Articles by Jim Efstathiou Jr. and Prashant Gopal

How Homes Are Being Built, Raised to Withstand Extreme Weather

Breezy Point is beautiful in the summertime, a quaint neighborhood sitting on a slim peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic just south of New York City. In a storm, though, that dreamy setting can become a nightmare. Breezy Point …

More Than 200K Without Power Following Violent Northeastern U.S. Storms

More than 200,000 homes and businesses in eight states were without power early Monday after violent thunderstorms and heavy rains swept through the U.S. Northeast. Virginia and Pennsylvania were the hardest hit, with about 120,000 customers in the dark, according …

Gas Blasts Near Boston Linked to NiSource Unit’s Work Orders

A series of explosions that rocked several towns north of Boston, Mass., last month has been linked to work orders given to a crew replacing aging natural gas pipes, according to federal safety investigators. Crews contracted by NiSource Inc.’s Columbia …

Duke Energy Braces for Second Hurricane Hit as Michael Nears Florida

Utilities are warning that lights in the Carolinas may go out for the second time in a month, thanks to Hurricane Michael. Duke Energy Corp. said Michael may trigger outages, some lasting for several days, in North Carolina and South …

Duke Restores Power to 1.2 Million in Carolinas as Florence Heads North

Duke Energy Corp., the biggest utility in the Carolinas, has faced a three-front war as it battles back against the wet and dangerously wild effects of Hurricane Florence. The company restored power to almost 80 percent of customers who went …

Hydroelectric Dams Operating at Peak to Manage Florence’s Floods

Florence’s driving rains are forcing hydroelectric dam operators to run generators at full tilt and open flood gates that haven’t been used in more than 20 years. The Tennessee Valley Authority — which operates dams in Tennessee, Georgia and other …

For First Time, 5 Named Storms Could Crowd Atlantic Ocean

For tropical storms, two’s company, three’s a crowd and five is, well, unprecedented. Maybe not for long. Weather forecasters are watching a disturbance in the western Gulf of Mexico that has a 50 percent chance of becoming Tropical Storm Kirk …

Climate Forces Behind Florence Look Like Those of Harvey, Sandy

As Hurricane Florence barrels toward North Carolina, it’s being strengthened and guided by a one-two punch of climate factors scientists have been tracking for years. Florence, which threatens to be the most severe storm to hit North Carolina in more …

Hurricane Florence Risks to North Carolina Include Toxic Sludge, Lagoons of Pig Manure

Hurricane Florence’s potential for destruction also includes increased risks for the environment and public health as torrential rains could overwhelm the pits where toxic waste from power plants is stored. Animal-manure lagoons are also at risk of flooding. Duke Energy …

Researchers Cool Their 2018 Hurricane Season Forecast

Subtropical Storm Alberto kicked off the Atlantic hurricane season a week early, but don’t take that as a harbinger of terrible weather. In fact, cooler ocean temperatures are already spurring researchers to scale back forecasts for this year. Expect six …