Hurricane Harvey News

U.S. Weather Disasters Totaled a Record $306B in 2017

Extreme weather took an extreme toll on the U.S. last year. Losses from weather and climate disasters including hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and wildfires in northern California reached a record $306 billion in 2017, the federal government’s National Centers …

Despite Temporary Housing Shortage, FEMA’s $150K Disaster Trailers Often Sold

The federal government typically spends up to $150,000 apiece – not counting utilities, maintenance or labor – on the trailers it leases to disaster victims, then auctions them at cut-rate prices after 18 months of use or the first sign …

Hundreds of Superfund Sites Face Flood Risks

When Anthony Stansbury moved down the street from the Anclote River in Florida last year, he didn’t know his slice of paradise had a hidden problem. The neighborhood is adjacent to the Stauffer Chemical Co. Superfund site, a former chemical …

Lack of Transparency Clouds Texas Spending After Harvey

Texas has been awarded billions in federal aid to help recover from Hurricane Harvey and the devastating flooding that followed, but it’s unclear how the state is spending its share of the money. State records don’t indicate which contracts are …

Houston Considers New Housing Project in Flood Plain

A housing developer is hoping to win approval from Houston, Texas, officials to put a 151-acre project on a former golf course where the city and Harris County have spent millions of dollars to buy out homeowners whose properties were …

Researchers Say Harvey’s Deluge Three Times More Likely Due to Global Warming

Global warming’s fingerprints were all over the record rainfall from Hurricane Harvey this year, confirming what scientists suspected, according to new research. While scientists say man-made climate change didn’t trigger Harvey, new studies calculate that a warmer, wetter world made …

House, Senate Tax Bills Treat Disaster Victims Unequally

If the House Republican tax bill became law, victims of hurricanes in Texas and Florida who’ve yet to account for all their losses could deduct them on their 2018 taxes. Not so for victims of the California wildfires. If the …

Houston Residents Might Have to Raise Homes After Harvey

More than 1,600 Houston residents whose properties flooded during and after Hurricane Harvey may need to elevate their homes if they want to continue living there. The city’s Public Works Department is getting ready to notify property owners in floodplains …

Texas County Approves Post-Harvey Flood Construction Rules

Officials in a Texas county devastated by Hurricane Harvey approved new regulations Tuesday on building construction in flood-prone locations, rules they touted as the nation’s toughest for a major metropolitan area. The rules taking effect Jan. 1 in unincorporated parts …

Lloyd’s Reports $1.7B Paid for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria

The Lloyd’s market has paid claims worth $1.7 billion so far in response to hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Earlier this year Lloyd’s estimated a total commitment of $4.8 billion for the three storms. “With total net financial resources of …