Natural Disasters

Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Cracks Open Earth, Endangering Neighborhoods With Lava

The area affected by the lava is one of the fastest growing in the state

'Staggering' Damage to Florida’s Everglades Remains in the Wake of Hurricane Irma

Researchers found gaps in 40 percent of the forest canopy in aerial images taken before and after the storm

The tornado that touched down near El Reno, Oklahoma plowed through the region. The violent winds and subsequent floods injured 155 and killed 20 people, including the first known storm chasers to die in the twister's swirling path.

How a Legendary Storm Chaser Changed the Face of Tornado Science

In 2013, Tim Samaras died in one of the epic storms he'd spent decades chasing. A new book chronicles his harrowing last days

Earthlings: There's No Need to Freak Out About Tonight's Solar Storm

Expect small disruptions to satellite communications and minor surges in the power grid. Find out how USGS predicts effects of geomagnetic storms

Residents queue to fill containers with water from a source of natural spring water in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018.

What's Behind Cape Town's Water Woes?

As climate change intensifies droughts, the city's crisis may signify a new normal

Lava cascades down the slopes of the erupting Mayon volcano in January 2018. Seen from Busay Village in Albay province, 210 miles southeast of Manila, Philippines.

Geology Makes the Mayon Volcano Visually Spectacular—And Dangerously Explosive

What's going on inside one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes?

Shan Dou (from left), Jonathan Ajo-Franklin, and Nate Lindsey were on a Berkeley Lab team that, in collaboration with researchers from Stanford, used fiber optic cables for detecting earthquakes and other subsurface activity.

Could Fiber Optics Detect Earthquakes?

By monitoring every grumble, shiver and burp our planet makes, researchers hope to be more prepared to take action when things go awry

A macro photo of coralites off Malapascua Island in the Philippines.

The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2017

From wind turbines to massive sunfish to octopus cities, the seas proved full of surprises this year

An aerial view of the Getty's Los Angeles campus taken before the so-called Skirball Fire broke out Wednesday

Why the Getty Center Is the "Safest Place" For Its Priceless Collection in the Case of Disaster

As wildfires blaze through Southern California, the Getty's Ron Hartwig explains how the structure was built with fire in mind

Satellite Images Show Frightening Intensity of California Wildfires

Thick plumes of smoke can be seen blowing across the Pacific

Hurricane Maria, September 2017

Turning Hurricane Data Into Music

Can listening to storms help us understand them better? A meteorologist and a music technologist think so

Mount Agung

The Geology of Bali's Simmering Agung Volcano

The high viscosity magma of stratovolcanoes like Agung makes them extremely explosive—and potentially deadly

These Siblings Were Trapped in a Raging Flood in Italy

On October 9, 1962, Bartolomeo and Margareta Filippin became trapped on the second floor of their house in Longarone, Italy

A solar and battery-powered microgrid got San Juan’s Children’s Hospital quickly back online after Hurricane Maria.

Why Puerto Rico's Power Can't Come From Solar 'Microgrids' Alone

The island could benefit from on-site solar and battery backup, but the strategy isn't a cure-all for its energy woes

The minimLET toilet kit

A Sleek Portable Toilet and Other Design Solutions for Disaster Victims

The toilet kit, from a Japanese design studio, is part of wave of interest in design fixes for the problems created by disasters

Chilling Footage of the 1989 Cypress Freeway Collapse

The Oakland fire department rushed to the scene of the Cypress Freeway, after the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake hits. They were greeted by a catastrophe

Why the 1989 San Francisco Quake Was So Disastrous

The 1989 San Francisco earthquake delivered a myriad of deadly disasters, all unfolding at the same time

Crews clean up debris in a neighborhood flooded by Hurricane Harvey in Beaumont, Texas, Sept. 26, 2017

How Do Scientists Measure the Public Health Impacts of Natural Disasters?

In the wake of this year's hurricanes, epidemiologists are assessing the effects of mold, toxic leaks and other threats

Footage of the 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption

On May 18, 1980, the Mount St. Helens became the largest and most destructive volcanic eruption in U.S. history

The Aitape skull

This Ancient Skull May Have Belonged to The World's Oldest Tsunami Victim

A new study says Papua New Guinea's Aitape skull is from someone who died in a massive ocean wave 6,000 years ago

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