Datasets:

Dcolinmorgan

/

extreme-weather-news

like 1

By  Alejandra Borunda Hurricane Irene caused enormous damage in New York state, flooding homes like this one in Prattsville, NY, in 2011. Major weather events like Irene send people to the hospital and can even contribute to deaths for weeks after the storms. Monika Graff/Getty Images hide caption Hurricane Irene caused enormous damage in New York state, flooding homes like this one in Prattsville, NY, in 2011. Major weather events like Irene send people to the hospital and can even contribute to deaths for weeks after the storms. Dr. Latoya Storr was an emergency medicine physician for a hospital in Grand Bahama when Hurricane Dorian ripped across the island in 2019. The hospital flooded four feet deep in places. Storr and her colleagues had to move the intensive care unit, pediatric department, and maternal care into the emergency room area—the only space not totally flooded. Storr was particularly struck that the health risks for her patients didn't stop when the storm passed. In the first few days after the hurricane, patients showed up with bad bruises from escaping floodwaters or trying to fix their houses. People came to the hospital who had lost their medications when power went out, or they couldn't refill prescriptions. Weeks later, people started showing up with breathing issues because mold had started to grow in their flooded homes. Storr knows it's not the last time she'll experience a catastrophic storm. "Unfortunately, with climate change, one of the fears that we have is that they may be more severe in intensity," she says—a fear supported by years of climate research. A new study published in Nature Medicine looks directly at the human health impacts from severe weather like hurricanes, floods, and intense storms. The study examined Medicare records before and after weather disasters that incurred more than $1 billion of damages from 2011 to 2016. The analysis didn't include Hurricane Dorian, but it finds exactly what Storr saw: emergency admissions, and even deaths, are higher than expected for days and weeks after storms. "Based off experience that we've seen unfold in the U.S. and elsewhere, we see that there's destruction and disruption to our ability to deliver the high-quality care we want to give patients in the weeks following the weather disasters," says Renee Salas, an emergency department physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. She's also a researcher at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the study's lead author. The study found that six weeks after a storm, the death rate in counties with the greatest destruction was 2 to 4 times higher than in less impacted areas. That's a big jump—and those deaths, Salas says, likely went uncounted in the official death tolls. Emergency departments saw significant upticks in admissions for about two weeks following most major disasters. They could expect about 1,100 extra people to come through their doors in the first week after an average-sized hurricane, and about 30 additional deaths in the first week after a severe storm. The study focused on what happened after extreme weather events that cause more than $1 billion in damage every year. That's a category that has grown steadily over the past decade, driven in part by climate change which can worsen weather phenomena like hurricanes, severe storms, and floods. The U.S. Census Bureau recently estimated 2.5 million Americans were forced from their homes by weather disasters in 2023. In that year alone, the costs of damages to homes, roads, and other infrastructure from extreme weather totaled over $90 billion. Because health costs aren't folded into that number, it's probably an underestimate, Salas points out. Salas's team compared Medicare data from before and after storms or floods in counties that experienced significant economic damage. They looked from 2011 to 2016—a period that included Hurricanes Sandy and Irene and major storms in the Midwest in 2012. The researchers didn't include weather disasters like wildfires and droughts, because the long duration of such events complicates the statistical analyses. They also did not include heat despite heat killing more people in the U.S. than any other type of weather disaster. That's because the billion-dollar disaster database, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compiles, notably does not include most extreme heat events. Similar analyses of post-disaster health impacts have been done for individual storms or disasters, says Kai Chen, an environmental health researcher at Yale University. But they rarely look out more than a few days. Chen says this new study—which looked at many disasters over several years — shows that the human costs of extreme weather are drastically undercounted. Even the new Harvard analysis likely "could be a conservative number," Chen says. Medicare covers only about 20% of the U.S. population. More people are likely being affected than were captured in the study. Chen says adding in smaller storms, heat, or wildfire health impacts would balloon the numbers. Weather disasters have "pronounced human impacts," says Greg Wellenius, an environmental epidemiologist at Boston University. He thinks that identifying those real costs, and tracking them more systematically, will help policymakers, hospital directors, and city planners figure out how to "build resilience in our communities to help protect people today and into the future," he says. Salas remembers a patient who came directly to the emergency department in Boston after getting off a plane from Puerto Rico a few weeks after Hurricane Maria in 2017. She had a ziplock baggie full of empty prescription bottles. Pharmacies on the island didn't have her medications. Salas says it was a clear example of the underappreciated impacts of extreme weather on health. "Given that billion-dollar disasters have intensified and become much more frequent in the subsequent years, this is something we need to get a handle on," says Salas. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hurricane dorian

hurricanes sandy

floodwaters

severe weather

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the National Weather Service, about the higher stakes of weather predictions in an era of climate change. LEILA FADEL, HOST: Weather forecasters from around the world are gathering in Baltimore this week for the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society. Try saying that five times fast.STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: You just said it great - American Meteorological Society.FADEL: (Laughter).INSKEEP: All right.FADEL: They meet at a time when the stakes for forecasters have never been higher. Climate change is bringing extreme heat and more powerful storms. Making sure the forecast is right and that the public listens to it can be a matter of life or death.Greg Carbin is attending the conference. He's the chief of forecast operations at the National Weather Service, and he joins me now. Good morning, Greg.GREG CARBIN: Good morning, Leila.FADEL: So are meteorologists feeling the pressure to improve their forecasts amid these extreme weather events?CARBIN: Well, I think it is a - it can be, at times, a stressful job, for sure, predicting the future. But overall, I think meteorology is a great good-news story for science. The improvements we've seen in forecasts are remarkable.FADEL: I mean, the weather, though, is so erratic. I was walking around in a T-shirt in 80-degree weather the other day here in D.C. in January, just after freezing temperatures and snow. With these swings, does it make it harder at all?CARBIN: It can. The pattern can go into regimes that are generally quite predictable, especially during the summertime with heat waves. Those are very predictable events that we can see many days in advance. And once they're locked in, really, these day-to-day forecasts don't change very much. However, the danger can increase with extended heat, as we saw last summer.Quick-moving systems, like we saw in the mid-Atlantic last week with snow followed by unusual warmth, can be more difficult to predict and actually even more difficult to adjust to from one swing to the next. But overall, forecasts have improved dramatically in recent years, and the ability to foresee these changes is actually quite good in the meteorology that we use today.FADEL: Now, you describe a lot of good news there - that, really, the science is there. But a University of Arizona study last year said that a one-degree difference in a forecast accuracy during a heat wave can be the difference between life and death and that if you could improve the forecast by 50%, then you could save over 2,000 lives. I mean, is that even feasible?CARBIN: It is. But at the same time, what's more important, perhaps, in these dangerous, hazardous weather forecasts is getting the message out. I think the public generally understands there's inherent uncertainty in forecasting the weather, but also that weather forecasters, especially local forecasters, broadcast meteorologists, are some of the most trusted scientists that we have. People really do trust the message that they're getting. And so it's key that the forecast information be translated by broadcasters and others to the communities that need the information.FADEL: Is that a challenge, getting that information to where it needs to be?CARBIN: It's a huge challenge, and it becomes more of a challenge every day, almost, as more and more information is available that needs to be pored over by experts and basically translated in a way that can be understood by various publics.FADEL: You said various publics. When you think about those who often don't get access to this information, who are they?CARBIN: Well, there's a lot of folks that are living in vulnerable areas. And there's - there are language issues, translation issues. Some of the more vulnerable locations include coastal areas, where we see sea level rise causing a problem with increasing storm surge and damage along the coast. We also see, you know, unfortunate levels of poverty in parts of the country that are most susceptible to dangerous storms and climate change, especially heat waves in the South, severe storms in the Midwest. Those are some of the populations that need to get the message early so that they can begin to take some actions and build resilience into those communities.FADEL: Greg Carbin is the chief of forecast operations at the National Weather Service. Thank you.CARBIN: Thank you. LEILA FADEL, HOST: Weather forecasters from around the world are gathering in Baltimore this week for the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society. Try saying that five times fast. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: You just said it great - American Meteorological Society. FADEL: (Laughter). INSKEEP: All right. FADEL: They meet at a time when the stakes for forecasters have never been higher. Climate change is bringing extreme heat and more powerful storms. Making sure the forecast is right and that the public listens to it can be a matter of life or death. Greg Carbin is attending the conference. He's the chief of forecast operations at the National Weather Service, and he joins me now. Good morning, Greg. GREG CARBIN: Good morning, Leila. FADEL: So are meteorologists feeling the pressure to improve their forecasts amid these extreme weather events? CARBIN: Well, I think it is a - it can be, at times, a stressful job, for sure, predicting the future. But overall, I think meteorology is a great good-news story for science. The improvements we've seen in forecasts are remarkable. FADEL: I mean, the weather, though, is so erratic. I was walking around in a T-shirt in 80-degree weather the other day here in D.C. in January, just after freezing temperatures and snow. With these swings, does it make it harder at all? CARBIN: It can. The pattern can go into regimes that are generally quite predictable, especially during the summertime with heat waves. Those are very predictable events that we can see many days in advance. And once they're locked in, really, these day-to-day forecasts don't change very much. However, the danger can increase with extended heat, as we saw last summer. Quick-moving systems, like we saw in the mid-Atlantic last week with snow followed by unusual warmth, can be more difficult to predict and actually even more difficult to adjust to from one swing to the next. But overall, forecasts have improved dramatically in recent years, and the ability to foresee these changes is actually quite good in the meteorology that we use today. FADEL: Now, you describe a lot of good news there - that, really, the science is there. But a University of Arizona study last year said that a one-degree difference in a forecast accuracy during a heat wave can be the difference between life and death and that if you could improve the forecast by 50%, then you could save over 2,000 lives. I mean, is that even feasible? CARBIN: It is. But at the same time, what's more important, perhaps, in these dangerous, hazardous weather forecasts is getting the message out. I think the public generally understands there's inherent uncertainty in forecasting the weather, but also that weather forecasters, especially local forecasters, broadcast meteorologists, are some of the most trusted scientists that we have. People really do trust the message that they're getting. And so it's key that the forecast information be translated by broadcasters and others to the communities that need the information. FADEL: Is that a challenge, getting that information to where it needs to be? CARBIN: It's a huge challenge, and it becomes more of a challenge every day, almost, as more and more information is available that needs to be pored over by experts and basically translated in a way that can be understood by various publics. FADEL: You said various publics. When you think about those who often don't get access to this information, who are they? CARBIN: Well, there's a lot of folks that are living in vulnerable areas. And there's - there are language issues, translation issues. Some of the more vulnerable locations include coastal areas, where we see sea level rise causing a problem with increasing storm surge and damage along the coast. We also see, you know, unfortunate levels of poverty in parts of the country that are most susceptible to dangerous storms and climate change, especially heat waves in the South, severe storms in the Midwest. Those are some of the populations that need to get the message early so that they can begin to take some actions and build resilience into those communities. FADEL: Greg Carbin is the chief of forecast operations at the National Weather Service. Thank you. CARBIN: Thank you. Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

heat waves

temperatures

weather forecasters

extreme heat

Janet W. Lee When three fifth-graders in Washington state sat down to make a podcast, they didn't have to look far to find a good topic. "Wildfires are a problem and they're dangerous," they say in their podcast from Chautauqua Elementary School, on Vashon Island. "But there's ways to prevent them, so respect wildfire safety precautions and do your best to prevent these fires." This entry from Roz Hinds, Jia Khurana and Sadie Pritsky was among more than 100 podcasts this year in NPR's Student Podcast Challenge that touched on a topic that's increasingly important to young people: climate change. Over and over again, student journalists tried making sense of extreme weather events that are becoming more common or more intense: flash floods, hurricanes, droughts, wildfires. Here are four student podcasts that offer a glimpse into the minds of students and what they have to say about climate-related news in their communities — and what they hope to do about it. Behind the Scenes of the Mosquito FireIn a 10-episode series, a sixth-grade class at the Georgetown School of Innovation in Georgetown, Calif., shares stories from the devastating Mosquito Fire in 2022. This group of eight students asks two firefighters from the Georgetown Fire Department what it's like to fight fires and protect loved ones in their hometown. Fires: Set AblazeAt Chautauqua Elementary, the Vashon fifth-graders talk about the far-reaching and lasting impact of wildfires and wildfire smoke — and the direct effects on their lives, like waiting for the school bus on a smoky day. The students also interview experts and share their research on wildfire precautions. Flowing Through Time: The Past, Present, and Future of WaterIn this podcast from Peak Academy, a group of eight middle schoolers reports on dealing with water shortages in Bozeman, Montana. They trace the history of their growing hometown's water supply, which has been dependent on mountain snowmelt. As that source becomes less reliable in a warming world, the students turn to the grown-ups to ask what they can do to conserve water. Washed AwayThe deadly flooding in eastern Kentucky last year forever changed the lives of high schoolers Ryley Bowman, Carolina Johnson and Hunter Noble. The three classmates at Morgan County High School in West Liberty, Ky., share firsthand accounts of their own and their family's experiences during the floods. Loading... Audio story produced by Michael LevittVisual design and development by LA JohnsonEdited by Steve Drummond and Rachel Waldholz Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

sadie pritsky

eastern kentucky

hurricanes

mountain snowmelt

By  Aya Batrawy ,  Ruth Sherlock People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. AFP via Getty Images hide caption People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. Officials in Libya say at least hundreds of people have died and thousands are feared missing in the eastern part of the country after a powerful storm swept across its mountainous terrains and coastline. The storm destroyed two dams and unleashed a torrent of fast-running muddy water that carried buildings, homes and entire families away. Libyan National Army spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said late Monday more than 2,000 people had been killed from floodwaters in the city of Derna alone after Storm Daniel made landfall on Sunday, and thousands there were still missing. The Associated Press cited eastern Libya's health minister as saying more than 1,000 victims' bodies were collected so far. Libyan officials are struggling to reach many areas, making it difficult to confirm exact numbers of dead or missing, and estimates have ranged widely. Loading... Local emergency responders, including troops, government workers, volunteers and residents are digging through rubble to recover the dead. Some have used inflatable boats to retrieve bodies from the water. The regional capital Benghazi has become a hub for aid arriving from abroad. Egypt, which borders Libya to the east, has sent military teams and helicopters, and its military chief of staff visited to assess the situation and coordinate relief efforts. Egypt is also sending three planes carrying medical and food supplies, 25 rescue teams and equipment, and is sending another plane for medical evacuations. Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates also promised help for search and rescue efforts. A view of devastation in disaster zones after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged the region, on Monday, in Derna, Libya. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption A view of devastation in disaster zones after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged the region, on Monday, in Derna, Libya. "The citizens who left Derna and the affected areas left as though they were born today, without anything. All their belongings are gone," al-Mismari said. "There are those who lost their families, those who lost part of their family." Tens of thousands of people are homeless and have been displaced by the storm in different parts of eastern Libya, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council's country director for Libya, Dax Roque. The eastern city of Derna appears to be the hardest hit by Storm Daniel, which gained strength as it crossed the Mediterranean before making landfall on Libya over the weekend. The city was flooded after two dams broke. "The situation was honestly completely unexpected. It is the first time we experience something like this," al-Mismari said, noting that the last major natural disaster to hit Libya was an earthquake 60 years ago. People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. AFP via Getty Images hide caption People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. Roads that once connected cities in the east are completely inaccessible, either destroyed or under water. Others are partly inaccessible, he said. This, combined with the mountainous terrain of areas like Jebel Akhdar in the northeast, have made it difficult for search and rescue teams to reach affected areas, al-Mismari said. With internet and phone connectivity in affected areas spotty at best, the outside world is partly relying on social media videos from affected areas to show the scale of the devastation. Some videos show bodies lying in the streets outside a morgue in Derna. Other videos show rescue workers trying to pull a man to safety as brown flood waters flow quickly, covering roads and flooding farmland. Other videos show cars piled atop one another in heaps of twisted metal. Homes and bridges that once stood as markers of the city are now gone, turned to rubble. Roque, of the NRC in Libya, says this latest disaster will exacerbate the situation for Libyans who have already endured years of conflict, poverty and displacement. "Hospitals and shelters will be overstretched amidst the large wave of displacement," he said in a statement, urging for greater international aid for Libya. A view of the city of Derna is seen on Tuesday. Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused devastating floods in Libya that broke dams and swept away entire neighborhoods in multiple coastal towns, the destruction appeared greatest in Derna city. Jamal Alkomaty/AP hide caption A view of the city of Derna is seen on Tuesday. Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused devastating floods in Libya that broke dams and swept away entire neighborhoods in multiple coastal towns, the destruction appeared greatest in Derna city. The country's infrastructure was not equipped to deal with such a massive catastrophe following years of conflict and instability. Libya is ruled by two rival governments, one in the east and the other in the capital, Tripoli. The oil-exporting country has in recent years also become a major transit route for illegal migration to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, underscoring the corruption and disarray in parts of the country following the ouster from power and killing of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Libya's National Army says foreigners are among the dead, and that a number of civil defense and Libyan soldiers involved in rescue operations have also been killed. It's unclear how many foreigners or soldiers have died in the floods. Still, spokesman al-Mismari said the people of Libya have proven they are "one people" in this time of need, with official and unofficial aid coming from areas under rival government control, including Tripoli, Misrata and others. The Libyan National Army, for which al-Mismari is a spokesperson, is in control of the east. The United States says it stands ready to support Libya with humanitarian aid and is assessing how best to do so. Aya Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ruth Sherlock reported from Rome.

storm daniel

egypt

floodwaters

devastating floods

By  Erika Ryan ,  Christopher Intagliata ,  Ailsa Chang NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Anthony Leiserowitz with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication about what the climate disasters this summer mean for society's perception of climate change. AILSA CHANG, HOST: This July and August were the hottest months ever recorded. Scientists say this summer's major heat waves would be virtually impossible had humans not heated up the planet by burning fossil fuels. Add to that this year's extreme floods and wildfires, also fueled by climate change, and it begs the question - are those extreme temperatures and disasters a wake-up call for humanity? Anthony Leiserowitz is founder and director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, and I asked him if this marks a turning point for how people here in the U.S. perceive and think about climate change.ANTHONY LEISEROWITZ: So we've been tracking how Americans are responding for the past 15 years. And so I think it's actually part of a larger trend, in that we've seen that Americans are increasingly convinced that climate change is happening. In our most - latest national study, it was 74%. They're increasingly convinced it's human-caused. It was most recently at 61%. And they're growing increasingly worried. So about two-thirds of Americans say that they're now worried about climate change, and these particular kinds of extreme weather events, which are just hitting us over and over again like a two-by-four to the forehead, are starting to actually really come through. People are starting to wake up and really say, oh, my gosh, something's really going on here.CHANG: And let me ask you - this wake-up call - I mean, does being personally affected by one of these disasters, whether it's extreme heat or a flood or a fire - how much does that personal experience change people's perception of climate change?LEISEROWITZ: So I would say there's really two important components here. One is that personal experience or also, to be honest, is the vicarious experience, like the stories that we hear from our friends, our families and from the media. But that second piece is actually helping people interpret these events. Human beings don't just simply experience a heat wave and immediately, on their own, say, oh, this is climate change. So there - it's so important that all of us help people understand that, yes, in fact, climate change is making these events both more frequent and more severe.CHANG: You put your finger on something, and that is the effects of climate change are still being felt unevenly around the world. Like, even as people in some parts of America may only now be seeing these disasters in their backyards, there are people in other places who've been dealing with these consequences for years, right? Like, I know you've been studying how people in the Arctic have been grappling with climate change for years and years.LEISEROWITZ: Yes. So the science-fiction writer William Gibson famously said, the future is already here. It's just not evenly distributed. And people in the Arctic, even 20 years ago, were experiencing 2 to 4 times the rate of warming as the rest of the world. Unfortunately, now 20 years later, we're all starting to really experience these impacts globally. For many years, it was seen as what we call psychologically distant. People thought it was distant in time - like, maybe the impacts would happen in a generation, so maybe to my grandkids - or distant in space. This was about polar bears or maybe developing countries but not the United States, not my community, not my friends, family or me. That basic perception has begun to shift pretty dramatically as these events start to roll out across America. And people are beginning to really connect the dots and say, actually, this is happening right here, right now, to the people and places that I care about.CHANG: And you're finding not only are people caring more about climate change - you're finding that a small subset of Americans are actually feeling pretty extreme anxiety about climate change, right? Like, how is that anxiety manifesting?LEISEROWITZ: So yes, we've been starting to study what we call now climate anxiety. And we found that there's about 3% of Americans - so not that large proportionally, but that's still about 10 million people - who are basically suffering what we would call debilitating levels of climate anxiety, where it's affecting their daily lives, you know? They're so depressed that they can't, you know, even think about the future. It's interfering with the daily activities.But beyond that, there's a larger set of maybe 8% of Americans who are at least experiencing one of the features of this or the attributes of this. And what we find, really interestingly, is that those people are far more likely to be taking action to address climate change. They're more likely to be making changes in their own lives to change their energy use or to put solar panels on their roof or to buy an electric vehicle or to change their diet. They're far more likely to actually be getting involved with organizations demanding change on climate change, and they're also more likely to vote. So they're taking action both personally and as part of our collective society to demand the system level changes that, of course, are crucial.CHANG: Well, those actions sound reassuring, but is there also the possibility that some people will become so worried or so anxious about climate change that it leads them to think there's nothing they can do or that it's just too late, and they respond with just straight-up apathy or just resignation?LEISEROWITZ: So we've been tracking that for years and years now. And I will say the good news is that there's actually a very small proportion of Americans who are what we call fatalist - that they've reached the point of saying that there's no point. We can't change this. We can't make any difference. So it's just to say that I think most people are actually asking a very different question, and that is, what can I do? And what can we, collectively, do to actually solve this problem?CHANG: Well, among all the solutions that we've - already have on hand to help humanity mitigate or adapt to climate change, is there one solution that stands out for you - besides just reducing emissions, of course?LEISEROWITZ: Yeah, reducing emissions is going to be critical. The other - because, again, we've kind of wasted a few decades - is that we need to be much more serious about preparing ourselves for impacts because, unfortunately, they're going to get worse before they get better.The last thing, though, I'll just emphasize is that all of us - every single person has a superpower to address this issue, and that is to talk about it. As human beings, we are social animals. We constantly are paying attention to what other people around us do and say. And what we know is that you do not get change in our own lives or in collective social lives unless we talk about the problems that are really important to us. It doesn't matter whether you're a kid, you're a grandmother, whatever - you can make a difference, if only by talking about it. And that's just the first step to all the other things that you can do.CHANG: Talking about it makes it more real. Anthony Leiserowitz is founder and director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and a senior research scientist at the Yale School of the Environment. Thank you so much.LEISEROWITZ: Thank you, Ailsa. It was great to be with you. AILSA CHANG, HOST: This July and August were the hottest months ever recorded. Scientists say this summer's major heat waves would be virtually impossible had humans not heated up the planet by burning fossil fuels. Add to that this year's extreme floods and wildfires, also fueled by climate change, and it begs the question - are those extreme temperatures and disasters a wake-up call for humanity? Anthony Leiserowitz is founder and director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, and I asked him if this marks a turning point for how people here in the U.S. perceive and think about climate change. ANTHONY LEISEROWITZ: So we've been tracking how Americans are responding for the past 15 years. And so I think it's actually part of a larger trend, in that we've seen that Americans are increasingly convinced that climate change is happening. In our most - latest national study, it was 74%. They're increasingly convinced it's human-caused. It was most recently at 61%. And they're growing increasingly worried. So about two-thirds of Americans say that they're now worried about climate change, and these particular kinds of extreme weather events, which are just hitting us over and over again like a two-by-four to the forehead, are starting to actually really come through. People are starting to wake up and really say, oh, my gosh, something's really going on here. CHANG: And let me ask you - this wake-up call - I mean, does being personally affected by one of these disasters, whether it's extreme heat or a flood or a fire - how much does that personal experience change people's perception of climate change? LEISEROWITZ: So I would say there's really two important components here. One is that personal experience or also, to be honest, is the vicarious experience, like the stories that we hear from our friends, our families and from the media. But that second piece is actually helping people interpret these events. Human beings don't just simply experience a heat wave and immediately, on their own, say, oh, this is climate change. So there - it's so important that all of us help people understand that, yes, in fact, climate change is making these events both more frequent and more severe. CHANG: You put your finger on something, and that is the effects of climate change are still being felt unevenly around the world. Like, even as people in some parts of America may only now be seeing these disasters in their backyards, there are people in other places who've been dealing with these consequences for years, right? Like, I know you've been studying how people in the Arctic have been grappling with climate change for years and years. LEISEROWITZ: Yes. So the science-fiction writer William Gibson famously said, the future is already here. It's just not evenly distributed. And people in the Arctic, even 20 years ago, were experiencing 2 to 4 times the rate of warming as the rest of the world. Unfortunately, now 20 years later, we're all starting to really experience these impacts globally. For many years, it was seen as what we call psychologically distant. People thought it was distant in time - like, maybe the impacts would happen in a generation, so maybe to my grandkids - or distant in space. This was about polar bears or maybe developing countries but not the United States, not my community, not my friends, family or me. That basic perception has begun to shift pretty dramatically as these events start to roll out across America. And people are beginning to really connect the dots and say, actually, this is happening right here, right now, to the people and places that I care about. CHANG: And you're finding not only are people caring more about climate change - you're finding that a small subset of Americans are actually feeling pretty extreme anxiety about climate change, right? Like, how is that anxiety manifesting? LEISEROWITZ: So yes, we've been starting to study what we call now climate anxiety. And we found that there's about 3% of Americans - so not that large proportionally, but that's still about 10 million people - who are basically suffering what we would call debilitating levels of climate anxiety, where it's affecting their daily lives, you know? They're so depressed that they can't, you know, even think about the future. It's interfering with the daily activities. But beyond that, there's a larger set of maybe 8% of Americans who are at least experiencing one of the features of this or the attributes of this. And what we find, really interestingly, is that those people are far more likely to be taking action to address climate change. They're more likely to be making changes in their own lives to change their energy use or to put solar panels on their roof or to buy an electric vehicle or to change their diet. They're far more likely to actually be getting involved with organizations demanding change on climate change, and they're also more likely to vote. So they're taking action both personally and as part of our collective society to demand the system level changes that, of course, are crucial. CHANG: Well, those actions sound reassuring, but is there also the possibility that some people will become so worried or so anxious about climate change that it leads them to think there's nothing they can do or that it's just too late, and they respond with just straight-up apathy or just resignation? LEISEROWITZ: So we've been tracking that for years and years now. And I will say the good news is that there's actually a very small proportion of Americans who are what we call fatalist - that they've reached the point of saying that there's no point. We can't change this. We can't make any difference. So it's just to say that I think most people are actually asking a very different question, and that is, what can I do? And what can we, collectively, do to actually solve this problem? CHANG: Well, among all the solutions that we've - already have on hand to help humanity mitigate or adapt to climate change, is there one solution that stands out for you - besides just reducing emissions, of course? LEISEROWITZ: Yeah, reducing emissions is going to be critical. The other - because, again, we've kind of wasted a few decades - is that we need to be much more serious about preparing ourselves for impacts because, unfortunately, they're going to get worse before they get better. The last thing, though, I'll just emphasize is that all of us - every single person has a superpower to address this issue, and that is to talk about it. As human beings, we are social animals. We constantly are paying attention to what other people around us do and say. And what we know is that you do not get change in our own lives or in collective social lives unless we talk about the problems that are really important to us. It doesn't matter whether you're a kid, you're a grandmother, whatever - you can make a difference, if only by talking about it. And that's just the first step to all the other things that you can do. CHANG: Talking about it makes it more real. Anthony Leiserowitz is founder and director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and a senior research scientist at the Yale School of the Environment. Thank you so much. LEISEROWITZ: Thank you, Ailsa. It was great to be with you. Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

grandkids

temperatures

grandmother

extreme heat

Carrie Kahn An aerial view of an area affected by an extratropical cyclone in Muçum, in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on Tuesday. Authorities are warning there could be more flooding to come. Mateus Bruxel/Agencia RBS/AFP via Getty Images hide caption RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — A powerful cyclone ravaged southern Brazil, killing at least 27 people and displacing hundreds, local officials said Wednesday morning, raising the death toll as more victims have been discovered. Most of the fatalities were in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, with an additional victim found in neighboring Santa Catarina. The extratropical cyclone slammed into the region beginning Monday night, dumping more than 11 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. Heavy winds caused extreme damage and hundreds fled rising rivers for higher ground. Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology has warned that more rainfall is on its way, with expectations of further flooding. In the town of Muçum, where 85% was underwater, many residents were rescued by helicopters from rooftops. Police officers check a house as residents wade through a flooded street after floods caused by a cyclone in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Monday. Diogo Zanatta/Futura Press/AP hide caption Police officers check a house as residents wade through a flooded street after floods caused by a cyclone in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Monday. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has promised to do whatever is necessary to "save people from these problems." Authorities point to warming weather from climate change for the extreme rainfall. There are many factors that can cause extreme weather, however a warming climate makes intense rainfall more likely. In February, at least 40 people died in flooding and landslides in São Paulo state. Lula has vowed to reach zero deforestation in the Amazon by 2030, since returning to office this year. The Amazon's trees absorb carbon and are seen as vital to combat global warming. Deforestation levels under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had skyrocketed. The government announced this week that deforestation dropped 66% in August over the previous year's figures. That comes on the heels of similar deforestation declines in July. That is good news since numbers usually increase during the hot dry months. Brazil's environment minister also announced the demarcation of two new Indigenous reserves. Environmentalists and Indigenous leaders say the move is vital legal protection for native peoples who resist illegal mining and encroaching agriculture on their lands, both drivers of deforestation. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

heavy winds

southern brazil

extreme weather

extreme damage

By  Rachel Treisman Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Former President Donald Trump says he will voluntarily turn himself in in Fulton County, Georgia on Thursday — the day after the first Republican primary debate, which he is skipping. The Republican National Committee confirmed on Monday that eight candidates qualified for the debate. While Trump leads the polls, he is not on that list. He is reportedly planning to sit for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson instead. The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, pictured on Thursday. Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images hide caption The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, pictured on Thursday. President Biden visited Maui yesterday to view the widespread damage from the deadly wildfires and pledge federal support for its recovery, saying it will be there for "as long as it takes." He said the historic town of Lahaina should be rebuilt the way residents want it — but, as NPR's Jennifer Ludden tells Up First from Maui, many are concerned that longtime residents will lose land to developers. Maui, an expensive housing market to begin with, was experiencing a housing shortage even before the fires. The BRICS group of emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — kicks off its annual summit today in Johannesburg. China's Xi Jinping will attend in person, while Russia's Vladimir Putin will join virtually — and the U.S. and Europe will be watching closely. Reporter Kate Bartlett tells Morning Edition from Johannesburg that there are two main issues on the agenda: the bloc's desire to move away from U.S. dollar dominance and its possible expansion to include more countries. This summer has seen a relentless stream of extreme weather, from hurricanes to wildfires to heat waves — and climate change is making these intense events more common. The last nine years are the hottest nine years ever recorded on Earth, and those warmer temperatures are driving disasters, NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher explains. A Martínez's visit to a Los Angeles grocery store before Tropical Storm Hilary reminded him of the early days of the pandemic. A Martínez/NPR hide caption A Martínez's visit to a Los Angeles grocery store before Tropical Storm Hilary reminded him of the early days of the pandemic. This essay was written by A Martínez. He came to NPR in 2021 and is one of Morning Edition and Up First's hosts. He was previously the host of Take Two at LAist in Los Angeles. Los Angeles was not built to handle rain. Even a little bit causes all kinds of headaches. Some are just little annoyances such as even worse traffic than there normally is here, and others are way more serious like mudslides and flooding. All that is to say in LA, the mere threat of rain causes panic, so you can imagine what the first ever tropical storm warning in California's modern history sparked. Saturday at the grocery store was like the start of the pandemic in 2020. Shelves empty. People sweeping up bottled drinking water and produce as if the supply chain just snapped. Then on Sunday, I got so sucked in by the Hurricane Hilary hype that I stayed at home all day just staring out the window waiting for Noah's Ark to drift down my street. While it did rain a lot and shake a bit (there was an earthquake that I slept through) it turned out to be just a rare rainy day in LA which brought all the same aggravations that any other rainy day in LA would have. Except that some people are way over stocked with toilet paper. Dr. Austin Dennard, center, stands between fellow plaintiffs, Dr. Damla Karsan, left, and Samantha Casiano, outside a courthouse in Austin where their case was heard on July 20. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Dr. Austin Dennard, center, stands between fellow plaintiffs, Dr. Damla Karsan, left, and Samantha Casiano, outside a courthouse in Austin where their case was heard on July 20. Dallas-based OB-GYN Dr. Austin Dennard is one of 13 women suing Texas over its abortion bans, arguing they're unclear when it comes to pregnancy complications. She's also pregnant. Dennard traveled to the East Coast for an abortion last summer after learning she was carrying a fetus with a fatal condition. Now she's awaiting both the birth of her third child and the next step in the legal battle. She says "putting it all out there in such a raw way" is difficult — but energizing, too. Read the story and listen to it here. Kevin Ford attributes his work ethic to his father who worked in the Air Force, as well as his mother who raised him and his six siblings. Kevin Ford hide caption Kevin Ford attributes his work ethic to his father who worked in the Air Force, as well as his mother who raised him and his six siblings. This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

temperatures

johannesburg

hurricanes

extreme weather

By  Michel Martin ,  Rebecca Hersher Temperature records are falling left and right. Wildfires, hurricanes, heat waves and droughts are exacerbated by human-caused climate change. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: There is no ignoring this - extreme weather events that are disrupting so many lives this summer and, in too many cases, taking lives.A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: Yeah, listen to this list - intense wildfires in Hawaii, in Washington state and across Canada, a former hurricane that has walloped Mexico, California and Nevada and now threatens Oregon and Idaho and a suffocating heat wave across the central and Southern U.S.MARTIN: Rebecca Hersher from NPR's Climate Desk is here to tell us more about this. Good morning, Rebecca.REBECCA HERSHER, BYLINE: Good morning.MARTIN: OK, so let's just say it. This isn't just bad luck, is it?HERSHER: No, no, not at all. You know, it's all related to human-caused climate change. Climate change does not cause extreme events, right? But really intense fires and hurricanes - it makes them more likely and more common. So as the earth heats up, we increasingly get these years, especially summers, where it feels like disaster on disaster on disaster, all of them driven in part by warmer temperatures. So, for example, hurricanes - they've always happened. But when the ocean is abnormally hot at the surface, it helps hurricanes grow. We are seeing that right now in both the Pacific, where Hurricane Hilary formed, and in the Atlantic, where there are multiple potential storms right now. The same is true for wildfires. Wildfires are an important part of healthy forest ecosystems, but drought and heat can make them burn more widely, make them burn more intensely than in the past. So if it feels like it can't be normal, it's not. Or it didn't used to be.MARTIN: So is this a preview of our future on a planet that's heating up?HERSHER: You know, in some ways, I think yes, especially in August. You know, it can be a stark reminder of climate change for millions of people in the U.S. this time of year because there is so much extreme weather. But it's not like this year is that exceptional, to be frank, especially if you zoom out and look at the planet as a whole. Last year, there were record-breaking hurricanes and wildfires and heat waves. The year before that, same deal, the year before that and the year before that. And I say that not to minimize it but to give the context. You know, the last nine years are the hottest nine years ever recorded on planet Earth. Climate change is just relentlessly wreaking havoc on people everywhere. It's just a matter of when that extreme weather will come for you and arrive in your community.MARTIN: Is it possible to avoid even more catastrophic effects?HERSHER: You know, it is. The big thing is to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stop burning oil and gas and coal, transition to wind and solar. Scientists say that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade and get all the way to basically zero by 2050. Right now, it is not clear that there's political will to do that. There's an array of fossil fuel and corporate interests that are slowing things down. The other thing to remember, though, is that even though climate change does make the weather more intense, we can lessen the damage by building our homes and our cities and our electrical grids in resilient ways, by having emergency plans that keep climate-driven weather in mind because it's going to keep happening, by preparing and protecting those who are most vulnerable to this weather. You know, I'm thinking about floods like the ones in California this week or the fire in Maui. The weather was related to climate change to varying degrees. But how we prepare for and react to that weather can determine who lives and who dies.MARTIN: That's Rebecca Hersher from NPR's Climate Desk. Rebecca, thanks so much once again.HERSHER: Thanks. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: There is no ignoring this - extreme weather events that are disrupting so many lives this summer and, in too many cases, taking lives. A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: Yeah, listen to this list - intense wildfires in Hawaii, in Washington state and across Canada, a former hurricane that has walloped Mexico, California and Nevada and now threatens Oregon and Idaho and a suffocating heat wave across the central and Southern U.S. MARTIN: Rebecca Hersher from NPR's Climate Desk is here to tell us more about this. Good morning, Rebecca. REBECCA HERSHER, BYLINE: Good morning. MARTIN: OK, so let's just say it. This isn't just bad luck, is it? HERSHER: No, no, not at all. You know, it's all related to human-caused climate change. Climate change does not cause extreme events, right? But really intense fires and hurricanes - it makes them more likely and more common. So as the earth heats up, we increasingly get these years, especially summers, where it feels like disaster on disaster on disaster, all of them driven in part by warmer temperatures. So, for example, hurricanes - they've always happened. But when the ocean is abnormally hot at the surface, it helps hurricanes grow. We are seeing that right now in both the Pacific, where Hurricane Hilary formed, and in the Atlantic, where there are multiple potential storms right now. The same is true for wildfires. Wildfires are an important part of healthy forest ecosystems, but drought and heat can make them burn more widely, make them burn more intensely than in the past. So if it feels like it can't be normal, it's not. Or it didn't used to be. MARTIN: So is this a preview of our future on a planet that's heating up? HERSHER: You know, in some ways, I think yes, especially in August. You know, it can be a stark reminder of climate change for millions of people in the U.S. this time of year because there is so much extreme weather. But it's not like this year is that exceptional, to be frank, especially if you zoom out and look at the planet as a whole. Last year, there were record-breaking hurricanes and wildfires and heat waves. The year before that, same deal, the year before that and the year before that. And I say that not to minimize it but to give the context. You know, the last nine years are the hottest nine years ever recorded on planet Earth. Climate change is just relentlessly wreaking havoc on people everywhere. It's just a matter of when that extreme weather will come for you and arrive in your community. MARTIN: Is it possible to avoid even more catastrophic effects? HERSHER: You know, it is. The big thing is to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stop burning oil and gas and coal, transition to wind and solar. Scientists say that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade and get all the way to basically zero by 2050. Right now, it is not clear that there's political will to do that. There's an array of fossil fuel and corporate interests that are slowing things down. The other thing to remember, though, is that even though climate change does make the weather more intense, we can lessen the damage by building our homes and our cities and our electrical grids in resilient ways, by having emergency plans that keep climate-driven weather in mind because it's going to keep happening, by preparing and protecting those who are most vulnerable to this weather. You know, I'm thinking about floods like the ones in California this week or the fire in Maui. The weather was related to climate change to varying degrees. But how we prepare for and react to that weather can determine who lives and who dies. MARTIN: That's Rebecca Hersher from NPR's Climate Desk. Rebecca, thanks so much once again. HERSHER: Thanks. Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hersher

hurricanes

hurricane hilary

warmer temperatures

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/07/13/climate-change-economic-impact"></iframe> We're hearing so many stories about extreme weather this summer, but we want to assess the big picture. Today, we discuss the growing economic impacts of climate change and extreme weather. Host Robin Young speaks with MSNBC anchor and economics correspondent Ali Velshi. This segment aired on July 13, 2023. Advertisement

msnbc anchor

climate change

change

extreme weather

With much of the U.S. facing extreme weather, NASA chief scientist and senior climate adviser Kate Calvin talks to NPR's A Martinez about what we can expect as global temperatures continue to rise. A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: We're seeing some wild weather across the U.S. this week, from scorching temperatures in the Southwest to catastrophic flooding in the Northeast. NASA chief scientist and senior climate adviser Kate Calvin is closely watching these weather events, and I asked her if this is our new normal.KATE CALVIN: We are seeing increases in temperature over time. So 2022 is about two degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the late 19th century average. And what we know from science is that warming is going to continue. How much warmer it gets depends on actions taken and how much emissions there are in the future.MARTÍNEZ: And if climate change continues at the pace that we're observing right now, I mean, what kinds of weather events might we experience maybe a decade or two decades from now? Are we talking about a disaster movie from Hollywood?CALVIN: Well, so how much future warming we experience depends on future emissions. So we know that the warming we've experienced up until now is driven by greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. There's a large community of people that look at what future climate might look like, and they look at very different warming levels - everything from looking at what if we were to keep warming around 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit and going up above that. And what you see from that is that impacts rise with warming. And so how much more impacts we experience depends on how much more warming we experience. How much more warming we see in the future depends on future emissions.MARTÍNEZ: You know, hotter temperatures and erosion on coastlines or stuff that we see in the news all the time, things that are tangible that we experience - what are some things that are related to climate change, Kate, that maybe we aren't thinking about quite yet? Things like maybe diseases or migration of people around the world.CALVIN: So one of the things, you know, a lot of ecosystems and animal species - they're adapted to a particular climate. And even small changes in warming can change their geographic extent or how they function. And so I think thinking about things like biodiversity and ecosystems, and some of that carries with it implications for human in terms of the human health and other factors, and so thinking about that, I think we often don't always think about the fact that a small change in temperature can affect the way an ecosystem or species functions.MARTÍNEZ: Kate, where at all do you see any hope?CALVIN: I think we know more about our planet than we ever have. There are scientists and engineers all around the world that are learning more every day. We are able to provide that information publicly. And we have options available today that can help us respond to climate change. Whether that's options available to help reduce emissions or adapt the changes we experience, those all exist now.MARTÍNEZ: You're NASA's chief scientist and climate adviser. If someone came up to you and said, what's the one thing, Kate, that I could do to try and contribute to helping things, what would you tell them?CALVIN: That is a difficult question because everyone's situation is different. So we live in different places. We work in different places. The impacts that we're experiencing might be different. The options that are available to us might be different. And so what science can provide is information about those options so we can, you know, tell you about the link between emissions and climate. We can tell you which options are available to reduce emissions - things like renewable energy or ways of traveling.MARTÍNEZ: You know, Kate, there was a time when if you told someone that you work for NASA, they think, oh, you're looking up at the stars, or that's where you're headed - toward the stars. But in this case, NASA is looking down at our planet. How do you describe that in terms of what you do and what you're trying to understand about climate change in the globe?CALVIN: So we do explore the universe. We send crewed missions into outer space to explore and to learn about our solar system. But part of what we do in those missions - you know, we do learn. We learn a lot about Earth from studying other planets. We also develop technologies and innovate that can help as we're exploring, but also help us here on Earth.So even though we look out into the universe, we also look back at Earth. And we've been doing satellite missions that observe the Earth for more than 50 years. And that gives us a really tremendous resource because these satellites - we can look at different things from space, from vegetation to clouds and precipitation, carbon dioxide. So we can see both what happens and how it's changed over time.MARTÍNEZ: Kate Calvin is NASA's chief scientist and climate adviser. Kate, thanks.CALVIN: Thank you so much for having me. A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: We're seeing some wild weather across the U.S. this week, from scorching temperatures in the Southwest to catastrophic flooding in the Northeast. NASA chief scientist and senior climate adviser Kate Calvin is closely watching these weather events, and I asked her if this is our new normal. KATE CALVIN: We are seeing increases in temperature over time. So 2022 is about two degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the late 19th century average. And what we know from science is that warming is going to continue. How much warmer it gets depends on actions taken and how much emissions there are in the future. MARTÍNEZ: And if climate change continues at the pace that we're observing right now, I mean, what kinds of weather events might we experience maybe a decade or two decades from now? Are we talking about a disaster movie from Hollywood? CALVIN: Well, so how much future warming we experience depends on future emissions. So we know that the warming we've experienced up until now is driven by greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. There's a large community of people that look at what future climate might look like, and they look at very different warming levels - everything from looking at what if we were to keep warming around 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit and going up above that. And what you see from that is that impacts rise with warming. And so how much more impacts we experience depends on how much more warming we experience. How much more warming we see in the future depends on future emissions. MARTÍNEZ: You know, hotter temperatures and erosion on coastlines or stuff that we see in the news all the time, things that are tangible that we experience - what are some things that are related to climate change, Kate, that maybe we aren't thinking about quite yet? Things like maybe diseases or migration of people around the world. CALVIN: So one of the things, you know, a lot of ecosystems and animal species - they're adapted to a particular climate. And even small changes in warming can change their geographic extent or how they function. And so I think thinking about things like biodiversity and ecosystems, and some of that carries with it implications for human in terms of the human health and other factors, and so thinking about that, I think we often don't always think about the fact that a small change in temperature can affect the way an ecosystem or species functions. MARTÍNEZ: Kate, where at all do you see any hope? CALVIN: I think we know more about our planet than we ever have. There are scientists and engineers all around the world that are learning more every day. We are able to provide that information publicly. And we have options available today that can help us respond to climate change. Whether that's options available to help reduce emissions or adapt the changes we experience, those all exist now. MARTÍNEZ: You're NASA's chief scientist and climate adviser. If someone came up to you and said, what's the one thing, Kate, that I could do to try and contribute to helping things, what would you tell them? CALVIN: That is a difficult question because everyone's situation is different. So we live in different places. We work in different places. The impacts that we're experiencing might be different. The options that are available to us might be different. And so what science can provide is information about those options so we can, you know, tell you about the link between emissions and climate. We can tell you which options are available to reduce emissions - things like renewable energy or ways of traveling. MARTÍNEZ: You know, Kate, there was a time when if you told someone that you work for NASA, they think, oh, you're looking up at the stars, or that's where you're headed - toward the stars. But in this case, NASA is looking down at our planet. How do you describe that in terms of what you do and what you're trying to understand about climate change in the globe? CALVIN: So we do explore the universe. We send crewed missions into outer space to explore and to learn about our solar system. But part of what we do in those missions - you know, we do learn. We learn a lot about Earth from studying other planets. We also develop technologies and innovate that can help as we're exploring, but also help us here on Earth. So even though we look out into the universe, we also look back at Earth. And we've been doing satellite missions that observe the Earth for more than 50 years. And that gives us a really tremendous resource because these satellites - we can look at different things from space, from vegetation to clouds and precipitation, carbon dioxide. So we can see both what happens and how it's changed over time. MARTÍNEZ: Kate Calvin is NASA's chief scientist and climate adviser. Kate, thanks. CALVIN: Thank you so much for having me. Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

martínez

catastrophic flooding

hotter temperatures

extreme weather

By  Willem Marx Empty shelves are seen in the fruit and vegetable aisles of a Tesco supermarket in the U.K. this week. Getty Images hide caption Empty shelves are seen in the fruit and vegetable aisles of a Tesco supermarket in the U.K. this week. Many of Britain's largest grocery store chains this week introduced limits on the sale of specific vegetables and fruit as shortages of certain products continue to extend across the U.K. Grocery giants including Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Morrisons are struggling with their supply chains, particularly with products sourced from southern Spain and Morocco where extreme weather has damaged crops. In Northern Europe some farmers have also slashed production due to high energy prices, while in the U.K. food prices have risen almost 17% over the past year, the highest increase in almost half a decade. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

vegetable

specific vegetables

increase

extreme weather

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/02/21/extreme-weather-us"></iframe> Meteorologist Mark Elliot talks about the extreme weather across the country this week — exceptionally cold temperatures in the West, unseasonably warm temperatures in the South and a winter storm. This segment aired on February 21, 2023. Advertisement

winter

weather

february

temperatures

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/01/26/california-farmworkers-food"></iframe> California farmworkers harvest much of the nation's food. But extreme weather events, including the recent rains and last summer's heat, have taken on toll on some of the crops. That, in turn, is making it more difficult for farmworkers to afford to eat themselves. Teresa Cotsirilos of the Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN) reports. This segment aired on January 26, 2023. Advertisement

january

heat

teresa cotsirilos

rains

Lauren Sommer Roads and infrastructure are increasing being overwhelmed by heavier rainfall, like the California Central Valley town of Planada in January. Most states still aren't designing water systems for heavier storms. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption Roads and infrastructure are increasing being overwhelmed by heavier rainfall, like the California Central Valley town of Planada in January. Most states still aren't designing water systems for heavier storms. Heavy storms have flooded roads and intersections across California over the last few weeks. The water often isn't coming from overflowing rivers. Instead, rainfall is simply overwhelming the infrastructure that's designed to keep people safe from flooding. A new federal law could ensure that the country's roads and infrastructure are better able to withstand increasingly destructive storms. The problem: the help won't be ready in time for the billions of dollars in infrastructure spending currently underway. As the climate gets hotter, rainfall is getting more intense in many parts of the country. But many cities aren't constructing infrastructure to handle increasing amounts of water, because the rainfall records they use to design it are decades-old in most states. Those federal records, put out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are only sporadically updated. That means water systems are still being designed for the climate of the past. In late December, President Biden signed a bill that would require NOAA to update its extreme rainfall records for the whole country for the first time. It also requires them to forecast how climate change could make rainfall more intense in the future. NOAA is currently doing that national analysis and plans to make it available to cities and states in 2026 and 2027. Still, by then, the country will have already made the single largest investment in history in water infrastructure. The vast majority of spending from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will have been distributed, meaning most water projects will still be using old climate data. "The past is no longer a good predictor of what's coming our way," says Rachel Cleetus, climate policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We will have many, many people and billions of dollars of infrastructure at risk if we don't do better going forward." When it comes to water infrastructure needs, Louisville, Kentucky has a long to-do list. The city's aging water system has been overwhelmed by large storms in the past, causing billions of gallons of sewage to be released into the Ohio River. The Louisville & Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District is working its way through a $2 billion dollar project list to address the problems, under an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency. To fill the funding gap, the utility is tapping into a range of federal sources, including new funds made available by the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan Act. "We don't necessarily think about the structure under our feet that needs to be ready when a storm hits, but because those climate change storms are happening more and more frequently, now is the time to invest to update those systems," says Stephanie Laughlin, infrastructure planning manager at Louisville MSD. Still, the utility is currently using 62 year-old rainfall records to figure out what kind of storms its stormwater system should be able to handle. It's in the process of updating to NOAA's latest rainfall records for the region, known as Atlas 14, but even those are still more than 20 years old. Extreme rainstorms have already gotten more intense in Louisville since 1961, according to a 2017 study done by the utility. The study also showed that the trend will continue, with those storms expected to drop 2-3 more inches of rain per day by 2065 as the climate gets hotter. Louisville MSD is using that climate change forecasting to help design its major water facilities, like upgrading Paddy's Run, a 70-year old pumping station on the Ohio River that protects 70,000 homes from flooding. Residents in Merced, California wade across a flooded parking lot in the recent storms. Andrew Innerarity/California Department of Water Resources hide caption Residents in Merced, California wade across a flooded parking lot in the recent storms. But new investment in the rest of the water system, including the stormwater drains, will continue to use the older rainfall records without climate change projections. Laughlin says to change that, the utility needs new official rainfall data from NOAA. "It needs to be at the agency level for us to put into our design guidelines," she says. "That's the next step that will provide that added resilience." Water utilities around the country are facing the same challenge. Those that have found resources, like Harris County in Texas, have funded studies to find out what kind of storms are coming their way in the coming decades. Smaller utilities are struggling to find those localized forecasts. NOAA is now set to provide a national update, after President Biden signed the FLOODS Act in December, and it will be required to revise its rainfall data and projections every 10 years. Previously, states had to pay the agency for updated rainfall records. As a result, many states are using 20-year old reports, while the Pacific Northwest only has data from the 1970s. With new funding, NOAA will also include projections of how climate change could increase precipitation across the country. A hotter atmosphere is able to hold more water vapor, driving more intense rainfall from storms. "To have those future projections becomes very important, because the stuff that we're designing today, whether it be infrastructure or buildings, they're going to be with us for decades if not over a century, so we need to know what that future condition is to minimize damage and loss," says says Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. Given the complexity of adding climate change to their analysis, NOAA officials say the earliest the update can be ready is 2026. "We're looking for those opportunities to accelerate, but we want to make sure the data and the products are of high quality," says Fernando Salas, director of the Geo-Intelligence Division NOAA's Office of Water Prediction. Most states are still using outdated rainfall records to design their stormwater infrastructure. In a hotter climate, storms are dropping more intense rainfall. Kenneth James/California Department of Water Resources hide caption Most states are still using outdated rainfall records to design their stormwater infrastructure. In a hotter climate, storms are dropping more intense rainfall. By then, the federal Environmental Protection Agency will have distributed the majority of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. The agency began giving states $11.7 billion dollars through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund last year, which is expected to be fully delivered by 2026. "We strongly encourage that these investments should foster resilience to all threats and hazards, both natural and man-made, that they need to support climate adaptation in the water sector," says Radhika Fox, assistant administrator of water at the EPA. In absence of new federal rainfall data, it will largely be up to cities and states to find ways to plan for climate change. A newly released map from the Department of Defense and NOAA, while not the official records, does show how precipitation will change across the U.S. Climate experts say without building in some leeway to handle bigger storms, communities risk building infrastructure that will be inadequate and need expensive updating far sooner than planned for. "It's been a long time coming and better late than never," Cleetus says. "But what we need to do is make sure that we're mainstreaming it into all our infrastructure decisions from here on out. Otherwise we'll be putting good money after bad." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

heavier storms

heavier rainfall

extreme rainstorms

bigger storms

Nathan Rott The U.S. suffered 18 separate billion-dollar disasters in 2022, highlighting the growing cost of climate change. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Jan. 10, 2023.) LEILA FADEL, HOST: A report out this week shows the U.S. had 18 different weather disasters last year that cost a billion dollars or more. NPR's Nathan Rott has more.NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: One hundred sixty-five billion dollars - that's how much damage weather-related disasters did in the U.S. in 2022, not to mention the loss of life - at least 474 people, according to the new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rick Spinrad is NOAA's administrator.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)RICK SPINRAD: Climate change is creating more and more intense extreme events that cause significant damage and often sets off cascading hazards, like intense drought, followed by devastating wildfires, followed by dangerous flooding and mudslides as we're seeing, for example, as a consequence of the atmospheric rivers in California right now.ROTT: Climate change is a major driver of the recent uptick in so-called billion-dollar disasters, which often cost far more. Hurricane Ian, for example, which walloped South Florida and the Caribbean, caused nearly $113 billion in damage in the U.S. alone. But the other major issue contributing to that cost is how we build and where. People are still moving to flood-prone areas, to fire-prone areas, to the drought-stricken West. Rachel Cleetus is a policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists.RACHEL CLEETUS: At this point, we're still far too often reacting to these as one-off disasters. And the reality is climate change is worsening the trend here. And we have to do much better at getting out ahead and protecting and preparing communities in advance of disasters.ROTT: Particularly, she says, low-income communities and communities of color, which are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters. European climate researchers confirmed that the last eight years had been the warmest in modern world history. And perhaps most concerning, the cause of climate change, greenhouse gases from human activities, are still rising. The nonpartisan research firm Rhodium Group put out a report showing that despite the Biden administration's pledges and the massive climate bill passed by Congress last year, U.S. emissions rose again in 2022, risking even worse climate change in the future.Nathan Rott, NPR News. LEILA FADEL, HOST: A report out this week shows the U.S. had 18 different weather disasters last year that cost a billion dollars or more. NPR's Nathan Rott has more. NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: One hundred sixty-five billion dollars - that's how much damage weather-related disasters did in the U.S. in 2022, not to mention the loss of life - at least 474 people, according to the new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rick Spinrad is NOAA's administrator. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) RICK SPINRAD: Climate change is creating more and more intense extreme events that cause significant damage and often sets off cascading hazards, like intense drought, followed by devastating wildfires, followed by dangerous flooding and mudslides as we're seeing, for example, as a consequence of the atmospheric rivers in California right now. ROTT: Climate change is a major driver of the recent uptick in so-called billion-dollar disasters, which often cost far more. Hurricane Ian, for example, which walloped South Florida and the Caribbean, caused nearly $113 billion in damage in the U.S. alone. But the other major issue contributing to that cost is how we build and where. People are still moving to flood-prone areas, to fire-prone areas, to the drought-stricken West. Rachel Cleetus is a policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. RACHEL CLEETUS: At this point, we're still far too often reacting to these as one-off disasters. And the reality is climate change is worsening the trend here. And we have to do much better at getting out ahead and protecting and preparing communities in advance of disasters. ROTT: Particularly, she says, low-income communities and communities of color, which are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters. European climate researchers confirmed that the last eight years had been the warmest in modern world history. And perhaps most concerning, the cause of climate change, greenhouse gases from human activities, are still rising. The nonpartisan research firm Rhodium Group put out a report showing that despite the Biden administration's pledges and the massive climate bill passed by Congress last year, U.S. emissions rose again in 2022, risking even worse climate change in the future. Nathan Rott, NPR News. Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

dangerous flooding

hurricane ian

atmospheric administration

devastating wildfires

Nathan Rott Hurricane Ian caused $112.9 billion dollars and more than 150 deaths when it slammed into south Florida in 2022, making it the costliest climate-fueled disaster in the U.S. last year. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption Hurricane Ian caused $112.9 billion dollars and more than 150 deaths when it slammed into south Florida in 2022, making it the costliest climate-fueled disaster in the U.S. last year. A town-flattening hurricane in Florida. Catastrophic flooding in eastern Kentucky. Crippling heatwaves in the Northeast and West. A historic megadrought. The United States endured 18 separate disasters in 2022 whose damages exceeded $1 billion, with the total coming to $165 billion, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The annual report from the nation's premier meteorological institution highlights a troubling trend: Extreme weather events, fueled by human-caused climate change, are occurring at a higher frequency with an increased cost — in dollars and lives. "Climate change is creating more and more intense, extreme events that cause significant damage and often sets off cascading hazards like intense drought, followed by devastating wildfires, followed by dangerous flooding and mudslides," said Dr. Rick Spinrad, NOAA's administrator, citing the flooding and landslides currently happening in California. In five of the last six years, costs from climate and weather-related disasters have exceeded $100 billion annually. The average number of billion-dollar disasters has surged over that time, too, driven by a combination of increased exposure of people living in and moving to hazardous areas, vulnerability due to increasing hazards like wind speed and fire intensity, and a warming climate, the NOAA report said. (2 of 6) The U.S. experienced 18 #BillionDollarDisasters in 2022 totaling more than $165 billion in damage.122 separate billion-dollar disasters killed at least 5,000 people from 2016–2022.https://t.co/lwb0yKihEk@NOAANCEI @ametsoc #StateOfClimate #AMS2023 pic.twitter.com/FzzsNXSxRA Climate-fueled hurricanes, in particular, are driving up damages. Hurricane Ian, which killed at least 150 people and pancaked entire neighborhoods when it made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, cost $112.9 billion alone. "There are, unfortunately, several trends that are not going in the right direction for us," said Adam Smith, an applied climatologist at NOAA. "For example, the United States has been impacted by a landfalling Category 4 or 5 hurricane in five out of the last six years." The rise in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events mirrors a rise in global temperatures. The last eight years have been the warmest in modern history, European researchers said on Tuesday. Average global temperatures have increased 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.1 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution, when humans started the widespread burning of fossil fuels to power economies and development. Despite international pledges to cut climate-warming emissions and to move the world's economy to cleaner energy sources, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. A report by the nonpartisan research firm Rhodium Group found that greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. rose 1.3% in 2022. It was the second consecutive year emissions in the U.S. rose, after a pandemic-driven dip in 2020, despite the Biden administration's goal of cutting U.S. emissions in half by the year 2030. The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate bill in U.S. history, was a "turning point," the Rhodium Group report said. "However, even with the IRA, more aggressive policies are needed to fully close the gap [to halve emissions] by 2030." The frequency of billion-dollar disasters has increased greatly in recent years and the trend is expected to continue. An analysis from the nonprofit Climate Central earlier this year found that between 2017 and 2021 the U.S. experienced a billion-dollar disaster every 18 days, on average. The average time between those events in the 1980s was 82 days. The less time between events, the fewer resources there are to respond to communities affected, the Climate Central report noted. To reduce the threat of deadly and costly weather events, scientists say the world needs to limit warming by urgently cutting climate-warming emissions. But as evidenced by recent events, the impacts of climate change are already here and adaptation efforts are needed as well. "This sobering data paints a dire picture of how woefully unprepared the United States is to cope with the mounting climate crisis and its intersection with other socioeconomic challenges in people's daily lives," said Rachel Cleetus, a policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a statement. "Rather than responding in a one-off manner to disasters within the U.S., Congress should implement a comprehensive national climate resilience strategy commensurate with the harm and risks we're already facing." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hurricanes

