the UFC legend said. "There's an actual earthquake going on right now. My whole office is shaking right now."

"Shut the hell up," Clark responded in disbelief. "Are you good," the ex-NFL defensive back asked 43-year-old Cormier.

Of course, what Cormier felt was an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 that hit the Bay Area late Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. geological survey.

Cormier informed Clark he was okay ... saying, "I'm good, I'm good. It's not a big one. It's just like a little one. Every now and then, you kind of get the rockies."

Although RC and DC weren't together, the two Louisiana natives shared a connection at that moment since they were both not used to experiencing earthquakes.

"It's so weird for someone from Louisiana where the Earth never shakes," said Cormier.

After it was all said and done, Clark commended Cormier for not panicking during the quake ... writing, "Broooooooo….@dc_mma really had a 5.1 earthquake while filming, and my dog didn’t budge."

President Biden had another one of those moments, where he became so engrossed in a convo he forgot there was a hot mic ... and it was something!

The Prez was in Florida to survey the damage from Hurricane Ian, and had just held a joint news conference with FL Governor Ron DeSantis. He was talking to Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy. It's unclear what the 2 were chatting about, but at one point the President blurts out, "No one f***s with a Biden." The Mayor responds, "You're goddamn right!"

Biden then says, "You can't argue with your brother outside the house." The Mayor says, "That's exactly right."

It seems -- SEEMS -- they may be talking about the fact Biden and DeSantis -- who could end up going head-to-head in 2024 -- shared the stage and came together to deal with the disaster, but we don't know.

It's reminiscent of Biden's famous f-bomb that he dropped when he was Veep, turning to Barack Obama near a hot mic after their health care reform victory, saying, "This is a big f***ing deal!"

As Hurricane Ian's death toll climbs -- more than 100 people so far -- this terrifying clip shows the storm's destructive power ... as wind and waves rip entire buildings off their foundations.

The time-lapse footage shows a Fort Myers Beach street just as the flooding slowly begins, and then, over several hours, builds into a deadly 15-foot storm surge. Palm trees were nearly covered, and a red home starts swaying as the surf continues pounding at it.

Eventually, the floodwater completely washes away the building ... and you see it drift away as just another piece of debris in the deluge.

The storm chasers who uploaded the footage reported a family was in the house when it was ripped from the ground ... but somehow survived -- despite floating away in the building.

The sky is eerily red when the storm finally passes ... showing all the destruction that Ian took with it.

The Fort Myers Beach Pier -- a famous landmark -- has also been ripped to shreds, with nothing but the foundation remaining.

Gisele Bündchen is still riding solo in South Beach -- the supermodel was spotted at a Miami gym by herself Monday morning ... days after she and Tom Brady reportedly decided to remain separated during Hurricane Ian.

Gisele and Brady were forced to evacuate Tampa Bay as the tropical storm arrived last week ... but not even Ian could bring the two back together amid their alleged rift, according to Page Six.

While Brady returned to Tampa for the Buccaneers' home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Gisele elected to stay south and pass on watching her husband in person ... which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering she's been MIA at all Bucs games this season.

TMZ Sports obtained pics of Gisele at the gym earlier Monday ... showing the model rocking black leggings and a sports bra as she appears to have a serious conversation on her iPhone.

Gisele wasn't wearing her wedding ring for the workout -- but that's not a clue about her marriage status ... she rarely wore the thing even before their rough patch.

As for Brady, things haven't been going great for him on the field either -- the Bucs lost, 41-31 in the Week 4 matchup ... falling to 2-2 on the season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are doing their best to make sure Florida recovers following the devastation of Hurricane Ian ... by donating $1 million to help relief efforts.

The Glazer family made the announcement on Thursday ... saying the massive contribution will be issued to organizations in the areas that were hit the hardest during this week's storm.

"The destruction suffered in Southwest Florida and the damage inflicted throughout our state will be felt for some time," Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said.

