The incinerated town of Lahaina has barely begun to recover. Policymakers have scrambled to ease inflexible laws and regulations but rebuilding would be happening much more quickly if that had happened before the fires.
Climate activists say hazardous air conditions are not something that will end once the Canadian wildfires are put out. Air pollution from smoke or other sources are a daily struggle for many communities.
The average hurricane season includes 14 named storms, based on a 30-year storm history. But the average 10 years ago was just 12 named storms. This year’s El Niño conditions may depress storm formation.
New federal guidelines make it clear that new hazard mitigation plans should factor in the likelihood of extreme weather events. Here are four recommendations for preparing for the future impacts.
The Department of Lands has signed an agreement with federal and tribal partners making the state more responsible for wildland-urban interface areas, which are known to attract costly wildfires and have little building regulations.
The declaration will allow state and local officials to more quickly distribute allocated funds for the nearly 37,000 immigrants temporarily residing in New York City, including 1,500 arrivals in just the last week.
An after-action analysis of the nation’s pandemic response would go a long way toward better preparing us for the public health challenges and other emergencies to come.
The U.S. Forest Service has used fire retardant for six decades, including about 14 million more gallons in 2021 than the 10-year average. Some experts wonder if retardant is effective, and safe, enough for continued use.
Some parts of Fort Lauderdale saw 2 feet of rainfall in a single day, which is more than any city is built to withstand. It’s likely extreme weather cases will become more frequent with climate change.
The category 5 storm was the costliest hurricane in Florida history, causing $112.9 billion in damage and 66 direct deaths. Many residents cut their losses and left, but for those who remain, recovery is slow and ongoing.
Trains are getting longer. Railroads are getting richer. But these “monster trains” are jumping off of tracks across America and regulators are doing little to curb the risk.
Many of the agricultural workers in Pajaro, Calif., are not fluent in English or Spanish and so relied on interpreters to get proper assistance and services after a levee broke, flooding the farm town and sparking evacuations.
The amount that fire victims receive after taxes and attorney fees is sometimes as little as just 25 percent of the original award. A state bill would allow victims to subtract wildfire settlements from their taxable income.
Accidents like the one that spilled toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, are all too common. It’s time to update rail infrastructure and safety technology while bringing stronger regulation to bear.
The state-run company Citizens has warned it may impose a “hurricane tax” this year if another big, expensive storm, or a series of little ones, hit the state. The company now insures 1.2 million homeowners, a 50 percent increase.
A 2021 investigation revealed Chicago’s deeply flawed inspection system for identifying and responding to safety issues in residential buildings. Since the report was published, 53 more people have died in residential fires.
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