Water & Oceans

"Hurricane Milton was upgraded back to a Category 5 storm as it churns toward Florida’s west coast. The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century."

"The U.N. weather agency is reporting that 2023 was the driest year in more than three decades for the world’s rivers, as the record-hot year underpinned a drying up of water flows and contributed to prolonged droughts in some places."

"About a decade after the Flint water crisis, the Biden administration is requiring the removal of most of the nation’s lead-contaminated water pipes within 10 years."

"Over 9 million people in Florida are under a hurricane warning as Hurricane Milton approaches, posing a dangerous, life-threatening threat. The warning encompasses some of Florida's most populated cities, including Tampa, Orlando, and St. Petersburg, as well as coastal communities from Cedar Key to Cape Coral."

"New research shows how toxic chemicals hitch a ride with seabirds flying from southern latitudes to the Arctic."

"False claims are adding to the chaos and confusion in many storm-battered communities. Social media platforms such as X have allowed the falsehoods to spread."

"Though utilities’ mission is to provide clean water, their trade groups for decades have often fiercely opposed initiatives to improve quality"

"The largest dam removal project in U.S. history was completed Wednesday, marking a major victory for tribes in the region who fought for decades to free hundreds of miles of the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border."

"Florida prepared on Sunday for its largest evacuation since 2017 as Hurricane Milton intensified in the Gulf of Mexico on its path toward the U.S. state's western coast, coming on the heels of the devastating Hurricane Helene."