(upbeat rock music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth," Floridians deal with a second major hurricane.

(upbeat rock music) Fire officials are fighting fire with fire.

(upbeat rock music) Studies suggest that social media can be harmful for mental health, and we check out the fall foliage across the state.

(upbeat rock music) "NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat rock music) For the second time in just two weeks, Florida takes a direct hit from another major hurricane.

Hello, everybody, I'm Gabriel Kramer, thank you for joining us.

Last week, Hurricane Milton dumped record rain, devastating winds, and caused dozens of tornadoes across the state of Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference to reassure residents that help is on the way.

- We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses, and you have people that are out there assessing damage right now, first responders have been working all through the night to help people who were in distress, and what we can say is the storm was significant, but thankfully, this was not the worst-case scenario, the storm did weaken before landfall.

- The storm was recorded as a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

The Saffir-Simpson scale is a rating system used to categorize hurricanes based on their sustained wind speed and potential for property damage.

Torrential rain from the storm caused severe flooding, turning streets into rivers while strong winds downed trees and knocked out power to millions.

Brian Abel is in Orlando with the latest.

(wind blowing) - [Brian] For the second time in as many weeks... (wind blowing) A major hurricane slamming into Florida.

Hurricane Milton making landfall near Siesta Key Wednesday night, as a major Category 3 storm with catastrophic force.

A once-in-a-thousand-year rain event, transforming streets into rushing rivers, gusting winds, downing trees, blowing transformers, and leaving millions in the dark.

- We have an unprecedented number of our customers who are without power.

- [Brian] The roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, ripped open, the storm spawning dozens of tornadoes, including several in Port St. Lucie County, the National Weather Service also reporting the most tornado warnings ever in a single day in Florida.

Search-and-rescue operations are underway across the impacted areas.

- These aren't people who didn't heed the warning.

This is...

These are individuals in areas where we've never seen flooding.

- Thank you for the report, Brian.

Large organizations are not the only ones on the frontline of this disaster.

Volunteer groups and even individuals have also lent a helping hand.

Two young brothers from Harford County in Maryland are doing their part to help hurricane victims down south.

Jennifer Franciotti speaks to Nicholas and Jackson about their donation drive.

- [Jennifer] This is the post on Facebook that launched a community drive last week here at the Norrisville Volunteer Fire Company in Pylesville.

It's all to help victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

- So we were taking stuff out of people's trunks, and we just got all the stuff out and we put it in the trailer.

- [Jennifer] 10-year-old Jackson and 8-year-old Nicholas wanted to do something to help after their dad, Brandon, who's a fire captain in Baltimore County, was deployed to the area to assist with FEMA efforts.

- And they wanted to go to North Carolina with chainsaws, and ready to cut some trees, and help people get out, help daddy get in.

- [Jennifer] Instead, they organized a donation drive, getting a 53-foot trailer and bringing the community together to fill it with much needed supplies.

- Water, pillows, clothes, food... - [Jennifer] Okay, and then, what else?

- Diapers, wipes, toiletries.

- It was really humbling to see them, you know, working together and kinda helping the community also come together to, you know, fill this huge truck.

- [Jennifer] Giving back is in their blood, their mom, Caitlyn, is a firefighter paramedic here, where both of their grandfathers also volunteer and their grandma is the president of the fire company.

- It was wonderful, I was very proud of them.

It's a great community.

That's what we do up here in Norrisville.

- [Jennifer] In addition to donations, the boys also help collect nearly $2,000, and instead of coming home, their dad now will head to Florida to help even more people.

It's exactly why the brothers wanted to do something to help.

- [Jackson] Because our dad's helping, and we wanted to help too.

- Great job, Nicholas and Jackson.

First responders and volunteers are trying to keep people safe from the danger.

Sometimes, dogs and cats need saving too.

News Hound has this week's "Petting Zoo," all about rescuing pets from the storms.

(upbeat drum music) (dog barking) Hey there, News Hound.

You look very professional today.

I'd like to see you take your job seriously.

All right, what did you find for us today?

Oh, I see, it's a story about rescuers that are saving pets from hurricane dangers, but also, how sometimes, the dogs are the ones aiding in the rescues.

(dog barking) - [Person] Rescuers are saving pets as well as people from hurricane dangers in the southeast.

Volunteers are getting supplies for the whole family... (helicopter blades whirring) To remote areas of North Carolina devastated from Hurricane Helene.

- [Person] Pet supplies, cat food, dog food.

- [Person] Sometimes, the assistance goes the other way.