crippling heatwaves

atmospheric administration

devastating wildfires

By  Rachel Martin ,  Lauren Sommer Extreme weather which is fueled by climate change is posing a bigger and bigger threat to the nation's water infrastructure. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Residents of Jackson, Miss., still do not have drinkable water and are being advised to boil it. The city's water treatment plant was already struggling, but a flood made a bad situation worse. Extreme weather fueled by climate change is posing a bigger and bigger threat to the nation's water infrastructure. Lauren Sommer with NPR's climate team is here to talk about more of the risk. Hey, Lauren.LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: Hey, Rachel.MARTIN: So in Jackson, residents have spent weeks boiling water or relying on bottled water. Are we seeing the consequences of vulnerable water systems like this in other states?SOMMER: Yeah, just this week, actually. There's been flooding in Georgia after some incredibly heavy rain. And it damaged the water treatment plant in Summerville. So residents there have also been told to boil their water before using it while the plant is being fixed. And this year, there have also been issues in places you might not expect, like Chicago. In April, residents there were told to conserve water, you know, delay taking showers or doing laundry.MARTIN: Why? What is going on in Chicago?SOMMER: Well, it wasn't that there was too little water. There was too much water, you know? In parts of Chicago, the pipes that drain all the rainwater from the streets are the same pipes that go to people's houses. So when a big storm hits, those pipes are getting a lot of runoff, plus all the normal water and sewage that comes from homes.MARTIN: So all this combines together. And it's just too much water. And the system's overwhelmed.SOMMER: Yeah, exactly. And so rainstorms are just getting more intense as the climate gets hotter. So there's just more water to deal with all at once, whether it's a flood or a lot of rain. And it's really testing water systems.MARTIN: So what is the fix? I mean, what kind of investment is needed to secure water infrastructure so it's prepared to meet the effects of climate change?SOMMER: Yeah. I mean, a lot of water infrastructure is next to water sources, as you might expect. So there's flooding or sea level rise. And water treatment plants are having to look at raising their key facilities so they're higher up, or maybe even moving the whole plant to a new location out of the floodplain. I spoke to Barb Martin, director of engineering and technical services at the American Water Works Association. And she said the recent problems are making the stakes much clearer.BARB MARTIN: If we don't plan ahead and make the investment now that we need in our water infrastructure, really, we're all at risk, whether that be the public health of our communities or the protection of the environments that we live in.MARTIN: The water treatment plant in Jackson, Miss., had been underfunded for years, right? And it had all these maintenance issues. When you think about trying to make these systems - prepare them for a future with more extreme weather and the effects of climate change, I mean, that's expensive on its own. But then you also have all these, you know, backdated issues that they have to fix.SOMMER: Yeah, yeah. That's exactly it, because Jackson really illustrates how that underfunding kind of combines with climate change, right? Infrastructure is in bad shape. And the flooding was the kicker, was the added stressor that just put it over. And studies show that investment in water infrastructure is falling short by tens of billions every year. The recent infrastructure act passed by Congress will provide a lot of new funding, you know, $50 billion. But experts say, with climate change, that's not going to be enough. So cities and states are going to have to find new ways to protect their drinking water.MARTIN: Lauren Sommer from NPR's climate team. Thank you.SOMMER: Thanks. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Residents of Jackson, Miss., still do not have drinkable water and are being advised to boil it. The city's water treatment plant was already struggling, but a flood made a bad situation worse. Extreme weather fueled by climate change is posing a bigger and bigger threat to the nation's water infrastructure. Lauren Sommer with NPR's climate team is here to talk about more of the risk. Hey, Lauren. LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: Hey, Rachel. MARTIN: So in Jackson, residents have spent weeks boiling water or relying on bottled water. Are we seeing the consequences of vulnerable water systems like this in other states? SOMMER: Yeah, just this week, actually. There's been flooding in Georgia after some incredibly heavy rain. And it damaged the water treatment plant in Summerville. So residents there have also been told to boil their water before using it while the plant is being fixed. And this year, there have also been issues in places you might not expect, like Chicago. In April, residents there were told to conserve water, you know, delay taking showers or doing laundry. MARTIN: Why? What is going on in Chicago? SOMMER: Well, it wasn't that there was too little water. There was too much water, you know? In parts of Chicago, the pipes that drain all the rainwater from the streets are the same pipes that go to people's houses. So when a big storm hits, those pipes are getting a lot of runoff, plus all the normal water and sewage that comes from homes. MARTIN: So all this combines together. And it's just too much water. And the system's overwhelmed. SOMMER: Yeah, exactly. And so rainstorms are just getting more intense as the climate gets hotter. So there's just more water to deal with all at once, whether it's a flood or a lot of rain. And it's really testing water systems. MARTIN: So what is the fix? I mean, what kind of investment is needed to secure water infrastructure so it's prepared to meet the effects of climate change? SOMMER: Yeah. I mean, a lot of water infrastructure is next to water sources, as you might expect. So there's flooding or sea level rise. And water treatment plants are having to look at raising their key facilities so they're higher up, or maybe even moving the whole plant to a new location out of the floodplain. I spoke to Barb Martin, director of engineering and technical services at the American Water Works Association. And she said the recent problems are making the stakes much clearer. BARB MARTIN: If we don't plan ahead and make the investment now that we need in our water infrastructure, really, we're all at risk, whether that be the public health of our communities or the protection of the environments that we live in. MARTIN: The water treatment plant in Jackson, Miss., had been underfunded for years, right? And it had all these maintenance issues. When you think about trying to make these systems - prepare them for a future with more extreme weather and the effects of climate change, I mean, that's expensive on its own. But then you also have all these, you know, backdated issues that they have to fix. SOMMER: Yeah, yeah. That's exactly it, because Jackson really illustrates how that underfunding kind of combines with climate change, right? Infrastructure is in bad shape. And the flooding was the kicker, was the added stressor that just put it over. And studies show that investment in water infrastructure is falling short by tens of billions every year. The recent infrastructure act passed by Congress will provide a lot of new funding, you know, $50 billion. But experts say, with climate change, that's not going to be enough. So cities and states are going to have to find new ways to protect their drinking water. MARTIN: Lauren Sommer from NPR's climate team. Thank you. SOMMER: Thanks. Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

weeks

drinkable water

fix

extreme weather

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/08/04/new-methods-scientists-weather"></iframe> Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd speaks with meteorologist and University of Georgia professor Dr. Marshall Shepherd about how scientists are able to connect extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts and hurricanes to climate change with greater certainty, but less so with tornadoes. This segment aired on August 4, 2022. Advertisement

greater certainty

tornadoes

meteorologist

hurricanes

By  Laura Benshoff The heat wave scorching Europe is part of a larger global trend this summer of extreme weather. Policymakers, especially in the U.S., are so far failing to take steps to avoid a more dire future. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: And Europe isn't the only place getting hit with searing heat this week. China is facing another week of extreme temperatures. In the U.S., Texas, California and the Central Plains states all have excessive heat warnings in effect. So to talk about this, we're joined by Laura Benshoff of NPR's climate team. Hey, Laura.LAURA BENSHOFF, BYLINE: Good afternoon.SHAPIRO: Extreme heat hitting a lot of places all at once. How direct is the link to climate change here?BENSHOFF: This is exactly the pattern that scientists say plays out with climate change. Heat waves are getting more common, and they're getting more intense. Scientists are finding that some heat waves, like the record-breaking one in the Pacific Northwest last year, would be virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. And remember; this is what we're seeing with the planet having warmed about two degrees Fahrenheit since pre-industrial times. This trend is expected to just keep getting worse as global average temperatures rise. And in many places, temperatures alone aren't the only danger. It's also the humidity.SHAPIRO: Speaking to you from here in Washington, D.C., I know how miserable humidity can feel, but explain why it's actually more dangerous than high heat alone.BENSHOFF: So it has to do with our ability to sweat. You know, the basic idea is your body sweats. The sweat evaporates off your skin, and it cools our bodies in that process, right? But high humidity makes that more difficult. NPR spoke to Larry Kenney, a professor of physiology, about that. He has a lab at Penn State University where he cranks up the heat and humidity, and then he has people on a treadmill to see how their bodies respond. He says humidity has a big effect.LARRY KENNEY: Only sweat that evaporates has any ability to cool the body. And so as the absolute humidity increases, when it gets close to the humidity of the sweat on the skin, it can no longer evaporate.BENSHOFF: So basically, you can be covered in sweat, but if it's not evaporating, you're not getting any cooler. And out in the real world, the temperature might not seem that high, but if the humidity is super-high, it's still really dangerous.SHAPIRO: So climate change is increasing heat waves. Is it also increasing humidity?BENSHOFF: Studies are finding that it is. And that's because warmer air can hold more water vapor, which means more humidity. So as the climate warms, scientists say we need to pay attention not just to the overall temperature but something called the wet bulb temperature that takes humidity into account. And Kenney's lab recently found that the maximum wet bulb temperature that humans can endure is 88 degrees Fahrenheit at 100% humidity. He says even if you're just sitting in the shade, you're at risk of heatstroke and even death in those conditions.KENNEY: People need to understand that heat is the most deadly of all weather-related fatalities - much more so than tornadoes, hurricanes, all other things combined - that it is dangerous and, in particular, it's dangerous to vulnerable populations like the elderly.BENSHOFF: He says a good thing to keep tabs on is the heat index from the National Weather Service, which takes humidity into account.SHAPIRO: Let's talk about the effort to address all of this because climate action seems to have stalled in the U.S. at least. Democrats were hoping to pass major climate spending, but last week Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia pulled his support. What options do Democrats have right now?BENSHOFF: You know, they're still hoping to push climate spending through. This is billions of dollars for things like subsidies for electric cars and renewable energy. And Democrats have argued that energy costs are a big part of inflation right now. And so these incentives could help with those costs in the long term. But Manchin has said he wants to see what happens with inflation before making the deal. So right now a big spending package is off the table. Some hope that, you know, he'll come back to the table, these subsidies could get through later or they could be split up and passed on a piecemeal basis. Now, the White House released a statement last week saying if the Senate wouldn't act on climate change, then President Biden would use executive orders to further his climate agenda.SHAPIRO: All right. That's NPR's Laura Benshoff. Thanks for your coverage, Laura.BENSHOFF: Thank you so much. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: And Europe isn't the only place getting hit with searing heat this week. China is facing another week of extreme temperatures. In the U.S., Texas, California and the Central Plains states all have excessive heat warnings in effect. So to talk about this, we're joined by Laura Benshoff of NPR's climate team. Hey, Laura. LAURA BENSHOFF, BYLINE: Good afternoon. SHAPIRO: Extreme heat hitting a lot of places all at once. How direct is the link to climate change here? BENSHOFF: This is exactly the pattern that scientists say plays out with climate change. Heat waves are getting more common, and they're getting more intense. Scientists are finding that some heat waves, like the record-breaking one in the Pacific Northwest last year, would be virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. And remember; this is what we're seeing with the planet having warmed about two degrees Fahrenheit since pre-industrial times. This trend is expected to just keep getting worse as global average temperatures rise. And in many places, temperatures alone aren't the only danger. It's also the humidity. SHAPIRO: Speaking to you from here in Washington, D.C., I know how miserable humidity can feel, but explain why it's actually more dangerous than high heat alone. BENSHOFF: So it has to do with our ability to sweat. You know, the basic idea is your body sweats. The sweat evaporates off your skin, and it cools our bodies in that process, right? But high humidity makes that more difficult. NPR spoke to Larry Kenney, a professor of physiology, about that. He has a lab at Penn State University where he cranks up the heat and humidity, and then he has people on a treadmill to see how their bodies respond. He says humidity has a big effect. LARRY KENNEY: Only sweat that evaporates has any ability to cool the body. And so as the absolute humidity increases, when it gets close to the humidity of the sweat on the skin, it can no longer evaporate. BENSHOFF: So basically, you can be covered in sweat, but if it's not evaporating, you're not getting any cooler. And out in the real world, the temperature might not seem that high, but if the humidity is super-high, it's still really dangerous. SHAPIRO: So climate change is increasing heat waves. Is it also increasing humidity? BENSHOFF: Studies are finding that it is. And that's because warmer air can hold more water vapor, which means more humidity. So as the climate warms, scientists say we need to pay attention not just to the overall temperature but something called the wet bulb temperature that takes humidity into account. And Kenney's lab recently found that the maximum wet bulb temperature that humans can endure is 88 degrees Fahrenheit at 100% humidity. He says even if you're just sitting in the shade, you're at risk of heatstroke and even death in those conditions. KENNEY: People need to understand that heat is the most deadly of all weather-related fatalities - much more so than tornadoes, hurricanes, all other things combined - that it is dangerous and, in particular, it's dangerous to vulnerable populations like the elderly. BENSHOFF: He says a good thing to keep tabs on is the heat index from the National Weather Service, which takes humidity into account. SHAPIRO: Let's talk about the effort to address all of this because climate action seems to have stalled in the U.S. at least. Democrats were hoping to pass major climate spending, but last week Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia pulled his support. What options do Democrats have right now? BENSHOFF: You know, they're still hoping to push climate spending through. This is billions of dollars for things like subsidies for electric cars and renewable energy. And Democrats have argued that energy costs are a big part of inflation right now. And so these incentives could help with those costs in the long term. But Manchin has said he wants to see what happens with inflation before making the deal. So right now a big spending package is off the table. Some hope that, you know, he'll come back to the table, these subsidies could get through later or they could be split up and passed on a piecemeal basis. Now, the White House released a statement last week saying if the Senate wouldn't act on climate change, then President Biden would use executive orders to further his climate agenda. SHAPIRO: All right. That's NPR's Laura Benshoff. Thanks for your coverage, Laura. BENSHOFF: Thank you so much. Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

extreme temperatures

hurricanes

extreme weather

extreme heat

Rebecca Hersher For decades, it was impossible to say that a specific weather event was caused, or even made worse, by climate change. But advanced research methods are changing that. [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION:This story incorrectly identifies Michael Wehner's place of employment. He is a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, not Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.]JUANA SUMMERS (HOST): A derecho barreled through South Dakota yesterday. A heat wave is lingering over Texas, and wildfires are burning across Alaska. When weather gets extreme, a lot of people wonder and worry about climate change. Michael Wehner is a senior scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.MICHAEL WEHNER (SENIOR SCIENTIST, BERKELEY LAB): People want to know - you know, has climate change affected me? Did climate change flood my house? Did climate change make it so hot that my power went out? Those kinds of questions - and those are good questions.SUMMERS: For a long time, scientists did not really have answers. But as NPR's Rebecca Hersher reports, that's changing.REBECCA HERSHER (BYLINE): This is cutting-edge science, and here's how it works. After a flood or a heat wave or some other disaster, scientists sit down and compare what actually happened - like, how hot it got or how much rain fell - to what would have happened if there was no global warming. And to do that, they use really powerful computers, excellent weather satellites and fancy new math. And it's easier to do for some types of weather. Wehner was one of the OG scientists working on this problem.WEHNER: Well, the heat waves were where we started.HERSHER: Because heat waves are relatively simple. There aren't a lot of variables - temperature, maybe humidity and wind if you're getting fancy. And since you're comparing the present to the past, before global warming took off, you need good historical records, which there are for temperature - going back to the 1800s - all of which allows scientists to say some pretty bullish things about how climate change is making heat waves worse.WEHNER: Any heat wave that occurs from now on, the temperature has been increased by climate change.HERSHER: They can even tell you how much hotter it is.WEHNER: For garden-variety heat waves, like the hottest day of the year, the hottest day, you know, in every 10 years - in the United States, climate change has increased that heat wave's temperature by between three and five degrees Fahrenheit.HERSHER: Three to five degrees is a big difference if you really think about it - 85 compared to 90, 95 compared to 100. And, actually, studies have found that the higher you get, the more deadly each additional degree actually is. Last summer, this type of science had its biggest moment yet. There was an extreme heat wave in the Pacific Northwest - 115 degrees in Oregon and Washington, 120 in parts of Canada. And when scientists analyzed it, they found something shocking.WEHNER: It was virtually impossible without climate change.HERSHER: Another way to say that - climate change caused the heat wave. Now, that's new territory for most people - the idea that the weather we're living through isn't just worse because of global warming; it is only possible because of global warming. But other types of disasters are harder to tie to climate change, like wildfires. They're some of the hardest.MEGAN KIRCHMEIER-YOUNG (RESEARCH SCIENTIST, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE CANADA): Wildfires are a really great example of how we cannot say if climate change caused a particular wildfire event.HERSHER: Megan Kirchmeier-Young is a researcher at Environment and Climate Change Canada, and she says it's clear that climate change is making hot, dry conditions more common, which obviously makes wildfires more likely to take off. But then there are all the human influences. For example, a person can start a wildfire, and firefighters can keep it from spreading.KIRCHMEIER-YOUNG: Any fire has got so many factors going on, and only some of them are really closely related to the climate.HERSHER: That makes it impossible for scientists to study a specific fire and say this was X amount worse because of climate change. Other weather disasters are somewhere in between, like hurricanes. They're more complicated than heat waves, but less tricky than wildfires. So scientists have made some progress by focusing on individual parts of the storm, like how much rain fell or how intense the wind was. There's a lot of pressure for this research to move quickly, says Wehner.WEHNER: There is a clear demand for this from the public.HERSHER: In the future, concrete information about the effects of climate change could just be part of the normal weather forecast. In fact, the Weather Service for the European Union is already trying it out for heat waves and floods. Rebecca Hersher, NPR News.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION:This story incorrectly identifies Michael Wehner's place of employment. He is a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, not Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.] JUANA SUMMERS (HOST): A derecho barreled through South Dakota yesterday. A heat wave is lingering over Texas, and wildfires are burning across Alaska. When weather gets extreme, a lot of people wonder and worry about climate change. Michael Wehner is a senior scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. MICHAEL WEHNER (SENIOR SCIENTIST, BERKELEY LAB): People want to know - you know, has climate change affected me? Did climate change flood my house? Did climate change make it so hot that my power went out? Those kinds of questions - and those are good questions. SUMMERS: For a long time, scientists did not really have answers. But as NPR's Rebecca Hersher reports, that's changing. REBECCA HERSHER (BYLINE): This is cutting-edge science, and here's how it works. After a flood or a heat wave or some other disaster, scientists sit down and compare what actually happened - like, how hot it got or how much rain fell - to what would have happened if there was no global warming. And to do that, they use really powerful computers, excellent weather satellites and fancy new math. And it's easier to do for some types of weather. Wehner was one of the OG scientists working on this problem. WEHNER: Well, the heat waves were where we started. HERSHER: Because heat waves are relatively simple. There aren't a lot of variables - temperature, maybe humidity and wind if you're getting fancy. And since you're comparing the present to the past, before global warming took off, you need good historical records, which there are for temperature - going back to the 1800s - all of which allows scientists to say some pretty bullish things about how climate change is making heat waves worse. WEHNER: Any heat wave that occurs from now on, the temperature has been increased by climate change. HERSHER: They can even tell you how much hotter it is. WEHNER: For garden-variety heat waves, like the hottest day of the year, the hottest day, you know, in every 10 years - in the United States, climate change has increased that heat wave's temperature by between three and five degrees Fahrenheit. HERSHER: Three to five degrees is a big difference if you really think about it - 85 compared to 90, 95 compared to 100. And, actually, studies have found that the higher you get, the more deadly each additional degree actually is. Last summer, this type of science had its biggest moment yet. There was an extreme heat wave in the Pacific Northwest - 115 degrees in Oregon and Washington, 120 in parts of Canada. And when scientists analyzed it, they found something shocking. WEHNER: It was virtually impossible without climate change. HERSHER: Another way to say that - climate change caused the heat wave. Now, that's new territory for most people - the idea that the weather we're living through isn't just worse because of global warming; it is only possible because of global warming. But other types of disasters are harder to tie to climate change, like wildfires. They're some of the hardest. MEGAN KIRCHMEIER-YOUNG (RESEARCH SCIENTIST, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE CANADA): Wildfires are a really great example of how we cannot say if climate change caused a particular wildfire event. HERSHER: Megan Kirchmeier-Young is a researcher at Environment and Climate Change Canada, and she says it's clear that climate change is making hot, dry conditions more common, which obviously makes wildfires more likely to take off. But then there are all the human influences. For example, a person can start a wildfire, and firefighters can keep it from spreading. KIRCHMEIER-YOUNG: Any fire has got so many factors going on, and only some of them are really closely related to the climate. HERSHER: That makes it impossible for scientists to study a specific fire and say this was X amount worse because of climate change. Other weather disasters are somewhere in between, like hurricanes. They're more complicated than heat waves, but less tricky than wildfires. So scientists have made some progress by focusing on individual parts of the storm, like how much rain fell or how intense the wind was. There's a lot of pressure for this research to move quickly, says Wehner. WEHNER: There is a clear demand for this from the public. HERSHER: In the future, concrete information about the effects of climate change could just be part of the normal weather forecast. In fact, the Weather Service for the European Union is already trying it out for heat waves and floods. Rebecca Hersher, NPR News. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. This story incorrectly identified Michael Wehner's place of employment. He is a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, not Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This story incorrectly identified Michael Wehner's place of employment. He is a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, not Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

heat waves

hersher

hurricanes

berkeley lab

Ayesha Rascoe Ayesha Rascoe speaks to environmental reporter Amal Ahmed about extreme weather in Texas. AYESHA RASCOE, HOST: Like many Southern states, Texas has been ravaged by extreme weather in the last couple of years - from tornadoes to tens of thousands of acres burned in wildfires. Local media there has called it once-in-a-lifetime weather. Environmental journalist Amal Ahmed joins us now from Dallas to tell us why this is happening. Welcome.AMAL AHMED: Thanks so much for having me.RASCOE: So, first of all, tell us what we're actually seeing in terms of weather in Texas.AHMED: Yeah, so this past spring has been full of tornadoes and wildfires. There were a couple of tornadoes that hit recently in central Texas and then the end of March, also - the March and April has been very hot and dry, so we've seen record wildfires this season - mostly in west Texas and the Panhandle.RASCOE: And so how is that different from in the past?AHMED: Tornadoes - you think of that as a much later in spring kind of thing. So it's certainly earlier in the season. And I believe with the wildfires, you know, at least the drought conditions are almost as bad as the drought of record in 2011, which was the last time that we saw probably as intense of a wildfire season.RASCOE: I would think that climate change is a factor in this. Can you talk about, like, what is causing this change?AHMED: Yeah, I think with wildfires, that's a lot easier to kind of track. You know, hot, dry conditions - that's definitely something that climate change is increasing, particularly pushing those temperatures and conditions into, you know, earlier spring or late winter. Tornadoes are harder to sort of pin down to climate science. Scientists say it's because the records for tornadoes and, like, how often they happen are pretty hard to prove going back as long. And also the conditions being, like, warmer air colliding with cooler air and the humidity and all of that - like, these things are becoming more common in earlier spring and late winter.RASCOE: So it sounds like the changes are happening. So it is having an impact. How is it affecting the people who are really most vulnerable to these types of changes?AHMED: So I guess the idea, you know, behind natural disasters that I've heard a lot from folks who study these is the idea that the events themselves are not disasters, right? So a wildfire in and of itself is not a disaster. A tornado in and of itself is not really a disaster. And it's kind of when we have any of these extreme weather events hit a city or collide with a town, destroying farmland - like, that is really kind of the natural disaster part. That is when you have people struggling to recover from that - rebuilding their homes, recovering all the losses financially, dealing with government agencies - right? - going through this kind of alphabet soup of programs and agencies and all of that.RASCOE: You've talked a lot about how energy efficiency could make a difference or, like, weatherization of houses and how a lot of that is not happening in Texas or is not mandated to happen in Texas. Like, how does that impact someone's home to not have it be weatherized to withstand really hot weather or really cold weather?AHMED: Yeah, I mean, we saw this certainly with Winter Storm Uri last year, right? Homes that are sort of built to older standards are not really going to keep a set temperature for a very long time. You're going to be pumping in more heating or cooling, depending on the season, to stay comfortable. So for low-income families or households, that means a much higher energy bill than you'd be paying, you know, if you had upgraded windows, if your insulation was retrofitted and all of that - right? - or even if you had more efficient appliances. Housing, in a lot of senses, is just such an important tool in terms of climate resiliency and in disaster recovery, as well.RASCOE: How can people prepare to survive this kind of weather? Like, what can they do on their own?AHMED: Have a go bag ready. Like, if you're in an area where evacuations might be something that you're facing, right - whether it's wildfires or a flood or something like that, you know - with tornadoes, it's harder to predict - but supplies for a couple of days if the power goes out - important documents, you know, licenses, IDs, things like food and water, flashlights, things like generators and whatnot - these are really great to have if you can afford it - right? - in case the power goes out or something like that.RASCOE: That was environmental journalist Amal Ahmed. Thank you so much for speaking with us.AHMED: Thank you for having me on. AYESHA RASCOE, HOST: Like many Southern states, Texas has been ravaged by extreme weather in the last couple of years - from tornadoes to tens of thousands of acres burned in wildfires. Local media there has called it once-in-a-lifetime weather. Environmental journalist Amal Ahmed joins us now from Dallas to tell us why this is happening. Welcome. AMAL AHMED: Thanks so much for having me. RASCOE: So, first of all, tell us what we're actually seeing in terms of weather in Texas. AHMED: Yeah, so this past spring has been full of tornadoes and wildfires. There were a couple of tornadoes that hit recently in central Texas and then the end of March, also - the March and April has been very hot and dry, so we've seen record wildfires this season - mostly in west Texas and the Panhandle. RASCOE: And so how is that different from in the past? AHMED: Tornadoes - you think of that as a much later in spring kind of thing. So it's certainly earlier in the season. And I believe with the wildfires, you know, at least the drought conditions are almost as bad as the drought of record in 2011, which was the last time that we saw probably as intense of a wildfire season. RASCOE: I would think that climate change is a factor in this. Can you talk about, like, what is causing this change? AHMED: Yeah, I think with wildfires, that's a lot easier to kind of track. You know, hot, dry conditions - that's definitely something that climate change is increasing, particularly pushing those temperatures and conditions into, you know, earlier spring or late winter. Tornadoes are harder to sort of pin down to climate science. Scientists say it's because the records for tornadoes and, like, how often they happen are pretty hard to prove going back as long. And also the conditions being, like, warmer air colliding with cooler air and the humidity and all of that - like, these things are becoming more common in earlier spring and late winter. RASCOE: So it sounds like the changes are happening. So it is having an impact. How is it affecting the people who are really most vulnerable to these types of changes? AHMED: So I guess the idea, you know, behind natural disasters that I've heard a lot from folks who study these is the idea that the events themselves are not disasters, right? So a wildfire in and of itself is not a disaster. A tornado in and of itself is not really a disaster. And it's kind of when we have any of these extreme weather events hit a city or collide with a town, destroying farmland - like, that is really kind of the natural disaster part. That is when you have people struggling to recover from that - rebuilding their homes, recovering all the losses financially, dealing with government agencies - right? - going through this kind of alphabet soup of programs and agencies and all of that. RASCOE: You've talked a lot about how energy efficiency could make a difference or, like, weatherization of houses and how a lot of that is not happening in Texas or is not mandated to happen in Texas. Like, how does that impact someone's home to not have it be weatherized to withstand really hot weather or really cold weather? AHMED: Yeah, I mean, we saw this certainly with Winter Storm Uri last year, right? Homes that are sort of built to older standards are not really going to keep a set temperature for a very long time. You're going to be pumping in more heating or cooling, depending on the season, to stay comfortable. So for low-income families or households, that means a much higher energy bill than you'd be paying, you know, if you had upgraded windows, if your insulation was retrofitted and all of that - right? - or even if you had more efficient appliances. Housing, in a lot of senses, is just such an important tool in terms of climate resiliency and in disaster recovery, as well. RASCOE: How can people prepare to survive this kind of weather? Like, what can they do on their own? AHMED: Have a go bag ready. Like, if you're in an area where evacuations might be something that you're facing, right - whether it's wildfires or a flood or something like that, you know - with tornadoes, it's harder to predict - but supplies for a couple of days if the power goes out - important documents, you know, licenses, IDs, things like food and water, flashlights, things like generators and whatnot - these are really great to have if you can afford it - right? - in case the power goes out or something like that. RASCOE: That was environmental journalist Amal Ahmed. Thank you so much for speaking with us. AHMED: Thank you for having me on. Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

tornadoes

warmer air

ayesha rascoe

extreme weather

Lauren Sommer Heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded roads and expressways in New York in 2021. In a hotter climate, rainstorms are becoming more intense. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption Heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded roads and expressways in New York in 2021. In a hotter climate, rainstorms are becoming more intense. American cities are poised to spend billions of dollars to improve their water systems under the federal infrastructure bill, the largest water investment in the nation's history. Those new sewers and storm drains will need to withstand rainfall that's becoming more intense in a changing climate. But as cities make plans to tear up streets and pour cement, most have little to no information about how climate change will worsen future storms. Many cities are still building their infrastructure for the climate of the past, using rainfall records that haven't been updated in decades. Those federal precipitation reports, which analyze historical rainfall data to tell cities what kinds of storms to plan for, are only sporadically updated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rainfall reports for some states are 50 years old, which means they don't reflect how the climate has already changed in recent decades. And states themselves have to pay for those updates. The disconnect between the kinds of upgrades a changing climate demands and the data available to communities is already imperiling lives. Heavier downpours are taking an increasing toll on cities, inundating homes and roads. Last summer, for example, 50 people drowned when the remnants of Hurricane Ida overwhelmed urban stormwater drainage systems in the Northeast. Now, as NOAA determines how to spend its own infrastructure bill funding, many cities are hoping the agency commits to doing regular, nationwide updates of its precipitation reports, known as Atlas 14, to provide a systematic snapshot of how storms have already intensified. Still, those up-to-date records won't show how the climate will continue to change in the future. So many flood planners are also pushing NOAA to fund and release local forecasts of how rainfall is expected to intensify going forward, to ensure that infrastructure projects built today won't become obsolete as temperatures warm. "It's core to probably hundreds or thousands of development decisions everyday," says Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. "If we have over a trillion dollars going out the door in infrastructure, then let's have the very best standards and data so we're designing this stuff right." When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in the summer of 2017, the slow-moving storm dropped as much as 60 inches of rain. The destruction left in its wake cost $125 billion with more than 100,000 homes damaged. But even before the hurricane hit, city planners had begun to realize that storms, much weaker than Harvey, were becoming a greater danger because the infrastructure wasn't designed for them. A firefighter checks on stalled cars on a flooded street in Sun Valley, Calif., during a 2017 storm. When rainfall overwhelms stormwater systems, flooding can happen far from a river or creek. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption A firefighter checks on stalled cars on a flooded street in Sun Valley, Calif., during a 2017 storm. When rainfall overwhelms stormwater systems, flooding can happen far from a river or creek. In any city, the only thing stopping rainwater from flooding roads and homes is a lowly, unglamorous piece of infrastructure: the storm drain. In heavily paved areas, rain isn't absorbed into the ground, and the runoff needs somewhere to go. Storm drains connect to miles of underground pipelines that carry runoff away. The size of storm drains and pipes limits how much water the system can handle. When they're overwhelmed, flooding can happen in neighborhoods far from any river or creek, where residents likely lack flood insurance. Cities decide on the size of a stormwater system by using a particular kind of storm known as a "design storm." In some places, the stormwater infrastructure is designed for a storm that's considered a 1-in-5-year storm, or that has a 20% chance of hitting. Other cities plan for an even more severe storm, like a 1-in-25-year storm. To figure out how much rain those storms will unleash, many communities turn to the federal government. NOAA releases precipitation records through its Atlas 14 reports, which analyze the historical rainfall in a given region and then tell local planners how much rain is produced in both common and extreme storms. But for many states, those records are outdated. Prior to Harvey, some local agencies in Texas were using NOAA records last released in 1961. Harris County, where Houston is located, analyzed rainfall data on its own, but the records were still 2 decades old. Loading... Regional planners knew urban flooding was on the rise. Intersections and roadways were getting swamped with water in heavy rain. But to get new precipitation data that captures how storms have already changed in recent years, local or state agencies need to pay the federal government for it under NOAA's policy. The agency itself has historically not had the budget to conduct the studies. A group of local flood agencies in Texas, along with the regional office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, raised $1.75 million for a statewide study in 2016. The results confirmed what they suspected: Rainstorms have already gotten more intense. The NOAA analysis found that a major storm, known as the 1-in-100-year storm, had become almost 30% wetter. Instead of 13 inches of rain, it now dropped almost 17 inches of rain in Harris County. "It may have been a case of 'be careful what you wish for,'" says Craig Maske, chief planning officer at the Harris County Flood Control District. "We did anticipate it increasing somewhat, just not quite that much." The new information had a ripple effect through the various entities in Houston responsible for the metro area's infrastructure. Rainfall numbers not only determine how stormwater systems are built, but also roads, highways, bridges and housing developments. "Everybody, after taking the collective gasp of seeing how the rainfall depths had increased, knew this was going to affect how they developed and where they developed," Maske says. Transportation agencies suddenly faced building their projects to withstand more water. The Houston-Galveston Area Council, which oversees transportation planning in the area, says major projects in planning stages became $150 million to $200 million more expensive, largely due to the flood safety needs. One-third of the major roads and highways there are vulnerable to flooding, according to an agency analysis, including critical thoroughfares needed by first responders in a disaster. Rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded homes in New Jersey. Without updated rainfall records, cities risk building infrastructure that can't withstand intensifying storms. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption Rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded homes in New Jersey. Without updated rainfall records, cities risk building infrastructure that can't withstand intensifying storms. Despite the added cost, experiencing a record-breaking disaster seemed to change the conversation in the community. "The fallout from Hurricane Harvey is still ongoing here," says Craig Raborn, director of transportation of the Houston-Galveston Area Council. "So when we do public engagement processes for major infrastructure projects, major roads, we hear a lot more comment now about flooding than we used to see in the past." As temperatures get hotter, heavy storms are producing more rainfall because warmer air can hold more water vapor. "Throughout most of the country, big storms are happening more often," says Daniel Wright, assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "There's every reason to expect that rainfall will continue to intensify in the future." The Northeast and Midwestern U.S. have seen the biggest increases, with the heaviest storms producing 55% more rain today in the Northeast compared to 1958, according to the 2018 National Climate Assessment. Outdated rainfall records don't reflect those changes. Wright and his colleagues looked at the Atlas 14 reports and found that in some places, extreme storms are happening twice as often as those reports predicted. Under its current system, NOAA only updates the Atlas 14 information when states both request and pay for the reports. As a result, many states are using data from the early 2000s. The last update for the Pacific Northwest was in 1973. Loading... Officials at NOAA say this haphazard system is far from ideal since it creates a patchwork of climate data. Analyzing data for only a few states at a time also adds to the overall cost. "It would be much more efficient to do the whole country all at once," says Mark Glaudemans, director of NOAA's Geo-Intelligence Division, which oversees Atlas 14. "So by doing it in the piecemeal fashion that we have now, it does make it more expensive." Updating precipitation data is briefly mentioned in the $2 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year. NOAA officials say they're currently developing the agency's spending plan for the funds and can't comment on whether Atlas 14 will be part of it. Flood experts are urging the agency to prioritize nationwide rainfall reports. Without that information, cities aren't able to strengthen their infrastructure to handle today's storms, as Houston is doing. "The cost to do this is almost decimal dust when it comes to the overall federal budget," says Berginnis, whose group wrote to NOAA about the matter. "We're only talking about $3 million to $5 million a year to produce these data." Two bills now pending in Congress would also commit NOAA to doing regular updates, beyond what the infrastructure bill provides for the next decade. The PRECIP Act specifies that Atlas 14 would be released every 10 years, while the FLOODS Act would set the updates for every five years. Still, even with the most up-to-date rainfall information, climate scientists warn that infrastructure is still likely to fail, since NOAA's Atlas 14 reports look at the past, not the future. Nationwide studies like the 2018 National Climate Assessment show extreme precipitation will continue to get worse around the country as temperatures get hotter. A study last fall from the Northeast Regional Climate Center found extreme rainfall in New Jersey would likely increase by 20% by 2100, compared to 1999. Some counties could see a 50% increase. But when cities look for climate-driven rainfall information tailored to their region, they're mostly out of luck since NOAA doesn't conduct that analysis. "There's no book," says Anna Roche, project manager at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. "There haven't been plans that have been developed for any of this stuff. So every city in the United States is grappling with this." Water drains on a street flooded by rain from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 in Galveston, Texas. After getting new rainfall data, some Texas cities are building infrastructure to handle more water. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption Water drains on a street flooded by rain from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 in Galveston, Texas. After getting new rainfall data, some Texas cities are building infrastructure to handle more water. In the absence of relevant information from NOAA, San Francisco and a handful of other cities around the U.S. have partnered with local universities and researchers for localized climate change projections. San Francisco is working with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists, who are running complex computer models that forecast future rainfall change. In the Pacific Northwest, both Portland and Seattle partnered with the University of Washington's Climate Impact Group. The research team created an online tool so cities in Oregon and Washington could see how extreme rain would shift. In Seattle, the 1-in-25-year storm could be more than 20% worse by the 2080s. Realizing the scale of that change, Seattle enhanced a major stormwater control project that was underway. The Ship Canal Water Quality project was planned with a 14-foot diameter tunnel, designed to capture stormwater so the system isn't overwhelmed in big storms. The climate change projections spurred the city to upsize it to 18 feet wide. "We're thinking this is a 100-year investment, so we need to be using our best information about what 100 years is going to look like and not designing things now that will be obsolete," says Leslie Webster, drainage and wastewater planning manager at Seattle Public Utilities. "We're confident that the change in sizing will provide a lot more resilience in the future. But, you know, it also increased the price tag significantly." Still, while major cities are beginning to integrate climate data into their planning, smaller cities without connections to leading universities have little information to go on. Many are urging NOAA to release climate projections, along with a new nationwide Atlas 14 update, to provide reliable information for infrastructure planning. Other federal agencies already provide localized climate projections, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's map showing how plant growing zones could shift. "Rural and smaller communities simply don't have the resources and typically access to technology to make those estimates," Berginnis says. The added cost of preparing for climate change comes at a tough time for most cities, which already have a backlog of maintenance for their stormwater systems. In 2020, municipal utilities nationwide faced a combined funding shortfall of $8.5 billion, according to a study from the Water Environment Federation. "Municipalities are facing an unbelievable gap in trying to keep up with stormwater," says Darren Olsen of the American Society of Civil Engineers. "It's expensive to upgrade infrastructure and stormwater infrastructure, because it's out of sight, it's out of mind." Upsizing a city's entire stormwater system, with miles of underground pipes that would need to be dug up, is far too expensive for most cities. Instead, many are looking at using green infrastructure, where pavement is replaced with plants that allow rainwater to soak into the ground. The hope for many is that the infrastructure bill provides much-needed funding to make their systems climate-ready with both traditional and green projects. "I do think it's like a cultural shift that we have to make in terms of how we plan for our future," says Nishant Parulekar, civil engineer with the city of Portland. "We'll have to be very adaptable in terms of how we plan and build."

diameter

hurricane ida

extreme rain

hurricane harvey

Jeff Brady Christopher Glenn of Melrose, Ore., installed a home standby generator after a 2019 snowstorm knocked out power to his house and business for a week. Christopher Glenn hide caption Christopher Glenn of Melrose, Ore., installed a home standby generator after a 2019 snowstorm knocked out power to his house and business for a week. Outside Christopher Glenn's house in the small Oregon community of Melrose, a white metal box sits next to the garage. The home standby generator was installed after a long outage in 2019. "We had a major snowstorm that brought about 3 feet of snow to our backyard, and we were without electricity for approximately a week," says Glenn. His spouse works remotely and couldn't work without electricity. They also own an organic tea business that was shut down by the outage. "A customer in Ohio or Florida or Texas, they don't care if we're without power out here in Oregon. They want to know why we're not responding," says Glenn. Beyond snowstorms, he's also concerned about outages during the wildfire season. As in California, Oregon utilities sometimes turn off electricity so power lines don't spark fires. Around the U.S., climate change is bringing more intense and frequent extreme weather that often means mass power outages, including devastating, high-profile ones like that in Texas last year. There's also concern about the reliability of an aging electrical grid at the same time as the grid is being decentralized and decarbonized with increasing amounts of renewable energy. And finally, there's the coronavirus pandemic, which has more people spending more time at home. Industry experts say all this has created a boom in the number of Americans installing home generators. One manufacturer, Generac Power Systems, had a nearly 50% jump in revenue last year with sales of close to $3.7 billion, according to the company's president and CEO, Aaron Jagdfeld. "That's off of a very strong set of years here. The company has grown dramatically. We're now approaching 10,000 employees," says Jagdfeld. Buying a generator can be a big investment with a lot to consider. It's important to know what kind of generator would work best for your situation and how to use it safely. In Oregon, Glenn's model is on the higher end. The cost, including installation, was $9,000. But he says the next time the power goes out, he's prepared to keep the lights on and stay in business. The generator will power the house and an outbuilding where his tea business is located. It's big enough to also charge an electric car. Jagdfeld says this is typical of Generac's customers, who mostly live in suburban, single-family, unattached houses. The generators Generac sells usually burn natural gas or propane. But because home standby generators are expensive, they account for only about 5% of the market, says Paul Hope, home and garden editor at Consumer Reports. "The vast majority of generators run on gasoline and are different sizes of portable generators," he says. Portable generators cost as little as a few hundred dollars, but they come with limits. Most won't power an entire house, like a permanently mounted model will, so you have to choose what gets plugged in during an outage. As Hurricane Florence approaches in 2018, Stoney Williamson unloads a portable generator for his brother-in-law as Harry Campbell (left) looks on in Nichols, South Carolina. David Goldman/AP hide caption As Hurricane Florence approaches in 2018, Stoney Williamson unloads a portable generator for his brother-in-law as Harry Campbell (left) looks on in Nichols, South Carolina. Hope says these generators can be connected directly to a circuit breaker box. That requires an electrician and a device called a "transfer switch" that protects your electronics when the power comes back on. It also keeps electricity from your generator from going to power lines outside your house, where it can hurt utility workers. Without the transfer switch, you have to run extension cords from the generator to individual appliances. And that brings up a big safety issue: where the portable generator is located. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that about 70 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators. The agency says the machine must be at least 20 feet from a house, with the exhaust directed away from the home and other buildings where people go. The CPSC says you should never operate a portable generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawl space or shed — or even on a porch. Part of the problem, says Hope, is that a lot of people wait to buy portable generators at the last minute, when they need it. That may not leave time to make good decisions, such as thinking about safety tips. He says one mistake a lot of people make is not having enough heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords on hand to allow them to put the generator at least 20 feet from the house. "So they naturally try to bring it a little bit closer, plug some things directly into the generator and use fewer cords that way," says Hope. That risks carbon monoxide poisoning, though Hope says most new generators have automatic shut-offs if carbon monoxide levels get too high. Another thing to consider is how much gasoline needs to be stored to run a portable generator during an extended outage. Some burn up to 20 gallons of gas a day. Hope says to make sure to store gas in approved containers and add fuel stabilizer to boost the life of the gas up to two years. If you still haven't used it by then, you can burn the gas in your car. If you're thinking about buying a home generator, Hope says another consideration is climate change. Generators are "actually horrible fossil fuel-burning polluters that, of course, contribute to man-made climate change." And that, he says, fuels the same severe weather events that result in widespread power outages. A cleaner but more expensive option is installing solar panels and batteries on a house. Those will keep the power on, like a generator, but only as long as there's enough sun to charge the batteries. There also are portable power stations that cost at least $1,000 and are limited in how much power they provide. "You can power a laptop or charge a cellphone, but you're really not going to be powering, you know, your refrigerator or anything for any great length of time," says Hope. On the plus side, these power stations use rechargeable batteries, so they're quiet. And since they don't burn gas, they can be used safely indoors. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

coronavirus

snowstorms

snowstorm

stoney williamson

This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Read our WAMU Privacy Notice. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

preferences

cookie

cookie settings

necessary cookie

By  Scott Neuman A volunteer helps set up snacks at a cooling center established to help vulnerable residents ride out the second dangerous heat wave to grip the Pacific Northwest last summer, on Aug. 11, 2021. Gillian Flaccus/AP hide caption A volunteer helps set up snacks at a cooling center established to help vulnerable residents ride out the second dangerous heat wave to grip the Pacific Northwest last summer, on Aug. 11, 2021. Wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and a winter storm and cold wave were among 20 weather and climate disasters in the U.S. last year that cost $1 billion or more, totaling $145 billion and killing 688 people, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In an overview of an annual report released on Monday by NOAA, scientists also said that 2021 ranked as the fourth-warmest year on record in the United States, with December 2021 being the warmest December ever recorded. The full report is due out Thursday. Adjusted for inflation, 2021 was the third-costliest on record for extreme weather events, after 2017 and 2005, the report said. The events cited include Hurricane Ida, wildfires and a deadly heat wave in the West, three separate tornado outbreaks in the South and central parts of the U.S., and unusually cold temperatures in Texas that left millions of people without electricity. "It was a tough year. Climate change has taken a shotgun approach to hazards across the country," said NOAA climatologist and economist Adam Smith, who compiled the report for the agency. The NOAA overview came on the same day that preliminary data showed that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose 6.2% last year compared to 2020, according to the research firm Rhodium Group, placing the Biden administration's goals to combat climate change in jeopardy. The steep rise in emissions is attributed in part to changes in behavior as coronavirus vaccines became widely available after a year in which lockdowns and other precautions slowed economic activity. On Tuesday, an analysis published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, indicated that human-caused increase in heat-trapping emissions in the atmosphere helped push oceans temperatures to their highest level on record. "The long-term ocean warming is larger in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans than in other regions and is mainly attributed, via climate model simulations, to an increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations," the analysis concluded. "The anomalous global and regional ocean warming established in this study should be incorporated into climate risk assessments, adaptation, and mitigation." Scientists have repeatedly warned that warming due to climate change would increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, driving up the cost, and likely the death toll, for such disasters. In its report, NOAA said its statistics "were taken from a wide variety of sources and represent, to the best of our ability, the estimated total costs of these events — that is, the costs in terms of dollars that would not have been incurred had the event not taken place. Insured and uninsured losses are included in damage estimates." Adjusted for inflation, the report shows a steady increase in billion-dollar disasters over the decades — with 29 in the 1980s, 53 in the 1990s, 63 in the 2000s, and 123 in the 2010s. The last five years have seen 86 such events, NOAA says. "I think the biggest lesson is that the past is not a good predictor of the future and to begin planning now for what the climate might be 20, 30 years from now," David Easterling, a climate scientist at NOAA, told NPR last month. A version of this story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

oceans temperatures

hurricanes

atmospheric administration

hurricane ida

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/12/28/2021-climate-change-news"></iframe> How do we describe the state of the world's climate as 2021 comes to a close? One climate watcher put it like this: "We live in a time of broken-record breaking." In August, news broadcasters described the scene in Greece as “apocalyptic” as fires roared across the country, evacuating more than a thousand people from the island of Evia. Temperatures reached nearly 117 degrees. A heat wave shattered records in the Pacific Northwest. On June 28, Portland, Oregon, hit 116 degrees. In California, wildfires incinerated thousands of giant sequoias — trees so large and iconic they were once thought to be fireproof. And then the strongest storm of the year, Hurricane Ida, unleashed its 150 mph winds on Louisiana before moving on and inundating the Northeast. New Jersey’s governor declared a state of emergency in response to Ida’s intense flooding that turned deadly. These severe weather events aren’t normal when compared to weather patterns over the past few decades, says Scientific American climate editor Andrea Thompson. Extreme weather events are becoming less rare and are getting worse as time ticks on, she notes. “How much you could tie any event to climate change depends a little on the event,” she says. “It's a little harder for things like hurricanes, which are very complex versus a heat wave, which obviously has much more direct ties to rising temperatures.” On the environmental consequences that follow the initial weather disaster “The same issues with wildfires affecting water quality happen out in California and some of the West. Those are major concerns. The smoke from those fires causes major air pollution events, which we've seen year after year recently. Flooding, especially in Louisiana, where you have a lot of fossil fuel infrastructure, pipelines and things like that. You can get a lot of chemicals mixed in with the floodwaters, which exacerbates the disaster. You don't just get the flooding, you get that chemical exposure too.” On anxiety about climate change “The main thing around that this year was a study that came out in The Lancet in September — a large survey of ten thousand 16 to 25-year-olds in 10 countries. It found that the vast majority are experiencing anxiety, fear, sadness, anger over climate change and in particular, the lack of action of governments to combat it. Forty-five percent said it affected their daily lives. But it shows how impacted particularly young people are already by climate change because I think we often thought of it for so long as a future problem when it's really an issue that is affecting us now. We increasingly see that, and people, I think, increasingly recognize that.” On the other hand, a significant portion of the world isn’t moved by climate change “I think that's true too. I think that happens, particularly in the United States, for various reasons. Some of it can be partisan political ones. In our daily lives, we have so many other things we have to focus on, particularly right now in the middle of a global pandemic, that it can seem easier to sort of push off something like climate change. But these surveys, there were some other ones to show that at least among young people, this is a really growing concern and it is having an actual mental health impact on them. And we know that it's going to affect them far more than it affects current generations.” On President Biden’s climate response so far “His rhetoric and his pledges around [climate] were in very stark contrast to former President Trump's. He immediately signed the necessary paperwork to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, which President Trump had pulled the U.S. out of just a few months before. He revoked the federal permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. And then throughout the year, he's made big commitments and pronouncements on what the U.S. is going to do in terms of reducing our emissions. He pledged that the U.S. would cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030. Together, all of the things he has pledged are by far the biggest and most ambitious commitments the U.S. has made to date.” On whether Biden’s pledges can be meaningful without change to the law “So yes and no, there's a lot of things he can do through executive action through agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency. They and the Department of Transportation are going to issue strengthened vehicle emission standards, for example, and transportation is the leading contributor to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. So there are things that can happen on the executive side that can move toward that goal. The problem comes in that executive actions can be easier to overturn if a new administration that is less climate friendly comes in. Whereas congressional actions are a lot more durable. But I think he and others would far prefer the Build Back Better act.” On whether the COP26 climate conference lived up to expectations “I think it definitely fell short of where people hoped it would. But there was some progress. The U.S. and China were able to come to an agreement to cooperate on technology to capture carbon from the atmosphere, to strengthen methane policies, which is not nothing. That is the kind of agreement that really underlined the development of the Paris accord, so it lays the potential foundation for more in the future. But I think a lot of people were disappointed in where countries’ pledges ended up after Glasgow, that they weren't as ambitious as it was hoped and analysis since COP26 has shown that they're not enough to meet the Paris goal of limiting warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. And the U.S. is a big question mark on that.” On whether she believes we’re better off or worse off since the end of 2020 “I think overall, I feel better off than at the end of 2020. I think when you step back and look at the whole picture, I think we are in a better place in terms of the actions we've committed to take. But so much of that promise depends on follow through. And we're going to have to see in 2022 and 2023 whether that follow through actually happens. I think part of it is I tried to be optimistic because I have an infant son and I want us to tackle this problem for him and the world he's going to inherit, but that bumps up against some of the realities day-to-day. So it's a mixed bag I think.” Karyn Miller-Medzon produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Tinku Ray. Serena McMahon adapted it for the web. This segment aired on December 28, 2021. Peter O'Dowd Senior Editor, Here & NowPeter O’Dowd has a hand in most parts of Here & Now — producing and overseeing segments, reporting stories and occasionally filling in as host. He came to Boston from KJZZ in Phoenix. More… Advertisement

temperatures

hurricanes

floodwaters

hurricane ida

Lauren Sommer Abilio Viegas attempts to fix his flooded van on South Street in Newark, New Jersey after flooding cause by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption Abilio Viegas attempts to fix his flooded van on South Street in Newark, New Jersey after flooding cause by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. In 2021, extremely rare weather disasters became alarmingly common. In Tennessee, cities were deluged with 17 inches of rain over two days. Dozens of people drowned in basement apartments and cars in New Jersey, when floodwater rose as the remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through. In the Pacific Northwest, heat-related illness sent almost 3,000 people to the emergency room when temperatures topped 116 degrees. All are considered one in 1,000-year events, having only a 0.1% chance of happening in any given year. But as global temperatures rise, these kinds of extremes are happening more frequently. Like two sides of the same coin, rising temperatures are making dry heat waves more intense, while also causing storms to release heavier deluges. Climate scientists only expect that trend to increase as humans continue releasing heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Whether it was too much water or too much heat, extreme weather events in 2021 exposed major shortfalls in how prepared cities and governments are to handle them. Most of the country's homes, roads and public safety systems were designed for the climate of the last century, when the most extreme weather events currently occurring were considered improbable. "I think the biggest lesson is that the past is not a good predictor of the future and to begin planning now for what the climate might be 20, 30 years from now," says David Easterling, climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Residents spend the afternoon at a cooling center at Kellogg Middle School in Portland. Extreme heat triggered a public health emergency in the Pacific Northwest. Thousands went to the hospital and more than 200 people died. Michael Hanson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Unprecedented heat waves In late June, the weather forecast in Washington and Oregon read like something written for Southwestern deserts. Temperatures rose above 110 degrees, well into record-setting territory. An area of high pressure known as a heat dome locked dangerously hot air over the region, deflecting the clouds and cool breezes the region is accustomed to. With many residents lacking air conditioning, the heat became a public health emergency. Thousands went to the hospital and more than 200 people died. Paved surfaces became perilously hot. Roads and infrastructure buckled. The effects were even worse in cities, where cement absorbs and radiates heat, pushing temperatures even higher. A store in Hood River, Oregon advertises after record-setting temperatures in the Pacific Northwest. With extreme heat rare in the region, many residents lack air conditioning. Michael Hanson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption As the climate gets hotter, extreme heat events are becoming significantly more likely. Globally, temperatures have already risen almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius). If temperatures reach 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit of warming (2 degrees Celsius), scientists predict that a 1-in-50 year heat wave is almost 14 times more likely to happen, according to a major climate assessment released this year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). While climate scientists have tracked those overall trends for decades, they're now also homing in on how climate change is intensifying individual heat waves. According to a study by scientists with the World Weather Attribution collaborative, the Pacific Northwest heat wave was made 150 times more likely by the changing climate. In another new report, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) found that climate change influenced many of the 2020 heat waves as well. "At this point, understanding climate change's role in a heat wave has become highly routine," says Stephanie Herring, a NOAA climate scientist who worked on the AMS report. "Around the world, it's extremely rare to find a heat event not made worse, to some degree, by climate change." A woman walks away from her vehicle on the NJ-17 southbound roadway flooded by the remnants of Hurricane which unleashed heavy rain across the Northeast. Ted Shaffrey/AP hide caption A woman walks away from her vehicle on the NJ-17 southbound roadway flooded by the remnants of Hurricane which unleashed heavy rain across the Northeast. Overwhelming rainfall Just six months after the summer heat wave, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest found themselves scrambling with another climate extreme. An intense winter storm flooded roads and homes, one of several rain-driven disasters this year that exposed how quickly cities can be overcome by water. In August, heavy rainfall in Waverly, Tennessee led to rapid flash flooding, damaging hundreds of homes and killing more than 20 people. The 17 inches of rain was far outside the bounds of an extreme storm for the area, even more unlikely than a one in 1,000-year event. Later that month, the remains of Hurricane Ida unleashed heavy rain across the Northeast, stunning many residents. As the streets filled with water, some were trapped in basement apartments and drowned. Others were overtaken in their cars. Authorities vowed to increase flood warnings and go door-to-door for evacuations in the future. While every storm is different, rising temperatures are already increasing the capacity of storms to release more intense rain. In August, cities in Tennessee were deluged with 17 inches of rain over two days. The rainfall led to rapid flash flooding damaging hundreds of homes and killing more than 20 people. Mark Humphrey/AP hide caption In August, cities in Tennessee were deluged with 17 inches of rain over two days. The rainfall led to rapid flash flooding damaging hundreds of homes and killing more than 20 people. "Unfortunately, we're starting to see more and more of those rainfall events," Easterling says. "And the expectation is that in the future, because of warming, a warmer atmosphere holds much more moisture and that those events will continue to increase." In most of the U.S., the biggest storms are already producing more rain. In the Northeast, those storms produced 55% more rainfall by 2016, compared to 1958, according to the last National Climate Assessment. Globally, the recent IPCC assessment finds that heavy storms will be 14% wetter if the planet warms 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius). Most cities, including the stormwater systems that drain water away, aren't designed to handle the most extreme storms. Building infrastructure to handle the heaviest rainfall events can be costly. But while those storms were once thought to be few and far between, climate change is changing the equation. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

flooding cause

atmospheric administration

hurricane ida

extreme heat

This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Read our WAMU Privacy Notice. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

preferences

cookie

cookie settings

necessary cookie

Brian Mann Chief Geoffrey Deibler and dispatchers Meghan Collier (center) and Bobbie Brown of the Morganfield Police Department traveled to nearby Dawson Springs, Ky., to help look for survivors. Brian Mann/NPR hide caption Chief Geoffrey Deibler and dispatchers Meghan Collier (center) and Bobbie Brown of the Morganfield Police Department traveled to nearby Dawson Springs, Ky., to help look for survivors. Under a chilly blue sky, a dozen men and women stood in a line on a devastated street in Dawson Springs, Ky., one of the small towns hit hardest by the swarm of tornadoes that raked the nation's midsection Friday night into Saturday. Geoffrey Deibler, a police chief from neighboring Morganfield, came to volunteer on one of the search-and-recovery crews fanning out across Kentucky on Monday. "We're going through every bit of that," Deibler said, pointing wearily to a dense snarl of downed trees and debris as he waited for the signal to begin marching. "If there's pieces of roofing or swimming pools or tin, we're picking that up and moving it." The goal is to find survivors — or recover the remains of victims. As of Monday night, the official death toll in this community of 2,600 people stood at 12. A four-wheeler rumbled past and gave the signal. The searchers set off, moving carefully through what used to be a cluster of small homes. They used sticks and heavy leather gloves to shift the rubble. That afternoon, Gov. Andy Beshear said 74 people have died and at least 109 remain missing statewide. "We hope somebody connects to them and they're out there and we just don't know where they are yet. Maybe they don't have cell service," the governor said. The ruins of homes are marked with symbols after they're searched and cleared of any remains or hazards. Brian Mann/NPR hide caption The ruins of homes are marked with symbols after they're searched and cleared of any remains or hazards. Meanwhile, teams like this one, crewed by volunteers and National Guard troops, are going house to house and also searching fields and woodlands. "It's something else, ain't it?" said Jason Cox, leader of this search team, shaking his head at the scale of destruction. Cox, a deputy fire chief from the nearby town of Sturgis, marched along in heavy firefighter's gear, working to keep his team evenly spaced. He said this kind of recovery work takes a heavy emotional toll. "It's extremely hard," he said. "We're all adequately trained ... so we just do the best we can with what we've got." With more than 100 people still missing in Kentucky, search-and-recovery crews are working in devastated neighborhoods like this one in Dawson Springs. Brian Mann/NPR hide caption With more than 100 people still missing in Kentucky, search-and-recovery crews are working in devastated neighborhoods like this one in Dawson Springs. Members of this crew haven't found anyone alive so far, but they did recover one body during a previous day's search. "We found a gentleman," said Deibler, who tipped back his cowboy hat and said quietly, "It's difficult." As the team moved up a low hill, another searcher knelt to shine her headlamp into the darkness of a collapsed garage. Bobbie Brown searches with her headlamp in the ruins of a shed. Her crew has already found the body of one man killed in the storm. Brian Mann/NPR hide caption Bobbie Brown searches with her headlamp in the ruins of a shed. Her crew has already found the body of one man killed in the storm. "I was a nurse for several years," said Bobbie Brown, who works now as a police dispatcher in Morganfield. "Unfortunately, I've learned to shut my brain off when it comes to these types of situations." But many of these rescue workers here acknowledge being uniquely vulnerable to the pain and loss of this disaster. "We have family here, as well," said Ryan Linton, a member of the Dawson Springs Volunteer Fire Department. "So everybody's trying to make do with what's going on. "Unfortunately, it's like a movie that just won't stop playing." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

downed trees

swimming

tornadoes

afternoon

By  Rachel Treisman Smoke from the Bond Fire billows above Peltzer Pines Christmas tree farm in Orange County, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2020. Extreme weather and supply chain issues could make Christmas trees harder to come by this holiday season. Noah Berger/AP hide caption Smoke from the Bond Fire billows above Peltzer Pines Christmas tree farm in Orange County, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2020. Extreme weather and supply chain issues could make Christmas trees harder to come by this holiday season. We don't want to be Grinches, but we do want to give you a heads-up about some important holiday news: Christmas trees may be harder to find than usual. Jami Warner, the executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association, tells NPR that both environmental and economic factors are to blame. Extreme weather events like wildfires, droughts and floods have made this an especially challenging season for growers. Such events are driven by climate change and could become more common as the Earth warms. And even artificial trees are feeling the burn, thanks to ongoing global supply chain issues. "The great majority of our artificial Christmas trees are manufactured in China, and Christmas trees and pretty much every other consumer good is languishing either out at sea or hasn't shipped yet," Warner explains. Experts expect the bottleneck at U.S. ports is to get even worse during the holiday season, exacerbated by Americans' online shopping. All of this means that you can expect to pay at least 20% more for your Tannenbaum, whether real or artificial. But don't despair. It's still worth holding out hope for a Christmas miracle. Warner says there are bound to be bargains and online sales out there. And she's officially giving you permission to act fast and claim your tree early. "I think it's very important for consumers to, if they see something they like, to buy it right away," she advises. And it doesn't have to be the tree of your dreams, she adds. After all, there are many other sources of Yuletide joy — especially this season, with vaccinations making it safer for people to travel and gather. "This year, I think people will be able to celebrate Christmas with their families again and with their friends, and no one is going to notice if you don't have that very, very perfect Christmas tree," Warner says. "Really, there are no such thing as bad Christmas trees — they're all beautiful." The audio version of this story was produced by Taylor Haney and edited by Kelley Dickens. This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

