Compared to 2 Previous Years, 2013 Was a Paper Tiger
The U.S. suffered its share of extreme weather and climate events in 2013, from a monster tornado that flattened large parts of Moore, Okla., to the driest year on record in California. But compared to the blockbuster calamities of the previous 2 years, 2013 stands out more for its relative tameness.… Read More
FEMA Knew Flood Maps Left NYC Unprepared for Sandy
When Patrice and Philip Morgan bought a house near the ocean in Brooklyn, they were not particularly worried about the threat of flooding. Federal maps showed their home was outside the area at a high risk of flood damage. For that reason, the government did not require them to buy flood insurance, a cost imposed on neighbors on more vulnerable … Read More
Sea Level & Risk of Flooding Rising Rapidly in Mid-Atlantic
In the Mid-Atlantic region, it turns out, local land elevation changes are accelerating regional sea level rise, with all locations in the mid-Atlantic seeing faster rates of relative sea level rise compared to the global trend, the study found. The rate of relative sea level rise in the Mid-Atlantic since the early 1900s was nearly double that of … Read More
While Most of U.S. Froze, Parts of Alaska Set Record Highs
Along Alaska's northern coastline, which lies above the Arctic Circle, the warmest December temperatures on record in at least 70 years occurred during the past week. At the airport in Deadhorse, which serves the oil production hub of Prudhoe Bay, the temperature hit 39 degrees on December 7, the highest December temperature on record there since a… Read More
For First Time in 20 Years, Cold Records May Beat Warm
That means that December will be a crucial month for determining the winner for 2013. The last time daily record lows outnumbered daily record highs in the U.S. was in 1992. The Arctic air mass moving south from Canada, which is set to send temperatures plunging from Seattle to Texas by the end of this week, tilts the odds in favor of cold temperat… Read More
Electricity Generated Using Solar Mirrors to Double in 2013
U.S. solar thermal energy generating capacity is set to more than double by the end of 2013, with several large solar power plants scheduled to begin operating soon in Arizona and California, the U.S. Energy Information Administration announced in a report Thursday.… Read More
Obama Administration Takes Action on Climate ‘Resilience’
The Executive Order enshrines the climate change buzzword of the post-Hurricane Sandy era, climate “resilience,” into the language of the federal bureaucracy by directing agencies to work with state, local, and tribal leaders to determine how they can make it easier for communities to prepare for climate change-related impacts.… Read More
Alaska Roasts During October, Reigniting Wildfire
The warm weather led to an even more unusual sight for the fall: smoke from an active wildfire. The Mississippi wildfire, which started in May about 70 miles southeast of Fairbanks, flared up again on Oct. 28, when strong winds were blowing and there were record warm temperatures in the lower 60s.… Read More
