Wildfires force thousands to evacuate near Los Angeles: Here's how the 2020 Western fire season got so extreme
The 2020 wildfire season has shattered records across the West. It's a trend that's headed in a dangerous direction.
today • ~8 min
Tags: climate-change climate science heat-wave drought natural-disasters wildfires weather
California wildfires pass 4 million acres burned, doubling previous record – that's a lot of toxic smoke
To understand the risks of wildfire smoke, it helps to understand the chemicals people are breathing.
Oct. 2, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: health environment pollution wildfire chemicals air-pollution natural-disasters wildfires smoke
Wildfire smoke is laced with toxic chemicals – here's how they got there
To understand the risks of wildfire smoke, it helps to understand the chemicals people are breathing.
Oct. 2, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: health environment pollution wildfire chemicals air-pollution natural-disasters wildfires smoke
Homes are flooding outside FEMA's 100-year flood zones, and racial inequality is showing through
New risk models show nearly twice as many properties are at risk from a 100-year flood today than the government's flood maps indicate.
Sept. 24, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: cities poverty flooding hurricanes natural-disasters fema urban floodplains hurricane-harvey
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
Tags: climate-change hurricanes storms el-nino meteorology natural-disasters oceans atlantic-ocean la-nina tropical-cyclones enso
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is so intense, it just ran out of storm names
In an unusual twist, many of those storms have been forming closer to the US coast.
Sept. 18, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: climate-change hurricanes storms el-nino meteorology natural-disasters oceans atlantic-ocean la-nina tropical-cyclones enso
Wildfires can leave toxic drinking water behind – here's how to protect the public
Two environmental engineers say governments need to do more to protect people from possible water contamination after wildfires.
Sept. 17, 2020 • ~9 min
Tags: water camp-fire chemicals drinking-water natural-disasters california wildfires oregon disaster-recovery safe-drinking-water-act building-codes washington-state
What is a hurricane storm surge, and why is it so dangerous?
It's not just about the hurricane. How high a storm surge gets and how far it reaches also has a lot to do with the land.
Sept. 14, 2020 • ~4 min
Tags: climate-change sea-level-rise flooding hurricanes storms natural-disasters storm-surge weather
What is hurricane storm surge, and why is it so dangerous?
It's not just about the hurricane. How high a storm surge gets and how far it reaches also has a lot to do with the land.
Sept. 14, 2020 • ~4 min
Tags: climate-change sea-level-rise flooding hurricanes storms natural-disasters storm-surge weather
Hurricane Laura was the latest storm to strengthen fast, but is rapid intensification really becoming more common?
Laura went from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in less than 24 hours, sending coastal residents scrambling to prepare. Hurricanes Harvey and Michael exploded in strength in similar ways.
Aug. 28, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: climate-change hurricanes sea-surface-temperatures meteorology natural-disasters atmospheric-science oceans wind
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