Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

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>Neither Harris nor Trump outline specific disaster-relief policies on their website.</li><li>Their records, however, offer clues into how they'd deal with natural disasters as president.</li></ul>As another <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-evacuation-empty-gas-station-full-hotels-gridlock-traffic-2024-10">hurricane</a> threatens to devastate swaths of the Southeast, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are under new scrutiny about their disaster response strategies. And though neither have specifically addressed how they'd approach disaster relief on their campaign websites, their environmental records offer clues into how they might deal with similar crises in the future.When Hurricane Helene bore down on six states, and with particular force in North Carolina and Georgia, both Harris and Trump said that the focus should be on providing aid, not politics. But the storm, which has killed more than 230 people and destroyed entire towns, has already crept into the presidential race. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-milton-tampa-florida-desantis-clean-disaster-dangerous-2024-10">Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida</a> on Wednesday night, only exacerbating the focus on environmental devastation."Disasters are always political," Thomas Birkland, a political scientist at North Carolina State University who studies the politics of national disasters, told Business Insider. He said that disaster relief is not, however, usually <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-category-five-threatens-florida-fema-funding-2024-10">discussed during campaigns</a>.Timothy Kneeland, a professor at Nazareth University who studies politics and natural disasters, thinks that as hurricanes become more common, candidates should address them more explicitly."Having a short but clear statement on disasters should be part of any campaigner's policy," he wrote in a statement to BI.Both candidates have visited impacted areas, with Trump visiting Georgia on September 30 and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-donald-trump-crises-middle-east-strike-hurricane-election-2024-10">Harris on October 2</a>. Republicans criticized Harris for attending a fundraising event in California when Helene struck, while she maintained that politicians should stay out of the most devastated areas as first responders begin their early work.In the days since Hurricane Helene, Trump has spread misinformation about the storm and response efforts, prompting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to publish a fact-checking page. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-relief-disinformation-misinformation-north-carolina-democrats-republicans-2024-10">Democrats and Republicans alike</a> say that the baseless claims are complicating <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-elon-musk-starlink-hurricane-helene-fema-2024-9">clean-up efforts</a>, and Harris has put out a digital ad slamming his former disaster relief. When he was president, Trump responded to several hurricanes. As with Hurricane Helene, he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.vox.com/politics/376982/trump-hurricane-helene-fema-lies-debunked">publicized</a> misinformation. When Hurricane Dorian threatened Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, he incorrectly said that its path included Alabama as well. During a briefing in the Oval Office, he showed a map of the hurricane's path that included a Sharpie mark extending the storm's reach to Alabama. Trump also falsely claimed that the death toll from Hurricane Maria in 2017 was overblown, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/08/trump-hurricane-helene-natural-disasters/">Washington Post reported</a>.The former president occasionally threatened to hold back disaster funding over political spats. In 2020, for example, he floated withholding money from flood-ravaged Michigan because he was frustrated with absentee voting procedures in the state."A charitable interpretation would be mixed on crisis management," Birkland told BI about Trump's past responses to natural disasters. Kneeland said that storm victims and disaster experts largely criticized his handling of Hurricane Maria.During his time in office, Trump's administration rolled back more than 125 environmental rules, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html">Washington Post</a> found, with a big focus on deregulating the fossil fuel industry. Trump's campaign has, according to Birkland, "been pretty clear that it disdains alternative fuels."Harris doesn't have a presidential record to back up her approach to disaster relief, but Birkland anticipates she'd take a relatively similar approach to President Joe Biden.As attorney general, Harris prosecuted oil companies that broke environmental rules. During her tenure as vice president, she voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which devoted $370 billion to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.But both Birkland and Kneeland told BI that Harris has become less aggressive about addressing climate change this election, likely in an attempt to court more moderate voters."Harris' position is a little murkier," Birkland said. "Harris has been clear that we should be doing things like alternative energy, but also supports, as of recent months, continued fossil fuel production. So it's kind of a both-and strategy."Presidents are somewhat limited in their disaster responses — both Kneeland and Birkland told BI that states and local governments lead disaster responses, with the federal government's assistance."Even when FEMA is on the ground they must work within the structure of existing state and local government," Kneeland said in his written statement. The responsibility is, he said, layered throughout the government.Regardless, all eyes are on how Harris and Trump respond to the twin storms — and the outcome of the election could theoretically hang in the balance. Kneeland said that disaster response can either greatly boost or doom an incumbent, pointing to instances as varied as Hurricane Betsey in 1965, Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.Though Birkland doesn't anticipate that the hurricanes will sway many voters, he said that even a small impact in swing states could matter."I think most people's minds are made up. I think that you're really dealing with the margins," he said. "On the other hand, this election is going to be won or lost on the margins, so that matters."

Hurricanes are taking the election by storm. Here's where Harris and Trump stand on natural disaster policies.

<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

New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): After over 650 people lost their lives in the deadly <keyword id="6420762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="landslide" source="Orion">landslide</keyword> in <keyword id="20153057" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Papua-New-Guinea" source="keywords">Papua New Guinea</keyword>, <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="Orion">India</keyword>, on Tuesday, announced immediate <keyword id="20371761" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="relief-assistance" source="keywords">relief assistance</keyword> worth USD 1 million to the island nation. India expressed solidarity by announcing relief assistance to the island country which was hit by a massive landslide last week in its <keyword id="20643918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Enga-Province" source="keywords">Enga Province</keyword>, burying hundreds of people and causing major destruction and loss of life. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep condolences and conveyed India's readiness to extend all possible support and assistance to the Pacific island country in its time of difficulty. " As a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea, the Government of India extends an immediate relief assistance of USD 1 million to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Moreover, India has firmly stood by Papua New Guinea during times of difficulty and devastation caused by <keyword id="19922196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="natural-disasters" source="keywords">natural disasters</keyword>, including in the wake of the earthquake in 2018 and volcanic eruptions in 2019 and 2023. An important pillar of India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), announced by Prime Minister Modi in November 2019, is Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. "India is committed to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and continues to be a responsible and steadfast responder," the statement read. Moreover, around 2000 people are feared to have been buried by the massive landslide. "The landslide buried more than 2000 people alive, caused major destruction to buildings, and food gardens, and caused a major impact on the economic lifeline of the country," Lusete Laso Mana, Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, said in a letter to the UN. Over 150 houses in Yambali village were buried in debris, according to the officials. The area continues to pose an "extreme risk," officials added, as rocks continue to fall and the ground soil is exposed to constant increased pressure.

India announces relief aid worth 1 million US dollars for landslide-hit Papua New Guinea

The city of <keyword id="19895037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru" source="keywords">Bengaluru</keyword> will get a C-band Doppler Weather Radar this year to enable better <keyword id="20178895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weather-forecasting" source="keywords">weather forecasting</keyword>, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje has said. The Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour &amp; Employment took to X to share that India Meteorological Department (IMD) has agreed to her request to install the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) in the state capital. Posting a letter written to her by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Jitendra Singh, who is also in charge of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Karandlaje said, "We will now be able to predict our weather with accuracy. Following my request, the IMD has greenlit the installation of a <keyword id="22264487" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Doppler-radar" source="keywords">Doppler radar</keyword> in the city, scheduled to be operational by year-end. This is a major step towards <keyword id="22519773" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="better-weather" source="keywords">better weather</keyword> forecasting &amp; preparedness for <keyword id="19922196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="natural-disasters" source="keywords">natural disasters</keyword>." In his letter, Jitendra Singh said the radar will have an operational range of 250 km and will be installed in Bengaluru this year. He also mentioned that the site for the radar installation has already been identified and the Centre had informed the state government to acquire the site. "The proposed C-band DWR in Bengaluru will not only help in protecting the state infrastructure and state economies during natural disasters but also significantly enhance the accuracy of weather forecasts and provide the early warning of severe weather conditions," he wrote. According to a news report published a year ago, <keyword id="19896017" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka" source="keywords">Karnataka</keyword> was the only state in South India not to possess this forecasting system and although it was first proposed in 2007 that the site for the radar would be in Devanahalli, nothing ever materialised since. It was stated in the report that to assess weather conditions in Bengaluru, Kolar, Ramanagara and Chikkaballapura, Karnataka uses Chennai's Doppler radar, for North Karnataka, the one in Goa is used, while for interior Karnataka and Malnad, Kerala's radar is used. Incidentally, the report also quoted an IMD official, according to whom the process of procuring and housing two such radars - one in Bengaluru and another in Mangaluru - was on and that it could materialise by early 2024.

Karnataka to get its first Doppler radar by this year to for better weather forecasting

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jamaica can't tap into catastrophe-bond funds despite Hurricane Beryl's devastation.</li><li>That's because the air pressure level required for a payout wasn't exceeded. </li></ul>Although a category-five hurricane laid waste to Jamaica, the nation won't be able to access funds from a bond meant to cover natural disasters, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-05/catastrophe-bond-investors-dodge-losses-after-beryl-hits-jamaica">Bloomberg reported</a>.That's despite the fact that Jamaica was among the first to introduce so-called catastrophe bonds, or assets that offer traders an attractive yield for the risk of losing their money due to a natural disaster. With climate change on the rise, <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/hedge-fund-harvard-physics-catastrophe-bonds-extreme-weather-cimate-change-2024-3">cat bonds have grown into a hotter</a> investment.But in this case, investors in the country's $150 million asset won't have to pay a dime, the outlet said.Instead, bond holders were spared loss due to the specific terms of the investment vehicle.To pay, air pressure during the hurricane would need to have reached a defined minimum in any of the country's sub-areas, Bloomberg reported, citing an advisory sent to investors by Switzerland-based <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="media-ui-Link_link-tVkXhPLPofs-" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/4529593Z:SW">Plenum Investments</a>. Although a powerful storm, pressure did not meet that criteria.The structure of the cat bonds was such that they paid investors 7% above the US Treasury rate. According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2024/04/25/world-bank-returns-to-the-cat-bond-market-providing-financial-protection-to-jamaica">World Bank</a>, the asset provides catastrophe insurance for four hurricane seasons and has brought in 15 global investors.While Jamaica has to turn inwards to cover damage costs, the country has $1.6 billion in a disaster safety net, Bloomberg said. Meanwhile, its sovereign bonds remain intact.Climate disasters are <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/catastrophe-bonds-climate-change-us-treasury-yields-disaster-insurance-costs-2023-10">not always strong enough</a> to trigger cat bond payouts, an expert told Business Insider in October.In fact, despite over 20 disasters hitting the US last year, the Swiss Re Global Cat Bond Total Return Index hit its highest one-year return since in two decades, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.swissre.com/dam/jcr:bb189e59-a15f-49df-a250-07b2c6b2d9bd/2024-02-sr-ILS-market-insights-feb-2024.pdf">reaching 19.69%</a>.

Why hurricane-stricken Jamaica can't tap into $150 million of natural-disaster insurance

