Climate

Most of Puerto Rico was still without power Sept. 21 after Hurricane Fiona caused flash flooding.

Puerto Rico is in the dark again, but solar companies see glimmers of hope

5:26pm September 21, 2022

by Michael Copley

Around 50,000 solar and battery power systems have been installed on homes in Puerto Rico in recent years, and most seemed to continue working during Hurricane Fiona.

Streets remained flooded in Cataño, Puerto Rico the day after Hurricane Fiona made landfall on the island.

Science

Why Latino people are on the front lines of climate change

5:01am September 21, 2022

by Rebecca Hersher

A wide range of Latino communities in the United States are affected by climate-driven storms, floods, droughts and heat waves, and are leading the charge to address global warming.

A road is blocked by a mudslide caused by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico, on Sunday.

National

5 years on, failures from Hurricane Maria loom large as Puerto Rico responds to Fiona

11:33am September 20, 2022

by Scott Neuman

The U.S. response to Maria was widely seen as wholly inadequate. As the island marks the anniversary of the Category 4 storm, the destruction caused by Fiona has emerged as a test of lessons learned.

In October 2016, in Kigali, Rwanda, nations around the globe agreed to phase out a category of dangerous greenhouse gases widely used in refrigerators and air conditioners. In 2022, the U.S. took steps to formally ratify the agreement.

The U.S. will officially phase down HFCs, gases trapping 1,000x more heat than CO2

11:24am September 20, 2022

by Laura Benshoff

The Senate is moving to ratify a climate treaty that would formally phase down the use of industrial chemicals found in air conditioners and refrigerators.

Hurricane Fiona, which made landfall on Sunday, has damaged reservoirs and water filtration plants. Puerto Rico's only water agency is scrambling to restore services, but officials say they're waiting for flooded rivers to subside.

Environment

Puerto Rico has lost more than power. The vast majority of people have no clean water

10:04am September 20, 2022

by Vanessa Romo

More than 760,000 customers have been left with no access to clean running water since Hurricane Fiona struck the island on Sunday.

A woman clears debris on her property flooded by Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022.

How to help people in Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Fiona

8:26am September 20, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

Several organizations are asking for assistance in helping those impacted by Hurricane Fiona.

People wait in line for food in Sindh province, Pakistan, on Sept. 19, 2022. The province was one of the hardest hit by recent deadly floods. A new analysis confirms that climate change likely helped cause the disaster.

Science

Climate change likely helped cause deadly Pakistan floods, scientists find

12:18pm September 19, 2022

by Rebecca Hersher

Extremely heavy rain fell in the hardest-hit provinces. About 75% more water is falling during the heaviest rainstorms in the region, according to a new scientific analysis.

A home is submerged in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico, on Sunday.

National

Most of Puerto Rico is still without power as Fiona reaches the Dominican Republic

12:16pm September 19, 2022

The governor of Puerto Rico says it will likely take days to fully restore the electricity on the island — but that's contingent upon how much damage the storm inflicted on the power grid.

A man walks on a road flooded by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico on Sunday.

National

All of Puerto Rico is without electricity as Hurricane Fiona pummels the island

7:23pm September 18, 2022

by Juliana Kim

The storm is wreaking havoc on the island's already fragile power grid. Flash flood warnings continue in many areas, leading to overflowing rivers.

Soybeans pour from a combine during harvest in a field in Rippey, Iowa, in 2019.

As farmers split from the GOP on climate change, they're getting billions to fight it

7:01am September 17, 2022

by Scott Neuman

Democrats plan to spend $20 billion to help rural communities address the climate crisis. There's little sign the infusion of money will reshape politics in areas that traditionally vote Republican.