Disaster (Flood,Coastal,EQ,W-Fire,etc.) News

Sumatra Volcano Erupts after 400 Dormant Years

A volcano in western Indonesia on the Island of Sumatra spewed hot lava and sand high into the sky early Sunday in its first eruption in 400 years. Government volcanologist Surono, who uses only one name, said Mount Sinabung in …

Earl Now Major Hurricane, Headed Toward East Coast

Hurricane Earl has strengthened into a major Category 3 storm Monday and could arrive off the East Coast of the U.S. by the end of this week. It is currently rocking the Caribbean’s Northern Leeward Islands. The National Hurricane Center …

5 Years After Katrina Gulf Coast Building Codes Still Inadequate

Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina caused an estimated 1,300 tragic deaths as well as $41.1 billion in insured losses across six states. Louisiana and Mississippi suffered the brunt of Katrina’s wrath followed by Alabama. As we commemorate this terrible event …

Hurricane Katrina Changed the Market in Gulf States

Writing about the landfall of Hurricane Katrina five years ago, essayist Ellis Anderson of Mississippi likened the communities along the gulf to a string of pearls. “Then, in August 2005, in the course of a single morning, Katrina severed the …

Danielle Again a Category 2 Hurricane; TS Earl Forms in Atlantic

Hurricane Danielle has recovered some strength, and is once again a “category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale,” according to the most recent bulletin from the National Hurricane Center in Miami at 11:00 a.m. AST. The storm is …

Hurricane Danielle Headed East of Bermuda

The U.S. National Hurricane Center is reporting that Hurricane Danielle is still a category two hurricane, with sustained winds of 105 miles per hour, and that it is expected to strengthen somewhat in the next 24 hours. As of early …

FEMA Chief Sees Progress 5 Years After Katrina Disaster

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said his department is better able to quickly respond to disasters now, five years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast. FEMA was widely pilloried in the days after the 2005 …

Slowing Urban Sprawl, Adding Forested Land Curb Flooding: Study

Controlling urban growth and increasing forested land are the most effective ways to decrease future water runoff and flooding, according to a Purdue University study. Bryan Pijanowski, an associate professor of forestry and natural resources, used a model to simulate …

Danielle Weakens; 90% Chance of Another Tropical Storm

The latest bulletin, issued at 5:00 a.m. AST by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, notes that Hurricane Danielle has weakened slightly, with “maximum sustained winds near 85 mph, 140 km/hr. with higher gusts.” The storm is presently a category …

Lloyd’s Warns of Perils Related to Electric Grid Transformer Failure

A bulletin on the Lloyd’s of London web site (www.lloyds.com) warns that a “major transformer failure can wreak havoc, causing power shortages or outages affecting millions of homes and businesses and costing many millions of pounds.” Transformers are an essential …