Trained dogs help with search and rescue after disasters, and at the emergency operations center in Tampa, the mayor says this cutie is boosting morale.

- [Person] She's our stress-reliever here.

(indistinct) - Those pets are so brave.

To check it out, you can watch the full story on our website or YouTube channel.

(dramatic whooshing) (cartoon bouncing) Thanks as always, News Hound, you've been finding us some great stories lately.

Well, as Florida grapples with the devastation left behind by Hurricane Milton, the impacts of extreme weather aren't limited to just one region.

In North Dakota, a small community of about 600 people are supporting firefighters battling a fast-spreading wildfire.

Strong winds and drought conditions have fueled the fire, with 60-mile-per-hour gusts creating dangerous 75-foot flames.

Despite the extreme conditions, more than 100 volunteer firefighters are working hard to contain the blaze, Kyona Rivera is on the field.

- Those we spoke with in Mandaree say this fire has the potential to be the worst in the area they have ever seen, but they say they are getting a lot of support from the community, state, tribal, and federal agencies.

(helicopter blades whirring) About 600 people make up the Mandaree community.

Residents like Lida Jade Spotted Bear have spent days cooking for the firefighters.

- Nerve-wracking.

It was scary.

- [Kyona] While her family wanted to evacuate, she says she knew she needed to do more.

- My heart needed to do something more to help our community.

- [Kyona] Marley Baker is the fire management officer for the three affiliated tribes, and fire chief for Mandaree.

Baker says the source has not yet been confirmed, but the 60-mile-per-hour wind gust and drought helped the fire spread.

- The ignition point is under investigation right now, we're not positive.

- [Kyona] These are the current hotspots that still need to be put out, and Baker says the fire spreads quickly.

- [Marley] We're dropping retardant and letting the fire come to us, because during the heat of the battle, we were seeing 75-foot flame lengths with 60-mile-an-hour winds, so just too extreme to be close to the fire.

- [Kyona] There's about a hundred firefighters who are all volunteers.

The MHA Emergency Operations Center provides hot meals for them daily.

- This is the first in my lifetime, you know, I guess it's... Won't forget it, that's for sure.

- [Kyona] Baker says the biggest challenge is not having enough firefighters, because it takes a lot of training.

In his words, "It's a challenging but fulfilling job."

- Extremely humbling to see what this community is doing to help us.

- [Kyona] Baker has been a firefighter for three decades, and he's never seen anything like it before, but in the end, they're all helping each other out.

- I'm proud to be from this community, you know, and any little thing that happens where... We do, we come together a lot.

- [Kyona] Baker advises everyone to be aware of the weather, and to not do any welding or put fire in the ground with high winds.

- Thank you, Kyona.

Wildfire season in North America is typically between late summer and fall, when conditions are hot and dry, but sometimes, you can fight fire with fire.

A prescribed fire is a planned fire used to manage the land and reduce the risk of wildfires.

California just held their first Good Fire Fair, where multiple agencies emphasize the importance of prescribed burns in forest management, but as Brianna Mathaw reports, these controlled burns are still not widely understood by the public.

- [Brianna] "Fire doesn't always spell disaster," that was the message coming from multiple Santa Cruz County agencies at the first-ever Good Fire Fair Saturday.

Officials covered topics like defensible space, how and when to burn properly, and why prescribed burns are crucial to the environment.

- We prescribe during conditions that are more moderate to do good things, to recycle the nutrients in the forest, to change what plants can grow or not grow, and to really help stimulate all of our native plants and animals, and maintain their habitat.

- [Brianna] Many people agreed it's important for communities to know the benefits of prescribed burns.

- The prescribed-burning world is kind of not very well-known among the population, it's something that, like, the people who are working in the industry really have to fight hard with to broadcast to the public that prescribed burns are happening and how important they are, it's getting a lot better.

- [Brianna] There are many educational interactive activities for both kids and families.

CAL FIRE also demonstrated how a wildfire can spark using dried leaves, but a demonstration prescribed burn that was supposed to take place had to be canceled because of active heat alerts.

- We have really low relative humidities, there's a lot more of a chance for it to spread onto other vegetation, and of course, with the heat, it was just not...

It was not ideal.

- [Brianna] As wildfires continue to pose a threat, officials recommend people take steps ahead of time to protect themselves and their homes.

- By packing a go-bag and getting your house prepared, getting your house hardened, it's a whole bunch of different things, and one of the things that we try to tell people is, "Don't be afraid of fire, be ready for fire."

- Thank you, Brianna.

In Arizona, wildfire and post-wildfire flooding have become major public-safety concerns, with more than a quarter-million acres burned since 2010.

