After a year of record-breaking global heat with El Niño, will La Niña bring a reprieve? That depends on where you live and how you feel about hurricanes.

Too much pavement and old drainage systems are just two of the problems communities face.

Too much pavement and old drainage systems are just two of the problems communities face.

Too much pavement and old drainage systems are just two of the problems communities face.

Practices such as redlining left marginalized groups in more disaster-prone areas with poorer quality infrastructure − and more likely to experience prolonged power outages.

Practices such as redlining left marginalized groups in more disaster-prone areas with poorer quality infrastructure − and more likely to experience prolonged power outages.

A powerful storm system produced dozens of destructive tornadoes over three days that tore apart homes in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. A meteorologist explains the conditions that fueled them.

Some parts of the Gulf experienced 18 months of rain in a single day.

Turning off power is a last-ditch strategy for utilities to reduce the risk that their systems could spark wildfires. In most states, deciding whether to take that step is up to utilities.

Extreme downpours and droughts, both fueled by rising global temperatures, are taking a toll on water infrastructure. Communities trying to manage the threats face three big challenges.