natural disasters (Page 2)

Latest in natural disasters

El Nino 2023 signs on NASA weather satellite data on higher Pacific Ocean temperatures and water levels, marked by red around the equator

El Niño is back—here’s what that means

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

CDC zombie preparedness guide comic panel from 2011

That time the CDC got people hyped for a zombie apocalypse

By Matt Hongoltz-Hetling

tsunami warning sign in Israel

New AI-based tsunami warning software could help save lives

By Jamie Helmick

Satellite image of the powerful eruption.

How the Tonga eruption rang Earth ‘like a bell’

In the future, your car could warn you about nearby wildfires

In the future, your car could warn you about nearby wildfires

By Colleen Hagerty

Key components of shake testing structure being installed.

Can this 10-story wooden building survive a seismic shakedown?

By Colleen Hagerty

Complete collapse of tall apartment building after Turkey Syria earthquake. Seen from aerial view.

Why most countries don’t have enough earthquake-resilient buildings

Yellow, red, and white roses left at a memorial for the victims of the Half Moon Bay mass shooting. A white sign behind the bouquets says "as a community we grieve."

How to cope with collective grief—and even turn it into action

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

Charity scammers’ latest weapon is AI-generated art

Charity scammers’ latest weapon is AI-generated art

People taking photos of glowing lava on Cape Verde

These islanders live and thrive alongside lava

By Cris Toala Olivares

a downed electricity pole after a storm

Renewable energy could be the key to hurricane-proofing Puerto Rico’s power grid

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

Hurricane Ian Category 1 Carolina coast satellite image

Hurricane Ian surges back and heads for the Carolinas

By Purbita Saha

Three cows taking shelter near a house during a flash flood. A black one and a brown one are standing knee-deep in water, while a second brown one is standing on the porch.

Flash floods are rare, but deadly. Here’s how to be ready for them.

By Maria Parazo Rose

A firefighter stands holding a canister of gasoline in a snowy forest looking out over burning piles of underbrush.

Why the US Forest Service paused prescribed burns—a key wildfire prevention tool

By Philip Kiefer

Sierra Negra volcano erupting in the Galapagos Islands in 2018

Volcanic eruptions are unpredictable, but these geologists cracked the code

Elderly person in glasses and with mustache in blue shirt and brown cap standing in line with arms crossed at a mobile blood donor unit in Uvalde, Texas

The best time to donate blood for a disaster is before it happens

By Purbita Saha

An aerial view of meandering frozen channels of the Copper River in Alaska.

Some rivers suddenly change course, and we may finally know why

2022 is shaping up to be a busy year for hurricanes, NOAA predicts.

Forecasters predict an abnormally high number of storms for this hurricane season—again

firefighter in a field

A network of 1,000 cameras is watching for Western wildfires—and you can, too

By Colleen Hagerty

Vietnamese man wading in water after flooding.

The world is on course to experience 560 major disasters each year

By Sara Kiley Watson

Flooded neighborhood in Bangladesh due to climate change and maladaptation

Why some climate change adaptations just make things worse

By Sara Kiley Watson

Flooding in Brazil has killed at least 104 people.

Historic downpours in Brazil trigger deadly mudslides and floods

An ash cloud from the 2022 Hunga Tonga explosion over the South Pacific seen from outer space

How one major disaster can lead to another: a lack of clean drinking water

By Philip Kiefer

A volcanic Tongan island.

Tonga is fighting multiple disasters after a historic volcanic explosion

choppy waves on a beach with a sign warning people not to swim

The West Coast is under a tsunami advisory. Here’s what that means.

By Rachel Feltman

How to survive a tsunami

How to survive a tsunami

By Kate Baggaley

USGS geophysicist in a hard hat and gas mask at an erupting volcano in Hawaii

How to study a volcano when it destroys your lab

By Sarah Emerson

Red pickup truck stopped in front of a tornado in Nebraska

3 wild ideas for how to stop a tornado

By Popular Science Team

Wildfire in forest with smoke and flames.