wildfires

jami warner

grinches

christmas trees

Deepa Shivaram Flames from the Windy Fire burn up a giant tree this month in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest in California. Children in younger generations will experience two to seven times more extreme climate events such as wildfires, a new study says. Noah Berger/AP hide caption Flames from the Windy Fire burn up a giant tree this month in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest in California. Children in younger generations will experience two to seven times more extreme climate events such as wildfires, a new study says. Children born in 2020 will experience extreme climate events at a rate that is two to seven times higher than people born in 1960, according to a new study in the journal Science. With the current rate of global warming and national policies that fail to make necessary cuts in heat-trapping pollution, climate events such as heat waves will continue to rise in frequency, intensity and duration, scientists say. That leaves children of younger generations facing a "severe threat" to their safety, according to the study's authors. The study analyzed extreme climate events such as heat waves, droughts, crop failures, floods, wildfires and tropical cyclones. Researchers used recent data from a 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that included information on global life expectancy, population trends and projected trajectories of global temperatures. The forecasts for how these events could drastically affect younger generations were startling. The scientists compared a person born in 1960 with a child who was 6 years old in 2020. The 6-year-old will experience twice as many cyclones and wildfires, three times as many river floods, four times as many crop failures and five times as many droughts. Heat waves, though, will be the most prevalent extreme climate event, with 36 times as many occurring for the 6-year-old. The study shows that extreme weather events could affect younger generations in various regions of the world differently. People who were younger than 25 years old by 2020 in the Middle East and North Africa will likely experience more exposure to extreme climate events compared with other regions. The researchers say overall, younger generations in lower-income countries will experience the worsening climate at a higher rate than their peers in wealthier countries. The data from the study shows how limiting the increase in global warming and adapting policies that align with the Paris climate accord are beneficial, the researchers argue. But even then, younger generations are still left with "unprecedented extreme event exposure," they write. The study's release this week comes as youth climate activists were gathering Tuesday in Milan, Italy. The Youth4Climate summit featured speeches by Greta Thunberg of Sweden and Vanessa Nakate of Uganda, who both criticized world leaders for not taking meaningful action on climate change. Thunberg, 18, accused leaders of too many empty words. "This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: words. Words that sound great but so far have led to no action. Our hopes and dreams drown in their empty words and promises," she said. "Of course, we need constructive dialogue, but they have now had 30 years of blah, blah, blah. And where has this led us?" Nakate, 24, also pointed out how climate change disproportionately affects the African continent — despite its carbon emissions being lower than that of every other continent with the exception of Antarctica. "For many of us, reducing and avoiding is no longer enough. You cannot adapt to lost cultures, traditions and history. You cannot adapt to starvation. It's time for leaders to put loss and damage at the center of the climate negotiations," Nakate said. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

heat waves

temperatures

tropical cyclones

younger generations

By  Eric Westervelt Extreme weather fueled by climate change is straining the financial and human resources of emergency agencies and first responders, especially wildland firefighters across much of the West. LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: There's hope for the evacuated residents of South Lake Tahoe who are waiting to return to their homes. Firefighters have made progress against the massive Caldor Fire threatening the California resort town. Calmer winds and higher humidity have helped their efforts. But with megafires the new norm, the work of wildland firefighters is harder and longer than it used to be. Extreme weather fueled by climate change is putting a strain on them and other emergency workers. NPR's Eric Westervelt has this report.ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: In a stretch of bone-dry pine forest on the edge of South Lake Tahoe, a crew's putting out windblown spot fires. It's hard, tedious work, scraping the ground with hand tools.(SOUNDBITE OF TOOL HITTING DIRT)WESTERVELT: Just up the road, helicopters are dropping water on a main edge of the massive Caldor Fire as it crackles toward the Tahoe Basin. Like most wildland firefighting crews, this one from Reno has been jumping from fire to fire with little downtime. Already this year, Reno Fire has sent crews to eight different states. Most of this crew just shifted from the nearby Dixie Fire, California's second-largest fire on record, to help defend Lake Tahoe. Smoke, ash, heat, sleep deprivation - Battalion Chief Bill Erlach says he has to remind his team not to overdo it.BILL ERLACH: You can see some guys get a little fatigued. And just remind them, hey, there's enough of us. You can take a timeout. You know, take care of yourself, and we'll help take care of you, too, because we do got to pace ourselves.WESTERVELT: Pacing and avoiding firefighter burnout is a nationwide problem. The federal office that decides which wildfires get priority says the U.S. has currently exhausted all national firefighting resources, from personnel to equipment. They've been at this level five alert since mid-July. So now the Pentagon has been tapped to mobilize hundreds of active duty service members, as well as aircraft to help fight wildfires. Some states have also activated the National Guard. Critics charge that the old firefighting deployment models and the mutual aid system are near a breaking point. Exhausted crews, resources stretched thin - that's the reality in the era of climate change-fueled megafires. Add in record drought and the routinization of extreme weather, and you've got a serious problem.THOM PORTER: In 11 months, we saw 6 of the 7 largest fires in California's history all burn - within 11 months. And now we have another fire.WESTERVELT: That's Thom Porter, director of Cal Fire, the state's firefighting agency. I caught up with him while he was surveying the frontlines of the Caldor Fire. Porter says this year, his crews began grueling and intense deployment cycles weeks earlier than last year.PORTER: We've been in it deep for a month longer, and we're approaching that exhaustion point at an earlier point in what will be a long rest of the season.WESTERVELT: To protect firefighter physical and mental health, Porter's tried to formalize a policy of rotating crews home for rest and reset every 21 days, but relentless wildfires once again had other ideas.PORTER: That's not been possible. Even this year, even with that being my direction, we still have people that have been out for 40, 50 days because there are certain key positions that we're that short in that we need to be able to keep them out.WESTERVELT: With fatigue a major concern, Chief Porter says finding that deployment balance is among his top priorities.PORTER: I'm really worried about the rest of the season. And we have a long way to go, as you mentioned, and this is a marathon.WESTERVELT: A marathon with some of the traditionally hardest months still ahead, says Reno Battalion Chief Bill Erlach.ERLACH: October is almost one of the worst seasons for California. And then back in Reno, we've had our worst fires in November, December and January.WESTERVELT: So unfortunately, Erlach says, our fire season is now almost the entire year. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, South Lake Tahoe.(SOUNDBITE OF PHARIS AND JASON ROMERO'S "LOST LULA") LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: There's hope for the evacuated residents of South Lake Tahoe who are waiting to return to their homes. Firefighters have made progress against the massive Caldor Fire threatening the California resort town. Calmer winds and higher humidity have helped their efforts. But with megafires the new norm, the work of wildland firefighters is harder and longer than it used to be. Extreme weather fueled by climate change is putting a strain on them and other emergency workers. NPR's Eric Westervelt has this report. ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: In a stretch of bone-dry pine forest on the edge of South Lake Tahoe, a crew's putting out windblown spot fires. It's hard, tedious work, scraping the ground with hand tools. (SOUNDBITE OF TOOL HITTING DIRT) WESTERVELT: Just up the road, helicopters are dropping water on a main edge of the massive Caldor Fire as it crackles toward the Tahoe Basin. Like most wildland firefighting crews, this one from Reno has been jumping from fire to fire with little downtime. Already this year, Reno Fire has sent crews to eight different states. Most of this crew just shifted from the nearby Dixie Fire, California's second-largest fire on record, to help defend Lake Tahoe. Smoke, ash, heat, sleep deprivation - Battalion Chief Bill Erlach says he has to remind his team not to overdo it. BILL ERLACH: You can see some guys get a little fatigued. And just remind them, hey, there's enough of us. You can take a timeout. You know, take care of yourself, and we'll help take care of you, too, because we do got to pace ourselves. WESTERVELT: Pacing and avoiding firefighter burnout is a nationwide problem. The federal office that decides which wildfires get priority says the U.S. has currently exhausted all national firefighting resources, from personnel to equipment. They've been at this level five alert since mid-July. So now the Pentagon has been tapped to mobilize hundreds of active duty service members, as well as aircraft to help fight wildfires. Some states have also activated the National Guard. Critics charge that the old firefighting deployment models and the mutual aid system are near a breaking point. Exhausted crews, resources stretched thin - that's the reality in the era of climate change-fueled megafires. Add in record drought and the routinization of extreme weather, and you've got a serious problem. THOM PORTER: In 11 months, we saw 6 of the 7 largest fires in California's history all burn - within 11 months. And now we have another fire. WESTERVELT: That's Thom Porter, director of Cal Fire, the state's firefighting agency. I caught up with him while he was surveying the frontlines of the Caldor Fire. Porter says this year, his crews began grueling and intense deployment cycles weeks earlier than last year. PORTER: We've been in it deep for a month longer, and we're approaching that exhaustion point at an earlier point in what will be a long rest of the season. WESTERVELT: To protect firefighter physical and mental health, Porter's tried to formalize a policy of rotating crews home for rest and reset every 21 days, but relentless wildfires once again had other ideas. PORTER: That's not been possible. Even this year, even with that being my direction, we still have people that have been out for 40, 50 days because there are certain key positions that we're that short in that we need to be able to keep them out. WESTERVELT: With fatigue a major concern, Chief Porter says finding that deployment balance is among his top priorities. PORTER: I'm really worried about the rest of the season. And we have a long way to go, as you mentioned, and this is a marathon. WESTERVELT: A marathon with some of the traditionally hardest months still ahead, says Reno Battalion Chief Bill Erlach. ERLACH: October is almost one of the worst seasons for California. And then back in Reno, we've had our worst fires in November, December and January. WESTERVELT: So unfortunately, Erlach says, our fire season is now almost the entire year. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, South Lake Tahoe. (SOUNDBITE OF PHARIS AND JASON ROMERO'S "LOST LULA") Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

eric westervelt

stretch

extreme weather

calmer winds

Environment Story Of The Day NPR hide caption From By  Nick Mott Jason Forthofer, mechanical engineer at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, looks into a fire whirl he generated to demonstrate how fire whirls and fire tornadoes form in wildland fires. Erica Zurek/Montana Public Radio hide caption Jason Forthofer, mechanical engineer at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, looks into a fire whirl he generated to demonstrate how fire whirls and fire tornadoes form in wildland fires. Climate change is driving longer and more intense wildfire seasons, and when fires get big enough they can create their own extreme weather. That weather includes big funnels of smoke and flame called "fire tornadoes." But the connection between the West's increasingly severe fires and those tornadoes remains hazy. In late June, firefighters on the Tennant Fire in Northern California captured footage that went viral. A video posted on Facebook shows a funnel cloud glowing red from flame. It looks like a tornado, or more commonly, a dust devil. It's almost apocalyptic as the swirl of smoke, wind and flame approaches fire engines, heavy machinery and a hotel sign swaying in the wind. Jason Forthofer, a firefighter and mechanical engineer at the U.S. Forest Service's Missoula Fire Sciences Lab in Montana, said funnels like this one are called "fire whirls." He said the difference between whirls and tornadoes is a matter of proportion. "Fire tornadoes are more of that, the larger version of a fire whirl, and they are really the size and scale of a regular tornado," he said. Forthofer said the reason for the proliferation of images and videos like that whirl on the Tennant Fire might just be that people are keeping better track of them. "Most likely it's much easier to document them now because everybody walks around with a camera essentially in their pocket on their phone," he said. The data's too young to be sure, he said, but it is plausible fire tornadoes are occurring more often as fires grow more intense and the conditions that create them more frequent. The ingredients that create fire whirls are heat, rotating air, and conditions that stretch out that rotation along its axis, making it stronger. Forthofer can simulate those ingredients in a chamber in the lab. He heads towards an empty, 12-foot-tall tube and pours alcohol into its bottom, and then finds a lighter to get the flames going. A spinning funnel of fire, about a foot in diameter, shoots upward through the tube. In the real world, it's hard to say how frequently fire whirls or tornadoes happened in the past, since they often occur in remote areas with no one around. But Forthofer went looking for them; he found evidence of fire tornadoes as far back as 1871, when catastrophic fires hit Chicago and Wisconsin. "I realized that these giant tornado sized fire whirls, let's call them, happen more frequently than we thought, and a lot of firefighters didn't even realize that was even a thing that was even possible," Forthofer said. National Weather Service Meteorologist Julie Malingowski said fire tornadoes are rare, but do happen. She gives firefighters weather updates on the ground during wildfires, which can be life or death information. She said the most important day-to-day factors that dictate fire behavior, like wind, heat and relative humidity, are a lot more mundane than those spinning funnels of flame. "Everything the fire does as far as spread, as soon as a fire breaks out, is reliant on what the weather's doing around it," Malingowski said. Researchers are tracking other extreme weather behavior produced by fires, like fire-generated thunderstorms from what are called pyrocumulonimbus clouds, or pyroCBs. Those thunderstorms can produce dangerous conditions for fire behavior, including those necessary for fire tornadoes to occur. Michael Fromm, a meteorologist at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C., said the information only goes back less than a decade, but the overall number of PyrcoCBs generated in North America this year is already higher than any other year in the dataset. "And the fire season isn't even over yet," he said. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

catastrophic fires

pyrocumulonimbus clouds

diameter

michael fromm

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/08/11/summer-vacation-climate-change"></iframe> Extreme weather events, such as record high temperatures and torrential rains, are affecting people's summer vacations. As the climate warms, summer getaways may not be what they once were.NPR's Jeff Brady has the story. This segment aired on August 11, 2021. Advertisement

warms

vacation

temperatures

torrential rains

Environment Story Of The Day NPR hide caption By  Ari Shapiro ,  Adriana Tapia ,  Patrick Jarenwattananon NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Dr. Jennifer Francis, an expert who studies disproportionate Earth warming, about the new study linking the rate of emissions to the likelihood of extreme heat. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: High temperatures have broken records all over the U.S. this summer, and we know that climate change will make heatwaves more frequent and more extreme. Now a study suggests that the rate of global warming increases the probability of extreme temperatures. Atmospheric scientist Jennifer Francis joins us to discuss this study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. She is a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts. Welcome.JENNIFER FRANCIS: Thank you for having me.SHAPIRO: So previous studies have established the relationship between global warming and heat waves. How does this new research about the rate of global warming advance our understanding?FRANCIS: It puts a bold exclamation point on what we already know, and that is that heat waves are going to get more intense. They're going to last longer in the future as we keep dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And this is incredibly timely following the heat wave that occurred in the Pacific Northwest in June that literally smashed records.SHAPIRO: Yeah.FRANCIS: So they looked at how these really extreme events would change in the future as - in different scenarios of the future.SHAPIRO: So let's talk about what those scenarios showed. I mean, if we don't limit our current emissions, like, what's going to happen?FRANCIS: Yeah, so what they found was these record-smashing events would increase in frequency or probability by something like two to seven times in the next 30 years.SHAPIRO: So more than twice as many, up to seven times as many.FRANCIS: Exactly. So this would be a huge increase. And then going beyond that into the future, those probabilities just get even larger, so up to 21 times more likely somewhere around the northern hemisphere.SHAPIRO: Does this mean that looking to extreme temperatures in the past are going to be a poor guide to the future since the Earth is now warming so much more quickly than it was 100 years ago?FRANCIS: It certainly does mean that. And there are many aspects of the way the climate is changing that the past really is not very helpful anymore because we're literally in uncharted territory in many ways.SHAPIRO: But if the rate of warming is significant beyond just the temperature of the Earth, what does that mean if we limit greenhouse gas emissions and stop putting carbon into the atmosphere?FRANCIS: Yeah, so this is something we absolutely have to do. We have to do it as fast as possible and as dramatically as possible because if we can turn our emissions around and literally get to the point where we are not adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere anymore, we can make this probability of record-smashing heat events like the one we saw this summer - they'll still happen more often, but they won't be as common as this research suggests it could be in the future.SHAPIRO: I just have to ask about the definition of a record-setting heat event because once a record is broken, the new record is higher than the old one. Are you talking about constantly breaking new records, and so we're hitting temperatures that are hotter and hotter and hotter?FRANCIS: That's exactly what this means. And that was another really interesting aspect of the study because they looked at these record-smashing events, and as you say, they build on each other. So once you set a new record, then a record-smashing event has to exceed that. So this information is telling us that, really, the situation is even worse than we thought. And it also tells us that there's hope because if we are able to slow down our emissions, which would in turn slow down the rate of warming of the globe, then we could make this situation much less bad than it would be otherwise.SHAPIRO: That is Jennifer Francis, senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts. Thank you for speaking with us.FRANCIS: You're very welcome.(SOUNDBITE OF LOUPO'S "I'M READY") ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: High temperatures have broken records all over the U.S. this summer, and we know that climate change will make heatwaves more frequent and more extreme. Now a study suggests that the rate of global warming increases the probability of extreme temperatures. Atmospheric scientist Jennifer Francis joins us to discuss this study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. She is a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts. Welcome. JENNIFER FRANCIS: Thank you for having me. SHAPIRO: So previous studies have established the relationship between global warming and heat waves. How does this new research about the rate of global warming advance our understanding? FRANCIS: It puts a bold exclamation point on what we already know, and that is that heat waves are going to get more intense. They're going to last longer in the future as we keep dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And this is incredibly timely following the heat wave that occurred in the Pacific Northwest in June that literally smashed records. SHAPIRO: Yeah. FRANCIS: So they looked at how these really extreme events would change in the future as - in different scenarios of the future. SHAPIRO: So let's talk about what those scenarios showed. I mean, if we don't limit our current emissions, like, what's going to happen? FRANCIS: Yeah, so what they found was these record-smashing events would increase in frequency or probability by something like two to seven times in the next 30 years. SHAPIRO: So more than twice as many, up to seven times as many. FRANCIS: Exactly. So this would be a huge increase. And then going beyond that into the future, those probabilities just get even larger, so up to 21 times more likely somewhere around the northern hemisphere. SHAPIRO: Does this mean that looking to extreme temperatures in the past are going to be a poor guide to the future since the Earth is now warming so much more quickly than it was 100 years ago? FRANCIS: It certainly does mean that. And there are many aspects of the way the climate is changing that the past really is not very helpful anymore because we're literally in uncharted territory in many ways. SHAPIRO: But if the rate of warming is significant beyond just the temperature of the Earth, what does that mean if we limit greenhouse gas emissions and stop putting carbon into the atmosphere? FRANCIS: Yeah, so this is something we absolutely have to do. We have to do it as fast as possible and as dramatically as possible because if we can turn our emissions around and literally get to the point where we are not adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere anymore, we can make this probability of record-smashing heat events like the one we saw this summer - they'll still happen more often, but they won't be as common as this research suggests it could be in the future. SHAPIRO: I just have to ask about the definition of a record-setting heat event because once a record is broken, the new record is higher than the old one. Are you talking about constantly breaking new records, and so we're hitting temperatures that are hotter and hotter and hotter? FRANCIS: That's exactly what this means. And that was another really interesting aspect of the study because they looked at these record-smashing events, and as you say, they build on each other. So once you set a new record, then a record-smashing event has to exceed that. So this information is telling us that, really, the situation is even worse than we thought. And it also tells us that there's hope because if we are able to slow down our emissions, which would in turn slow down the rate of warming of the globe, then we could make this situation much less bad than it would be otherwise. SHAPIRO: That is Jennifer Francis, senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts. Thank you for speaking with us. FRANCIS: You're very welcome. (SOUNDBITE OF LOUPO'S "I'M READY") Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

temperatures

extreme temperatures

aspects

extreme heat

Environment Story Of The Day NPR hide caption By  Rachel Treisman The remains of a burned home are seen in the Indian Falls neighborhood of unincorporated Plumas County, California on July 26, 2021. Extreme weather events have claimed hundreds of lives worldwide in recent weeks, and upcoming forecasts for wildfire and hurricane seasons are dire. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption The remains of a burned home are seen in the Indian Falls neighborhood of unincorporated Plumas County, California on July 26, 2021. Extreme weather events have claimed hundreds of lives worldwide in recent weeks, and upcoming forecasts for wildfire and hurricane seasons are dire. Heat waves. Floods. Wildfires. It's been a destructive summer so far, and forecasts for droughts, fires and hurricanes are looking downright bleak. We know that climate change is to blame. But how exactly is global warming driving dangerous weather? Lauren Sommer and Rebecca Hersher from NPR's climate team broke down the details in a conversation with Morning Edition's Noel King. The country is experiencing yet another heat wave this week. Is it just us or is this summer unusual? It's not just our memories — this past June was the hottest June recorded in the U.S. in more than a century, about four degrees hotter on average. Heat waves (like in the Pacific Northwest) can be deadly, and many cities are just realizing now how underprepared they are to deal with them. What's the connection between these extreme heat events and climate change? There's been about two degrees Fahrenheit of warming so far worldwide. The number sounds small, but it's enough to "profoundly shift the statistics of extreme heat events," according to Dr. Radley Horton, a climate scientist at Columbia University. He says these "dangerous thresholds of really high temperature and high humidity" could potentially happen twice as often as they have in the past. What does this mean for wildfires? About 95% of the West is in drought right now, and there's a clear cycle where heat dries out land and vegetation. So when wildfires do happen, they burn hotter and even create their own weather systems in which huge pyrocumulus clouds can generate lightning strike — in turn causing even more fires. What does a hotter Earth have to do with flash flooding? It's been a wild few weeks for flash flood disasters, from Central China to western Europe to Mumbai to Arizona. These fast-moving waters have killed hundreds of people, but they're not a surprise to climate scientists, who have been sounding the alarms for years. Even though these floods happened around their world, their root cause was the same: extreme rain. And it's getting more common as the Earth gets warmer (hot air + hot water = more moisture in the air). Plus, as the planet heats up, some climate models show winds in the upper atmosphere slowing down in certain places, which would mean that extreme weather would linger there longer. Scientists are working hard to predict how common these disasters will be in the years to come. After all, lives are on the line. This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

heat waves

hurricanes

extreme weather

hurricane seasons

Environment Story Of The Day NPR hide caption By  Noel King ,  Rebecca Hersher Weather-wise, it's been a disastrous summer. Scientists say climate change is driving deadly weather disasters around the world, as hotter temperatures produce deeper droughts and heavier rains. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: It's been a disastrous summer so far. Heat waves, floods and other forms of extreme weather have killed many people around the world, and the forecast for drought, wildfire and hurricanes are all dire. How is climate change driving this extreme weather? Noel King spoke to Lauren Sommer and Rebecca Hersher from NPR's climate team.NOEL KING, BYLINE: Lauren, let's start off with you. So the country's experiencing another heat wave this week. And it is July, so we expect heat, but this seems like an unusual summer.LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: It is a bit. I mean, this past June was the hottest June recorded in the U.S. in more than a century. So it was about 4 degrees hotter on average around the country. And then we saw these really extreme heat waves come through like the one in the Pacific Northwest. I mean, more than a hundred people died in that event because heat waves can be extremely deadly, and cities are really realizing their preparations just aren't going far enough.KING: And do scientists draw a direct link between the extremes in temperature and climate change?SOMMER: Yes. I mean, scientists are finding that some of these broken records would be extremely unlikely without climate change. There's been about 2 degrees Fahrenheit of warming so far worldwide. And maybe that doesn't sound like a big number, but Radley Horton, a climate scientist at Columbia University, says that can cause big changes.RADLEY HORTON: Basically, that's enough to profoundly shift the statistics of extreme heat events. It means that these dangerous thresholds of really high temperature and high humidity don't just happen a little more often than they happened in the past. They might happen twice as often.SOMMER: And importantly, nighttime temperatures are warming even faster than daytime temperatures. And that's important to pay attention to because it means people just aren't getting a break, which can make things even more dangerous.KING: The western United States is also experiencing an extreme drought right now and a lot of wildfires. Heat has to be making those two things worse.SOMMER: It definitely is. And at this point, 95% of the West is in drought right now. And there's a clear cycle where the heat just dries out the land and vegetation, and then when the wildfires do come through, they burn hotter, they're more extreme, and they even create their own weather systems where these massive pyrocumulus clouds can generate lightning strikes, and that can cause even more fires.It's also important to note that wildfires are burning outside the U.S., too. I mean, Siberia is seeing a lot of wildfire activity, and this is the third year in a row. And that's a big concern because the soils there, you know, which are either these peat or permafrost, are really rich in organic matter. And when fires hit them, it releases even more carbon to the atmosphere.KING: So we have heat and fires on the one hand. And then, Rebecca, on the other hand, we have extreme flooding. What's going on with floods?REBECCA HERSHER, BYLINE: Yeah. So it has been a wild few weeks. Just a quick rundown - central China got about a year's worth of rain in less than a day, people that were trapped in subway cars underground. Germany and Belgium got a series of rainstorms that turned entire towns into rivers, swept away whole homes. In the U.S., there were dramatic flash floods in Arizona after a heavy rainstorm. And in Mumbai, India, there was so much rain that it triggered landslides, and that buried whole neighborhoods.So all of these disasters - they have been deadly. Fast-moving water is really dangerous. Hundreds of people have been killed. But at a scientific level, the disasters - they're just not surprising. Like, these are exactly the kinds of weather situations that climate scientists have been warning about for years.KING: Why is that? What is the link between the Earth getting hotter and more flash floods?HERSHER: Right. So even though these floods are happening thousands of miles apart all over the world, the cause is basically the same no matter where you are. And that cause is extreme rain, so a lot of rain falling in a short amount of time. And extreme rain, to your question, is getting more common as the Earth heats up, and that's because hot air plus hot water equals tons of moisture in the air. You can think of it as like a sopping-wet sponge. For example, scientists say that the warm air over Europe during the floods earlier this month, it was as saturated as the air during a hurricane. And, you know, Europe is not built to handle hurricane levels of rain.KING: Are there more connections between the Earth getting hotter and extreme weather?HERSHER: Well, if you want to get deeper into the science, there is always more. So there's also a potential wind connection. So as the Earth gets hotter, some climate models show that the winds in the upper atmosphere - they slow down in some places. And those winds - they carry our weather systems. That's like boats in a stream. So when the wind slows down, the weather lingers. And if that weather is a rainstorm, that means it rains for longer.KING: Oh, or like the heat dome getting trapped over certain states...HERSHER: Exactly.KING: ...And then just staying for, like, a week, two weeks, OK.HERSHER: Exactly, yeah. The weather just lingers. And it's important to say these questions - they are the cutting edge of climate science right now. Like, figuring out how climate change is affecting individual weather events, predicting how common disasters like these will get in the next decade - that is what the top scientists are working on.KING: Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer from NPR's climate team, thank you both for your reporting. We appreciate it.HERSHER: Thanks.SOMMER: Thank you. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: It's been a disastrous summer so far. Heat waves, floods and other forms of extreme weather have killed many people around the world, and the forecast for drought, wildfire and hurricanes are all dire. How is climate change driving this extreme weather? Noel King spoke to Lauren Sommer and Rebecca Hersher from NPR's climate team. NOEL KING, BYLINE: Lauren, let's start off with you. So the country's experiencing another heat wave this week. And it is July, so we expect heat, but this seems like an unusual summer. LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: It is a bit. I mean, this past June was the hottest June recorded in the U.S. in more than a century. So it was about 4 degrees hotter on average around the country. And then we saw these really extreme heat waves come through like the one in the Pacific Northwest. I mean, more than a hundred people died in that event because heat waves can be extremely deadly, and cities are really realizing their preparations just aren't going far enough. KING: And do scientists draw a direct link between the extremes in temperature and climate change? SOMMER: Yes. I mean, scientists are finding that some of these broken records would be extremely unlikely without climate change. There's been about 2 degrees Fahrenheit of warming so far worldwide. And maybe that doesn't sound like a big number, but Radley Horton, a climate scientist at Columbia University, says that can cause big changes. RADLEY HORTON: Basically, that's enough to profoundly shift the statistics of extreme heat events. It means that these dangerous thresholds of really high temperature and high humidity don't just happen a little more often than they happened in the past. They might happen twice as often. SOMMER: And importantly, nighttime temperatures are warming even faster than daytime temperatures. And that's important to pay attention to because it means people just aren't getting a break, which can make things even more dangerous. KING: The western United States is also experiencing an extreme drought right now and a lot of wildfires. Heat has to be making those two things worse. SOMMER: It definitely is. And at this point, 95% of the West is in drought right now. And there's a clear cycle where the heat just dries out the land and vegetation, and then when the wildfires do come through, they burn hotter, they're more extreme, and they even create their own weather systems where these massive pyrocumulus clouds can generate lightning strikes, and that can cause even more fires. It's also important to note that wildfires are burning outside the U.S., too. I mean, Siberia is seeing a lot of wildfire activity, and this is the third year in a row. And that's a big concern because the soils there, you know, which are either these peat or permafrost, are really rich in organic matter. And when fires hit them, it releases even more carbon to the atmosphere. KING: So we have heat and fires on the one hand. And then, Rebecca, on the other hand, we have extreme flooding. What's going on with floods? REBECCA HERSHER, BYLINE: Yeah. So it has been a wild few weeks. Just a quick rundown - central China got about a year's worth of rain in less than a day, people that were trapped in subway cars underground. Germany and Belgium got a series of rainstorms that turned entire towns into rivers, swept away whole homes. In the U.S., there were dramatic flash floods in Arizona after a heavy rainstorm. And in Mumbai, India, there was so much rain that it triggered landslides, and that buried whole neighborhoods. So all of these disasters - they have been deadly. Fast-moving water is really dangerous. Hundreds of people have been killed. But at a scientific level, the disasters - they're just not surprising. Like, these are exactly the kinds of weather situations that climate scientists have been warning about for years. KING: Why is that? What is the link between the Earth getting hotter and more flash floods? HERSHER: Right. So even though these floods are happening thousands of miles apart all over the world, the cause is basically the same no matter where you are. And that cause is extreme rain, so a lot of rain falling in a short amount of time. And extreme rain, to your question, is getting more common as the Earth heats up, and that's because hot air plus hot water equals tons of moisture in the air. You can think of it as like a sopping-wet sponge. For example, scientists say that the warm air over Europe during the floods earlier this month, it was as saturated as the air during a hurricane. And, you know, Europe is not built to handle hurricane levels of rain. KING: Are there more connections between the Earth getting hotter and extreme weather? HERSHER: Well, if you want to get deeper into the science, there is always more. So there's also a potential wind connection. So as the Earth gets hotter, some climate models show that the winds in the upper atmosphere - they slow down in some places. And those winds - they carry our weather systems. That's like boats in a stream. So when the wind slows down, the weather lingers. And if that weather is a rainstorm, that means it rains for longer. KING: Oh, or like the heat dome getting trapped over certain states... HERSHER: Exactly. KING: ...And then just staying for, like, a week, two weeks, OK. HERSHER: Exactly, yeah. The weather just lingers. And it's important to say these questions - they are the cutting edge of climate science right now. Like, figuring out how climate change is affecting individual weather events, predicting how common disasters like these will get in the next decade - that is what the top scientists are working on. KING: Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer from NPR's climate team, thank you both for your reporting. We appreciate it. HERSHER: Thanks. SOMMER: Thank you. Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

deeper droughts

extreme rain

heavier rains

hurricane levels

By  Sarah McCammon ,  Steve Inskeep A bipartisan infrastructure deal clears its first hurdle. Biden is expected to announce that civilian federal employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19. Global warming drives extreme weather. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: A bipartisan infrastructure deal weeks in the making cleared its first hurdle last night.STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Seventeen Republicans joined all 50 Senate Democrats in a vote to begin debate on this trillion-dollar package. It's money for roads, bridges, rail, transit, water and other physical infrastructure programs; a huge investment, although not all of it is newly authorized money. To be clear, senators only voted to begin debate here. They haven't actually finished writing the legislation, but the president celebrated. Most Senate bills require bipartisan buy-in to avoid a filibuster, and this time, they got it.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: While there's a lot we don't agree on, I believe that we should be able to work together on the few things we do agree on.MCCAMMON: NPR's congressional correspondent Susan Davis joins us now to talk about it. Good morning, Sue.SUSAN DAVIS, BYLINE: Hey, Sarah.MCCAMMON: So, as Steve said, there is still more work to do, but this looks like a significant step forward. And we know those are pretty rare in Congress.DAVIS: (Laughter).MCCAMMON: Is this as promising as it sounds?DAVIS: You know, it certainly took some effort. President Biden and the bipartisan group of senators announced they had a deal on this more than a month ago. It took a while to work out the details. And as Steve noted, it still needs to be written and pass both chambers. But I think this is a victory for President Biden, both in terms of the policy and in terms of the politics. It's been a central pillar of his domestic agenda. The White House projects that the investments that this bill will make will add millions of jobs annually over the next decade. And broadly, it's proof of his political argument, that he is someone who can bring the two parties together to get stuff done.MCCAMMON: As we heard, there's a lot that's been outlined here. Break down for us what's actually in this package, at least as it stands currently.DAVIS: Well, it will spend about $1.2 trillion over the next eight years. Just under half of that is new spending. It's focused on what people call hard infrastructure. Money for roads - there's about $100 billion in there for roads spending. Huge infusion of money for transit systems - it has $66 billion for one of Biden's personal priorities, the Amtrak rail system, which he rode for years as a Delaware senator. The bill will also spend money on clean energy programs, expand high-speed internet access, especially in rural parts of the country. And Biden also touted things like it will replace all of the nation's lead pipe systems.MCCAMMON: And the inevitable question, how do you pay for half a trillion in new spending?DAVIS: Yeah, always the good question with legislation. Most of it is shifting around unspent COVID relief money. It also shifts money from unemployment insurance aid programs. And then there's sort of a grab bag of smaller provisions, like strengthening tax enforcement on cryptocurrencies, restarting a tax on chemical manufacturers, among other things.MCCAMMON: So as we've said, last night's vote was a really important step. What happens now?DAVIS: Well, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says that they believe they can debate and pass this bill within the next few days, not weeks. Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday reiterated that she has no plans to take up this bill until the Senate also passes a budget resolution that would start the process on a $3 1/2 trillion spending package that Democrats are working on moving without any Republican input or votes using special budget rules. There's also been some grumbling among House Democrats about this infrastructure bill. I mean, they weren't really involved in this negotiation, and they have ideas on their own. But on the whole, if the White House is on board, it's going to be really hard to make changes to the fundamental deal. Most Democrats are much more focused on this upcoming budget package. It includes much more ambitious and new policies, like expanding Medicare, expanding paid family leave, universal pre-K education. That's really going to dominate the fall agenda in Congress.MCCAMMON: NPR's Susan Davis, thanks.DAVIS: You're welcome.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)MCCAMMON: President Biden is set to announce today he wants all civilian federal employees to show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus.INSKEEP: That news marks a big change from just a few weeks ago, which is when the president stood on the South Lawn of the White House with a thousand mask-free guests to mark Independence Day.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)BIDEN: Today, we're closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus.INSKEEP: Since then, there's been a setback. Vaccination rates have stalled in many parts of the United States, and the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, which is why the president is acting now.MCCAMMON: We've got NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith on the line to tell us more. Hi, Tam.TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Good morning.MCCAMMON: What more do we know about this decision by President Biden?KEITH: You know, he's been begging people to get vaccinated for months, but one area where he can do more than beg is where it comes to federal employees. And there are about 2 million of them. He's expected to announce that these civilian employees will need to be either vaccinated or that they will have to wear a mask at all times and get tested for COVID regularly. They're shying away from calling it a mandate. But this policy may have the effect of making being unvaccinated sort of a pain, which could push some people to just go ahead and get the jab.MCCAMMON: A little more pressure there. On Tuesday, the CDC said that in many parts of the country, even people who are fully vaccinated should wear masks indoors in public places. So what is the president saying about this change in guidance?KEITH: Yeah. So that's in areas with substantial spread, and it's a lot of the country. The president hasn't said much about it yet. And it's a bit awkward because it wasn't all that long ago that the CDC said vaccinated people could ditch their masks. And Biden at the time pitched it as a big incentive to get vaccinated. But vaccinations stalled ultimately anyway. Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute of Global Health, says that earlier masking guidance was sort of a mess.SAAD OMER: They got a good grade, probably an A, in terms of biological science when they came out with some of those recommendations. But they got an incomplete at best on behavioral science.MCCAMMON: Which leads us to the political question, Tam, how risky is this state of the pandemic, politically speaking, for the president?KEITH: President Biden was elected, at least in part, because people felt like he could fix this, and things are a lot better than they were six months ago. But this turn is disappointing. I talked to David Axelrod. He was a senior adviser to former President Obama and is now at The University of Chicago.DAVID AXELROD: You know, we were building, building, building back to normalcy. And now this is a backslide. And it's very dispiriting and I think hard to tell people actually we're going backward, not forward, at least for now.KEITH: Axelrod also was critical of the way the CDC has communicated the shifts in the virus and the guidance. And President Biden has really tied his pandemic response to the CDC, following their lead. Axelrod and other strategists I talked to said it's not clear that Biden will take the blame for some of the more unpredictable parts of this pandemic. But as the midterm elections get closer, there's less time to recover from setbacks. So there are big questions. Does vaccination pick up? Are these vaccination mandates we're hearing about the beginning of a trend? These analysts also told me it's critical for Biden to ensure schools open in the fall and that the economy continues to improve.MCCAMMON: NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Thanks, Tam.KEITH: You're welcome.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)MCCAMMON: When it comes to extreme weather, this summer has been a disaster.INSKEEP: Heat waves, floods and other extreme weather events are killing people around the world. And looking ahead, the forecasts for more extreme droughts, wildfires and hurricanes are all pretty bad. The culprit, of course, is climate change.MCCAMMON: Here to talk more about how global warming is driving this dangerous weather is Rebecca Hersher from NPR's climate team. Good morning, Rebecca.REBECCA HERSHER, BYLINE: Good morning.MCCAMMON: So let's start with the heat. A heat wave in June set new records in many parts of the U.S.; another is on the way. Of course, it is summer. You sign up for some heat this time of year. But how unusual is what we're experiencing right now?HERSHER: Yeah, last month was the hottest June ever recorded in the U.S. for more than a century. And that's about four degrees hotter on average. And we really saw extreme heat waves come through. Like in the Pacific Northwest, more than 100 people died in that event. There have also been new heat records in Europe, the Middle East and the Arctic. And scientists say a lot of those broken records would be extremely unlikely without climate change.MCCAMMON: At the same time, we're seeing extreme drought in the western U.S. and overseas in places like northern and southern Africa. That leads, of course, to wildfires. How is climate change making those things worse?HERSHER: Well, you know, it all goes back to that heat. So the heat dries out the land and the vegetation. It exacerbates drought. And then when wildfires do come through, they burn hotter, they move more quickly. And one of the most worrisome places where fires are burning - and this is for the third year in a row - is Siberia. And that's a big concern because the soils there, they're either peat or permafrost. They are rich in organic matter. When fires hit them, it releases even more carbon into the atmosphere.MCCAMMON: OK, so that's heat and drought. On the other end of things, there have been more flash floods where water rises and overtakes areas really quickly. It's happening in a lot of places.HERSHER: Yeah. Fast moving water is really dangerous, and hundreds of people have been killed just in the last few weeks. So Central China got about a year's worth of rain in less than a day. People were trapped in the subway cars - really horrifying images from there. Germany and Belgium saw rainstorms that turned entire towns into rivers, swept away homes. In Mumbai, India, rain triggered landslides that buried neighborhoods. And here in the U.S., there were dramatic flash floods in Arizona after a heavy rain. So that's all really deadly. But at a scientific level, these water disasters are not surprising. You know, scientists have issued warnings about this exact thing for years.MCCAMMON: Right. Rebecca, what's the mechanism here? I mean, how exactly does a hotter Earth lead to more flash flooding?HERSHER: Right. So basically hot air plus hot water means tons of moisture in the air. So you can think of it like a sopping wet sponge. And when that water falls in a short amount of time, that's when you get this extreme rain. So, for example, scientists say that during the floods this month in Europe, the warm air was as saturated as the air during a hurricane. You know, Europe, it just isn't built to handle hurricane levels of rain. And there's also a potential wind connection. So as the Earth heats up, some climate models show that the winds in the upper atmosphere slow down in some places. And those winds, they carry our weather systems. They're like boats in a stream. So when the wind slows down, the weather lingers. And if that weather is a rainstorm, it means longer rains, you know. And it's important to say that these questions, they're the cutting edge of climate science. This is what scientists are working on right now is answering these questions.MCCAMMON: Lots of big questions. Rebecca Hersher from the NPR climate team, thanks so much.HERSHER: Thanks so much. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: A bipartisan infrastructure deal weeks in the making cleared its first hurdle last night. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Seventeen Republicans joined all 50 Senate Democrats in a vote to begin debate on this trillion-dollar package. It's money for roads, bridges, rail, transit, water and other physical infrastructure programs; a huge investment, although not all of it is newly authorized money. To be clear, senators only voted to begin debate here. They haven't actually finished writing the legislation, but the president celebrated. Most Senate bills require bipartisan buy-in to avoid a filibuster, and this time, they got it. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: While there's a lot we don't agree on, I believe that we should be able to work together on the few things we do agree on. MCCAMMON: NPR's congressional correspondent Susan Davis joins us now to talk about it. Good morning, Sue. SUSAN DAVIS, BYLINE: Hey, Sarah. MCCAMMON: So, as Steve said, there is still more work to do, but this looks like a significant step forward. And we know those are pretty rare in Congress. DAVIS: (Laughter). MCCAMMON: Is this as promising as it sounds? DAVIS: You know, it certainly took some effort. President Biden and the bipartisan group of senators announced they had a deal on this more than a month ago. It took a while to work out the details. And as Steve noted, it still needs to be written and pass both chambers. But I think this is a victory for President Biden, both in terms of the policy and in terms of the politics. It's been a central pillar of his domestic agenda. The White House projects that the investments that this bill will make will add millions of jobs annually over the next decade. And broadly, it's proof of his political argument, that he is someone who can bring the two parties together to get stuff done. MCCAMMON: As we heard, there's a lot that's been outlined here. Break down for us what's actually in this package, at least as it stands currently. DAVIS: Well, it will spend about $1.2 trillion over the next eight years. Just under half of that is new spending. It's focused on what people call hard infrastructure. Money for roads - there's about $100 billion in there for roads spending. Huge infusion of money for transit systems - it has $66 billion for one of Biden's personal priorities, the Amtrak rail system, which he rode for years as a Delaware senator. The bill will also spend money on clean energy programs, expand high-speed internet access, especially in rural parts of the country. And Biden also touted things like it will replace all of the nation's lead pipe systems. MCCAMMON: And the inevitable question, how do you pay for half a trillion in new spending? DAVIS: Yeah, always the good question with legislation. Most of it is shifting around unspent COVID relief money. It also shifts money from unemployment insurance aid programs. And then there's sort of a grab bag of smaller provisions, like strengthening tax enforcement on cryptocurrencies, restarting a tax on chemical manufacturers, among other things. MCCAMMON: So as we've said, last night's vote was a really important step. What happens now? DAVIS: Well, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says that they believe they can debate and pass this bill within the next few days, not weeks. Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday reiterated that she has no plans to take up this bill until the Senate also passes a budget resolution that would start the process on a $3 1/2 trillion spending package that Democrats are working on moving without any Republican input or votes using special budget rules. There's also been some grumbling among House Democrats about this infrastructure bill. I mean, they weren't really involved in this negotiation, and they have ideas on their own. But on the whole, if the White House is on board, it's going to be really hard to make changes to the fundamental deal. Most Democrats are much more focused on this upcoming budget package. It includes much more ambitious and new policies, like expanding Medicare, expanding paid family leave, universal pre-K education. That's really going to dominate the fall agenda in Congress. MCCAMMON: NPR's Susan Davis, thanks. DAVIS: You're welcome. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) MCCAMMON: President Biden is set to announce today he wants all civilian federal employees to show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus. INSKEEP: That news marks a big change from just a few weeks ago, which is when the president stood on the South Lawn of the White House with a thousand mask-free guests to mark Independence Day. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) BIDEN: Today, we're closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus. INSKEEP: Since then, there's been a setback. Vaccination rates have stalled in many parts of the United States, and the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, which is why the president is acting now. MCCAMMON: We've got NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith on the line to tell us more. Hi, Tam. TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Good morning. MCCAMMON: What more do we know about this decision by President Biden? KEITH: You know, he's been begging people to get vaccinated for months, but one area where he can do more than beg is where it comes to federal employees. And there are about 2 million of them. He's expected to announce that these civilian employees will need to be either vaccinated or that they will have to wear a mask at all times and get tested for COVID regularly. They're shying away from calling it a mandate. But this policy may have the effect of making being unvaccinated sort of a pain, which could push some people to just go ahead and get the jab. MCCAMMON: A little more pressure there. On Tuesday, the CDC said that in many parts of the country, even people who are fully vaccinated should wear masks indoors in public places. So what is the president saying about this change in guidance? KEITH: Yeah. So that's in areas with substantial spread, and it's a lot of the country. The president hasn't said much about it yet. And it's a bit awkward because it wasn't all that long ago that the CDC said vaccinated people could ditch their masks. And Biden at the time pitched it as a big incentive to get vaccinated. But vaccinations stalled ultimately anyway. Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute of Global Health, says that earlier masking guidance was sort of a mess. SAAD OMER: They got a good grade, probably an A, in terms of biological science when they came out with some of those recommendations. But they got an incomplete at best on behavioral science. MCCAMMON: Which leads us to the political question, Tam, how risky is this state of the pandemic, politically speaking, for the president? KEITH: President Biden was elected, at least in part, because people felt like he could fix this, and things are a lot better than they were six months ago. But this turn is disappointing. I talked to David Axelrod. He was a senior adviser to former President Obama and is now at The University of Chicago. DAVID AXELROD: You know, we were building, building, building back to normalcy. And now this is a backslide. And it's very dispiriting and I think hard to tell people actually we're going backward, not forward, at least for now. KEITH: Axelrod also was critical of the way the CDC has communicated the shifts in the virus and the guidance. And President Biden has really tied his pandemic response to the CDC, following their lead. Axelrod and other strategists I talked to said it's not clear that Biden will take the blame for some of the more unpredictable parts of this pandemic. But as the midterm elections get closer, there's less time to recover from setbacks. So there are big questions. Does vaccination pick up? Are these vaccination mandates we're hearing about the beginning of a trend? These analysts also told me it's critical for Biden to ensure schools open in the fall and that the economy continues to improve. MCCAMMON: NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Thanks, Tam. KEITH: You're welcome. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) MCCAMMON: When it comes to extreme weather, this summer has been a disaster. INSKEEP: Heat waves, floods and other extreme weather events are killing people around the world. And looking ahead, the forecasts for more extreme droughts, wildfires and hurricanes are all pretty bad. The culprit, of course, is climate change. MCCAMMON: Here to talk more about how global warming is driving this dangerous weather is Rebecca Hersher from NPR's climate team. Good morning, Rebecca. REBECCA HERSHER, BYLINE: Good morning. MCCAMMON: So let's start with the heat. A heat wave in June set new records in many parts of the U.S.; another is on the way. Of course, it is summer. You sign up for some heat this time of year. But how unusual is what we're experiencing right now? HERSHER: Yeah, last month was the hottest June ever recorded in the U.S. for more than a century. And that's about four degrees hotter on average. And we really saw extreme heat waves come through. Like in the Pacific Northwest, more than 100 people died in that event. There have also been new heat records in Europe, the Middle East and the Arctic. And scientists say a lot of those broken records would be extremely unlikely without climate change. MCCAMMON: At the same time, we're seeing extreme drought in the western U.S. and overseas in places like northern and southern Africa. That leads, of course, to wildfires. How is climate change making those things worse? HERSHER: Well, you know, it all goes back to that heat. So the heat dries out the land and the vegetation. It exacerbates drought. And then when wildfires do come through, they burn hotter, they move more quickly. And one of the most worrisome places where fires are burning - and this is for the third year in a row - is Siberia. And that's a big concern because the soils there, they're either peat or permafrost. They are rich in organic matter. When fires hit them, it releases even more carbon into the atmosphere. MCCAMMON: OK, so that's heat and drought. On the other end of things, there have been more flash floods where water rises and overtakes areas really quickly. It's happening in a lot of places. HERSHER: Yeah. Fast moving water is really dangerous, and hundreds of people have been killed just in the last few weeks. So Central China got about a year's worth of rain in less than a day. People were trapped in the subway cars - really horrifying images from there. Germany and Belgium saw rainstorms that turned entire towns into rivers, swept away homes. In Mumbai, India, rain triggered landslides that buried neighborhoods. And here in the U.S., there were dramatic flash floods in Arizona after a heavy rain. So that's all really deadly. But at a scientific level, these water disasters are not surprising. You know, scientists have issued warnings about this exact thing for years. MCCAMMON: Right. Rebecca, what's the mechanism here? I mean, how exactly does a hotter Earth lead to more flash flooding? HERSHER: Right. So basically hot air plus hot water means tons of moisture in the air. So you can think of it like a sopping wet sponge. And when that water falls in a short amount of time, that's when you get this extreme rain. So, for example, scientists say that during the floods this month in Europe, the warm air was as saturated as the air during a hurricane. You know, Europe, it just isn't built to handle hurricane levels of rain. And there's also a potential wind connection. So as the Earth heats up, some climate models show that the winds in the upper atmosphere slow down in some places. And those winds, they carry our weather systems. They're like boats in a stream. So when the wind slows down, the weather lingers. And if that weather is a rainstorm, it means longer rains, you know. And it's important to say that these questions, they're the cutting edge of climate science. This is what scientists are working on right now is answering these questions. MCCAMMON: Lots of big questions. Rebecca Hersher from the NPR climate team, thanks so much. HERSHER: Thanks so much. Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hurricanes

extreme weather

longer rains

hurricane levels

Jeff Brady Western wildfires create a hazy sky as a person surfs on the water in Indiana Dunes State Park on Tuesday. Shafkat Anowar/AP hide caption Western wildfires create a hazy sky as a person surfs on the water in Indiana Dunes State Park on Tuesday. Updated on August 4 After last year's pandemic-induced isolation many of us were especially looking forward to regular summer activities this year, like a vacation, music festivals, camping or time at the beach. But large parts of the country have experienced extreme weather that may have made your plans less enjoyable, or led you to change them. Smoke and haze from Western fires have forced flight delays and cancellations. Drought and heat are closing rivers to fishing. Even beyond areas that have seen the most extreme heat waves, summer camps are coping with a cascade of changes from higher temperatures. And with the climate continuing to warm, all these extreme weather impacts are expected to become more frequent and intense. If wildfire, smoke, extreme heat, flooding or other such events have interfered with your summer plans, we want to hear from you. Please fill out the form below. Your experience may be part of an upcoming story. This form was closed on August 4. Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

temperatures

beach

extreme weather

extreme heat

Rebecca Hersher Volunteers fight a wildfire in northeastern Siberia on July 17th. Heat waves in the Russian Arctic and boreal forests have fueled intense, widespread blazes that can damage trees and release enormous amounts of stored carbon dioxide from forests and permafrost. Ivan Nikiforov/AP hide caption Volunteers fight a wildfire in northeastern Siberia on July 17th. Heat waves in the Russian Arctic and boreal forests have fueled intense, widespread blazes that can damage trees and release enormous amounts of stored carbon dioxide from forests and permafrost. More than 200 of the world's leading climate scientists will begin meeting today to finalize a landmark report summarizing how Earth's climate has already changed, and what humans can expect for the rest of the century. The report is the sixth edition of an assessment of the latest climate science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body that coordinates research about global warming. The last edition of this report came out in 2013 — an eternity in the world of climate science, where the pace of both warming and research are steadily accelerating. The urgency of addressing global warming has never been more clear. The two-week virtual meeting of IPCC scientists coincides with a raft of deadly climate-driven disasters unfolding around the world, from flash floods in Europe, North America and Asia, to intense wildfires in Siberia, to widespread persistent heat waves and droughts that threaten to upend food supplies in the U.S., Middle East and much of Africa. The new report will be a crucial document for world leaders. It represents the international scientific consensus about human-caused climate change. Governments rely on its predictions as they develop policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, manage forests and fisheries and decide how to protect their citizens from extreme weather. In November, world leaders will meet for the first time since 2019 to discuss promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions — promises that are still insufficient to prevent catastrophic warming this century. It takes years to put together the IPCC report. It has 12 chapters, covering everything from the heat-trapping properties of individual greenhouse gases to extreme weather events to the regional impacts of global warming. Over the next two weeks, the authors of the report will hash out the final draft. Here are three things to watch for. Climate science has come a long way in the last decade The new report will be the most comprehensive, detailed and accurate picture of the global climate ever released. The computer models that scientists use to predict how the climate will change in the future are a lot more advanced than they were a decade ago, when the last edition was published. And the data that feeds those models is also more robust, thanks to satellites, buoys and information about the historical climate gathered from rock, ice and mud. Together, those advances allow scientists to say with more certainty how quickly the Earth is heating up, and how the extra heat being trapped by greenhouse gases will affect everything from sea levels and hurricanes to droughts and heat waves. For this report, scientists considered all the climate research published before February 2021. That's thousands of studies about the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, forests and weather patterns. The meeting that kicks off today will focus on how to phrase key takeaways, such as how quickly the Earth is barreling toward the 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warming threshold set by the Paris climate agreement in order to avoid the most catastrophic effects of global warming. There are five future scenarios that scientists are imagining A critical goal of the forthcoming report is to help governments make decisions about how to address climate change. The report won't tell governments what to do, but it is meant to help leaders understand the effects of different policies. For example, if humans stop burning coal immediately, it will dramatically reduce the rate of global warming. But what if humans stop burning coal in the next five years? Or ten years? Or what if solar panels get really cheap and population growth slows down? How does that affect climate change? The new IPCC report is meant to help answer such questions using a set of 5 hypothetical policy scenarios. This is the first time the IPCC has used these scenarios, which are essentially a collection of imaginary worlds in which countries pursue different sets of climate policies. For example, in one world countries work together to develop low-cost, low-carbon technologies and put them into use quickly for everyone. In another, some countries or groups of people transition very quickly to wind, solar and other clean energy sources while others move much more slowly. In a third imaginary world, nationalism surges around the world and governments focus on local energy and food security rather than global economic changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Each of the five scenarios takes into account population growth, GDP and a host of other demographic, economic and technological possibilities. Under most of the scenarios, it's still possible to keep global warming below the 2 degree Celsius threshold set by the Paris agreement, says Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. In other words, there are many ways to address climate change, and the new report will help describe those options. The Biden administration has promised to cut U.S. emissions in half by 2030, but has not released a specific plan for how to achieve that goal. A major infrastructure package that would invest in cleaner transportation and electricity is facing an uncertain future in Congress. Loading... The report will include regional information for the first time This is the first time the IPCC will break down its global climate science findings by region. That's a big deal because the climate is changing in different ways depending on where you live. For example, the Arctic is warming about twice as fast as the rest of the Earth, and sea levels are rising much more quickly in some areas than in others. But many countries don't have the resources to systematically study how the climate is changing in their region, or what to expect in the future. That leaves governments in the dark about the rate of local sea level rise, for example, or the likelihood of regional drought or extreme rain. Without localized information, it's impossible to prioritize infrastructure and housing that's built for the climate of the future. The forthcoming IPCC report includes a chapter on regional climate change. The IPCC is also releasing an interactive, online regional dashboard that allows policymakers to choose their region and see current and future climate conditions. The U.S. government will not rely on the new regional data from the IPCC. The U.S. already has access to localized data through the National Climate Assessment, which is produced by the federal government every few years. The next edition is scheduled to be published in 2023. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hurricanes

berkeley

extreme weather

extreme rain

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro asks Penn State climate scientist Michael Mann about the relationship between the current examples of extreme weather and climate change. LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: Now, there is no reasonable question that climate change is fueling these events and others around the globe, but there are questions about the details - why, even though the big picture is clear, the local effects of a warming planet are occasionally surprising. Michael Mann is a distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University, and the author of "The New Climate War: The Fight To Take Back Our Planet." We turn to him now because, you know, he's got a pretty good track record on climate predictions.MICHAEL MANN: Well, it's a bit frustrating. As a climate scientist, the last thing you want to see is your predictions come true. And unfortunately, you know, despite the fact that decades ago we warned that if we continue to add carbon pollution to the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels that we would see not just an overall warming of the planet, the melting of ice and sea level rise, but more extreme weather events. And now the signal of climate change in the weather has emerged from the noise. What that means is that we can actually see climate change in the individual extreme weather events that are playing out right now across the northern hemisphere this summer. This is climate change.GARCIA-NAVARRO: Is this a tipping point? Because what we used to hear about climate change is that these things will be happening 20 years in the future, 30 years in the future if we don't take the actions necessary. But what I'm reading from a lot of scientists is that this has accelerated in a way that is surprising.MANN: The warming of the planet is pretty much proceeding as predicted. What's happening, though, is that some of the impacts are playing out faster than we expected. And it has to do with the fact that our models are imperfect. What we're seeing is that some of the impacts were underestimated because our models, for example, didn't have all of the critical processes involved in the collapse of ice sheets, which is so important to sea level rise.Another area is extreme weather events. Now, the models capture some of the basic physics here that's relevant. You warm up the planet, of course, you're going to get more frequent and intense heat waves. You also have the potential for larger flooding events because the warm atmosphere can hold more moisture. But at the same time, that extra heat can dry out the ground and you get worse droughts.But there's something else that's playing out with the events we've seen this summer, and that has to do with the behavior of the jet stream, the way the jet stream is slowing down and sort of getting stuck in place. And so you have these big weather systems that just lie over the same locations day after day - you know, on the West Coast, baking the soil, the heat. Back east, we've had a lot of rainfall because we've been stuck under sort of a low pressure center. And that is something that the models didn't really pick up on. They didn't predict that we would see this extra effect.GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who should be held responsible for the events that we're seeing today? I mean, you've gotten a lot of backlash for your research and outspoken criticism of corporations who contribute to high carbon emissions.MANN: Well, you know, let's take ExxonMobil. Back in the early 1980's, their own scientists, in an internal document that wasn't released to the public, actually referred to the consequences of business as usual, fossil fuel burning as catastrophic. This isn't Al Gore. This isn't the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This isn't me and my fellow climate scientists. This is ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly traded fossil fuel company. And rather than coming forward with what their own scientists had found and engaging in a necessary conversation about how to avert these risks, they doubled down. They ended up getting rid of that research division, and they spent tens of millions of dollars in a massive disinformation campaign.And so make no mistake about it; the fossil fuel industry bears much of the blame here. But there's enough blame to go around - politicians who have refused to rein in the fossil fuel industry, bad actors who have funded climate change denialism. It's what I call the inactivists, this community of entities, individuals and groups that have been waging a war against efforts to contend with the greatest challenge we face as a civilization - the climate crisis.GARCIA-NAVARRO: I mean, and now we're seeing pushback about spending on climate change. Despite all the evidence, this is still politically toxic.MANN: Yeah. We'll have to see what happens with this infrastructure bill that's being discussed. There are some really important climate measures in that bill. For example, a clean energy standard that would require utilities to produce up to 80% of their electricity from clean sources by 2030. And so there's some good stuff in that legislation. What remains to be seen will be, you know, if it survives.GARCIA-NAVARRO: If things do not get better, what can we expect next?MANN: There are two paths. One is a path of destruction. The other road is one where we do what's necessary, where we reduce carbon emissions by a factor two within the next decade, where the countries of the world come together. But that window is closing. We need to act now if we are to go down that far better path.GARCIA-NAVARRO: Should we be watching for anything specific, like jet stream changes or any other indicators that could tell us which path we're headed on?MANN: All eyes right now are on the behavior of the great ice sheets - the Antarctic ice sheet, the Greenland ice sheet. As goes those ice sheets, goes sea level rise. And in a worst-case scenario, we're looking at meters of sea level rise over a timeframe as short as half a century. The major cities, the coastal cities of the world will all be threatened. Tens to hundreds of millions of people could be displaced. So we have to make sure that we do everything we can to prevent that from happening. And that means we've got to reduce those carbon emissions dramatically.GARCIA-NAVARRO: Michael Mann is the distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University. Thank you very much.MANN: Thank you. It was a pleasure.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: Now, there is no reasonable question that climate change is fueling these events and others around the globe, but there are questions about the details - why, even though the big picture is clear, the local effects of a warming planet are occasionally surprising. Michael Mann is a distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University, and the author of "The New Climate War: The Fight To Take Back Our Planet." We turn to him now because, you know, he's got a pretty good track record on climate predictions. MICHAEL MANN: Well, it's a bit frustrating. As a climate scientist, the last thing you want to see is your predictions come true. And unfortunately, you know, despite the fact that decades ago we warned that if we continue to add carbon pollution to the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels that we would see not just an overall warming of the planet, the melting of ice and sea level rise, but more extreme weather events. And now the signal of climate change in the weather has emerged from the noise. What that means is that we can actually see climate change in the individual extreme weather events that are playing out right now across the northern hemisphere this summer. This is climate change. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Is this a tipping point? Because what we used to hear about climate change is that these things will be happening 20 years in the future, 30 years in the future if we don't take the actions necessary. But what I'm reading from a lot of scientists is that this has accelerated in a way that is surprising. MANN: The warming of the planet is pretty much proceeding as predicted. What's happening, though, is that some of the impacts are playing out faster than we expected. And it has to do with the fact that our models are imperfect. What we're seeing is that some of the impacts were underestimated because our models, for example, didn't have all of the critical processes involved in the collapse of ice sheets, which is so important to sea level rise. Another area is extreme weather events. Now, the models capture some of the basic physics here that's relevant. You warm up the planet, of course, you're going to get more frequent and intense heat waves. You also have the potential for larger flooding events because the warm atmosphere can hold more moisture. But at the same time, that extra heat can dry out the ground and you get worse droughts. But there's something else that's playing out with the events we've seen this summer, and that has to do with the behavior of the jet stream, the way the jet stream is slowing down and sort of getting stuck in place. And so you have these big weather systems that just lie over the same locations day after day - you know, on the West Coast, baking the soil, the heat. Back east, we've had a lot of rainfall because we've been stuck under sort of a low pressure center. And that is something that the models didn't really pick up on. They didn't predict that we would see this extra effect. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who should be held responsible for the events that we're seeing today? I mean, you've gotten a lot of backlash for your research and outspoken criticism of corporations who contribute to high carbon emissions. MANN: Well, you know, let's take ExxonMobil. Back in the early 1980's, their own scientists, in an internal document that wasn't released to the public, actually referred to the consequences of business as usual, fossil fuel burning as catastrophic. This isn't Al Gore. This isn't the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This isn't me and my fellow climate scientists. This is ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly traded fossil fuel company. And rather than coming forward with what their own scientists had found and engaging in a necessary conversation about how to avert these risks, they doubled down. They ended up getting rid of that research division, and they spent tens of millions of dollars in a massive disinformation campaign. And so make no mistake about it; the fossil fuel industry bears much of the blame here. But there's enough blame to go around - politicians who have refused to rein in the fossil fuel industry, bad actors who have funded climate change denialism. It's what I call the inactivists, this community of entities, individuals and groups that have been waging a war against efforts to contend with the greatest challenge we face as a civilization - the climate crisis. GARCIA-NAVARRO: I mean, and now we're seeing pushback about spending on climate change. Despite all the evidence, this is still politically toxic. MANN: Yeah. We'll have to see what happens with this infrastructure bill that's being discussed. There are some really important climate measures in that bill. For example, a clean energy standard that would require utilities to produce up to 80% of their electricity from clean sources by 2030. And so there's some good stuff in that legislation. What remains to be seen will be, you know, if it survives. GARCIA-NAVARRO: If things do not get better, what can we expect next? MANN: There are two paths. One is a path of destruction. The other road is one where we do what's necessary, where we reduce carbon emissions by a factor two within the next decade, where the countries of the world come together. But that window is closing. We need to act now if we are to go down that far better path. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Should we be watching for anything specific, like jet stream changes or any other indicators that could tell us which path we're headed on? MANN: All eyes right now are on the behavior of the great ice sheets - the Antarctic ice sheet, the Greenland ice sheet. As goes those ice sheets, goes sea level rise. And in a worst-case scenario, we're looking at meters of sea level rise over a timeframe as short as half a century. The major cities, the coastal cities of the world will all be threatened. Tens to hundreds of millions of people could be displaced. So we have to make sure that we do everything we can to prevent that from happening. And that means we've got to reduce those carbon emissions dramatically. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Michael Mann is the distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University. Thank you very much. MANN: Thank you. It was a pleasure. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

