An expert in extreme weather events explains why the rain – and thus flooding – associated with Hurricane Harvey has been ‘unprecedented.’
Brenda Bradley, 72, and her husband Jimmie, 78, survey flooding from Hurricane Harvey in their neighborhood in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, August 28, 2017.
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis
Evacuations and disruptions to health care during and after disasters like Hurricane Harvey are serious threats for older adults, who may need support well after relief operations end.
The widespread discussion as to whether the Hurricane Harvey disaster was caused by climate change or not is a dangerous distraction from the real issues.
Two people walk down a flooded section of Interstate 610 in Houston in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
As Hurricane Harvey shows, flooding can happen wherever large storms stall and dumps lots of rain. A new study finds that development is increasing in flood zones inland, where people may not think they are at risk.
The Acros Fukuoka eco-building in Fukuoka, Japan boasts one of the world’s most famous green roofs. The GRIT Lab at the University of Toronto is working to bring green roofs to the city and beyond in order to combat climate change.
(Shutterstock)
Green roofs could play a critical role in helping cities cope with extreme rainfall events in the age of climate change. The roofs essentially suck up stormwater like sponges if designed properly.
U.S. Army Spc. Pam Anderson applies first-aid medical attention to an elderly man during flood relief operations just outside of Winona, Minnesota, August 20, 2007.
Staff Sgt. Daniel Ewer, U.S. Army
New research shows that older people are especially at risk during and after natural disasters, and may need medical help or other support well after relief operations end.
The sun rises behind the remains of a New Jersey roller coaster destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
AP Photo/Mel Evans
Two atmospheric scientists explain how they weigh evidence such as ocean temperatures, wind speeds and other climate patterns to predict how many Atlantic hurricanes are likely to form this year.
All tropical cyclones in the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, with their locations shown at six-hour intervals and color representing maximum wind speed.
Cyclonebiskit/Wikipedia
Major hurricanes threaten millions of people and billions of dollars in property along the Atlantic coast. Here experts advise on preparing, understanding forecasts and recovering after a storm.
Survivors leave Tohoku a day after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Warren Antiola/Flickr
Disaster preparations often focus on gear and logistics, but research in Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami shows that strong social ties played a key role in helping communities rebound.
Post-Matthew flooding in eastern North Carolina.
U.S. Army National Guard/Flickr
Why do some people evacuate ahead of disasters while others stay put? The rising death toll from Hurricane Matthew shows that often the poor and vulnerable are least able to move.
Damage from Hurricane Matthew in North Charleston, South Carolina, October 2016.
Ryan Johnson/Flickr
Conservative commentators accused government officials last week of hyping risks from Hurricane Matthew. A meteorologist explains why this is impossible in the internet era.
Destruction in Haiti following Hurricane Matthew.
EPA/Logan Abassi
As the U.S. braces for potential landfall of Hurricane Matthew, our experts weigh in on hurricanes, the need for resilient infrastructure and climate change.
A contaminated water sign on the sand following a rainstorm in Imperial Beach, California, December 2014.
Mike Blake/Reuters
It’s not uncommon for kids to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress after a disaster. With thousands of children affected by Hurricane Harvey, how can parents help kids bounce back?
FEMA photograph by John Fleck taken in Mississippi.
Wikimedia Commons
T. Reed Miller, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
In response to disasters like Superstorm Sandy, engineers are developing new building codes and tools to calculate the value of upgrades. National policy should encourage builders to use these tools.
National Guard soldiers inspect homes in Rockaway Park, Queens, New York, after Superstorm Sandy, 2012.
Spc. Zane Craig, PA National Guard/Flickr
As Atlantic hurricane season opens on June 1, eastern U.S. cities can prepare by updating laws, codes and ordinances that hamper rebuilding after storms.
Flooding in Houston, April 18, 2016.
Laurence Simon/Flickr
Extreme weather has an outsized impact on everyday life. Focusing on average weather patterns may make Americans dangerously complacent about how climate change is already affecting our lives.
Researchers compared the shipwreck history to tree ring data from slash pines to piece together the hurricane history over past centuries.
Grant Harley
In an attempt to better understand hurricanes, researchers recreate hundreds of years of hurricane records with Spanish shipwreck logs and tree ring data.