December 2, 2009
The U.S. Forest Service is considering allowing its helicopters to attack wildfires at night, a practice the agency has long discouraged because of risks to pilots, a senior official said Monday. The change would be a major shift for an …
December 1, 2009
State Forester Butch Blazer is cautioning New Mexicans about fire danger in parts of the state because of mild conditions and less-than-abundant moisture. Fine grassy fuels and brush in southern and southeastern New Mexico are dry, leaving them susceptible to …
November 30, 2009
A convicted burglar has claimed in jailhouse interviews that he was badgered into confessing to starting a 2003 wildfire that burned about 1,000 homes in the foothills above San Bernardino and allegedly caused five people to die of heart attacks. …
November 30, 2009
Virginia Tech’s Seismological Observatory says a small earthquake that struck central Virginia prompted numerous reports of weak to light shaking but it didn’t cause any damage. The observatory and the U.S. Geological Survey say the 2.7-magnitude quake occurred at 5:24 …
November 30, 2009
Tropical Storm Ida was a mild storm along coastal Alabama, but it still caused millions in damage to the beaches. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach officials told the Press-Register that Ida stripped several hundred thousand cubic yards of sand from …
November 25, 2009
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley wants Midwest disaster victims to have more to time to benefit from tax relief intended to help with the repair or replacement of damaged homes. Grassley has introduced legislation that would extend the deadline for applying …
November 24, 2009
Colorado-based weather researchers say three hurricanes formed in the Atlantic this year, two fewer than they predicted before the season and one less than their August update called for. Colorado State University researchers William Gray and Phil Klotzbach said Thursday …
November 23, 2009
A series of violent storms struck the west coast of England, beginning last Thursday. Cumbria, the County just below the Scottish border, was the most severely affected area, where heavy rain caused extensive flooding in a number of towns. At …
November 23, 2009
Risk Management Solutions has issued a bulletin that presents several possibilities concerning the economic losses from the floods, which have caused extensive damage in northwest England [See IJ web site – https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2009/11/23/105496.htm]. The catastrophe modeling firm notes that the floods …
November 20, 2009
The New England Seismic Network says a small earthquake shook parts of western Maine early Thursday morning. According to Weston Observatory at Boston College, the earthquake happened at 2 a.m. and had a magnitude of 2.5. It was centered about …