floods News

Red Alerts in China as Floods Maroon Equipment to Fight Coronavirus

SHANGHAI — Large parts of China were reeling on Friday from the worst floods in decades, as disruption mounted for supply chains, including for personal protective equipment (PPE), vital in the fight against the novel coronavirus. The central city of …

UK’s Johnson Under Fire for Flood Response as More Rain Due

LONDON — British authorities said Thursday that more rain will bring the risk of “significant flooding” in the coming days, as people in central England and Wales kept a close eye on swollen rivers that have already flooded hundreds of …

Traditional Ways of Paying for Fires and Floods Aren’t Cutting It

Fires and floods are sending some of the nation’s largest utilities to the bond market to cover huge, unexpected bills. California’s PG&E Corp., which was forced into bankruptcy a year ago after its equipment sparked the deadliest wildfire in state …

South Dakota Townships Face Financial Woes After 2019 Floods

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Townships in South Dakota are facing economic difficulties as 2019 flood repair costs mount. Townships primarily depend on their taxpayers for funds to repair more than 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) of roads while they wait for …

The Small Riverside Town of Mosby, Missouri, is Disappearing One House at a Time

MOSBY, Mo. — Tammy Kilgore raised the giant claw of a John Deere excavator high in the air, then slammed it down on the roof the house where she had spent nearly her entire adult life. The shingles crunched, but …

Flood, Fire and Plague: Climate Change Blamed for Disasters

SINGAPORE — Extreme floods in Venice, fires in Australia and even an outbreak of plague in China have been attributed to climate change this week, while researchers have warned that global warming could saddle future generations with life-long illness. Venice …

Zurich Insurance Chief Set to End Revamp Ahead of All Goals

Zurich Insurance Group AG said it will exceed all of its financial targets as the global insurer benefits from a three-year turnaround plan that slashed costs. The combined ratio, a key measure of underwriting performance, declined to 95.1%, the company …

Senate Passes $19.1 Billion Relief Package for Natural Disasters

The Senate passed a $19.1 billion disaster-aid plan Thursday for areas hit by hurricanes, Midwest floods and California wildfires after lawmakers resolved months of disagreement over funds for Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump said he supports the bill. The 85-8 …

Pence Arrives in Nebraska to Review ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Flooding

Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Nebraska on Tuesday to survey the devastation unleashed across the U.S. Midwest by floods that have killed four people and caused more than a billion dollars in damage to crops, livestock and roads. The …

Social Media Can Warn of Impending Natural Catastrophes

Social media can warn us about extreme weather events before they happen – such as hurricanes, storms and floods – according to new research by the University of Warwick. Nataliya Tkachenko, with her supervisors in the Department of Computer Science, …