Millions of Americans brace for severe weather as wildfire smoke smothers the Midwest

NBC News Logo World Cup Politics U.S. News World BusinessLocalNew YorkLos AngelesChicagoDallas-Fort WorthPhiladelphiaWashington, D.C.BostonBay AreaSouth FloridaSan DiegoConnecticut SHOPPING Tipline Culture Sports Science Health Subscriber HubSavedNewslettersProfileSubscriptionPreferencesSearchSearchSectionsU.S. NewsPoliticsWorldBusinessSportsInvestigationsCulture & TrendsHealthScienceTechWeatherVIDEOPhotosSudokuNBC SelectedNBC Asian AmericaNBC BLKNBC LatinoNBC OUTLocalNew YorkLos AngelesChicagoDallas-Fort WorthPhiladelphiaWashington, D.C.BostonBay AreaSouth FloridaSan DiegoConnecticuttvTodayNightly NewsMeet the PressDatelineFeaturedNBC News NowNightly FilmsStay TunedSpecial FeaturesNewslettersPodcastsListen NowBusiness in AmericaMore From NBCNBC.COMNBCU AcademyPeacockNEXT STEPS FOR VETSNBC News Site MapHelpFollow NBC News news Alerts There are no new alerts at this time SearchSearchFacebookTwitterEmailSMSBlue SkyWhatsappPrintRedditFlipboardPinterestLinkedinLatest StoriesWorld CupPoliticsU.S. NewsWorldBusinessSHOPPINGTiplineCultureSportsScienceHealthShoppingMillions of Americans brace for severe weather as wildfire smoke smothers the MidwestJuly 19, 202601:14Spain outlasts Argentina 1-0 to win World Cup championship01:54Iceberg lettuce recall grows to 27 states amid parasite concern01:37FBI agents were told they would no longer investigate confrontations with ICE00:56Now PlayingMillions of Americans brace for severe weather as wildfire smoke smothers the Midwest01:14UP NEXTHow Burger King is navigating changing American eating habits and rising costs03:23Break-in at home of NFL star Saquon Barkley01:28Service member killed in northern Iraq as U.S. recovers unidentified remains in Jordan02:16Stage is set for high-stakes showdown at World Cup final01:41Major disaster declared after Texas floods01:55U.S. Forest Service employees rescued after being held hostage at gunpoint01:55Good News: Man reunites with nurses who saved his life03:08Dangerous storms put more than 100 million at risk across the Northeast01:46U.S. military says 2 service members killed in Jordan by Iranian attacks03:13Great Americans: A conversation with John Leguizamo03:16Taylor Farms and Taco Bell removes iceberg lettuce amid parasite outbreak01:15Violent shootout between Florida deputies and gunman01:21New flooding emergencies in Texas01:59100 million Americans facing dangerous wildfire smoke02:05Gas prices rise as U.S. and Iran escalate attacks01:18Trump calls for new election security measures02:01Nightly NewsMillions of Americans brace for severe weather as wildfire smoke smothers the Midwest01:14CopiedParts of the Southeast could see wind gusts reach 70 mph, putting millions of Americans under severe weather threat. Meanwhile cleanup is underway in the Northeast after powerful storms pummeled the region, with tornadoes touching down in Pennsylvania. And Canadian wildfire smoke continues to blanket parts of the Midwest with Minneapolis, Detroit and Chicago ranking amongst the worst air quality in the world. NBC News’ Valerie Castro reports.July 19, 2026 onSpain outlasts Argentina 1-0 to win World Cup championship01:54Iceberg lettuce recall grows to 27 states amid parasite concern01:37FBI agents were told they would no longer investigate confrontations with ICE00:56Now PlayingMillions of Americans brace for severe weather as wildfire smoke smothers the Midwest01:14UP NEXTHow Burger King is navigating changing American eating habits and rising costs03:23Break-in at home of NFL star Saquon Barkley01:28Get more newsLiveonBest of NBC News Nightly News NetcastJuly 19: Service member killed in Iraq, Spain beats Argentina in World CupNightly NewsSpain outlasts Argentina 1-0 to win World Cup championshipNightly NewsIceberg lettuce recall grows to 27 states amid parasite concernNightly NewsFBI agents were told they would no longer investigate confrontations with ICENightly NewsMillions of Americans brace for severe weather as wildfire smoke smothers the MidwestNightly NewsHow Burger King is navigating changing American eating habits and rising costsPlay AllAboutContactHelpCareersAd ChoicesPrivacy PolicyYour Privacy ChoicesCA NoticeTerms of ServiceNBC News Subscription Terms of ServiceNBC News SitemapClosed CaptioningSubscribeAdvertiseNBC Selected© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC