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Over the next week, super heavy showers are set to hit the Indian subcontinent, especially in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, South Interior Karnataka, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, and Gujarat, the IMD (<keyword id="19963725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Meteorological-Department" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Meteorological Department" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Meteorological Department">Indian Meteorological Department</keyword>) has predicted. Yesterday, India's financial capital, Mumbai was hit by a surprise, albeit hefty deluge of rain. Consequently, a yellow alert was issued for Thane, Pune, Palghar and other areas near to Mumbai. Between October 13-16, very heavy rainfalls are also expected in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. It's no secret that incessant rains also bring about significant economic damages. As seen very often in the past, a constant barrage of torrential rains can also quickly create a flood-like situation, which can wipe away houses, vehicles and everything that comes in its way. Per media reports, the average economic impact on India due to <keyword id="19912527" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="floods" source="keywords">floods</keyword> between 2011 and 2021 has been a staggering Rs 25,805 crore. Imagine this-your entire se is flooded. Water has seeped into everything—your walls, furniture, and even the plumbing. Without a <keyword id="22058670" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="home-insurance" source="keywords">home insurance</keyword>, you'll have to spend a hefty amount towards repairs and to get your life and home back on track. <h2>Getting your home insured</h2>So, if you are wondering how to protect your hard earned material but immovable assets like house, the answer is right in front of you- Home Insurance. Says Dilip Baba, Head of Commercial and Speciality Underwriting, Go Digit General Insurance, "People usually spend their entire life savings on purchasing a home. However, people rarely think about how to protect their investment. By investing in the safety of home insurance, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your property is covered in case of unforeseen events. With home insurance, you can opt for three types of coverage-structure, content and comprehensive. While structure simply insures the physical, immovable formation of your house (walls, roofs), content coverage goes a step ahead and takes care of damage caused to your movable items like furniture, electronics and other items due to natural calamities, theft and more, up to a certain limit. This can also include any valuable artwork or antiques, or additional installation like solar panels you might have at your home. A comprehensive home insurance brings together both structure and contents in its insurance ambit. Having a home insurance can not just protect you from natural calamities like floods, but also from unforeseen events like theft, fire and more. The annual premium of a home insurance policy can range between Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 depending on the type and extent of coverage taken. Before buying a policy, be sure to clarify whether it offers actual cash value, which considers depreciation, or replacement/reinstatement cost, which covers the full replacement without depreciation deductions. To be on the safe side, you can also choose additional covers like accidental death insurance, or rent coverage, if you lose out on rental income due to damage caused to your property. You can use the carpet area of your house to get a sense of your home insurance requirements. Other covers you can opt for include valuable contents (on agreed value basis under home contents cover), additional living expense cover, tenant liability insurance, among others. Says Amit Bhandari, Chief Technical Officer at Magma HDI General Insurance, "When selecting a policy, it’s crucial to assess the unique risks that your home may face, particularly if you live in an area susceptible to <keyword id="19922196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="natural-disasters" source="keywords">natural disasters</keyword>. You should tailor your coverage to address these risks while considering premium reduction strategies, such as excluding unnecessary coverages".

Heavy rains to lash across the country between Oct 12-16, here's how you can insure your home from rain's fury

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Owning a home in high-climate risk states like Florida is becoming tougher amid rising costs.</li><li>Still, owning may be preferable as renters have significantly less policy support than homeowners.</li></ul>In states at high risk of climate-related events, both homeowners and renters face difficulties in the wake of natural disasters, but there are important things to consider in each case.On the one hand, buyers are facing rising costs as insurance premiums skyrocket. Renters could bear some of that burden, too, as rental properties face rising property insurance costs that could drive up rents in the future.But when a natural disaster hits, like this week's Hurricane Milton, the stakes are different.Both renters and homebuyers face an immense loss of stability if their homes are damaged or destroyed, but homebuyers lose a huge investment.Here are key factors at play when deciding to rent or to own a home in a state where climate risks are rising and natural disasters are becoming more frequent and destructive.<h3 id="fb983509-a634-4c57-8ea5-a41d41e6da00">Both renters and buyers face rising costs</h3>The costs associated with owning a home are becoming more volatile as insurance costs rise due to climate risks."Those dynamics really play more of a role in why you're seeing weaker markets right now in places like Texas and Florida, which see more severe storms and generally different forms of climate risk, and where homeowners are seeing greater increases in insurance premiums, which doesn't affect renters as much," Redfin's head economist, Chen Zhao, told Business Insider.Average insurance premiums have increased sharply in the last few years, up 33% from 2020 to 2023, but that trend is uneven depending on a state's natural disaster risk, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w32579/w32579.pdf">June study</a> found.Even in regions in different states with similar climate risks, those in states with overall higher risks often bear a higher cost burden as insurers pay to transfer more risk to reinsurance companies.Florida, which has a reinsurance exposure of almost 40% due to high hurricane risk across the state, saw annual insurance premiums increase by about $1,000 in zip codes close to its border with Georgia, even though areas on both sides of the border are similarly at risk.Georgia, on the other hand, has less than 10% exposure to reinsurers, and its zip codes close to the border saw increases of less than $500 in the last few years.Overall, rising disaster risk will raise annual premiums for climate-exposed households in the US by $700 by 2053, the study says."The cost of owning a home also has been more volatile over time because of the rising insurance costs and the climate change impact, and also because home prices are going up so fast," Jung Hyun Choi, a researcher at the Urban Institute's Housing Finance Policy Center, told Business Insider.Still, a big advantage to owning a home is the ability to lock in housing costs."Home ownership is still one of the most important ways of building wealth in this country," Choi said, adding that not only do homeowners build equity over time, but their costs are often fixed via the 30-year mortgage, which is the most popular home loan in the US.Renters, on the other hand, are subject to unpredictable price increases year-to-year. That's especially true after climate disasters, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/risa.14224">one study</a> that looked at rent prices following hurricanes in US coastal states.In extreme disasters, median rents rise due to reduced housing supply. In less severe scenarios, rents may rise because building owners are trying to offset losses from property damage, or possibly take advantage of higher demand from displaced homeowners.<h3 id="ccd2411a-bab0-4107-bf3e-4c9ccc85ffbc">Policy favors homeowners</h3>While it may be tough to know whether costs for renters or buyers are more directly impacted after climate disasters, public policy is clearly skewed in favor of buyers, Choi says. She pointed to forbearance and loss mitigation policies that are meant to help buyers keep their homes.After Hurricane Katrina, 29% of homes in Louisiana were damaged, compared with 35% of rental housing units — but 62% of damaged homes and only 18% of damaged rental units received disaster recovery assistance, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-10-17">federal study</a>.In places where federal funding was implemented for renters after Hurricane Katrina, though, rents appreciated at a much slower rate, one <a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Disasters-and-the-Rental-Housing_final.pdf">study</a> found, pointing to the potential for future policy to address renters' vulnerability to climate events.Zhao points out, though, that renters generally have more flexibility to move and are less tied down when disasters strike."For renters, it's a different story. You don't own the financial risk of living in Florida if a hurricane comes through," Zhao said, adding, "I think that's the other thing that kind of drives a wedge between these regions and other places in the country, and also drives a wedge between homeowners and renters."Zhao acknowledges that renters still "certainly own the personal risk" of a hurricane. Renters lose their housing stability personal property the same as homeowners.Whether renting or buying is more advantageous amid climate change will be determined by policy solutions implemented in the next few years. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of clarity yet, Choi says.She adds there's a chance that renting has the upper hand in high climate-risk areas."If we kind of leave it like this, it could be actually better to just rent because you don't really have to worry about your properties being severely damaged and you're not getting any insurance coverage," Choi said.

