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☆ Analysis: First U.S. coral insurance marks the rise of the reef brigades
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Clare Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

On Monday, the global 'Reef Brigades' plan came closer to reality when it bought an insurance policy on behalf of the state of Hawaii, the first U.S. coral insurance contract, which will provide funds for repair work, building on similar policies taken out in the Caribbean. Apart from being a precious nursery for fish, coral reefs that fringe developed coastlines can limit flooding by providing a barrier against ocean storm surges, meaning insurers have every interest in protecting them. For the premium of $110,000 in Hawaii's contract announced on Monday, that state will get up to $2 million of insurance protection for its coral reefs until the end of December 2023. Just offshore from some of the country's most famous Mayan ruins, local tourism businesses and the government bought an insurance policy to cover their share of the Mesoamerican Reef. Willis Towers Watson, which worked on the MAR Fund policy and the Hawaii policy, said it is actively working on a coral reef policy for Fiji, and policies for coral reef bleaching, run-off due to excessive rainfall, and lost fishing days due to climate change-induced storms.

☆ Factbox: COP27: Counting the rising cost of climate disasters
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

How to get money to poorer countries after climate disasters has been a dominant theme at the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, and insurance is seen as one way to do that. On Monday, a G7-led plan dubbed "Global Shield" to provide pre-arranged insurance and disaster protection funding to countries suffering climate disasters was launched at the climate conference. Worst fires: Tubbs Fire Oct 2017, Camp Fire Nov 20182017 loss: $180 billion2017 deaths: 402018 loss: $148.5 billion2018 deaths: 103Total loss: $328.5 billion2. Harvey loss: $125 billionHarvey deaths: 88Irma loss: $65 billionIrma deaths: 134Maria loss: $107 billionMaria deaths: 4,600Total loss: $297 billion3. Hurricane Ian, Florida, Sept 2022The hurricane hit southwestern Florida and South Carolina, with a 4-metre high storm surge on the west coast of Florida.

☆ Hurricane Nicole unearthed 6 human skulls from a Florida beach, and it's the latest case of long-buried remains found after worsening weather
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Beachgoers found skulls and other bones in Florida after Hurricane Nicole, according to local news. "They are ancestors of the Seminole people," Tina Osceola, a member of the Seminole tribe in Florida, told WPTV. Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesBones won't stay buried in eroding beachesThis is not the first time that hurricanes have unearthed Indigenous remains. Switzerland's melting glaciers unearthed human remains and the wreckage of a historic plane crash. More recently, melting glaciers in the Swiss Alps revealed two sets of human remains and the wreckage of a 1968 plane crash that had been frozen beneath snow and ice this summer.

[1/2] A street sign lies on the ground following the passage of Hurricane Nicole in Merritt Island, Florida, U.S. November 10, 2022. “The structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented,” Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald said in a statement. Nicole's storm surge also caused the collapse of parts of the scenic A1A highway, which runs along the Atlantic coast in Volusia County, sheriff's officials said. Hurricane Kate came ashore near Mexico Beach, Florida, on Nov. 21, 1985, said Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane expert at Colorado State University, on Twitter. The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Hurricane Nicole weakened into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall on Florida’s Atlantic coast just south of Vero Beach early Thursday, officials said. Just under an hour later, the hurricane center said Nicole had weakened into a tropical storm as it made its way over east-central Florida, bringing strong winds, heavy rains and dangerous storm surge. Hurricane Nicole approaches the Florida coast on Nov. 10, 2022. After striking Florida, Nicole is expected to move over central and northern Florida and into southern Georgia on Thursday and Thursday night, forecasters said, before moving into the Carolinas. Nicole struck Florida as a hurricane about six weeks after Hurricane Ian hit the state as a Category 4 hurricane.

