If a geomagnetic storm as large as the famed “Carrington Event” of 1859 were to occur today, it could adversely affect telecommunications and electric power transmission systems across the U.S., especially in the Midwest and the East Coast.

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Last year began with the costliest wildfires in American history, as a series of blazes tore across Los Angeles for nearly all of January. A parade of other catastrophes followed: severe storms across the southern and northeastern United States, tornadoes in the central states, drought and heat waves through the western expanse of the country. 

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The Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium (SERC) at the University of Maryland’s Robert H.

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In recent weeks, powerful atmospheric river storms have swept across Washington, Oregon and California, unloading enormous amounts of rain.

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Municipal bonds are a time-honored way to fund roads, schools, bridges and other public projects while paying investors interest, usually at tax-free rates.

But what happens when floods, hurricanes, wildfires and other climate events buckle roads, swamp public buildings and disrupt the municipal revenues that pay for the bond debt?

They can create what researchers from Northeastern University call a climate debt doom loop that makes it even harder for cities and towns to respond to and prepare for future disasters.

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This story is part of The Disaster Economy, a Grist series exploring the often chaotic, lucrative world of disaster response and recovery. It is published with support from the CO2 Foundation.

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The Trump administration has removed scientific data and climate change information from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) webpages, including all references to human activities driving climate change. This includes key U.S. climate change indicators such as changes in temperature, drought and extreme precipitation over the last few decades.

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When a natural disaster strikes, time is of the essence if people are trapped under rubble. Conventional methods use radar-based detection or employ acoustics that rely on sounds made by victims.

Since most people carry their phones with them every day, Shogo Takada, a student at the University of Tokyo, is working on a way to use smartphone microphones to assist in locating disaster victims.

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When it rains here, West Texans brace for the worst. With nowhere to go, water collects across sidewalks, roads and highways — the flat, desert landscape becomes a wetland in the blink of an eye.

Local officials in Ector County, which includes Odessa, said the region’s drainage system is out of date. But paying for upgrades will be a tremendous challenge.

Population, housing and commercial development have spiked, and the infrastructure has not kept up. Its drainage system, installed in the 1970s, is not equipped to handle the growth, county officials said.

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As 2025 draws to a close, the departure of the beleaguered acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Richardson, caps a tumultuous year for FEMA. In January, President Donald Trump took office and vowed to abolish the department.

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The Hong Kong high-rise fire, which spread across multiple buildings in a large residential complex, has killed dozens, with hundreds reported missing.

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