2019 natural catastrophes News

Venice Floods to Cost St. Mark’s Cathedral at Least $5.5 Million in Damage

“Every stone is a treasure,” says the technical director of St. Mark’s Basilica’s vestry board, indicating the prized gold-leaf mosaics overhead, the inlaid stone pavement and the marble clad walls of the 923-year-old masterpiece. And many are vulnerable to the …

Typhoon Phanfone Kills at Least 41 in Philippines, Destroys Homes, Crops

Typhoon Phanfone killed at least 41 people when it slammed into the central Philippines on Christmas Eve, with dozens still injured or missing, according to the agency which oversees disaster response. The 21st cyclone to hit the Southeast Asian nation …

Thousands of Tourists Evacuated as Wildfires Sweep Through Southeast Australia

Thousands of holiday-makers have evacuated a popular tourist spot in southeast Australia as a heatwave and strong winds fuel wildfires sweeping through the region. But with temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) Monday and blazes closing sections of …

Australia’s Bushfires Destroy Nearly 200 Homes, Claim Another Life

Australia’s devastating wildfires, which at the weekend destroyed close to 200 homes and claimed another life, show no sign of abating and are poised to blight Christmas celebrations. Around 200 blazes were burning across the world’s driest inhabited continent on …

Venice Hotels Suffer Nearly $34M in Damages from November’s Floods

Venice’s hoteliers association estimates that the city’s hotels suffered about 30 million euros ($34 million) worth of structural damage during November’s floods. The overall losses, though, are higher after adding in the lower revenues that local hotels have reported in …

Heatwave Gripping Australia Exacerbates Devastating Bushfires

Australia’s most-populous state has declared an emergency as a heatwave that’s produced the hottest day on record exacerbates devastating bushfires. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned of extreme wind conditions and surging temperatures that would make efforts to battle …

There’s a 60,000-Year-Old Method to Help Battle Australia’s Bushfires

Australia’s indigenous people say the bushfire-ravaged country is paying the price for ignoring their expertise in managing the ecology of the world’s-driest inhabited continent. The fires have already burned more than 6 million acres — an area the size of …

Australia’s Bushfires Push Choking Haze over Sydney

Sydney is world famous for its shimmering harbor and clear blue skies. Not this summer. As bushfires ravage the country’s east coast, pollution is becoming a regular occurrence in Australia’s biggest city — triggering health warnings and intensifying the debate …

Death Toll from Typhoon Kammuri Rises as Storm Passes South of Manila in Philippines

The death toll from Typhoon Kammuri rose to 17 people after destroying houses and displacing hundreds of thousands on its path across the Philippines. As it neared its exit, tropical cyclone wind signals have been lifted as of Wednesday for …

Typhoon Kammuri Hits Philippines, Killing at Least 3, Displacing 500,000 More

The Philippines reopened its main airport late Tuesday as Typhoon Kammuri heads to the South China Sea, leaving at least three people dead and displacing half a million more. Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s runways were opened at 6 p.m. local …