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How Hard Is It to Prevent Recurring Blackouts in Puerto Rico?
Using the island as a model, researchers demonstrate the “DyMonDS” framework can improve resiliency to extreme weather and ease the integration of new resources.
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What Made the Los Angeles Wildfires So Monstrous
Powerful winds and extra-dry vegetation have fueled what may become the costliest wildfires on record. The longer-term challenge is better adapting Los Angeles, and the rest of California, to a future of ever-worsening droughts and wildfires. “People talk about adapting to the climate,” sys one expert. “We haven’t adapted to the climate we have, let alone the climate that’s coming.”
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How Santa Ana Winds Fueled the Deadly Fires in Southern California
California is seeing more destructive fires than we saw in the past. That’s driven not just by changes in the climate and the winds, but also by population growth.
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Wildfires as a Tool for Terrorism: Implications for Homeland Security
In recent years, wildfires have become an increasingly significant concern due to their devastating impacts on communities, economies, and ecosystems. Beyond their natural occurrence, wildfires are also gaining attention as a potential tool for malicious actors, including foreign and domestic terrorists.
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A Disaster Expert Explains Why the L.A. Fires Have Been So Catastrophic
As we’re seeing more and more disaster events, it raises questions about risk and whether insurers are going to keep insuring homes in the long run. Increasingly, it seems the answer is no.
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Mississippi River Towns Pilot New Insurance Model to Help with Disaster Response
The pilot will test parametric insurance, which pays out quickly after agreed-upon “triggers”–such as wind speeds or river heights –reach a certain level.
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Five Climate Realism Insights on California’s Wildfires
The wildfires scorching the region around Los Angeles are likely to be the most expensive in history. But, future climate change-related disasters will certainly top them in cost. Here are some steps to limit the damage.
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Amidst Compounding Disasters, Resilient Housing Can Anchor Communities
Back-to-back hurricanes wreaking havoc across huge swaths of the Southeast were yet another sign of the intensifying impacts of climate change. The nationwide shortage of reliable, affordable housing and the increasing tempo of extreme weather events are separate crises that overlap and magnify each other’s impacts.
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The Great Ripple - How a Tsunami Can Disrupt Global Trade
Shipping facilitates more than 80% of global trade, meaning disruptions to the global port network can have severe consequences for global commerce. Port disruptions are thus costly, very costly.
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Boxing Day Tsunami: Here’s What We Have Learned in the 20 Years Since the Deadliest Natural Disaster in Modern History
On Boxing Day 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia set off a tsunami which killed almost 250,000 people. It was the deadliest natural disaster this century, and was probably the deadliest tsunami in human history. It has reshaped our global disaster management systems, highlighting the importance of early warning systems, local preparations, and coastal defenses.
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As Trump Mulls His FEMA Pick, a Political Land Mine Awaits in Florida
Florida may also present Trump with one of his thorniest political challenges: FEMA is hiking insurance rates and punishing flood-prone construction in the president-elect’s favorite state.
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Catastrophic Sea Level Rise Possible within Our Lifetime? Yes, Here’s How
This prospect of near-term runaway sea level rise is considerably more serious than sea level projections issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). There is thus an urgent need for climate experts to advise the government on strategic planning and risk management. This is especially true for our intelligence and national security communities.
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Improving Safety in the Open Air: TU Graz Evaluates Lightning Risk in Real Time
Airport aprons, large construction sites or open-air events are usually defenseless against lightning. To increase safety and reduce downtimes, electrical engineers at TU Graz are developing a forecasting system.
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Calls Grow for Sustainable Governance as Groundwater Resources Become Scarce
The depletion of groundwater resources, driven by unsustainable agricultural practices and increasing demands for food production, is a pressing issue, and it underscores the urgent need for sustainable groundwater governance.
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Sounding the Alarm: Fire's Speed Is More Threatening Than Its Size
Most news reports about wildfires include the number of acres a given fire has burned, but according to a new study, these reports should also note how fast the fire is moving.
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The long view
Trump Aims to Shut Down State Climate Policies
President Donald Trump has launched an all-out legal attack on states’ authority to set climate change policy. Climate-focused state leaders say his administration has no legal basis to unravel their efforts.