atmospheric science

extra heat

worse droughts

extreme weather

This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Read our WAMU Privacy Notice. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

preferences

cookie

cookie settings

necessary cookie

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/07/21/climate-change-extreme-weather"></iframe> German Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing tough questions Wednesday as she tours damage from the devastating floods last week that killed at least 165 people. Many Germans are asking why their country — a rich nation famous for its engineering and its leading role in climate change negotiations — could be caught so tragically off guard when faced with the kind of extreme weather that climate scientists have been warning about for years. Friederike Otto, an associate director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford and an associate professor in the Global Climate Science Programme, studies the connections between climate change and extreme weather events. Otto says it doesn’t come as a surprise to her when meteorologists estimate a small area in Germany could see more than 18 gallons of water downpour in just a few hours. “It's one of the very well-known aspects of climate change that we see more extreme rainfall ... coming down in a shorter time,” she says. It’s something many countries, especially tropical ones, are already experiencing due to their hotter climates, Otto says. In other countries familiar with severe floods, such as the United States and Bangladesh, advisories warn people about imminent weather events and allow them to prepare accordingly. The alerts are sent out on phones and broadcast on television and radio. Germany, however, doesn't have a weather alert system, she says. “People are not educated that weather can be dangerous,” Otto says. “I think [it’s] one of the really important aspects of why the death toll was so high.” In addition to building up its efforts to educate the public, she says it’s essential that Germany re-naturalize its built-up floodplains, flat areas of land beside rivers or streams. Germany is an industrial, densely populated area, which has caused water to build up in its floodplains over time, affecting flood exposure and risk. “When rain like this folds down, it just has nowhere to go,” Otto says. “So another important adaptation measure ... [is to] give the river some space to go, because otherwise, it goes where people are and literally drowns them.” Other wealthy countries experiencing intense weather events like Germany are also beginning to realize their infrastructure cannot withstand the effects of climate change, she says. “I think this hubris that we've seen in Germany in particular, that ‘nothing will happen here because we are this historically engineering nation’ is certainly waning,” she says. And the revitalization of rich countries’ infrastructure also applies to their response to major heat waves. In a scientific study, Otto says she and her colleagues found that the extremely high temperatures in the U.S. Pacific Northwest region would not have existed without man-made climate change. The event is rare, only happening once in 1,000 years with the current 1.2-degree change of global warming. But if temperatures rise another .8 degrees, this event would occur every 5 to 10 years, she says. With major climate change conversations taking place in November, Otto says she hopes this year’s extreme summer heat demonstrates the importance of keeping global temperatures from rising, the consequences of burning fossil fuels, and the significant infrastructure changes that wealthy countries need to make. “Heat waves are by far the deadliest extreme event in the developed world,” she says. “And I don't think that that has really hit home yet. I really hope that we don't need more wake-up calls than this summer has shown us.” For people continuing to experience intense heat waves in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Otto strongly advises people to take preemptive cooling measures this summer, especially vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those living in low-income neighborhoods. “A very simple measure that one can do [is] drink a lot of water,” she says. “We have seen… public buildings that were air-conditioned were open so people could go there and cool down. But people need to know that's what they have to do, otherwise [they] might die.” To alleviate the consequences of severe heat, Otto says cities need to implement green spaces to prevent what is called the “heat island effect,” in which cities have higher temperatures due to their concrete foundation. “We need to redesign cities, to have more trees, to have more parks,” she says, “just to keep temperatures lower and prevent people from dying from heat.” Chris Bentley produced this interview and edited it for broadcast with Jill Ryan. Xcaret Nuñez adapted this interview for the web. This segment aired on July 21, 2021. Advertisement

extreme weather

severe heat

xcaret nuñez

aspects

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Portland's lead health official, Jennifer Vines, about the extreme heat's impact on the Pacific Northwest. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: In the Pacific Northwest, the heat has finally relented. For days, people without air conditioning endured record-breaking temperatures above 110 degrees. Now, medical professionals are starting to assess the damage. Dr. Jennifer Vines is the lead health officer for the Portland metro area.Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.JENNIFER VINES: Hi. Thanks for having me.SHAPIRO: Give us a picture of the medical situation over the last few days. What did you see?VINES: So we saw day-over-day increases and calls for help, both to our 911 dispatch, transports by ambulances and people showing up to emergency departments and urgent cares. I would say the crisis really spiked on Monday. That was our third triple-digit day. It was the hottest day, when we had hundreds of people in our cooling shelters and just record-breaking days for calls to 911 and for animal welfare and people needing medical attention in our emergency departments.SHAPIRO: I know you were working in the cooling centers. Paint a picture of what the situation was like there. I mean, who was arriving? How were they doing? What was the scene?VINES: So our flagship cooling center was at the Oregon Convention Center, which is a beautiful, iconic meeting space in inner Portland. We took over a large room that, again, expanded day over day with a seating area that looked a bit like an airport lounge, with people coming in with crossword puzzles, laptops, people watching television, and then extended into just a field of cots, where people had come in with their belongings to sleep, to spend the night and to cool off in there. So there were dogs on leashes. There were cats in carriers. There were families with babies. There were people who looked like they had just come from a business meeting and had just come in to work on their laptop for a little while. So a very colorful scene, but also really sad to see people coming in with wheelchairs, their main belongings, and several people telling us that they had come from really hot apartments, so several people with homes that were just simply too hot to be in.SHAPIRO: In British Columbia, just north of the border, Canadian officials say hundreds of people died over the weekend during the heat wave. Can you explain why Oregon and Washington have not reported a similar death toll? Or is it possible that we might learn of fatalities in the days ahead?VINES: So we have some initial information that's really sobering around deaths related to the extreme heat. Our calls to our county medical examiners reporting deaths showed a clear spike over those three hottest days. Many of those appear to have been heat-related. These were people who were found alone with no fan, no air conditioning, many of them older with underlying conditions. So we're looking not just at excess deaths, but we'll be looking for details as the medical examiners determine cause of death to really understand what role heat played. But I think there's no question that there was a spike that accompanied the higher temperatures.SHAPIRO: What did you and your team learn from this emergency? If these kinds of heat waves are going to become more common as the climate changes, do you feel prepared to handle extreme weather in the future? Are there lessons that you learned that you'd take forward?VINES: Yeah. Thanks for the question. I was one of 800 county employees. That's about a quarter of our entire workforce responding. We knew heading into the forecast that this was going to be a life-threatening heat. And, unfortunately, that has turned out to be true. I think, especially in Portland, Ore., this comes just four months after a severe winter storm, where we had historic ice storms, several months after wildfires last fall that gave us some of the worst air quality on the planet. So I think there is a sense that this is a taste of the new normal. I'm a believer in public service. People show up and do the right thing to help their neighbors and to help their communities. But I do think that as we come out of this particular event, we're going to be looking at how we set up sustainably to be able to respond to events like this, you know, without completely burning through all of our staff that have already been working so hard for the last year and a half.SHAPIRO: That is Dr. Jennifer Vines, lead health officer for the Portland metro area.Thank you for speaking with us today.VINES: Thank you for having me.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: In the Pacific Northwest, the heat has finally relented. For days, people without air conditioning endured record-breaking temperatures above 110 degrees. Now, medical professionals are starting to assess the damage. Dr. Jennifer Vines is the lead health officer for the Portland metro area. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. JENNIFER VINES: Hi. Thanks for having me. SHAPIRO: Give us a picture of the medical situation over the last few days. What did you see? VINES: So we saw day-over-day increases and calls for help, both to our 911 dispatch, transports by ambulances and people showing up to emergency departments and urgent cares. I would say the crisis really spiked on Monday. That was our third triple-digit day. It was the hottest day, when we had hundreds of people in our cooling shelters and just record-breaking days for calls to 911 and for animal welfare and people needing medical attention in our emergency departments. SHAPIRO: I know you were working in the cooling centers. Paint a picture of what the situation was like there. I mean, who was arriving? How were they doing? What was the scene? VINES: So our flagship cooling center was at the Oregon Convention Center, which is a beautiful, iconic meeting space in inner Portland. We took over a large room that, again, expanded day over day with a seating area that looked a bit like an airport lounge, with people coming in with crossword puzzles, laptops, people watching television, and then extended into just a field of cots, where people had come in with their belongings to sleep, to spend the night and to cool off in there. So there were dogs on leashes. There were cats in carriers. There were families with babies. There were people who looked like they had just come from a business meeting and had just come in to work on their laptop for a little while. So a very colorful scene, but also really sad to see people coming in with wheelchairs, their main belongings, and several people telling us that they had come from really hot apartments, so several people with homes that were just simply too hot to be in. SHAPIRO: In British Columbia, just north of the border, Canadian officials say hundreds of people died over the weekend during the heat wave. Can you explain why Oregon and Washington have not reported a similar death toll? Or is it possible that we might learn of fatalities in the days ahead? VINES: So we have some initial information that's really sobering around deaths related to the extreme heat. Our calls to our county medical examiners reporting deaths showed a clear spike over those three hottest days. Many of those appear to have been heat-related. These were people who were found alone with no fan, no air conditioning, many of them older with underlying conditions. So we're looking not just at excess deaths, but we'll be looking for details as the medical examiners determine cause of death to really understand what role heat played. But I think there's no question that there was a spike that accompanied the higher temperatures. SHAPIRO: What did you and your team learn from this emergency? If these kinds of heat waves are going to become more common as the climate changes, do you feel prepared to handle extreme weather in the future? Are there lessons that you learned that you'd take forward? VINES: Yeah. Thanks for the question. I was one of 800 county employees. That's about a quarter of our entire workforce responding. We knew heading into the forecast that this was going to be a life-threatening heat. And, unfortunately, that has turned out to be true. I think, especially in Portland, Ore., this comes just four months after a severe winter storm, where we had historic ice storms, several months after wildfires last fall that gave us some of the worst air quality on the planet. So I think there is a sense that this is a taste of the new normal. I'm a believer in public service. People show up and do the right thing to help their neighbors and to help their communities. But I do think that as we come out of this particular event, we're going to be looking at how we set up sustainably to be able to respond to events like this, you know, without completely burning through all of our staff that have already been working so hard for the last year and a half. SHAPIRO: That is Dr. Jennifer Vines, lead health officer for the Portland metro area. Thank you for speaking with us today. VINES: Thank you for having me. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

medical professionals

heat waves

temperatures

extreme weather

From By  Sara Ernst The increasing number of extreme weather disasters can cause major disruption for health clinics, putting their patients at risk. Researchers are looking at how clinics can better prepare. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: When a big storm or other weather disaster happens, health clinics get hit like any other building. That leaves communities even more vulnerable to the effects of these events. We know these disasters are happening more often because of climate change, and they're getting more severe. So researchers are looking at how health clinics can better prepare. Sara Willa Ernst of Houston Public Media reports.SARA WILLA ERNST, BYLINE: In the days before Hurricane Harvey back in 2017, the San Jose Clinic in Houston was on watch. The safety net clinic serves uninsured and low-income patients, and they've been through this many times before, says Dr. Adlia Ebeid, the clinic's head pharmacist.ADLIA EBEID: We right away got into kind of hurricane preparedness mode - or what we knew of hurricane preparedness mode at the time.ERNST: Nervous about a possible power outage, Ebeid moved medications and vaccines that needed refrigeration to their sister clinic that has a generator. They were lucky. The clinic and the medications were unscathed, but there were other problems ahead, among them, the pharmacy's weekly shipments were delayed. Ebeid scrambled, and the CEO of the supplier agreed to personally deliver the shipments.EBEID: Actually packed his car up in the middle of the night and drove from Nashville, Tenn. And sure enough, he arrived at my house about 3 o'clock in the morning.ERNST: Climate change is making hurricanes, floods and fires more intense, so researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health are working with Ebeid's clinic and others to craft best practices for how to prepare and react. Harvard's Ari Bernstein says it's new territory.ARI BERNSTEIN: We looked around, both in the peer-reviewed literature and in government documents. There's no guidance here. There's nowhere for these clinics to turn for it. Even if they wanted to, there would be no information for them to pick up easily.ERNST: Climate-related health issues could mean heat stroke due to rising temperatures or respiratory problems caused by untreated mold after flooding or smoke from wildfires. During the deadly winter storm and blackout in Texas in February, dozens suffered carbon monoxide poisoning or frostbite. And there were other health issues, says Lori Timmons, director of Riverside Dialysis Center in Houston.LORI TIMMONS: It was a huge impact on the city because if they had power, maybe they didn't have water. If they had water, maybe they didn't have power.ERNST: She says these conditions made it hard to stay open and keep kidney disease patients on regimen. Her center rushed in clients for last-minute treatment on the Sunday before the storm. Low-income folks and people of color are more likely to suffer from certain chronic conditions, which Ebeid, at San Jose Clinic, says puts someone at an even higher risk during a disaster.EBEID: They would end up most likely in the hospital or the emergency room with a heart attack or a stroke. It's not something that they can go without for a very long period of time.ERNST: Ari Bernstein from Harvard says targeted messaging will likely be one recommended best practice for clinics - arming patients before a disaster with information based on their specific condition, occupation and the resources they have at hand.BERNSTEIN: So rather than seeing the person show up dead - oh, my goodness, we could have talked to them, saying this is not going to work - we can come up with a plan B.ERNST: He says a lot of health problems brought on by extreme weather disasters are preventable if clinics can help patients prepare for them.For NPR News, I'm Sara Willa Ernst in Houston.(SOUNDBITE OF GUILTY GHOSTS' "GREAT MALEVOLENT WITHHOLDER") RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: When a big storm or other weather disaster happens, health clinics get hit like any other building. That leaves communities even more vulnerable to the effects of these events. We know these disasters are happening more often because of climate change, and they're getting more severe. So researchers are looking at how health clinics can better prepare. Sara Willa Ernst of Houston Public Media reports. SARA WILLA ERNST, BYLINE: In the days before Hurricane Harvey back in 2017, the San Jose Clinic in Houston was on watch. The safety net clinic serves uninsured and low-income patients, and they've been through this many times before, says Dr. Adlia Ebeid, the clinic's head pharmacist. ADLIA EBEID: We right away got into kind of hurricane preparedness mode - or what we knew of hurricane preparedness mode at the time. ERNST: Nervous about a possible power outage, Ebeid moved medications and vaccines that needed refrigeration to their sister clinic that has a generator. They were lucky. The clinic and the medications were unscathed, but there were other problems ahead, among them, the pharmacy's weekly shipments were delayed. Ebeid scrambled, and the CEO of the supplier agreed to personally deliver the shipments. EBEID: Actually packed his car up in the middle of the night and drove from Nashville, Tenn. And sure enough, he arrived at my house about 3 o'clock in the morning. ERNST: Climate change is making hurricanes, floods and fires more intense, so researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health are working with Ebeid's clinic and others to craft best practices for how to prepare and react. Harvard's Ari Bernstein says it's new territory. ARI BERNSTEIN: We looked around, both in the peer-reviewed literature and in government documents. There's no guidance here. There's nowhere for these clinics to turn for it. Even if they wanted to, there would be no information for them to pick up easily. ERNST: Climate-related health issues could mean heat stroke due to rising temperatures or respiratory problems caused by untreated mold after flooding or smoke from wildfires. During the deadly winter storm and blackout in Texas in February, dozens suffered carbon monoxide poisoning or frostbite. And there were other health issues, says Lori Timmons, director of Riverside Dialysis Center in Houston. LORI TIMMONS: It was a huge impact on the city because if they had power, maybe they didn't have water. If they had water, maybe they didn't have power. ERNST: She says these conditions made it hard to stay open and keep kidney disease patients on regimen. Her center rushed in clients for last-minute treatment on the Sunday before the storm. Low-income folks and people of color are more likely to suffer from certain chronic conditions, which Ebeid, at San Jose Clinic, says puts someone at an even higher risk during a disaster. EBEID: They would end up most likely in the hospital or the emergency room with a heart attack or a stroke. It's not something that they can go without for a very long period of time. ERNST: Ari Bernstein from Harvard says targeted messaging will likely be one recommended best practice for clinics - arming patients before a disaster with information based on their specific condition, occupation and the resources they have at hand. BERNSTEIN: So rather than seeing the person show up dead - oh, my goodness, we could have talked to them, saying this is not going to work - we can come up with a plan B. ERNST: He says a lot of health problems brought on by extreme weather disasters are preventable if clinics can help patients prepare for them. For NPR News, I'm Sara Willa Ernst in Houston. (SOUNDBITE OF GUILTY GHOSTS' "GREAT MALEVOLENT WITHHOLDER") Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

guilty ghosts

disease

hurricanes

hurricane harvey

By  The Associated Press Emergency personnel and vehicles wait on standby at the Yellow River Stone Forest tourist site in Baiyin in northwestern China's Gansu Province on Sunday. Fan Peishen/AP hide caption Emergency personnel and vehicles wait on standby at the Yellow River Stone Forest tourist site in Baiyin in northwestern China's Gansu Province on Sunday. BEIJING (AP) — Twenty-one people running a mountain ultramarathon have died in northwestern China after hail, freezing rain and gale-force winds hit the high-altitude race, state media reported Sunday. After an all-night rescue operation in freezing temperatures involving more than 700 personnel, rescuers were able to confirm that 151 people were safe, out of a total of 172 participants. Twenty-one had died, according to the official Xinhua News Agency, which said the runners suffered from physical discomfort and the sudden drop in temperature. The runners were racing on an extremely narrow mountain path at an altitude reaching 2,000-3,000 meters (6,500-9,800 feet). The 100-kilometer (60-mile) race was held Saturday in the Yellow River Stone Forest tourist site in Baiyin city in Gansu province. Participants were not rookies. One of the deceased was a well-known runner Liang Jing, who had won a 100-kilometer (62-mile) race in Ningbo, reported the Paper, a state-backed newspaper based in Shanghai. A woman who worked for the race organizer, Gansu Shengjing Sports Culture Development Co., said there were no predictions of extreme weather for the day of the race, according to Beijing News, a paper owned by the Beijing city government. However, Baiyin city's local branch of the National Early Warning Information Center had warned for the past three days of hail and strong winds. The race also followed a relatively established course, having been held four times, according to an account posted online by a participant in the race who quit and managed to make his way to safety. But the weather caught them off guard, and on the morning of the race Saturday, he already sensed things were not normal. The runners were not dressed for winter-like conditions, many wearing short-sleeved tops. "I ran 2 kilometers before the starting gun fired to warm up ... but the troublesome thing was, after running these 2 kilometers, my body still had not heated up," the competitor said in a first-person account that has been viewed more than 100,000 times on his WeChat account "Wandering about the South." He later told the Paper that the forecast the day prior to the race did not predict the extreme weather they encountered. The most difficult section, from kilometer 24 (mile 15) to kilometer 36 (mile 22), climbed 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). There, he said the path was just a mix of stones and sand, and his fingers grew numb from the cold. When he finally decided to turn back, he already felt dazed. He said he was able to make it to safety and met a rescue crew. He did not respond to a request for comment left on his social media account. Some runners farther along the course had fallen off the trail into deep mountain crevices, according to a reporter for state broadcaster CCTV. It was not clear how many of them survived. Video footage showed rescuers in winter jackets in the pitch-dark night searching with flashlights along steep hills and narrow paths. Search operations ended by noon Sunday, rescuers told Xinhua. Online, some wondered what, if any preparations organizers had made in the event of an emergency. The race organizer did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment Sunday. Baiyin city Mayor Zhang Xuchen held a news conference later Sunday and profoundly apologized as the organizer of the event. The government promised a full investigation. "We express deep condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured," the mayor said. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

temperatures

strong winds

extreme weather

freezing temperatures

Jeff Brady Electrical grid transmission towers in Pasadena, Calif. Major power outages from extreme weather have risen dramatically in the past two decades. John Antczak/AP hide caption Electrical grid transmission towers in Pasadena, Calif. Major power outages from extreme weather have risen dramatically in the past two decades. The Texas blackout is another reminder that more frequent, climate-driven extreme weather puts stress on the country's electricity grid. It came just months after outages in California aimed at preventing wildfires. Compounding this, electricity likely will be even more important in coming years amid a push to electrify cars and homes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That has many grid experts saying it's time to upgrade the country's electricity infrastructure. That includes wires, power plants, big transmission towers and local utilities – everything that gets electricity to you. And much of that infrastructure was designed for a different era. "We planned this grid for Ozzie and Harriet weather and we are now facing Mad Max," says energy consultant Alison Silverstein. The pop culture references are her way of saying that the grid was designed for technology and weather that existed in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Now, she says, it needs to be updated for a future that includes climate change. "Everybody has always designed these systems looking in the rear-view mirror," says Silverstein. We planned this grid for 'Ozzie and Harriet' weather and we are now facing 'Mad Max.' Alison Silverstein, energy consultant That made sense at the time. Planners would identify the worst-case weather scenario from the past and make sure they could handle that in the future. But climate change is delivering weather that hasn't been experienced before. The number of weather disasters with losses over a billion dollars is increasing, according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. And the group Climate Central says that since 2000 there's been a 67 percent increase in major power outages from weather and climate related events. Each region has its own vulnerabilities. Take the Pacific Northwest and its massive hydro-power dams, for example. "Not only do we need to be worried about the cold weather events like you saw in Texas, and the hot weather events like in California," says Ben Kujala, director of power planning Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The group recently changed planning models to also better prepare for how climate change alters when water flows through the dams. Warming temperatures make it likely that mountain snowpack will melt earlier in the year, he says. So instead of a lot of water running into reservoirs during the spring, that's more likely to happen in winter. "And it might be that by summer, you're pretty much through all the snowpack – you've melted everything off," says Kujala. That leaves less water to run through the power-generating dams just as more people will be cranking up their air conditioners. Grid experts also generally agree the country needs to build more transmission lines to get electricity from where it's produced to where it's needed. That makes it possible to add cleaner sources of power, like wind turbines, solar projects and batteries to store energy. That will be key to meet the Biden administration goal of net-zero carbon emissions from the power sector by 2035. "In the world of building transmission, it's really not that far off when you think you need a good ten-year lead time in order to get there," says Larry Gasteiger, executive director WIRES, a trade group advocating for more high-voltage transmission lines. He says all that new transmission infrastructure comes with a steep price tag. "Our study said up to 90 billion dollars of investment by 2030, maybe as much as a 600 billion in investment by 2050." Gasteiger suspects the Texas blackout will encourage policy-makers to move on this issue soon. White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said last week that the Texas outages show how unprepared the country is for climate change. As expensive as upgrading the country's electricity grid sounds, the Texas experience shows there's also a cost to not preparing for more extreme weather, both in dollars and in lives. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

temperatures

mountain snowpack

extreme weather

warming temperatures

Nell Greenfieldboyce A 130 degree temperature was recorded Sunday in Death Valley National Park, Calif. Now a committee of scientists is working to verify this temperature, which might turn out to be one of the hottest ever recorded. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption A 130 degree temperature was recorded Sunday in Death Valley National Park, Calif. Now a committee of scientists is working to verify this temperature, which might turn out to be one of the hottest ever recorded. When a weather station in Death Valley, Calif., registered an astonishing 130 degrees Fahrenheit this week, it got meteorologists' attention. After all, there's a possibility that this is the highest such temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth — if it's for real. One person who received the news with keen interest was Randy Cerveny, a geographer at Arizona State University. He plays a key role in verifying extreme weather measurements, under the auspices of the United Nations agency that standardizes weather measurements around the globe. Since 2007, Cerveny has been in charge of organizing ad hoc committees to independently verify superlative weather measurements — such as the highest ocean wave or the strongest wind gust. For Cerveny, this gig started in 2005 when he was watching as Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans. "I heard several news reports referring to it as the worst hurricane that's ever been seen. And that's not true," says Cerveny, who notes that a far deadlier one hit Galveston, Texas, in 1900, and an apocalyptic storm ravaged what is now Bangladesh in 1970. It occurred to him that there was no system at the time to verify claims about world records for weather. He knew that some countries have committees to scrutinize extreme weather within their own borders—the U. S., for example, has the National Climate Extremes Committee. But there was nothing like that for the entire planet. "I suggested that we set one up, and the World Meteorological Organization said, 'That sounds like a great idea, would you be willing to do it?'" he says, laughing. Now, when a new contender for a record appears, he gathers the top experts in any given subject. "If we're looking at temperature, I'm going to get some of the best scientists that have looked at temperature across the world. If we're looking at hurricanes, I'll get hurricane experts. If I'm looking at tornadoes, I'll get tornado experts," he says. Geographer Randall Cerveny Amanda Leigh Photography/ASU hide caption These folks then spend months going over every detail related to the claim, from the instrument to the terrain to the overall weather in that area and its surroundings. "So it's a very detailed, very elaborate investigation," says Cerveny. Already, the new 130 degrees measurement in Death Valley has started to be scrutinized, by meteorologists from the local weather office to the National Climate Extremes Committee, all the way up to the World Meteorological Organization. "We're in the process right now of getting ahold of the actual raw information, the raw data itself," says Cerveny. "My committee will then go over it with a fine-tooth comb and look for any problems or any concerns that they might have." "I'm hoping that we would have a decision by sometime this winter," he adds. Dan Berc, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, which covers Death Valley, feels pretty confident in the measurement. "I don't make the final assessment, but I see no reason to believe, on the surface, that this 130 is incorrect," says Berc. "I think, based on what I can see now, it'll probably stand up." This isn't the highest temperature recorded in Death Valley, Berc notes. That would be a reading of 134 degrees Fahrenheit in July of 1913, which happens to be currently accepted as the official world record, even though there weren't committees way back then to rigorously check it out. Recently, however, some critics have pointed out problems with that one. They say the 1913 reading is weirdly out of step with measurements taken back then in nearby areas, and that the person who made the observation was inexperienced. "As far as world records and controversies surrounding them, I don't think that anything beats the 134 temperature at Death Valley," says Berc. So far, though, the national and global verification committees haven't taken this up, though some weather enthusiasts want them to. In addition to verifying new claims, these expert panels also sometimes reconsider old ones. "Back in 2010, we started an investigation of what was then the hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet," says Cerveny, explaining that it was a reading of 136.4 degrees Fahrenheit in Libya back in 1922. When the World Meteorological Organization committee members saw the original log sheets, they found data in wrong columns and other discrepancies put in there by a substitute weather official. "It was kind of playing detective, but we were able to, to the best of our ability, suggest that that value was bad," he says. "And so we discounted it." At the WMO, the final decision on extreme weather records is always made by one person. "Because we realized that there was a need for one person to take ultimate responsibility, unfortunately that's me," says Cerveny. He adds that so far, he has always accepted the committees' recommendations. Understanding what is truly a world record isn't just about establishing bragging rights. "If we are going to prepare for the worst case scenarios, we need to know: What is the worst case scenario?" Cerveny points out. "With regards to how hot it can be, or how strong the winds can be, or how cold a given location can be, those values are absolutely critical to both engineering and medical concerns," he says. What's more, having a firm grasp of the current weather will better allow scientists to monitor changes over time as the planet warms. Still, these kinds of records can only reveal so much. It's clear that some places on Earth get even more extreme weather than the current records would suggest, but no one is around to document it or there's no reliable weather station located there. Even within Death Valley, for example, the weather stations might miss the most scorching temperatures. "The hottest part of the park is probably in Badwater Basin. So if we had an official temperature reading there, we might see higher temperatures," says Berc. Some places in Saharan Africa probably well exceed the top heat measurements currently on record, according to satellite data. And in Antarctica, there's too few weather stations to truly know where the coldest place is on that continent. Plus, as technology improves, scientists get the opportunity to establish records that once seemed unimaginable. "When I started this project, I never thought, for example, that one of our records would be 'How long is the longest lightning flash ever recorded?' And yet, just earlier this year, we came up with a measurement taken by satellite over Argentina of a single lightning flash that stretched 440 miles," says Cerveny. "That's the equivalent distance from Boston to D.C. as one single lightning flash." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

extreme weather

new orleans

hurricane experts

hurricane katrina

Rebecca Hersher Children play around trees downed by Cyclone Idai at the Guara Guara resettlement site in Mozambique, where thousands of people are still living more than nine months after the storm. NicholeSobecki/VII for NPR hide caption Children play around trees downed by Cyclone Idai at the Guara Guara resettlement site in Mozambique, where thousands of people are still living more than nine months after the storm. In early March, people who live along Mozambique's long coastline began to hear rumors about a cyclone. The storm was forming in the Indian Ocean, in the narrow band of warm water between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar. Overnight on March 14, 2019, the storm struck Mozambique head-on, barreling over the port city of Beira and flooding an enormous swath of land as it moved inland toward Zimbabwe. In low-lying, rural Buzi district, the wind arrived like an explosion. It tore the roofs off homes and schools and churches. It ripped trees out by their roots. When the floodwaters came the next day, there were perilously few high spots left where people could escape. Cyclone Idai destroyed much of Buzi district in Mozambique. The storm is one of multiple major disasters that affected the country in 2019. NicholeSobecki/VII for NPR hide caption Those in some of the worst-hit areas were cut off for weeks. Neighbors rescued each other and did their best to help each other survive. At least 600 people died in Cyclone Idai, according to the United Nations. Mozambique's long coastline, sprawling river delta and changing weather patterns make it susceptible to multiple hazards as the climate changes. Flooding, heat waves, cyclones and drought are all getting more frequent and severe as the Earth gets hotter. Five weeks later, a second cyclone — this one dubbed Kenneth — hit a less populated area on the border between Mozambique and Tanzania. It was the strongest cyclone to ever make landfall in Africa. In all, the back-to-back storms seriously affected about 2 million people. Siblings Luis Chopace and Mariamo Chopace at the grave of their sister Sumbo Chopace, who was killed when her home collapsed during Cyclone Idai. Mozambique's government is struggling to make the country more resilient in response to extreme weather. NicholeSobecki/VII for NPR hide caption "The example of Mozambique must be an alert for all," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said when he visited Beira over the summer. The disasters put Mozambique's government and citizens in the unenviable position of responding to an onslaught of climate-driven disasters while also doing their best to prepare for an even more dangerous future. They also have made clear that, absent international climate action, there's only so much that vulnerable countries can do to adapt to extreme weather. The Front Lines Long before the cyclones of 2019, Mozambique's government and the International Red Cross had realized that flooding was a serious problem in the country. In 2000 and again in 2013, rivers overflowed and hundreds were displaced by water. But far fewer people died as a result of the 2013 floods. In the intervening years, Mozambique's government and the International Red Cross had studied where and how people were vulnerable to floods and other disasters, then asked community leaders to volunteer to serve on Disaster Risk Reduction Committees for their towns and neighborhoods. Antonio Cossa is a member of the Disaster Risk Reduction Committee in the town of Xidwaxine. The committee has helped residents become more resilient when faced with droughts and floods. NicholeSobecki/VII for NPR hide caption Such a decentralized approach to disaster preparedness is something that the Red Cross and others argue for around the world. The idea is that local leaders learn how to prepare for disasters and help their neighbors stay safe during extreme weather events. Such programs are not a replacement for national and international climate action, but they are nonetheless an important part of building climate resilience in many places. By 2017, more than 14,000 people were serving on more than 1,000 local committees around Mozambique, according to the World Bank. "I'm responsible for making sure everyone knows where the high ground is," explains Luis Josine, who has lived in the farming community of Mondiane since 1961 and became the leader of his local disaster committee when it was founded five years ago. The tools and training he received were relatively basic: a handheld radio for weather warnings, an orange vest, a whistle and three flags of different colors. Mondiane is near a river that's prone to flooding. In 2000, dozens of people who lived in this area drowned, Josine says. Today when there is a flood warning, Josine goes through town blowing a whistle and waving a flag. If the flag is blue, it means a flood is likely in two or three days, he explains. If it's yellow, it means one day. If the flag is red, it's an emergency, and people should evacuate immediately. "It is good," he says. "People listen. They know to leave and go up the road." That makes him feel proud, especially since he has noticed that the flood risk in the town of Mondiane is increasing. "We've been noticing the climate changing here since around the year 2000," he explains. "The floods are getting bigger and more severe. The droughts are getting longer." Climate scientists say that's in keeping with trends in the whole region and that extreme weather is expected to get more common as the Earth continues to heat up. 'We Are Really Suffering' More extreme weather can also lead to less resilience. "Disasters put people back into poverty," says Michel Matera, a senior analyst at the World Bank in the capital of Mozambique, Maputo. Without efforts to decrease the damage from floods and other disasters, he says, people will be "continuously trapped into poverty." It's particularly challenging to avoid that vicious cycle when climate change drives more than one disaster in a short period of time In the months after the cyclones drew international attention to Mozambique, another disaster was unfolding more quietly: a drought. Farmers in the town of Mondiane meet to discuss sustainable farming practices in November. Members of the local disaster preparedness committee wear orange vests with the acronym for the national disaster preparedness agency. NicholeSobecki/VII for NPR hide caption The rain from the cyclones had come all at once, in a torrent, but the more moderate, continuous rain that farmers rely on didn't fall in much of the country. Disaster Risk Reduction Committees worked to lessen the drought's blow. "We collect the water, we do our farming very carefully," explains Juliet Fernando Chaque, a member of the local committee in the town of Xidwaxine. She says the community has done a lot in recent years to cope with extreme weather, including drought. For example, the town now has a communal silo to store food, and farmers plant crops that are tolerant of drought, like sweet potatoes. Juliet Chaque is a member of the Disaster Risk Reduction Committee in the town of Xidwaxine. She says the current drought has overwhelmed residents. NicholeSobecki/VII for NPR hide caption But this ongoing drought has been so extreme, it has overwhelmed their efforts. It began in 2018, and at this point, any food that residents managed to store is long gone. The soil is dry and cracked. Planting season came in September and still there was no rain. So there's almost no planting. Women from Xidwaxine have started walking three hours to a lake where water lilies grow to harvest the plants and eat the bitter tubers at the base of the roots. "We are really suffering," Chaque says. Adapting to drought here will likely require comparatively big, expensive infrastructure projects to bring water out to the fields. Putting the brakes on climate change in general will require a global shift away from fossil fuels that has been slow at best. That's a difficult reality for local leaders like Chaque, who have proudly, persistently pushed their communities to become more resilient to global changes that they cannot control.

disaster preparedness

luis josine

extreme weather

floodwaters

Colin Dwyer Climate activists take part in a demonstration Monday in London, where police say they've arrested dozens of protesters as the Extinction Rebellion group attempts to draw attention to climate change. Alberto Pezzali/AP hide caption Climate activists take part in a demonstration Monday in London, where police say they've arrested dozens of protesters as the Extinction Rebellion group attempts to draw attention to climate change. In London and Amsterdam, in Sydney and New York, and in other major cities dotting the map in between, demonstrators crammed main arteries and were arrested by the hundreds Monday as they railed against government inaction on climate change. The protests organized by Extinction Rebellion, an international advocacy group founded last year in a small English town, launched what the organization says will be series of events in more than 60 countries across the world. "There is no Plan(et) B. The government doesn't have one," the group said in a statement delineating the various nonviolent protests they called for on Monday. "The things we trust in life that we don't even know we trust, they're all incredibly fragile. Extreme weather will tell this truth for us unless the Government does it for us first." In London, where protesters, many clad in white makeup and red costumes, sought to clog the busy roads around Trafalgar Square and government buildings elsewhere, police said they had already made 276 arrests by Monday evening local time. The throngs of demonstrators disrupted traffic and lofted signs sporting Extinction Rebellion's logo, a simple hourglass set in a circle. A protester gets hauled away by police Monday in London, where the climate change advocacy group Extinction Rebellion has scheduled nonviolent protests chiefly in Europe, North America and Australia over the next fortnight. Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images hide caption A protester gets hauled away by police Monday in London, where the climate change advocacy group Extinction Rebellion has scheduled nonviolent protests chiefly in Europe, North America and Australia over the next fortnight. "Parliament declared a climate and environment emergency in April and we've seen absolutely nothing since. So we're here again, and we're going to stay here until they actually do something," Sophie Cowen, an Extinction Rebellion spokesperson, explained to CBS News. Meanwhile in Amsterdam, where protesters gathered outside the Rijksmuseum, national museum of the Netherlands, police said Monday Monday evening that they removed around 270 people under an emergency order from the city's mayor. Officials say they have arrested about 90 of the protesters, some of whom have already been set free with fines. And in Berlin, protesters set up a small sea of tents outside the German chancellery building — and found themselves arrested in droves, as well. Environmental activists rally for a funeral march in New York City's financial district, where some protesters splashed Wall Street's famous Charging Bull with mock blood. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption Environmental activists rally for a funeral march in New York City's financial district, where some protesters splashed Wall Street's famous Charging Bull with mock blood. On Wall Street in New York City, protesters held a mock funeral march and splashed the Charging Bull, the huge bronze tourist attraction, with a coat of red paint resembling blood. Above the scene, a protester stood atop the bull waving a flag with the group's emblem. Many of the demonstrators who splayed out at its hooves, like so many gored victims, also were taken away by police. Two weeks of planned protests began Monday, in NYC and around the world, as part of an "international extinction rebellion." Protesters here in the city staged a "climate funeral march" near Wall Street. Red paint got on the "Charging Bull" statue. 27 people were arrested. pic.twitter.com/tKm376yt6m Demonstrations — and in some cases, arrests — have been reported in Sydney, Paris, Madrid, Vienna, among other cities. The protests, which are expected to last about two weeks, mark a revival of the unrest that erupted earlier this year, when Extinction Rebellion led protests in London that resulted in days of traffic disruption and more than 1,000 arrests. Extinction Rebellion supporters wear red costumes as they perform during a road block Monday in Berlin. Christophe Gateau/dpa/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Extinction Rebellion supporters wear red costumes as they perform during a road block Monday in Berlin. A woman takes part in a demonstration outside a government building Madrid on Monday. A number of protesters there were arrested after several hundred people took part in a sit-in protest blocking traffic. Oscar Del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption A woman takes part in a demonstration outside a government building Madrid on Monday. A number of protesters there were arrested after several hundred people took part in a sit-in protest blocking traffic. The protests have an urgency derived from decades of scientific studies and a spate of recent research about the accelerating effects of climate change, including warming oceans, plummeting biodiversity and the looming risks of extinction for more than 12 percent of the world's plant and animal species. At the United Nations' Climate Action Summit in New York City last month, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg grabbed headlines with her challenge to world leaders. "You all come to us young people for hope," she said at the time. "How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, and yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing." "The situation is extreme," Extinction Rebellion member Katerina Hasapopoulos recently told Joanna Kakissis for NPR, "and we need to match that with extreme tactics. I actually don't think we are extreme enough." The group says it has three principal demands in the U.K. in particular: the declaration of a "climate and ecological emergency," the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.K. to net zero by 2025, and the creation of a "citizen's assembly" to steer the country's climate policy. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

plummeting biodiversity

sophie cowen

joanna kakissis

extreme weather

Nurith Aizenman The aftermath of a mudslide that ripped through villages on the foothills of Mount Elgon in 2012, killing at least 18 people. The slopes of this extinct volcano in eastern Uganda have become increasingly prone to such disasters as a result of climate change. The looming question: How do you help people find a safe new place to live? Isaac Kasamani/AFP via Getty Images hide caption The aftermath of a mudslide that ripped through villages on the foothills of Mount Elgon in 2012, killing at least 18 people. The slopes of this extinct volcano in eastern Uganda have become increasingly prone to such disasters as a result of climate change. The looming question: How do you help people find a safe new place to live? Mount Elgon's red earth slopes are home to hundreds of thousands of people who eke out a living growing coffee and vegetables on small plots cleared from the forest. As climate change has made annual rains ever more intense, the deforested areas have become increasingly prone to deadly mudslides. Now this extinct volcano in Eastern Uganda offers a case study of not just the threat that climate change poses to people in the world's poorest communities – but also a novel potential solution. Uganda's government has taken a number of steps to move people out of harm's way, with limited success. Now the American non-profit GiveDirectly, an aid group known for its research-driven approach, is testing whether a more effective solution is to just give people a sizable cash grant with no strings attached. Their approach, implemented with the endorsement of Uganda's government, is aimed at a seeming contradiction: Many Mount Elgon residents haven't jumped at government offers to re-settle them. Yet, in a recent survey, GiveDirectly found that people are, in fact, desperate to leave. Wasika Mubarak says he and his family barely escaped a 2018 mudslide on Mount Elgon that injured one of his sons, then age 5 and destroyed his home. He says the only place they could afford to move to afterward was just as dangerous. Give Directly hide caption Take Wasika Mubarak, a young father who was standing just outside his house during a devastating mudslide in 2018. "I saw a great wave of water rushing down the mountain," he recalls, in the local language Lumasaba. "It was picking up giant boulders. Swallowing houses." Mubarak says he ran screaming to his wife, who was in the kitchen cooking with both their sons, then age 6 and 5. She grabbed the oldest and raced outside. Before she or Mubarak could go back for the youngest, the water surged past them, blocking the way "It took us two hours to reach my son," says Mubarak. "He had been hit with a rock and was bleeding from the head." The boy recovered. But for Mubarak, what happened in the years that followed has felt almost as scary. With their home destroyed, the only new place they could afford to move to seemed just as dangerous. "It's also right on the mountain," says Mubarak. "And there are cracks in the ground around it. So we've been living in fear that at any time another landslide could kill us." To understand why previous efforts to help people like Mubarak have not solved the problem, GiveDirectly's global research director Miriam Laker-Oketta gives the example of a government plan developed after a mudslide in 2010 that killed more than 300 people. Officials bought agricultural land in an alternative location for people to move to. "It looks like a really great idea," says Laker-Oketta. " 'Let's move these people to this place that is not yet overpopulated. Give them larger pieces of land than they have currently.' " But she says before long, many people seemed to have returned to Mount Elgon. "The fact is that people did not want to move to those places." Officials have been slow to build promised new housing there. Droughts have cut into annual harvests. But also, the new plots were 230 miles east, in a part of the country with a different language, different traditions – where people lacked the connections that help them survive. Most significantly, says Laker-Oketta, it was a top-down solution – a problem that has undermined other attempts to help people in Mount Elgon and likely elsewhere too. "As human beings we all want agency — the ability to make decisions based on what we believe is important for us," says Laker-Oketta. "And I think that the big gap was [not] going to the people and trying to understand from them, 'What do you want to do?' " One way to do that, she says, is to just give them cash grants that they can use however they see fit. Indeed, this is the insight that prompted GiveDirectly's founders to start the charity. For more than a decade they've been giving out no strings cash grants across the globe to help lift people out of extreme poverty. And so, says Laker-Oketta, it seemed a natural next step to see if the approach can also help people protect themselves from climate change – specifically by trying it out with the residents of Mount Elgon. First the nonprofit surveyed them to ask, "How much money would you need to relocate to a new set-up of your choice?" "We got an approximate figure of $1,800," says Laker-Oketta. Then GiveDirectly started handing out no-strings grants in exactly that amount to about 4,000 households on the mountain. The results should be available by early next year. Charles Kenny, a senior analyst with the think tank Center for Global Development, who is not involved with GiveDirectly's efforts, says the project could have implications for poor people all over the world who live in the path of predictable climate disasters. This includes those residing in other mudslide zones – for instance in Rwanda and Bangladesh. But it could also help people residing on riverbanks prone to deadly flooding in Mozambique and Nigeria, or on farmland across sub-saharan Africa that's being rendered all but unusable by drought, or on islands ravaged by cyclones. Right now, argues Kenny, too much of climate aid is being spent on projects aimed at preventing further climate change, such as helping countries shift to renewable energy in order to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. "But the thing about climate change is it's having an impact now," says Kenny. "And where it's having an impact is in the world's poorest countries. These people need help today to deal with the impact of climate change today." Kenny says many prior studies have already shown that poor people tend to use no-strings cash aid effectively. "And I think it makes particular sense when it comes to the climate crisis," he says. "Giving people cash allows them to respond in the ways that they know best." Early anecdotal evidence from the Mount Elgon study points at the ways people's individual priorities may vary. Mubarak, for instance, says he immediately used the money to buy land in a nearby district — "out of the dangerous area," he says. He also bought metal sheets and poles and nails to build a house. He's still working on it, but he's already been able to move in. "I'm finally going to save my family," he says. Jane Florence Kalenda, a mother of four, recently received $1,800 in no-strings cash from Give Directly. It's part of its study to see if the grants allow residents to find new, safer homes, off the risky slopes of Mount Elgon. Give Directly hide caption Then there's Jane Florence Kalenda, a 56-year-old widowed mother of four. She says she, too, has used her grant to buy land off of the mountain and some construction materials. But she also decided to spend part of it on school fees for her children, even though that's left her short of the money needed to complete a new house. "I estimate I still need about $530," she says. She's hoping to raise the money in a few more months by growing some onions from seeds that she also bought with the GiveDirectly grant. Laker-Oketta of GiveDirectly says while the nonprofit is obviously hoping this effort will get people off Mount Elgon right away, if people opt for paths like Kalenda's that slow the move, it's important to respect their choices. "We need to know that people are going to make decisions based on what's important for them." After all, she says, "we're dealing with human beings. Not lab rats." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

giant boulders

mubarak

mozambique

wasika mubarak

By  Steve Inskeep ,  Ruth Sherlock Officials say hundreds are dead and thousands feared missing after a storm unleashes massive flooding in underserved and war-divided towns in Libya. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: OK, let's try to get a picture of flooding in Libya. It has turned into a massive disaster. And NPR's Ruth Sherlock, who knows the country well, has been monitoring this from just across the Mediterranean in Rome. She's on the line. Ruth, welcome.RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE: Hi.INSKEEP: I'm just trying to picture a map of Libya here. Pretty large country, really, with a very long coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. How did this flooding develop?SHERLOCK: Well, this was a huge storm that hit the Mediterranean, Storm Daniel. And it hit on the northern coast to the east. And it hit these towns, Benghazi, Derna, a series of towns between the regional capital, Benghazi, and the Egyptian border.INSKEEP: You know, I've been through some of those cities, Benghazi and Derna and some of the others. And I'm just trying to picture them there on - if I remember - some of them steep hillsides, others in desert areas, all of them near the sea, all of them apparently vulnerable to floods.SHERLOCK: That's right. These are dotted across a remote desert. And this storm hit these areas extremely hard. And the worst-hit area, Steve, is Derna because there are two dams nearby. And it's understood that these dams burst from the force of the flood. And those dams pushed a torrent of water that cut through the city of Derna down this river. And it just swallowed buildings whole. You know, entire parts of the city have just disappeared or been destroyed under the water. I'm - you know, I'm told that for a full day after the storm, it was - you know, phone lines were down. Roads into the city were broken. So it was extremely hard to get a picture from there. But I did speak to one person, a local journalist who's from the area. He's called Ahmed al-Hudel (ph), and he managed to make it inside Derna. And he told me this is what he saw.AHMED AL-HUDEL: I see many people - death in, like - on the street like that with no help and too much...SHERLOCK: The line cut. And when we reconnected, he said he'd seen six-story buildings collapsed. I asked if there were people likely alive trapped under these, but he said he felt as though the residents in these areas would have been crushed or drowned. He says it's a disaster zone. Other survivors have been hearing - you know, I've been hearing about, say, that it sounded like an explosion when the dams burst. It was the dead of night when this happened. And you can imagine how terrifying it must have been.INSKEEP: Ruth, as you talk about a six-story building collapsing and other buildings just disappearing amid the floods, I am thinking of another disaster. We've been covering - the earthquake to the west of there in Morocco, where it seems that traditional construction or poor construction led to a lot of buildings collapsing. It sounds like something similar may have happened in that area of Libya.SHERLOCK: Absolutely. You know, this is an area that, you know, the dams broke. It's a sign of the broken infrastructure in the country. You know, since Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, the dictator, was removed in 2011 by rebels backed by NATO, there was a brief hope for democracy, but then everything really fell apart. So there's been basically conflict going in this country, and the country is divided now between rival governments. It's an extremely oil-rich place, so there's lots of foreign interest with different governments supporting different sides. Like, Russia supports Khalifa Haftar, the strongman that controls this part of Libya. And, you know, it's really a kind of failed state. So this is a natural disaster happening in a failed state, which makes the aid efforts all the more difficult.INSKEEP: You said a strongman controlling that part of Libya, Ruth. Is there, then, any kind of governing structure that can reach out to help people?SHERLOCK: There are local emergency responders. You know, and apparently, they have just managed to get inside the city. They started digging through the rubble to try to recover the dead. Help - some international help is on its way. But international aid groups say a lot more is needed to - for a proper response.INSKEEP: NPR's Ruth Sherlock covering the flooding in Libya. Ruth, thanks very much for your insights. Really appreciate it.SHERLOCK: Thanks so much, Steve. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: OK, let's try to get a picture of flooding in Libya. It has turned into a massive disaster. And NPR's Ruth Sherlock, who knows the country well, has been monitoring this from just across the Mediterranean in Rome. She's on the line. Ruth, welcome. RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE: Hi. INSKEEP: I'm just trying to picture a map of Libya here. Pretty large country, really, with a very long coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. How did this flooding develop? SHERLOCK: Well, this was a huge storm that hit the Mediterranean, Storm Daniel. And it hit on the northern coast to the east. And it hit these towns, Benghazi, Derna, a series of towns between the regional capital, Benghazi, and the Egyptian border. INSKEEP: You know, I've been through some of those cities, Benghazi and Derna and some of the others. And I'm just trying to picture them there on - if I remember - some of them steep hillsides, others in desert areas, all of them near the sea, all of them apparently vulnerable to floods. SHERLOCK: That's right. These are dotted across a remote desert. And this storm hit these areas extremely hard. And the worst-hit area, Steve, is Derna because there are two dams nearby. And it's understood that these dams burst from the force of the flood. And those dams pushed a torrent of water that cut through the city of Derna down this river. And it just swallowed buildings whole. You know, entire parts of the city have just disappeared or been destroyed under the water. I'm - you know, I'm told that for a full day after the storm, it was - you know, phone lines were down. Roads into the city were broken. So it was extremely hard to get a picture from there. But I did speak to one person, a local journalist who's from the area. He's called Ahmed al-Hudel (ph), and he managed to make it inside Derna. And he told me this is what he saw. AHMED AL-HUDEL: I see many people - death in, like - on the street like that with no help and too much... SHERLOCK: The line cut. And when we reconnected, he said he'd seen six-story buildings collapsed. I asked if there were people likely alive trapped under these, but he said he felt as though the residents in these areas would have been crushed or drowned. He says it's a disaster zone. Other survivors have been hearing - you know, I've been hearing about, say, that it sounded like an explosion when the dams burst. It was the dead of night when this happened. And you can imagine how terrifying it must have been. INSKEEP: Ruth, as you talk about a six-story building collapsing and other buildings just disappearing amid the floods, I am thinking of another disaster. We've been covering - the earthquake to the west of there in Morocco, where it seems that traditional construction or poor construction led to a lot of buildings collapsing. It sounds like something similar may have happened in that area of Libya. SHERLOCK: Absolutely. You know, this is an area that, you know, the dams broke. It's a sign of the broken infrastructure in the country. You know, since Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, the dictator, was removed in 2011 by rebels backed by NATO, there was a brief hope for democracy, but then everything really fell apart. So there's been basically conflict going in this country, and the country is divided now between rival governments. It's an extremely oil-rich place, so there's lots of foreign interest with different governments supporting different sides. Like, Russia supports Khalifa Haftar, the strongman that controls this part of Libya. And, you know, it's really a kind of failed state. So this is a natural disaster happening in a failed state, which makes the aid efforts all the more difficult. INSKEEP: You said a strongman controlling that part of Libya, Ruth. Is there, then, any kind of governing structure that can reach out to help people? SHERLOCK: There are local emergency responders. You know, and apparently, they have just managed to get inside the city. They started digging through the rubble to try to recover the dead. Help - some international help is on its way. But international aid groups say a lot more is needed to - for a proper response. INSKEEP: NPR's Ruth Sherlock covering the flooding in Libya. Ruth, thanks very much for your insights. Really appreciate it. SHERLOCK: Thanks so much, Steve. Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

ruth sherlock

khalifa haftar

rebels

storm daniel

By  Kaity Kline Lexi Montgomery poses with supplies she has purchased in the event of another storm in September 2017 in Miami Beach, Fla. Hurricane Irma was the first hurricane that Montgomery ever experienced. Alan Diaz/AP hide caption Lexi Montgomery poses with supplies she has purchased in the event of another storm in September 2017 in Miami Beach, Fla. Hurricane Irma was the first hurricane that Montgomery ever experienced. Sherri McKinney, the national spokesperson for the Red Cross, knows just how unpredictable natural disasters can be. She lived through the deadly Nashville tornadoes in 2020 — the sixth costliest tornado in U.S. history in which 25 people died, over 300 were injured, and the city suffered $1.6 billion in damage.The tornado hit overnight quickly and unexpectedly, leaving McKinney and others without any time to evacuate ahead of it touching down."Emergencies are more common than people may think, and disasters happen anywhere and any time. It can even begin in someone's own home," said McKinney.McKinney says that proper preparation can make navigating a disaster event less difficult. "Being prepared for any type of emergency or disaster can make the difference between life and death," McKinney added. "We can't stress that enough. Have a plan, have a kit, and know how to evacuate your area."After a disaster happens, it could take days before first responders are able to reach people. And it's usually friends or neighbors in your community who can get to each other first. Lea Crager, FEMA's Ready Campaign Director, says there are still steps you can take to prepare yourself for situations where your access to medical assistance is limited."That's why we tell people [to] take a CPR class, have a first aid kit, know that if something happened in your neighborhood or community, you may be having to help some of your neighbors or they may be having to help you," said Crager.Crager added that the more prepared you are as a community, the easier it is on first responders. Because there are only so many resources to go around. The Red Cross is helping recovery efforts in Maui, and McKinney is stationed there. Following a disaster like the Maui fires, McKinney says people are most in need of food, water and clothing. "I think people may think they're ready when something's going to happen. But they usually haven't taken the time to know where a few key items are in their house or things they might need in case of an emergency," said Crager. "You kind of take for granted that everyone will know what to do. But when real events happen, a lot of times, people are stressed and don't think as clearly."When it comes to a properly stocked go bag, McKinney suggests packing several essential items. Your go bag should be ready with a three-day water supply per person. Make sure that you have foods that are shelf-stable and don't have an expiration date. You should also include first aid supplies."We heard of people leaving here with burns on their legs and arms. To have that emergency kit with product in it that you can treat a quick burn or a quick cut is critically important sometimes," McKinney said.It's important to start slowly building an emergency kit that you can keep nearby, such as in your garage or closet. You can start by buying one item at a time. Or you may opt to create a full list of items you need in your go bag and purchase them in bulk. No matter how you choose to build your go bag, the Red Cross says a go bag should have enough items in it for your entire family for three days.But the amount of food and water you should have is dependent on where you live. Some local or state officials ask for you to have more than three days of items. "If you live on an island like Puerto Rico, they request you have 7 to 10 days worth of supplies," said Crager. "If logistical chains are broken, it's going to take longer to get aid and relief to some areas. So if you're in a more rural area, you're probably going to need more than someone who's in an area where you're going to have resources readily available." You can visit the Red Cross website for a full list of basics to have in your own go bag. These items include:1. Water: 1 gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation) 2. Food: nonperishable, easy-to-prepare (3-day supply for evacuation) 3. First aid kit 4. Medications (7-day supply) and medical items 5. Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies) 6. Family and emergency contact informationFEMA emphasizes that everybody will have a different list because everybody's needs are different."What my mom needs in her bag or what your coworker needs are all going to be different things. Do you have a pet? Do you have children? Do you have prescription medication? Look at what your needs are and what you're going to need to be able to leave your house," said Crager. While stocking their go bags, people often forget about their medications. When there's a disaster, The Red Cross will replace any and all medications, as well as medical equipment, eyeglasses, and other health needs. "We do see people many times evacuating and they leave that all behind," McKinney said. Another common item to forget is personal documents like a renter's agreement or the deed to your house. Crager says that FEMA always tells people to save backup copies of these documents in the cloud.If you don't want to start an emergency kit from scratch, McKinney says the American Red Cross has go kits or emergency kits on their website redcross.org. She says they make great gifts for weddings, Christmas, and for people who are going to be new homeowners."It's really important that we think of that kind of gift as a gift of life," she said. "To make sure that we're protecting our loved ones."But FEMA stresses that a ready-made go bag needs to be customized to your needs. Crager suggests you sit down and go through the bag with your family to make sure it has all your essential items. And while building an emergency go bag is crucial, McKinney emphasizes the importance of also talking to your family and making an emergency plan to stay in touch if you're separated during a natural disaster.It's important to include your children in these conversations too. Tell them someone they can reach if they can't reach you, where they should go, and where they can meet up with you again."If a disaster happens, people think they're going to be with their children. And we're seeing more and more that disasters can happen while kids are at school or at an after-school program. And parents can't reach their kids," said Crager. "So have those conversations where everyone would know the roles we would play and what we'd have to do if we were separated." Treye Green edited the digital version of this story. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

evacuation

scratch

tornadoes

bulk

By  Rachel Treisman A wildfire in Maui destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and killed at least 101 people, making it the worst natural disaster in state history and the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption A wildfire in Maui destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and killed at least 101 people, making it the worst natural disaster in state history and the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. The wildfires that tore through western Maui last week have already earned the tragic distinction of being among the deadliest in modern U.S. history — and the death toll is only expected to climb as recovery efforts continue. Hawaii officials confirmed 101 fatalities as of Tuesday, and have warned that number is likely to keep rising. "This is the largest natural disaster we've ever experienced," Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said over the weekend. "It's going to also be a natural disaster that's going to take an incredible amount of time to recover from." Last week's wildfires — which destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and left thousands of residents without homes — also constitute the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. They surpass the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif., which killed 85 people. Loading... The Maui fire now ranks among the top 10 deadliest U.S. wildfires on record since 1871, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a global nonprofit focused on eliminating loss due to fire hazards. Four of them — Maui included — have happened in the years since 2017. Climate change is increasing the risk of major wildfires across the U.S., and more people are moving to fire-prone areas without realizing it, as NPR has reported. Many of the most devastating wildfires in U.S. history ravaged western states. But others — including the 1871 Peshtigo Fire, the deadliest on record — have struck elsewhere, including in the Midwest. Here's a look at some of the other tragedies on that list, and some lessons learned. An illustration shows people trying to flee the fire of Peshtigo in Wisconsin in 1871. Bettmann/Getty Images hide caption An illustration shows people trying to flee the fire of Peshtigo in Wisconsin in 1871. The deadliest wildfire in U.S. history tore through northeastern Wisconsin in October 1871 — the exact same day as, and only about 250 miles away from, the better known Great Chicago Fire. The Peshtigo fire scorched about 1.5 million acres, leaving only one building standing. It killed at least 1,152 people, injured about 1,500 and left another 3,000 homeless, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. At the time, Peshtigo was home many immigrants working in the lumbering and railroad industries — and a lot of wood, according to the Peshtigo Fire Museum. It boasted the world's largest woodenware factory, as well as one of the country's largest sawmills. The town was surrounded by pine forests, most of its structures and sidewalks were made of wood and the streets were covered in sawdust from the factory. Lumberjacks and railroad construction crews regularly set fires in the area to clear debris, the museum explains, so it wasn't unusual for the air to be filled with smoke (or for ships to navigate by compass during the day, or for schools to close, or for people to get sick). "The citizens of Peshtigo had become used to the smell of ashes and thought nothing amiss when they retired on the night of October 8, 1871," reads the historical society's website. "Suddenly 'all hell rode into town on the back of a wind.' " As the fire spread, some people hid in water wells while others rushed to the river, as NPR has reported. Of those that survived the initial fire, many died of drowning and hypothermia. The National Weather Service attributes the fire to several factors, including prolonged drought, a strong autumn storm system, logging and clearing of land for agriculture and the "ignorance and indifference of the population," as timber was often discarded with little regard for its flammability. The tragedy, it adds, was an important wake-up call about land use practices of the time. The Thumb Fire swept through central Michigan in September 1881. It burned a million acres in Sanilac and Huron Counties alone, according to a historical marker near Bay Port. "Small fires were burning in the forests of the Thumb, tinder-dry after a long, hot summer, when a gale swept in from the southwest on Sept. 5, 1881," it reads. "Fanned into an inferno, the fires raged for three days." The University of Michigan says the fire killed at least 300 people (NFPA puts the death toll at 282), destroyed 1,521 dwellings and left more than 14,000 people dependent on public aid. Many residents were left either temporarily or permanently blinded by the smoke and flying ashes that "traveled faster than a whirlwind and blotted out the sun for days," according to Thumbwind.com. It adds that yellow smoke made its way east, where it darkened the skies over all six New England states. The American Red Cross, which had been founded earlier that year, collected funds and clothing to support victims — marking its first-ever official disaster relief effort. A view of Wallace, Idaho, destroyed by forest fires in 1910. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption A view of Wallace, Idaho, destroyed by forest fires in 1910. The Great Fire of 1910 was a series of forest fires that burned through Idaho, Montana and Washington between April and August, culminating in the so-called "Big Blowup." Hurricane-force winds arrived on Aug. 20, whipping the small fires into flames hundreds of feet high. Forester Edward Stahl described them as being "fanned by a tornado wind so violent that the flames flattened out ahead, swooping to earth in great darting curves, truly a veritable red demon from hell." The fire lasted for two days and two nights, devastating more than 3 million acres of timberland in the Northern Rockies. The exact death toll varies, with the U.S. Forest Service putting it at 86, saying most were firefighters on the front lines. Notably, the Forest Service had only existed for five years by this point. The National Forest Foundation says the fire "left not only scars on the land, but also lasting and fervent opinions about how forests and wildfire should be managed." The Cloquet and Moose Lake fires of 1918 (which were actually made up of 50 blazes) remain one of the deadliest natural disasters in Minnesota history. Records from the National Weather Service show Northeast Minnesota was experiencing its "driest season in 48 years" when sparks from a passing train, fueled by gusty winds, ignited fires that lasted for several days. The fire consumed approximately 1,500 square miles and killed more than 450 people, according to the Minnesota Digital Library. Nearly half of the victims were from the Moose Lake area. Many of them died trying to escape in cars or suffocating in root cellars and wells, as MPR News reported on the 100th anniversary. Natalie Frohrip, the vice president of the Moose Lake Area Historical Society, told the station that her mother-in-law, a teenager at the time, had survived the fire by wading into the lake. "She said that when she had been in Sunday school, she had learned that when the end of the world came, the stars were going to fall out of the sky," Frohrip said. "And so when they came down the hill and saw all the sparks, she was sure this was going to be the end." John Loa (R), a survivor of the 1933 Griffith Park fire, helped plant a pine tree in memoriam in 2007, at the age of 96. Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images hide caption John Loa (R), a survivor of the 1933 Griffith Park fire, helped plant a pine tree in memoriam in 2007, at the age of 96. The Griffith Park fire was once the deadliest fire in California history, killing 29 people in 1933. But it burned a relatively small 47 acres and damaged no property. All of the victims of the fire were civilians who had been doing cleanup and assistance work in the Los Angeles park for 40 cents an hour through a Depression-era government program, as member station KQED reported. There were 3,784 workers in the park when a brush fire broke out on the afternoon of Oct. 3. "Accounts differ on whether workers were ordered by their foremen to head down into Mineral Wells Canyon to fight the fire or whether they were simply asked to help put out the flames," KQED reported. "Either way, into the canyon they went, with only shovels, their hands and the earth at their feet to work with." The fire department had arrived relatively quickly but was reportedly overwhelmed by the thousands of amateurs crowding the scene. Then a sudden change in the winds sent the fire up the canyon, killing 29 workers of thermal burns and injuring more than 150 others. Reporter Caroline Walker wrote in the Oct. 4, 1933 issue of the Los Angeles Herald-Express of the men, that "in their hearts a little candle of hope had been burning again because they had a chance to earn a little money." "It was only a brush fire that they were asked to extinguish. It was the sort that skilled fireworkers know how to handle. But the men in the park weren't fire fighters. They did not know that canyons become flutes in a brush fire, or that flames travel with such deadly swiftness over grass and trees grown brittle with the summer drought. It was work. That was all that mattered." Crosses line the road to remember the people who died as a result of the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Crosses line the road to remember the people who died as a result of the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. The Camp Fire broke out in Northern California in November 2018, sweeping through the towns of Paradise and Concow — which each lost about 95% of their structures. It spanned an area of 153,336 acres, and eventually killed at least 85 people, injuring 12 civilians and five firefighters. A yearlong investigation found that the fire had been ignited by outdated power lines. Pacific Gas & Electric pleaded guilty in 2020 to 84 separate counts of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of unlawfully starting a fire. PG&E has been blamed for more than 30 wildfires, which have killed more than 100 people since 2017. More than 8,600 wildfires burned across California in 2020, scorching some 4.2 million acres — a state record — and killing 33 people. "The 2020 California wildfire year was characterized by record-setting wildfires that burned across the state of California as measured during the modern era of wildfire management and record keeping," according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The years 2020 and 2021 together burned more area than the previous seven years combined, according to the University of California, Davis. Officials described 2020 as a "fire siege" because it saw 18 of the state's 20 most destructive fires on record, as Scientific American explains. Among them was the August Complex fire, which officials called the first "gigafire" since it burned more than 1 million acres. It was ignited by lightning in mid-August and burned for four months, scorching an area larger than the state of Rhode Island to become the largest fire in California history. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

driest

northeastern wisconsin

gusty winds

afternoon

From By  Sarah McCammon ,  Bill Dorman More than 50 people have died, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Officials say it could take years — or longer — to repair the damage. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: The wildfires on the island of Maui are changing lives.STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Hawaii's governor says the fast-moving fires that have killed at least 55 people have also destroyed hundreds of homes. We've been reporting this week on the fires that swept through a historic town and far beyond. Residents have to go somewhere in both the short- and longer-term.MCCAMMON: Hawaii Public Radio's Bill Dorman is following the story. Hi, Bill.BILL DORMAN, BYLINE: Hi. Aloha, Sarah.MCCAMMON: So how are authorities helping the people who fled the fire zone?DORMAN: Short term, the focus is on sheltering those who need it and trying to find the missing and connecting families. Also, basic supplies, from water to fuel, are becoming an issue. It's a story, as we've been saying all week, about the west side of Maui Island. That's where people lost lives and where the most destruction is taking place. You know, the word devastation is one you keep hearing. And there's a profound sadness with all of these losses, but especially the loss of life. The governor says the burning of all these homes makes housing a priority.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)JOSH GREEN: We are going to need to house thousands of people. It's our intent to initially seek 2,000 rooms so that we can get housing for people. That will mean reaching out to all of our hotels and those in the community.DORMAN: The governor asked people across the state that if you have space in your home, if you have the capacity to take someone in from West Maui, please do. The governor also spoke about President Biden issuing a federal disaster declaration for Hawaii. A lot of that money is going to be targeted at housing. It's a critical need.MCCAMMON: So are some people having to leave the island entirely?DORMAN: Yes, those evacuations are continuing, buses moving people from West Maui to the main airport in Kahului, which is in the more central part of the island. And then the flights from there, whether those are tourists heading back to the continental United States or residents, many of whom are coming to Honolulu here on the island of Oahu. As for residents who remain, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen talked about that today.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)RICHARD BISSEN: I did want to also speak to the folks whose homes were not damaged. And I know the question on your mind is, when can I get back to my home? Just as soon as we can try to provide a certainty that we have recovered those that have perished. That's our goal right now.DORMAN: It's a grim goal. But as we move into Friday here in Hawaii, it's another painful day. And very difficult work is continuing.MCCAMMON: Really grim. Is it possible that some people are still alive and stuck in the burning areas?DORMAN: Possible they could just be uncounted. You know, teams are working on this, but it's very difficult. Parts of West Maui are simply burned to the ground, especially in the town of Lahaina. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said, we have a scar on the face of Maui that's going to last a long time. And while it might sound relatively simple, the question of how many people are missing is just an excruciating one.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)JOHN PELLETIER: Honestly, we don't know. And here's the challenge. There is no power. There's no internet. There's no radio coverage. Our pac-sets, we're having a hard time getting through on that.DORMAN: Those challenges of communication a big reason it's so difficult to nail down numbers, how many lives lost, how many buildings burned to the ground. And clearly, that's not the priority. There are people to help, needs to be met. And the people who did not survive need to be treated with respect.MCCAMMON: Bill Dorman with Hawaii Public Radio, thanks so much.DORMAN: Thank you. Aloha. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: The wildfires on the island of Maui are changing lives. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Hawaii's governor says the fast-moving fires that have killed at least 55 people have also destroyed hundreds of homes. We've been reporting this week on the fires that swept through a historic town and far beyond. Residents have to go somewhere in both the short- and longer-term. MCCAMMON: Hawaii Public Radio's Bill Dorman is following the story. Hi, Bill. BILL DORMAN, BYLINE: Hi. Aloha, Sarah. MCCAMMON: So how are authorities helping the people who fled the fire zone? DORMAN: Short term, the focus is on sheltering those who need it and trying to find the missing and connecting families. Also, basic supplies, from water to fuel, are becoming an issue. It's a story, as we've been saying all week, about the west side of Maui Island. That's where people lost lives and where the most destruction is taking place. You know, the word devastation is one you keep hearing. And there's a profound sadness with all of these losses, but especially the loss of life. The governor says the burning of all these homes makes housing a priority. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) JOSH GREEN: We are going to need to house thousands of people. It's our intent to initially seek 2,000 rooms so that we can get housing for people. That will mean reaching out to all of our hotels and those in the community. DORMAN: The governor asked people across the state that if you have space in your home, if you have the capacity to take someone in from West Maui, please do. The governor also spoke about President Biden issuing a federal disaster declaration for Hawaii. A lot of that money is going to be targeted at housing. It's a critical need. MCCAMMON: So are some people having to leave the island entirely? DORMAN: Yes, those evacuations are continuing, buses moving people from West Maui to the main airport in Kahului, which is in the more central part of the island. And then the flights from there, whether those are tourists heading back to the continental United States or residents, many of whom are coming to Honolulu here on the island of Oahu. As for residents who remain, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen talked about that today. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) RICHARD BISSEN: I did want to also speak to the folks whose homes were not damaged. And I know the question on your mind is, when can I get back to my home? Just as soon as we can try to provide a certainty that we have recovered those that have perished. That's our goal right now. DORMAN: It's a grim goal. But as we move into Friday here in Hawaii, it's another painful day. And very difficult work is continuing. MCCAMMON: Really grim. Is it possible that some people are still alive and stuck in the burning areas? DORMAN: Possible they could just be uncounted. You know, teams are working on this, but it's very difficult. Parts of West Maui are simply burned to the ground, especially in the town of Lahaina. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said, we have a scar on the face of Maui that's going to last a long time. And while it might sound relatively simple, the question of how many people are missing is just an excruciating one. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) JOHN PELLETIER: Honestly, we don't know. And here's the challenge. There is no power. There's no internet. There's no radio coverage. Our pac-sets, we're having a hard time getting through on that. DORMAN: Those challenges of communication a big reason it's so difficult to nail down numbers, how many lives lost, how many buildings burned to the ground. And clearly, that's not the priority. There are people to help, needs to be met. And the people who did not survive need to be treated with respect. MCCAMMON: Bill Dorman with Hawaii Public Radio, thanks so much. DORMAN: Thank you. Aloha. Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

evacuations

sarah mccammon

mccammon

maui island

Nathan Rott Hurricane Ian caused $112.9 billion dollars and more than 150 deaths when it slammed into south Florida in 2022, making it the costliest climate-fueled disaster in the U.S. last year. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption Hurricane Ian caused $112.9 billion dollars and more than 150 deaths when it slammed into south Florida in 2022, making it the costliest climate-fueled disaster in the U.S. last year. A town-flattening hurricane in Florida. Catastrophic flooding in eastern Kentucky. Crippling heatwaves in the Northeast and West. A historic megadrought. The United States endured 18 separate disasters in 2022 whose damages exceeded $1 billion, with the total coming to $165 billion, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The annual report from the nation's premier meteorological institution highlights a troubling trend: Extreme weather events, fueled by human-caused climate change, are occurring at a higher frequency with an increased cost — in dollars and lives. "Climate change is creating more and more intense, extreme events that cause significant damage and often sets off cascading hazards like intense drought, followed by devastating wildfires, followed by dangerous flooding and mudslides," said Dr. Rick Spinrad, NOAA's administrator, citing the flooding and landslides currently happening in California. In five of the last six years, costs from climate and weather-related disasters have exceeded $100 billion annually. The average number of billion-dollar disasters has surged over that time, too, driven by a combination of increased exposure of people living in and moving to hazardous areas, vulnerability due to increasing hazards like wind speed and fire intensity, and a warming climate, the NOAA report said. (2 of 6) The U.S. experienced 18 #BillionDollarDisasters in 2022 totaling more than $165 billion in damage.122 separate billion-dollar disasters killed at least 5,000 people from 2016–2022.https://t.co/lwb0yKihEk@NOAANCEI @ametsoc #StateOfClimate #AMS2023 pic.twitter.com/FzzsNXSxRA Climate-fueled hurricanes, in particular, are driving up damages. Hurricane Ian, which killed at least 150 people and pancaked entire neighborhoods when it made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, cost $112.9 billion alone. "There are, unfortunately, several trends that are not going in the right direction for us," said Adam Smith, an applied climatologist at NOAA. "For example, the United States has been impacted by a landfalling Category 4 or 5 hurricane in five out of the last six years." The rise in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events mirrors a rise in global temperatures. The last eight years have been the warmest in modern history, European researchers said on Tuesday. Average global temperatures have increased 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.1 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution, when humans started the widespread burning of fossil fuels to power economies and development. Despite international pledges to cut climate-warming emissions and to move the world's economy to cleaner energy sources, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. A report by the nonpartisan research firm Rhodium Group found that greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. rose 1.3% in 2022. It was the second consecutive year emissions in the U.S. rose, after a pandemic-driven dip in 2020, despite the Biden administration's goal of cutting U.S. emissions in half by the year 2030. The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate bill in U.S. history, was a "turning point," the Rhodium Group report said. "However, even with the IRA, more aggressive policies are needed to fully close the gap [to halve emissions] by 2030." The frequency of billion-dollar disasters has increased greatly in recent years and the trend is expected to continue. An analysis from the nonprofit Climate Central earlier this year found that between 2017 and 2021 the U.S. experienced a billion-dollar disaster every 18 days, on average. The average time between those events in the 1980s was 82 days. The less time between events, the fewer resources there are to respond to communities affected, the Climate Central report noted. To reduce the threat of deadly and costly weather events, scientists say the world needs to limit warming by urgently cutting climate-warming emissions. But as evidenced by recent events, the impacts of climate change are already here and adaptation efforts are needed as well. "This sobering data paints a dire picture of how woefully unprepared the United States is to cope with the mounting climate crisis and its intersection with other socioeconomic challenges in people's daily lives," said Rachel Cleetus, a policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a statement. "Rather than responding in a one-off manner to disasters within the U.S., Congress should implement a comprehensive national climate resilience strategy commensurate with the harm and risks we're already facing." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

crippling heatwaves

hurricanes

atmospheric administration

devastating wildfires

Geoff Brumfiel Credit: NOAA/NASA The explosive volcanic eruption in Tonga on Saturday appears to dwarf the largest nuclear detonations ever conducted, according to a global group that monitors for atomic testing. The shock wave from the blast was so powerful that it was detected as far away as Antarctica, says Ronan Le Bras, a geophysicist with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna, Austria, which oversees an international network of remote monitoring stations. In total, 53 detectors around planet Earth heard the low-frequency boom from the explosion as it traveled through the atmosphere. It was the loudest event the network had detected in more than 20 years of operation, according to Le Bras. "Every single station picked it up," he says. "It's the biggest thing that we've ever seen." As large as the explosion was, it was not nuclear in any way, Le Bras adds. Radioactive fallout, the telltale sign of a true nuclear explosion, was not detected at any station. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) was set up in 1996 to monitor for nuclear weapons tests anywhere on Earth. Although the test-ban treaty has yet to enter into force, the organization has set up an extensive network designed to watch for signs of a nuclear blast. In the past, the network has picked up North Korea's underground nuclear tests and radioactive fallout from the Fukushima nuclear accident. An infrasound station in Antarctica, designed to detect nuclear weapons tests. The Tonga eruption was so powerful that it was picked up on the remote continent. CTBTO hide caption An infrasound station in Antarctica, designed to detect nuclear weapons tests. The Tonga eruption was so powerful that it was picked up on the remote continent. This time, seismic, hydroacoustic and infrasound stations all picked up the violent, explosive eruption of the volcano, which took place on Jan. 15. Infrasound, which listens for sound waves lower than what humans can hear, is particularly useful at detecting the rumble of far-off explosions. According to Le Bras, atmospheric measurements in Austria, roughly 10,000 miles from the eruption site, detected a shock wave that was 2 hectopascals in strength. By comparison, the largest nuclear weapon ever tested, the Soviet Union's Tsar Bomba, generated a shock wave of just 0.5-0.7 hectopascals in New Zealand, which sits at a comparable distance from Russia's nuclear test site in Novaya Zemlya. Similar readings were picked up in other parts of Europe. The pressure wave generated by the volcanic eruption in 🇹🇴Tonga just went over Europe. A barometer in 🇨🇭Switzerland measured a 2.5 hPa amplitude. These facts are reminders that we all share the same atmosphere, all around the 🌎🌍🌏globe. https://t.co/49CdeiNZ5x Even now, days after the eruption, Le Bras says the network can continue to detect the faint echo of the shock wave as it circles Earth's atmosphere again and again. Le Bras declined to predict just how big the volcanic eruption in Tonga was, citing the CTBTO's rules against estimating the size of nuclear detonations. But Margaret Campbell-Brown, a physicist at the University of Western Ontario in Canada who uses infrasound to study meteors as they enter the atmosphere, says she thinks it was at least as large as the 50 megaton Soviet test in 1961. "A very rough back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that the energy was around 50 megatons," says Campbell-Brown. "We haven't done the real analysis that it would need, but it doesn't seem like it would be smaller." The shock wave from the Tonga eruption appears to dwarf those made by even the largest thermonuclear tests, such as America's 10.4 megaton "Ivy Mike" detonation in 1952. U.S. Department of Energy hide caption The shock wave from the Tonga eruption appears to dwarf those made by even the largest thermonuclear tests, such as America's 10.4 megaton "Ivy Mike" detonation in 1952. A previous estimate from a team of NASA scientists put the explosion at perhaps 6-10 megatons, but Le Bras says he believes the infrasound data shows the explosion might be far larger. "I think these estimates are underestimating the yield," he says. Jim Garvin, the chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who made the original estimate, is more cautious. "We have to be careful to compare it to a nuclear explosion, because it's a different process," Garvin says. His team's calculations are based purely on the energy required to destroy the island around the volcano. That island had been closely monitored since it first formed in 2015, and Garvin says he believes the group's calculations are accurate for the energy required to obliterate it. "Our estimate is based on moving stuff," he says. But it does not include other forms of energy, such as the energy released by the water turning to steam as it touches molten rock, or magma. It will take time, he believes, to get a true estimate of the size of the Tonga eruption: "When the teams all get together and put these numbers together, the energy balance will come out," he says. The exact cause of the explosive eruption at the island, known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, remains a mystery. Garvin and his team believe the root cause was a massive influx of seawater into a chamber filled with magma. The island had been growing rapidly as recently as December of 2021, and Garvin suspects that the "plumbing" beneath the surface shifted as the island expanded. The island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, pictured here in 2016, was obliterated. NASA scientists estimated the energy needed to destroy it at around 6-10 megatons. Colleen Peters/Schmidt Ocean Institute hide caption The island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, pictured here in 2016, was obliterated. NASA scientists estimated the energy needed to destroy it at around 6-10 megatons. But even that explanation requires a lot more fleshing out, says Ken Rubin, a volcanologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Simply putting rock and magma into contact won't always generate an explosion, he says. "There's this kind of golden ratio where you have just the right amount of both," Rubin says. At that point, water flashing into steam can expose more molten rock, allowing more water to flow in, in what he describes as a "chain reaction." The eruption is especially puzzling because the explosion was so powerful given the amount of magma believed to be released by the volcano. Volcanologists suspect it was much smaller than the eruption at Mount Pinatubo in 1991. Gases released by that eruption changed the weather on a global scale, something that is not expected from the Tonga eruption. The extent of the eruption's effects on the island nation of Tonga are just now becoming clear. So far, the government has reported three deaths, but many dozens of homes and other structures were damaged by a tsunami. Ash has polluted the ground and water, raising fears of shortages. Relief flights have begun to arrive from Australia carrying drinking water, but so far the Tongan government is trying to limit contact because of fears about spreading COVID-19 among the nation's inhabitants. Rubin says that shallow ocean volcanos like the one at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai exist around the globe, but they are for the most part unmonitored. That's in large part because it's expensive to develop and maintain undersea instruments. He thinks the eruption in Tonga may focus new resources on studying and monitoring volcanic activity under the sea. "The vast majority of volcanoes on the planet are in the ocean, not on land," Rubin says. "Many of them are very deep, but there are enough of these submarine volcanoes in this right depth range ... that we should pay more attention to them." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

relief flights

jim garvin

mount pinatubo

tsunami

Sarah McCammon Dave 'Cowboy' Graham stands in front of a damaged gas station in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Jeff Dean/NPR hide caption Dave 'Cowboy' Graham stands in front of a damaged gas station in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Dave Graham is standing beside the ruins of a gas station...just down the street from one of the hardest-hit parts of town. "You can do it!" he shouts to people in cars passing by – many hauling what's left of their belongings. "You can do it! You guys will rebuild, you will!" Graham is tall, with graying hair and a beard, wearing a cowboy hat and jean jacket. He cheers people on as they drive in and out of a neighborhood that's has been reduced to piles of debris. "You can see it - if you start watching, you can see it on their faces," he says. Damage is visible from a tornado in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Jeff Dean/NPR hide caption Damage is visible from a tornado in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Graham, 62, is retired from a career in the military and the insurance industry. So now he can travel from his farm in Ohio to volunteer at crises around the country. He says he's been to more than a dozen disasters, where he often helps out by running supplies to people who need, for example, a generator to make their home livable. But after seeing the sadness on people's faces as they returned to their homes after other disasters, Graham says this time he mostly wanted to offer just to listen. "I've got signs saying, 'Wanna talk, need to talk, should talk?'" he says. "I'm giving them a safe spot to come to without feeling like they're gonna get preached at or diagnosed. And giving them a place to say, 'Why has stuff like this happened?'" And people did. Using a can of spray paint, Graham scrawled messages on scraps that are scattered all over the area, inviting people to stop by, and posted signs all over the area around the gas station. Dave 'Cowboy' Graham stands at a destroyed gas station in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Jeff Dean/NPR hide caption He says one of the residents who stopped by was a local government official. "He needed to talk," Graham says. "Because he's got the responsibilities of the city, and he's got the responsibility to FEMA. And he's got his own family." Graham says the man told him about hiding from the storm with several family members and neighbors. "When they came out, there was nothing left...And he said, 'It's never gonna be the same, Cowboy.' And I said, 'That doesn't mean it's gonna be bad. You're right, it'll never be the same.'" Graham says he has no formal training in counseling - just experience at many disasters. "I try to use open-ended questions and try to just shut my mouth. I got two ears; they don't need to hear anybody talkin'." An American flag sits in the rubble of a home in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Jeff Dean/NPR hide caption An American flag sits in the rubble of a home in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. For people needing more than simply a friendly ear after a crisis, there are professional resources available, through groups like the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. There's also a federal disaster helpline in Spanish and English. Graham says he met one person this past weekend in distress that he went with them to a local church to get help. He says his motivation comes from a deep Christian faith he found unexpectedly 20 years ago. "It gave me a heart for people," he says. "I don't want to be a preacher guy; that's what made me an atheist. I don't want to be a church leader, I think it's all corrupt. So that's still in my heart. And it gave me eyes to see people - that it's not about race or about how much they make, but hurting people." Graham says he doesn't bring up religion, but he prays with anyone - of any faith - who asks for it. A worker walks through a destroyed Baptist Health Deaconess Medical Group building in Dawson Springs. Jeff Dean/NPR hide caption A worker walks through a destroyed Baptist Health Deaconess Medical Group building in Dawson Springs. As we wrapped up our conversation, a man pulled up in a car and thanked Graham for talking with him earlier in the day. As it turned out, he was the local official Graham had been telling me about, city council member Dusty Vinson. Vinson says it was helpful just to be able to tell someone what he and his family had survived. "We had a good conversation and he prayed for me. People need that, I need that," Vinson said. "So it's doing me good for someone like him to be here doing what he's doing. That's what it's gonna take to get through it." Dave 'Cowboy' Graham speaks with the driver of a passing vehicle in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Jeff Dean/NPR hide caption

neighbors

disasters

disaster

anybody talkin

By  Domenico Montanaro ,  Liz Baker A man works on the roof of a storm-damaged house on Sept. 4 after Hurricane Ida swept through Grand Isle, La. A new poll finds that two-thirds of Americans say if their home is hit by an extreme weather event they'd rather rebuild than relocate. Sean Rayford/Getty Images hide caption A man works on the roof of a storm-damaged house on Sept. 4 after Hurricane Ida swept through Grand Isle, La. A new poll finds that two-thirds of Americans say if their home is hit by an extreme weather event they'd rather rebuild than relocate. Even as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, from fires to floods and hurricanes, two-thirds of Americans say if their home is hit they would rather rebuild than relocate, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds. Republicans were the most likely to say they would hunker down and rebuild (81%). But more than 6 in 10 Democrats and two-thirds of independents said so as well. Forty percent of Gen Z and millennial survey respondents said they would be more likely to move — by far the biggest percentage among generations. Loading... The poll of 1,220 adults, which was conducted Sept. 20-26, found about 3 in 10 Americans say they have been personally impacted by an extreme weather event in the past two years. It also asked whether such recent events generally have changed people's thinking about where they live. For a large majority they have not. Fewer than 1 in 10 said such events have made them want to move from where they currently live. But those most likely to want to move were lower income (12%) and Black (16%) or nonwhite (14%). In Thibodaux, La., 44-year-old Pamela Wiggins is repairing minor damage to her home after Hurricane Ida blasted her town with Category 4 winds. She's unemployed and says the cost of living in the path of hurricanes has become prohibitive. "Every time they see there's a storm in the Gulf [of Mexico], we automatically fall under the evacuation," she explains. Wiggins estimates Hurricane Ida cost her $6,000 in savings — from hotel rooms to rental homes, to the $50 of gasoline she needed each day to keep a generator running for three weeks before the power came back. She has lived in Louisiana her whole life. But once her house is repaired, Wiggins says she is determined to sell it and leave the Gulf Coast. "This plays on you mentally, when you have to go through that. And it's not the storm itself, it's the aftermath of the storm that weeds you out," she says. The mounting cost of climate-fueled disasters has been seen in communities across the country, from New Orleans after Katrina to New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy. It's all been to the tune of billions of dollars — and the price tag is only going up. In 2020, for example, extreme weather events caused $95 billion in damage, "the fourth-highest inflation-adjusted annual cost total since 1980," according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA found the total cost of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. over the last five years exceeded $600 billion. And those climate-fueled disasters have become more frequent. The Congressional Research Service found 10 or more such events each year since 2015 with a "record-tying 16 such events in just the first nine months of 2020." The cost to the American taxpayer and insurance companies has also exploded in recent decades as Congress tries to grapple with how to respond. Starting this month, many homeowners in flood-prone areas will see higher rates from the debt-ridden National Flood Insurance Program. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also faced criticism for racial inequities in disaster aid, with many who need help the most unable to get it. The West has faced years of devastating drought, increasingly destructive wildfires and widespread exposure to toxic smoke. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption The West has faced years of devastating drought, increasingly destructive wildfires and widespread exposure to toxic smoke. The new survey broke down responses regionally, and those living in the West were most likely (14%) to say they want to move away because of recent weather events. The region has faced years of devastating drought, increasingly destructive wildfires and widespread exposure to toxic smoke. "We have smoke today, right now, from all these fires," Lorie Luiza says from her home in the foothills above Sacramento, Calif. "You can't breathe, you get sore throats and headaches, and so it's difficult, you have to shut all the windows and everything." Luiza tells NPR that she wants to relocate — at least during the summers — and has been looking for property in Washington state. But as a Republican, Luiza worries the liberal state government there won't be any more effective than California's in reducing the threats from wildfire, something she believes can only be solved with increased logging of federal forests. "The political arena that's feeding into these fires is really disturbing," she says. There's debate over which is a bigger factor in the rise of megafires — climate change or the need for more aggressive forest management. Fire scientists say both are to blame. The two major political parties view the solutions to climate change very differently. Democrats are much more likely to make the issue a priority and believe infrastructure investments and increased regulations on polluters are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to avoid the most catastrophic impacts. Republicans who acknowledge the issue, on the other hand, are concerned about the potential energy costs to consumers and expenses to businesses. Former President Barack Obama signed on to the Paris climate accord to try to curb warming with efforts made by countries across the globe. Former President Donald Trump then ripped up the deal in his early days in office. President Biden has rejoined Paris, but his far more ambitious climate measures are stalled in Congress. They're key to U.S. credibility at a U.N. climate summit in Glasgow next month, where the U.S. hopes to persuade other countries to take more aggressive climate action.

atmospheric administration

new orleans

hurricane ida

superstorm sandy

By  Rachel Treisman Hurricane Ida leaves downed power lines in its wake Monday in Metairie, La. The one-two punch of a natural disaster and the pandemic is complicating efforts to evacuate hospitals, seek shelter and administer COVID-19 vaccines. Steve Helber/AP hide caption Hurricane Ida leaves downed power lines in its wake Monday in Metairie, La. The one-two punch of a natural disaster and the pandemic is complicating efforts to evacuate hospitals, seek shelter and administer COVID-19 vaccines. Louisiana was already battling its fourth coronavirus surge — and worst one yet — when Ida struck. Here's what that means for hospitals, patients and those seeking shelter (and coronavirus tests): There were 2,450 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Saturday, according to Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, who noted that hospitalizations decreased 20% over the previous 10 days but still remained higher than at any point during the pandemic. Hospitals generally try to discharge as many patients and staff as possible before hurricanes. Louisiana's overcrowded facilities couldn't fully evacuate, however, because so many of their patients are in intensive care units, as NPR member station WWNO reported. In southern Mississippi, which is also in the storm's direct path, health officials have been diverting critical care patients to hospitals in the northern part of the state. Federal health care teams — which were already responding to the COVID-19 surge in Louisiana and Mississippi — will assist in that effort, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said. Ochsner Health, one of Louisiana's largest hospital systems, says two of its facilities will need to evacuate roughly 60 patients after experiencing flooding, roof damage and generator failures. As WWNO reported, officials expect to be able to transfer those patients — most of whom are adults — to other facilities within the Ochsner Health System, but were waiting until winds decreased on Monday morning to move them safely. Two hospitals in Lafourche Parish, near where Ida made landfall Sunday, are also looking to move or evacuate patients due to storm impacts, according to The Associated Press. They reported extensive roof damage and partial generator failure, respectively. Edwards said on Sunday that the state will focus on making sure hospitals have enough water and generator power to keep up with vital patient needs. "I hate to say it this way, but we have a lot of people on ventilators today and they don't work without electricity," he said. "We have a lot of experience from last year of handling both the threat of a natural disaster and the continued pandemic at the same time," said Dr. Jennifer Avegno, director of the New Orleans Health Department, according to WWNO. Unlike last hurricane season, at least some portion of the population has gotten vaccinated against COVID-19. According to NPR's state tracker, 41.4% of Louisiana's population has been fully vaccinated, and 49.5% has had at least one dose, as of Aug. 29. Regardless, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people staying in public shelters to practice social distancing, wash hands frequently and follow other shelter policies to mitigate risk. Read more tips here. The risk of COVID-19 in a public disaster shelter is lower for fully vaccinated people, the CDC says, but people should still take precautions because transmission risk is higher in such settings and likely increases with the number of unvaccinated people present. "Thus, fully vaccinated shelter residents should continue to follow all rules set by the shelter which may include wearing masks correctly, maintaining physical distance (at least 6 feet), covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands frequently," it advises. In Mississippi, all testing and vaccination sites run by the state Department of Health will be closed Monday. Those in central and southern counties will remain closed Tuesday and possibly longer, the department said. The Louisiana Department of Health closed its community-based testing and vaccine sites early Friday, with no further information posted about reopening. It also said it would be pausing its COVID-19 case and vaccination reporting on Monday due to the storm. This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

southern mississippi

hurricane

ochsner health

hurricanes

By  A Martínez ,  Jason Beaubien Prime Minister Ariel Henry took office after the assassination of the country's president, and almost immediately faced the challenge of responding to a devastating earthquake. A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: The earthquake which has devastated southwest Haiti came just weeks after another shock to the Caribbean nation, and that was the assassination of its president last month. The new prime minister, Ariel Henry, was already facing the challenge of establishing his government's legitimacy. Now he has to prove that the government can respond effectively to the quake. NPR's Jason Beaubien has been reporting from Haiti all week. He joins us now from the town of Coteaux. Jason, you're in a region hard hit by the quake.JASON BEAUBIEN, BYLINE: Yeah.MARTÍNEZ: Let's start by asking just how the new prime minister has been responding to all this.BEAUBIEN: You know, Prime Minister Henry definitely has stepped up, and he's playing the role of the head of state. If you remember, right after the assassination, the interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, was saying that he was in charge even though he officially had been fired and was in the process of being replaced by Henry. And there was this period where it was really a mess. So right now, it is really good that that dispute has been resolved.Ariel Henry is the prime minister. He's corralling the various government agencies to get moving. He - you know, he's demanding that the international aid groups coordinate their efforts through the Haitian government. He's getting out there in the field. He's talking to the injured who are waiting outside hospitals. Obviously, he's going to be judged later on how successful the government's response is - was to this crisis. But at least for now, when the country definitely needs a leader, Henry is doing that job. And it's really good that that leadership fight was resolved before this natural disaster hit.MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, it's definitely going to be a test for him. What relief efforts have you been able to see?BEAUBIEN: You know, it is still slow. Aid agencies also will tell you that it's not going nearly as fast as they'd like. You're not seeing much aid being distributed yet. Monday night, tens of thousands of Haitians were sleeping outside or they were crammed in with neighbors, you know, as this wicked storm pounded the area. Tropical storm force winds were ripping apart makeshift shelters that people had made. And certainly, you know, some real tarps, some plastic sheeting, would have been much better than what a lot of people had. But again, this quake, you know, it did only hit on Saturday. And access into the area, you know, has been complicated for these aid groups.MARTÍNEZ: Four days, though, since the quake. That's a long time to be out in the rain and the sun. You were out last night talking to people. What are they saying about the relief effort?BEAUBIEN: Yeah, certainly there's a lot of frustration. People are telling us repeatedly that they haven't seen any government officials or aid groups coming around, even to find out what they need. Last night, we stopped by this house where 10 people were sleeping in these two small rooms.KETTLY ROSIER: (Non-English language spoken).BEAUBIEN: That's Kettly Rosier (ph). She was pointing out where each person fits on the concrete floor. You know, her house is still standing, but it's got cracks in the walls and in the floor, and she's terrified to go inside. And she'd like to get some help repairing her home - you know, some tarps maybe where she could set up a place to sleep out in her yard. Other people who are injured are still waiting for medical attention. Schools, churches - they need to be rebuilt. And, you know, with so many businesses damaged, the expectation is that there's going to be a need in the coming weeks for food aid just to, you know, help families survive who've lost their jobs.MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Jason Beaubien in Coteaux, Haiti. Jason, thanks.BEAUBIEN: You're welcome. A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: The earthquake which has devastated southwest Haiti came just weeks after another shock to the Caribbean nation, and that was the assassination of its president last month. The new prime minister, Ariel Henry, was already facing the challenge of establishing his government's legitimacy. Now he has to prove that the government can respond effectively to the quake. NPR's Jason Beaubien has been reporting from Haiti all week. He joins us now from the town of Coteaux. Jason, you're in a region hard hit by the quake. JASON BEAUBIEN, BYLINE: Yeah. MARTÍNEZ: Let's start by asking just how the new prime minister has been responding to all this. BEAUBIEN: You know, Prime Minister Henry definitely has stepped up, and he's playing the role of the head of state. If you remember, right after the assassination, the interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, was saying that he was in charge even though he officially had been fired and was in the process of being replaced by Henry. And there was this period where it was really a mess. So right now, it is really good that that dispute has been resolved. Ariel Henry is the prime minister. He's corralling the various government agencies to get moving. He - you know, he's demanding that the international aid groups coordinate their efforts through the Haitian government. He's getting out there in the field. He's talking to the injured who are waiting outside hospitals. Obviously, he's going to be judged later on how successful the government's response is - was to this crisis. But at least for now, when the country definitely needs a leader, Henry is doing that job. And it's really good that that leadership fight was resolved before this natural disaster hit. MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, it's definitely going to be a test for him. What relief efforts have you been able to see? BEAUBIEN: You know, it is still slow. Aid agencies also will tell you that it's not going nearly as fast as they'd like. You're not seeing much aid being distributed yet. Monday night, tens of thousands of Haitians were sleeping outside or they were crammed in with neighbors, you know, as this wicked storm pounded the area. Tropical storm force winds were ripping apart makeshift shelters that people had made. And certainly, you know, some real tarps, some plastic sheeting, would have been much better than what a lot of people had. But again, this quake, you know, it did only hit on Saturday. And access into the area, you know, has been complicated for these aid groups. MARTÍNEZ: Four days, though, since the quake. That's a long time to be out in the rain and the sun. You were out last night talking to people. What are they saying about the relief effort? BEAUBIEN: Yeah, certainly there's a lot of frustration. People are telling us repeatedly that they haven't seen any government officials or aid groups coming around, even to find out what they need. Last night, we stopped by this house where 10 people were sleeping in these two small rooms. KETTLY ROSIER: (Non-English language spoken). BEAUBIEN: That's Kettly Rosier (ph). She was pointing out where each person fits on the concrete floor. You know, her house is still standing, but it's got cracks in the walls and in the floor, and she's terrified to go inside. And she'd like to get some help repairing her home - you know, some tarps maybe where she could set up a place to sleep out in her yard. Other people who are injured are still waiting for medical attention. Schools, churches - they need to be rebuilt. And, you know, with so many businesses damaged, the expectation is that there's going to be a need in the coming weeks for food aid just to, you know, help families survive who've lost their jobs. MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Jason Beaubien in Coteaux, Haiti. Jason, thanks. BEAUBIEN: You're welcome. Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

outside hospitals

jason beaubien

martínez

claude joseph

Mice are plaguing Australia, from rural farms in New South Wales to cities like Sydney. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Sybilla Gross, a Bloomberg News reporter, about efforts to end the crisis. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Australia is facing its worst ever plague of mice. That's right, mice. It started on farms. A long drought had finally ended, rain finally came, and farmers were relieved to find their fields ripe with crops. That is the good news. The bad news? All that food also meant more food for mice. They feasted. They multiplied. They have eaten through the food on farms in places like the state of New South Wales. So now, they are hopping on trucks and cars and hitching rides into cities such as Sydney. Well, Sybilla Gross covers agriculture at Bloomberg News in Sydney. She's on the line from there now.Hi there, Sybilla.SYBILLA GROSS: Hi, Mary Louise.KELLY: Sounds like you are braced for an influx here. How bad is it? Are the mice just - are they everywhere in Australia?GROSS: The situation out in regional, rural Australia is looking pretty dire at the moment. There's been no improvement for the last few months or so.KELLY: In areas with the worst outbreaks, what can you tell us?GROSS: Well, I mean, the images of raining mice and carpets of mice and barn floors literally pulsating with these moving rodents is pretty gruesome. It's...KELLY: Ugh. Yes.GROSS: The dead mice have become a part of the daily routine for people in these communities, sort of you wake up first thing in the morning, and you're throwing out buckets of dead, smelling mice. And I think that's probably one of the biggest complaints out in these communities. The putrid smell - like, the smell of death and mice urine everywhere.These mice are making their way into people's homes, into people's beds, and biting them while they're sleeping. People are having to sleep in their cars. People are throwing out furniture. They're scouring through schools and hospitals even. It's really unrelenting for them. It's hard to sort of underestimate...KELLY: Yeah.GROSS: ...How bad this all is for them.KELLY: Well, I mean, it's horrifying. I don't even know what word to put to it. But let's start with that, with horrifying.GROSS: Yeah.KELLY: From an economic point of view, how much damage is this causing in terms of lost crops, for starters?GROSS: Yeah. I mean, every day I look at the numbers, they seem to be going up. At the moment, we seem to be in the billions according to some of the farming industry groups. It's kind of damaging to our image. Australia's quite well-known for exporting such clean, high-quality produce. And of course, there is zero toleration for mouse poo in food that will ultimately be consumed by humans. And that's not going off to export. It's just being rejected at the ports.KELLY: Yeah.GROSS: But it means that farmers are having to throw out buckets of grain.KELLY: Where are all the cats in Australia? I mean, where are the natural predators that would usually keep this population in check?GROSS: The native predators don't really play a huge role, typically. We don't have, you know, equal-sized populations of cats to take care of the mice.KELLY: Well, so what are the efforts underway to fight the mice? I was reading about fires. I was reading about poison. What's the strategy here?GROSS: The New South Wales state government has approved - sought approval for a highly toxic chemical. But that's not been approved yet. And there are a lot of question marks hanging over whether it is safe to use. And the other thing is there's mixed reviews from farmers themselves as to whether they want to go ahead and use this poison. Because export markets, again, don't really like the idea of having such a poisonous chemical on food that humans will eat.KELLY: That is Sybilla Gross. She covers agriculture at Bloomberg News in Sydney, talking about the plague of mice.Sybilla Gross, thank you.GROSS: Not a problem.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Australia is facing its worst ever plague of mice. That's right, mice. It started on farms. A long drought had finally ended, rain finally came, and farmers were relieved to find their fields ripe with crops. That is the good news. The bad news? All that food also meant more food for mice. They feasted. They multiplied. They have eaten through the food on farms in places like the state of New South Wales. So now, they are hopping on trucks and cars and hitching rides into cities such as Sydney. Well, Sybilla Gross covers agriculture at Bloomberg News in Sydney. She's on the line from there now. Hi there, Sybilla. SYBILLA GROSS: Hi, Mary Louise. KELLY: Sounds like you are braced for an influx here. How bad is it? Are the mice just - are they everywhere in Australia? GROSS: The situation out in regional, rural Australia is looking pretty dire at the moment. There's been no improvement for the last few months or so. KELLY: In areas with the worst outbreaks, what can you tell us? GROSS: Well, I mean, the images of raining mice and carpets of mice and barn floors literally pulsating with these moving rodents is pretty gruesome. It's... KELLY: Ugh. Yes. GROSS: The dead mice have become a part of the daily routine for people in these communities, sort of you wake up first thing in the morning, and you're throwing out buckets of dead, smelling mice. And I think that's probably one of the biggest complaints out in these communities. The putrid smell - like, the smell of death and mice urine everywhere. These mice are making their way into people's homes, into people's beds, and biting them while they're sleeping. People are having to sleep in their cars. People are throwing out furniture. They're scouring through schools and hospitals even. It's really unrelenting for them. It's hard to sort of underestimate... KELLY: Yeah. GROSS: ...How bad this all is for them. KELLY: Well, I mean, it's horrifying. I don't even know what word to put to it. But let's start with that, with horrifying. GROSS: Yeah. KELLY: From an economic point of view, how much damage is this causing in terms of lost crops, for starters? GROSS: Yeah. I mean, every day I look at the numbers, they seem to be going up. At the moment, we seem to be in the billions according to some of the farming industry groups. It's kind of damaging to our image. Australia's quite well-known for exporting such clean, high-quality produce. And of course, there is zero toleration for mouse poo in food that will ultimately be consumed by humans. And that's not going off to export. It's just being rejected at the ports. KELLY: Yeah. GROSS: But it means that farmers are having to throw out buckets of grain. KELLY: Where are all the cats in Australia? I mean, where are the natural predators that would usually keep this population in check? GROSS: The native predators don't really play a huge role, typically. We don't have, you know, equal-sized populations of cats to take care of the mice. KELLY: Well, so what are the efforts underway to fight the mice? I was reading about fires. I was reading about poison. What's the strategy here? GROSS: The New South Wales state government has approved - sought approval for a highly toxic chemical. But that's not been approved yet. And there are a lot of question marks hanging over whether it is safe to use. And the other thing is there's mixed reviews from farmers themselves as to whether they want to go ahead and use this poison. Because export markets, again, don't really like the idea of having such a poisonous chemical on food that humans will eat. KELLY: That is Sybilla Gross. She covers agriculture at Bloomberg News in Sydney, talking about the plague of mice. Sybilla Gross, thank you. GROSS: Not a problem. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

rides

morning

mixed reviews

mouse poo

Nathan Rott If a natural disaster hits during the COVID-19 pandemic, evacuation shelters like this one in California would be dangerous. Agencies are planning for alternatives. Hector Mata/AP hide caption If a natural disaster hits during the COVID-19 pandemic, evacuation shelters like this one in California would be dangerous. Agencies are planning for alternatives. It's a situation nobody wants to imagine: a major earthquake, flood, fire or other natural disaster strikes while the U.S. is grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "Severe weather season, flooding — those things don't stop because we're responding to COVID-19," says Joyce Flinn, director of the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Just over a week ago more than 20 tornadoes spun across rural Iowa, damaging apartment buildings and displacing residents. And Flinn's state, like many in the U.S. heartland, is still repairing levees and recovering from unprecedented flooding last year. While a repeat of that event is unlikely, federal forecasters warn that 23 states from the Upper Plains to the Gulf Coast could see major to moderate flooding this spring. Abnormally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico are fueling concerns about the potential for extreme weather events and a vicious hurricane season. Snowpacks are lower than normal in a number of Western mountain ranges, raising the prospect of a longer fire season. In all of those places, emergency responders are already strapped dealing with the pandemic. What's more, much of the usual disaster strategies — evacuation shelters, food assistance, an influx of aid workers — may be dangerous or impractical. Many are hoping and praying a major disaster doesn't happen while the coronavirus outbreak still has the country in lockdown. But as Craig Fugate, the former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, puts it: "Hope isn't a strategy." So communities and federal agencies are planning new strategies. Here's what disaster response during the pandemic might look like: Government agencies The local, state and federal government agencies that typically handle natural disaster response are currently trying to contain and control the pandemic, raising questions about availability and staffing. That includes FEMA, which President Trump has directed to head the country's COVID-19 response. The agency has more than 2,300 of its roughly 20,000 employees working directly on the pandemic, an agency spokesperson says. "Even as FEMA is focused on responding to COVID-19, we are also preparing and maintaining readiness for other disasters to include spring flooding, severe weather and the upcoming hurricane season," the spokesperson says. In the event of a massive disaster, more personnel could be added by activating a Department of Homeland Security program that allows other federal employees to augment the disaster response. At a state and local level, officials are banding together and planning to support each other, while acknowledging the virus may complicate some of those efforts. In most disasters, states lend each other personnel through a national mutual aid compact. "But in this event, no one is going to want to send their personnel to other states because of fear of spreading the disease and putting them in harm's way, potentially," Flinn says. That's why some groups are helping each other on the front end. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, a coalition of mayors and leaders along the flood-prone Mississippi River, is working to procure personal protective equipment that could be distributed to a place in need. Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor-president of Baton Rouge, La., and a member of the coalition, says "the strategy will have to be a little different in order to maximize our effectiveness as neighbors." Workers build a sandbag wall near the Cedar River in Iowa in 2016. Disaster response experts say aid workers and others who could assist may not be able to travel during the pandemic. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption Workers build a sandbag wall near the Cedar River in Iowa in 2016. Disaster response experts say aid workers and others who could assist may not be able to travel during the pandemic. Volunteers and staffing When a major natural disaster occurs, the area typically sees an influx of thousands of aid workers from government agencies, nonprofits and utility companies. Given the risk of people traveling and spreading the virus, aid organizations and government agencies are planning to move more of their support services online. "Volunteers can use FaceTime and other video apps to have a face-to-face conversation with clients," says Trevor Riggen, senior vice president of Disaster Services at the American Red Cross. He says the group has already been doing that for smaller incidents over the past couple of months. We've been telling people: stay home, stay home, stay home, stay home. And then you're going to turn around and tell them they need to evacuate. That's going to be a hard message. Craig Fugate, former head of FEMA Of course, in a major natural disaster there will still be a need for boots on the ground. Fugate, the former head of FEMA, says it would be wise for federal agencies and aid organizations to try and source those people locally, using one of the negative outcomes of the coronavirus to their advantage. "We already have sizable workforces idle in these communities," he says. "Unlike in 2017, when the three hurricanes hit and we were at the top of the economy ... so getting emergency workers was damn near impossible, today's a target-rich environment." The American Red Cross is actively recruiting volunteers and offering online training for people who are interested in helping out. Emergency shelters and evacuations This is the area that emergency officials are most concerned about. Where should people go in the event of a major hurricane, wildfire or earthquake? And how do you make sure people do leave home if they need to? "We've been telling people: stay home, stay home, stay home, stay home," Fugate says. "And then you're going to turn around and tell them they need to evacuate. That's going to be a hard message." Local officials and the American Red Cross say they're going to do everything they can to avoid using large evacuation shelters. Hotel rooms and college dormitories, many of which have been left vacant because of the coronavirus, would be the first preference. Putting people in individual rooms would allow for proper social distancing and mitigate the chances of the virus spreading. If an emergency shelter is necessary, Riggen says, it will look very different than normal. Instead of buffet lines, meals would be delivered to people. Beds would be spaced further apart to allow for social distancing. Hygiene standards would be ramped up. Temperature checks would be conducted at the shelter door. "We want to make sure the safety of the clients and the personnel is the top priority," he says. Personal preparedness Experts say it's also a good time to reassess your personal plan in the event of a natural disaster. (And if you don't have one, get on it!) The Earth Institute at Columbia University has a nifty tool to help you identify what risks to prepare for depending on where you live. The federal government has a preparation checklist. Perhaps you've already dipped into your emergency stash of food and supplies and need a restock. If you haven't driven in a while it's a good idea to check that there's gas in the car. And certainly a grandparent's house may not be the ideal go-to these days. Health officials and various states are also discouraging interstate travel. Places that may have seemed like good getaways may no longer make sense. Every day, the situation is changing in different parts of the country. Riggen says it's important to stay aware of local restrictions and keep adjusting your plans as needed. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hurricanes

severe weather

unprecedented flooding

evacuation shelters

Have you had to evacuate a home because of a weather-related event such as a hurricane, wildfire, flood or other natural disaster? Do you expect to return to that spot, or will you relocate? NPR's Weekend Edition is working on a story about climate migration in the U.S. If you've had an experience like this, we want to hear your story. Share your thoughts with us below or here. Your responses may be used in an upcoming story, on air. A producer may contact you to follow up on your response, too. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

migration

wildfire

disaster

hurricane

By  Anna Boiko-Weyrauch Downtown Everett, Wash., the seat of Snohomish County. The county has declared the opioid epidemic a life-threatening emergency and the county is now responding to the drug crisis as if it were a natural disaster. Leah Nash for Finding Fixes podcast hide caption Downtown Everett, Wash., the seat of Snohomish County. The county has declared the opioid epidemic a life-threatening emergency and the county is now responding to the drug crisis as if it were a natural disaster. When he was police chief of Stanwood, Wash., population 7,000, Ty Trenary thought rural communities like his were immune from the opioid crisis. Then, one day, a mother walked through his door and said, "Chief, you have a heroin problem in your community." "And I remember thinking, 'Well that's not possible,' " Trenary recalls. "This is Stanwood and heroin is in big cities with homeless populations. It's not in rural America." Life And Health In Rural America You can find the other stories in our series about life in rural America here. But heroin addiction and abuse are not just a big city problem, as Trenary had thought. While the bulk of fatal overdoses still happen in urban areas, the rural overdose rate has increased to slightly surpass that of cities. Rural Americans say drug addiction and abuse are the most urgent health problems facing their local community, according to a new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In the poll, 48 percent of people said opioid addiction has gotten worse in their community in the past five years. Loading... (Can't see the graphic above? Click here.) Trenary now agrees. A few years ago, he was elected sheriff of Snohomish County and got a rude awakening. He toured the jail and found it had become a de facto detox center, full of "very, very sick, very, very sick people," he says. "Detoxing from heroin is like having the worst possible stomach virus you can have. People are proned out, just suffering." Loading... (Can't see the graphic above? Click here.) At any given time, about half the inmates were withdrawing from heroin, making for a dangerous and expensive situation. "It took becoming the sheriff to see the impacts inside the jail with heroin abuse, to see the impacts in the community across the entire county for me to realize that we had to change a lot about what we were doing," Trenary says. A disaster response approach So they did. Snohomish County in Western Washington is taking a unique approach to tackle the problem. Last year, leaders declared the opioid epidemic a life-threatening emergency. The county is now responding to the drug crisis as if it were a natural disaster, the same way it would mobilize to respond to a landslide or flu pandemic. Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary. He wasn't aware of the extent of the opioid epidemic in his county until he became sheriff and realized the jail had become a defacto detox center. Leah Nash for Finding Fixes podcast hide caption Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary. He wasn't aware of the extent of the opioid epidemic in his county until he became sheriff and realized the jail had become a defacto detox center. The idea grew out of their experience with another tremendous disaster in the county: the massive 2014 landslide in Oso, Wash., which killed 43 people. Back then, the director of communications for the sheriff's office, Shari Ireton, took reporters to see the landslide, and she ended up learning something, too. "It was amazing to see Black Hawk helicopters flying with our helicopter and a fixed wing over the top of that," she says. "All in coordination with each other, all with the same objective, which is life safety." Ireton thought, what if they used that same coordinated system, of everyone working together across government agencies, to tackle the opioid epidemic? County leaders took the idea and ran with it. It took becoming the sheriff to see the impacts inside the jail with heroin abuse, to see the impacts in the community across the entire county, for me to realize that we had to change a lot about what we were doing. Ty Trenary, sheriff of Snohomish County, Wash. Now, the response to the opioid epidemic is run out of a special emergency operations center, a lot like during the Oso landslide, where representatives from across local government meet every two weeks, including people in charge of everything from firetrucks to the dump. The technical name for this group is the Multi-Agency Coordination group, or MAC group. It comes straight out of FEMA's emergency response playbook. They talk through PowerPoint slides and rattle off numbers like 7.5 and 6.1, which refer to items on their to-do list. Seven big, overarching goals, which include reducing opioid misuse and reducing damage to the community, are broken down into manageable steps, like distributing needle cleanup kits and a project to train schoolteachers to recognize trauma and addiction. This to-do list is over 100 items long. "Some of these goals are really long term," Ireton says. "I mean they're going to take years, decades." The key is to be realistic, says Ireton, who is also the spokesperson for this group. You are never going to be successful if your goal is just "end the opioid epidemic," she says. "By breaking it down, it's like eating an elephant. You just can eat one piece at a time. Breaking it down into a piece that you can actually digest." Ireton says. The county's program includes small steps, like making transportation easier for people in drug treatment. They train family members and others in the community on steps to reverse overdoses with medicine, and they send teams of police officers and social workers to help addicted homeless people. Social worker Lauren Rainbow (right) meets a man illegally camped in the woods in Snohomish County. A new program in the county helps people with addiction, instead of arresting them. Leah Nash for Finding Fixes podcast hide caption Social worker Lauren Rainbow (right) meets a man illegally camped in the woods in Snohomish County. A new program in the county helps people with addiction, instead of arresting them. In Marysville, Wash., the woods are full of homeless encampments surrounded by piles of spent syringes and trash. On a recent visit, rain drips through a cedar forest next to a strip mall. Officer Mike Buell is visiting the camp along with social worker Lauren Rainbow. Buell cracks jokes with some illegal campers and introduces himself using his first name. Buell's job isn't to arrest the campers, but to help them get drug treatment and housing. He crouches next to the opening of one tent and explains that he and his colleagues will help the campers with food, coffee and transportation to and from appointments. "We're basically your Uber," Buell says. The new approach is paying off. The teams have helped hundreds of people find housing and drug treatment. That's just one item in the county's plan, and problems with opioids are far from solved here. Snohomish County will keep working on its large and small goals, one bite at a time. This story was reported by Finding Fixes, a podcast about solutions to the opioid epidemic, which is a project of InvestigateWest. A previous version of this story stated that Snohomish County was the first in the country to treat the opioid epidemic as a natural disaster. In fact, at least one other county — Montgomery County in Ohio — is taking a similar approach. A previous version of this story stated that Snohomish County was the first in the country to treat the opioid epidemic as a natural disaster. In fact, at least one other county — Montgomery County in Ohio — is taking a similar approach. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