To address this, both the county and the U.S. Forest Service have invested tens of millions in forest restoration efforts, including prescribed burns and tree-thinning, but what happens to the trees after they're cut down?

Mason Carroll has the answer.

- Wildfire and post-wildfire flooding are the two biggest public-safety threats in Coconino County.

- [Mason] Since 2010, wildfires have burned over a quarter-million acres in Coconino County.

To try and prevent future wildfires, both the county and the U.S. Forest Service have spent tens of millions of dollars in forest restoration, including prescribed burns and thinning.

(machinery whirring) - The timber has so little of value, or if we're trying to remove biomass, there's a cost involved versus just the timber paying for itself to get out of the woods.

(machinery whirring) - [Mason] The company Restorative Forest Products invested 120 million dollars to open the sawmill, and it will now be the largest of its kind in the southwest, and they say it will create 170 local jobs.

(machinery whirring) - [Person] Once you take that tree out, you have to have something to do with it, and that's why we need industry partners who are willing to take the trees off the forest, to process that wood, to perform that work.

- [Mason] But this is just one piece of the puzzle.

(machinery whirring) (indistinct) (people cheering) USDA Under Secretary Homer Wilkes was in Coconino County for the mill ribbon-cutting, and to see over 100 million dollars of post-wildfire flood prevention.

- So to see this work being done here and protecting this community is just something we all strive to try to make sure it happens in a very timely fashion.

- Thank you, Mason.

Many individuals, particularly young people, are facing a different challenge, the growing problem of social media addiction.

Let's shift our focus now to explore how social media is affecting the mental health and wellbeing of its users.

TikTok faces new lawsuits from 14 state attorneys general, who argue TikTok's endless scrolling content is addictive and can disrupt sleep.

Amy Kiley tells us what students can do to avoid the dreaded doom-scrolling.

- For the developing teenage mind, the TikTok platform is like digital nicotine.

- [Amy] TikTok faces new lawsuits from 14 state attorneys general, who allege it hurts young people's mental health.

- Our goal is to hold the company accountable for its unlawful conduct, and to stop the company from engaging in practices that exploit our young people for profit.

- [Amy] Numerous studies show social media in general can harm children and teens.

A CDC survey out just yesterday shows high-schoolers who use it frequently report more negative experiences and emotions, but the new lawsuits single out TikTok as being especially dangerous.

- [Person] We know that the overuse of social media is driving an epidemic of mental health challenges for young people.

TikTok is particularly effective at it.

- [Amy] The suits argue TikTok's endless scrolling content is addictive, they say "challenge" videos on the platform can encourage risky behavior, and late-night push notifications can disrupt sleep.

- It's intentional design choices that trap young people's time and attention, and hurt them in the process.

- [Amy] TikTok says it's proud of its efforts to protect teens, and says it removes underage users and employs safeguards.

- [Person] TikTok hasn't been straight with the public, with parents, with children, in overstating its safety features when it knows, in fact, that the safety features don't work.

- Thank you, Amy.

We now wanna hear from you.

What are your tips to limit social media?

Students can use our inbox form online or send us an email to newsdepth@ideastream.org.

On our last episode, we learned about Suni and Butch, two NASA astronauts onboard the International Space Station waiting for a ride home, and we wanted to know what you thought life would be like in outer space.

Let's see what you had to say by opening our inbox.

(dramatic whooshing) (light clicking) Fourth-grader Cooper from Memorial Elementary in Brunswick sent us this email.

"I think it would be cool in space because you can float and act like Superman.

Also, everything else moves very slow.

A big thank you to my fourth-grade teachers Mr. Nicol, Mrs. Spiker, and Ms.

Beirman."

Shout-out to Cooper's teachers!

Harper from Harding Middle School in Lakewood thinks being in space would be fun, but a little lonely.

"Dear 'NewsDepth,' I think that life in space would be fun, but also isolating.

Life in space would be fun because you could conduct experiments.

You would also get to float around, which I always thought would be so fun.

Being in space would also be isolating.

Even though you would be with another person, it would be really quiet.

I would miss my family and my cats.

If I had a choice, I would just use a simulator."

But now, Kaylee from Waynesfield-Goshen in Waynesfield thinks they'd be able to find the fun in everyday things.

"Dear 'NewsDepth,' I think living in space would be so much fun, but what if it's not fun?

If it's not fun, how can we make it fun?

Come with me to give you my reasons why I think space would be fun.

One reason is because living in space would be so cool with the view of the planets, but you're also so high up.

Another reason is because you would be able to eat in the air.

Who wouldn't wanna do that?"

