Hurricanes are intense tropical cyclones that form over warm ocean waters and are characterized by a low-pressure center, organized deep convection, and strong cyclonic surface winds. They derive energy from latent heat released during condensation within deep convective clouds, requiring sea surface temperatures typically above ~26–27 °C, sufficient Coriolis force to initiate rotation, and weak vertical wind shear to maintain structural integrity. Hurricanes exhibit a warm-core structure, an eye and eyewall, and spiral rainbands, and are classified by maximum sustained wind speed. They are central topics in atmospheric science, climate research, and risk modeling due to their role in heat transport, extreme precipitation, storm surge, and high-wind hazards.
Disasters arise from the convergence of natural and social forces. Earthquakes, cyclones, floods, droughts, and other catastrophic events disproportionately affect the most vulnerable people, whether the poor in wealthy countries ...
Environment
Feb 20, 2026
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Hurricane Helene, one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history, did not affect people's views on climate change or their intentions to vote for politicians advocating stricter climate policies. This is shown in a new study ...
Environment
Feb 11, 2026
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A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday.
Environment
Feb 11, 2026
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More than a year after the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, the economic aftershocks of the disaster still permeate the lives of the people who survived it. Fewer than a dozen homes in some of the city's hardest-hit neighborhoods ...
Environment
Feb 10, 2026
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In a paper in the Journal of Coastal and Riverine Flood Risk, a team from the University of Rhode Island discusses the novel application of Homeland Security exercises to evaluate emergency managers' use of their simulation ...
Environment
Feb 8, 2026
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Using advanced computer simulations, researchers from the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) have concluded how and why strong ocean currents modify surface waves. "Our primary finding is that ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 7, 2026
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Many have spent much of their career studying disasters—how people perceive risk, how institutions communicate, and why preparedness so often falls short of good intentions. But this study forced me to confront something ...
Far from simply a source of unstructured online content, disaster management in the digital age can be supported by careful analysis of online social-media data, suggests a paper published in Natural Hazards and Earth System ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 30, 2026
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When Floridians talk about extreme weather, hurricanes dominate the conversation. Each season brings updates on storm tracks, cone predictions and wind speeds, all in the hopes of predicting the unpredictable. But a quieter, ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 15, 2026
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Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as a category 5 storm, bringing sustained winds of 295 kilometers (185 miles) per hour and leaving a broad path of destruction on the island. The storm displaced ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 13, 2026
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