October 9, 2018 2:21 PM EDT
We’re watching as Hurricane Michael rapidly gains strength on its way toward the Florida Panhandle. Using the most recent storm surge prediction for Michael—released by NOAA at 11 am Eastern today—and property level data provided by Zillow, our preliminary analysis indicates that nearly 50,000 coastal properties are at risk of storm surge inundation, though many more could be affected by flash flooding and heavy rain throughout the southeast. Read more >
September 21, 2018 3:33 PM EDT
In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, I’ve joined millions who’ve watched with horror as the Carolinas have been inundated with floodwaters and worried about the various hazards those waters can contain. We’ve seen heavy metal-laden coal ash spills, a nuclear plant go on alert (thankfully without incident), and sewage treatment plants get swamped. But the biggest and most widely reported hazard associated with Florence appears to be the hog waste that is spilling from many of the state’s thousands of CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations), and which threatens lasting havoc on public health and the local economy.
And while the state’s pork industry was already under fire for its day-to-day impacts on the health and quality of life of nearby residents, Florence has laid bare the lie that millions of animals and their copious waste can be safely concentrated in flood-prone coastal areas like southeastern North Carolina. Read more >
September 12, 2018 12:06 PM EDT
En el transcurso de los últimos días, el huracán ‘Florence’ se ha intensificado rápidamente. Mantiene una trayectoria directa hacia Carolina del Norte, como una tormenta de Categoría 4. Esta tormenta es particularmente riesgosa dado el pronóstico de lluvias fuertes y persistentes que amenazan no solo a las áreas costeras, sino también a comunidades del interior. Read more >
September 11, 2018 12:40 PM EDT
Over the last few days, we have watched with deepening dismay as the forecast for Hurricane Florence has turned increasingly grim. This rapidly intensifying hurricane is now on a trajectory to come ashore somewhere along the southeast coast, likely in North Carolina, potentially as a Category 4 storm. What heightens the risks of this storm is the forecast of days of lingering heavy rain, threatening not just coastal but also inland areas. Read more >
September 10, 2018 10:08 PM EDT
Hurricane Florence is currently making its way as a Category 4 storm toward the southeast coast and is expected to make landfall sometime on Thursday, most likely in North Carolina. Here some of the climate dynamics that make Florence stand out amid our historical knowledge of Atlantic hurricanes. Read more >
