Natural Disasters

The Guardian: The death toll from Hurricane Michael has risen above 18, and officials expect this number to increase as rescue crews continue their searches. There is still no cellphone signal in the most devastated areas, so there is concern that unaccounted for individuals could be trapped and…

In the aftermath of Indonesia's devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 2000 people, tensions rose within the country's prisons, with inmates devolving into anarchy. With internal riots threatening both the prison infrastructure as well as the officers on staff, Safiuddin, head of…

The Guardian: A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the northern coast of Haiti. At least 11 people were killed, and over a hundred were injured. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Read more here.

BBC News: After a major quake and tsunami rocked Palu, 408 people were killed and about 500 were injured. The full scale of casualties and damage is still unknown. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.5, but occurred at a rather shallow depth and caused a tsunami. Find out more of the details here.

The earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has left more than 1200 people dead, as emergency teams are still rushing to uncover more survivors. With devastation rampant and supplies limited, residents of the island are growing desperate for relief. Whether it be…

Dakin Andone, CNN: Officials have declared that the Thomas Fire is formally out, as no hotspots have appeared in the fire’s boundary over the last two months. The fire, which started about six months ago, is the largest fire in California history, burning 281,893 acres and forcing large scale…

Hurricane Alberto has been rampaging through multiple states including North Carolina recently, which has led to many flash flood warnings. A landslide that occurred near the Lake Tahoma Dam, as well as the flooding, causes massive evacuations. Two news anchors were killed from a fallen tree and…

In this BBC News Article, we explore the devastating effects that Hurricane Maria had on Puerto Rico. The death toll, according to a Harvard study has climbed to 4,600. The article dives into the specifics behind the rise in mortality, specifically the lack of medical care post storm. It's very…

Dr. Sarah Brown, BBC: How many people actually die from volcanoes each year? Dr. Sarah Brown from University of Bristol reports that despite there being 1,500 active volcanoes worldwide, only about 60 volcanoes erupt each year. Most volcanic deaths in the last decade are due primarily to a few…

USA Today: As the volcanic eruptions continue in Hawaii, the new threat of “laze” has surfaced. Laze is a toxic combination of lava and haze that occurs when extremely hot lava comes into contact with much cooler ocean water. This contact results in explosions, sending hydrochloric acid and…

Fox News: As Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano continues to erupt, officials consider possible worst-case scenarios for the island. Since the eruptions began almost two weeks ago, 20 fissures have opened. It is possible that the eruption will be long-lived, threatening and exposing more homes to danger.…

Terray Sylvester-Reuters: On Sunday, a new fissure opened on Kilauea volcano, the 17th to open since the volcano first erupted on May 3rd. The fracture is believed to be 1000 feet long, the largest out of all the previous fissures. With the opening of the new fissure emitting steam and lava,…

Pele is the goddess of fire in Hawaiian Legend. This week, Tutu Pele has unleashed her wrath on the Big Island of Hawaii, engulfing 37 structures. Today, the 18th volcanic fissure has opened on the island, demonstrating that Pele has no intention on stopping. The respect that Hawaiians have for Pele…

The New York Times: Thomas Fuller, Anjali Singhvi, and Josh Williams- Due to the housing shortage in San Francisco, the city built upwards, creating taller buildings that are located extremely close to one and other. As a result, experts are taking a closer look at the city’s building regulations…