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☆ Back-to-back Florida hurricanes signal trouble for home insurance prices nationwide
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-12 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Insurance experts said the back-to-back hurricanes could signal rising insurance rates nationwide. AdvertisementTwo back-to-back hurricanes in Florida in recent weeks will likely raise home insurance rates even higher in a state that is already grappling with prices nearly four times the national average, insurance experts told Business Insider. The compounding financial crises of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton could also point to looming hikes in insurance rates nationwide, the home insurance experts said. They pointed to the recent Florida storms as examples of the increasingly severe and frequent climate catastrophes wreaking havoc on the global insurance market. AdvertisementAn uptick in reinsurance rates in recent years has been a driving force behind climbing insurance rates nationwide, said Kyle Ulrich, president and CEO of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents.

Persons: —, Kyle Ulrich, it's, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, Oscar Miniet, Miniet, Coral, Milton, Helene, Shahid Hamid, Jeremy Porter, Porter, Hamid, Ulrich, Oscar Seikaly, Penny, Liao Organizations: Service, Florida Association of Insurance, Intercontinental Exchange, CBS News, Columbia Climate School's, Center for Disaster Preparedness, Tampa, Florida International University, Research Center's Laboratory for Insurance, Financial, Economic Research, Allstate, State, Florida Association of Insurance Agents, NSI Insurance, Hurricanes Locations: Florida, Hurricane, California, Illinois, Arkansas, Deltona, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Central Florida, Kentucky, Idaho, London, Bermuda, Japan

Individuals looking to help storm victims can also be tricked into donating to fake charities, FEMA says. CNN’s Impact Your World team has ways viewers and readers can help Hurricane Milton victims through vetted charities here. Noting that many areas in the county have “incurred severe property damage because of back-to-back impacts from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,” Pinellas County’s Office of Consumer Protection urged residents in a public advisory Thursday to be cautious when hiring someone to make storm-related repairs. John Falchetto/AFP/Getty ImagesSeniors are more susceptibleIn the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Florida authorities are also fighting to stop insurance scams targeting storm victims, often the elderly, says Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer. Florida is home to over 6.3 million seniors – anyone 60 and older, according to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.

Persons: Hurricane Milton, Ron DeSantis, ”, Jimmy Patronis, Melanie McGovern, McGovern, they’re, I’m, ’ ” McGovern, Helene, Milton, “, it’s, ” McGovern, heartstrings, GoFundMe, they’ve, DCNOnline.org, John Falchetto, Fraudsters, ” Patronis Organizations: CNN, Gov, Better, FEMA, Consumer Protection, National Center for Disaster, ” Pinellas County’s Office, ”, Lakes Country, Getty, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Lakes Country Club Village, State Locations: Hurricane, Florida, Pinellas County, Siesta Key, ” Pinellas, Pinellas, Fort Pierce , Florida, AFP, Hurricane Milton, United States, Fort Pierce

☆ Hurricane Helene cleanup crews are scrambling in Florida — but time is running out. That makes Milton more dangerous.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Leftover debris from Hurricane Helene could make incoming Hurricane Milton even more dangerous. Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, the second major storm in two weeks. The region has been scrambling to pick up as much debris as possible before it's too late. AdvertisementLess than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Florida, another major storm is bearing down on the region — and there's a scramble to clean up before it gets there. That creates a compounding effect that makes everything more expensive — and more dangerous, Schlegelmilch said.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Milton, —, Helene, Milton —, Ron DeSantis, Nick Friedman, they've, Friedman, DeSantis, Marla Spence, Howell, — that's, it's, It's, Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, Schlegelmilch Organizations: Service, Tampa, National Oceanic, Administration, Tampa Bay Times, National Hurricane Center, state's Department of Transportation, Environmental Program Management, Milton, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia Climate School Locations: Hurricane, Florida, Tampa, Helene, Tampa Bay

☆ Why a disaster ‘go bag’ can mean the difference between life or death
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Matt Villano | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Perhaps the most important thing to bring with you: a “go bag” full of emergency supplies. Go bags exist to save you from having to run around and gather items when a threatening situation is imminent. The contents of a family’s go bag could mean the difference between life or death, depending on how bad a situation becomes, according to Jonathan Sury, senior staff associate at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, or NCDP, at Columbia Climate School. Your must-havesMost of the items disaster preparedness experts suggest you include in a go bag are things you can find around your house. Just because someone puts together a “go bag” does not mean that person is prepared, Montano warned.