Here's how natural disasters are shaping the buy-versus-rent decision in vulnerable states like Florida

<ul><li><keyword id="482957" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="home-insurance" source="Orion">Home Insurance</keyword> protects one’s home from any unforeseen circumstances such as fire, theft, and natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, and storms. </li><li>For individual homeowners, it is recommended to choose comprehensive coverage. </li><li>Homeowners can boost their standard home insurance policies with add-on options.</li></ul>Scary as it may sound, with climate change now a reality, all our cities are likely to experience devastating floods. We have seen it in Mumbai, in Chennai, in Bangalore, and very recently in Himachal and Uttarakhand. Let us take the case of Mumbai. Studies suggest that high rainfall, rising sea levels and sinking land expose more people to the risk of floods. Moreover, there are other natural calamities that may occur too and add to that the risk of theft and burglary. This makes home insurance very essential for anyone who owns a property, or even those who stay in rented accommodation where one can insure the contents of the house against various risks. “Home insurance is a type of property insurance that protects one’s home from any unforeseen circumstances such as fire, theft, and natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, and storms. It also covers the damage caused due to water-logging due to floods,” says Vivek Chaturvedi, CMO and head of direct sales, Digit Insurance. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Home insurance in India is abysmally low" comment="subhead" text="Home insurance in India is abysmally low">Home insurance in India is abysmally low</cmsannotation> Home insurance penetration in India is very very low. Data from The Asia Insurance Review revealed that home insurance in India stood at only 1% five years back. In contrast, countries like the US, UK, France and Australia have home insurance rates ranging from 90% to 97%. There are a couple of reasons for it. “One is the perception that nothing will happen to me and I do not need home insurance. The second is related to the lack of knowledge of new products, that one can insure both the building and the content,” says Gurdeep Singh Batra, national head, retail non-motor underwriting and coinsurance, Bajaj Allianz <keyword id="6366282" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="general-insurance" source="Orion">General Insurance</keyword>. Also, home insurance in India is not mandatory. While it is also not legally mandatory in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Canada, many mortgage lenders in these countries often require borrowers to have home insurance as a condition of the mortgage loan. This requirement is to protect the lender's financial interest in the property. While it's not a legal obligation for homeowners, it is a practical necessity to secure coverage to safeguard their homes, personal belongings, and liability in unforeseen circumstances while satisfying lender requirements. We look at why home insurance is important and what it covers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is covered under home insurance" comment="Subhead" text="What is covered under home insurance">What is covered under home insurance</cmsannotation> Under home insurance, there are three kinds of cover available. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Building-Only Cover" comment="subhead" text="Building-Only Cover">Building-Only Cover</cmsannotation>: This type protects the physical structure of the building, including the net usable area (carpet area). It excludes external walls, service shafts, balconies, verandahs, and open terrace areas but includes internal partition walls within the residential unit. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Content-Only Cover" comment="subhead" text="Content-Only Cover">Content-Only Cover</cmsannotation>: This option covers personal belongings inside the house that aren't permanently attached to the structure, such as furniture, electronics, and kitchen equipment. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Comprehensive Cover" comment="Subhead" text="Comprehensive Cover">Comprehensive Cover</cmsannotation>: This provides complete protection for both the building and its contents. It often includes additional options like coverage for equipment breakdown and burglary. Individuals can choose the option that suits their specific needs and circumstances. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Insure your home according to your needs" comment="Subhead" text="Insure your home according to your needs">Insure your home according to your needs</cmsannotation> For individual homeowners, it is recommended to choose comprehensive coverage because it provides protection for both the building and the contents of the house. If you own a flat within an apartment complex, it is typically the responsibility of the housing society to insure the structure itself. In this case, the flat owner would only need to insure the personal contents within their home. “In case the building isn’t insured, then one can buy a cover individually as well to protect the structures of their flat,” says Chaturvedi. If you're a tenant residing in an apartment or a standalone house, you might want to focus solely on obtaining 'content-only' insurance coverage.This type of insurance safeguards all your possessions within the dwelling. “It could be a wise idea for landlords who have let-out properties to consider landlords' insurance, which covers damage to the building as well as loss of rent,” says Mathur. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subhead" text="Add-ons to boost your home insurance">Add-ons to boost your home insurance</cmsannotation> “Protecting your home with a comprehensive home insurance policy coupled with tailored add-ons is the most sensible and prudent thing to do,” says Tarun Mathur, CBO - General Insurance, Policybazaar.com. "Theft and Burglary Cover" protects against losses not typically covered by standard policies, such as theft of valuable items like gold and electronics. "Gold and Jewelry Add-On" extends coverage to include precious metals and offers significant protection. "Portable Electronic Items Add-On" is essential, covering devices like laptops and phones that may not be included in standard policies. In the event of home damage, "Alternate Accommodation Add-On" eases the burden by covering the cost of temporary housing during repairs. For added security, "New-for-Old Cover" ensures valuable items are replaced with new ones, rather than reimbursed at their depreciated value. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Low premiums" comment="Subhead" text="Low premiums">Low premiums</cmsannotation> Interestingly home insurance premiums are low and are very manageable. Home insurance premiums vary based on factors like property value and coverage. “ The premium for home insurance lies between 0.10 per thousand to 0.25 per thousand sum insured,” says Batra. You can get a ₹ 1 crore sum assured for as low as ₹2,500 per year and ₹25,000 for a 10-year period. Comprehensive plans with added features will cost you more. It's essential to obtain quotes from different insurers to find the best policy that suits your specific needs and budget.

From fire to floods – Why home insurance is something you should not  ignore

As floods become a recurring threat, here’s how to insure your home from natural calamities

ChatGPT is commandeering the mundane tasks that young employees have relied on to advance their careers.The bosses are excited about ChatGPT.The generative-AI boom has become a boon for companies that want to automate away spreadsheet building, generic copywriting, and other monotonous tasks in the name of becoming more "efficient." The technology has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hundreds-of-ceos-talked-about-chatgpt-on-h1-earnings-calls-2023-7">seized the fascination of CEOs</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workplace-industrial-complex-billion-dollar-industry-managers-worse-employees-miserable-2022-10">the workplace industrial complex</a>, leading <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marketing-industry-using-ai-save-time-money-boost-productivity-study-2023-6">many companies</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-work-automation-octopus-energy-greg-jackson-2023-5">give AI a whirl </a>(with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/01/17/cnet-ai-articles-journalism-corrections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mixed results</a>). While executives and the managerial class are all in on AI, there's been less consideration for the people this new tech will actually affect.The mundane tasks that have so far been targeted for replacement are <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230111-the-companies-that-churn-through-young-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">generally handled by entry-level workers</a>. Managers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-gen-z-is-changing-work-most-pro-labor-generation-2022-11">give these tasks to new hires</a> with the expectation that they'd be done quickly, done right, and done without anyone needing to really explain how to do them. This work was portrayed as a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">critical part of their development</a> — a way to <a href="https://www.inc.com/heather-r-huhman/everyone-takes-entry-level-employees-for-granted-dont-make-that-mistake.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"earn your stripes" in the workplace</a>.While tackling grunt work and hoping to learn a job via osmosis isn't a great way to start a career, corporate America has left young workers with few other options. Over the past several decades, many companies <a href="https://wheresyoured.at/p/the-myth-of-mentorship-and-how-weve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have gutted training programs</a>, neglected mentorship, and taken no responsibility for fostering workers' development. Now, with the advent of generative AI, organizations are starting to automate many "junior" tasks — stripping away their dubious last attempt to "teach" young employees. It's no wonder that several surveys have found that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-an-opportunity-for-all-generations-even-gen-z-2023-6">members of Gen Z</a> are particularly concerned about AI's effect on their careers; in a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=844a8a431d225bb462442f588d29b198a15b0d02402b43aae6815bfa42e3c6e9&amp;postID=64ac3d5b30464171c2345a38&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ziprecruiter.com%2Fassets%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2FJSCI%2FThe_ZipRecruiter_Confidence_Index_2023_Q1_3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent survey by the job-posting site ZipRecruiter</a>, 76% of Gen Zers indicated they were worried about losing their jobs to ChatGPT.America's young workers are headed toward a career calamity. They may be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-ai-can-help-gen-z-succeed-workplace-2023-7">more comfortable using ChatGPT</a> and other AI technology than their older coworkers, but the managerial obsession with artificial intelligence threatens to undermine their ability to launch a career. Management spent decades disconnecting themselves from the younger workers who are the backbone of their businesses. And if these executives already won't train their junior employees, it's no surprise they're ready to get rid of them altogether.<h2>Nobody wants to teach anymore</h2>Even before the rise of AI, young people were facing an early-career crisis. Sure, on the surface it seems like Gen Z is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-is-the-luckiest-generation-vs-millennials">entering the workforce at a great time</a>. Finding a job is much easier than it used to be, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-market-unemployment-rate-job-growth-june-report-2023-7">thanks to historically low unemployment</a>, and wages for young workers have been <a href="https://www.epi.org/blog/class-of-2023-young-workers-have-experienced-strong-wage-growth-since-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing at a strong pace</a>. But if you look deeper, a growing number of signs suggest young Americans are going to have a much tougher time actually building a career. Gen Z is behind the eight ball even before their first day on the job. As the cost of college has soared, many of them are coming into their first job with a large student-debt burden. A <a href="https://www.stlouisfed.org/en/on-the-economy/2022/aug/how-does-gen-z-student-debt-compare-millennials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis</a> found that Gen Zers were more likely than millennials were at their age to hold student debt, that Gen Zers' average debt load was 13% higher than millennials' was, and that roughly the same percentage of Gen Zers and millennials had $50,000 or more worth of outstanding student debt.Don't want to go to college? Tough luck. Despite a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/employers-rethink-need-for-college-degrees-in-tight-labor-market-11669432133" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent pushback</a>, the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy/23628627/degree-inflation-college-bacheors-stars-labor-worker-paper-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">number of jobs requiring a college degree</a> has been growing for decades. Even searching for a first job can leave Gen Zers scratching their heads. A <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=1757442d728c75fdc913147e9fd896b1631085132d8b7510e3a103140463829d&amp;postID=64ac3d5b30464171c2345a38&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fnewbies-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-5117860%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn analysis</a> of 3.8 million job postings from 2017 to 2021 found that 35% of entry-level jobs required at least three years of experience. And if you try to go the internship route to get that experience? Good luck. A 2021 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers suggested that <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/17/more-than-40percent-of-interns-are-still-unpaidwhy-thats-legal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 40% of internships were unpaid</a> and that the average hourly wage for paid interns was just $20.76 in 2020 — a tight budget in many major metropolitan areas.Once young workers do finally break into the corporate world, they face another brutal reality: Companies have no interest in helping them move up the career ladder. Many companies have shown <a href="https://wheresyoured.at/p/the-myth-of-mentorship-and-how-weve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">absolutely no consideration</a> for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0019793915619904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fostering and developing workers' abilities</a>, leaving young workers to largely fend for themselves as they attempt to establish a career path. A <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w20382?utm_campaign=ntw&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ntw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2014 study by Peter Cappelli</a>, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, found that in 1979 "young workers received on average about 2.5 weeks of training per year" but that by 1995 it had fallen to just under 11 hours annually. Capelli also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2014/09/05/what-employers-really-want-workers-they-dont-have-to-train/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found scant evidence that things</a> had improved in the years since.<a href="https://dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/legacy/files/jdt.