Nihal from Strongsville Middle School in Strongsville gave us the itinerary for a typical day in space.

"If I was on the ISS, my day would probably be something like, wake up, somehow, because there is no gravity to keep you down on the bed or keep bedsheets on, then eat astronaut food, then study, explore, float, float, and float, study, explore, float, float, eat, then sleep.

And finally, Benjamin from McCord Middle School in Columbus might have a future as an astronaut.

"Dear 'NewsDepth,' I think life and space would be awesome.

I can make so many scientific discoveries, and I would be very excited because science is my favorite subject in school, and that is why I think life in space would be cool."

Thank you all for writing in, and if any of you ever make it to the ISS, make sure to send me a pic, and I'll make sure to send you a picture of me hiking during our state's beautiful fall season.

Peak fall foliage in Ohio typically occurs in early October.

Foliage is a fancy word for leaves.

In this week's "Know Ohio," Mary tells us what causes leaves to change from green, to red, to orange and yellow.

(upbeat country music) - Well, forget the pumpkins, take a look outside and you'll see vibrant oranges, reds and yellows as we hit peak fall color here in Ohio.

National Geographic Magazine even calls Holmes County, Ohio one of the top 10 places in the world to see fall color, so lace up your hiking boots as we explore Ohio's fall foliage, and just so you know, that's just a fancy word for leaves.

Nature's paintbrushes have been working extra hard here in the Buckeye State, as green leaves are no more, and we're seeing lots of color all around us.

(upbeat country music) According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, nearly all of Ohio is in the peak color phase.

That's right, there are even maps and reports that show which areas of the state are experiencing the best fall color.

Typically, we experience peak fall color, which just means the most dynamic color, a little earlier in October, but with plenty of rain this year and moderate temperatures, leaves are able to hold their colors just a little bit longer.

So what's the deal?

How do leaves go from green to yellow or orange, or that great red?

Four main chemicals are responsible for the color combination as we transition into the end of autumn, so bravo, chlorophyll, carotene, anthocyanins and carotinoids, I tip my hat to you.

(upbeat country music) So whether it's hiking, kicking a soccer ball around, or maybe, you know, my personal favorite, enjoying the beautiful colors from my porch with my sidekick Newscat, get outside and take advantage of the fall season.

(dramatic whooshing) (cartoon bouncing) - Pretty cool, thanks, Mary.

At Whistling Well Farm in Minnesota, owner Charlie Johnson is enjoying a successful apple harvest after several years of drought.

His 42-acre apple orchard received ample rain this season, resulting in larger than usual apples, and families visiting the farm this fall are thrilled with the enormous fruit.

Kirsten Mitchell has the scoop.

- [Charlie] We've been here since 1972.

- [Kirsten] At Whistling Well Farm in Hastings.

- We've missed the hail for the most part, that's always a very bad thing for a lot of growers.

- [Kirsten] Owner Charlie Johnson has weathered many difficult growing seasons... (branches rustling) But this year isn't one of them.

- It feels a lot better, and it's a lot better on the checkbook.

- [Kirsten] After several drought years, his 42 acres of apple trees finally got enough rain.

- Almost too much, and again, then the apples got a little bigger than what we would like them to be, but they're still good.

- [Kirsten] While grocery stores may prefer medium-sized apples... (branches rustling) Families picking from trees... - Look, it's the size of my palm.

- [Kirsten] Are impressed.

- They're really big, I'm probably not gonna be able to eat 'em all.

- They are enormous, we're excited to be out here today and enjoy the sweetness, I think a couple kids have gotten into a few already.

- Me and his are the... About the same size, mine is taller, his is wider, his is King Kong, I'm Godzilla.

- Another perk to the growing season, there's fewer cracks in the apples that happens when they grow too fast under too much rain and heat, but thanks to our mild start to the summer, they grew at a healthy pace.

- We'd like it to cool down, obviously, yeah, for the ripening to slow down a little bit.

- [Kirsten] The unseasonably warm September hasn't kept people away.

In fact, they've already harvested about 50% of the apples.

- [Charlie] People are still willing to pick, we had a lot of pickers today, we get a lot of pickers during the week, they still like to get out.

- Are they good, guys?

(children exclaiming in agreement) - Thanks, Kirsten.

I do love apples, but because it's fall, you know I have to have my pumpkin pie, but you've never seen pumpkins quite like this.

Weighing hundreds of pounds, these gourds are the cream of the crop, and they all shine at the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival in California.

Leticia Ordaz reports.

- [Leticia] It looks like seeds from a fairy tale.

