The Human Cost of Tornado Devastation Over the course of three harrowing days, a series of tornadoes tore across nine states in the Midwest and South, leaving heartbreak and destruction in their wake. The storm system, which spawned over 50 tornadoes ranging in strength from EF-2 to EF-4, claimed more than 40 lives. Communities—from small towns in Missouri to remote hamlets in Mississippi—are now grappling with the aftermath of this natural disaster. Among the hardest-hit areas was Mississippi, where an EF-3 tornado tore through the small community of Plantersville. Winds…
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Is your flood insurance ready for Atlantic Hurricane Season’s start tomorrow?
The official beginning is June 1 and experts are predicting that it will be an active one With the start of Atlantic Hurricane Season tomorrow, preparedness experts are reminding consumers who have waited until the last minute about the importance of flood insurance. FEMA is among those urging property owners to buy coverage Hurricanes can cause damage from many different issues, ranging from high winds to flooding, but the latter requires additional flood insurance coverage as rising overland waters are not typically covered by a standard home policy. Many people…
Read MoreHow to avoid accidents in bad weather conditions
Your ability to avoid accidents in bad weather conditions really depends on what you consider to be bad weather. For most of us it would be high winds, heavy rain, fog, snow, frost and most other winter weather. But for some, particularly hay fever sufferers, the spring and summer is arguably worse. High pollen counts can mean long sneezing fits, which can be a huge hazard if you are driving at the time. The summer sun can be pretty dangerous too; sometimes the sun temporarily blinds drivers and causes them…
Read MoreExtratropical Cyclone Xaver Moves Slowly Across Europe with Powerful Winds and Storm
BOSTON, Dec. 6, 2013 – According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Extratropical Cyclone Xaver has moved across Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Poland. Wind speeds were recorded at 158 km/h when the storm reached Germany and heavy winds affected the Netherlands, Poland, and parts of Scandinavia. Massive storm surges have occurred along the coasts of southeastern England, the Netherlands, and northern Germany. “Xaver developed off the coast of Greenland on December 4, 2013 and its development was enhanced by another low-pressure system, Wilhelm, which was located over the Norwegian…
Read MoreTyphoon Muifa Misses China’s East Coast, Lands in North Korea as Tropical Storm
BOSTON, Aug. 8, 2011 – According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Muifa, once a super typhoon with winds exceeding 250 km/h (1-min sustained), made landfall near the border between China and North Korea around 12:00 UTC Monday at tropical storm strength. Last week, the storm had been forecast to make landfall over the weekend near Shanghai. However, Typhoon Muifa turned to the north earlier than expected and bypassed China’s eastern coastal provinces. Muifa weakened to a tropical storm as it entered the East China Sea and passed to the…
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