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The US Department of Labor found in 2014</a> that while 70% of firms offered "some type of training to employees," it was mainly for "management and mid-level workers." This statistic is particularly worrying, partly because "some type of training" is extremely vague and could refer to something as simple as reading the HR handbook, and partly because 30% of firms didn't offer any training at all. More recently, in <a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/survey-workers-who-need-training-most-arent-getting-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a survey conducted in 2020 by Paul Osterman</a>, a professor at MIT, slightly less than 50% of employees said they'd received no formal job training from their employer over the past year. Osterman also argued in a discussion of the survey that companies were failing to provide employees with the types of training that would help boost their skills or advance their careers.You might assume organizations would try to foster mentorship in the workforce as a way to make up for the lack of rigorous training. Not so fast. While mentorship is associated with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855142/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">higher levels of job satisfaction</a> and organizational commitment, a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/03/30/how-americans-view-their-jobs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 Pew Research Center survey</a> found that only 44% of Americans workers had one. And while formal mentorship programs exist, they're often voluntary. A <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w29148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study from the National Bureau of Economic Research</a> found that voluntary mentorship programs led to worse outcomes than mandatory ones and that those who most needed the help of a mentor were less likely to join these types of programs. This may be because workplace cultures often alienate those who ask for help (<a href="https://www.seasons.com/research-asking-for-help-benefits/2632464/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">despite the benefits of doing so</a>), creating a pervasive feeling that organizations don't really care about their employees. In a <a href="https://www.gallup.com/394424/indicator-employee-wellbeing.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regular Gallup poll of US workers</a>, only 24% of workers surveyed this May strongly agreed that their organizations cared about their well-being, down from 33% in May 2021 and a remarkable 49% in May 2020. This lack of care is clearly weighing on the young workers who need career development the most. Workplace Intelligence, an HR-research firm, said that in a <a href="http://workplaceintelligence.com/upskilling-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey it conducted with Amazon in 2022</a>, 74% of Gen Zers and millennials indicated they were considering leaving their job "due to subpar skills-building support or a lack of career mobility options."<h2>Why train when you can just plug it in?</h2>With no training and no real professional development, young workers in recent years have been left with only one way to learn the ropes on the job: grunt work. In theory, these small jobs were meant to allow young workers to familiarize themselves with simpler processes and prove themselves competent enough to take on more challenging work. But they often resulted in young workers <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1150816271/employee-engagement-gallup-survey-workers-hybrid-remote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feeling a lack of purpose at work</a> because the work didn't feel like a meaningful contribution to the company or a way to actually progress to the next level. But with the advent of generative AI in the workplace, the jig is up.AI has already begun to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/02/ai-taking-jobs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take jobs from workers of all ages</a>, but corporate America's particular disdain for its young means it will hit entry-level workers hardest. It takes <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-technology-chatgpt-silicon-valley-save-business-stock-market-jobs-2023-5">a lot of work to "train" a large language model</a>, the type of AI that powers ChatGPT and other similar products. But once that work is done, it's a lot cheaper for businesses to buy some new tech tools than train a real person — consequences be damned. For a managerial class that has all but rejected any responsibility for helping foster workers' growth, all that will matter is whether something is cheap and easy.The solace for these young workers, the managerial argument goes, is that the most tech-savvy among them will become the minders of these new machines. In reality, this means young people will find themselves cleaning up the deluge of errors these faceless AI tools will spit out, knowing they'll receive less credit because the "work" came from a machine. This has the potential to create a career crisis for young people: If even the faintest amount of freedom is wiped from their work lives, they'll have fewer ways to prove themselves capable of taking on more meaningful work. Promotions will become even more of a game of favorites, with the best "real" tasks reserved for diplomats rather than hard workers. A new AI-powered model benefits established players and empowers America's weak, disconnected management culture that doesn't evaluate actual outputs or creations.It's no wonder CEOs and higher-ups are much more enthusiastic about integrating AI into the workplace than average employees are. The data company Qualtrics said that in a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230613882872/en/AI-Generates-Excitement-and-Fear-as-Employees-Worry-about-Job-Security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey it conducted in May and June</a>, 64% of executives suggested they found the "potential impact of AI" on their workplace exciting. Only 39% of frontline workers said the same, with 46% describing the tech as "scary." Another <a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/what-people-are-saying-about-ai-at-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey from Boston Consulting Group</a> registered a similar divide: 62% of execs and leaders were enthused about the prospect of using AI at work, compared with 42% of frontline employees. While AI optimists may predict that jobs we can't imagine right now will exist in 10 years, it's hard to imagine, given the ways corporations have deployed new technology, that automation will lead to a society where more people have more economic opportunities.<h2>Train the children — they're our only hope</h2>What's left for America's young workforce? What does a young person do in an office where they're not trained, mentored, or given "real" work? What happens when early-career jobs like data entry and document filing are automated by artificial intelligence?The irony is that corporate responsibility for employees is actually better for the business. Studies suggest that companies that invest in job training and skill development <a href="https://research.upjohn.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&amp;context=up_press" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are more efficient</a> and <a href="https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0101wells.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reap higher profit margins</a>. Despite this evidence, companies have a hard time grasping the value of the investment in their employees. As <a href="https://fortune.com/author/ulrich-atz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U</a>lrich Atz and <a href="https://fortune.com/author/tensie-whelan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tensie W</a>helan from New York University's Stern Center for Sustainable Business <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/05/10/companies-human-capital-labor-cost-hurting-profits-shirtage-jobs-finance-atz-whelan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote recently in Fortune</a>, corporations often don't have methods to measure the value of human capital beyond simple labor costs, meaning organizations consider humans in the same way they might consider the cost of their water or electric bills. <a href="https://wheresyoured.at/p/the-rot-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America's rot economy</a> — one where, to quote Atz and Whelan, "companies are pressured to reduce costs in order to return more money to shareholders" — sees immediate revenue growth as the only valuable metric to consider, more important than the long-term value of growing an employee.There's a better way to work, but I fear the only way for companies to learn the dangers of automation will be through a painful public example of a company that relied too much on AI, like <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/knight-capital-says-trading-mishap-cost-it-440-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knight Capital's trading glitch that cost it $440 million</a>. Humans can be enhanced by AI, helped by AI, but replacing them with AI is a shortsighted decision made by myopic bean counters who can't see the value in a person. It's worth considering whether investments in AI should instead be replaced with actual training and mentorship programs with financial rewards.Young people are facing a reckoning — one where the ballooning costs of college and a lack of future opportunities will run headlong into a corporate America that doesn't recognize the value of investing in real human beings. The result will be a weaker economy with fewer people ready to take on the real challenges posed by new technology. It's a lose-lose proposition for everybody involved.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/ed-zitron" rel="">Ed Zitron</a> is the CEO of <a href="https://www.ezpr.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">EZPR</a>, a national tech and business public-relations agency. He is also the author of the tech and culture newsletter <a href="https://ez.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Where's Your Ed At</a>.

