damage News

Strong Northern California Quake Triggered Brief Tsunami Warning

A magnitude-7.0 earthquake off the coast of Northern California triggered a brief tsunami warning across a swath of the U.S. West Coast. The tsunami threat was declared over less than an hour later even as the area experienced multiple aftershocks. …

Safer Buildings Vs More Housing: How New Building Codes May Impact Hawaii

A month after wildfires ravaged Maui in August 2023, Gov. Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation to postpone the adoption of any new building codes that might exacerbate a housing shortage that had just gotten worse. The governor’s office is …

Atmospheric River to Slam the Pacific Northwest and California

Meteorologists are forecasting a stormy pattern that could impact millions of people across U.S. this week with the threat of flooding, travel disruptions and the potential for the first accumulating snowfall of the season in some places. Flooding rainfall and …

California Wildfire Destroys 243 Structures, Cancellation Moratorium Issued

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for more than 200,000 policyholders affected by the Mountain Fire, which has destroyed 243 structures. The order shields those living within the …

USGS: Pair of Small Quakes in Southern California’s Inland Empire

A pair of small earthquakes were reported in Southern California’s Inland Empire on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The first magnitude 3.5 earthquake occurred at 2:17 p.m. northwest of Fontana. It was 1. 7 miles deep, according to …

Plains All American Agrees to Pay $73M to Settle California Oil Spill Lawsuit

Plains All American Pipeline has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a lawsuit over the 2015 Refugio Beach oil spill in Santa Barbara, a filing showed on Tuesday. The spill occurred after a pipeline, which ran across California’s coastline, …

Containment Increases on California Fire That Has Destroyed 168 Structures

Firefighters battled strong winds driving a fast-moving Southern California wildfire that forced the evacuations of thousands of people and destroyed at least 168 structures. Containment of the Mountain Fire in Ventura County increased to 48%. The fire has now burned …

Wind-Driven Southern California Blaze Has Destroyed at Least 132 Structures

A Southern California wildfire that was driven by high winds has destroyed at least 132 structures and forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate. The fire in Ventura County has burned 20,596 acres and is 7% contained. The Mountain Fire, …

Biden Declares Major Disaster Area in New Mexico Due to Historic Flooding

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster area in southeast New Mexico after historic flooding killed two people and forced the rescue of more than 300 last month. The declaration announced last week makes federal funding available to residents in …

Malibu Retrofit at $300,000 Shows Limits of Wildfire-Prepping

Evelin Weber and her neighbors fled their Malibu homes as the deadly Woolsey Fire tore across the California coast in 2018. Ever since, haunted by fears of another blaze, she’s spent $300,000 on fireproofing her house. Weber installed a fire …