Natural Disaster
Inside Texas' Revamped Statewide Flood Mitigation Plan
It's a wishlist of projects with an overarching goal of mitigating flooding across the most disaster-prone state in the nation.
After the Storm: Why Mobile Home Owners Continue to Suffer More From Tornado Damage
As more tornadoes rip through "Dixie Alley" in the American Southeast, people who live in manufactured housing find it difficult to withstand the storms and their aftermath.
Will Climate Change Create Deadlier Tropical Storms?
New research suggests that, due to global warming, storm-related deaths in developing nations could increase by as much as 52 percent.
How Climate Research Can Adapt to the Imminent Threat of Global Warming
It's time for the climate science research enterprise to focus on integrating fundamental science inquiry with risk management.
Why Tropical Cyclone Idai Had Such a Devastating Impact
The storm provides a grim prospect of the future of tropical cyclones in a region under continued threat from climate change.
Los Angeles Launches a New Phone App That Will Alert Users When an Earthquake Is Imminent
Thus far the program has had its fair share of issues, but it could set the precedent for other areas vulnerable to an earthquake.
Viewfinder: A Trial to Defend Haitian Immigrants' Temporary Protected Status Begins
As a trial begins to try to protect Haitian immigrants under Temporary Protected Status from being deported back to Haiti, people demonstrate in front of the Eastern District of New York Federal Courthouse in downtown Brooklyn.
Breaking the Language Barrier to Prepare for Natural Disasters
More than 37 languages are spoken in one small Oklahoma town, creating a major information issue when extreme weather is imminent.
How Governmental Failure Amplified the Devastation of California's Carr Fire
Every level of government understood the dangers of a potential fire in the region but took few, if any, of the steps needed to prevent catastrophe.
Longer and More Severe Floods Are Becoming More Common in the Amazon
New research finds that fluctuations in atmospheric circulation systems and climate change are behind the increase in extreme flooding.
Urban Sprawl and Wildfires: A Dire Combination for Californians
It's not just climate change that's making the disasters worse, it's the increased building within areas deemed particularly vulnerable to fire.
California Must Better Prepare for the Inevitability of Future Fires
Both governments and people tend to adopt only short-term responses to wildfire dangers that don't necessarily reduce risk effectively—it's time for that to change.
How a Hurricane Led New Orleans to Change Its Approach to Criminal Justice
Hurricane Katrina forced policymakers in the city and state to fix not only some of the worst circumstances of incarceration, but also to prevent people from being held in dangerous conditions altogether.
Disaster in Indonesia Illustrates Faults in Tsunami Warning Systems
Details of Friday's incident are limited, but already there are questions being asked about the effectiveness of Indonesia's tsunami warning system.
How Communities Manage Hazards During Natural Disasters
The decisions made when managing a range of hazards are a key factor in a community's vulnerability during storms like Hurricane Florence.
In South Carolina, Hurricane Florence Put the Gullah People's Way of Life in Peril
Many in the community live on land that is classified as "heir's property," a legal condition that leaves it particularly vulnerable, especially in a disaster.
It's Time to Rethink How We Fight Forest Fires
Americans learned long ago how to keep cities from burning. And then, it seems, we forgot.
How to Create an Effective Earthquake Warning System
The United States is still without a proper early warning system for alerting citizens about an earthquake, but that is about to change.
Harris County Officials Failed to Implement Their Own Disaster Plan After Hurricane Harvey
Much of the blame for the poor response to the disaster fell on the Red Cross, but Houston-area officials are not exempt from responsibility.
After Montecito, We Need to Get Serious About Landslide Zoning
To avoid repeating California's recent devastation, susceptible regions must prepare for future disasters.
How California Can Mitigate Future Wildfire Damage
We have a pretty good idea of why some structures are more vulnerable to fire than others, but will those in power act on that information?
Scenes From the Wildfires Raging Through Southern California
The Thomas Fire had burned an estimated at 65,500 acres and destroyed hundreds of structures as of mid-morning Wednesday.
Volcanic Personalities: How Scientists Determine When a Volcano Will Erupt
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to discerning when a volcano may explode; they all have their own individual characteristics.
Viewfinder: Praying at a Volcano in Bali
Balinese Hindus take part in a ceremony, where they pray near Mount Agung in hope of preventing a volcanic eruption, on November 26th, 2017.