Persons: Jonathan Sury, ” Sury, Sury, Samantha Montano, “, ” Montano, Eric Alberts, ”, it’s, you’ve, Rosie Monson, Alexander, Monson, ” Monson, Montano, Matt Villano Organizations: CNN, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia Climate School, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Swiss Army, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Orlando Health, Nintendo Locations: Florida, Columbia, Sonoma County , California, Northern California

☆ A majority of North Carolina homeowners didn't have flood insurance. Then Helene hit.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused flooding across western North Carolina, like here in Asheville. Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty ImagesBut only about 2.6% of the 4.3 million properties across the state — or around 115,000 properties — had flood insurance as of June 2024, according to private provider Neptune Flood Insurance, which analyzed data from the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program. North Carolina Department of Insurance communications director Jason Tyson estimated that about 139,000 properties in the state have flood insurance through the NFIP. Part of the problem with flood insurance is a common misconception that regular home insurance covers flooding, which is rarely the case, four experts knowledgable about flood insurance and disaster management told Business Insider. "We don't think of western North Carolina and the Appalachian mountains as an area that has significant flood risk."

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Melissa Sue Gerrits, Neptune, Jason Tyson, Sue Gerrits, Trevor Burgess, Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, Schlegelmilch, Margaret Walls, they're, there's, It's, it's, Helene, Jeremy Porter, Burgess, Yanjun Liao, Liao Organizations: Service, North, Climate Office, Neptune Flood Insurance, Flood Insurance, North Carolina Department of Insurance, The North, Information Center, Business, Getty, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia Climate School, FEMA, Associated Press, Resources Locations: Hurricane, North Carolina, Asheville, —, The, The North Carolina, Black Mountain , North Carolina, State, North, Florida , Louisiana, Texas, Asheville , North Carolina

High risk of natural disaster and extreme heat For two decades, they’ve also been some of the most popular places to move as Americans have flocked to the South and West. Much of Vermont, which is not highlighted as high risk in the maps above, saw devastating flooding last year following a record-breaking storm. Jacksonville Tallahassee Gainesville Daytona Beach Orlando Tampa HIGH HURRICANE WIND RISK Sarasota The Tampa metro area has been one of the fastest growing in the country. Many of these new residents have settled in coastal communities that are at high risk for hurricanes. Dallas-Fort Worth sits in an area at high risk for serious thunderstorms, hailstorms and tornadoes.

☆ Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano spews ash and smoke, forcing flight cancelations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Mexico’s most dangerous active volcano spewed ash and smoke on Tuesday, with photos showing massive columns of gray emissions – large enough to ground nearby flights. The Popocatépetl volcano sits in central Mexico between the states of Morelos, Puebla and the State of Mexico. Ash fall was reported in Mexico City and its surrounding region, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of the volcano, according to the National Civil Protection Coordination. Then last May, it spewed enough ash that the Mexico City airport canceled hundreds of flights. Authorities in several states suspended in-person classes and warned residents to prepare for evacuation – though volcanic activity eventually slowed.

Persons: CNN —, Ash, Benito Organizations: CNN, National Civil Protection, Center for Disaster Prevention, International, Authorities Locations: Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, State of Mexico, Mexico City

Nearly half of all flash flood deaths are vehicle-related, experts say, which is why you should never drive into a flooded street. Here’s what to do in advance — and in the moment — to get through a flash flood safely. A “flash flood warning” means a flash flood is imminent or already occurring, and you should immediately move to higher ground if you’re outside or in a basement apartment. The most dire alert is a “flash flood emergency,” which indicates that not only is flooding occurring, but it’s posing a severe threat to human life. “People need to realize that most people who lose their footing in a flash flood don’t get out,” she said.

Persons: there’s, ”, Bonnie Schneider, Schneider, it’s, Hurricane Ida, You’ll, Ready.gov, David Markenson, ‘ It’s, Sabine Marx, I’m, Julie Munger, Munger, “, Dr, Markenson, you’re, don’t, they’re, Ms, Lynn Burttschell, Burttschell, Eugene Resnick, ’, ” Susan Shain Organizations: National Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cross Training Services, Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Sierra Rescue, FEMA, Wimberley, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York Times Locations: United States, New York City, New York, Madison, Wis

☆ Here’s how to help victims of the earthquake.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Gaya Gupta | More About Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late Friday night killed at least 1,000 people, with at least several hundred more injured. Volunteers and aid groups have mobilized to help support the victims of the earthquake and provide medical care to those who have been affected. First, do your researchBefore donating, do some research to verify that the organization is reputable, especially if it is lesser-known. Charity Navigator and Guidestar are two resources that provide information on nonprofits and aid agencies and can direct you to reputable organizations. And if you think an organization or individual is committing fraud, you can report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud, part of the Justice Department.

