natural disaster

Laura Hogshead, director of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, answers questions from lawmakers

Politics & Government

North Carolina official overseeing hurricane rebuilding efforts is no longer in role

1:05pm November 21, 2024

by Makiya Seminera, Associated Press

The top official for North Carolina's efforts to rebuild communities after natural disasters is no longer working in the position just a few days after a scathing rebuke of her work from GOP state lawmakers.

National

Trying to stay safe in a wildfire? There's an app that can help

4:56pm September 25, 2024

Watch Duty, a free app for tracking wildfires, has taken off in the Western U.S. as more of the region experiences destructive wildfires and the overwhelming task of staying informed.

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The aftermath of a mudslide that ripped through villages on the foothills of Mount Elgon in 2012, killing at least 18 people. The slopes of this extinct volcano in eastern Uganda have become increasingly prone to such disasters as a result of climate change. The looming question: How do you help people find a safe new place to live?

Why villagers haven't left a mudslide prone mountain — and how a novel plan might help

10:19am November 14, 2023

by Nurith Aizenman

On an extinct volcano in Uganda, hundreds of thousands face disaster due to climate change. The charity GiveDirectly is trying a surprising approach to help them get out of harm's way.

A wildfire in Maui destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and killed at least 101 people, making it the worst natural disaster in state history and the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century.

Maui's wildfires are among the deadliest on record in the U.S. Here are some others

10:39pm August 15, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

The wildfires that killed more than 100 people in Maui are the deadliest to hit the U.S. in more than a century. Here's a look back at some of the country's most lethal blazes and lessons learned.

Hurricane Ian caused $112.9 billion dollars and more than 150 deaths when it slammed into south Florida in 2022, making it the costliest climate-fueled disaster in the U.S. last year.

Extreme weather, fueled by climate change, cost the U.S. $165 billion in 2022

4:56pm January 10, 2023

by Nathan Rott

The U.S. endured 18 separate billion-dollar disasters in 2022, highlighting the growing damages of human-caused climate change.

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The Tonga volcano on December 24 2021 as seen from a satellite. The eruption turned explosive, in what nuclear monitors say was the biggest bang they've ever recorded.

A nuclear-test monitor calls Tonga volcano blast 'biggest thing that we've ever seen'

11:39am January 21, 2022

by Geoff Brumfiel

A station to detect nuclear weapons tests picked up the volcanic eruption in Tonga from Antarctica. Some experts say the blast could be more than 50 megatons, while NASA estimates 6-10 megatons.

Dave 'Cowboy' Graham stands at a destroyed gas station in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.

National

For tornado survivors, 'Cowboy' offers a listening ear

5:39pm December 21, 2021

by Sarah McCammon

Dave Graham of Frederickstown, Ohio, has volunteered after natural disasters around the country. He's been spending time offering to listen to stories of tornado survivors in Dawson Springs, Ky.

Hurricane Ida leaves downed power lines in its wake Monday in Metairie, La. The one-two punch of a natural disaster and the pandemic is complicating efforts to evacuate hospitals, seek shelter and administer COVID-19 vaccines.

Louisiana And Mississippi Were Overwhelmed By COVID-19 Cases. Then Ida Struck

5:29pm August 30, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

The storm and pandemic pose a dual threat. "I hate to say it this way, but we have a lot of people on ventilators today and they don't work without electricity," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

News

If Florence Stalls Over Coast, Heavy Rains In Triad Could Be Delayed

4:48pm September 11, 2018

by Sean Bueter

New projections from the National Weather Service suggest the effects of Hurricane Florence may be delayed in the Piedmont Triad, though bad weather is still on the way.

First responders in the Marina District disaster zone after an earthquake on October 17, 1989 in San Francisco, Calif.

Betting On Artificial Intelligence To Guide Earthquake Response

5:55pm April 20, 2018

by Joe Palca

A California tech firm believes that artificial intelligence can help communities prepare for, and respond to, quakes.

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