☆ Hurricane Nicole barrels into Florida's Atlantic coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nicole was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane as it thrashed the Bahamas on Wednesday. It was packing sustained winds of up to 75 mph (120 kph) as it made landfall along the east coast of Florida north of Miami, according to the National Hurricane Center. read moreThe hurricane center also issued storm-surge advisories for much of Florida's Atlantic coast, warning that wind-driven waves would wash over beaches and rush inland to flood low-lying areas well beyond the shore. Nicole is expected to pack less punch at landfall than Ian, which struck Florida as a major Category 4 storm. 'LAST OPPORTUNITY'[1/5] A car drives by a flooded street ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Nicole, in Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S., November 9, 2022.

☆ Hurricane Nicole bears down on Florida's Atlantic coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A car drives by a flooded street ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Nicole, in Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S., November 9, 2022. REUTERS/Marco BelloMIAMI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Hurricane Nicole closed in on Florida's Atlantic shoreline early on Thursday with a brew of heavy downpours, fierce winds and a treacherous surge of ocean surf that threatened coastal areas still reeling from the last major storm six weeks ago. Nicole is expected to pack less punch at landfall than Ian, which struck Florida as a major Category 4 storm. Authorities warned, however, that Nicole still posed a formidable threat, especially to structures and coastal foundations weakened by Ian. "We have had a lot of flooding within the last couple of storms," Leanne Hansard, 53, a Daytona Beach resident, said as she was boarding up windows to her family's insurance office.

Tropical Storm Nicole neared hurricane strength early Wednesday as it aimed for Florida's Atlantic coast and the Southeast U.S. Previously a subtropical storm, Nicole has worked its way up to a tropical storm and was all but assured to become a hurricane overnight, the National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane center warned the entire state to be prepared for heavy weather. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the National Hurricane Center said in a late-night public advisory. Storm surf is likely to affect a long stretch of U.S. coastline, from the east coast of Florida to the Southeastern U.S., the hurricane center said.

Nicole, newly classified as a hurricane, was packing sustained winds of up 75 miles per hour (120 km per hour) as it made landfall on Grand Bahama Island, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported. Grand Bahama, Bimini and the Berry Islands in the northwest corner of the island nation remained under a hurricane warning. As the storm closed in earlier in the day, some Bahamas residents fled their homes amid fierce winds and flooding. Storm surge caused widespread devastation to Florida's Gulf Coast when the last major storm, Hurricane Ian, crashed ashore there on Sept. 28, causing an estimated $60 billion in damage and claiming more than 140 lives. Several counties along the Florida coast issued mandatory orders and voluntary evacuation advisories for homes near the shore and on barrier islands.

☆ Explainer: COP27: How climate change impacts countries around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 9 (Reuters) - While delegates at the COP27 climate conference discuss the shared problem of climate change, each country will face its own challenges and threats. In February, the U.N. climate science agency released a major report on adapting to a warmer world - and detailed how that effort would differ from place to place. While some countries see glaciers melt or coastlines rise, others will contend mostly with raging wildfires and extreme heat, the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said. A World Bank report warned in September that climate impacts, including water scarcity and declining crop yields, could force some 216 million to migrate within their own countries by 2050. And in the Arctic, melting sea ice, warming temperatures, and thawing permafrost will push many species to the brink of extinction.

☆ Nicole Strengthens to Tropical Storm, Expected to Hit Florida on Wednesday Night
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tropical storm Nicole strengthened Tuesday morning over the Atlantic Ocean as it approached the Bahamas and is projected to reach hurricane strength before bearing down on the eastern coast of Florida on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said the storm is likely to generate heavy rainfall, storm surge and flooding. A hurricane warning—meaning hurricane conditions are expected within about 36 hours—was in effect for a roughly 225-mile stretch of Florida’s coast from Boca Raton in the southeast to the border of Volusia and Flagler counties in the northeast.

☆ Hurricane warning is issued for parts of Florida's east coast as Tropical Storm Nicole expected to strengthen
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kathryn-Prociv.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Nicole on Tuesday was upgraded to a tropical storm and is expected to strengthen, prompting a hurricane warning for parts of east central Florida and the southeast coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane conditions including strong winds, rainfall and storm surge are expected in the northwestern Bahamas and along Florida's east coast on Wednesday, with tropical storm conditions possible in Georgia along the east coast as well. "Dangerous storm surge" anywhere from 3 to 5 feet is also expected along Florida and Georgia's east coast from North Palm Beach to the Altamaha Sound including. The northwest Bahamas can also expect storm surge of 4 to 6 feet above normal tide along the coast. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Monday for 34 counties in the path of the storm, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Orange and Sarasota counties.