"It will take entire communities resiliently working together for an extended period, and our family is committed to aiding in the recovery."

Kassewitz added ... "Our thoughts and prayers are with the countless people affected, the heroic first responders and all of those helping to keep others safe."

Tom Brady -- who evacuated his family ahead of the storm -- will also pitch in by donating to the Florida Disaster Fund ... and hopes his fellow NFL players will do the same.

"Happy were able to head home for Sunday night, but so many people in Florida won’t be able to do the same," Brady said.

"Our neighbors support us endlessly, it’s time to return the favor."

The Buccaneers vs. Chiefs game will still be played on Sunday at the Raymond James Stadium.

"The Queen of Versailles" star Jackie Siegel knows firsthand the huge toll Hurricane Ian is taking -- parts of her Florida mega-mansion are shredded, and will cost a boatload of money to fix.

Jackie tells TMZ ... the hurricane destroyed her 90,000-square-foot Versailles mansion, which has infamously been under construction in the Orlando area since 2004. She's expecting even more setbacks now, as Jackie says the storm did north of $10 million worth of damage.

She says she hoped the massive estate would be done by May 2023, but now that date is a pipe dream ... and she's got an impossible job on her hands.

Jackie tells us the hurricane did quite a number on the home -- most of the construction progress has been stalled, several floors in the home are flooded, portions of the ceilings caved in and there's widespread roof damage.

If you're wondering about that $10 mil damage estimate, get this ... workers recently finished laying 24-carat gold molding in the living room, and now pieces of it are falling to the floor.

Like most homes in Florida, Jackie says her back patio looks like a lake because it's completely flooded. On Thursday afternoon, she started the process of pumping out all the water inside the palace ... and she believes that alone will cost $100K!

Thankfully, Jackie says their fam is living at another home about a mile away. Either way, she says she isn't giving up on the project, given all the years of blood, sweat and tears that have already gone into the home.

She's faced many setbacks  ... the market crashed in '08, her daughter Victoria died of a drug overdose in 2015, COVID hit and now Ian.

Jackie and her hubby David gained fame after the 2012 documentary "The Queen of Versailles" ... which centers around building this pad, once deemed the largest single-family home in America.

Carole Baskin's thrilled to announce all of her big cats are in good shape after Hurricane Ian -- and she credits that to staying 2 steps ahead of the storm, something the lions and tigers can feel coming ... in the air, as they say.

Carole joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to give us a tour of her Big Cat Rescue outside Tampa. The 'Tiger King' star says she prepares for hurricanes and tornados year-round, so they are ready to shelter in place when this kinda weather hits.

Carole told us her 45 big cats have plenty of places on the grounds to keep safe ... even if they experience 6+ feet of storm surge flooding!!!

While Ian wreaked havoc across much of Florida, it didn't get that bad at her sanctuary last night. She says in the past, the tigers sometimes seem to sense there's a weather emergency coming ... and take steps to keep themselves safe.

Carole says they have lots of protocols and measures in place for the animals when the wind gets over a certain speed.

As we reported ... Carole's 21 bobcats, 8 tigers, 6 servals, jaguar, leopard (and others) rode out the hurricane, while some of her other animals -- like chickens -- have been temporarily moved to a different sanctuary.

While the state of Florida is waking up to total devastation, there's at least one woman who owes her life to some brave firefighters who pulled her from her submerged vehicle.

Hurricane Ian ravaged Naples Wednesday, and one woman clearly thought she'd be OK to drive, before getting swept up in the current. Wild footage from the rescue shows a firefighter smashing the rear passenger window -- as the water continues to rise over the hood of the woman's car.

You can tell from the video, the woman was unable to get her door open, so the firefighter almost certainly saved her life. Securing her with a lifejacket before moving her to safety.

Collier County officials announced half the streets in Naples weren't passable due to high water ... so unclear if the woman just hadn't gotten the warning, or thought she was good to go.