Election campaigns inspire hope, but they can also quickly lead to political despair. A scholar says young citizens can learn how to take positive action and stay hopeful.
An Oregon wildfire in August 2018.
U.S. Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region
Communities that are majority black, Hispanic or Native American are over 50 percent more vulnerable to wildfire compared to other communities.
Children are among the most vulnerable victims of any natural disaster. Some 645,000 young Puerto Ricans experienced the trauma of Hurricane Maria.
Reuters/Alvin Baez
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, forever changing the lives of the children who survived. Their stories can help Puerto Rico identify and aid the kids most traumatized by Hurricane Maria.
People of color tend to suffer financially more than whites after natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina.
Reuters/Carlos Barria
A new study shows that natural disasters enrich white victims while hurting people of color, worsening wealth inequality. And government aid contributes to the problem.
A woman gets back into her flooded car on the Toronto Indy course on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto on July 8, 2013. Housing developers are building housing on known flood plains in cities around the world.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Cities around the world, including Toronto, are building housing on flood plains knowing the risks in the era of climate change. Here's why that will contribute to growing inequality in our cities.
Some of the 50 Cuban medical specialists who arrived in Kenya recently to work in under served rural areas.
Supplied
Mass hysteria and lawlessness during disasters are remarkably rare, contrary to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille's prediction of anarchy when Cape Town's taps run day.
Even when power is restored and floodwaters have receded after hurricanes, mold can still be a big problem. There are some things you can do on your own, but the damage can be extensive.
FEMA’s handling of Hurricane Katrina inspired resentment in the affected communities – but did it bring about real change in the organization?
Dental Ben
Is the Federal Emergency Management Agency ready for the new era of disasters?
Damage from Irma can be seen in this photo of Kelly McClenthen in Bonita Springs, Florida, as she returned to her home Sept. 11, 2017.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Daniel B. Hess, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Even in areas predicted to take direct hits from hurricanes and other storms, hospitals must do all they can to stay open. It isn't an easy task, but preparation and practice help.
Millions of Americans donate to relief efforts after natural disasters.
MISHELLA/Shutterstock.com
Donations to relief efforts from corporations and celebrities may get the most attention, but they are exceptions.
Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Jansen Schamp rescues two dogs after floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey reached the grounds of a shelter in Vidor, Texas, Aug. 31, 2017.
Christopher LIndahl/U.S. Navy
During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some people died rather than evacuating without their pets. Now emergency managers are required to include animals in their response plans.
The financial impact of Hurricane Katrina on individual lives has been little studied until now.
Reuters/Robert Galbraith
Researchers examined credit data on the victims of Hurricane Katrina to understand how the disaster affected their personal finances, revealing important lessons for those hurt by Harvey.
Cars leaving Beaumont, Texas during a mandatory evacuation before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav, August 30, 2008.
Patsy Lynch/FEMA
Why did some Texas coastal cities order mandatory evacuations ahead of Hurricane Harvey while others, including Houston, did not? There is no formula for these decisions; either choice can backfire.
Interstate 69 in Humble, Texas is covered by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Many people may have stayed put during Hurricane Harvey because no storm that big had struck Texas since 1961. But like New Orleans after Katrina, Texas is likely to be much better prepared next time.
Deleon Gambel, 14, fights the current from the overflow of Buffalo Bayou as he makes his way through floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey while checking on neighbors in his apartment complex in Houston, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017.
AP Photo/LM Otero
The number of natural disasters around the world has doubled since 1980, raising serious questions about how to respond. Here's how game theory could help.
The sun rises behind the remains of a New Jersey roller coaster destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
AP Photo/Mel Evans
As the rich move away from disaster-prone areas, the poor may be left behind.
Buddhist monks and family members of victims of the Fukushima tsunami and earthquake face the sea to pray on March 11, 2016 while mourning the victims of the March 11, 2011 disaster.
REUTERS/Kyodo
March 11 marks the anniversary of the Fukushima earthquake. Natural disasters here in the US also have wreaked havoc. There may be a way to improve response to these natural disasters.
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.