Disasters

"2,000 firefighters are battling a rapidly spreading blaze covering nearly 12,000 acres in South Australia."

"Many believe the coastal areas hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy should be vacated, saying future flooding is inevitable"

The expensive and disastrous failure of Shell's effort to begin offshore drilling in Arctic offshore waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas offers a tale of what can go wrong in such Arctic drilling.

"A series of severe storms - including tornadoes - touched down in three southern states Tuesday, killing four people, damaging homes and businesses, flipping cars, knocking down trees, and downing power lines."

"As [a Dec. 11] Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing made abundantly clear, communities throughout the United States are at ongoing risk from potentially disastrous incidents involving hazardous chemicals."

"In April 2012, Indonesia's Banda Aceh, the city worst hit by the tsunami that killed at least 226,000 people on Boxing Day ten years ago, received a terrifying reminder of how unprepared it was for the next disaster. As an 8.6-magnitude quake struck at sea, thousands of residents shunned purpose-built shelters and fled by car and motorcycle, clogging streets with traffic. A network of powerful warning sirens stayed silent."

"TOKYO — The cleanup of Japan’s devastated Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant crossed an important milestone on Saturday when the plant’s operator announced it had safely removed the radioactive fuel from the most vulnerable of the four heavily damaged reactor buildings."

"IDINTHA KARAI, India—Here along India’s southern coast—ravaged by tsunami waves 10 years ago—the country’s newest nuclear plant towers over the shoreline."

"WASHINGTON — The federal government isn't fully prepared to handle a nuclear terrorist attack or large-scale natural catastrophe, lacking effective coordination, and in some cases is years away from ensuring adequate emergency shelter and medical treatment, congressional investigators have found."