☆ Tropical Storm Nicole Poised to Become Hurricane as Path Points Toward Florida
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tropical storm Nicole strengthened Tuesday over the Atlantic Ocean and is projected to become a hurricane as it nears the Bahamas on Wednesday and then bears down on the eastern coast of Florida later that night or early Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said the storm is likely to generate heavy rainfall, storm surge and flooding. A hurricane warning—meaning hurricane conditions are expected within about 36 hours—was in effect for a roughly 225-mile stretch of Florida’s coast from Boca Raton in the southeast to the border of Volusia and Flagler counties in the northeast.

☆ Factbox: COP27: Which countries have offered 'loss and damage' funds?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While vulnerable countries say one-off commitments are no substitute for a fund to provide ongoing support, some praised Scotland's leadership in acknowledging the issue. AUSTRIAAustria will provide at least 50 million euros to tackle loss and damage over the next four years, the government said on Tuesday. IRELANDIrish PM Micheal Martin committion 10 million euros to the "Global Shield" initiative for 2023. Some vulnerable countries say that type of funding does not count as "loss and damage" money, which they say should compensate countries for unavoidable costs from disasters. Wealthy countries already provide funds to help countries adapt to climate change by preparing for worse weather impacts, although this funding has fallen short of promised amounts.

☆ Storm Nicole churns toward Bahamas en route to Florida and hurricane status
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Beachgoers are shown as tropical storm Nicole approaches the state in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S., November 8, 2022. A hurricane warning was posted for Grand Bahama Island, Bimini, the Berry Islands and the Abacos in the northwestern corner of the West Indies archipelago nation, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. A 240-mile expanse of Florida's Atlantic shoreline from Boca Raton north to around Flagler Beach was likewise placed under a hurricane warning. "It's going to take more than a Category 1 hurricane or so to really move stuff and have them flying around." Forecasters said Nicole would likely sweep across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday.

☆ Florida’s East Coast Braces for Possible Hurricane
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Subtropical storm Nicole formed early Monday over the Atlantic Ocean and is projected to reach hurricane strength before striking somewhere along the eastern coast of Florida later this week, according to the National Hurricane Center. The center said the storm could produce heavy rainfall, storm surge and flooding. It issued a hurricane watch—meaning hurricane conditions are possible within about 48 hours—for a roughly 200-mile stretch of the state’s southeastern and central-eastern coast from Hallandale Beach to the border of Volusia and Brevard counties, as well as Lake Okeechobee. It declared a storm surge watch from Hallandale Beach to Altamaha Sound in Georgia.

Florida's east coast was placed under hurricane watch Monday as Subtropical Storm Nicole moved in its direction with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm, currently 520 miles east of the northwestern Bahamas, is expected to approach Florida's east coast by Wednesday night. A hurricane watch has been issued for Florida's east coast along Volusia and Brevard counties all the way south to Hallandale Beach near Miami, according to the National Hurricane Center. There's a storm surge watch for the east coast of Georgia and Florida from the Altamaha Sound to Hallandale Beach. A tropical storm watch for the northwestern Bahamas was upgraded to a hurricane watch Monday.

☆ Subtropical Storm Nicole Expected to Become Hurricane, Heads Toward Florida’s East Coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nicole became a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday evening as the storm made landfall on Great Bahama Island. It is expected to remain a hurricane as it approaches Florida, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. By The New York TimesThe National Hurricane Center said that areas along the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coastlines could see life-threatening storm surge. Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water caused by strong winds from a storm pushing water toward the shore. Potential storm surge flooding 1 3 6 9+ feet The New York Times; storm surge flooding prediction by NOAA as of 10:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 9.