The Dixie fire is on track to be California’s biggest ever

By Popular Science Team

satellite view of what remains of hurricane ida

Hurricane Ida’s remnants will bring record-breaking rain as it travels north

By Sara Chodosh

house destroyed in natural disaster

Our infrastructure can’t handle climate disasters. We need to build differently.

Dauntless Fireboss

West Coast states are calling in all their best planes and helicopters to fight fires

By Dan Pimentel/Flying

satellite image of five storm systems in Atlantic September 2020

A nearly unprecedented cluster of tropical storms are brewing in the Atlantic

By Sara Chodosh

hurricane laura satellite image

Hurricane Laura is the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than a century

By Sara Chodosh

a lightning bolt.

Two of the largest wildfires in California’s history are burning right now

By Rachel Feltman

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, destroyed homes and lives.

Ask Us Anything

Earthquakes can cause serious psychological aftershocks

Natural disasters will push the US further into crisis mode

A member of the Tahoe Hotshot crew uses a drip torch for a controlled burn at Sierra National Forest in California.

COVID-19 could make this year’s wildfire season more dangerous

man and woman holding sign

Disinformation during a pandemic can be deadly

By Marlene Cimons/Nexus Media News

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

Experts predict dozens more earthquake aftershocks in Puerto Rico

By Richard Aster/The Conversation

a house destroyed by a hurricane

Hurricanes really are becoming more destructive

People in cancer treatment during hurricanes have lower survival rates

People in cancer treatment during hurricanes have lower survival rates

By Nicole Wetsman

Wildfire smoke is particularly bad for you—here’s why

Wildfire smoke is particularly bad for you—here’s why

By Nicole Wetsman

Connecting the dots on hurricanes and mental health issues

Connecting the dots on hurricanes and mental health issues

By Nicole Wetsman

How OnStar’s connected emergency service adapts during a disaster

How OnStar’s connected emergency service adapts during a disaster

By Jordan Golson

Even after Hurricane Sandy, many people wouldn’t prepare before a future storm

Even after Hurricane Sandy, many people wouldn’t prepare before a future storm

By Nicole Wetsman

Natural disasters leave their mark on kids who live through them

Natural disasters leave their mark on kids who live through them

By Nicole Wetsman

city destroyed by earthquakes

Earthquake devastation will be our fault

By Mary Beth Griggs

Wildfire from above

We need to talk about extreme weather

By Jillian Mock

19 schemes to survive climate change

19 schemes to survive climate change

By Lois Parshley

How architects made California’s Getty Museum fireproof

How architects made California’s Getty Museum fireproof

By Eleanor Cummins

White house standing alone among destroyed houses on a beach.

Hurricanes destroy beachside homes, but not this one

By Eleanor Cummins

Volcano decides eruptions are boring, tries sliding into the sea instead

Volcano decides eruptions are boring, tries sliding into the sea instead

By Neel V. Patel

decade of hurricanes

Charted: How hurricanes are becoming more extreme

By Sara Chodosh

The Kilauea volcano is ‘speaking in a code’ we don’t yet understand

The Kilauea volcano is ‘speaking in a code’ we don’t yet understand

By Eleanor Cummins

The Montecito mudslide is a tragic reminder to respect our soil

The Montecito mudslide is a tragic reminder to respect our soil

By Eleanor Cummins

Archive Gallery: A Century of Weather Control

Archive Gallery: A Century of Weather Control

By Colin Lecher

How Science Has Battled Natural Disasters

How Science Has Battled Natural Disasters

Where in the United States is nature most likely to kill you?

Where in the United States is nature most likely to kill you?

By Kate Baggaley

What to do if you get caught in an avalanche

What to do if you get caught in an avalanche

By Kate Baggaley

Tornado outbreaks in the United States are on the rise

Tornado outbreaks in the United States are on the rise

By Mary Beth Griggs

Hurricane Matthew Is The Most Dangerous Storm Since 2007

Hurricane Matthew Is The Most Dangerous Storm Since 2007

By Mary Beth Griggs

Ecuador Earthquake

Deadly Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Strikes Ecuador

By Mary Beth Griggs

Massive Earthquakes Strike Japan Two Days In A Row

Massive Earthquakes Strike Japan Two Days In A Row

By Mary Beth Griggs