epidemic

firetrucks

bulk

schoolteachers

Jasmine Garsd When it comes to getting help navigating a natural disaster, there's so much technology available, the options are almost overwhelming. What works? RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: So it used to be that when a storm hit, the only way to evacuate was to hop in a car with a map and hope for the best. Now, though, there is so much technology, it's almost overwhelming. NPR's Jasmine Garsd has been looking into which options actually work.JASMINE GARSD, BYLINE: It was Twitter that showed a woman named Emily Streets (ph) the way - literally. She was in Los Angeles last year, and one of the worst wildfires in California's history was raging. She opened Waze, a navigation app owned by Google, to figure out how to get to work. Waze instructed her that the fastest route was the 405. The problem is, it only looked fast. The 405 was actually closed.EMILY STREETS: The 405 goes through, like, a hilly area and with a lot of brush and bushes, and it was all on fire.GARSD: Streets is one of several Californians who had this problem. And like a good millennial, she took to Twitter to find out what was going on. Following instructions on Twitter, she was finally able to get to work. Oddly enough, last week, Streets found herself in a somewhat similar conundrum. She was working in South Carolina as Hurricane Florence approached. Streets hopped into her colleague's car. He pulled up Waze, and Streets warned him.STREETS: Yes, I actually had that conversation of saying, like, I've stopped using Waze. It never - it always wants you to take crazy side routes and impossible left turns.GARSD: This is a question for millions of Americans in the path of natural disasters. Of all the technology available, what should you use to help you get through?DANIELLE SOSKEL: Working in something like a fire, which is super dynamic and constantly changing, is obviously a lot harder to keep up to date.GARSD: Danielle Soskel is a program manager for Waze. Soskel walked me through all the things Waze was doing to make their navigation system as accurate as possible ahead of Florence. Users can press the help button in the app to find nearby shelters. Soskel says Waze has worked closely with officials to update what areas are flooded and off-limits. And they also have over 300 volunteer editors.SOSKEL: These are entirely volunteer people who come and work and make sure that their local communities are updated with accurate information and that their communities are safe.GARSD: Other tech firms also stepped it up for Florence. Airbnb offered free housing for evacuees. And then there's CrowdSource Rescue, which started during Hurricane Harvey and pairs up volunteer people in need of rescue. Spokesperson Leah Halbina says that as the storm approached...LEAH HALBINA: We were working closely with the New Bern police department and fire department. And then things are starting to move closer to Wilmington and Myrtle Beach.GARSD: The technology isn't infallible, but it helps. As for Emily Streets, who was wary of using Waze again during Florence evacuations, she says her colleague insisted.STREETS: He said - you know what? - he had no problems with it. He trusted it. And so I was like, OK.GARSD: They all got out safely. She says she's ready to give the technology a second chance.Jasmine Garsd, NPR News, New York.(SOUNDBITE OF ANATOLE'S "OUTGROWN") RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: So it used to be that when a storm hit, the only way to evacuate was to hop in a car with a map and hope for the best. Now, though, there is so much technology, it's almost overwhelming. NPR's Jasmine Garsd has been looking into which options actually work. JASMINE GARSD, BYLINE: It was Twitter that showed a woman named Emily Streets (ph) the way - literally. She was in Los Angeles last year, and one of the worst wildfires in California's history was raging. She opened Waze, a navigation app owned by Google, to figure out how to get to work. Waze instructed her that the fastest route was the 405. The problem is, it only looked fast. The 405 was actually closed. EMILY STREETS: The 405 goes through, like, a hilly area and with a lot of brush and bushes, and it was all on fire. GARSD: Streets is one of several Californians who had this problem. And like a good millennial, she took to Twitter to find out what was going on. Following instructions on Twitter, she was finally able to get to work. Oddly enough, last week, Streets found herself in a somewhat similar conundrum. She was working in South Carolina as Hurricane Florence approached. Streets hopped into her colleague's car. He pulled up Waze, and Streets warned him. STREETS: Yes, I actually had that conversation of saying, like, I've stopped using Waze. It never - it always wants you to take crazy side routes and impossible left turns. GARSD: This is a question for millions of Americans in the path of natural disasters. Of all the technology available, what should you use to help you get through? DANIELLE SOSKEL: Working in something like a fire, which is super dynamic and constantly changing, is obviously a lot harder to keep up to date. GARSD: Danielle Soskel is a program manager for Waze. Soskel walked me through all the things Waze was doing to make their navigation system as accurate as possible ahead of Florence. Users can press the help button in the app to find nearby shelters. Soskel says Waze has worked closely with officials to update what areas are flooded and off-limits. And they also have over 300 volunteer editors. SOSKEL: These are entirely volunteer people who come and work and make sure that their local communities are updated with accurate information and that their communities are safe. GARSD: Other tech firms also stepped it up for Florence. Airbnb offered free housing for evacuees. And then there's CrowdSource Rescue, which started during Hurricane Harvey and pairs up volunteer people in need of rescue. Spokesperson Leah Halbina says that as the storm approached... LEAH HALBINA: We were working closely with the New Bern police department and fire department. And then things are starting to move closer to Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. GARSD: The technology isn't infallible, but it helps. As for Emily Streets, who was wary of using Waze again during Florence evacuations, she says her colleague insisted. STREETS: He said - you know what? - he had no problems with it. He trusted it. And so I was like, OK. GARSD: They all got out safely. She says she's ready to give the technology a second chance. Jasmine Garsd, NPR News, New York. (SOUNDBITE OF ANATOLE'S "OUTGROWN") Copyright © 2018 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

myrtle beach

jasmine garsd

hurricane florence

hurricane harvey

Alina Selyukh In preparing for a natural disaster like the impending Hurricane Florence, companies like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Walgreens have become a major part of the nation's emergency planning process. AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: When any part of the country prepares for a natural disaster like Hurricane Florence, local responders spring into action - Coast Guard, FEMA, Army, National Guard. And then there are the retail stores. Companies like Walmart, the Home Depot and Walgreens have become a major part of the unofficial emergency planning process. NPR's Alina Selyukh reports.ALINA SELYUKH, BYLINE: Yesterday morning a scene unfolded in front of the Home Depot store in Wilmington, N.C.UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I need everyone to be professional and respectful. I will call the police department if needed.SELYUKH: Wilmington is under a mandatory evacuation order. The store was about to close, but people still came to buy water or batteries. Workers were trying to control the crowd.UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Again, if you're in by 10 a.m., that's great. I have not been home for four days, nor have I slept. We will try to get as many people through as possible. That is our whole intent.SELYUKH: Jennifer and Scott Carpenter were among the shoppers who got shut out as the store closed. They stared at pallets of plywood sitting outside that they could see but no longer buy.JENNIFER CARPENTER: I get it that your employees need to be safe. That's great, but we need the supplies. And...SCOTT CARPENTER: Well, and if nothing else, FEMA can be here...J. CARPENTER: Someone can be here.S. CARPENTER: ...With some police officers to issue it out.SELYUKH: This is the strange and tricky position of the country's major big-box stores. Places like Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Dollar General - people turn to them for supplies in preparation for natural disasters and later for rebuilding and cleanup. Sure, these companies stand to make a lot of money from this shopping, but they're also staffed by the very same people facing the very same dangers. Here's Hector Padilla, the president of the Home Depot Southern Division.HECTOR PADILLA: In most cases, our stores stay open as long as possible. They stretch the hours because they want to serve the community. But again, first and foremost is the safety of our associates and our customers.SELYUKH: Padilla says at least a week ahead of the storm, Home Depot will update a list of workers who live nearby and who volunteer to work as long as possible before the storm and as soon as it's safe after it passes.PADILLA: Our store managers have printed lists in case they lose communication during the storm.SELYUKH: Typically these big-box stores close with a mandatory evacuation order, but the specific timing can change depending on the details, such as road conditions or upcoming curfews or the latest twist of the hurricane's path.JENNIFER THAYER: When our employees start getting anxious and they start talking about their need for the family, it's our time to just make the decision and say, absolutely, let's close this door.SELYUKH: Jennifer Thayer oversees the stores in the Carolinas for Lowe's. The company asks workers from nearby cities and states to volunteer and help reopen stores after the storm. I asked Thayer about these workers on Wednesday.How many have volunteered so far?THAYER: We've already got close to 200 employees that we will deploy as soon as we can safely get them in.SELYUKH: Lowe's, the Home Depot and Walmart all told me that they have an emergency operations center, a space inside headquarters where dozens of people monitor forecasts, manage drug deliveries, talk to officials. It is in these companies' interest to limit how long they stay closed during natural disasters. Even Wall Street keeps an eye on the big-box store profits in the aftermath. People turn to these stores for water, generators, flashlights, gas cans, tarps. Lucas McDonald oversees emergency operations at Walmart, which also sells a lot of food.LUCAS MCDONALD: Canned tuna is a big one. The canned chicken - so one of the things we encourage our customers to do is make sure they have a manual can opener. If you lose power, you're going to be able to open that up.SELYUKH: And after the storm passes, the stores will next prepare to sell water pumps, hoses, Sheetrock, chainsaws, mops and bleach - all you need to rebuild and return to normal. Alina Selyukh, NPR News.(SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY'S "COLORS IN SPACE") AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: When any part of the country prepares for a natural disaster like Hurricane Florence, local responders spring into action - Coast Guard, FEMA, Army, National Guard. And then there are the retail stores. Companies like Walmart, the Home Depot and Walgreens have become a major part of the unofficial emergency planning process. NPR's Alina Selyukh reports. ALINA SELYUKH, BYLINE: Yesterday morning a scene unfolded in front of the Home Depot store in Wilmington, N.C. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I need everyone to be professional and respectful. I will call the police department if needed. SELYUKH: Wilmington is under a mandatory evacuation order. The store was about to close, but people still came to buy water or batteries. Workers were trying to control the crowd. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Again, if you're in by 10 a.m., that's great. I have not been home for four days, nor have I slept. We will try to get as many people through as possible. That is our whole intent. SELYUKH: Jennifer and Scott Carpenter were among the shoppers who got shut out as the store closed. They stared at pallets of plywood sitting outside that they could see but no longer buy. JENNIFER CARPENTER: I get it that your employees need to be safe. That's great, but we need the supplies. And... SCOTT CARPENTER: Well, and if nothing else, FEMA can be here... J. CARPENTER: Someone can be here. S. CARPENTER: ...With some police officers to issue it out. SELYUKH: This is the strange and tricky position of the country's major big-box stores. Places like Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Dollar General - people turn to them for supplies in preparation for natural disasters and later for rebuilding and cleanup. Sure, these companies stand to make a lot of money from this shopping, but they're also staffed by the very same people facing the very same dangers. Here's Hector Padilla, the president of the Home Depot Southern Division. HECTOR PADILLA: In most cases, our stores stay open as long as possible. They stretch the hours because they want to serve the community. But again, first and foremost is the safety of our associates and our customers. SELYUKH: Padilla says at least a week ahead of the storm, Home Depot will update a list of workers who live nearby and who volunteer to work as long as possible before the storm and as soon as it's safe after it passes. PADILLA: Our store managers have printed lists in case they lose communication during the storm. SELYUKH: Typically these big-box stores close with a mandatory evacuation order, but the specific timing can change depending on the details, such as road conditions or upcoming curfews or the latest twist of the hurricane's path. JENNIFER THAYER: When our employees start getting anxious and they start talking about their need for the family, it's our time to just make the decision and say, absolutely, let's close this door. SELYUKH: Jennifer Thayer oversees the stores in the Carolinas for Lowe's. The company asks workers from nearby cities and states to volunteer and help reopen stores after the storm. I asked Thayer about these workers on Wednesday. How many have volunteered so far? THAYER: We've already got close to 200 employees that we will deploy as soon as we can safely get them in. SELYUKH: Lowe's, the Home Depot and Walmart all told me that they have an emergency operations center, a space inside headquarters where dozens of people monitor forecasts, manage drug deliveries, talk to officials. It is in these companies' interest to limit how long they stay closed during natural disasters. Even Wall Street keeps an eye on the big-box store profits in the aftermath. People turn to these stores for water, generators, flashlights, gas cans, tarps. Lucas McDonald oversees emergency operations at Walmart, which also sells a lot of food. LUCAS MCDONALD: Canned tuna is a big one. The canned chicken - so one of the things we encourage our customers to do is make sure they have a manual can opener. If you lose power, you're going to be able to open that up. SELYUKH: And after the storm passes, the stores will next prepare to sell water pumps, hoses, Sheetrock, chainsaws, mops and bleach - all you need to rebuild and return to normal. Alina Selyukh, NPR News. (SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY'S "COLORS IN SPACE") Copyright © 2018 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

jennifer carpenter

evacuation

bleach

hurricane florence

By  Joe Palca First responders in the Marina District disaster zone after an earthquake on October 17, 1989 in San Francisco, Calif. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images hide caption First responders in the Marina District disaster zone after an earthquake on October 17, 1989 in San Francisco, Calif. A startup company in California is using machine learning and artificial intelligence to advise fire departments about how to plan for earthquakes and respond to them. The company, One Concern, hopes its algorithms can take a lot of the guesswork out of the planning process for disaster response by making accurate predictions about earthquake damage. It's one of a handful of companies rolling out artificial intelligence and machine learning systems that could help predict and respond to floods, cyber-attacks and other large-scale disasters. Nicole Hu, One Concern's chief technology officer, says the key is to feed the computers three main categories of data. The first is data about homes and other buildings, such as what materials they're made of, when they were built and how likely they are to collapse when the ground starts shaking. The next category is data about the natural environment. For example, "What is the soil like? What is the elevation like? What is the general humidity like?" explains Hu. "The third thing we look at is live instant data," she says, such as the magnitude of the quake, the traffic in the area of the quake and the weather at the time of the quake. The computer uses the information to make predictions about what would happen if an earthquake occurred in a particular area. It then uses data from past earthquakes to see whether its predictions are any good, and revises its predictive models accordingly. In other words, it learns as it goes, which is basically how machine learning works. Stanford University earthquake engineer Gregory Deierlein consulted for One Concern. He says one of the most remarkable things about the company's software is its ability to incorporate data from an earthquake as it's happening, and to adjust its predictions in real time. "Those sort of things used to be research projects,"says Deierlein. "After an event, we would collect data and a few years later we'd produce new models." Now the new models appear in a matter of minutes. He notes the company's exact methods are opaque. "Like many startup companies they're not fully transparent in everything they're doing," he says. "I mean, that's their proprietary knowledge that they're bringing to it." Nonetheless, some first responders are already convinced the software will be useful. Fire chief Dan Ghiorso leads the Woodside Fire Protection District near San Francisco, which covers about 32 square miles. The San Andreas fault is only a couple hundred feet behind the firehouse. Ghiorso says in the past, when an earthquake hit, he'd have to make educated guesses about what parts of his district might have suffered the most damage, and then drive to each place to make a visual inspection. He hopes One Concern's software will change that, although he has yet to put it to the test during an actual quake. "Instead of driving thirty-two square miles, in fifteen minutes on a computer I can get a good idea of the concerns," he says. "Instead of me, taking my educated guess, they're putting science behind it, so I'm very confident." Unfortunately, it's going to take a natural disaster to see if his confidence is justified. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

minutes

disaster response

past earthquakes

educated guesses

By  John Burnett A house tipped on its side, with several boys standing in front, after the Great Galveston Storm in Texas. The storm remains the worst natural disaster and the worst hurricane in U.S. history. Library of Congress hide caption A house tipped on its side, with several boys standing in front, after the Great Galveston Storm in Texas. The storm remains the worst natural disaster and the worst hurricane in U.S. history. Thursday is the last day of the official 2017 hurricane season. It's been the most destructive year in recorded history, according to the National Hurricane Center, causing what may turn out to be more than $200 billion in damages. It's also the first time that three Category 4 hurricanes have hit the United States in the same year. For all the ruination in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, at least Americans could see the hurricanes coming. TV networks covered the storm tracks exhaustively. But what happens to an American city when a hurricane strikes without warning? The grandest city in Texas The Great Galveston Storm came ashore the night of Sept 8, 1900, with an estimated strength of a Category 4. It remains the deadliest natural disaster and the worst hurricane in U.S. history. From 6,000 to 12,000 people died on Galveston Island and the mainland. Texas' most advanced city was nearly destroyed. More than 6,000 people were killed and 10,000 left homeless from the Great Galveston Storm. AP hide caption More than 6,000 people were killed and 10,000 left homeless from the Great Galveston Storm. Forecasting was primitive in those days — they relied on spotty reports from ships in the Gulf of Mexico. Citizens of Galveston could see that a storm was brewing offshore, but had no idea that it was a monster. "Everyone went about their usual tasks until about 11 a.m. when my brother, Jacob, and our cousin, Allen Brooks, came from the beach with the report that the Gulf was very rough and the tide very high," remembered Katherine Vedder Pauls, not quite 6 years old at the time. Her oral history and others used for this report are archived at Galveston's Rosenberg Library. "About half past 3," she continued, "Jacob and Allen came running, shouting excitedly that the Gulf looked like a great gray wall about 50-feet high and moving slowly toward the island." At the dawn of the 20th century, Galveston was the grandest city in Texas. It could boast the biggest port, the most millionaires, the swankiest mansions, the first telephones and electric lights, and the most exotic bordellos. After the 1900 storm, she would never regain her status. "No tongue can tell it!" What became of the people of Galveston is the story of what happened before accurate weather forecasting, mandatory evacuations, and storm building codes. "We knew there was a storm coming, but we had no idea that it was as bad as it was," said William Mason Bristol, who was 21 when he rode out the storm in his mother's boardinghouse. "You see, we didn't have a weather bureau that give us the dope that they got now...They had no airplanes to go up there and see how bad it was." At the dawn of the 20th century, Galveston was the grandest city in Texas. After the 1900 storm, it would never regain that status. Library of Congress hide caption At the dawn of the 20th century, Galveston was the grandest city in Texas. After the 1900 storm, it would never regain that status. The hurricanes of 2017 were destructive in terms of dollars, but the official death toll remains well under 300. In 1900, thousands died. The unnamed hurricane swept in from the Gulf with an estimated tidal surge of 15 feet, so high that it swallowed the skinny barrier island that was only 5 feet above sea level. "Oh, it was a awful thing. You want me tell you, but no tongue can tell it!" recalled Annie McCullough. She was about 22 years old in 1900. Her family was on a mule-drawn wagon trying to escape the rising tide. "The water was comin' so fast. The wagon gettin' so it was floatin'. The poor mules swimmin' that was pullin'. And the men laid flat on their stomach, holdin' the little children." Survivors wrote of wind that sounded "like a thousand little devils shrieking and whistling," of 6-foot waves coming down Broadway Avenue, of a grand piano riding the crest of one, of slate shingles turned into whirling saw blades, and of streetcar tracks becoming waterborne battering rams that tore apart houses. "The animals tried to swim to safety and the frightened squawking chickens were roosting everywhere they could get above the water," Pauls remembered. "People from homes already demolished were beginning to drift into our house, which still stood starkly against the increasing fury of the wind and water." A large part of the city of Galveston was reduced to rubble. AP hide caption A large part of the city of Galveston was reduced to rubble. At the height of the storm, John W. Harris remembered two dozen terrified people climbing in through the windows of their home on Tremont Street. His mother prepared for rising floodwaters by lashing her children together. "Mother had a trunk strap around each one of us to hold onto us as long as she could," he recalled. Rosenberg School, built of brick, became a refuge for Annie McCullough's family and many others. "The people was screamin' and hollerin' and so, huntin' their folks," she said in an oral history recorded by her grand-niece, Izola Collins. "The wind! Those men that was in the school, all they could do was stand against those doors and hold 'em." The single most heart-wrenching tragedy happened to St. Mary's orphanage. Ten Catholic nuns from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and 90 children died when fearsome waves destroyed two wooden dormitories, that were built close to the beach in the belief that ocean breezes would reduce the danger of yellow fever. The sisters tethered the orphans together with clothesline. That's how they were found the next day, drowned. Only three boys escaped. "A terrible time" The storm began to subside about daybreak. The sun rose on Sept. 9 on a coastal city obliterated. One survivor described "knots of people frightened out of their wits, crazy men and women crying and weeping at the tops of their voices." Corpses were everywhere. Authorities declared martial law and began to force men — most of whom were black — at bayonet point to collect the dead, pile them on barges, and dump them in the Gulf for burial. But the cadavers washed back onshore. Finally, they had to be burned in funeral pyres. There were orders to shoot on sight the "ghouls" who stole jewelry from the tangled bodies. "It was a terrible time, it really was," recalled Louise Bristol Hopkins, who was seven. "I heard the stories of women with long hair who had been caught in the trees with their hair and cut to pieces with slates that had been flying." Men carry a body on a stretcher, surrounded by wreckage of the hurricane and flood in Galveston. Marin H Zaner/Library of Congress hide caption Katherine Vedder Pauls recollected a ghoulish incident that happened to her mother. "She stepped on a barrel concealed by the water. It rolled and she went under with it. She grabbed at something to pull herself up. It was the body of a small girl. Her self-control gave way and she wept hysterically." Harris, who became a prominent banker and philanthropist on the island, lost 11 relatives in the 1900 storm. He remembered the next morning his family was having breakfast in their house, that withstood the waves, when the mayor came by. "He said to father, 'John, your whole family are destroyed.' And I remember it's the first time that I ever saw father with tears in his eyes. He had no idea of the extent of the damage. We hadn't left the house yet." A memorial was placed on the Galveston Seawall to commemorate the 1900 Storm that killed 6,000 to 12,000 people — the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. John Burnett/NPR hide caption In the years after the horrific storm, Galveston reinvented itself in a burst of municipal determination. The US Army Corps of Engineers constructed a 17-foot seawall. The city undertook an ambitious "grade-raising." Two thousand surviving structures — from shanties to a massive Catholic church — were jacked up and sand pumped underneath. Both the seawall and the grade-raising were regarded as engineering marvels of their day. For decades, people on Galveston Island never spoke of the 1900 storm. "The folks that survived the storm were sort of like people who survived a war," recalled former state Sen. Babe Schwartz, a legendary Galveston figure. He was interviewed in 2000. "No chamber of commerce wants to talk about the worst tragedy in the history of the United States where 6,000 to 8,000 people died on this little ol' island." This story was drawn from a documentary that originally aired on NPR on Sept 8, 2000, on the centennial of the 1900 storm. It was produced by John Burnett in collaboration with the Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, for their Lost & Found Sound series. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hurricanes

floodwaters

rising floodwaters

ocean breezes

By  Rebecca Davis Flooded houses near Lake Houston on Aug. 30, after the storm called Harvey swept through. Sociologist Clare Cooper Marcus says our homes hold our emotional history — our memories, our hopes, our dreams and pain. In some ways our homes are who we are. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption Flooded houses near Lake Houston on Aug. 30, after the storm called Harvey swept through. Sociologist Clare Cooper Marcus says our homes hold our emotional history — our memories, our hopes, our dreams and pain. In some ways our homes are who we are. When Boyd Coble heard the sheriff's deputy pounding on his door in Houston in the middle of the night, he rolled over and went back to sleep. Coble, who lives alone, except for his Australian sheepdog, Wally, knew all about Hurricane Harvey. He just didn't think his own home would flood. It never had before, and even if a little water did trickle in, Coble was pretty sure he and Wally could ride it out. By the time the water was about 4 inches deep in his house, Coble says, things started happening. His floors were buckling, his stuff was floating around and Wally was having a hard time sloshing around in the water. Coble, a retiree, wasn't doing so well himself. He'd stopped eating very much and his strength was starting to go. And yet, he was determined to stay home. About 4:30 the next morning — on Aug. 29 — the sheriff's deputy returned to Coble's house, this time banging insistently on the front door. Coble looked out the window, and saw a boat in his front yard and a deputy on his stoop imploring him to open up. Once again Coble shook his head, "No thanks," and turned to go back to bed. The deputy refused to leave, so Coble slowly got dressed and went to hear what he had to say. He recalls the officer looking at him and saying in no uncertain terms, " 'You need to leave now. Grab your most important belongings and let's go!' " He told Coble the water in that area could rise as much as 9 feet. "I guess he scared me," Coble says, "so I got some stuff together, and my dog, and we went." Boyd Coble at the Al-Salam Mosque in North Houston, in late August, waiting out the storm that had forced him to flee his home. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption Boyd Coble at the Al-Salam Mosque in North Houston, in late August, waiting out the storm that had forced him to flee his home. I met Coble the next day — in a shelter at the Al-Salam Mosque in north Houston. He was wearing a baseball cap — with the name of the oil and gas company where he used to work written across the top. Coble was pale and hunched, a wheelchair poised next to him. He told me then that he regretted leaving his home and that he figured that "9 feet" was probably an exaggeration. I shook my head and said "Boyd, your floors were buckling, your dog couldn't get around. Why stay under those conditions?" He gave me a gentle smile and said, " 'cause I'm a homebody." His story is not unusual. Each time a disaster threatens and authorities try to get people to evacuate, a certain number refuse to leave their homes. They each have particular reasons; but in the face of impending doom, the arguments can sound thin. In Puerto Rico, when a hurricane of historic proportions was on its way, some residents insisted on staying home because the evacuation shelters didn't have enough cots. In Houston, Salma Rao and her husband Zulfiqar Sheikh told me they live with their elderly in-laws, so moving to a shelter seemed impossible. In fact, they were so determined to stay in their house that when the toilets started backing up and overflowing they chose to stop eating and drinking to avoid using the toilets, rather than move to a shelter. Even the risk of starvation and dehydration were apparently better than leaving home. It might defy logic to grip so tightly when the ship is sinking, but Clare Cooper Marcus, a social scientist and retired professor of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, says there is something profound behind it. Our homes are the keepers of our selves — our memories, our hopes, our dreams and pain. In some ways our homes are who we are. Cooper Marcus spent 20 years exploring people's emotional relationships with where they live, and published her findings in a book: House as a Mirror of Self — Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home. When she started the book, Cooper Marcus says, architects and designers weren't asking people how they "felt" about their housing. They'd only asked pragmatic questions — "Do you like the kitchen?" "How is that common area working out for you?" Cooper Marcus wanted to help architects go deeper — to take into account the emotional relationships people have with their environment. So, she launched a project for which, borrowing a role-playing technique from Gestalt Therapy, she met with people in their own homes and asked them to close their eyes and speak directly to the home. "Talk to it, tell it how you feel about it," she said. One of the most dramatic patterns she noticed, as she talked to these people, were the striking parallels between their current homes and the homes of their childhood. Sometimes these parallels were positive — in the way, say, they'd decorated — and sometimes negative, as in never being able to relax at home, because their childhood home had been unhappy, a place they'd always tried to escape. Whatever the experience, Cooper Marcus says, it was clear that the home and the many things in it held a value deeper than the thing itself. We don't tend to think of inanimate objects in terms of feelings, and usually not in terms of love, she says, until "we lose them." One woman quoted in Cooper Marcus' book relates her personal experience of facing down such a threat. It was the fall of 1991. Fire was ripping its way through the hills around Berkeley and Oakland, Calif., and she and her husband were forced to leave home fast. She describes what happened that evening, after they left, this way: "Through the night, tossing in an unfamiliar bed, I imagined my house fending for itself, like the little house in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. At dawn, when the fire had moved south of our neighborhood, we awoke, and my husband dialed the bulky hotel phone next to the bed. I heard the clear sound of my voice on our answering machine. After the beep, my husband whispered, 'Hello house, we love you.' " To be sure, disasters don't seem to know about love, nor do they seem to care what else is going on in our lives when they strike. When Harvey rushed in through Boyd Coble's door in late August, for example, it found grief: Coble's partner of 30 years had died only nine months before. Leaving home that night in the middle of the storm just intensified Coble's increasing sense of dread. "Bad things happen in threes," he remembers. "First my partner died, then came Harvey. I was just waiting for the third bad thing to happen." One week later, Coble was back home. Everything was still a mess, the floors were ruined, the walls, the insulation, the rugs, the furniture. It sounds overwhelming. But as Boyd describes this to me on the phone, he sounds so much different than he did in the shelter — like a completely different person. He's energetic, brighter. And, he tells me, he's not waiting anymore for something bad to happen. Everything is going to be OK now, he says — now that he is "back in his element." Now that he's home. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

zulfiqar sheikh

evacuation

berkeley

hurricane harvey

Scott Horsley Over the last few days, President Trump has been tweeting a lot about rescue efforts in Texas. He's offered praise, for "great coordination between agencies at all levels of government." AILSA CHANG, HOST: Over the last few days, President Trump has been tweeting a lot about rescue efforts in Texas. He's offered praise for, quote, "great coordination between agencies at all levels of government." Today, President Trump gets to see it for himself.DAVID GREENE, HOST: That's right. This morning, the president is landing in Corpus Christi, and then he's going to go on to the state capital, Austin, to look at the emergency response by officials there. And Ailsa, I mean, this is the first major natural disaster of the Trump presidency. And this is a major test for any administration - certainly, for an administration that has struggled in recent weeks over how it responded to the events in Charlottesville.And I've been talking to people here in Houston. I asked one about this visit - Carolyn Wilson (ph). She's a longtime Houstonian, lot - like a lot of people, I mean, her apartment totally flooded. She managed to drive herself to this hotel with her daughter, her three cats, her dog. This is where we met her. And I asked, what is she expecting to hear from President Trump?CAROLYN WILSON: You know, I hope he really shows that he's going to help the Houstonians, because they need it.GREENE: What do you think? Have you liked him up till this point or...WILSON: Honestly, no. But I know that he's a businessman, and he understands, you know, money makes the world go round sometimes, you know? I mean...GREENE: It sounds like this could be a moment for him to prove himself to you.WILSON: Prove himself - that's how I feel. He's going to make it or break it with this.GREENE: She makes it sound like an important moment for the president.CHANG: Yeah. And for more on President Trump's trip, we're joined by NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley.Hey, Scott.SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: Good morning, Ailsa.CHANG: Good morning. So you know, the president has been criticized a lot lately for striking the wrong tone at press conferences, at rallies. It's still early, but how are people rating his response to Harvey so far?HORSLEY: I think, in general, the marks have been fairly positive. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is another Republican and a supporter of the president, called the federal effort A-plus. And yesterday at the White House, the president did strike, I think, an appropriately somber and unifying tone. He talked about how tragedy brings out the best in Americans. He said, we hurt together, we struggle together, and we endure together.CHANG: You know, you think back to the powerful images of presidents visiting scenes of disaster or tragedy - President George W. Bush on top of that rubble following 9/11 or President Obama touring the Louisiana floods last year. How important is this visit for Trump at this particular moment in his presidency?HORSLEY: Trump could certainly use a lift. His approval ratings have been stuck down below 40 percent. And of course, a lot of the problems for this White House have been of the president's own making. The interesting thing about Harvey is this is really one of the first disasters from external forces that this president has had to confront. And obviously, the rain falls on Republican counties and Democratic counties alike, so this is an opportunity for Trump to have his own sort of bullhorn moment and show his talents to be comforter in chief.CHANG: I also want to turn now to some reporting that's been both in The New York Times and The Washington Post. It's about a story we haven't heard about as much about lately, the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia last year. What is this latest story all about?HORSLEY: This is a different kind of storm cloud for the president. The two newspapers have been reporting on an effort by Trump associate Felix Sater, who is a Russian-American businessman, to broker a deal in which the Trump Organization and Donald Trump would attach his name to a planned high-rise development in Moscow. Now, this was happening in late 2015 and early 2016, while Trump was running for president. The project never got off the ground. But according to The New York Times, Trump Organization attorney Michael Cohen actually reached out to an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes he could sort of grease the wheels and get this development project going. All this comes from documents handed over to a House intelligence committee, which is investigating Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible ties to the Trump campaign. Of course, Trump has repeatedly said he didn't have any business interests in Russia. This suggests that wasn't for lack of trying.CHANG: All right, that's NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley. Thank you, Scott.HORSLEY: You're welcome. AILSA CHANG, HOST: Over the last few days, President Trump has been tweeting a lot about rescue efforts in Texas. He's offered praise for, quote, "great coordination between agencies at all levels of government." Today, President Trump gets to see it for himself. DAVID GREENE, HOST: That's right. This morning, the president is landing in Corpus Christi, and then he's going to go on to the state capital, Austin, to look at the emergency response by officials there. And Ailsa, I mean, this is the first major natural disaster of the Trump presidency. And this is a major test for any administration - certainly, for an administration that has struggled in recent weeks over how it responded to the events in Charlottesville. And I've been talking to people here in Houston. I asked one about this visit - Carolyn Wilson (ph). She's a longtime Houstonian, lot - like a lot of people, I mean, her apartment totally flooded. She managed to drive herself to this hotel with her daughter, her three cats, her dog. This is where we met her. And I asked, what is she expecting to hear from President Trump? CAROLYN WILSON: You know, I hope he really shows that he's going to help the Houstonians, because they need it. GREENE: What do you think? Have you liked him up till this point or... WILSON: Honestly, no. But I know that he's a businessman, and he understands, you know, money makes the world go round sometimes, you know? I mean... GREENE: It sounds like this could be a moment for him to prove himself to you. WILSON: Prove himself - that's how I feel. He's going to make it or break it with this. GREENE: She makes it sound like an important moment for the president. CHANG: Yeah. And for more on President Trump's trip, we're joined by NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley. Hey, Scott. SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: Good morning, Ailsa. CHANG: Good morning. So you know, the president has been criticized a lot lately for striking the wrong tone at press conferences, at rallies. It's still early, but how are people rating his response to Harvey so far? HORSLEY: I think, in general, the marks have been fairly positive. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is another Republican and a supporter of the president, called the federal effort A-plus. And yesterday at the White House, the president did strike, I think, an appropriately somber and unifying tone. He talked about how tragedy brings out the best in Americans. He said, we hurt together, we struggle together, and we endure together. CHANG: You know, you think back to the powerful images of presidents visiting scenes of disaster or tragedy - President George W. Bush on top of that rubble following 9/11 or President Obama touring the Louisiana floods last year. How important is this visit for Trump at this particular moment in his presidency? HORSLEY: Trump could certainly use a lift. His approval ratings have been stuck down below 40 percent. And of course, a lot of the problems for this White House have been of the president's own making. The interesting thing about Harvey is this is really one of the first disasters from external forces that this president has had to confront. And obviously, the rain falls on Republican counties and Democratic counties alike, so this is an opportunity for Trump to have his own sort of bullhorn moment and show his talents to be comforter in chief. CHANG: I also want to turn now to some reporting that's been both in The New York Times and The Washington Post. It's about a story we haven't heard about as much about lately, the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia last year. What is this latest story all about? HORSLEY: This is a different kind of storm cloud for the president. The two newspapers have been reporting on an effort by Trump associate Felix Sater, who is a Russian-American businessman, to broker a deal in which the Trump Organization and Donald Trump would attach his name to a planned high-rise development in Moscow. Now, this was happening in late 2015 and early 2016, while Trump was running for president. The project never got off the ground. But according to The New York Times, Trump Organization attorney Michael Cohen actually reached out to an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes he could sort of grease the wheels and get this development project going. All this comes from documents handed over to a House intelligence committee, which is investigating Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible ties to the Trump campaign. Of course, Trump has repeatedly said he didn't have any business interests in Russia. This suggests that wasn't for lack of trying. CHANG: All right, that's NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley. Thank you, Scott. HORSLEY: You're welcome. Copyright © 2017 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

president obama

donald trump

president trump

charlottesville

By  Brian Naylor Administrator Brock Long of FEMA (center) speaks during a firehouse briefing on Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images hide caption Administrator Brock Long of FEMA (center) speaks during a firehouse briefing on Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday. Hurricane Harvey is the first test of the Trump administration's response to a natural disaster. And much of that responsibility falls on the shoulder of the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, William "Brock" Long. Long was confirmed as FEMA administrator by the Senate in June, just a few months ago, but he is not exactly a stranger to the agency. He was a regional manager there during the George W. Bush administration, and he went on to serve as Alabama's emergency management director. "Top of the top" His Trump administration colleague, homeland security adviser Tom Bossert, gave Long a strong endorsement during a White House briefing Friday. "We couldn't have picked a finer leader," Bossert said. "He's had state director experience; he's had FEMA experience. He's absolutely the top of the top." In Alabama, Long oversaw recovery efforts from tornadoes and the BP oil spill. Barry Scanlon, who worked at FEMA during the Clinton administration and is now a private consultant, says Long is well-regarded in the field. "He's got the relationships throughout emergency management, throughout the states," Scanlon says. "He has the respect of the people who do this every day, which is vitally important." "Hazard amnesia" Long, who was not available to be interviewed for this story, told the National Governors Association in July that his biggest concern as FEMA director was a lack of a "culture of preparedness." People, he said, are just not as prepared as they need to be for a major storm. "I believe in what I call 'hazard amnesia,' " Long said. While there have been relatively recent disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Matthew, "one of the things that keeps me up at night is this nation has not seen the devastation of a major land-falling hurricane since 2005. So sometimes I think we forget the worst." Citizens as first responders FEMA's role in a big storm like Harvey is to help prepare residents and position supplies, like bottled water and blankets and food, should they be needed. But it's largely up to states and local government to be first responders. In fact, Long believes that individual citizens are the real first responders. "We have to think about the way we train our citizens and refocus these programs to give them lifesaving skills," Long said. That includes CPR and "how to shut off the water valves to your homes — how can they do simple search and rescue in their communities after these disasters?" Long says government needs to take a comprehensive look at what it is asking citizens to do and "empower them to be a part of that response." While Long will be doing most of the management of the federal response, ultimately it is very likely President Trump who will get the blame or credit for how his administration deals with its first natural disaster. And he will be closely watched as he performs what Scanlon calls "the role of healer in chief." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

tornadoes

superstorm sandy

hurricane matthew

hurricane harvey

Christopher Joyce Part of the main street in Hilo, Hawaii, was flattened by a tsunami in April 1946. That big wave was triggered by a quake near the Aleutian Islands, where the edges of two tectonic plates continue to collide. Bettmann/Corbis hide caption Part of the main street in Hilo, Hawaii, was flattened by a tsunami in April 1946. That big wave was triggered by a quake near the Aleutian Islands, where the edges of two tectonic plates continue to collide. Two teams of geologists say portions of the seafloor along the Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska could produce tsunamis more devastating than anything seen in the past century. They say California and Hawaii are directly in the line of fire. Tsunamis — the giant waves generated by undersea earthquakes or landslides — have hit U.S. shorelines before. Often they start along the Aleutian island chain that curves in an arc across the North Pacific. Right underneath, there's a trench where two pieces of the Earth's crust are colliding. The edge of the Pacific Plate is shoving itself under the edge of the North American Plate. Occasionally a segment of the trench along the plate margins gives way with ferocious results — a big earthquake. These subduction quakes are the type that produces a tsunami, as a giant section of the earth collapses. It's like waving your hand underwater — the collapse creates a wave that can travel thousands of miles. In the past century, several such tsunamis have inundated parts of Hawaii, Alaska and California. Geophysicist John Miller and a team at the U.S. Geological Survey have been studying one particular segment that worries Miller. It's quiet. Too quiet. "The stress isn't being relieved by small seismic events," Miller says, referring to small earthquakes. "It suggests that it's building up a tremendous amount of tension." If too much tension builds up, the segment will unzip along the plate margin or along faults in that margin, causing a quake. His research team's analysis was recently published online in the journal Geochemisry, Geophysics, Geosystems. The big 1946 rupture in the fault near the Aleutians also sent a tsunami to Central California, in a glancing blow. The large wave swept boats inland, where they blocked roadways in tiny Princeton-by-the-Sea, a 35-mile drive south of San Francisco. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption The big 1946 rupture in the fault near the Aleutians also sent a tsunami to Central California, in a glancing blow. The large wave swept boats inland, where they blocked roadways in tiny Princeton-by-the-Sea, a 35-mile drive south of San Francisco. Miller says this segment of the trench, called the Semidi, poses a special risk. A tsunami created by its rupture would travel outward at a 90-degree angle from the segment. "[A] perpendicular [line] to that section of the trench," he says, "aims right at California." He says that means a big quake could produce a tsunami that would score a direct hit on California's coastline from San Francisco to Los Angeles. In the past hundred years, other tsunamis have come from other parts of the Aleutians, he points out; since the trench is shaped in an arc, each segment of it "points" in a slightly different direction in terms of the waves created when it ruptures. Consequently, tsunamis emanating from that region of the seafloor in the recent past have mostly missed population centers, or struck only glancing blows. The Semidi, in contrast, points directly at Central California. Miller and his team have found evidence that the Semidi segment ruptures about once every 180 to 270 years. The last time it erupted was 1788. "That last great earthquake was 227 years ago; so there's a possibility that we're going to have another big one at any time," Miller says, because we're near the end of that recurrence interval. Miller says a tsunami from the Semidi could be as big as the one that struck Japan in 2011. "I think the public just needs to be aware that tsunamis of this magnitude can occur, and they can cause a lot of damage," he says. Coincidentally, another USGS team says there's another part of the Aleutian chain that poses what the scientists say is a "previously unrecognized" tsunami threat. Geologist Rob Witter, out of Anchorage, Alaska, led that team. An underground rupture and resulting quake along certain parts of that trench, he says, would point a tsunami "straight toward Hawaii." Witter says this segment of the trench hasn't been considered a threat by most scientists because it's "creeping" — the opposing edges along the trench there are actually moving, relative to each other, but very slowly. Theoretically, that should relieve the stress, making a quake unlikely. But not so fast, says Witter. There's now good evidence that this creeping segment has in fact caused quakes as well as tsunamis in the past. His team has found evidence of at least six such events over the past 1,700 years that probably started with ruptures in this Fox Island section. The evidence includes sheets of sand and debris that were pushed up onto hills on another Alaskan island as the big waves moved in. One of those tsunamis was so big it pushed huge logs and other debris about 50 feet above sea level. Witter notes that Hawaii and California have warning systems that would alert people of a tsunami's arrival at least four hours ahead of time. But residents have to pay attention to those warnings, if they're to work, he says. "I think the take-home message here is, be aware and practice your evacuation plan. A tsunami along the coastlines could happen. It could happen tomorrow." Witter's research was published online this month in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. He says he is not surprised that the peculiarities of these segments are just now coming to light. "Hardly anything is known about the long-term history of earthquakes and tsunamis in the Aleutian chain over the last several thousand years," he says. There's an urgent need, he says, to do more surveys of the seafloor in the area to understand what's going on there, and what's likely to happen in the future. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

quakes

evacuation

resulting quake

tsunami

By  Aurora Almendral Locals working for a UNDP cash-for-work program clear debris in one of the neighborhoods worst affected by the typhoon that hit Tacloban, Philippines, last November. Tim Walsh runs the program, which he hopes will help keep the local economy going. RV Mitra/UNDP/Flickr hide caption Locals working for a UNDP cash-for-work program clear debris in one of the neighborhoods worst affected by the typhoon that hit Tacloban, Philippines, last November. Tim Walsh runs the program, which he hopes will help keep the local economy going. In an open dump, in a village outside of Tacloban in the central Philippines, we're sloshing through rainwater and leachate — that's the goo that comes out of rotting trash — while Tim Walsh surveys the site. "Just walk on the dry bit," he says. "I've got used to the smell over the years and you get immune to it. But for most people the smell of decaying rubbish is not really very pleasant." Workers in the UNDP program are paid 260 pesos a day. Some of the materials are recycled and re-purposed. RV Mitra/UNDP/Flickr hide caption Workers in the UNDP program are paid 260 pesos a day. Some of the materials are recycled and re-purposed. Walsh has a unique job: after a major natural disaster, he's the man who shows up to disaster zones to clean up the debris and put people to work. We'd like to call him the disaster garbage man, but he prefers waste management specialist. He's a British consultant for the United Nations Development Program, and he's seen it all: the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, several earthquakes, and now the aftermath of the typhoon that hit the Philippines in November last year. Amid all that destruction, he's learned there's also opportunity, even in a garbage dump. His UNDP cash-for-work program has helped keep the economy going in Tacloban, and he hopes the recycled materials his teams collect will help form the basis for small businesses — such as furniture-making — as they have in other disaster zones. What To Do With Garbage, Besides Letting it Rot? Walsh came to Tacloban in mid-November, a week after Typhoon Haiyan devastated this area. He estimates the city was covered in a million cubic yards of debris. "That's like your average American football field ... 30 feet of waste on top of a football field, multiply that by 10," he says. "And you think, well, what the hell are you going to do with all of this?" Mountains of garbage closed off entire neighborhoods from the street. The coastal highway became a narrow path, flanked on either side by snapped rafters, twisted tin and the crumbled cement of what used to be people's homes. A typhoon victim walks past a destroyed church outside her home in Tacloban last November. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images hide caption A typhoon victim walks past a destroyed church outside her home in Tacloban last November. Workers have cleared most of that away to these temporary garbage dumps. Walsh does a lot of debris cleanup and making dumps more sanitary, but most of his job is figuring out what to do with garbage besides letting it rot. "What's interesting for us is, these guys here scavenging, they're taking out pretty much anything they can sell," he says. In the distance, a couple of men are braving the rain, sifting through the dump looking for tin, plastic and anything else that might earn them a few pesos. Most are career waste pickers, the poorest of the poor. Walsh says making life better for these people is one place to start his work. "Even something as simple as giving a waste picker ... a bicycle with a sidecar," he says. "They then have a means of carrying the stuff that they collect to the junk shops or whatever. That often helps." As would a plastic shredder for discarded water bottles — that would allow junk shops to shred up plastic bottles and compact them, so they could ship four times what they would if the bottles remained intact. With equipment like an extruder and a blow-molding machine, a rural community can have their own mini recycled plastics factory. 'Very Good Return On Investment' From the plastic that's mixed up in the rubbish around us, Walsh says, it's possible to make plastic bags, string, bottles, buckets, chairs and more. Coconut husks can be turned into doormats, and the millions of trees uprooted by the storm could produce enough lumber to rebuild most of the destroyed homes. Walsh says they could train carpenters to mill salvaged timber and make them into chairs and desks for schools. After the tsunami in Indonesia, his UNDP program set up small businesses based on re-purposing debris. "Within the first year of them being set up, those 160 businesses have made $6 million," he says. "So we've got very good return on investment." It was his experience in Indonesia — finding people work, and seeing the smile on their faces when they see that something good can come out of the destruction, that there's a chance to rebuild — that got Walsh hooked on being a disaster garbage man in the first place. "And here, if anything it's more important, because less people died and more people have lost their livelihoods here," he says. "They're still alive, we've got to give them livelihoods to do, otherwise, again in our response to the whole Typhoon Haiyan, we failed." These jobs won't bring back their old lives, but just like in Indonesia, Walsh hopes that the work of clearing up the rubble will help the people of Tacloban find a way to move forward. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

earthquakes

coconut husks

tim walsh

tsunami

Howard Berkes Firefighters stand watch near the perimeter of the Elk Complex fire near the small mountain community of Pine, Idaho, on Aug. 12. The lightning-caused fire is one of many burning through states in the Western U.S. AP/U.S. Forest Service hide caption Firefighters stand watch near the perimeter of the Elk Complex fire near the small mountain community of Pine, Idaho, on Aug. 12. The lightning-caused fire is one of many burning through states in the Western U.S. The 2013 wildfire season hit a milestone Tuesday: Preparedness Level 5, an officious way of saying resources are stretched thin and it could quickly get worse. Preparedness Level 5 is the highest on the national wildfire preparedness scale, which the National Interagency Fire Center uses to chart wildfire activity, the deployment and availability of firefighters and equipment and the likelihood that more big fires are coming. "The decision to move to Preparedness Level 5 reflects the complexity facing our federal and non-federal fire managers," said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in a statement. Jewell is referring to an escalation in wildfire that now has 18,000 firefighters simultaneously tackling 48 major blazes in nine Western states. The firefighter deployment already matches the 2012 number even though there is far less fire activity overall this year. As of Tuesday, 3.4 million acres have been scorched in 31,896 wildfires. That's just 60 percent of the average for the past 10 years and half the acreage burned to date last year. But thunderstorms with lightning have sparked hundreds of new blazes across California, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, and major existing fires continue to burn in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Wyoming. Thousands of homes have been threatened in just the past week. This is the fifth time in the past decade and the 10th time since 2000 that NIFC has hit Level 5. The last season with this demand for resources was in 2008. "When we reach PL-5 there are always going to be shortages," says NIFC spokesman Don Smurthwaite. "We can call on the military. We can call on countries that we have mutual aid agreements with. We have contractors out there and we also have what we call the ready reserve, which is people who don't normally fight fire but they are qualified." Those additional forces may be needed sooner than usual this year because the congressional sequester forced budget cuts that left 700 federal firefighter jobs unfilled. In fact, NIFC has already called up some of the ready reserves, which numbered 8,000 last year. "The sequester was a debt, but the wheels are still on and we're moving ahead," Smurthwaite says. "It's always the case where we have more fire and more needs than resources available whether there's a sequester or not ... we make work what is given to us." The immediate forecast for much of the West calls for conditions conducive to wildfire. The fire season in most of the region typically winds down around Labor Day, except for California, where September and October can be the busiest months. "We know how to set the priorities. We rely a lot on our experience," Smurthwaite says, "and in the end it always works out." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

wildfires

preparedness level

thunderstorms

new blazes

Joel Rose 1 of 12 Much of the eastern and central United States remains under an excessive heat warning Saturday morning. Triple-digit temperatures neared or exceeded record highs from Missouri to Massachusetts this week. In Philadelphia, the mercury topped out at a sultry 104 degrees on Friday. Public health workers mobilized to help the elderly and others affected by the heat. Earlier in the week the heat caused the pavement to buckle on an on-ramp connecting the Commodore Barry Bridge to Interstate 95, just south of Philadelphia. Construction crews had to make emergency repairs to get the ramp open again. If the heat is doing that to pavement, imagine what it's doing to people. Pedestrians walk along Market Street in Philadelphia on Friday, as the temperature topped 100 degrees. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption Pedestrians walk along Market Street in Philadelphia on Friday, as the temperature topped 100 degrees. "It is the most dangerous natural disaster. More people die from the heat in this country than all the other natural disasters combined," says Chris Gallagher of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. Gallagher says the young and the old are the most vulnerable. "A lot of times it is the heat exacerbating some other type of medical condition. But sometimes it still is just the heat. The core body temperature of somebody raises too high, and they die," he says. "But any heat-related death is preventable. So that's why we're here, to try to raise awareness and keep people out of that dangerous area." Gallagher directs the "heat line," a phone bank run by the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and the city health department. Staff members advise seniors who don't have air conditioning to go somewhere that does, like a movie theater or mall. And when that isn't possible, they offer other tips on keeping cool without air conditioning. Nurses from the city health department are also on hand to talk with callers who may have urgent medical problems. And if they're worried, the nurses dispatch emergency response teams to check on the callers in person. Gallagher says the calls tend to get more serious as the heat wave drags on. "If you just have a hot day, you know that can be dangerous for some people, especially if you're dealing with a lot of activities or something," he says. "But let's say at nighttime, your house cools off. Next day, you start fresh. Your body temperature is regulated. And what gets really dangerous right now is the nighttime temperature does not really cool things off, like it does in other times." Up and down the East Coast, public health officials offered extended hours at cooling centers to give seniors and others a place to escape from the heat. The Philadelphia Senior Center also gave away 300 free window fans on Thursday. And seniors Josie Miller and Martin Krasner hung around to take advantage of some free air conditioning. "It was very hot. And I needed some place to cool off, because I don't have an air conditioner. I'm dripping wet in the middle of the night, so I'm constantly thinking of cool places to go," Miller says. "It's cold in here. It feels great. If I stay home and put the air on, it costs me money. Here I don't have to pay for it," Krasner says. For those brave enough to venture outside, public pools were a popular destination. New York officials offered extended hours at state beaches and city pools. The mayor of Allentown, Pa., made his city's swimming pools free. In Philadelphia, lines were so long at municipal pools that some residents, like Melissa Biondi's two kids, took a dip in the public fountains instead. "This was totally spur of the moment. We just came out to play in the fountain, and now we have a really wet drive home," Biondi says. Biondi's children jumped in — T-shirts, shorts and all — to swim with sculptures of frogs and turtles in the city's biggest fountain. Bobby and Sharon Charthern went in fully clothed, too. "[I went in] to cool off. It's almost 100 degrees! I had to cool off," Bobby Charthern says. "Even sitting in the shade I was hot. So I decided to get in the water." Sharon Charthern of West Philadelphia said she and her "grandbabies" came to the fountain to cool off. "And good grief!" she says. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

josie miller

swimming

joel rose

grandbabies

Howard Berkes Two days after being absorbed in a merger, Massey Energy released its final report on the explosion that killed 29 mine workers at its Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia last year. And the findings are consistent with what Massey has been saying about the blast for the last year: it was a "natural disaster" and the company's operation of the mine is not at fault. Massey's conclusions sharply contradict the report two weeks ago issued by an independent team of investigators appointed last year by Joe Manchin, the governor of West Virginia at the time. That report blamed "profoundly reckless" management of the mine for poor underground ventilation, malfunctioning mining equipment, excessive explosive coal dust and multiple safety systems failures that kept a small methane ignition from erupting into a series of massive explosions. That conclusion also fits the working theory of investigators at the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), who are scheduled to issue a preliminary summary of its findings on June 29. But the Massey report calls the MSHA investigation "deeply flawed" and determined "to find evidence in support of its claim that [the company] caused the accident." MSHA spokesman Amy Louviere responded with this statement: "We are currently reviewing the findings that appear in Massey's report released this morning." Massey claims MSHA "ignored compelling evidence of a natural disaster and, instead, focused single-mindedly on any factors that were conceivably within [the company's] control." Massey bases its conclusions on evidence gathered and analyzed by its own team of technical experts, who conducted their own investigation underground. And each conclusion supports a common thread: Massey is not to blame. Natural forces are at fault. Massey's experts say gas readings taken after the blast support their finding that natural gas (which consists mostly of methane) rushed into the mine just before the explosion on the afternoon of April 5, 2010. There was no excessive coal dust, the report says, to feed the explosion and send it coursing more than two miles underground. "The ignition source may never be determined," Massey says, but the explosion was sparked "certainly not as the result of faulty shearer maintenance." The shearer is the massive cutting tool on the longwall mining machine and MSHA and the independent investigative team have said worn bits created excessive sparking and malfunctioning water sprayers failed to control those sparks and a small methane gas ignition. Massey insists that "the mine's underground ventilation system provided significantly more fresh air than required by law and there is no evidence that ventilation contributed to the explosion." MSHA and the independent investigative team, and documents in the public record, show serious problems with the mine's ventilation system in the months before the blast. Massey miners also testified that sections of the mine frequently lacked enough air to sweep away explosive coal dust and methane gas. The independent report said air was flowing in the wrong direction, which could carry methane gas toward the sparking shearer, the day of the blast. Massey also attacks the MSHA investigation as "predicated, in part, upon secrecy, protecting its own self-interest, witness intimidation, obstruction of [the company's] investigators, and retaliatory citations." The report does not specifically address the conclusions of the independent investigative team, which was led by former federal mine safety chief Davitt McAteer. In a cover letter, former Massey board chairman Bobby Inman says "Massey Energy officials have significant disagreements with Mr. McAteer's report" and promises a critique sometime in the next two weeks. Inman also says in the letter that the report was ready for release several weeks ago but was held back at the "request from Alpha and some of Massey's large shareholders to minimize any publicity that could possibly detract from focus on the impending Shareholder votes" on this week's merger. (See update below.) Massey makes a recommendation that even some of its critics may endorse. The company calls for independent and public investigations of mine disasters. Members of Congress, the United Mine Workers union, McAteer and families of the 29 victims of the Upper Big Branch disaster have criticized MSHA's decision not to conduct an open investigation. A federal criminal investigation continues and two low-level Massey managers have been charged so far but not for crimes that relate directly to the explosion. At least 13 wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against Massey Energy by families of the victims. Eight other families accepted cash settlements, according to a Massey financial statement, and four survivors of the explosion have filed suits based on personal injuries or emotional distress. Several large institutional shareholders have lawsuits pending against former Massey executives and board members for allegedly failing to manage the company safely and causing declines in the value of their investments. Update at 3:46 p.m. ET. Alpha Says It Will Conduct Its Own Review: In a statement, Alpha Natural Resources says it "did not commission or authorize the release of the report, and was not given the opportunity to review" it. The statement indicates Alpha does not approve of the report's release or its conclusions. Alpha told Massey not to release a report "before Alpha had an opportunity to fully understand and assess the situation. The statement says Alpha will conduct its own review of "the events at Massey's Upper Big Branch mine" and will cooperate with investigators. Massey's assertion that the blast was a "natural disaster" does not absolve the company of responsibility. Massive infusions of natural gas have been reported before at the mine and Massey officials met with federal regulators about the problem. MSHA recommended a series of steps to address that threat but neither MSHA nor Massey has produced evidence that either did anything in response. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

disaster

weeks

disagreements

afternoon

By  Claire O'Neill A Kromograph consists of three exposures of green, blue and red, which are then layered and viewed with a Kromscope to give the full-color and 3-D effect. The images in the slideshow have been combined digitally to simulate the effect. Smithsonian's National Museum of American History hide caption The Smithsonian has recently rediscovered a rare perspective on San Francisco's legendary 1906 quake: 3-D, color stereo photographs. They are assuredly some of the earliest true color stereo photos in history, according to the Smithsonian, and possibly the first color photos of San Francisco. Again this week, the West Coast has met the familiar face of natural disaster, in the fallout of Japan's earthquake and tsunami. But the 1906 quake still stands out as one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Registering at a magnitude of 7.9, it was felt from Los Angeles up the coast to Oregon, and killed at least 700 people. The images — which show the destruction in San Francisco six months after the quake — are credited to pioneering photographer Frederick Eugene Ives, who according to the Smithsonian, "rarely issued licenses for the use of his many patents, so today his name is not widely known." He patented the method and called the photos Kromograms. To get the 3-D effect, a viewer called a Kromscope is required — much like a viewer is required for all stereograms. 1 of 7 Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