☆ Hurricane Lisa makes landfall in Belize in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Lisa made landfall Wednesday near Belize City, in the Central American nation of Belize. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Lisa had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph at landfall. The storm’s center was about 10 miles southwest of Belize City and moving west at 12 mph. The hurricane center warned of the danger of flooding and mudslides from heavy rains. Far out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Martin rose to hurricane strength Wednesday, but forecasters said it posed no immediate threat to land.

☆ Hurricane Lisa strikes coast near top Belize port
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jose Sanchez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BELIZE CITY, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Hurricane Lisa bore down on Belize on Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported in a bulletin, predicting it will later move across the jungles of northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. Weather models show Lisa's heavy rainfall and powerful winds will likely target tourist destinations in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico's Caribbean-facing Yucatan Peninsula, dotted by beach resorts, pristine coral reefs and Mayan ruins. The eye of Lisa, now at Category 1 strength, is currently located about 5 miles (8 km) south of Belize City, the tiny Caribbean country's commercial hub, as it churns westward. Palm trees buckled as winds picked up in the Caribbean port city, as residents reported water and power outages plus some flooding. The Belize government's emergency services announced on Wednesday afternoon a state of emergency including a curfew across two districts covering large swathes of its Caribbean coast through Thursday.

☆ Hurricane Lisa edges close to Belize barrier reef, major port
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - Hurricane Lisa will strike coastal Belize Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicted, edging very close to the country's barrier reef before it moves across northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. Weather models show Lisa's heavy rains and dangerous winds likely targeting some top tourist destinations in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico's Caribbean-facing Yucatan Peninsula, dotted by beach resorts, pristine coral reefs and Mayan ruins. The Category 1 hurricane was about 35 miles (60 km) east-southeast of Belize City, a major port, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (130 km per hour), the Miami-based NHC said in a bulletin. Belize's national emergency organization said borders would close at 2 p.m. (2000 GMT), with ports and airports shuttering. President Alejandro Giammattei of neighboring Guatemala told a news conference food rations were being sent to vulnerable areas.

☆ Climate inaction risks damaging Philippines growth - World Bank
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Extreme weather events and rising temperatures could see 13.6% of the Philippines' economic output lost by 2040, inflicting a heavy toll on the country's poorest if it does not address climate change, a World Bank report said on Tuesday. The report warned that temperatures in the Philippines will continue to rise and rainfall could become more intense due to climate change, putting at risk the country's ability to meet its development goals. "Without action, climate change will impose substantial economic and human costs, affecting the poorest households the most," said Ndiamé Diop, World Bank country director for the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei at the launch of the report. Support for renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, and for building smart cities, should be scaled up to mitigate the impact of climate change, the report said. "Adaptation must be a priority for the Philippines," Diop said, adding these measures could reduce the economic losses from climate change by around two-thirds.

☆ Cyclone lashes Bangladesh killing nine, flooding low-lying areas
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - A cyclone roared into the Bangladesh coast on Tuesday, killing at least 9 people, destroying houses, uprooting trees and disrupting road, power and communication links, officials said. Mass evacuations before Cyclone Sitrang made landfall on the west coast helped save lives but the full extent of the casualties and damage would only be known after communications are restored, they said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPower and telephone links have been largely cut and coastal areas plunged into darkness, officials said. Environmentalists warn that climate change could lead to more disasters, especially in places like densely populated Bangladesh. "When extreme weather events like Cyclone Sitrang strike, communities are left devastated.

☆ Mexico braces for Hurricane Roslyn surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Hurricane Roslyn was expected to deliver a treacherous storm surge to parts of Mexico Sunday after plowing over the Pacific as a powerful Category 4 storm just offshore from the resort of Puerto Vallarta. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Sunday that Roslyn had become “extremely dangerous” with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm was forecast “to bring damaging winds, a life-threatening storm surge and flooding rains to portions of west-central Mexico today,” the hurricane center said at 12 a.m. Sunday. Everything is calm, it’s all normal,” said Jaime Cantón, a receptionist at the Casa Maria hotel in Puerto Vallarta. and the U.S. hurricane center warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast, as well as 4 to 6 inches of rain.

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