This isn't Cinderella's magical pumpkin carriage, but these giant gourds are the star of the show at the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival.

- This is giant pumpkin season, this is, like, the growers' Super Bowl.

(truck humming) - [Leticia] Organizers say the event was formed in Elk Grove when a couple of growers pitched the idea 30 years ago.

- Who came to the... (indistinct) And asked if they could hold a pumpkin weigh-off here locally so they didn't have to drive so far to weigh off their giant produce.

- [Leticia] The first festival started out small.

- The first winner was around 300 pounds, and at the time, that seemed miraculous.

(machinery whirring) - [Leticia] With a $7,000 grand prize, the giant pumpkin weigh-off is now super competitive.

- The first time we broke 2,000 pounds, we had a one-ton pumpkin, it was emotional, it was so exciting, the crowd was cheering, it was so loud, it was unbelievable to think that we had a one-ton pumpkin, and we've beat that multiple times since then, it's unreal.

- [Leticia] Grower Johnny Regetti drove from San Luis Obispo in hopes of being crowned king of the giant pumpkin weigh-off.

His family didn't just bring one gourd, they brought three.

He shares what it takes to compete.

- A little bit of everything.

Genetics is a good one, getting your soil dialed in, you wanna test your soil and make sure all that's as good as it can be.

- Nick Kennedy and his son Harris brought their giant pumpkin, which they named "Poppy" for the competition.

They don't have a farm, but that didn't stop them from growing this giant pumpkin in their backyard in Fair Oaks.

- I think there's a lot of care, a lot of time, patience, a good seed, of course, and just a little bit of hard work.

- Thanks, Leticia.

Now, it's time for you to sound off.

For this week's poll, we wanna know, what is your favorite fall activity?

Jump over to our poll page to vote.

You can choose between hiking, apple-picking, trick-or-treating, or drinking hot cocoa, and this is a multiple-choice poll so you can select all of your favorites.

Last week, we learned about the behind-the-scenes work that Catherine Wright did that supported her brothers' success, you know, the Wright Brothers, and we asked you if you prefer to work on a team or individually.

(dramatic whooshing) Wow, this was a close poll.

52% of you said you prefer to work by yourself, while another 48% of you said you love to collaborate with a team.

Thank you all for voting.

Our A+ award winner this week has definitely demonstrated that he can be successful by working both with a team and individually.

Both traits are really important for student athletes.

When I think back to my days as a middle-schooler at A.I.

Root Middle School in Medina, I smile about my time playing football and basketball.

You know, I think I wasn't so bad back then.

Recently though, we caught up with Cody, who is a seventh-grader at Bay Middle School, and he truly is the definition of a standout student athlete, and his accomplishments earned him this week's A+ award.

This past summer, Cody qualified for the AAU Junior Olympic Track and Field National Championships, held in Greensboro, North Carolina.

AAU stands for "Amateur Athletic Union," and they promote amateur athletics and physical fitness all over the country.

Cody competed in the under-13 discus, and won the national championship with a throw of 149 feet and six inches.

That's half a football field!

Cody is more than just an outstanding track-and-field athlete, he's also a standout football player.

He told us that when he first started playing football in first grade, he was only allowed to use one hand because he was so much bigger and stronger than the other players.

He told us that sports taught him a lot about being successful.

Some of the biggest and most important lessons he's learned are about working hard.

Cody said that working hard is very rewarding, because you can see how much you've improved, and that all the work is worth it, and that is true in the classroom, as well.

Cody told us that being a good teammate is a really important part of being a successful student athlete.

He told us that being able to work with others will make you a better person.

He also said that supporting your teammates will help you reach your goals and teach you a lot about respect and responsibility.

Not one to rest on past success, Cody has some big goals for this school year.

He told us that he's hoping to lead his football team to an undefeated season, and he wants to qualify for the Ohio Middle School State Championships in track-and-field this spring.

Cody's parents told us that he's a great student and a wonderful brother.

Here's a big A+ award congratulations to Cody for winning the Junior Olympics National Championship in the discus, really cool.

That's all we have for today's episode, but we always want to hear from you, and there are plenty of ways for you to stay in touch with us.

You can send us a letter, we're at 1375 Euclid Avenue, that's Cleveland, Ohio, ZIP code here is 44115, and you can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org, plus, you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube, hit subscribe if you're old enough so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us, I'm Gabriel Kramer, we'll see you right back here next week, and once again, happy Filipino American History Month.

(dramatic whooshing) (upbeat rock music) (dramatic whooshing) - [Child] "NewsDepth" is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(upbeat rock music) (ethereal electronic music)