natural disaster

disasters

disaster

tsunami

Hurricane Katrina, and the destruction it wrought, are often referred to as a natural disaster. Think again, says actor Harry Shearer. In his documentary, The Big Uneasy, Shearer says much of the destruction in New Orleans was man-made and preventable — and largely the fault of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. NEAL CONAN, host: This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. It's now five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, a natural disaster, no question about it, but a new documentary argues that the floods that killed hundreds and destroyed much of New Orleans could have and should have been prevented. Actor, satirist and part-time New Orleans resident Harry Shearer examines what he characterizes as a manmade disaster that stems from systemic failures of the Army Corps of Engineers. In this excerpt, Ivor van Heerden, the former deputy director of the LSU Hurricane Center, says the Corps made fundamental errors. (Soundbite of film, "The Big Uneasy") Dr. IVOR VAN HEERDEN (Former Deputy Director, LSU Hurricane Center): There had obviously been no oversight of the Corps of Engineers in their operation. And as we dug deeper, we found clerical errors, we found misinterpretation of data, mis-scribing data - as we look from bridge to bridge. The kind of mistake at the London Avenue Bridge is what you learn about in second-year engineering. CONAN: An excerpt from "The Big Uneasy." We want to hear from our listeners along the Gulf Coast and those of you were there five years ago. What went wrong? Tell us your story. 800-989-8255 is the phone number. Email us, [email protected]. You can also join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. Later in the program, a new exhibit shows the story behind the story. We'll talk with the curator of "Covering Katrina" about the news media's coverage of the hurricane. But first, Harry Shearer joins us from a studio in New Orleans. He's the executive producer, writer, director and narrator of "The Big Uneasy." Harry, nice to have you back on the program. Mr. HARRY SHEARER (Executive Producer, "The Big Uneasy"): Thanks. CONAN: And you suggest in this film, that early mischaracterizations of what happened in New Orleans led to persistent misperceptions about the fundamental nature of this disaster. Mr. SHEARER: Yes I do, Neal. It's one of the reasons I made the film. Four and a half years on, most Americans, I would venture to say, think that what happened in New Orleans was a natural disaster that happened to a city where people shouldn't be living because it's below sea level. Both of those assertions are incorrect, and when President Obama came to the city last October and had a town hall and said in sort of sidelong reference that the flood was a natural disaster. I decided that maybe I would try to help the city recapture control of the narrative of its own near destruction. CONAN: Because a natural disaster suggests nothing could have stopped it, that the flooding was the result, for example, of enormous tidal water that overtopped the walls and the levees, and nothing could have stopped it. Mr. SHEARER: Right, and that was the original, official explanation, that Dr. van Heerden, whom you heard in that clip, and Dr. Bob Bee(ph) from UC Berkeley, both began to suspect was not correct, as they flew down here and began their preliminary investigation of the scene, of the evidence in the days following the flooding. And it led that suspicion that the official explanation was not correct led both of those individuals to organize teams to conduct full-on investigations, and that forms the basis of the film. CONAN: And it's a study of civil engineering. It's a study of the mistakes made repeatedly by the Corps of Engineers. In fact, you concentrate not so much on the terrible problems that people had, the stories of struggle in the disaster but rather on a story of engineering and on the story of the Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. SHEARER: Well, I don't regard it as the story of engineering. I regard is you know, this week we're all seeing those images of suffering and destruction again, and I think the one unanswered question in all of that, then and now, is why. And so this is a movie about why. Now, we have to get a little bit into the engineering details to understand that. But we also have to get into what kind of an organization is the Army Corps of Engineers. Why is it the way it is? And I have expert assistance in that regard. I have to say, Neal, none of this is what I think. I'm in the comedy business. I don't know what I think. But I went to the people who led these investigations. I went to a whistleblower who is inside the Corps of Engineers. I went to people who spent years and years looking at this stuff, and they are the people who tell this story. CONAN: The whistleblower, hers is an extraordinary story. Maria Garzino, if I'm pronouncing that right, and she is works for the Corps of Engineers - as of the making of the film, she still did and goes on to study a series of pumps that were going to be put in. This is after Katrina. Mr. SHEARER: That's right. CONAN: To deal with the situation, well, supposedly for 50 years. And her story documents an incredible litany of mis-design and mischaracterization and -well, it seems like just one horrible mistake after another. Mr. SHEARER: Yes, it does. And she tries to apprise her superiors of this and goes up the chain of command, eventually files a whistleblower complaint, gets whistleblower status. So that's why she's still working at the Corps of Engineers. And we follow her story from the moment that she arrives in New Orleans to supervise the testing of the pumps down in Florida and then comes back here to try and to try to install them. CONAN: Just to make clear, she's supervising, or not supervising but attending the tests, and the pumps continue to fail the test. So they continue to reduce the standards. So instead of pumping at 3,500 PSI, per square inch, they were doing 2,500 and see if they could survive that. And then a piece would break, and they would lower it from that. Mr. SHEARER: That's right. So it gets less rigorous as time goes on, as they keep trying to attempt to get these pumps to pass the test, and as Maria says in the film, they never did. It's disconcerting to say the least. CONAN: This is a story that these are not pumps you would have in your basement. These are billion-dollar pumps. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, these are big hydraulic pumps. Their job is the Corps has a new strategy in the post-Katrina era. It's perimeter defense. And so if a storm surge is predicted, they would close these gates that lead into the canals that led to most of the flooding in the Katrina event. And the pumps would be responsible for pumping out the rainwater that gathers during a hurricane event in these canals. And if the pumps don't work, the rainwater gets to a high level in these canals, these canals are bordered by the floodwalls that failed the last time. The Corps has not repaired these floodwalls except the particular little piece that breached and because they said we don't need to. It's perimeter defense. But if these pumps don't work, those walls will be stressed again, and God knows what'll happen. CONAN: Harry Shearer, his new documentary is "The Big Uneasy," 800-989-8255. Email us, [email protected]. We'll start with Brian(ph), Brian's calling us from Milford in Delaware. BRIAN (Caller): Hi there. Yeah, my biggest question about this thing, and I haven't heard too many people express it, the biggest mistake of the whole thing was building nine feet below sea level. Why are you spending millions of dollars on pumps when people don't belong there? That's like building a house in the California forest that hasn't had rain for 10 years. CONAN: Harry Shearer, this is a question you address directly in the film. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, we're real dumb. New Orleans has been where it is for almost 300 years. It was put here for a very good reason: It's the best place for a port, at the end of a giant river that drains two-thirds of the country that provides the commerce for two-thirds of the country. And the most recent report by Richard Campanella at Tulane University indicates that after all the subsidence, half of populated New Orleans is still at or above sea level. And John Barry, author of "Rising Tide," says in the film: Every river delta port city in the world is built at or below sea level. It's just and one other point. Many of the places that were flooded during New Orleans were 10, 12 feet above sea level, but when an 18-foot wall of water from a badly constructed floodwall comes at you, that didn't help. CONAN: And I don't mean to point fingers, Brian, but Milford, Delaware, may be the highest point might be nine feet above sea level. BRIAN: How high? CONAN: Nine feet. It's not the Eastern shore is not very far off the Atlantic. BRIAN: That's true. I'm five miles from the ocean, and I'm at 28 feet. CONAN: Twenty-eight feet above sea level, okay. Well, that's... BRIAN: And I'm hoping that there's enough there to stop any flood surge between me and the ocean. CONAN: Well, there's a river through Milford, too. So you never know. BRIAN: Yeah, that river is just a big creek. CONAN: Creeks can change. BRIAN: Okay. Mr. SHEARER: He's safe, Neal. Give it up. BRIAN: Thank you very much. I appreciate that explanation. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. CONAN: All right, Brian, thanks very much for the call, appreciate it. Let's see if we can go next to this is Michael(ph), Michael with us from Fayette in I'm sorry? MICHAEL (Caller): Good afternoon. It's a real honor to finally meet, at least by phone, Harry Shearer at long last. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. MICHAEL: I've got three big, three questions to ask you. I'll make them as quick as possible. Then I will get off the air and let you answer them. First of all, part the stimulus package and the fact that I heard on the radio a few years ago, before Katrina, that the public radio, I might add -that the levees, docks and other water infrastructure are, go back to 60 or 70 years old, that they go back to the Great Depression and the fact that we have a fishing cabin close to a lock and dam in Alabama that's on the way to Mobile - all made me wonder if Mr. Shearer knows if there are any bills in Washington that will, not only provide stronger safety standards, but also, I hope, more federal dollars for a good FDR-type rebuilding program for this nation's water infrastructure. The second question is... CONAN: Very quickly, Michael. We want to leave room for some other people. MICHAEL: Okay, how can I get in touch with Steven Lisberger? He once did the voice for "Animalympics," and I'll never forget when I was at Alabama School of Fine Art... CONAN: Michael, Michael... MICHAEL: But thanks for your time. I'll get you off the air. Thank you. CONAN: All right, Michael, thank you very much. Mr. SHEARER: B, I don't know how to get in touch with Steven Lisberger. Sorry. A, the levees and floodwalls that failed during the Katrina event were started being constructed after Hurricane Betsy in 1965, when Congress told the Corps of Engineers: Make sure this never happens again. Build to defend New Orleans against the maximum probable hurricane. Over four and a half decades, under administrations of both parties, the Corps continued to do the work that experts have found riddled with defects and misjudgments and mistakes. And it's interesting to note that that system, so-called, was not completed at the time of Katrina, despite being under construction for four and a half decades. There is and it's noteworthy, I think, that no stimulus money has gone to either the rebuilding of that system in New Orleans or, more crucially, to the rebuilding of the coastal wetlands, which protect New Orleans from hurricane ferocity. CONAN: And more on that when we come back from a short break. Harry Shearer's new documentary, "The Big Uneasy." More in a moment about why the devastation in New Orleans could not be prevented. If you live along the Gulf Coast, if you were there five years ago, what went wrong? Tell us your story, 800-989-8255. Email us, [email protected]. Stay with us. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. (Soundbite of music) CONAN: This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. For one night, this coming Monday, you can catch Harry Shearer's documentary on Hurricane Katrina in theaters. The film, "The Big Uneasy," asks why the floods that destroyed much of New Orleans could not be prevented. After the disaster, a lawsuit was filed in district court against the Army Corps of Engineers. One of the people who appears in the documentary is Judge Stanwood Duval. He sits on the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana and issued a ruling last year that states that the Army Corps of Engineers was negligent in its prevention efforts. Judge STANWOOD DUVAL (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana): The Corps' lassitude and failure to fulfill its duties resulted in a catastrophic loss of human life and property in unprecedented proportions. The Corps' negligence resulted in the wasting of millions of dollars in flood protection measures and billions of dollars in congressional outlays to help this region recover from such a catastrophe. By 1988, it knew that indeed all of the engineering blunders that it made now put the parish of St. Bernard at risk, despite the existence of a levee, which it had spent money to construct. The Corps cannot mask these failures with the cloak of policy. At some point, simple engineering knowledge, like a wave wake is going to destroy the surrounding habitat and create a hazard, cannot be ignored, and the safety of an entire metropolitan area cannot be compromised. CONAN: Just Stanwood Duval, U.S. federal district court judge, from Harry Shearer's documentary film "The Big Uneasy." We want to hear from our listeners along the Gulf Coast and those of you who were there five years ago. What went wrong? Tell us your story, 800-989-8255. Email [email protected]. You can also join the conversation on our website, at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. And Harry Shearer, your film is not just a story of engineering blunders but a story of dissembling and cover-up and retribution. Mr. SHEARER: Yes, we get into the story of the consequences for the two lead investigators and for the whistleblower. The larger point, Neal, is that we bring out in the film is that there were negative career consequences, negative life consequences, for the people who basically looked into this, found what was wrong and stood up and told the public. There were no negative career consequences for the people inside the Corps of Engineers who made these misjudgments, mistakes and who now are tasked with doing it all again better. CONAN: Here's an email from Cranford(ph) in Alabama: As I sit in my home and watched the news about New Orleans, I could not figure out why, if a reporter and camera crew could get into that area, where was the help these people needed? Why could someone not take them some water in? How could they not get pictures out? Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, I wondered if they could get Geraldo Rivera in, why couldn't they get something more important in here. But that is about the response. And, you know, to be fair, the national media covered the failure of the response, I thought, in great detail. What they never really came to grips with was why was there a disaster in the first place. And that's what I'm focusing on here. The problems of the response, I think, are well-known to most Americans. But what I think most Americans don't know is why this thing happened. CONAN: Let's go next to Louie(ph), Louie with us from Charlottesville in Virginia. LOUIE (Caller): Yeah, I just wanted to say that I appreciate what Mr. Shearer is doing. I was there during the storm, evacuated to Charlottesville, where my wife is from. I have been saying since I moved here, and anytime I'm around the country, if people ask me about it, I am constantly saying that it wasn't a natural disaster. It was the failure of the federal protection system. People don't want to hear that. But that is in fact what exactly happened. I was we evacuated to Lafayette. I was packing my car up to go home after the storm passed. It was a bright, sunny day. My wife came out and told me that the levees failed and that the city was shut down, and we ended up coming to Charlottesville and stayed there for two weeks until I could sneak back into town. And that's all I wanted to say. And thanks, and thanks again for Mr. Shearer for telling the truth. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. CONAN: All right, Louie, thanks very much for the call. It's interesting. Were you you describe yourself as a part-time resident. Were you in New Orleans five years ago? Mr. SHEARER: I got here - the first day after the incident was November 5th. I was working in a movie in Los Angeles. So I was glued to every form of communication, calling all my friends, saying how where are you, how are you, what are you doing, looking for my house on Google Earth, you know, all that stuff that everybody did. But I got here. The first day I got back, I - it was the first day that they served a meal in a certain French Quarter restaurant on actual plates because it was the first day they had hot water. CONAN: Here's an email from Judy(ph) in Detroit: What provision has been made to close and open the huge sluice gates if there's a power failure? During the greater Midwest ice storm and power outage, we discovered that some big gates operated manually require four people taking turns, four to six hours, to open and close. Ours were about a quarter the size of some in New Orleans. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, that's one of the questions we get into in the film is the Corps' preferred method for dealing with this, which they have stated publicly, is technically not superior - peculiar - is to have two sets of gates at each end of three different canals, each operated by a person coordinating and communicating during a time of emergency. Your question gets to the heart of the problem. Time of emergency, simpler and less infrastructure is probably more trustworthy. CONAN: It's followed by a statement from a representative from the Corps of Engineers whose name I've forgotten, Aguilera, I think. Mr. SHEARER: Karen Durham-Aguilera. CONAN: Yes, and at the same time, she says: We have protocols to deal with that. We do this sort of thing all the time. And then you show the decision tree, which resembles, I'm not sure. It may be the family tree of the Joneses. Mr. SHEARER: It resembles the family tree of an English rock band. (Soundbite of laughter) CONAN: All right, we'll leave that where it is. This from Ken(ph) in Newton, New Jersey: What about restoring the wetlands, which act like giant sponges? But if... Mr. SHEARER: Mm-hmm. CONAN: ...lost to bad design by the Army Corps and the building of more casinos. Mr. SHEARER: Well, no, casinos aren't the problem that hurt the wetlands, the building of thousands of miles of canals and pipelines to get oil from the Gulf of Mexico to the mainland and the leveeing of the Mississippi River, which used to flood every year and deposit sediment to rebuild and replenish the wetlands. Those are the two real causes of the loss of an acre of land per hour that's been going on for 30 years. It is truly a slow-motion disaster, and your question is correct. The cypress forests in the wetlands have a remarkable capability to absorb and to reduce both wind and storm surge intensity as they approach the city. So they're a very important part of our defense. CONAN: One thing you do say in the film is that the people in New Orleans used to fear flooding from the Mississippi River but that the Corps of Engineers has built structures to take care of that problem. The problem now comes from open water getting ever closer to the city. Mr. SHEARER: Yes, which is an indirect result of the leveeing of the river. So, you know, when we look at the way the Corps of Engineers operates - and it's not just in New Orleans. Sacramento, California, is in serious crosshairs of a situation that could resemble what happened in New Orleans, and that would of course implicate the rest of California. The Corps has a history of building projects that are sort of very narrowly focused and look not very far ahead and don't have a very wide scope of vision as to the ripple of consequences beyond the momentary goal. And Michael Grunwald, who wrote a groundbreaking series in the Washington Post about the Corps of Engineers, points out it's the only federal agency that nearly all of its budget is earmarked. We do water policy in this country one pork-barrel program at a time. And we're still doing that, and that's the that decides the narrowness of the vision that the Corps brings to any particular project. And maybe in the 21st century, that's not good enough. CONAN: Let's go next to Todd(ph), Todd with us from Oakland. TODD (Caller): Hey, how are you? CONAN: Very well, thanks. TODD: Good. I lived in New Orleans from '98 to 2000, and I remember the first time there was a hurricane warning, everybody who I knew started giggling and laughing because I was packing everything up and flying out of the city. And then every subsequent hurricane warning, I realized that the hurricanes kept on missing. The hurricanes kept on missing. Well, this one just happened to hit, and I'm wondering if you touch on, at all, the aspect that part of the great loss of life is people who just didn't care to leave. Mr. SHEARER: It didn't hit. Hurricane Katrina passed by New Orleans to the east. It did not hit New Orleans. It did exactly what Georges and so many other hurricanes did before: It veered east to Mississippi. The vast majority of the people who stayed in the city were people who were not having hurricane parties. Ninety percent of the metropolitan area cleared out. The vast majority of the people who were killed or injured during the Katrina event were the old, the sick and the poor. CONAN: Todd... TODD: That's huge, then. Thank you. CONAN: Thanks very much. Here's an email from John(ph) in Baton Rouge: Please make the point that Ivor van Heerden lost his job at LSU because he testified in court against the Corps of Engineers. Mr. SHEARER: We go into that, the consequences for Ivor, Maria and Bob Bee in great detail in the movie to show that only the people who stood up and told the truth about this have had negative life consequences. Ivor did not testify in that trial. He was threatened that if he did testify in that trial, he would be fired. And in the event, he was fired anyway. CONAN: Nevertheless, and we heard part of the judge's ruling earlier, all he could say because it's under appeal was words from his own decision. Mr. SHEARER: Mm-hmm. CONAN: Where did that stand, at the moment? Mr. SHEARER: It's on appeal, and it's the only case that has come to trial. It's an anomaly because that case involved the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, this navigation channel that the Corps built against much opposition in the 1950s, and opened in the early 1960s. And the rest of the failures were a part of a flood-control system, and Congress had given the Corps blanket immunity for flood control projects. But since this was a navigation project, that immunity did not cover this particular project. CONAN: Let's go next to John, and John's calling us from Sacramento. JOHN (Caller): Yes, hi. Thanks for taking my call. I - you know, I'm actually studying to finish my thesis at UC Berkeley right now, and I'm doing my thesis on the federal emergency framework, kind of the response plan that the federal government enacts when a state of an emergency is declared. And I found that a lot of the problem that happened in Katrina - and, you know, this isn't necessarily my work, but it happened to be jurisdictional between the local, state and federal levels, and specifically the local and state levels not knowing and understanding who acts first, and that there is absolutely a chain of command that has to be enacted for the federal government. And by no means, you know, am I, you know, making cover for anything that happened. I mean, it was all a tragedy from top to bottom. But I think it's interesting to see sort of the systemic problem of local and state level not understanding the systems that we have set up. CONAN: Are you talking specifically about response plans, John? JOHN: Yes. CONAN: Okay. Harry Shearer, that's not something your film covers... Mr. SHEARER: That's correct. CONAN: ...and I - but I wanted to ask about, are there overlapping jurisdictions, or were there in New Orleans? Was the maintenance of some places left to county or parish boards, some other places - pumps run by the city? Were there - was overlapping responsibility, jurisdiction an issue? Mr. SHEARER: Well, the city has its own set of pumps, which pump out rainwater to keep the city dry during a rain event. It rains very heavily here. But to the caller's question, there was a plan, the National Response Plan, that was signed by President Bush in December of 2004 that specifically said that in a -I believe the phrase is an incident of national significance, the federal government is to respond proactively to assume state and local resources are overwhelmed. That's exactly what happened during the flooding. The east side of this area was underwater, and people in the main part of town were congratulating ourselves on dodging the bullet because the first thing that happened when 18 feet of floodwater washed over the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans East was that communications were cut off. And communications were cut off all over town as a part of this event. That was the overwhelming of state and local resources. There were plans in effect, but there was no way to communicate what was going on from one part of the city to another. CONAN: Thanks for the call, John. And we're talking with Harry Shearer about his new film, "The Big Uneasy," five years after Hurricane Katrina. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. And there's - let's go next to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth calling us from Miami. ELIZABETH (Caller): Yes, I am. And I cannot wait to see this documentary. I'm very excited that it was done. I'm actually really, really wondering what, at this point, our federal government has done to mitigate any of these damages, and any sort of real and concerted effort to make sure it doesn't happen again. Living in Miami, I live on a canal that was, funny enough, built by the Corps of Engineers. What's going to happen when my canal decides to fail? Mr. SHEARER: Yeah. Look, the Corps, to give them their due, says were building bigger and stronger - by the way, they've trademarked the phrase building strong. And, you know, it is - they have remedied some of the very basic errors that they made the last time around. Nonetheless, Bob Bea of UC Berkeley says that they're building with the same low factor of safety that they built last time, and, you know, there are other questions concerning this new, improved project. So I would say that we're spending a lot more money. They're building bigger stuff than they ever built before. Some of it is no doubt stronger and more robust. But as to the integrity of the entire system, I admit to being a skeptic. ELIZABETH: I just - I can't imagine, they're building billion-dollar pumps that can't operate at all. Mr. SHEARER: Mm-hmm. ELIZABETH: Okay, so that's fabulous. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I know. And, you know, if it were just an New Orleans problem - we do, you know, Dr. Ray Seed of UC Berkeley says at one point in the film that there are things that are worse about the New Orleans district of the Corps than other parts of the country. They've been more resistant to outside oversight, independent oversight. But an awful lot of this is the way the Corps just does business, and why we might have to change that. CONAN: Elizabeth, thanks very much. ELIZABETH: Thank you. Have a great day, guys. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. CONAN: Email from Kent in - this is - where is he from? Anyway, I don't know. The Dutch, he says, who have spent centuries living slightly below sea level could have been great consultants on New Orleans, but to my knowledge, not only were they not consulted, but their offers of help were rebuffed. Is that true? Mr. SHEARER: Officially, yeah. I mean, the Corps brandishes a couple of Dutch employees and says, look, we're listening to the Dutch. An architect in New Orleans, David Waggoner, has convened three conferences of Dutch engineers, planners, urban designers, hydrologists, so forth, called the Dutch Dialogues, and we do talk about that in the film, that there is another way of doing all this. And they have - Ivor van Heerden told me the other day, my Dutch friends keep saying: When can we come over and help? CONAN: Hmm. And a lot of questions, coming in on email and by phone, to saying: Where can we go see this movie? Why one night? One night only? Mr. SHEARER: One night is because it's the fifth anniversary. It's all over the national media. You will have been treated, if that's the word, to all this footage of suffering and disaster again. And it seemed to me that the prime moment to ask yourself or to ask the country why is the fifth anniversary, August 30th. It will be available in other ways after that, but the one-night-only in theaters across America, which you can find out where it is in your community at thebiguneasy.com, is to sort of take advantage of that moment when it's on the nation's agenda again. CONAN: Harry Shearer, thanks very much for your time. Good luck with the film. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you, Neal. CONAN: Harry Shearer, actor, satirist, voice artist and part-time resident of New Orleans, executive producer, writer, director and narrator for "The Big Uneasy." Coming up next: We know what happened during Hurricane Katrina. We'll talk about how it was covered. A new exhibit looks at the news media's reporting on the disaster. Stay with us. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. NEAL CONAN, host: This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. It's now five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, a natural disaster, no question about it, but a new documentary argues that the floods that killed hundreds and destroyed much of New Orleans could have and should have been prevented. Actor, satirist and part-time New Orleans resident Harry Shearer examines what he characterizes as a manmade disaster that stems from systemic failures of the Army Corps of Engineers. In this excerpt, Ivor van Heerden, the former deputy director of the LSU Hurricane Center, says the Corps made fundamental errors. (Soundbite of film, "The Big Uneasy") Dr. IVOR VAN HEERDEN (Former Deputy Director, LSU Hurricane Center): There had obviously been no oversight of the Corps of Engineers in their operation. And as we dug deeper, we found clerical errors, we found misinterpretation of data, mis-scribing data - as we look from bridge to bridge. The kind of mistake at the London Avenue Bridge is what you learn about in second-year engineering. CONAN: An excerpt from "The Big Uneasy." We want to hear from our listeners along the Gulf Coast and those of you were there five years ago. What went wrong? Tell us your story. 800-989-8255 is the phone number. Email us, [email protected]. You can also join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. Later in the program, a new exhibit shows the story behind the story. We'll talk with the curator of "Covering Katrina" about the news media's coverage of the hurricane. But first, Harry Shearer joins us from a studio in New Orleans. He's the executive producer, writer, director and narrator of "The Big Uneasy." Harry, nice to have you back on the program. Mr. HARRY SHEARER (Executive Producer, "The Big Uneasy"): Thanks. CONAN: And you suggest in this film, that early mischaracterizations of what happened in New Orleans led to persistent misperceptions about the fundamental nature of this disaster. Mr. SHEARER: Yes I do, Neal. It's one of the reasons I made the film. Four and a half years on, most Americans, I would venture to say, think that what happened in New Orleans was a natural disaster that happened to a city where people shouldn't be living because it's below sea level. Both of those assertions are incorrect, and when President Obama came to the city last October and had a town hall and said in sort of sidelong reference that the flood was a natural disaster. I decided that maybe I would try to help the city recapture control of the narrative of its own near destruction. CONAN: Because a natural disaster suggests nothing could have stopped it, that the flooding was the result, for example, of enormous tidal water that overtopped the walls and the levees, and nothing could have stopped it. Mr. SHEARER: Right, and that was the original, official explanation, that Dr. van Heerden, whom you heard in that clip, and Dr. Bob Bee(ph) from UC Berkeley, both began to suspect was not correct, as they flew down here and began their preliminary investigation of the scene, of the evidence in the days following the flooding. And it led that suspicion that the official explanation was not correct led both of those individuals to organize teams to conduct full-on investigations, and that forms the basis of the film. CONAN: And it's a study of civil engineering. It's a study of the mistakes made repeatedly by the Corps of Engineers. In fact, you concentrate not so much on the terrible problems that people had, the stories of struggle in the disaster but rather on a story of engineering and on the story of the Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. SHEARER: Well, I don't regard it as the story of engineering. I regard is you know, this week we're all seeing those images of suffering and destruction again, and I think the one unanswered question in all of that, then and now, is why. And so this is a movie about why. Now, we have to get a little bit into the engineering details to understand that. But we also have to get into what kind of an organization is the Army Corps of Engineers. Why is it the way it is? And I have expert assistance in that regard. I have to say, Neal, none of this is what I think. I'm in the comedy business. I don't know what I think. But I went to the people who led these investigations. I went to a whistleblower who is inside the Corps of Engineers. I went to people who spent years and years looking at this stuff, and they are the people who tell this story. CONAN: The whistleblower, hers is an extraordinary story. Maria Garzino, if I'm pronouncing that right, and she is works for the Corps of Engineers - as of the making of the film, she still did and goes on to study a series of pumps that were going to be put in. This is after Katrina. Mr. SHEARER: That's right. CONAN: To deal with the situation, well, supposedly for 50 years. And her story documents an incredible litany of mis-design and mischaracterization and -well, it seems like just one horrible mistake after another. Mr. SHEARER: Yes, it does. And she tries to apprise her superiors of this and goes up the chain of command, eventually files a whistleblower complaint, gets whistleblower status. So that's why she's still working at the Corps of Engineers. And we follow her story from the moment that she arrives in New Orleans to supervise the testing of the pumps down in Florida and then comes back here to try and to try to install them. CONAN: Just to make clear, she's supervising, or not supervising but attending the tests, and the pumps continue to fail the test. So they continue to reduce the standards. So instead of pumping at 3,500 PSI, per square inch, they were doing 2,500 and see if they could survive that. And then a piece would break, and they would lower it from that. Mr. SHEARER: That's right. So it gets less rigorous as time goes on, as they keep trying to attempt to get these pumps to pass the test, and as Maria says in the film, they never did. It's disconcerting to say the least. CONAN: This is a story that these are not pumps you would have in your basement. These are billion-dollar pumps. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, these are big hydraulic pumps. Their job is the Corps has a new strategy in the post-Katrina era. It's perimeter defense. And so if a storm surge is predicted, they would close these gates that lead into the canals that led to most of the flooding in the Katrina event. And the pumps would be responsible for pumping out the rainwater that gathers during a hurricane event in these canals. And if the pumps don't work, the rainwater gets to a high level in these canals, these canals are bordered by the floodwalls that failed the last time. The Corps has not repaired these floodwalls except the particular little piece that breached and because they said we don't need to. It's perimeter defense. But if these pumps don't work, those walls will be stressed again, and God knows what'll happen. CONAN: Harry Shearer, his new documentary is "The Big Uneasy," 800-989-8255. Email us, [email protected]. We'll start with Brian(ph), Brian's calling us from Milford in Delaware. BRIAN (Caller): Hi there. Yeah, my biggest question about this thing, and I haven't heard too many people express it, the biggest mistake of the whole thing was building nine feet below sea level. Why are you spending millions of dollars on pumps when people don't belong there? That's like building a house in the California forest that hasn't had rain for 10 years. CONAN: Harry Shearer, this is a question you address directly in the film. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, we're real dumb. New Orleans has been where it is for almost 300 years. It was put here for a very good reason: It's the best place for a port, at the end of a giant river that drains two-thirds of the country that provides the commerce for two-thirds of the country. And the most recent report by Richard Campanella at Tulane University indicates that after all the subsidence, half of populated New Orleans is still at or above sea level. And John Barry, author of "Rising Tide," says in the film: Every river delta port city in the world is built at or below sea level. It's just and one other point. Many of the places that were flooded during New Orleans were 10, 12 feet above sea level, but when an 18-foot wall of water from a badly constructed floodwall comes at you, that didn't help. CONAN: And I don't mean to point fingers, Brian, but Milford, Delaware, may be the highest point might be nine feet above sea level. BRIAN: How high? CONAN: Nine feet. It's not the Eastern shore is not very far off the Atlantic. BRIAN: That's true. I'm five miles from the ocean, and I'm at 28 feet. CONAN: Twenty-eight feet above sea level, okay. Well, that's... BRIAN: And I'm hoping that there's enough there to stop any flood surge between me and the ocean. CONAN: Well, there's a river through Milford, too. So you never know. BRIAN: Yeah, that river is just a big creek. CONAN: Creeks can change. BRIAN: Okay. Mr. SHEARER: He's safe, Neal. Give it up. BRIAN: Thank you very much. I appreciate that explanation. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. CONAN: All right, Brian, thanks very much for the call, appreciate it. Let's see if we can go next to this is Michael(ph), Michael with us from Fayette in I'm sorry? MICHAEL (Caller): Good afternoon. It's a real honor to finally meet, at least by phone, Harry Shearer at long last. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. MICHAEL: I've got three big, three questions to ask you. I'll make them as quick as possible. Then I will get off the air and let you answer them. First of all, part the stimulus package and the fact that I heard on the radio a few years ago, before Katrina, that the public radio, I might add -that the levees, docks and other water infrastructure are, go back to 60 or 70 years old, that they go back to the Great Depression and the fact that we have a fishing cabin close to a lock and dam in Alabama that's on the way to Mobile - all made me wonder if Mr. Shearer knows if there are any bills in Washington that will, not only provide stronger safety standards, but also, I hope, more federal dollars for a good FDR-type rebuilding program for this nation's water infrastructure. The second question is... CONAN: Very quickly, Michael. We want to leave room for some other people. MICHAEL: Okay, how can I get in touch with Steven Lisberger? He once did the voice for "Animalympics," and I'll never forget when I was at Alabama School of Fine Art... CONAN: Michael, Michael... MICHAEL: But thanks for your time. I'll get you off the air. Thank you. CONAN: All right, Michael, thank you very much. Mr. SHEARER: B, I don't know how to get in touch with Steven Lisberger. Sorry. A, the levees and floodwalls that failed during the Katrina event were started being constructed after Hurricane Betsy in 1965, when Congress told the Corps of Engineers: Make sure this never happens again. Build to defend New Orleans against the maximum probable hurricane. Over four and a half decades, under administrations of both parties, the Corps continued to do the work that experts have found riddled with defects and misjudgments and mistakes. And it's interesting to note that that system, so-called, was not completed at the time of Katrina, despite being under construction for four and a half decades. There is and it's noteworthy, I think, that no stimulus money has gone to either the rebuilding of that system in New Orleans or, more crucially, to the rebuilding of the coastal wetlands, which protect New Orleans from hurricane ferocity. CONAN: And more on that when we come back from a short break. Harry Shearer's new documentary, "The Big Uneasy." More in a moment about why the devastation in New Orleans could not be prevented. If you live along the Gulf Coast, if you were there five years ago, what went wrong? Tell us your story, 800-989-8255. Email us, [email protected]. Stay with us. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. (Soundbite of music) CONAN: This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. For one night, this coming Monday, you can catch Harry Shearer's documentary on Hurricane Katrina in theaters. The film, "The Big Uneasy," asks why the floods that destroyed much of New Orleans could not be prevented. After the disaster, a lawsuit was filed in district court against the Army Corps of Engineers. One of the people who appears in the documentary is Judge Stanwood Duval. He sits on the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana and issued a ruling last year that states that the Army Corps of Engineers was negligent in its prevention efforts. Judge STANWOOD DUVAL (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana): The Corps' lassitude and failure to fulfill its duties resulted in a catastrophic loss of human life and property in unprecedented proportions. The Corps' negligence resulted in the wasting of millions of dollars in flood protection measures and billions of dollars in congressional outlays to help this region recover from such a catastrophe. By 1988, it knew that indeed all of the engineering blunders that it made now put the parish of St. Bernard at risk, despite the existence of a levee, which it had spent money to construct. The Corps cannot mask these failures with the cloak of policy. At some point, simple engineering knowledge, like a wave wake is going to destroy the surrounding habitat and create a hazard, cannot be ignored, and the safety of an entire metropolitan area cannot be compromised. CONAN: Just Stanwood Duval, U.S. federal district court judge, from Harry Shearer's documentary film "The Big Uneasy." We want to hear from our listeners along the Gulf Coast and those of you who were there five years ago. What went wrong? Tell us your story, 800-989-8255. Email [email protected]. You can also join the conversation on our website, at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. And Harry Shearer, your film is not just a story of engineering blunders but a story of dissembling and cover-up and retribution. Mr. SHEARER: Yes, we get into the story of the consequences for the two lead investigators and for the whistleblower. The larger point, Neal, is that we bring out in the film is that there were negative career consequences, negative life consequences, for the people who basically looked into this, found what was wrong and stood up and told the public. There were no negative career consequences for the people inside the Corps of Engineers who made these misjudgments, mistakes and who now are tasked with doing it all again better. CONAN: Here's an email from Cranford(ph) in Alabama: As I sit in my home and watched the news about New Orleans, I could not figure out why, if a reporter and camera crew could get into that area, where was the help these people needed? Why could someone not take them some water in? How could they not get pictures out? Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, I wondered if they could get Geraldo Rivera in, why couldn't they get something more important in here. But that is about the response. And, you know, to be fair, the national media covered the failure of the response, I thought, in great detail. What they never really came to grips with was why was there a disaster in the first place. And that's what I'm focusing on here. The problems of the response, I think, are well-known to most Americans. But what I think most Americans don't know is why this thing happened. CONAN: Let's go next to Louie(ph), Louie with us from Charlottesville in Virginia. LOUIE (Caller): Yeah, I just wanted to say that I appreciate what Mr. Shearer is doing. I was there during the storm, evacuated to Charlottesville, where my wife is from. I have been saying since I moved here, and anytime I'm around the country, if people ask me about it, I am constantly saying that it wasn't a natural disaster. It was the failure of the federal protection system. People don't want to hear that. But that is in fact what exactly happened. I was we evacuated to Lafayette. I was packing my car up to go home after the storm passed. It was a bright, sunny day. My wife came out and told me that the levees failed and that the city was shut down, and we ended up coming to Charlottesville and stayed there for two weeks until I could sneak back into town. And that's all I wanted to say. And thanks, and thanks again for Mr. Shearer for telling the truth. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. CONAN: All right, Louie, thanks very much for the call. It's interesting. Were you you describe yourself as a part-time resident. Were you in New Orleans five years ago? Mr. SHEARER: I got here - the first day after the incident was November 5th. I was working in a movie in Los Angeles. So I was glued to every form of communication, calling all my friends, saying how where are you, how are you, what are you doing, looking for my house on Google Earth, you know, all that stuff that everybody did. But I got here. The first day I got back, I - it was the first day that they served a meal in a certain French Quarter restaurant on actual plates because it was the first day they had hot water. CONAN: Here's an email from Judy(ph) in Detroit: What provision has been made to close and open the huge sluice gates if there's a power failure? During the greater Midwest ice storm and power outage, we discovered that some big gates operated manually require four people taking turns, four to six hours, to open and close. Ours were about a quarter the size of some in New Orleans. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah, that's one of the questions we get into in the film is the Corps' preferred method for dealing with this, which they have stated publicly, is technically not superior - peculiar - is to have two sets of gates at each end of three different canals, each operated by a person coordinating and communicating during a time of emergency. Your question gets to the heart of the problem. Time of emergency, simpler and less infrastructure is probably more trustworthy. CONAN: It's followed by a statement from a representative from the Corps of Engineers whose name I've forgotten, Aguilera, I think. Mr. SHEARER: Karen Durham-Aguilera. CONAN: Yes, and at the same time, she says: We have protocols to deal with that. We do this sort of thing all the time. And then you show the decision tree, which resembles, I'm not sure. It may be the family tree of the Joneses. Mr. SHEARER: It resembles the family tree of an English rock band. (Soundbite of laughter) CONAN: All right, we'll leave that where it is. This from Ken(ph) in Newton, New Jersey: What about restoring the wetlands, which act like giant sponges? But if... Mr. SHEARER: Mm-hmm. CONAN: ...lost to bad design by the Army Corps and the building of more casinos. Mr. SHEARER: Well, no, casinos aren't the problem that hurt the wetlands, the building of thousands of miles of canals and pipelines to get oil from the Gulf of Mexico to the mainland and the leveeing of the Mississippi River, which used to flood every year and deposit sediment to rebuild and replenish the wetlands. Those are the two real causes of the loss of an acre of land per hour that's been going on for 30 years. It is truly a slow-motion disaster, and your question is correct. The cypress forests in the wetlands have a remarkable capability to absorb and to reduce both wind and storm surge intensity as they approach the city. So they're a very important part of our defense. CONAN: One thing you do say in the film is that the people in New Orleans used to fear flooding from the Mississippi River but that the Corps of Engineers has built structures to take care of that problem. The problem now comes from open water getting ever closer to the city. Mr. SHEARER: Yes, which is an indirect result of the leveeing of the river. So, you know, when we look at the way the Corps of Engineers operates - and it's not just in New Orleans. Sacramento, California, is in serious crosshairs of a situation that could resemble what happened in New Orleans, and that would of course implicate the rest of California. The Corps has a history of building projects that are sort of very narrowly focused and look not very far ahead and don't have a very wide scope of vision as to the ripple of consequences beyond the momentary goal. And Michael Grunwald, who wrote a groundbreaking series in the Washington Post about the Corps of Engineers, points out it's the only federal agency that nearly all of its budget is earmarked. We do water policy in this country one pork-barrel program at a time. And we're still doing that, and that's the that decides the narrowness of the vision that the Corps brings to any particular project. And maybe in the 21st century, that's not good enough. CONAN: Let's go next to Todd(ph), Todd with us from Oakland. TODD (Caller): Hey, how are you? CONAN: Very well, thanks. TODD: Good. I lived in New Orleans from '98 to 2000, and I remember the first time there was a hurricane warning, everybody who I knew started giggling and laughing because I was packing everything up and flying out of the city. And then every subsequent hurricane warning, I realized that the hurricanes kept on missing. The hurricanes kept on missing. Well, this one just happened to hit, and I'm wondering if you touch on, at all, the aspect that part of the great loss of life is people who just didn't care to leave. Mr. SHEARER: It didn't hit. Hurricane Katrina passed by New Orleans to the east. It did not hit New Orleans. It did exactly what Georges and so many other hurricanes did before: It veered east to Mississippi. The vast majority of the people who stayed in the city were people who were not having hurricane parties. Ninety percent of the metropolitan area cleared out. The vast majority of the people who were killed or injured during the Katrina event were the old, the sick and the poor. CONAN: Todd... TODD: That's huge, then. Thank you. CONAN: Thanks very much. Here's an email from John(ph) in Baton Rouge: Please make the point that Ivor van Heerden lost his job at LSU because he testified in court against the Corps of Engineers. Mr. SHEARER: We go into that, the consequences for Ivor, Maria and Bob Bee in great detail in the movie to show that only the people who stood up and told the truth about this have had negative life consequences. Ivor did not testify in that trial. He was threatened that if he did testify in that trial, he would be fired. And in the event, he was fired anyway. CONAN: Nevertheless, and we heard part of the judge's ruling earlier, all he could say because it's under appeal was words from his own decision. Mr. SHEARER: Mm-hmm. CONAN: Where did that stand, at the moment? Mr. SHEARER: It's on appeal, and it's the only case that has come to trial. It's an anomaly because that case involved the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, this navigation channel that the Corps built against much opposition in the 1950s, and opened in the early 1960s. And the rest of the failures were a part of a flood-control system, and Congress had given the Corps blanket immunity for flood control projects. But since this was a navigation project, that immunity did not cover this particular project. CONAN: Let's go next to John, and John's calling us from Sacramento. JOHN (Caller): Yes, hi. Thanks for taking my call. I - you know, I'm actually studying to finish my thesis at UC Berkeley right now, and I'm doing my thesis on the federal emergency framework, kind of the response plan that the federal government enacts when a state of an emergency is declared. And I found that a lot of the problem that happened in Katrina - and, you know, this isn't necessarily my work, but it happened to be jurisdictional between the local, state and federal levels, and specifically the local and state levels not knowing and understanding who acts first, and that there is absolutely a chain of command that has to be enacted for the federal government. And by no means, you know, am I, you know, making cover for anything that happened. I mean, it was all a tragedy from top to bottom. But I think it's interesting to see sort of the systemic problem of local and state level not understanding the systems that we have set up. CONAN: Are you talking specifically about response plans, John? JOHN: Yes. CONAN: Okay. Harry Shearer, that's not something your film covers... Mr. SHEARER: That's correct. CONAN: ...and I - but I wanted to ask about, are there overlapping jurisdictions, or were there in New Orleans? Was the maintenance of some places left to county or parish boards, some other places - pumps run by the city? Were there - was overlapping responsibility, jurisdiction an issue? Mr. SHEARER: Well, the city has its own set of pumps, which pump out rainwater to keep the city dry during a rain event. It rains very heavily here. But to the caller's question, there was a plan, the National Response Plan, that was signed by President Bush in December of 2004 that specifically said that in a -I believe the phrase is an incident of national significance, the federal government is to respond proactively to assume state and local resources are overwhelmed. That's exactly what happened during the flooding. The east side of this area was underwater, and people in the main part of town were congratulating ourselves on dodging the bullet because the first thing that happened when 18 feet of floodwater washed over the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans East was that communications were cut off. And communications were cut off all over town as a part of this event. That was the overwhelming of state and local resources. There were plans in effect, but there was no way to communicate what was going on from one part of the city to another. CONAN: Thanks for the call, John. And we're talking with Harry Shearer about his new film, "The Big Uneasy," five years after Hurricane Katrina. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. And there's - let's go next to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth calling us from Miami. ELIZABETH (Caller): Yes, I am. And I cannot wait to see this documentary. I'm very excited that it was done. I'm actually really, really wondering what, at this point, our federal government has done to mitigate any of these damages, and any sort of real and concerted effort to make sure it doesn't happen again. Living in Miami, I live on a canal that was, funny enough, built by the Corps of Engineers. What's going to happen when my canal decides to fail? Mr. SHEARER: Yeah. Look, the Corps, to give them their due, says were building bigger and stronger - by the way, they've trademarked the phrase building strong. And, you know, it is - they have remedied some of the very basic errors that they made the last time around. Nonetheless, Bob Bea of UC Berkeley says that they're building with the same low factor of safety that they built last time, and, you know, there are other questions concerning this new, improved project. So I would say that we're spending a lot more money. They're building bigger stuff than they ever built before. Some of it is no doubt stronger and more robust. But as to the integrity of the entire system, I admit to being a skeptic. ELIZABETH: I just - I can't imagine, they're building billion-dollar pumps that can't operate at all. Mr. SHEARER: Mm-hmm. ELIZABETH: Okay, so that's fabulous. Mr. SHEARER: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I know. And, you know, if it were just an New Orleans problem - we do, you know, Dr. Ray Seed of UC Berkeley says at one point in the film that there are things that are worse about the New Orleans district of the Corps than other parts of the country. They've been more resistant to outside oversight, independent oversight. But an awful lot of this is the way the Corps just does business, and why we might have to change that. CONAN: Elizabeth, thanks very much. ELIZABETH: Thank you. Have a great day, guys. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you. CONAN: Email from Kent in - this is - where is he from? Anyway, I don't know. The Dutch, he says, who have spent centuries living slightly below sea level could have been great consultants on New Orleans, but to my knowledge, not only were they not consulted, but their offers of help were rebuffed. Is that true? Mr. SHEARER: Officially, yeah. I mean, the Corps brandishes a couple of Dutch employees and says, look, we're listening to the Dutch. An architect in New Orleans, David Waggoner, has convened three conferences of Dutch engineers, planners, urban designers, hydrologists, so forth, called the Dutch Dialogues, and we do talk about that in the film, that there is another way of doing all this. And they have - Ivor van Heerden told me the other day, my Dutch friends keep saying: When can we come over and help? CONAN: Hmm. And a lot of questions, coming in on email and by phone, to saying: Where can we go see this movie? Why one night? One night only? Mr. SHEARER: One night is because it's the fifth anniversary. It's all over the national media. You will have been treated, if that's the word, to all this footage of suffering and disaster again. And it seemed to me that the prime moment to ask yourself or to ask the country why is the fifth anniversary, August 30th. It will be available in other ways after that, but the one-night-only in theaters across America, which you can find out where it is in your community at thebiguneasy.com, is to sort of take advantage of that moment when it's on the nation's agenda again. CONAN: Harry Shearer, thanks very much for your time. Good luck with the film. Mr. SHEARER: Thank you, Neal. CONAN: Harry Shearer, actor, satirist, voice artist and part-time resident of New Orleans, executive producer, writer, director and narrator for "The Big Uneasy." Coming up next: We know what happened during Hurricane Katrina. We'll talk about how it was covered. A new exhibit looks at the news media's reporting on the disaster. Stay with us. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. Copyright © 2010 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

hurricane betsy

hurricane parties

hurricane ferocity

hurricane katrina

Gerald E. Galloway, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland, is a retired Army brigadier general. He talks about the state of the levee system of the upper Mississippi River, and things that can be done to prevent the next natural disaster. Michele Norris talks to Galloway. MICHELE NORRIS, host: The recent flooding throughout the Midwest has brought increased worries about the region's levee systems. Gerald Galloway has been sounding the alarm about the system for more than 15 years. He's a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland and he's also a retired Army brigadier general who has worked with the Army Corps of Engineers. He joins us from Arlington, Virginia. Welcome to the program, sir. Professor GERALD GALLOWAY (University of Maryland): My pleasure. NORRIS: Now, you've studied the nation's levees after the Midwest floods of 1993 and again in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina. What kind of shape are they in? Prof. GALLOWAY: The difficult problem is we don't know. After the 1993 flood of the Midwest, we did a report for the White House. It indicated that as a nation we didn't know where our levees are and we didn't know what their condition was and that something ought to be done about that. After Katrina, we found very much the same thing, that they - we also know that many of these levees are not in good repair, that there is not good supervision of their performance over time, and that something needs to be done about that. Both in 2006 and in 1994 we reported that to the government. NORRIS: Now, if we reach back to the flooding of the 1990s, described then as a 100-year flood, you made a series of specific recommendations. What did you say needed to be done at that point? Prof. GALLOWAY: Well, we - you could start at the national level with the need for a floodplain management act, that we needed to specifically define responsibilities, the need for revision to an executive order that was initially promulgated by President Carter that call for the federal government to carry out its responsibilities. Don't support, don't fund projects that are in the floodplain, that would require people that are located in the floodplain, such things as hospitals and fire stations, water treatment plants, not to put them in a place where they would flood. Put them at an area that would be protected from a greater than 500-year flood. We also said that there needed to be a national levee inventory. There needed to be attention to the proper maintenance. There needed to be a comprehensive approach to the amalgam of levees and dams and other structures at the federal, local and state level. Somebody needed to put those together in a comprehensive manner, and we recommended that the Mississippi River Commission be given that responsibility. NORRIS: Now, I want to be careful not to get into an I-told-you-so situation because, you know, it's never good to be on - to wag your finger at people, but how many of those recommendations were followed through on? Prof. GALLOWAY: Essentially none of the recommendations I just mentioned to you. We had over a hundred recommendations and many of the lesser ones were followed, and one that was very important, that it was a reform of the National Flood Insurance Program in '94, and they did put into that act some of the items that we recommended. For example, it used to be you could buy insurance five days before the flood occurred and you would be covered. That seemed not to be a very good thing to do because it was giving people the wrong incentive; just predict when the flood's coming, and they extended that to 30 days. Things like that took place, the big items didn't. NORRIS: So with levees that have failed all up and down the river system, from Iowa down now through Missouri, is this something that we would call a natural disaster or is this a man-made disaster? Prof. GALLOWAY: It's a natural disaster where the damages are made worse by man. The challenge is, we are not in this country communicating the risk to people that are behind levees. I'm just so impressed by the fact that many, many people in the Midwest are saying to the reporters when they visit with them, I didn't know I was at risk. I didn't know my levee would fail. I didn't know it wasn't of a sufficient height to protect me. We've got to do a better job of communicating to people who are at risk that they are at risk and their responsibility to know how to evacuate, to flood-proof their home, and especially to buy insurance, even if they're behind a levee. NORRIS: Mr. Galloway, thanks so much. Prof. GALLOWAY: My pleasure. NORRIS: Gerald Galloway is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland. He worked with the Army Corps of Engineers. MICHELE NORRIS, host: The recent flooding throughout the Midwest has brought increased worries about the region's levee systems. Gerald Galloway has been sounding the alarm about the system for more than 15 years. He's a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland and he's also a retired Army brigadier general who has worked with the Army Corps of Engineers. He joins us from Arlington, Virginia. Welcome to the program, sir. Professor GERALD GALLOWAY (University of Maryland): My pleasure. NORRIS: Now, you've studied the nation's levees after the Midwest floods of 1993 and again in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina. What kind of shape are they in? Prof. GALLOWAY: The difficult problem is we don't know. After the 1993 flood of the Midwest, we did a report for the White House. It indicated that as a nation we didn't know where our levees are and we didn't know what their condition was and that something ought to be done about that. After Katrina, we found very much the same thing, that they - we also know that many of these levees are not in good repair, that there is not good supervision of their performance over time, and that something needs to be done about that. Both in 2006 and in 1994 we reported that to the government. NORRIS: Now, if we reach back to the flooding of the 1990s, described then as a 100-year flood, you made a series of specific recommendations. What did you say needed to be done at that point? Prof. GALLOWAY: Well, we - you could start at the national level with the need for a floodplain management act, that we needed to specifically define responsibilities, the need for revision to an executive order that was initially promulgated by President Carter that call for the federal government to carry out its responsibilities. Don't support, don't fund projects that are in the floodplain, that would require people that are located in the floodplain, such things as hospitals and fire stations, water treatment plants, not to put them in a place where they would flood. Put them at an area that would be protected from a greater than 500-year flood. We also said that there needed to be a national levee inventory. There needed to be attention to the proper maintenance. There needed to be a comprehensive approach to the amalgam of levees and dams and other structures at the federal, local and state level. Somebody needed to put those together in a comprehensive manner, and we recommended that the Mississippi River Commission be given that responsibility. NORRIS: Now, I want to be careful not to get into an I-told-you-so situation because, you know, it's never good to be on - to wag your finger at people, but how many of those recommendations were followed through on? Prof. GALLOWAY: Essentially none of the recommendations I just mentioned to you. We had over a hundred recommendations and many of the lesser ones were followed, and one that was very important, that it was a reform of the National Flood Insurance Program in '94, and they did put into that act some of the items that we recommended. For example, it used to be you could buy insurance five days before the flood occurred and you would be covered. That seemed not to be a very good thing to do because it was giving people the wrong incentive; just predict when the flood's coming, and they extended that to 30 days. Things like that took place, the big items didn't. NORRIS: So with levees that have failed all up and down the river system, from Iowa down now through Missouri, is this something that we would call a natural disaster or is this a man-made disaster? Prof. GALLOWAY: It's a natural disaster where the damages are made worse by man. The challenge is, we are not in this country communicating the risk to people that are behind levees. I'm just so impressed by the fact that many, many people in the Midwest are saying to the reporters when they visit with them, I didn't know I was at risk. I didn't know my levee would fail. I didn't know it wasn't of a sufficient height to protect me. We've got to do a better job of communicating to people who are at risk that they are at risk and their responsibility to know how to evacuate, to flood-proof their home, and especially to buy insurance, even if they're behind a levee. NORRIS: Mr. Galloway, thanks so much. Prof. GALLOWAY: My pleasure. NORRIS: Gerald Galloway is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland. He worked with the Army Corps of Engineers. Copyright © 2008 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

increased worries

disaster

good repair

hurricane katrina

By  Steve Inskeep ,  Frank Langfitt Co-host Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Frank Langfitt about Monday's earthquake in China. Langfitt has covered China and spent more than five years in the country as a correspondent for the Baltimore Sun. RENEE MONTAGNE, host: This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne. STEVE INSKEEP, host: And I'm Steve Inskeep. One sure thing about the casualties in China is that the number of dead will change. And as we wait for the latest news, we're going to talk about the politics and the omens of yesterday's disaster. We begin with the earthquake itself. It struck as NPR's Melissa Block was conducting an interview with a resident of Chengdu in southern China. (Soundbite of earthquake) MELISSA BLOCK: What's going on? The whole building is shaking. The whole building is shaking. My goodness. Pieces - the top of the church is falling down. The ground is shaking underneath our feet, and all of the people are running out in the streets. INSKEEP: That's Melissa Block of NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. She's gone on to provide one of the few Western accounts of this disaster. And then there were the aftershocks, which aid worker Kay Janice(ph) heard about as she waited for a plane to southwest China. Ms. KAY JANICE (Aid Worker): Last night, there were something like 1,000 aftershocks. Everybody's still really nervous. I think everyone in and around the area doesn't have a lot of information. INSKEEP: There are larger reasons that some people in China might get nervous after an earthquake, and to learn more we're joined by NPR's Frank Langfitt. He spent five years as a correspondent in China, and he's on the line. Frank, good morning. FRANK LANGFITT: Good morning, Steve. INSKEEP: How does the Chinese coverage differ from coverage in the West? LANGFITT: Well, we're still - most of what we're getting actually is from Xinhua, the official news agency there, and when a big thing like this happens, a big event, usually Xinhua is the one that leads, because it is so important and it's important, I think, for the government there to try to get out one main message to its people. The numbers so far, as I guess we've heard, is about 10,000 dead now in Sichuan Province, and another 10,000, according to Xinhua, buried in the city of Mianzhu, which is about 60 miles from the epicenter. INSKEEP: And let's talk about the larger meanings of those numbers. How concerned would Chinese officials be to have this disaster right before the Olympics? LANGFITT: Well, you know, the whole idea of the Olympics, from the Chinese government's perspective, is that China has changed. It has become a very successful country. It's becoming a world power. And what they didn't want was any sort of big problems or challenges. And obviously, this is a terrible tragedy. They're going to get a lot of scrutiny in terms of how the government responds to this. And it comes at a very difficult time. As you remember, just in March there were these uprisings in Tibet that pretty clearly nobody in Beijing, at least in the government, saw coming, and that has sort of changed the whole focus. Instead of being this great celebration, there has been sort of problem after problem - one, of course, political back in March and now this one, a natural disaster. INSKEEP: When we hear that top Chinese officials are rushing to the scene, of course that's what you would expect officials to do, but does that also suggest that they're concerned about what this disaster means for them? LANGFITT: Absolutely. I mean, one thing that's been really interesting to watch in this new group of leaders that was really not true when you looked at the late '90s, is that they're really out there. When there's a natural disaster, they're on the ground almost like elected officials in America, as though even though they're an authoritarian regime, it's almost as though, you know, they're worried about the election in a couple of months. And one of the reasons is there's a lot of tension in China. While there's been great success, there's a huge income gap. There's a lot of concern about corruption. And what the government wants to be seen as doing is being very responsive to the people. INSKEEP: Well, Frank Langfitt, that leads to another question. When you think about Chinese people, does an earthquake hold the same place in Chinese culture as it does in American culture? LANGFITT: No, it's actually very different. You know, an earthquake here is simply seen as a natural disaster for the most part. But in Chinese political culture traditionally, an earthquake, a famine, a great flood can sometimes be seen as sort of the end of what's known as the mandate of heaven. And basically, the heavens under Chinese political culture bestow power to leaders. But when they see that those leaders aren't handling the power well, sometimes they take it away. And the way they signal this will be with a great natural disaster. Now, the last time this happened was 1976. You had the death of Zhou Enlai, the premiere. Then the Tangshan earthquake, the last giant earthquake; over 240,000 died. And then the death of Mao Zedong. Now, I'm not suggesting that this regime is in great trouble. It's relatively popular because of the economic growth that it's produced; almost 12 percent growth last year. But I think the leaders will be a lot more rattled by something like this than, say, some leaders in the West. INSKEEP: Okay, thanks very much. That's NPR's Frank Langfitt. Appreciate it. LANGFITT: Happy to do it, Steve. RENEE MONTAGNE, host: This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne. STEVE INSKEEP, host: And I'm Steve Inskeep. One sure thing about the casualties in China is that the number of dead will change. And as we wait for the latest news, we're going to talk about the politics and the omens of yesterday's disaster. We begin with the earthquake itself. It struck as NPR's Melissa Block was conducting an interview with a resident of Chengdu in southern China. (Soundbite of earthquake) MELISSA BLOCK: What's going on? The whole building is shaking. The whole building is shaking. My goodness. Pieces - the top of the church is falling down. The ground is shaking underneath our feet, and all of the people are running out in the streets. INSKEEP: That's Melissa Block of NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. She's gone on to provide one of the few Western accounts of this disaster. And then there were the aftershocks, which aid worker Kay Janice(ph) heard about as she waited for a plane to southwest China. Ms. KAY JANICE (Aid Worker): Last night, there were something like 1,000 aftershocks. Everybody's still really nervous. I think everyone in and around the area doesn't have a lot of information. INSKEEP: There are larger reasons that some people in China might get nervous after an earthquake, and to learn more we're joined by NPR's Frank Langfitt. He spent five years as a correspondent in China, and he's on the line. Frank, good morning. FRANK LANGFITT: Good morning, Steve. INSKEEP: How does the Chinese coverage differ from coverage in the West? LANGFITT: Well, we're still - most of what we're getting actually is from Xinhua, the official news agency there, and when a big thing like this happens, a big event, usually Xinhua is the one that leads, because it is so important and it's important, I think, for the government there to try to get out one main message to its people. The numbers so far, as I guess we've heard, is about 10,000 dead now in Sichuan Province, and another 10,000, according to Xinhua, buried in the city of Mianzhu, which is about 60 miles from the epicenter. INSKEEP: And let's talk about the larger meanings of those numbers. How concerned would Chinese officials be to have this disaster right before the Olympics? LANGFITT: Well, you know, the whole idea of the Olympics, from the Chinese government's perspective, is that China has changed. It has become a very successful country. It's becoming a world power. And what they didn't want was any sort of big problems or challenges. And obviously, this is a terrible tragedy. They're going to get a lot of scrutiny in terms of how the government responds to this. And it comes at a very difficult time. As you remember, just in March there were these uprisings in Tibet that pretty clearly nobody in Beijing, at least in the government, saw coming, and that has sort of changed the whole focus. Instead of being this great celebration, there has been sort of problem after problem - one, of course, political back in March and now this one, a natural disaster. INSKEEP: When we hear that top Chinese officials are rushing to the scene, of course that's what you would expect officials to do, but does that also suggest that they're concerned about what this disaster means for them? LANGFITT: Absolutely. I mean, one thing that's been really interesting to watch in this new group of leaders that was really not true when you looked at the late '90s, is that they're really out there. When there's a natural disaster, they're on the ground almost like elected officials in America, as though even though they're an authoritarian regime, it's almost as though, you know, they're worried about the election in a couple of months. And one of the reasons is there's a lot of tension in China. While there's been great success, there's a huge income gap. There's a lot of concern about corruption. And what the government wants to be seen as doing is being very responsive to the people. INSKEEP: Well, Frank Langfitt, that leads to another question. When you think about Chinese people, does an earthquake hold the same place in Chinese culture as it does in American culture? LANGFITT: No, it's actually very different. You know, an earthquake here is simply seen as a natural disaster for the most part. But in Chinese political culture traditionally, an earthquake, a famine, a great flood can sometimes be seen as sort of the end of what's known as the mandate of heaven. And basically, the heavens under Chinese political culture bestow power to leaders. But when they see that those leaders aren't handling the power well, sometimes they take it away. And the way they signal this will be with a great natural disaster. Now, the last time this happened was 1976. You had the death of Zhou Enlai, the premiere. Then the Tangshan earthquake, the last giant earthquake; over 240,000 died. And then the death of Mao Zedong. Now, I'm not suggesting that this regime is in great trouble. It's relatively popular because of the economic growth that it's produced; almost 12 percent growth last year. But I think the leaders will be a lot more rattled by something like this than, say, some leaders in the West. INSKEEP: Okay, thanks very much. That's NPR's Frank Langfitt. Appreciate it. LANGFITT: Happy to do it, Steve. Copyright © 2008 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

sichuan province

mao zedong

epicenter

aftershocks

By  Barbara Bradley Hagerty The world's major faiths were affected by the tsunami — Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and Christians all suffered catastrophic losses. Members of different religions talk about how they reconcile human suffering with the idea of a caring God. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

human suffering

buddhists

catastrophic losses

tsunami

By  James Doubek Cars sit on the lot at a Honda dealership on March 25, 2021, in Elgin, Ill. Many 2020 to 2022 models are affected by a new recall. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption Cars sit on the lot at a Honda dealership on March 25, 2021, in Elgin, Ill. Many 2020 to 2022 models are affected by a new recall. Honda is recalling more than 750,000 cars, SUVs, minivans and pickups over a defect that causes air bags to deploy when they should not. The recall includes models of the Honda Civic, Accord, CR-V, Fit, HR-V, Insight, Odyssey, Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline, as well as the Acura MDX, RDX and TLX, from model years between 2020 and 2022. Acura is owned by Honda. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that because of the flaw, frontal and knee air bags could deploy in a crash when deployment should not happen. It could cause injuries to infants in car seats, children, and anyone smaller than 4 feet 11 inches, the agency said. The specific defect is that a "capacitor in the printed circuit board of the front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and lead to an internal short circuit from the exposure to environmental humidity," NHTSA said in a report dated Monday. The circuit board problem originated with a supplier that switched the base material of the board because of a natural disaster, according to the agency. Honda has had no reports of injuries or deaths related to the problem as of Jan. 19. The specific vehicles affected are: Affected owners should start to get notifications on March 18 and can take cars to Honda and Acura dealers for replacement of the faulty part. Only 1% of the 750,000 recalled vehicles are likely to have the defect, NHTSA said. Honda recalled millions of vehicles in 2023 over various issues: a fuel pump defect; a missing seat belt part; an engine crankshaft manufacturing error; a problem with side-view mirrors; and another seat belt issue. Last week, Toyota warned that 50,000 U.S. vehicles need immediate repairs because of a faulty air bag inflator that could explode. Last year, BMW issued a recall over dangers associated with air bags. Both relate to the massive Takata air bag recall, which involves cars made as far back as the early 2000s and affects 67 million air bags and at least 19 vehicle manufacturers. Separately, in December, Toyota recalled 1 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles because of a problem with sensors in the front passenger seat that would cause air bags to not deploy properly. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