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spain's eastern province of Valencia was hit hard by intense flooding last week.</li><li>The government has pledged $11 billion to help it recover, but local authorities want $34 billion.</li></ul>Spain said it will give about $11 billion to help restore Valencia after flash floods hammered the province last week — but local authorities there want three times that amount.Historic, deadly flash floods — brought about by torrential rainfall — hit the area last week, killing at least 211, regional emergency services <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853698255730942163">said</a> on Wednesday.Spain's State Meteorological <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">Agency</a> said last week that it was the province's most severe storm since 1987.During a press conference on Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/1853796678265938374">approved</a> $11.55 billion in loans and grants to help storm and flood victims.However, a day earlier, the province's president, Carlos Mazón, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/carlos_mazon_/status/1853555363678728545">said</a> local authorities had asked for an initial package equivalent to about $34 billion."The measures will serve to rebuild, relaunch, and mitigate the effects" of the storm, Mazón told reporters.<div type="image" title="Satellite images of the Valencia province before and after flash floods on October 25, 2022 (left), and October 30, 2024 (right)." height="480" width="640" msid="114986283" hostid="261" sizebytes="62758"></div>On Saturday, Valencia's Chamber of Commerce <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.camaravalencia.com/noticias/informe-sobre-danos-provocados-por-la-dana-en-los-municipios-mas-afectados-y-consecuencias-sobre-la-actividad-economica/">estimated</a> that up to 4,500 businesses had suffered notable damage, with potentially 1,800 severely impacted.The floods affected many economic sectors, including agriculture, industry, and services, it said.Automaking remains Valencia's most <a target="_blank" href="https://www.investinspain.org/en/regions/comunidad-valenciana/industrias-destacadas?#nameRegion">important industry</a>.Cristina del Rey, the communications director for Ford Spain, told BI last week that her company's Valencia plant had not suffered direct damage from the floods but was shut on Wednesday and Thursday.According to a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://fundacionaon.es/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/BAROMETRO-DE-CATASTROFES-2021.pdf">report</a> from the Aon Spain Foundation, a private foundation that works to prevent and assist with natural disasters, the annual cost of natural disasters in Spain between 2016 and 2021, including floods, was between $940 million and $2.5 billion.Local authorities on Sunday <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853692672327721128/photo/1">said</a> that the heavy rains — part of a phenomenon known as "cold drops" — had caused "unprecedented" damage to infrastructure and human life.The provisional death toll put it among the most serious natural disasters in Western Europe in recent years. Widespread flooding in July 2021 killed more than 200 people in Belgium, Germany, and surrounding countries.At a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJODVpRdXxR">press conference</a> on Tuesday, Sánchez declared Valencia a disaster area, paving the way for extra funding for local authorities.He said about 15,000 soldiers and police officers had been dispatched to the province, as well as 287 forest brigaders, around a hundred customs officers, 44 forensic physicians, and 600 specialized vehicles for pumping, cleaning, and supplying the affected areas.Sánchez added that 98% of affected households now had power, and about 25 miles of roads and 46 miles of railway tracks had been repaired."We must continue working with more resources, more coordination, and greater effort until normality returns to all the municipalities and to all the homes affected by this tragedy," he said.

Counting the cost of Spain's hellish floods, the government pledged $11B, local officials want $34B

