"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- One of the most eye-opening statistics in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s roar through here is that there were just 5,675 federal flood insurance policies on an island with nearly 1.57 million housing units."
"The Trump administration has handed a rare victory to environmentalists, ordering two big corporations this week to pay $115 million to clean up a Texas toxic waste site that may have spread dangerous levels of pollution during flooding from Hurricane Harvey."
"A new package of U.S. disaster assistance sailed through the House of Representatives on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump expressing impatience with having to devote federal resources for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico’s recovery."
"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is warning Puerto Rico residents not to drink from wells at so-called Superfund sites amid reports that some on the island have sought water from the hazardous waste areas."
"When Jeremy Boutor moved to a master-planned community in Houston’s booming energy corridor, he saw it as idyllic. ... Then, Hurricane Harvey changed everything. As the downpours began and Boutor studied maps flashing on his TV screen, he realized that his home wasn’t at risk of flooding just because of record rainfall; it was also located inside one of two massive reservoirs that had been built west of Houston decades ago to protect the city."
"Firefighters worked tirelessly to battle fast-spreading flames in Northern California's wine country as the return of dangerous winds threatened to worsen the blazes that have killed 23 people. At least 285 people remain missing as the wildfires wiped out communities and scorched 170,000 acres. About 3,500 structures have been destroyed."
"U.S. President Donald Trump asked Congress on Tuesday for a loan of $4.9 billion to help the cash-strapped Puerto Rican government pay urgent bills as the U.S. territory struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria, an administration official said."
"Raleigh, N.C. — Maps released by Duke Energy late last week reveal for the first time that nearly 300 individual structures – homes, businesses and town infrastructure – could be in danger of flooding as a result of dam failures at the energy firm's coal ash pits scattered across the state."
"Firefighters battling wildfires in California’s wine country face the prospect of new outbreaks when dry, windy conditions return on Wednesday to an area where at least 17 people have been killed and 2,000 homes and businesses destroyed in blazes."
"Congress is beginning to consider how to overhaul the flood insurance plan that many Texans are relying on to rebuild after Hurricane Harvey."
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