weight

children

crash

knee

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/11/06/fire-weather-book"></iframe> Host Peter O'Dowd speaks with journalist and author John Vaillant about his book "Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World," which looks at the devastating 2016 fire in Fort McMurray Canada and what it shows about how climate change is shaping fires present and future. By John Vaillant PROLOGUE On a hot afternoon in May 2016, five miles outside the young petro-city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, a small wildfire flickered and ventilated, rapidly expanding its territory through a mixed forest that hadn’t seen fire in decades. This fire, farther off than the others, had started out doing what most human-caused wildfires do in their first hours of life: working its way tentatively from the point of ignition through grass, forest duff, and dead leaves—a fire’s equivalent to baby food. These fuels, in combination with the weather, would determine what kind of fire this one was going to be: a creeping, ground-level smolder doomed to smother in the heavy dew of a cool and windless spring night, or something bigger, more durable, and dynamic—a fire that could turn night into day and day into night, that could, unchecked and all-consuming, bend the world to its will. It was early in the season for wildfires, but crews from the Wildfire Division of Alberta’s Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture were on alert. As soon as smoke was spotted, wildland firefighters were dispatched, supported by a helicopter and water bombers. First responders were shocked by what they saw: by the time a helicopter with a water bucket got over it, the smoke was already black and seething, a sign of unusual intensity. Despite the firefighters’ timely intervention, the fire grew from 4 acres to 150 in two hours. Wildfires usually settle down overnight, as the air cools and the dew falls, but by noon the following day this one had expanded to nearly 2,000 acres. Its rapid growth coincided with a rash of broken temperature records across the North American subarctic that peaked at 90°F on May 3 in a place where temperatures are typically in the 60s. On that day, Tuesday, a smoke- and wind-suppressing inversion lifted, winds whipped up to twenty knots, and a monster leaped across the Athabasca River. Within hours, Fort McMurray was overtaken by a regional apocalypse that drove serial firestorms through the city from end to end—for days. Entire neighborhoods burned to their foundations beneath a towering pyrocumulus cloud typically found over erupting volcanoes. So huge and energetic was this fire-driven weather system that it generated hurricane-force winds and lightning that ignited still more fires many miles away. Nearly 100,000 people were forced to flee in what remains the largest, most rapid single-day evacuation in the history of modern fire. All afternoon, cell phones and dashcams captured citizens cursing, praying, and weeping as they tried to escape a suddenly annihilating world where fists of heat pounded on the windows, the sky rained fire, and the air came alive in roaring flame. Choices that day were stark and few: there was Now, and there was Never. A week later, the fire’s toll conjured images of a nuclear blast: there was not just “damage,” there was total obliteration. Trying to articulate what she saw during a tour of the fire’s aftermath, one official said, “You go to a place where there was a house and what do you see on the ground? Nails. Piles and piles of nails.” More than 2,500 homes and other structures were destroyed, and thousands more were damaged; 2,300 square miles of forest were burned. By the time the first photos were released, the fire had already belched 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, much of it from burning cars and houses. The Fort McMurray Fire, destined to become the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history, continued to burn, not for days, but for months. It would not be declared fully extinguished until August of the following year. Wildfires live and die by the weather, but “the weather” doesn’t mean the same thing it did in 1990, or even a decade ago, and the reason the Fort McMurray Fire trended on newsfeeds around the world in May 2016 was not only because of its terrifying size and ferocity, but also because it was a direct hit—like Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans—on the epicenter of Canada’s multibillion-dollar petroleum industry. That industry and this fire represent supercharged expressions of two trends that have been marching in lockstep for the past century and a half. Together, they embody the spiraling synergy between the headlong rush to exploit hydrocarbons at all costs and the corresponding increase in heat-trapping greenhouse gases that is altering our atmosphere in real time. In the spring of 2016, halfway through the hottest year of the hottest decade in recorded history, a new kind of fire introduced itself to the world. “No one’s ever seen anything like this,” Fort McMurray’s exhausted and grieving fire chief said on national TV. “The way this thing happened, the way it traveled, the way it behaved—this is rewriting the book.” Excerpted from "Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World" by John Vaillant. Published June 6, 2023, by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2023 by John Vaillant. This segment aired on November 6, 2023. Advertisement

erupting volcanoes

baby food

new orleans

hurricane katrina

By  Lexie Schapitl Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (center) walks with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., (left) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on September 21. Zelenskyy made his renewed case for American aid to Ukraine to a deeply divided Congress. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (center) walks with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., (left) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on September 21. Zelenskyy made his renewed case for American aid to Ukraine to a deeply divided Congress. The next speaker of the House will have the power to decide what policies come up for a vote in the House of Representatives, leaving funding for U.S. involvement in Ukraine in the balance. Last week, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., made a last-minute decision to move ahead with a short-term government spending bill without the $24 billion for military, humanitarian and economic aid for Ukraine requested by President Biden. That move avoided an impending government shutdown but it may have doomed any future funding. McCarthy lost his job days later after hardline members turned on him for passing a spending bill with the support of Democrats. Now as House Republicans choose his successor, each candidate is under the same intense pressure from far-right members who ousted McCarthy. Roughly half of House Republicans recently opposed a relatively small $300 million aid package for Ukraine and support for further spending is even less predictable. The issue also divides the three potential candidates who have emerged so far, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla. Jordan and Scalise are officially in the running and Hern has yet to decide. While others may still enter the race, the future speaker will need to win the support of 218 members and Ukraine is expected to be a significant factor. Jordan told reporters Wednesday that he was "against" moving forward with an aid package for Ukraine. "The most pressing issue on Americans' minds is not Ukraine," he said. "It is the border situation, and it's crime on the streets. And everybody knows that. So let's address those." Jordan and Hern have both consistently voted against Ukraine funding since the war began, and both voted against the $300 million in aid that was separated from the Defense bill last week. Scalise, however, did vote for the $300 million in aid last week, as well as $40 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine aid was one of several sticking points among House Republicans as they tried to coalesce around government funding bills last month. There are a number of members in the conference who do not support any further assistance to Ukraine. Others say they are sympathetic to the cause, but have concerns about oversight and potential corruption in the Ukrainian government. Republican leadership removed $300 million of Ukraine aid when the divide over that funding threatened their ability to pass the entire Defense Department appropriations bill. Leaders decided instead to bring that $300 million up for a standalone vote — 101 Republicans supported it and 117 Republicans opposed. When McCarthy introduced a short-term government funding measure last week to avoid a shutdown, there was no money for Ukraine. Democrats said they were disappointed the Ukraine money did not make it into the stopgap, but they were also optimistic that McCarthy would move forward with the aid separately. Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, told reporters "I trust that we'll figure out a way" to pass more funding. Top Democrats in the House released a statement saying, "When the House returns, we expect Speaker McCarthy to advance a bill to the House Floor for an up-or-down vote that supports Ukraine, consistent with his commitment to making sure that Vladimir Putin, Russia and authoritarianism are defeated." But now that McCarthy has been voted out, Republicans have to choose his replacement before any work can be done to pass appropriations on the floor — for Ukraine or otherwise. And there's no guarantee that McCarthy's successor would agree to advance Ukraine aid at all. Which brings us back to his potential replacements. President Biden said Wednesday that he is worried the speakership shake-up could threaten Congress's ability to deliver more Ukraine funding. "But I know there are a majority of members of the House and Senate, in both parties, who have said that they support funding Ukraine," he added, noting he planned to soon announce a "major speech" on the issue. It's unclear whether House Republicans who oppose aid to Ukraine would vote for a new speaker who supports it. But outright opposition to Ukraine aid could also alienate the 100 or so Republicans who do want continued support. And as we saw this week, it only takes a handful of defectors from within the narrow majority to bring the chamber to a screeching halt. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who supports Ukraine funding, has suggested the money could be paired with border security measures to win passage in the House. He said the Senate should craft a package with Ukraine money, border security and natural disaster aid to send over to the House as part of the next short-term government funding measure. "If they took up that package ... it would pass overwhelmingly in the House," he said. "You'd get more than half of the Republicans and virtually all Democrats." Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he would support further Ukraine funding however it could pass — either as a standalone bill, part of a border package or attached to a larger appropriations bill. "Regardless of who the speaker is, I believe that we will have appropriate funding for Ukraine. The question is what vehicle is the best vehicle and for what length of time," he said. "But for folks that are wondering whether or not we need to send a message to Putin, there is no misunderstanding about the fact that we will support Ukraine in their battle for freedom." But even before McCarthy's ouster, Democrats brushed aside the idea of pairing Ukraine money with border security as unworkable, or political gamesmanship. "Why are we playing politics with the future of the world order?" Sen. Chris Murphy said Saturday night. "Guess what? We haven't been able to do immigration reform in 40 years. It's hard. We should do it — but you shouldn't put the survival of Ukraine on the backs of our ability to break a 40-year logjam on immigration. It's just too important." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

candidates

speaker mccarthy

vladimir putin

volodymyr zelenskyy

Advertisement <iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/10/04/emergency-alert-system-test"></iframe> On Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. ET, an Emergency Alert System test will be buzzing on every cell phone, radio and television across the country. The test is necessary in order to check how people can be warned in case of a natural disaster or other emergency. We speak with Joseph Trainor, of the University of Delaware’s Disaster Research Center. This segment aired on October 4, 2023. Advertisement

radio

emergency

disaster

joseph trainor

Quil Lawrence Exterior of MCAS Miramar microgrid rooms in San Diego, California. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption Exterior of MCAS Miramar microgrid rooms in San Diego, California. SAN DIEGO — Col. Thomas Bedell had been commanding Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar in San Diego for just one day, in July 2021, when he got a message from the base energy management director. The city power system was straining under a heatwave, and it was time to start up the microgrid. "So I said, yes! Start up the microgrid! And then I texted, what is the microgrid?" Bedell recalled with a laugh. It fell to Mick Wasco, who has been energy management director at Miramar since 2010, to explain to Bedell that Miramar was set up to run the base without using power from the city of San Diego in the case of a local or national power grid failure. "By 2012, we started producing landfill gas electricity specifically for MCS Miramar," Wasco said, "Keep in mind, this is the size of a small city." Saftey equipment at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption Saftey equipment at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California. Detail of diesel engine at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption Detail of diesel engine at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California. Using energy sources including solar and methane gas from the rotting garbage in a massive San Diego city landfill located inside the base, Miramar can go 21 days in a self-contained state that's called "island mode." Or as Col. Bedell says, aircraft carrier mode. "I half-jokingly refer to Miramar as the USS Miramar. If you think about the installation as an aircraft carrier, suddenly the need to have redundant power to have energy-resilience, water, food-resilience makes complete sense," he said. U.S Marine Corps Col. Thomas M. Bedell, the commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, poses for a photo at the station's Energy and Water Operations Center on MCAS Miramar. Lance Cpl. Jose S. GuerreroDeLeon/U.S. Marines/DVIDS hide caption U.S Marine Corps Col. Thomas M. Bedell, the commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, poses for a photo at the station's Energy and Water Operations Center on MCAS Miramar. It makes enough sense that it's official Department of Defense policy: The Pentagon's stated goal is that all bases be "power resilient." The best path to resilience in case of a disaster is often a local renewable source, and that pairs well with another Pentagon goal — for bases to be carbon neutral by 2050. That will keep key defense capabilities intact in the case of an attack on the U.S. power grid, or more likely an extreme weather event, as climate change worsens droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and storms. Left: Circuit breaker panel at MCAS Miramar. Right: Diesel engine in the engine room at MCAS Miramar. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption Hurricane Michael devastated Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida in 2018. The rebuild is incorporating a microgrid built for the base by the local utility. "Florida Power & Light provides us the ability to 'island' that critical headquarters building and its functions from the rest of the installation, should there be a power loss," says Mike Dwyer, deputy chief of the Air Force Natural Disaster Recovery Division. Getting industry partners involved made funding and building the microgrid faster than the Pentagon's normally glacial procurement process. In the next big storm, Dwyer said, the base will be able to keep up critical defense operations. "It's designed to operate the first Air Force or Air Force's North Headquarters building completely independently for up to four and a half hours," he said. Dwyer said Tyndall is still at least 3 to 5 years away from having a grid that could run the whole base. A Pentagon spokesperson said 90% of key bases worldwide have at least a plan on becoming energy independent, and the Defense Department currently gets 15.9% of its energy from renewable sources, and expects to be at 25% renewable by 2025. A diesel engine at MCAS Miramar. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption A diesel engine at MCAS Miramar. Detail of diesel engine at MCAS Miramar. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption Detail of diesel engine at MCAS Miramar. The DoD is among the world's largest emitters of carbon dioxide, so it's exciting to see them take an interest in renewables, said Lisa Cohn with the site Microgrid Knowledge. "The military's interest in microgrids is really, really important — because the military does tend to deploy new technologies before anyone else," she said. The progress is mostly driven by the fact that it makes tactical sense. It can save soldiers' lives at war. Producing energy on base means trucks don't have to haul in fuel for generators to power bases in war zones, a vulnerability that proved deadly in Afghanistan and Iraq. Brandon Newell was a Marine artilleryman in 2003. He remembers rushing north from Kuwait into Iraq, only to run out of fuel. "It was about speed and agility and moving fast to attack Baghdad. We outran our logistics and it was ... a pause for four days sitting on side of the road so that our logistics could catch up," he said. That experience marked him. Newell first spoke to NPR in 2011 at a remote combat outpost in Helmand, Afghanistan where he was setting up small-scale renewable power for the Marine Corps. Detail of diesel engine at MCAS Miramar. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption Newell says the troops don't really care if it's a carbon-neutral solution — as long as it helps them fight and survive. In Afghanistan, resupply convoys hit by roadside bombs were making up a huge share of U.S. military casualties. "We have these distributed forces that are constantly requiring bullets, band aids, food and fuel," he said, "These huge convoys make you even more of a target." Newell retired as colonel, and started a company promoting the mobile combat energy solutions he says will be even more important in the next war. He spent his last years in the Marine Corps helping stand-up the microgrid at Miramar Air Base. Miramar is also demonstrating how microgrids in the military can make the civilian power-grid more resilient. It can provide a working headquarters during storms or heatwaves for the state or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to Col. Bedell. Exterior of MCAS Miramar microgrid rooms in San Diego, California. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption Exterior of MCAS Miramar microgrid rooms in San Diego, California. "Our ability to be able to continue to operate and provide that base from which we could help the local community or the state is really important," he said. It makes sense for every state to have disaster-resilient grids on military bases, he said, and Miramar has already helped out. During a heatwave in 2022, the state energy grid was under the heaviest load in California's history. This time, Bedell got a surprise text from San Diego Gas & Electric asking if Miramar could go off city power to reduce the load and avoid outages. "At the request of SDG&E, we turned on the micro grid to support our own utility requirements during peak hours for 10 days in a row. And that that prevented about 3,000 homes from having to go into potential blackout," said Bedell. The Navy even "unplugged" its docked ships from the city's power grid to help. While the military tends to focus on the use of microgrids against tactical threats, Bedell says climate change itself is also one of those threats. "We need to be part of this solution. And if we are negatively impacting the climate change that is causing societal disruption, that's not working ourselves out of a job. That's creating the problem that we're wanting to solve," he said. Loading... Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

bombs

dioxide

baghdad

worsens droughts

By  Marisa Peñaloza ,  Claire Harbage Giant letters spell "ALOHA" at a hotel on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Native Hawaiians say that the aloha spirit is unique and that it's helping them recover from the recent wildfires. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption Giant letters spell "ALOHA" at a hotel on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Native Hawaiians say that the aloha spirit is unique and that it's helping them recover from the recent wildfires. LAHAINA, Hawaii — It has been more than a month since wildfires swept across the historic city of Lahaina, but from the ashes of the disaster, the traditional spirit of aloha has given rise to a new spirit. Native Hawaiians say they are not surprised to see neighbors, friends and families helping each other in the aftermath of the tragic fires — the deadliest in modern U.S. history — that have killed at least 97. Aloha is perhaps one of the most recognized and used words in the world, even outside Hawaii — many businesses use it in their branding, goods and services. "We see it on signage everywhere. We see it spoken all over the place," says Aleah Gomes Makuakāne, the culture and community engagement director at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC). "They used it as a marketing technique, a marketing tactic to really draw tourism here." But there is more to the meaning of aloha, says Gomes Makuakāne. Aleah Gomes Makuakāne is the culture and community engagement director at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Her husband was born and raised in western Maui. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption Aleah Gomes Makuakāne is the culture and community engagement director at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Her husband was born and raised in western Maui. After a natural disaster, community members tend to help each other, but people here say the aloha intent is what sets Hawaii apart — the spirit to help one another all the time, not only when disaster strikes. Gomes Makuakāne grabs her purse and takes out a piece of paper. She shares a quote from Pilahi Paki, a trusted Native Hawaiian artist who inspired many with her work, especially her documentation and interpretation of the word "aloha." "'The world will turn to Hawaiʻi as they search for peace because Hawaiʻi has the key; and that key is ALOHA,'" reads Gomes Makuakāne, getting emotional. She says that people on the island of Maui are looking for comfort, connection and some sense of peace right now. For Native Hawaiians, that deeper intent of aloha in the aftermath of the deadly wildfires illuminates the community-led response to disaster recovery. Kaliko Kaauamo is a Hawaiian-language advocate and curriculum designer at the MACC. When asked what aloha looks like, she quickly paints a vivid picture. "Aloha is the guy whose home burned down, who has no clothes, finds his slippers, puts them on and immediately finds someone else to help without expecting anything in return," Kaauamo said. Kaauamo and her husband lost co-workers, former students and a close relative in the fire. She says she feels lucky to have a home, and she opened it to family and friends who lost everything in the inferno last month. Kaliko Kaauamo is a Hawaiian-language advocate and the lead curriculum designer at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption Kaliko Kaauamo is a Hawaiian-language advocate and the lead curriculum designer at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. "At one point, we had about 16 people sheltering in our home for several weeks," she says. Right now, they all have found temporary housing, "but when that's not an option, our home will be ready for them." She adds, "Our Hawaiian community consistently helped with meals, bedding, clothing, toiletries." She says that people brought those items to her door just by word of mouth and that many families experienced the same. Sitting in a ballet studio at the MACC, Kilihune Ka'aihue, a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and educator who focuses on wellness, says she has lived on Maui for more than 25 years. Both sides of her family came from Lahaina, as did the paternal side of her husband's family. "Our roots go deep in Lahaina, and we are all hurting for Lahaina," she says. "The word 'aloha' is a philosophy. It's an appreciation," says the mother of three. "It's an emotional attachment that we are born and raised with." She adds, "Aloha is not always what you see in the tourism industry of pretty flowers, paradise, sunsets and mai tais," she says, referring to the popular island drink. Kilihune Ka'aihue is a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and educator who focuses on wellness at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Her family is sheltering a family of seven and its two dogs since the fire in Lahaina. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption Kilihune Ka'aihue is a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and educator who focuses on wellness at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Her family is sheltering a family of seven and its two dogs since the fire in Lahaina. "Aloha means to listen to what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable." It's a mindset, says Ka'aihue. Kaauamo nods and chimes in: "Aloha is not just about love and light. It's also about honoring the opposite" — loss and pain. The meaning of aloha is layered, she says. "We are the land, the ocean — and the land and the ocean is us. There is no distinction or separation." Aligning her hands one behind the other to show unity, she adds, "If our ocean is polluted, we are too. It's one and the same." "If we look at our history as Hawaiian peoples, we've been here before — we've had devastations, we've had tragedies." Through volcanic eruptions, fires and land grabs, says Kaauamo, "aloha always shows up. It shows up in how our community rebuilds but also in how ugly our chiefs may have handled things, how they've ruled." For many Native Hawaiians, the fear over land grabs is deeply rooted in their history, dating at least to the 19th century, when the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown for financial and political benefit by American and other foreign interests, says Noelani Arista, a Native Hawaiian and an associate professor in the history and classical studies department at McGill University in Montreal, as well as chairperson of the university's Indigenous Studies Program. She was previously at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Arista says the Hawaiian-language textual archive is the largest Indigenous archive in North America (including Canada and the United States), as well as the Polynesian Pacific, and some of it is feared to have been lost in the fires in Lahaina. For example, "we lost the Baldwin Home, Lahaina's oldest building and a repository of historical records," she says. The Baldwin Home — seen here in 1967 — was built in 1834 and was the oldest house on Maui. It was destroyed during the wildfires last month. Archive Photos/Getty Images hide caption The Baldwin Home — seen here in 1967 — was built in 1834 and was the oldest house on Maui. It was destroyed during the wildfires last month. "Hawaii is aloha" — that's how people around the world see it, Arista says. "But commercially, it's been detrimental to our people. It's a form of paradise that is a form of colonialism for us." However, Arista adds, the high profile of Hawaiian culture, even if misunderstood, means that "Hawaiian or Hawaii concepts or practices — hula, aloha, ohana — are circulating globally. [It means] our issues are also in the forefront," and the islands and even towns like Lahaina are not foreign to people. Several years ago, Arista started an experiment that ended up as a Facebook archive of the Hawaiian language — she called it 365 Days of Aloha. For several years, every day she posted a word connected to the concept of aloha, she said. "The response was overwhelmingly positive." The archive has more than 3,000 followers. "I was getting a little concerned that people in my community were thinking that aloha is something that is used as an advertisement to sell Hawaii to tourists." Native Hawaiians, she says, felt upset. "That word 'aloha' has no meaning anymore. It doesn't belong to us. It's been completely overtaken," Native Hawaiians would tell her, she says. Arista's goal with the Facebook archive was to help people understand the deeper meaning of Hawaiian words, including aloha, and to reclaim it for her community, often through chants and songs. "The intimacies expressed between Hawaiian people and the land, the seas, the waters, the winds and rains we have in every part of the island were getting lost." "Aloha is not coercive. It's not ideological. It's not rule bound. It's not governing," Arista says. In the case of the Lahaina wildfires, aloha "illustrates a form of sovereignty — people could take care of each other." Two women embrace and cry as they look out over a burned area of Lahaina on Aug. 22. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption Two women embrace and cry as they look out over a burned area of Lahaina on Aug. 22. That sovereignty, she says, is generational. Arica Lynn Souza's family home was in the Kahoma Village section of Lahaina — it burned to the ground on Aug. 8. "I escaped with my two babies, my two dogs and a diaper bag," says 34-year-old Lynn Souza, a science teacher at Lahainaluna High School. She and her husband got separated in the chaos. She says her husband watched their home burn and frantically tried to call Lynn Souza — unfortunately without luck, because there was no cell signal. They were reunited two days later, and they are now sheltering with family. "All the help was from my friends and my family," Lynn Souza says. "The only reason why we're able to have clothes on our back and everything else is from my friends." She's mourning the loss of her community. "We're all family. We have all our birthday parties together. Every Friday night, we have dinner together," she says, speaking in the present tense. "There is this kind of aloha feeling within our community and with each other." She describes it as "being there when something happens, when someone is in need. I think that's what makes Lahaina so special." Lynn Souza can't say the same about the official response. "I unfortunately have not felt much aloha from the local government and even from the federal government." She says she has not seen evidence of the $95 million that the Biden administration has pledged to help the electric company in Lahaina. "I was trapped on a street because an electric pole was down. The electric company nearly killed us. It doesn't feel right," she says, with her voice trailing off. Though Lahaina and Maui are going through traumatic times right now, over and over people said this tragedy can also be seen as time for hulihia, which means to turn, to change, to start anew in Hawaiian language. A scene of destruction from the wildfire in Lahaina on Aug. 22. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption A scene of destruction from the wildfire in Lahaina on Aug. 22. "We are at that turning point right now," says Kaauamo, the Hawaiian-language advocate with the MACC, "to change the branding of aloha from this commercialized version." It's an opportunity to embrace the real meaning of aloha, she says. "It's being a very conscious human being who lives with the right intention to help others, the land, the ocean." Ka'aihue, the MACC educator, says people in Maui are supporting one another through their pain and uncertainty with an aloha intent right now. "We have an opportunity through the way that aloha is being shared and expressed and seen during these difficult times on Maui, to really show the true meaning of what that is and what it looks like." Ka'aihue says that in the aftermath of the fires, "the life and the spirit of aloha is really what is driving this healing force for everybody impacted, as well as keeping everyone focused and grounded and really, truly on the same journey, allowing everyone to heal at their own pace with that aloha at that heart of this devastation."

traumatic times

gomes makuakāne

repository

hawaiʻi

By  Mary Louise Kelly ,  Michael Levitt ,  Tinbete Ermyas A damaged vehicle is stuck debris after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged Derna, Libya on September 12. Abdullah Mohammed Bonja/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption Two dams collapsed and whole neighborhoods were washed away after a storm slammed the city of Derna, Libya and others along the Mediterranean coast this week. The extent of the damage still isn't known, but so far at least 5,000 people have been confirmed dead and thousands more are still missing. Huda Akram is a doctor based in Benghazi, Libya, whose family hails from Derna. She spoke to All Things Considered's Mary Louise Kelly on Wednesday, describing the harrowing scenes and what is happening now. Loading... This interview contains details that are vivid and disturbing. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Mary Louise Kelly: May I begin by asking after your family — have you been able to reach them? Are they OK? Huda Akram: Oh, well, my uncles and my aunts, they're fine, both from my mother's and my father's side. But my grandmother, unfortunately, did not make it, with my aunt. Kelly: I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Akram: But her son survived, though. At first, we heard there's a storm coming. We thought it's just a [bit] of rain, people can seek shelter on the rooftops of their houses. But then as things started to get bad, started to become worse, we heard that the dam collapsed. However, we only saw the footage. Even after we heard the dam collapse, we couldn't even imagine that it would be this bad. It's just in split seconds. People who are anticipating, they managed to warn the others to run. And my cousin was telling me, "We were running and the water was just running after us." And they stayed there on the rooftop — they were holding on because the water was also pushing them. There's a lot of people [whose] entire households, entire family name from the grandfather to the husband and wives and grandchildren [were] completely wiped. Kelly: I mentioned you're a doctor, you're a psychiatrist. So you will be thinking about this in terms of how on earth you process something like this, how do you deal with the shock now and the trauma that's to come. Is that right? Akram: Yes. I mean, we have a lot of PTSD. We deal with a lot of PTSD soldiers from all the armed conflicts before. And nothing compares to this. I could not imagine that we ever saw patients who — I mean, my cousin there, he's six or seven, he's just mute. He's just mute. He literally saw his mother die in front of him. He was hanging on to a tree while my aunt and my grandmother drowned. And drowning in your own house being stuck is ... is ugly. It just keeps haunting you how they must have felt while they were seeing [and] anticipating their death. The city of Derna is seen on Tuesday after the devastating floods. Jamal Alkomaty/AP hide caption The city of Derna is seen on Tuesday after the devastating floods. Kelly: I want people to understand that what you're describing — an unspeakably awful situation — is made worse by the instability that Libya has experienced in recent years, political instability. What are you hearing about relief efforts, about trying to get help to people who desperately need it? Akram: Yes, but the thing is that it's a very small town, and people are always helping each other. Like, for us, we will host our uncles and aunts. My other uncle has an apartment here in Benghazi. So it's all about, like, family and connections and people hosting each other. Because every person here has a relative there. The connection between Benghazi and Derna is very strong, and there's always family members back and forth hosting. However, I hear help is going there, but no one is telling us that they're actually receiving the help. Loading... Kelly: Are you hearing anything from the government? Is there anything emerging in terms of leadership through this crisis? Akram: Well, in all honesty, this town has been receiving millions of millions in budget for maintenance and infrastructure. And there has been a special budget for the dam. But it was never actually spent. It was never spent for that purpose. We don't know where that money goes. It's just the money goes and we don't see it on the ground. And I was waiting for someone to apologize, or someone to resign, or someone to be even forcefully fired — no one did. The governor, the local governor of the city, said, "Well, we asked them to evacuate and, you know, it's just God's will." That's all he ever said. I don't know how he is not being held accountable for this. No one is being held accountable. They're treating this as if it's a natural disaster. It's not a natural disaster, it's man. It's negligence. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

grandfather

ptsd soldiers

grandchildren

grandmother

By  Aya Batrawy ,  Ruth Sherlock People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. AFP via Getty Images hide caption People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. Officials in Libya say at least hundreds of people have died and thousands are feared missing in the eastern part of the country after a powerful storm swept across its mountainous terrains and coastline. The storm destroyed two dams and unleashed a torrent of fast-running muddy water that carried buildings, homes and entire families away. Libyan National Army spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said late Monday more than 2,000 people had been killed from floodwaters in the city of Derna alone after Storm Daniel made landfall on Sunday, and thousands there were still missing. The Associated Press cited eastern Libya's health minister as saying more than 1,000 victims' bodies were collected so far. Libyan officials are struggling to reach many areas, making it difficult to confirm exact numbers of dead or missing, and estimates have ranged widely. Loading... Local emergency responders, including troops, government workers, volunteers and residents are digging through rubble to recover the dead. Some have used inflatable boats to retrieve bodies from the water. The regional capital Benghazi has become a hub for aid arriving from abroad. Egypt, which borders Libya to the east, has sent military teams and helicopters, and its military chief of staff visited to assess the situation and coordinate relief efforts. Egypt is also sending three planes carrying medical and food supplies, 25 rescue teams and equipment, and is sending another plane for medical evacuations. Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates also promised help for search and rescue efforts. A view of devastation in disaster zones after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged the region, on Monday, in Derna, Libya. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption A view of devastation in disaster zones after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged the region, on Monday, in Derna, Libya. "The citizens who left Derna and the affected areas left as though they were born today, without anything. All their belongings are gone," al-Mismari said. "There are those who lost their families, those who lost part of their family." Tens of thousands of people are homeless and have been displaced by the storm in different parts of eastern Libya, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council's country director for Libya, Dax Roque. The eastern city of Derna appears to be the hardest hit by Storm Daniel, which gained strength as it crossed the Mediterranean before making landfall on Libya over the weekend. The city was flooded after two dams broke. "The situation was honestly completely unexpected. It is the first time we experience something like this," al-Mismari said, noting that the last major natural disaster to hit Libya was an earthquake 60 years ago. People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. AFP via Getty Images hide caption People check an area damaged by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya, on Monday. Roads that once connected cities in the east are completely inaccessible, either destroyed or under water. Others are partly inaccessible, he said. This, combined with the mountainous terrain of areas like Jebel Akhdar in the northeast, have made it difficult for search and rescue teams to reach affected areas, al-Mismari said. With internet and phone connectivity in affected areas spotty at best, the outside world is partly relying on social media videos from affected areas to show the scale of the devastation. Some videos show bodies lying in the streets outside a morgue in Derna. Other videos show rescue workers trying to pull a man to safety as brown flood waters flow quickly, covering roads and flooding farmland. Other videos show cars piled atop one another in heaps of twisted metal. Homes and bridges that once stood as markers of the city are now gone, turned to rubble. Roque, of the NRC in Libya, says this latest disaster will exacerbate the situation for Libyans who have already endured years of conflict, poverty and displacement. "Hospitals and shelters will be overstretched amidst the large wave of displacement," he said in a statement, urging for greater international aid for Libya. A view of the city of Derna is seen on Tuesday. Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused devastating floods in Libya that broke dams and swept away entire neighborhoods in multiple coastal towns, the destruction appeared greatest in Derna city. Jamal Alkomaty/AP hide caption A view of the city of Derna is seen on Tuesday. Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused devastating floods in Libya that broke dams and swept away entire neighborhoods in multiple coastal towns, the destruction appeared greatest in Derna city. The country's infrastructure was not equipped to deal with such a massive catastrophe following years of conflict and instability. Libya is ruled by two rival governments, one in the east and the other in the capital, Tripoli. The oil-exporting country has in recent years also become a major transit route for illegal migration to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, underscoring the corruption and disarray in parts of the country following the ouster from power and killing of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Libya's National Army says foreigners are among the dead, and that a number of civil defense and Libyan soldiers involved in rescue operations have also been killed. It's unclear how many foreigners or soldiers have died in the floods. Still, spokesman al-Mismari said the people of Libya have proven they are "one people" in this time of need, with official and unofficial aid coming from areas under rival government control, including Tripoli, Misrata and others. The Libyan National Army, for which al-Mismari is a spokesperson, is in control of the east. The United States says it stands ready to support Libya with humanitarian aid and is assessing how best to do so. Aya Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ruth Sherlock reported from Rome.

anadolu agency

catastrophe

floodwaters

devastating floods

From By  Roman Battaglia Election workers Anne Silveria and Tanner Johnson sort ballots during the mock hand count in Redding, Calif., Aug. 17, 2023. Roman Battaglia/Jefferson Public Radio hide caption Election workers Anne Silveria and Tanner Johnson sort ballots during the mock hand count in Redding, Calif., Aug. 17, 2023. Most California elections will be forced to use state-approved machines to count ballots under new legislation that responds to an attempt by right-wing supervisors in one Northern California county to try and hand-count future elections. The bill, called AB 969, got a final vote Friday as it easily passed through the California legislature, where Democrats hold a supermajority in both houses. Now it awaits the governor's signature. "Shasta County is not our own country," said Tim Garman, a Shasta County supervisor who opposed the hand-counting effort. "We don't get to make all of our own laws. There are things we can and cannot do and we've stepped way out of our lane with this." Garman said the legislation is a sign the state is trying to prevent hand-counting from spreading to other counties. If enacted, the bill would ban hand-counting in established elections with more than 1,000 registered voters, or more than 5,000 registered voters for special elections. Those rules would only be relaxed if a natural disaster or emergency prevents an electronic voting system from working, such as a wildfire or power outage. The Shasta County Administration Center, where the county Board of Supervisors meets. Roman Battaglia/Jefferson Public Radio hide caption The Shasta County Administration Center, where the county Board of Supervisors meets. Shasta County is a conservative-leaning county with around 112,000 voters. In January, the right-wing majority on the county board of supervisors voted 3-to-2 to cancel its contract with Dominion Voting Systems, and move to hand-count ballots. The decision was based on unproven claims of election fraud, and Dominion has faced a torrent of conspiracy theories about its machines. AB 969 would also ban counties from terminating a voting system without signing a contract for a new one. The move by Shasta County supervisors in January left them without a way to conduct elections at all for months. County election officials have been preparing for hand-counting, which has been found to be more expensive, more time-consuming and less accurate than machines. "Whoever it is that sold the board the concept that this is a cost-saving measure really was mistaken, frankly. And that's putting it very kindly," said Cathy Darling Allen, the county clerk who has publicly condemned the proposal to hand-count ballots. "If they weren't mistaken they were just lying, and I don't know which is true." The county last month sent in its plan for hand-counting to be approved by the California secretary of state in time for a local election on Nov. 7. That would have been the first time the county would have used its new hand-counting system. Now, assuming the governor signs the bill, election officials will have to fall back on their electronic voting system, provided by Hart InterCivic. Because of accessibility concerns and regulations from the secretary of state, the county already has the machines needed to conduct a machine count. County Supervisors Kevin Crye and Patrick Jones — who both backed the switch to hand-counting — declined requests for an interview, so it's unknown what their next steps might be. According to Darling Allen, it could be possible for supervisors to require the county to conduct a full hand count of ballots as an audit after the election. In previous elections, the county only recounted 1% of ballots by hand to check for any errors with the machines. "They can't violate state law, but they can add additional audit requirements, certainly," she said. Regardless, the county has already faced both literal and political costs because of the attempt to hand-count elections. Crye is facing a recall election, despite taking office just this year. And the county has already paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a new voting system and hired staff to help with hand-counting. But because of state intervention, the county will still be saving millions more than they expected to pay. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

fraud

machines

patrick jones

established elections

By  Ashley Lopez ,  Tamara Keith Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives for a press conference in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia on Thursday in Steinhatchee, Fla. Sean Rayford/Getty Images hide caption Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives for a press conference in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia on Thursday in Steinhatchee, Fla. President Biden arrived in Florida on Saturday to survey damage after a powerful hurricane made landfall in the state's Big Bend region, but politics are threatening to overshadow the visit. The state's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — who is seeking the Republican nomination to face off against Biden in the 2024 presidential election — does not plan to meet with Biden on the ground, as is customary after a natural disaster. "We don't have any plans for the governor to meet with the president tomorrow," Jeremy Redfern, the governor's press secretary, said in a statement on Friday night. "In these rural communities, and so soon after impact, the security preparations alone that would go into setting up such a meeting would shut down ongoing recovery efforts," Redfern said. In October 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis joined President Biden to meet with people in Fort Myers, Fla., who had been hit hard by Hurricane Ian. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images hide caption In October 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis joined President Biden to meet with people in Fort Myers, Fla., who had been hit hard by Hurricane Ian. DeSantis and Biden have spoken regularly during the preparations for Hurricane Idalia, and in the storm's aftermath, as communities work to recover. Last year, when Biden visited Fort Myers, Fla. in the wake of Hurricane Ian, the two leaders put their political differences aside and visited affected residents together. On Friday night, White House spokesperson Emilie Simons said Biden would travel with first lady Jill Biden and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to Live Oak, Fla. — and emphasized that the trip would not affect local recovery efforts. "Their visit to Florida has been planned in close coordination with FEMA as well as state and local leaders to ensure there is no impact on response operations," Simons said. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

jeremy redfern

hurricane

hurricane ian

hurricane idalia

Debbie Elliott Floodwater surrounds a house on Sept. 1, 2021, in Jean Lafitte, La. Hurricane Ida made landfall as a powerful Category 4 causing flooding and wind damage along the Gulf Coast. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption Floodwater surrounds a house on Sept. 1, 2021, in Jean Lafitte, La. Hurricane Ida made landfall as a powerful Category 4 causing flooding and wind damage along the Gulf Coast. Ten states and dozens of municipalities are suing the Biden administration over rate hikes in the National Flood Insurance Program. That program offers coverage in high-risk flood areas and is administered by FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A lawsuit filed Thursday (the start of the Atlantic hurricane season) in New Orleans federal court seeks to block the higher premiums. When FEMA's new Risk Rating 2.0 pricing plan went into effect in April, the agency said it was more equitable and better reflects flood risk. The result is rate increases that will average more than 100% in coastal states like Louisiana and Florida. Some parishes in southeast Louisiana will see rates go up on average more than 500%. "The Risk Rating 2.0 flood insurance policy has now become a natural disaster of its own," said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. He says the higher rates could price some residents out of their homes. "This policy is completely disrupting to the housing market and business climate of our state." The lawsuit says FEMA is not properly taking into account community flood mitigation efforts, and has exceeded its authority. FEMA declined to respond to the new lawsuit, citing a policy of not commenting on pending litigation. In addition to Louisiana, states signing onto the federal lawsuit include Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. All have Republican Attorneys General. The lawsuit is against the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FEMA and Administrator Deanne Criswell, and the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration. Some 43 Louisiana parishes, and a dozen levee boards are also plaintiffs. "This is crucial to the survival of everyone in Louisiana," says Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove. "We've seen Louisiana and the parish spend billions of dollars into protecting the people of Terrebonne Parish. And at the last hour, FEMA comes along with a 2.0 rating system which totally destroyed basically what we worked for." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

coastal states

jean lafitte

hurricane

terrebonne parish

Ruth Sherlock People walk past collapsed buildings on Thursday in the town of Jinderis, in Syria's Aleppo province, days after a massive earthquake devastated the region. Ghaith Alsayed/AP hide caption People walk past collapsed buildings on Thursday in the town of Jinderis, in Syria's Aleppo province, days after a massive earthquake devastated the region. JINDERIS, Syria — Mohammed Juma sleeps on the heap of rubble that crushed his family as he survived. In the freezing nights, the 20-year-old and others in this town — still dazed and in shock — burn possessions found in the debris for heat. For five days they've been waiting for help. None has come. In neighboring Turkey, roads are gridlocked by the trucks that bring everything from excavators, to food and blankets and medicines into the earthquake disaster zone. Thousands of tons of aid has poured in from countries around the world. The arrival of special equipment to detect those still trapped under the rubble means that — days after the earthquake — lives are still being saved. By contrast, across the border in the northwest of Syria, residents of the town of Jinderis heard the screams of those trapped under the rubble but, without the right machinery and equipment, were powerless to save them. Now, the voices have fallen silent. "We don't understand. Why are we alone?" asked Mahmoud Hafar, the mayor of Jinderis. Personal possessions are seen on Friday in Jinderis, Syria, amid the tangle of rubble of a destroyed building. Ruth Sherlock/NPR hide caption Personal possessions are seen on Friday in Jinderis, Syria, amid the tangle of rubble of a destroyed building. On a rare visit to this rebel-held enclave of a country broken and isolated by more than a decade of civil war, NPR saw no international crews of rescuers; no trucks loaded with machinery or medical aid; no streams of ambulances to save the wounded. The border crossing into Syria was empty and silent. Mohammed Juma said his wife, Alia, and his two children — 20-month old Ali and 6-month old Hussein — were alive after their home collapsed on top of them. Juma and his neighbors pulled at the shattered concrete for hours until their hands bled, but the effort was futile. Now the Syrian civil defense teams are using the few excavators they do have to recover the dead. On Friday morning in Jinderis, at least 850 bodies had been pulled from the rubble. Zakaria Tabakh, 26, remembers cuddling his son, 2-year-old Abdulhadi, to sleep and laying him in his bed, where he was killed by the falling debris. Tabakh's wife died in the bed beside him. He said that few friends were able to come to the burial because they were too busy burying their own loved ones. Syrian civil defense workers in the town of Jinderis dig through the rubble of a collapsed residential building in search for a 13-year-old boy and four other people on Friday. Ruth Sherlock/NPR hide caption Syrian civil defense workers in the town of Jinderis dig through the rubble of a collapsed residential building in search for a 13-year-old boy and four other people on Friday. At one site, excavators lifted huge chunks of concrete and twisted iron bars, in search for a 13-year-old boy. Hundreds more people are missing. The earthquake is only the latest cruelty to befall the people of this region. Many of the 4.6 million residents had fled here from other parts of the country, searching for safety from the barrel bombs and airstrikes of the Syrian regime and its ally, Russia. After years of war, they've been left with nothing. Tens of thousands now live with almost no access to basic services in makeshift tents set up in the olive groves where the mud clogs and weighs down the legs of children playing outside. Even before this earthquake, the United Nations said 4.1 million people were in need of humanitarian aid. The Syrian regime considers bringing aid to these opposition-held areas across the border from Turkey a violation of its sovereignty. The government, along with its allies Russia and China, have repeatedly vetoed votes at the U.N. Security Council to maintain more aid routes into Syria from Turkey. Aid convoys are allowed only through one border point, Bab al-Hawa. But the roads between the U.N. supply hub in Turkey and this border point were damaged in the earthquake, so for several days other, open, border crossings with Syria remained unused and no aid came. Locals walk past a damaged water tank in the Syrian town of Sawran, on Friday, days after a massive earthquake hit the region. Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption Locals walk past a damaged water tank in the Syrian town of Sawran, on Friday, days after a massive earthquake hit the region. Less than one hour's drive from one of the open border crossings, the town of Sawran now has no running water. On one side of the main street is the destroyed home of the Turki family, where nine people, including five children died. Across the road a family of seven were killed. Neighbors said they had moved to Sawran after fleeing their home in Khan Sheikhoun, where in 2017 the Syrian government attacked the population with the nerve agent Sarin, killing 89 people. "The world left us to our own destiny facing the criminal Bashar al-Assad. But this is a natural disaster," said Ibahim Bakkour, a local council member. "There's no political argument here; it's a humanitarian situation and we need help." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

khan sheikhoun

ibahim bakkour

mohammed juma

mahmoud hafar

By  Rob Schmitz ,  Ruth Sherlock A girl stands next to destroyed buildings in Antakya, southern Turkey on Wednesday. Khalil Hamra/AP hide caption A girl stands next to destroyed buildings in Antakya, southern Turkey on Wednesday. ANTAKYA and ISTANBUL, Turkey — Rescue workers in Turkey and Syria spent a third day of desperate recovery operations on Wednesday as the death toll from this week's massive earthquake reached a grim milestone. Teams of workers were still trying to find more survivors from the early Monday morning quake as the death toll surpassed 15,000, The Associated Press reported. By late Wednesday, Turkey's government reported 12,391 deaths in the country from the quake. In Syria, the death toll reached 2,902. In a visit to Kahramanmaras, a city near the epicenter of the quake, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to survivors, saying "we are face to face with a great disaster." Erodgan admitted there were shortfalls by his government in the immediate aftermath of the quake, but said nobody would be "left in the streets." Erdogan will also travel to the worst-hit province of Hatay on Wednesday. The magnitude 7.8 quake, which occurred in southern Turkey and collapsed buildings in that country and Syria, is the deadliest seismic event in the world in more than a decade, the AP reported. A 2011 earthquake in Japan triggered a tsunami that killed more than 19,000 people. Turkey's government said search and rescue teams have pulled more than 8,000 people from underneath the rubble of thousands of toppled buildings in the past two days. But worries grew that survivors may succumb to their injuries or hypothermia, due to worsening weather conditions in the region. Jordanians load a military plane with humanitarian aid for Syria following a deadly earthquake, at Marka military airport in Amman, Jordan, on Feb. 8, 2023. KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Jordanians load a military plane with humanitarian aid for Syria following a deadly earthquake, at Marka military airport in Amman, Jordan, on Feb. 8, 2023. In the city of Antakya, resident Hamideh Mansulolu stood outside what used to be the seven-story residential building where she lived with her family, waiting to hear whether her son, Sedat, survived. "I know my son is inside and I think he's still alive. His brother dug with his hands to find him," she told NPR. Hours later, as diggers chipped away at the ruins of the building, rescuers found Sedat's body and wrapped it in a blanket for his mother to say goodbye. Aid groups consider the first 72 hours after a natural disaster as crucial for rescuing survivors. In neighboring Syria, the government has blamed Western sanctions for hampering relief efforts, but the U.S. says sanctions do not include humanitarian assistance. Regardless, northern Syria lacks the heavy equipment and other infrastructure to come to the aid of the hundreds of thousands displaced by this disaster, and the only U.N.-authorized road from Turkey to that region has been damaged by the quake. Iran, Libya, and the United Arab Emirates have sent hundreds of millions of dollars worth of aid to Syria, and dozens of countries have sent aid to Turkey, including more than 5,000 rescue workers who are arriving in the disaster area. Turkey's emergency management agency, AFAD, reports it has set up more than 70,000 tents for emergency shelter to the more than 380,000 people who have been temporarily displaced by this disaster. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

emergency shelter

epicenter

rob schmitz

tsunami

Marc Silver This week we published a list of 9 global buzzwords that will likely be in the headlines of 2023. Some definitely sound new(ish) — like polycrisis, referring to the overlapping crises that the world is facing. Others are ancient — like poverty, which is on the rise again because of the pandemic, conflicts, climate change and more. We asked you to nominate more buzzwords for 2023. Thanks to all who sent in contributions. Here are five more terms to watch for in the year ahead. Savanna Schuermann, a lecturer in the anthropology department at San Diego State University, proposes: "One buzzword or concept I see missing from your piece is 'elite-directed growth.' The problems you write about in the story — poverty, climate change, child wasting — stem from the same cultural cause. Power has become concentrated among elites — decision makers who make decisions that benefit themselves but are maladaptive for the population and environment ("maladaptation" could be a buzzword too) because these decision makers are insulated from the impacts of their policies. So they are either unaware of the adverse human consequences their policies have or they don't care." Those tiny bits of plastic — some too small to be seen with the naked eye — are popping up all over the globe, in nature and in humans, raising concerns about their impact on both the environment and health. The small pieces of plastic debris can come from many sources — as a result of industrial waste as well as from packaging, ropes, bottles and clothing. Last year, NPR wrote about a study that even identified microplastics in the lungs of living people, adding that "the plastics have previously been found in human blood, excrement and in the depths of the ocean." Submitted by H. Keifer Someone who lives precariously, who does not live in security. Wikipedia notes that the word precariat is "a portmanteau merging precarious with proletariat." It can be used in a variety of contexts. "Migrants make up a large share of the world's precariat. They are a cause of its growth and in danger of becoming its primary victims, demonized and made the scapegoat of problems not of their making," according to the book The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. And, in 2016, NPR wrote about "the ill-paid temps and contingent workers that some have called the 'precariat.' " Submitted by Peter Ciarrochi Solastalgia is, according to Wikipedia and other sources, "a neologism, formed by the combination of the Latin words sōlācium (comfort) and the Greek root -algia (pain, suffering, grief), that describes a form of emotional or existential distress caused by environmental change." NPR used this term in a story describing the emotional reaction of Arizonans who had to flee their homes due to a lightning-sparked wildfire. It has to do with "a sense that you're losing your home, even though you haven't left it. Just the anticipation of a natural disaster can produce its own kind of sadness called solastalgia." Submitted by Clara Sutherland The word itself is a lot like it sounds. Webster's says: "an amount or supply more than sufficient to meet one's needs." The libertarian think tank Cato Institute uses the term in what it calls a "controversial and counterintuitive" new book, Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet. The thesis: "Population growth and freedom to innovate make Earth's resources more, not less, abundant." Submitted by Jonathan Babiak Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

plastics

disaster

clara sutherland

solastalgia

Chloe Veltman A still from the CBS drama series 'Fire Country' Bettina Strauss/CBS hide caption A still from the CBS drama series 'Fire Country' The new CBS drama series Fire Country, about a group of prisoners turned volunteer firefighters in Northern California, is aflame with the raging pyrotechnics and human melodrama that audiences have come to expect from pop culture takes on wildfires and the people who bravely tackle them. The show was the highest-ranked TV series when it debuted in October and continues to attract millions of viewers. But despite its popularity with the public, Fire Country hasn't been a big hit with firefighters. "It's just another traumatized Hollywood production," Eugene, Oregon-based firefighter Megan Bolten told NPR. Fire Country executive producer Tony Phelan said he understands the pushback. "But we are not making a documentary," said Phelan. "And so there are certain compromises that we make for dramatic purposes." The frustration firefighters feel highlights the disconnect between the portrayal of wildfires in pop culture and the realities of wildfire response in a time of accelerated climate change. Part of the issue is that movies and TV shows about wildfires haven't changed much since they first blazed across our screens in the middle of the last century. Melodramatic scenes of heroic, cleft-chinned firefighters charging fearlessly at enemy fires were a thing back in the 1940s and 1950s in movies like The Forest Rangers and Red Skies of Montana. And they're still very much a thing today, in movies like Only the Brave and Those Who Wish Me Dead, and TV series such as Fire Country and Fire Chasers.Firefighter Bolten said it's high time Hollywood let go of these exaggerated, oversimplified and often inaccurate clichés. Red Skies Of Montana, lobbycard, 1952. LMPC via Getty Images hide caption "Its aim is to entertain more than it is to inform," Bolten said. Instead, Bolten said, Hollywood should share messages about things like the usefulness of controlled burns to clear out overgrown brush, the public's role in wildfire prevention, and how climate change is turning wildlands across the world into tinderboxes. "Introducing the complexity of the conversation that's actually happening in fire and climate change and fuels management would be a huge help," Bolten said. According to a recent study from the climate change storytelling consultancy Good Energy and the University of Southern California's Norman Lear Center, less than 3% of the more than 37,000 analyzed movie and TV scripts written between 2016 and 2020 made any reference to climate change. "There is a glaring absence of climate change in scripted media," said Good Energy associate director of climate research and consulting Alisa Petrosova. "And that's a problem because stories set the societal conditions necessary for change. There's a huge power in linking climate change to natural disaster." However, scenes featuring discussions about climate change or fire prevention and control methods like a homeowner raking leaves off their lawn or a firefighter digging a ditch, don't exactly make for scintillating screen-time. "Where's the action? Where's the drama?" said Arizona State University historian Steve Pyne, who studies the portrayal of wildfires in mass entertainment. "It's very easy to tell the disaster and war story. It's much harder to tell the story of preventative stuff." Pyne said despite the dramaturgical challenges, the entertainment industry has a responsibility to get the messaging right, because of its enormous reach. "Most people are not reading policy statements," Pyne said. "They're not reading the Journal of Ecology. They will get it in popular forms." The official 'Fire Country' trailer, release in May A few entertainment offerings are leading the way, integrating important — if somewhat less dramatic — topics like fire prevention and climate change into storylines. Good Energy's Petrosova points to a scene from the 2018 movie Roma involving a forest fire. "The servants line up in a bucket chain to put out the fire while the rich family members sip their wine and take in the spectacle," Petrosova said. "So there's this highlight on injustice and who has to bear the brunt of the labor of the climate crisis and fires." Fire Country also delivers moments of climate change-focused clarity. For example, in episode seven, the local priest, Father Pascal (played by Barclay Hope), unsuccessfully tries to chat up fire chief Vince Leone (Billy Burke) in order to get out of paying a fine for not clearing the wood around his property. This might not be the most smoldering scene ever written in television history. But executive producer Phelan said moments like this one matter. "We certainly have a responsibility to tell people about what it means to have development encroaching into these woodland areas, and in order to save property, we are putting people's lives at risk," Phelan said. Phelan added audiences can expect to see more climate change-related content on Fire Country as the season continues. CBS will likely make a decision about whether to commission a second series next spring. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

pyrotechnics

alisa petrosova

volunteer firefighters

father pascal

By  Giulia Heyward One of the warehouses where stockpiled medicine, and medical supplies, are kept. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Responses hide caption One of the warehouses where stockpiled medicine, and medical supplies, are kept. Surges in COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory illnesses are forcing the U.S. government to do something it normally reserves for emergencies: release hoards of stockpiled Tamiflu to states in dire need of more flu medicine. The move from the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday came via the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which allows the government to tap its reserves of medicine and other medical supplies when a mass outbreak or other health crisis occurs. It's true. There is a network of warehouses, each the size of several Walmart Supercenters, located in top-secret locations across the country. And while much about the stockpile remains a secret, it continues to play a vital role in the COVID pandemic. Here's what we know about the multibillion-dollar inventory of vaccines, equipment and other medical supplies designed to help save lives. In short, pretty much any medical supplies that could be useful during a mass outbreak or health crisis. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a division of HHS, details some of the inventory on its website: There are 1,960 containers of nerve agent antidotes, known as chempacks, in case of a chemical incident, in more than 1,340 locations, such as fire stations and hospitals, across the U.S. More than 90% of Americans live within an hour of one of these locations, according to ASPR. If a natural disaster or another catastrophe affects the number of hospitals or amounts of medical equipment available, the SNS can deploy "rapidly deployable caches" that come with a bed and other medical supplies. Each of these federal medical stations can house 50 to 250 patients and comes with enough pharmaceutical supplies to last for three days. The SNS also says it has "millions of masks, gloves, gowns, N95 respirators, face shields and other necessary supplies" and 16 different models of ventilators at the ready for those with COVID. The SNS is supposed to be there in case we need it. By having so many medical supplies in its reserves, the nation is supposed to help when local agencies run out, or when massive amounts of medical supplies are needed at a moment's notice. The SNS "serves as the nation's repository of medicines and supplies for use if there is a public health emergency, such as a terrorist attack, flu outbreak, or natural disaster, severe enough to cause local supplies to run out," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congress authorized the creation of the SNS, then known as the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, in 1999, the CDC says. The federal government originally created the SNS to combat chemical or biological attacks. It has since been used to help with outbreaks, such as the Ebola virus and monkeypox (now called mpox), but officials began to take note of its use when the pandemic led to drastic shortages of critical medical supplies. But despite its creation, budget cuts, issues with the global supply chain and manufacturing problems made the SNS ill-equipped to deal with the pandemic, according to an NPR investigation. Even nine months into the pandemic, the investigation found, the SNS still lacked critical medical supplies. Most recently, an October 2022 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the SNS failed to supply the country with enough resources to battle the pandemic. "The COVID-19 response has also been a catalyst for HHS to re-examine SNS operations, including the role, responsibilities, expertise, and inventory needed moving forward," the GAO report said. Imagine a massive warehouse filled with shelves and shelves of medical supplies as far as the eye can see. The locations of the warehouses are a secret. But over the years, officials have shared some information about their size — and inventory. In 2016, NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce was given a look at one of the massive warehouses. Greg Burel, then the SNS director, told her that the stockpile inventory was worth about $7 billion — a sizable increase from the allocated budget of $50 million back in 1999. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

virus

catastrophe

repository

stockpiled tamiflu

Lauren Hodges Though Twitter has temporarily suspended its new subscription service, experts say the damage to public trust in the platform may already be done. David Odisho/Getty Images hide caption Though Twitter has temporarily suspended its new subscription service, experts say the damage to public trust in the platform may already be done. When Michele Rogosky heard about the shooting at The University of Virginia on Sunday night, she called her son right away, panicking. He's a student there, and she knew he liked to go to the gym late in the evening. It turns out, he was sheltering in his apartment with his roommates, and knowing that helped her calm down. But the situation was precarious, with the suspect at large at the time, and little information available. Rogosky lives 400 miles from Charlottesville, in Long Island, New York. Normally, she says she would have gone on Twitter to check the university's public safety accounts and look for updates. But something stopped her this time. I honestly can’t tell if this is real or not. Theres no blue check mark There was an active shooter at UVA this morning but since @elonmusk removed verified acct checks no one knew if it was true or not https://t.co/Hxs8i0a492 When reports of the UVA shooting came in, legitimate blue checks would’ve been rl helpful. The only handles that elevated the story were sus at best. Score 1 for 3l0n + chaos agency. Between all the new ads and the lack of verification on accounts, she found it hard to know who and what information she could trust. "It's interesting because I was glued to Twitter last Tuesday," Rogosky says, referring to election night. "It's a cesspool now." Then, a Ukrainian missile crossed into Poland and killed two Polish citizens. Nerves were high as NATO convened an emergency meeting about what this might mean for the ongoing conflict with Russia. Like the day before, Twitter users expressed hesitation about the information they were seeing on the platform. world war 3 is maybe breaking out and i am here clicking on accounts' verified checks to see whether they're officials or twitter blue subscribers At the core of the confusion was Twitter's new – and frequently changing – policies that have been implemented since Elon Musk's tenure as owner and CEO began in late October. A blue check mark next to a user's name used to mean their identity had been verified by the social media company. At the time, verification was a built-in service that allowed the public to quickly determine which accounts and information were coming from a legitimate source. Then, Musk introduced the now-paused Twitter Blue in early November: a subscription plan available for $7.99 per month, allowing anyone to obtain that once coveted blue checkmark next to any screenname they wished. Soon after, Twitter was flooded with impersonators and misinformation, with fake George W. Bush and Tony Blair accounts trading jokes about the Iraq war, and "verified" accounts for public figures and institutions like Rudy Giuliani, Brigham Young University, even Jesus Christ. Who has two thumbs and verified? But the most popular target appeared to be Musk himself — in order to show Twitter's new owner just how easy it was to imitate public figures under his new policies. When the UVA shooting broke late Sunday night, people looking for more information complained that the top tweet was someone pretending to be Texas Senator Ted Cruz commenting on gun violence. @elonmusk I searched UVA due to tonight's shooting, and the top tweet that comes up is a phony "verified" account impersonating @tedcruz (in fact there are many I have no idea which is real). Multiple people have reported the account and its still there. Twitter is broken. pic.twitter.com/BCyYYahav2 The company suspended Twitter Blue less than 48 hours after its introduction, and Musk has said the service will be relaunched later this month. Musk also announced that the company was taking action to address fake accounts. "Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended," Musk tweeted. While Twitter previously issued warnings before suspending users, his statement warned that after rolling out widespread verification, "there will be no warning." Despite this, the damage may have already been done. "Many will be looking for other ways to connect with people and to get information," says Donyale Padgett, a professor of communication studies at Wayne State University in Detroit. Padgett has done extensive studies on how Twitter has been used to reach the public during natural disasters, most recently focusing on Hurricane Harvey in 2017. This includes Houston mayor Sylvester Turner using Twitter to share evacuation orders, safety warnings and recovery information to vulnerable people in his city. So why was Twitter specifically useful in that situation? Padgett says it's mainly about access. "Especially in a crisis situation, it's a way to share information with the greatest number of people. The people whose lives are most affected by the situation might not have a lot of options. They need to get this information and they need to get it quickly." That's also what makes those people vulnerable to misinformation, Padgett added, and illuminated why verification is so important. If people need to make a quick decision during a natural disaster, they don't have time to make sure the information they're getting is from a legitimate source or a parody account. That verification process was supposed to be Twitter's job. And until recently, it was. "Now it's a free-for-all," says Padgett. "To think that could be compromised? It doesn't make me feel good. It definitely is a breach of confidence in the whole system." Padgett lives in Detroit, where extreme weather is an issue throughout the year, especially during the winter. For years, tweets from local officials have been a quick, reliable way to reach the public and keep them safe. She worries that users with "malicious intentions" could start fake profiles to mislead people. And despite her extensive research and history of work on the platform, Padgett is thinking about leaving Twitter and deleting her account. "My hope is that I won't have to," she says. "That they'll do something to restore the integrity. But I haven't made up my mind yet. I'll be watching." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

charlottesville

evacuation orders

thumbs

hurricane harvey

Juliana Kim Activists and citizens with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) march near the White House for residency protections in Washington D.C. in September. Olivier Douliery /AFP via Getty Images hide caption Activists and citizens with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) march near the White House for residency protections in Washington D.C. in September. For the past four years, Elsy Flores de Ayala has lived in limbo — unsure whether the life she built in the U.S. would stay intact or if she would be deported back to El Salvador. Flores de Ayala, who lives in Washington D.C., has been allowed to legally live and work in the U.S. for over two decades under the Temporary Protected Status program which deemed her native country unsafe to return. This winter, her stay was at risk of expiring after the Trump administration sought to revoke the program for immigrants from six countries — El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras and Nepal — by arguing that conditions in those nations have improved enough for people to return. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the program would continue for Flores de Ayala and over 335,000 others through June 2024 amid an ongoing federal lawsuit aiming to reverse President Trump's ruling. "This is a little bit of protection for us," Flores de Ayala told NPR. "At least now we are going to have a good holiday and we have more time." The complaint filed by the ACLU, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and others is currently in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of appeals with a request to be reheard. The Biden administration has formally re-designated protections for Haiti and Sudan but the four other countries included in the lawsuit — El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and Nepal — have only received an extension because of the lawsuit. In 1990, the program was created to support immigrants who are unable to return to their home countries safely due to a humanitarian crisis such as armed conflict or a natural disaster. It applies to people already living in the U.S., preventing them from being deported and issuing them work permits. Sixteen countries are currently designated for TPS and such protections are typically reviewed for renewal by the Department of Homeland Security every 18 months. As of 2021, over 400,000 immigrants have protected status. The largest populations living in California, Florida, Texas and New York. Many recipients have lived in the U.S. for decades because of how often those protections have been extended, but the program itself is not a direct pathway to becoming a U.S. citizen. "Many of them have lived here longer than they've lived in the country that they were born in but that doesn't necessarily mean that there is a path to seek citizenship," said Emi MacLean, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California. "That's a failure of our immigration laws." Flores de Ayala was visiting family in the U.S. when El Salvador was devastated by a massive earthquake in 2001. Since becoming a TPS holder, Flores de Ayala said she built a life that she's proud of. "We have worked here for decades, built our communities here and dedicated our time to our children's schools," she said. "This is more our home than anywhere else." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

disaster

el salvador

children

sixteen countries