After a record 22 billion-dollar disasters in 2020, it's time to overhaul US disaster policy – here's how
NOAA released its list of climate and weather disasters that cost the nation more than $1 billion each. Like many climate and weather events this past year, it shattered the record.
Jan. 8, 2021 • ~11 min
climate-change policy construction floods hurricanes storms global-warming natural-disasters wildfires government disaster-risk fema building disaster-management land-use building-codes 2020
After a record 22 billion-dollar disasters in 2020, it's time to make US disaster policy more effective and equitable – here's how
NOAA released its list of climate and weather disasters that cost the nation more than $1 billion each. Like many climate and weather events this past year, it shattered the record.
Jan. 8, 2021 • ~11 min
policy construction floods hurricanes storms natural-disasters wildfires government disaster-risk fema building disaster-management land-use building-codes 2020
Overshadowed by COVID: the deadly extreme weather of 2020
Many storms, heatwaves, fires and droughts slipped under the radar this year.
Dec. 30, 2020 • ~7 min
climate-change flooding hurricanes storms drought extreme-weather wildfires heatwave cyclones
The Marshall Islands could be wiped out by climate change – and their colonial history limits their ability to save themselves
Climate change is a true existential threat for small island nations, but the US has done little to help the Marshall Islands, which it administered for decades.
Dec. 11, 2020 • ~10 min
climate-change climate sea-level-rise flooding colonialism storm-surge climate-change-adaptation nuclear-weapons pacific-ocean marshall-islands forced-migration small-island-states
Scientists at work: Sloshing through marshes to see how birds survive hurricanes
Birds found along the Gulf Coast have evolved to ride out hurricanes and tropical storms. But with development degrading the marshes where they live, it's getting harder for them to bounce back.
Oct. 28, 2020 • ~9 min
climate-change birds ecology mississippi sea-level-rise hurricanes scientists-at-work tropical-storms coastal-development marshes wetlands gulf-coast alabama
Extreme weather: October downpour sees UK's wettest day on record
Persistent rain on Saturday 3 October breaks the record for the wettest day across the entire UK.
Oct. 16, 2020 • ~3 min
climate-change severe-weather loch-ness met-office storm-ciara
An autoimmune-like antibody response is linked with severe COVID-19
Patients suffering from severe COVID-19 may be experiencing a rogue antibody response similar to that seen in autoimmune diseases. The findings offer new approaches for COVID-19 therapy.
Oct. 8, 2020 • ~8 min
covid-19 immune-system pandemic sars-cov-2 viruses infection cytokine-storm antibody autoimmune-diseases b-cell
3D model seeks to explain mysterious hexagon storm on Saturn
Harvard researchers use a 3D model to figure out how a hexagon-shaped mega-storm on Saturn was formed.
Oct. 5, 2020 • ~8 min
science-technology faculty-of-arts-and-sciences juan-siliezar saturn department-of-earth-and-planetary-sciences hexagon-storm jeremy-bloxham rakesh-k-yadav
Gaps between night and day heat drives severe storms
Larger differences between the Earth's surface temperature at night and day increase the risk of severe thunderstorms and flood-causing cloud bursts.
Sept. 29, 2020 • ~6 min
floods storms rain weather earth-and-environment
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is so intense, it just ran out of storm names – and then two more storms formed
It's only happened twice since naming started in 1950, and there's an unusual twist to where many of the storms are forming this year.
Sept. 18, 2020 • ~6 min
climate-change hurricanes storms el-nino meteorology natural-disasters oceans atlantic-ocean la-nina tropical-cyclones enso
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