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Trying to put a dollar figure on a disaster

Sep 11, 2017
There are lots of numbers being talked about today as government officials and reporters attempt to convey the levels of damage from Hurricane Irma to people who can’t see it with their own eyes. Here is just a sampling: 250,000 evacuees have crossed into Alabama and more than 6.5 million homes and businesses in Florida […]

Getting power back to millions in Florida won't be easy

Sep 11, 2017
The country has a 100-year-old grid system and more frequent extreme storms, reporter Scott Tong says. Will the state "build back better"?
A couple walks through the flooded streets of Naples, Florida, today. Hurricane Irma made another landfall near Naples yesterday after inundating the Florida Keys. Electricity was out in much of the region.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

When disaster strikes, FEMA gets the call. So does Google

Sep 8, 2017
Corporations have donated $165 million to relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said. And some also have provided logistical support and supplies to government and non-profit organizations. Now, as Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida, a broad assortment of corporate partners are again stepping in. Here’s how public-private […]

Cost of Irma ranges from $20 billion to $200 billion

Sep 8, 2017
As Florida faces the uncertainty of Hurricane Irma’s path, it is clear that losses will be in the tens of billions of dollars. Most of the damage is expected to be directly storm related, meaning largely from the strong, over 100 mph winds, rather than from floodwaters like Harvey. The costs of Irma are not […]

Gas in Florida not getting to the pumps fast enough for Irma exodus

Sep 8, 2017
Floridians face long gas lines as they scramble to get of out town ahead of Hurricane Irma. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

What budget cuts would mean for predicting storms like Irma

Sep 8, 2017
High-resolution satellite images are critical tools for meteorologists, but proposed cuts to the weather service could put them at risk.
Hurricane Irma approaches Anguilla on Sept. 6 in this GOES-16 satellite image.
NOAA

Citrus growers cower as Irma advances on Florida coast

Sep 7, 2017
With Hurricane Irma on the way, farmers from Florida on up the coast to the Carolinas are on alert. More cotton crops are threatened, and the price of orange juice futures is already up. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

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A hurricane like Irma could cause serious damage in Tampa Bay

Sep 6, 2017
Darryl Fears discusses his piece for the Washington Post, "Tampa's Coming Storm."
Residents work together to fill sandbags for each other at Bobby Hicks Park as residents prepare for Hurricane Irma on Tuesday in Tampa, Florida. 
Brian Blanco/Getty Images