Organizations: Volunteers, National Center for Disaster, Justice Department Locations: Morocco

Emergency sirens on Maui, part of Hawaii's decades-old early warning system, never sounded. But authorities are finding existing emergency alert systems insufficient for these new threats - sometimes with deadly results. NEW CHALLENGESAcross much of the world, warning systems for natural disasters have not evolved in response to climate change, according to Schlegelmilch. While each locality faces a distinctive threat landscape and needs a unique warning system, disaster management experts see some solutions that can be applied everywhere. The county also acquired a warning system that can send alerts to cellphones, fixed phone lines, emails - and even fax machines.

Persons: Mike Blake, Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, Chris Gregg, Adam Weintraub, Bill Parker, Parker, Mike Chard, Chard, Laura Brewington, Julia Harte, Brad Brooks, Paul Thomasch, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Climate, East Tennessee State University, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, U.S . National Weather Service, Boulder Office, Disaster, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Canada, Vermont, United States, Columbia, Jackson , Mississippi, Colorado's, Boulder, Boulder . Boulder, Chard, Boulder County, Pacific

☆ Personal emergency kits are a growing market in an uncertain world
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Ripple effects from international incidents also affect the US emergency kit market. “More people are thinking about (emergency preparedness) and those that always have been are spending more.”Federal data backs it up. Many experts say while buying emergency kits might be helpful, the most important preparedness actions will not hurt your wallet. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesCrager warns people who choose to purchase extensive disaster kits should not be lulled into a false sense of security. It’s one of the most important steps we can take.”For more information on FEMA disaster preparedness recommendations, visit www.ready.gov.

Persons: ”, Trevyn Reese, Reese, Hilary, Bryan Woolston, Joel Stuart, “, Christian Schauf, Stuart, Lea Crager, FEMA’s, you’re, Patrick T, Fallon, ” Schauf, ‘, Jeff Schlegelmilch Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ready, Hardware, Walmart, Tropical, Reuters Sirius Survival, Supply, Amazon, Sirius, Norfolk Southern, Federal, Preparedness Survey, FEMA, Getty, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University Locations: New York, California, Cathedral City , California, Hawaii, Norfolk, East Palestine , Ohio, North Korea, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Lahaina , Hawaii, AFP, www.ready.gov

☆ Fact Check-‘Catastrophic Contagion’ video is fictional and does not support claims about pandemic preparedness exercises
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Baseless claims that pandemic preparedness exercises are proof that disease outbreaks are “planned” by authorities have been a recurring narrative since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. These fictional scenarios go beyond infectious diseases, as such exercises also exist for natural disasters or nuclear events, for example. These rules, that are binding for WHO members, set out countries’ obligations when handling public health events and emergencies that could potentially cross borders (here) (here). Otherwise, we will be unprepared for the next infectious disease event. Experts told Reuters that preparedness exercises like “Catastrophic Contagion” have been a part of pandemic preparedness for at least the last two decades.

[1/3] Police officers stand guard near the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters) - As South Korea mourns the deaths of more than 150 people in a Halloween party crush, many people - even those not directly involved - are dealing with trauma and a search for answers that has at times blamed the victims, a psychiatry expert says. "It spread very quickly through news media and social media, leaving people directly and indirectly affected, and even those who aren't affected may feel distressed and frustrated, pretty much casting a sense of dread over the entire society," he said. The government sent a mobile clinic run by the National Center for Disaster Trauma to Itaewon, offering free counselling. "For example, when we had COVID-19 cases the first time in South Korea, there were a lot of blaming reactions like 'why did you go there?

☆ What to pack in a ‘go bag’ for when disaster strikes
▼ + stars: | 2020-08-27 | by ( Matt Villano | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Perhaps the most important thing to bring with you: A “go bag” full of emergency supplies. The contents of a family’s go bag could mean the difference between life or death, depending on how bad a situation becomes, according to Jonathan Sury, project director for field operations and communications at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Your must-havesMost of the items disaster preparedness experts suggest you include in a go bag are things you can find around your house. Just because someone puts together a “go bag” does not mean that person is prepared, Montano warned. “Your social network, your economic situation, the preparedness of your local government (and) other factors all influence how ready you are to go through a disaster.”

Persons: Jonathan Sury, ” Sury, Samantha Montano, ” Montano, Sury, you’ve, don’t, ”, Eric Alberts, ” Alberts, it’s, Rosie Monson, Alexander, Monson, ” Monson, Montano Organizations: CNN, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth Institute, Preparedness, FEMA, Swiss Army, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, US Centers for Disease Control, Orlando Health, Nintendo Locations: Columbia, Boston, Florida, Sonoma County , California

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