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Better hurricane forecasts are preventing damage and saving money, study says

Jun 13, 2024
Computing power is helping make sure there are fewer false alarms.
False alarms can lull people into a false sense of security, says Tatyana Deryugina, an environmental economist at the University of Illinois.
David McNew/Getty Images

Record hurricane season could hurt oil and gas production

May 28, 2024
U.S. refineries, which are concentrated on the Gulf Coast, could be especially impacted by destructive storms, prodding prices up.
The concentration of oil refineries along the Gulf Coast makes them especially vulnerable to big storms.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Scientists hope to improve hurricane forecasting with new government investment

May 27, 2024
Forecasters are predicting an active, dangerous year of hurricanes.
Above, Sarasota Bay during Hurricane Ian in September 2022. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that this year will have above-normal hurricane activity.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Safety net home insurance plans are becoming the only option for many in disaster-prone states

May 20, 2024
As private insurance companies retreat in states hit by climate-fueled disasters, safety net insurance plans are left to fill the gap.
At his two-acre property in San Diego County, Paul Felber gotten rid of much of the flammable vegetation bordering his home and spent more than $60,000 to harden it against wildfire. But home insurance companies weren’t impressed. In the last five years, the Felbers were dropped by two different companies.
Scott Rodd/KPBS

More Americans are going without homeowners insurance. That could spell trouble.

Aug 29, 2023
They're dropping coverage as premiums rise and protection shrinks, despite extreme weather brought on by climate change.
A couple in the Gulf Coast community of Steinhatchee, Florida, board up their house in preparation for Hurricane Idalia on Tuesday.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Hurricane risk will grow in the coming decades, report warns

Mar 1, 2023
A new tool shows the likelihood of wind damage by property address.
Cleared lots were all that remained of some homes in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, in late January, months after Hurricane Ian ravaged the area.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Florida cultural institutions are recovering from Hurricane Ian alongside homes and businesses

Nov 7, 2022
Damage along Florida's southwest coast includes museums and theaters that plan to rebuild.
The Venice Theatre suffered major damage from Hurricane Ian's winds and heavy rain, leaving collapsed walls and flooding in the main stage area at the rear of the building, which was built in 1926.
Mitchell Hartman/Marketplace

Study finds persistent coal ash pollution in lakes

Oct 3, 2022
Climate events like more intense hurricanes are spreading the byproduct of burning coal to water used for drinking and recreation.
The coal ash left behind when coal is burned for electricity contains carcinogens and neurotoxins. Wind turbines, like the one above, are favored as an alternative by advocates of battling climate change and reducing pollution.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Big storms are coming. Are we ready?

Jun 1, 2022
Networking plays a huge part in how prepared – and funded – communities can be for disasters.
Trees bend in the tropical storm wind along North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state September 10, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The powerful hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images