This paper evaluates whether mangroves can mitigate the impact of hurricanes on economic activity. The paper assembles a new, regionwide panel data set that measures local economic activity using nightlights, potential hurricane damages using a detailed hurricane windstorm model, and mangrove protection by mapping the width of mangrove forests on …
Globally, disasters due to natural hazards takes an enormous toll in terms of human lives, destruction to crops and livelihoods, and economic losses. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has therefore become a critical part of sustainable development strategies. Over the past decades, the role of healthy ecosystems in providing cheap, reliable …
FRANKFURT: The human and economic cost of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes fell sharply worldwide last year, helped by improved early warning systems, the world’s largest reinsurer Munich Re said today. The number of people killed fell to 7,700 in 2014 from 21,000 the year before, while economic …
WASHINGTON — Climate change could substantially increase losses in taxpayer-backed flood and crop insurance programs in coming decades, according to a new government report. The Government Accountability Office found that exposure to losses for property insured under the two programs grew by 8% to $1.4 trillion over the past six …
Climate change will increase the frequency and/or intensity of certain extreme weather events, and perceived experience with extreme weather may influence climate change beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. However, the aspects of extreme events that influence whether or not people perceive that they have personally experienced them remain unclear. We investigate …
Rain and high winds are causing travel disruption, as the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo reaches the UK. Gusts of up to 70mph have been recorded in north Wales, and a Met Office wind warning is in place for much of the UK. Heathrow said about 10% of Tuesday's flights would …
The last major hurricane to strike land anywhere in the Atlantic basin was Sandy in 2012. That may change tomorrow as Hurricane Gonzalo bears down on Bermuda. Gonzalo became a Category 4 storm yesterday, the first since 2011, then fell back to Category 3 level. Sandy was a Category 3 …
Gonzalo strengthened into a major hurricane over the open Atlantic on Tuesday and was on a path toward Bermuda, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. It said the Category 3 hurricane was expected to strengthen further on its way to the British territory, which is the world's reinsurance center. It …
Gonzalo strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane near the northern Leeward Islands, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Gonzalo, which is expected to become a major hurricane by Wednesday, was about 20 miles (32 km) southeast of St. Maarten with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h).
Tropical Storm Gonzalo formed on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Caribbean Islands and was forecast to become a hurricane by the time it reaches Puerto Rico on Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm, with sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 km per …
As former hurricane Odile moved northward across the Baja California peninsula, Tropical Storm Polo grew a little stronger off Mexico’s southwestern coast. Polo had top winds of 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour at 5 p.m. New York time, up from 40, and was about 260 miles south of Acapulco, …
Hurricane Odile delivered a punishing blow to the Mexican resort town of Cabo San Lucas, tearing away the fronts of luxury resorts and leveling ramshackle homes on Monday. Although Odile was weakening as it continued up the Baja California Peninsula, torrential rain and thunderstorms from the storm's remnants could flood …
Edouard, a Category 2 hurricane, may become the first major hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic season by Monday night although it poses no threat to land, the National Hurricane Center said. The fourth hurricane and fifth named storm of the season had top sustained winds of nearly 105 mph (165 …
Hurricane Odile uprooted trees and shook buildings as it bore down on Mexico's tourist haven of Baja California on Sunday, prompting the evacuation of thousands from the path of one of the worst recorded storms to slam the region's luxury resorts. Powerful winds around the eye of the storm were …
MIAMI, Florida (AFP) — Strengthening Hurricane Cristobal killed at least four people in the Caribbean and then trained its deadly sights Tuesday on the holiday paradise of Bermuda, officials and meteorologists said. The storm dumped torrential rain on the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and Dominican Republic, triggering flooding and …
An area of low pressure located east of the Caribbean Sea has a 50 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm in the next 48 hours, U.S. forecasters said on Thursday. "For the five-day (forecast) that's raised up to a 70 percent probability," U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) …
Hawaiians braced for a one-two punch from a pair of major storms headed their way on Wednesday, as Hurricane Iselle bore down on the islands packing high winds and heavy surf and Julio, tracking right behind, was upgraded to hurricane status. Iselle was about 620 miles (997 km) east of …
A hurricane and a tropical storm are heading west across the Pacific Ocean toward the tourist haven of Hawaii and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said parts of the islands may need to post watches later on Tuesday. Hurricane Iselle was about 1,055 miles (1,700 km) east-southeast of Hawaii, moving …
Tropical Storm Bertha, the second named storm of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season, has formed east of the southern Lesser Antilles, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday. The storm was located about 275 miles (445 km) east-southeast of Barbados, and about 385 miles (620 km) east-southeast of …
Hurricane Arthur was upgraded to a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds at 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Thursday evening. Arthur was fast approaching the coastline of North Carolina and expected to make landfall late Thursday or early Friday …
Tropical Storm Arthur threatened to douse some July 4 holiday plans on the U.S. East Coast as officials ordered evacuations of some low-lying coastal areas, closed beaches and tourist sites and delayed fireworks shows in anticipation of heavy rain and fierce winds. The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane …
