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Articles on Hurricane Florence

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Debris in a boatyard in Mexico Beach, Fla., on Oct. 11, 2018, after Hurricane Michael heavily damaged the town. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File

Getting ready for hurricane season: 4 essential reads

For the start of Atlantic hurricane season on June 1, scholars explain weather forecasting, evacuation orders, inland flooding risks and how social ties influence decisions to stay or flee.
Hog farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., in September 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Hurricanes, hog manure and the dire need for carbon pricing

Cheap fossil fuels contort the global economy in ways that have systematically harmed some and benefited others. Justice demands that those of us who have benefited take responsibility.
The flood damage from Hurricane Harvey, including this Friendswood, Texas, house, will take years to repair. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Want to help after a disaster? Consider waiting a bit

The urge to provide disaster aid is borne out of the best characteristics of humanity. But it’s important to consider when to donate to disaster survivors, along with what and to whom to give.
Floodwaters surround farm equipment in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., on Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Trump’s ‘all-out effort’ on climate is derelict and risky

Donald Trump claims his administration has carried out an “all-out effort” in preparing for the effects of climate change. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Loading new furniture donated to Hurricane Irma survivors in Chokoloskee, Fla. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Sending help where it’s needed most after disasters

The billions of dollars worth of aid dispatched every year to alleviate the suffering and damage after earthquakes and hurricanes would do more good if it didn’t get clumped up.
President Donald Trump tosses paper towels into a crowd at Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico in October 2017 following Hurricane Maria. Trump congratulated Puerto Rico for escaping the higher death toll of “a real catastrophe like Katrina.” A new study suggests almost 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Politics and paper towels: Disputing disaster death tolls

As Trump fumes about the Hurricane Maria death toll, it’s clear that politics and political considerations often play an important role in how death toll estimates are communicated to the public.
Florida’s Turkey Point Nuclear Plant shut down 12 hours before Hurricane Andrew made landfall in 1992. AP Photo/Phil Sandlin

Nuclear reactors in hurricanes: 5 questions answered

Lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the Fukushima disaster in 2011 have changed how utilities brace for big storms.
Roberto Clemente State Park employees in New York, with donated bottled water bottles bound for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

Want to help after hurricanes? Give cash, not diapers

If you would like to assist from afar, let the professionals procure goods and services.
Assembling sandbags in Virginia Beach, Va., before Hurricane Florence’s arrival. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

How social networks can save lives when disasters strike

Many factors can influence people to evacuate or stay in place when disasters loom. Research using Facebook posts suggests that people with broad social networks are more apt to get moving.
Farm near Seven Springs, North Carolina, surrounded by water on Oct. 25, 1999, nearly six weeks after Hurricane Floyd. AP Photo/Karen Tam

Hurricanes can cause enormous damage inland, but emergency plans focus on coasts

Hurricanes in the southern US have caused widespread damage inland in recent decades, mainly through river flooding. But evacuations and stormproofing focus almost entirely on keeping people safe on the coasts.

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