Related topics: natural disasters

Preventing hurricanes using air bubbles

Many people have tried to find ways of preventing hurricanes before they make landfall, resulting in the loss of human lives. Norwegian researchers believe that the answer lies in cold bubbles.

Why treating water scarcity as a security issue is a bad idea

Helen Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape in South Africa, has made two startling claims about the water crisis in the province. She says there will be anarchy when the taps run dry, and that normal policing will be inadequate.

What is storm surge and why is it so dangerous?

The biggest threat to human life during a hurricane is often the storm surge, which occurs when sea level rises dramatically during a storm, sending a wall of water gushing over land.

On Katrina anniversary, New Orleans braces for Harvey

New Orleans on Tuesday marked 12 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the US Gulf Coast, as the low-lying coastal city braced for a potentially-devastating new impact by Harvey later this week.

What is a hurricane?

The Caribbean's worst storm in nearly a decade, Hurricane Matthew, has already killed at least nine people and was threatening the southeastern US on Wednesday.

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