Gen Z is headed for a career calamity

<ul><li>Assam floods have affected 22 districts in the state.</li><li>With the launch of the <keyword id="4902488" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sos-alert" source="Orion">SOS alert</keyword>, <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> Search is showing relevant information on the flood situation in Assam.</li><li><keyword id="97416" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google-maps" source="Orion">Google Maps</keyword> are also highlighting flood-affected areas in Assam.</li></ul>Tech giant Google on Tuesday has launched a combination of Crisis Response efforts (SOS alert) to help communities and people affected by floods in Assam and some parts of North-East India including Bangladesh. With the launch of SOS alert users close to affected areas can look at emergency phone numbers, websites and maps directly via Google Search. SOS alert also highlights the affected areas to assist rescue teams and people who want to give aid to affected people. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Google’s crisis alerts for Assam floods" comment="subhead" text="Google’s crisis alerts for Assam floods">Google’s crisis alerts for Assam floods</cmsannotation> Google SOS alert system for Assam brings combine updates from authoritative local and national sources to the top of search results. If you are close to the flood-affected areas, then Google search will bring up emergency phone numbers, maps and websites. Even, if you are outside the flood-affected area in Assan, the search will show an SOS alert along with a timely update on the situation. The SOS notifications include real-time flood forecasting, ongoing updates from emergency response organizations along with interactive maps. Back in 2017, Google introduced the SOS alert as an integrated feature within its Maps and Search to give real-time updates. Since its launch, the SOS alert has been activated in different causes of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. To assist in natural and man-made disasters Google has established Google.org. It is the charitable arm of Google that has received a donation of $500,000 to the ‘Center for Disaster Philanthropy’ to provide emergency support in the affected areas around the globe. The efforts include restoring household food security through direct cash assistance, dry ration and distribution of hygiene kits. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/twitter-in-india-bans-accounts-of-pakistan-embassies-in-un-iran-egypt-and-turkey/articleshow/92515791.cms">Twitter India bans accounts of Pakistan embassies in UN, Iran, Egypt and Turkey</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/mahindra-scorpio-test-drive-opens-on-j[%E2%80%A6]arts-on-july-30-check-out-features/slidelist/92513434.cms">Mahindra Scorpio test Drive opens on July 5, and booking starts on July 30 — Check out features</a>

Google launches SOS alert to assist timely support in Assam flood - here’s how it works

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some Southern California areas that received the most rain are also home to the rich and famous.</li><li>Beverly Hills was under a flash flood warning, while Bel Air and Woodland Hills got over 10 inches of rain.</li></ul>As an atmospheric river pounds Southern California with a historic deluge of rain, some of the hardest-hit areas also happen to be among the most desirable zip codes.Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles were both under flash flood warnings on Monday. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/02/05/california-flooding-storm-damage/">Photos from Beverly Hills</a> showed workers trying to clear roads of debris and mud that had washed in.The <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1754437130594766898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1754437130594766898%7Ctwgr%5Ee4a1cafba05030e0b8c567bcb3c26429dc659186%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fcalifornia%2Fstory%2F2024-02-04%2F19-rescued-from-boat-trees-topple-roads-flood-early-l-a-damage-reports-from-storm">National Weather Service in Los Angeles</a> said an "extremely dangerous situation" was unfolding in the "Hollywood Hills area and around the Santa Monica Mountains," which run into Malibu."Life threatening landslides and additional flash flooding expected overnight tonight," the NWS said in the early morning hours on Monday. "Avoid travel if at all possible."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/malibucitycalifornia/PST045223">Malibu's</a> median household income is around $187,000 a year while in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/beverlyhillscitycalifornia/PST045223">Beverly Hills</a> it is about $117,000, according to the US Census Bureau — both well over the the median household income for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/losangelescitycalifornia,santamonicacitycalifornia,losangelescountycalifornia/BZA010221">city of Los Angeles</a>, which is $76,000."We are seeing a lot of rescues of cars on roads, due to mud and debris flow, in the Hollywood Hills and up into the Santa Monica Mountains," Todd Hall, NWS meteorologist told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-04/19-rescued-from-boat-trees-topple-roads-flood-early-l-a-damage-reports-from-storm">Los Angeles Times</a> on Monday morning. "Communities, such as Pacific Palisades, Bel Air, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Topanga are being affected by reports of debris flow going into homes."By Monday evening, Topanga Canyon, Woodland Hills, and Bel Air had all gotten some of the highest levels of rainfall at over 10 inches, <a target="_blank" href="https://ktla.com/news/california/how-much-rain-has-fallen-in-california-so-far-heres-a-map/">KTLA</a> reported — all areas will median household incomes well over the city or county at large, especially <a target="_blank" href="https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/CA/Los-Angeles-County/Los-Angeles/Bel-Air-Demographics.html#:~:text=The%20average%20annual%20household%20income,a%20median%20wage%20of%20%24213%2C524.">Bel Air</a> at about $171,000.In Studio City, surging waters washed objects away from mansions in the hills, <a target="_blank" href="https://abc7news.com/los-angeles-storm-atmospheric-river-southern-california-mudslides/14388477/">The Associated Press</a> reported. "Mud, rocks, and water came rushing down through their house and another neighbor's house and into our street," resident Keki Mingus told the outlet of the water that filled the street on Monday. "I can't believe it. It looks like a river that's been here for years. I've never seen anything like it."Further from Los Angeles, other areas that draw the wealthy also tend to be at an increased risk of flooding and landslides when huge quantities of rain hit the state.Parts of Montecito — a coastal community near Santa Barbara known for attracting famous residents — were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.independent.com/2024/02/03/evacuations-ordered-for-parts-of-santa-barbara-county-ahead-of-major-storm/">under evacuation orders</a> over the weekend.In January 2023, the entire town — where Oprah, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-ellen-degeneres-creek-gushing-montecito-evacuations-flooding-california-2023-1">Ellen DeGeneres</a>, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have homes — was under a <a target="_blank" href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/prince-harry-meghan-markle-ellen-degeneres-and-oprah-evacuate-over-heavy-rainfall/">mandatory evacuation order</a> due to flash flooding."We need to be nicer to mother nature 'cause mother nature is not happy with us," DeGeneres said at the time. "Let's all do our part. Stay safe everybody."Montecito's fire chief told the Los Angeles Times that this storm could be more intense than the one that hit in January 2023."Our slopes are saturated once again," Montecito Fire Chief David Neels <a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-04/potentially-historic-storm-brings-highest-risk-to-southern-california">told the LA Times</a>, adding, "The likelihood of sediment mobilization is real."

