For years, villagers who lived near the Alau dam in northeastern Nigeria had told government officials that the structure was broken and the reservoir behind it too full. But in early September, after heavy rains, a half-dozen officials stood overlooking the brimming reservoir, their feet squelching in the mud as …
Read More »The Flood-Protection Rule That Trump Rolled Back
In the summer of 2017, Donald Trump stood in the lobby of Trump Tower and declared he would heal a “massive self-inflicted wound on our country” by eliminating red tape that he said was making construction in America an arduous, expensive process. One policy he eradicated that day was a …
Read More »Meteorologists Face Harassment and Death Threats Amid Hurricane Disinformation
A meteorologist based in Washington, D.C., was accused of helping the government cover up manipulating a hurricane. In Houston, a forecaster was repeatedly told to “do research” into the weather’s supposed nefarious origins. And a meteorologist for a television station in Lansing, Mich., said she had received death threats. “Murdering …
Read More »How Climate Disasters Are Making Mobile Homes a Huge Risk
By the time the murky brown water in the house reached his chest, Joe Rogers realized it was too late to leave safely. Then, in an instant, his mobile home shifted violently, creating a wave that swept up furniture and trapped his wife, Sandra, in their bedroom. Mr. Rogers pleaded …
Read More »Hurricanes Amplify Insurance Crisis in Riskiest Areas
Until late last month, there was optimism in the insurance industry. Hurricane season had been quiet and the number of wildfires was still below the yearly average. Insurers were beginning to hope that the cost of reinsurance — that is, insurance for insurers — would only inch up next year, …
Read More »Hurricane Milton’s Impact: What We Know So Far
Hurricane Milton flooded neighborhoods, flattened homes and knocked out power to millions of customers when it plowed through Florida on Oct. 9 and 10. Its path of destruction was uneven, though, and in many areas, officials were working to make repairs. Some places near the Gulf of Mexico, as well …
Read More »MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Region Braces for Milton Flooding
Surrounded on three sides by the rising waters of Tampa Bay — and close to the projected path of Hurricane Milton — is a major U.S. military installation, MacDill Air Force Base. MacDill, which houses the headquarters for U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command as well as a …
Read More »Can Your Electric Vehicle Catch Fire During a Hurricane?
Officials in Florida warned residents to move their electric vehicles away from potential flood zones ahead of Hurricane Milton to avoid the risk that the cars could burst into flames after being submerged in saltwater for extended periods. “Keep electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries away from floodwaters and storm surge,” …
Read More »For Some Children, Hurricane Helene’s Ruin ‘Could Take Years to Get Over’
Tens of thousands of children across the Southeast remain out of their classrooms one week after Helene, the deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland United States since Katrina. They are cut off from academics, friends and stabilizing routines. Hurricane Helene ravaged school buildings, demolished football fields and killed young children …
Read More »‘Climate Havens’ Don’t Exist
Hurricane Helene has torn through cities across the Southeast, killing at least 120 people in six states since it made landfall on Thursday. The death toll is still expected to rise. Some of the worst damage has happened inland in North Carolina, and almost a third of those killed were …
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