debris removal News

Sanibel Island Causeway Washed Out by Ian Reopens Early

SANIBEL, Fla. (AP) — The causeway washed out by Hurricane Ian that links Sanibel Island to the Florida mainland reopened with temporary repairs on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced. The 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) causeway was badly damage by the Category 4 …

Lessons from Hurricane Michael Being Applied to Ian Recovery

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Four years before Category 4 Ian wiped out parts of southwest Florida, the state’s Panhandle had its own encounter with an even stronger hurricane, Michael. The Category 5 storm all but destroyed one town, fractured …

US Makes More Wildfire Recovery Aid Available for New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday authorized an increase in funding for debris removal and other emergency measures being taken as a result of a historic wildfire season in New Mexico that stemmed partly from missteps …

Low Winds May Help Crews Control Huge New Mexico Wildfire

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Crews fighting the second-largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history are trying to take advantage of several days of mild winds to gain control over a fire that had charred more than 450 square miles (1,165 …

Viewpoint: Riots Expose Serious Deficiencies in Property Insurance Policies

The riots that took place in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area during the George Floyd protests caused serious damage to many buildings. Several building owners, to their dismay, found their property insurance policies failed to properly respond to the debris removal …

Owners Find Insurance Inadequate to Cover Demolition of Buildings Destroyed by Riots

Some commercial property owners whose businesses were torched by rioters are learning that they don’t have enough insurance to clear away the debris. The StarTribune newspaper reported Monday that many property owners in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area purchased policies that …

Wildfire Debris Removal Halted Due to Unstable Rain-Saturated Slopes

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — State officials have halted debris removal on Northern California hills scarred by a deadly wildfire because of rain-saturated, unstable slopes. Work crews and truck drivers removing debris in Paradise have been idled at least until March 19, …

Florida Sinkhole Gets Bigger, 2 More Homes Condemned

Officials in Florida said Saturday a sinkhole that swallowed two homes last month is growing. Pasco County officials during a news conference that a large chunk of the hole’s edge has collapsed. Two more homes in Land O’Lakes, a Tampa …

California High Court Upholds Regulation Requiring Accurate Insurer Home Replacement Estimates

The California Supreme Court on Monday upheld a state regulation that aims to give homeowners a more accurate insurance quote for replacing homes destroyed or damaged in wildfires. The state’s insurance commissioner had the power to issue the 2011 regulation, …

Georgia County Owes FEMA Nearly $558,000

A federal audit says Cobb County, Ga., must repay about $558,000 it received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after a severe storm in 2009. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the audit found the county received dual payments from insurance and …