Southern California neighborhoods that attract the rich and famous are also some of the hardest-hit areas during major storms

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In the more moderate Lowcountry, Republicans like Nikki Haley long appealed broadly to voters.</li><li>But as Haley battles Donald Trump in the GOP primary, his lead has held firm statewide.</li></ul>As Nikki Haley stumps across South Carolina to win her home state's GOP presidential primary against former President Donald Trump on Saturday, she has campaigned heavily across the Lowcountry — the swath of the state's coastal region known for its picturesque landscape and its more moderate brand of Republicanism.But in the state where Haley once served as governor, <a target="_blank" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/south-carolina/">she has trailed Trump by sizable margins</a> in most polling. And in the Lowcountry, normally a place where she'd have more support, Trump's sway over much of the party has left her with fewer voters, even among some of the same people who helped elect her governor.Haley will have to run the table in the Lowcountry to have a chance at defeating Trump in Saturday's primary, but here's why that will be more difficult than ever to pull off.<h2>All politics is local? Not this year.</h2>Over the years, Charleston and the Lowcountry have produced high-profile GOP figures like Sen. Tim Scott, Rep. Nancy Mace, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-sanford-nikki-haley-south-carolina-gop-presidential-primary-trump-2024-2">former Gov. Mark Sanford</a>.But it's Trump's influence that has become the dominant force among Republicans in the state, to the point where Haley's conservative record as governor — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-nikki-haley-went-from-friend-to-foe-of-government-aid-for-boeing-ef6c3e9f">cultivating economic development</a> in the state and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/13/us/politics/haley-immigration-trump.html">fighting back</a> against then-President Barack Obama's administration on issues like immigration — has faded in the memories of voters.<div type="image" title="Trump" height="3611" width="5416" msid="107973053" hostid="261" sizebytes="364908"></div>Scott, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-scott-2024-presidential-campaign-miscalculated-haley-desantis-gop-debates-2023-10">unsuccessfully ran for president</a> last year, was appointed to the Senate by Haley in 2013. But even he endorsed Trump. Mace is backing the former president as well.Haley in the past month campaigned in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/14/us/politics/nikki-haley-south-carolina-trump.html">Bluffton</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wjcl.com/article/there-will-be-a-female-president-of-the-united-states-nikki-haley-hosts-meet-and-greet-in-hilton-head-island-ahead-of-sc-republican-primary/46621407">Hilton Head Island</a>, two Lowcountry locales. And in recent days, she spoke to voters in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZoS4dEFDlQ">Beaufort</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews4.com/news/local/nikki-haley-set-to-hold-campaign-event-on-kiawah-island-saturday-donald-trump-wciv-news-4">Kiawah Island</a>, also in the Lowcountry.<div type="image" title="Trump" height="3611" width="5416" msid="107973053" hostid="261" sizebytes="364908"></div>But Trump remains in the driver's seat in the state.The most recent <a target="_blank" href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/south-carolina-2024-poll-trump-with-23-point-lead-over-haley-ahead-of-gop-primary/">Emerson College/The Hill survey</a> found Trump ahead of Haley 58%-35%, a 23-point lead over the former governor among registered voters. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/02/20/exclusive-poll-donald-trump-nikki-haley-south-carolina/72656833007/">Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll</a> among likely GOP voters had Trump leading Haley 63%-35%, a 28-point spread. And a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://poll.citadel.edu/results-and-data/">Citadel Poll</a> showed Trump leading Haley 64%-31% statewide, with the former president boasting a 54%-41% advantage in the Charleston area.While Haley retains some degree of popularity in her home state overall, Trump is a much more popular figure among GOP voters — buoyed by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-immigration-bipartisan-border-security-us-mexico-democrats-2024-1">his focus on issues like immigration</a>.This dynamic has made Haley's focus on her record a tougher sell, even as she remains ideologically aligned with many South Carolina conservatives.<h2>The Lowcountry has become more conservative</h2>Republicans in the Lowcountry have long been associated with the "country club" set, who hold conservative views on fiscal matters but are less wedded to social issues.In recent years, however, the political identity of the Lowcountry has changed, with significant population growth that's brought in more military veterans and retirees to the region.In places like Berkeley and Dorchester counties, strident conservatives have become more prominent forces within the GOP.And that influence has affected the primary in a critical way.While Haley is a familiar face to countless South Carolinians, there are now legions of new voters who didn't live in the state when she was governor and have no political allegiance to her.For many GOP voters, Trump is who they know best. And as the South Carolina primary ends Saturday night, that sentiment is Haley's biggest impediment to a victory.

