Articles on Extreme weather

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Homes can be designed for less damage in windstorms, often without much more cost. AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Disaster survivors want to rebuild safer, more sustainable homes, but cost misperceptions often stand in the way

In interviews with residents and builders after disasters from Hawaii to Colorado to Puerto Rico, an engineer and policy specialist found people often overestimating the cost of building back better.
Hurricane Milton flooded parts of the Tampa Bay region just days after Hurricane Helene made landfall nearby. Bryan R. Smithy/AFP via Getty Images

Time to freak out? How the existential terror of hurricanes can fuel climate change denial

Terror management theory explores the lengths our minds will go to to deny existential threats. Psychologists explain what that can mean for climate denial.
Two people survey their beachfront home and business, which was destroyed in Hurricane Milton, on Manasota Key, Fla., Oct. 13, 2024. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Beyond bottled water and sandwiches: What FEMA is doing to get hurricane victims back into their homes

FEMA’s recovery work after Helene and Milton has been hampered by misinformation. Here’s what the agency actually does to help people displaced by disasters.
Rescue workers search debris for victims of the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, a Category 5 storm that devastated parts of the Florida Keys. Bettman/Getty Images

Hemingway, after the hurricane

In 1935, a hurricane devastated the Florida Keys, killing over 400 people, many of them World War I veterans. Ernest Hemingway joined the relief efforts – and became enraged at government inaction.
A consequence of dredging deep channels is that water also enters more easily with tides and storm surge. Google Earth

Coastal cities have a hidden vulnerability to storm‑surge and tidal flooding − entirely caused by humans

Some cities are building huge gates and barriers to counter the flood risk from estuary urbanization. But putting nature to work in a big way might be more effective.
Hurricane Helene flooded homes with water and mud in Marshall, N.C. Many people will be out of their homes for months or longer. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

People displaced by hurricanes face anxiety and a long road to recovery, US census surveys show − smarter, targeted policies could help

Disasters such as hurricanes Helene and Milton often hit low-income and other disadvantaged groups hardest. 2 policy experts suggest ways long-term aid could help.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the effects of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Why FEMA’s disaster relief gets political − especially when hurricane season and election season collide

Disaster relief requires cooperative, healthy relationships between the president, federal agencies and state, local and tribal governments. But with politicians in the mix, trouble can happen.
Atmospheric rivers are long filaments of moisture that curve poleward. Several are visible in this satellite image. Bin Guan, NASA/JPL-Caltech and UCLA

Atmospheric rivers are shifting poleward, reshaping global weather patterns

These powerful ‘rivers in the sky’ provide a huge share of annual precipitation in many regions, including California. They can also melt sea ice, with global climate implications.
Satellite data shows Hurricane Milton on Oct. 8, 2024, as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA

Hurricane Milton explodes into a powerful Category 5 storm as it heads for Florida − here’s how rapid intensification works

Milton’s fast spin-up in the Gulf of Mexico was one of the most rapid intensifications on record. Two scientists who study hurricanes explain why this happens and what’s changing.
Helene’s heavy rainfall devastated small mountain towns far from the coast, including Marshall, N.C. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

How Hurricane Helene became a deadly disaster across six states

Helene’s size and speed worsened everything from its storm surge to its extreme flooding in the mountains. And another hurricane was coming right on Helene’s heels.

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