Articles by Janet McConnaughey

Katrina, Sandy Offer Similar Lessons for Builders

Lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy about how best to limit damage to buildings closely track those of Katrina, a federal engineer said. Elevating generators and pumps is a good idea but enclosing elevated foundations that might be hit by waves …

Tornadoes Strike in Texas

Christmas Day along the Gulf Coast was filled with severe thunderstorms that brought drenching rains, high winds and damaging tornadoes while the nation’s midsection dealt with freezing rain, sleet and snow that made for a sloppy and sometimes dangerous trek …

Study: Oil Spill Dispersants May Have Hurt Gulf Food Chain

A study on possible effects of the 2010 BP oil spill indicates dispersants may have killed plankton — some of the ocean’s tiniest plants and creatures — and disrupted the food chain in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the …

Drought Brings Outbreak of Horse Disease in Louisiana, Arkansas

Agriculture officials in Arkansas and Louisiana have warned veterinarians to watch for signs of a potentially fatal horse disease if there’s another drought this year. The disease is often called pigeon fever because basketball-sized abscesses in the chest and abdomen …

Illinois Church That Gave Hurricane Aid in ’05, Now Gets Tornado Aid

Four pickup-and-trailer loads of goods brought over the weekend to tornado-stricken Harrisburg, Ill., are just a partial return for help after Hurricane Rita in 2005, say residents of Lake Arthur, a town of 2,700 in southwest Louisiana. A tractor-trailer load …

Flood Damage in 2011 May Make 2012 Worse Along Mississippi River

Damage from 2011’s record spring floods could leave many people along the Mississippi River in even more danger this year, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The Corps said it’s assessing the damage to levees, structures and navigation channels, and …

Damage from 2011 Floods Could Make 2012 Worse

Damage from last year’s record spring floods could leave many people along the Mississippi River in even more danger this year, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The Corp said it’s assessing the damage to levees, structures and navigation channels, …

Flood Damage in 2011 May Make 2012 Worse Along Mississippi River

Damage from last year’s record spring floods could leave many people along the Mississippi River in even more danger this year, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The Corps said it’s assessing the damage to levees, structures and navigation channels, …

Louisiana Using Radar to Find Potential Sinkholes

Radar used in the stealth bomber and to find roadside bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq is moving into the sewers of Louisiana. The aim is finding empty spaces where dirt has seeped into sewers and water pipes before they spread …

Settlement Reached in Elly Mae Clampett Barbie Doll Suit

The actress who played Elly May Clampett on the “The Beverly Hillbillies,” toymaker Mattel Inc. and CBS Consumer Products Inc. have settled a lawsuit in which Donna Douglas claimed the companies didn’t get her approval to use her name and …