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Articles on Natural disasters

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French armed forces prepare aid and assistance to French territories in the Caribbean. Guillaume Cabre/Defense Armee de Terre

Hurricane Irma’s devastation of Caribbean territories piles pressure on strained relationship with UK

The aid and assistance Britain’s Caribbean territories will need to rebuild will make highlight the fault lines in the relationship between Westminster and its former colonies.
Hurricane Irma descends on the Caribbean islands. NOAA National Weather Service National Hurricane Center/Handout via Reuters

Are catastrophic disasters striking more often?

Saturated media coverage of hurricanes like Harvey and Irma can make it seem like disasters happen all the time. Is the frequency of billion-dollar disasters really rising?
Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Jansen Schamp rescues two dogs after floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey reached the grounds of a shelter in Vidor, Texas, Aug. 31, 2017. Christopher LIndahl/U.S. Navy

In cities and on ranches, planning is key to protect animals during disasters

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some people died rather than evacuating without their pets. Now emergency managers are required to include animals in their response plans.
Cars leaving Beaumont, Texas during a mandatory evacuation before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav, August 30, 2008. Patsy Lynch/FEMA

Why Texans heard conflicting messages about evacuating ahead of Hurricane Harvey

Why did some Texas coastal cities order mandatory evacuations ahead of Hurricane Harvey while others, including Houston, did not? There is no formula for these decisions; either choice can backfire.
Interstate 69 in Humble, Texas is covered by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

After Harvey, many Texans will think differently about hurricane risks

Many people may have stayed put during Hurricane Harvey because no storm that big had struck Texas since 1961. But like New Orleans after Katrina, Texas is likely to be much better prepared next time.
Residents pick through a makeshift aid station in Rockport, Texas after Harvey struck their city. AP Photo/Eric Gay

Stretching your donation dollars: 5 tips

The desire to help during emergencies like Hurricane Harvey is admirable. With a little homework, your contributions will go further.
Brenda Bradley, 72, and her husband Jimmie, 78, survey flooding from Hurricane Harvey in their neighborhood in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, August 28, 2017. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

Older victims of Hurricane Harvey may need special attention as Texas recovers

Evacuations and disruptions to health care during and after disasters like Hurricane Harvey are serious threats for older adults, who may need support well after relief operations end.
Deleon Gambel, 14, fights the current from the overflow of Buffalo Bayou as he makes his way through floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey while checking on neighbors in his apartment complex in Houston, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. AP Photo/LM Otero

Response to natural disasters like Harvey could be helped with game theory

The number of natural disasters around the world has doubled since 1980, raising serious questions about how to respond. Here’s how game theory could help.

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