Nikki Haley should be a natural fit for the South Carolina Lowcountry. So why is Trump poised to win the region in the GOP primary?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>After a year cooped up at home, many people are eager to enjoy <keyword id="11918130" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nature" source="Orion">nature</keyword> in the great outdoors again.</li><li>Companies have picked up on this and brought nature to the office to coax workers back, NYT reports.</li><li>They're outfitting the office with things like vegetable gardens, beehives, and birdwatching areas.</li></ul>If you can't bring your work outdoors, bring some of the outdoors to your work - at least, that's what some companies are doing in an attempt to bring employees back to the office.Employers are sprucing up their workplaces with a bit of nature in order to appeal to workers who, having spent the last year stuck at home, are eager to savor the beauty of the natural world again, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/business/return-to-office.html">reports</a>. Building owners are doing the same to lure back tenants.One way that both employers and landlords are doing this is by adding beehives to their offices, according to the Times.Asset management company Nuveen put two beehives on a terrace and hired a beekeeper to help employees learn about bees and gather honey to bring home with them, the Times reports. The urban beekeeping company Alvéole, which installed the hives for Nuveen, told the Times its revenue has skyrocketed 666% since the pandemic began. Goldman Sachs has also enlisted Alvéole to <a href="https://commercialobserver.com/2021/08/goldman-sachs-swarms-to-real-estate-sustainability-with-beehive-program/">bring hives to more than 30 of its properties</a> across the US by the end of the year. Besides bees, employers and real estate companies are also tacking on amenities like treehouse-inspired lounges, rooftop vegetable gardens, and even birdwatching areas to the office.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jll-goodwin-warburg-on-real-estate-industry-after-coronavirus-spotlight-bi-2020-4">'We should be prepared for a new normal': 3 real estate experts on how the coronavirus is transforming offices and accelerating the rise of industrial property</a>At LendingTree's headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, workers will find a lounge on each floor contained in an overarching trellis and lined with planters, the Times reports. During a renovation of the Victor Building in Washington, D.C., Brookfield Properties added rooftop vegetable gardens that are at occupants' disposal. At Jay Paul Company's Springdale Green office complex in Austin, Texas, there will be 36,000 square feet of terraces, as well as hammocks and a bird blind where tenants can watch birds, according to the Times. The new adaptations come as many <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-new-york-silicon-valley-tech-recovery-office-work-2021-8">offices</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retail-apocalypse-helped-spark-a-rapid-descent-into-dystopia-2021-3">malls</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hospitality-workers-out-of-work-as-hotels-recover-without-them-2021-8">hotels are still pushing for a full recovery</a> ever since occupancy rates tanked earlier in the pandemic. Americans' pent-up desire to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-first-trip-to-yosemite-national-park-crowds-defied-expectations-2021-8">bring more nature into their lives</a> has also affected the residential real estate market. In a recent survey, nearly half of US adults said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-want-fishing-camping-access-real-estate-fashion-trends-2021-8">living somewhere with easy access to outdoor activities</a> like hiking and camping is "very" or "extremely" important to them.

Companies are adding beehives, vegetable gardens, and birdwatching areas to workspaces to draw employees back to the office

The after effects of the deep depression formed over Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea that intensified into a cyclonic storm (Tauktae) over the archipelago and adjoining southeast east central Arabian Sea moving northwards during the past six hours, has caused huge damage to the coastal areas in Kerala. Even though the depression is approximately around 290 km away from Kannur, on account of the heavy rains across the state, and with the sea turning rough, the state government has been forced to open numerous camps across the state to move people to safety. According to the India Meteorological Department Tauktae is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and expected to move north-north-westwards and reach near the Gujarat coast by May 18 morning. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has informed the preparedness of the state in facing any calamity arising out of the cyclonic storm. "Even though, Kerala is not in the predicted path of the <keyword id="6386783" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="CYCLONE">cyclone</keyword>, heavy rains, strong winds and strong sea gusts are expected in the State till May 16. We should exercise utmost caution in districts and adjoining districts where the Meteorological Department has issued a Red and Orange Alert," said Vijayan and appealed to all to cooperate with the authorities and move out to camps whenever told. Even though so far there has been no casualties reported, the rain and the rough sea has caused innumerable hardships to the people, who are already battling the Covid pandemic. The worst affected on account of the rough sea include the coastal hamlets in the state capital, parts of Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargode. Starting Friday night, huge number of trees were uprooted and power supply disrupted for long hours on account of the high speed winds and heavy rain. In many places the supply was restored on Saturday, while in few places it's yet to be restored. With the state under a total lockdown from May 8, the only saving grace was the police did not have much work to man people on the roads. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/go-air-has-filed-for-a-3600-crore-ipo-at-a-very-desperate-time/articleshow/82626097.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Go Air has filed for a ₹3,600 crore IPO at a very desperate time</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/heres-why-the-spike-in-inflation-in-the-us-may-worry-markets-in-india/articleshow/82597218.cms">Here's why the spike in inflation in the US may worry markets in India ⁠— but experts say don’t panic yet</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-responds-to-privacy-criticism-by-alleging-other-apps-like-zomato-ola-aarogya-setu-zoom-google-and-other-apps/articleshow/82570897.cms">WhatsApp responds to privacy criticism by alleging that other apps and tech companies also show disdain for user privacy</a>

Cyclone Tauktae causes heavy rains in Kerala ⁠— coastal areas are badly affected

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/largest-earthquake-ever-caused-5000-mile-long-tsunami-study-finds-2022-4">Tsunamis</a> rarely hit Britain, but one did 8,200 years ago.</li><li>Researchers wanted to know how the massive waves might have affected Stone Age populations.</li></ul>About 8,200 years ago, an underwater landslide known as the Storegga slide near Norway triggered a tsunami that engulfed parts of northern Europe.Around the same time, there was a massive dip in Britain's population.Researchers at the University of York and the University of Leeds looked at whether the disaster contributed to the population decline, or if other factors were at play."The suggested population decline occurred immediately after the Storegga tsunami occurred," Patrick Sharrocks, the lead author on the paper detailing the research, told Business Insider via email. "However, a cold period coincided with the tsunami so it was unclear which event had a greater impact."The researchers built computer simulations of how far the tsunami's waves could have reached inland.Based on their results, the researchers concluded that the tsunami could have wiped out a significant portion of the population at Howick, Northumberland in northern England.They recently published their findings in the peer-reviewed <a target="_blank" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jqs.3586?campaign=wolearlyview">Journal of Quaternary Science</a>.<h2>65-foot waves slammed the Shetland Islands</h2>When the landslides triggered the massive waves, they had widespread impacts. Evidence of the Storegga tsunami has been found in Norway, England, Denmark, Greenland, and Scotland, including the Shetland Islands.Around the mainland of the UK, waves may have reached 10 to 20 feet. Off the coast of Scotland, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shetland-castle-scotland-for-sale-2023-6">Shetland Islands</a>' narrow valleys may have magnified the effects, causing waves of over 65 feet to flood the land.There aren't written records of the disaster. Instead, the story is in the sediment deposits from lakes, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-police-dyed-blue-lagoon-black-to-stop-people-visiting-2020-3">lagoons</a>, and other bodies of water that formed during the tsunami. The wave eroded sediment on land but also brought in more from the sea.While these layers are distinctive, they often erode with time and human activity. However, they can give scientists clues about how far inland a wave traveled and how often similar events occurred.<div type="image" title="A view of a beach and water at Howick, Northumberland in England" height="1500" width="2001" msid="107063125" hostid="261" sizebytes="330578"></div>It's possible the huge waves didn't reach Howick at all. The location has sediment that seems to be the result of a sudden event. Yet it's coarser than the finer sand found elsewhere attributed to the Storegga waves."Further sedimentary research at Howick could accurately identify whether deposits were produced by the tsunami at this location," Sharrocks said.<h2>A population unprepared for a tsunami</h2>Tsunamis are rare in the British Isles. The Mesolithic population likely never experienced one before the Storegga landslide, according to the study.The researchers speculate that the <a target="_blank" href="http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/">receding sea</a> that precedes a giant wave may have drawn people to the water <a target="_blank" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jqs.3586">to collect stranded shellfish</a>.If that happened, the tsunami could have drowned a significant percentage of the population. The destruction of resources, like hazel trees, could have also led to famine among survivors.Numerical models "can reconstruct the Storegga tsunami but can never be fully representative of past events," Sharrocks said. The event was so long ago that there was a lot of uncertainty around the relative sea level position, topography, and elevation at the time.According to the researchers' models, only if the tsunami hit at high tide would it have affected Howick.In another paper from 2021, researchers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.767460/full">suggested</a> the tsunami may have destroyed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/25-mesolithic-pits-found-in-bedfordshire-england-stun-archaeologists-2023-7">evidence of human habitation</a> in Norway, Britain, and other regions. But they also noted that "there remain very few <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/300000-year-giant-hand-axes-ice-age-sediments-england-mystery-2023-7">archaeological sites</a> with direct evidence of tsunami deposits," which makes it difficult to assess "the extent to which this event was a disaster for the coastal communities."<h2>Future British tsunamis</h2>For years, scientists thought the Storegga tsunami was a unique event. Recent research, however, found tsunamis hit Shetland 5,000 and 1,500 years ago.That frequency means another one isn't out of the question."It means that the hazard, the risk, is far more serious than we thought previously," Dave Tappin of the British Geological Survey <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-45541721">told the BBC</a> in 2018.That's why it's important to understand disasters from the past, even prehistoric ones."Identifying and assessing the magnitude of similar precursor events can help predict where, when, and how large future events may be in a certain area," Sharrocks said.

A giant tsunami may have wiped out Stone Age populations in Britain 8,200 years ago, and scientists say a similar natural disaster could hit the islands again

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Europe's biggest gas field is set to close permanently in October, Bloomberg reported.</li><li>The news sparked a 30% jump in benchmark European natural gas futures on Thursday.</li></ul>Europe's biggest natural gas field is set to shut down on October 1, <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/netherlands-set-to-close-europe-s-biggest-gas-field-this-year-1.1933496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sources told Bloomberg</a>, sending prices for the key energy source higher on Thursday. A final decision has not yet been made concerning the Groningen field in the Netherlands, but a government cabinet meeting later this month will make it official, the report said.Dutch front-month gas futures, the European benchmark, jumped as much as 30% before paring most of those gains. They later traded up 10% at 42.16 euros per megawatt-hour.The six-decade operation has been an important energy source for much of Western Europe. But hundreds of earthquakes caused by production have damaged thousands of homes since the 1980s, adding to political pressure to shut down Groningen.Since 2012, over 3,300 homes have been demolished in the area due to earthquake damage. For affected citizens, financial restitution had been pledged earlier in the year. Originally marked to close in October of next year, the expedited plans come days after a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Mark Rutte amid accusations the Dutch government is unresponsive to complaints.For now, Groningen will continue operating at minimum levels, leaving 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas to be extracted till then.Though the field is a relatively small contributor of gas to the European market, it represents an important cushion in the continent's energy supplies. After it closes, wells can be reopened in the case of extreme demand.Last year, Europe suffered a crippling energy crisis after Russia <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/european-natural-gas-prices-10-times-energy-crisis-russia-exports-2022-8?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">closed its Nord Stream gas pipeline</a>, sending prices to 300 euros, in retaliation for Western sanctions that were imposed for invading Ukraine. Europe has since <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-natural-gas-stockpile-warm-mild-winter-energy-crisis-russia-2023-2">stockpiled natural gas</a> to levels not seen in years, helped by a mild winter, but this summer's hot weather is boosting demand, while outages in Norwegian gas fields and increased competition for liquefied natural gas are also adding to price pressures.

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