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A couple in North Carolina were caught in a landslide caused by heavy rain from Hurricane Helene.</li><li>Their house and livelihoods were destroyed, and Lindsay Thomas left unable to walk.</li></ul>On the morning of Friday, September 27, Andrew Marsh and Lindsay Thomas were at their home — one of a few lodges scattered along a winding mountain road in Marion, North Carolina — drinking coffee with two neighbors and waiting for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/before-after-satellite-photos-hurricane-helene-destruction-florida-2024-10">Hurricane Helene</a> to pass.They lived in the 500-mile stretch of the US that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-hits-asheville-beer-microbreweries-north-carolina-floods-2024-9">Helene would roll through,</a> including parts of Florida, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee. But the couple weren't worried; they knew a storm was coming, but hadn't been told to evacuate because their home was on high ground in the Blue Ridge Mountains.Still, they had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-slams-florida-power-outages-flooding-2024-9">prepared for flooding</a> and had enough food, supplies, and a generator to survive for one or two weeks "if it got really bad," Marsh, a 34-year-old metalworker, told Business Insider.But they didn't know that several days of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quartz-mine-computer-chips-hurricane-helene-spruce-pine-semiconductor-2024-9">heavy rain from Hurricane Helene</a> had weakened the soil on the mountain, triggering a landslide that was headed straight down toward their home.Marsh and Thomas were thrown down the mountain by a wave of sliding earth, rocks, and trees that onlookers estimated was 40 to 60 feet high, destroying their home and livelihoods in a matter of seconds.The debris crushed Thomas, dislocating her legs and leaving her unable to walk. Marsh had "at least 50" flesh wounds and couldn't use his right hand because it was sliced open down to the muscle, he said.<h2 id="9ce482e9-d9f9-495f-9341-3326f5a4784f">Helene is estimated to have caused up to $34 billion worth of damage</h2>Since Helene made landfall, at least 215 people have been confirmed dead, making it the second deadliest hurricane in the US in recent years, after Katrina in 2005.On Monday, Moodys estimated the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/analysts-estimate-up-to-34-billion-damage-from-hurricane-helene-2024-10">hurricane caused between $20 billion and $34 billion</a> worth of damage, with between $15 billion to $26 billion affecting properties alone.As the Federal Emergency Management Agency <a target="_blank" href="https://www.floodsmart.gov/get-flood-insurance">estimates</a> that only 4% of homeowners in the US have flood insurance, and those who do <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-flood-insurance-2024-10">might not be covered</a> for flooding or landslides, this looks to be an expensive disaster for many.Marsh and Thomas, 40, a yoga teacher and masseuse, will be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-flood-damage-rescue-helene-asheville-north-carolina-us-2024-10">dealing with the aftermath</a> long after Thomas is discharged from hospital. The couple told Business Insider they will have to rebuild their lives and careers from scratch, all while paying off medical bills, trying to claim home insurance, and dealing with the psychological fallout.<div type="image" title="The hands of Lindsay Thomas (top) and Andrew Marsh (bottom) holding hands with bandages and a cannula in." height="1188" width="1586" msid="113943321" hostid="261" sizebytes="97044"></div>Stories like Marsh and Thomas' are only going to become more common as the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safe-places-for-climate-change-vermont-floods-2023-7">climate crisis brings more rain</a>, and with it landslides to vulnerable areas, researchers concluded in a 2016 paper published in Earth-Science Reviews.Natural disasters have already cost the US in a big way: between 1980 and 2021, the country spent $2 trillion on both immediate and longer-term restoration such as repairing infrastructure, a 2023 article published in The Journal of Climate Change and Health found.<h2 id="d4f10174-5a8d-4ae9-8084-14331ab8ba28">'Mud and water was being pressed into my nose, ears, and mouth'</h2>Just before 10 a.m., the couple heard a "deep rumbling" and "loud cracking thunder-like noises" a few hundred yards from their home, Thomas said, before the ground dropped out from beneath their feet."It happened so fast that there was no chance of reacting. The best way I've been able to describe it is as if somebody just threw the house into a blender and hit the puree button," Marsh said.Thomas added: "I just fell down and down. I remember my vision going from light to brown to black, and mud and water was being pressed into my nose, ears, and mouth."I remember a very specific moment where I kind of surrendered and recognized 'I am dying right now.' So I decided to just soften to the experience and moved into more of a place of acceptance and acknowledging all of my blessings."I let go of my phone, and it felt really good to let go of the struggle."It was then that she was "miraculously spit out" of the sliding earth and found herself about an eighth of a mile from where their home had been, straddling a tree trunk and covered head to toe in mud.<div type="image" title="A decimated bit of woodland in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene." height="878" width="1586" msid="113943323" hostid="261" sizebytes="198690"></div><h2 id="20463e93-243f-4cfd-abb9-92fb10f320c2">It took hours for rescue workers to find the couple</h2>Marsh managed to pull himself from the debris with some effort. He then helped Thomas, who had lost the use of her legs, down from the tree trunk, before digging their neighbor, John Norwood, out of neck-deep rubble. They didn't know where Norwood's fiancé, Julie le Roux, was, and he "wandered off" to try to find her, Marsh said. She was still missing as of October 3.Marsh found an empty Airbnb property about 250 yards away and helped Thomas limp into it. There, they were able to do some basic first aid about three hours after the landslide.Norwood showed up after two hours, "covered head to toe in wounds," he said.Then, at about 4 p.m., six hours after the landslide, they spotted a rescue worker across a 50-foot-wide flow of runoff. By midnight, the three were evacuated from the area by North Carolina State Fire Marshals and were treated for their injuries at nearby hospitals by what Thomas described as an "amazing" EMT care team.<h2 id="0bfde9e5-2693-4a75-ac8c-b13d7e8106c4">Covering medical costs 'somehow'</h2>"We're both still in a lot of pain. It's near constant, but there's definitely signs that we're making a recovery and that we are going to be OK," Marsh said.<div type="image" title="A selfie of Lindsay Thomas and Andrew Marsh, both in black." height="1284" width="1182" msid="113943326" hostid="261" sizebytes="39702"></div>As a veteran, Marsh has access to a medical benefits package, but Thomas is without active health insurance. They will have to cover her medical costs "somehow," Marsh said. But since he lost his workshop, van, and equipment in the disaster, and Thomas' job depends on the "strength and mobility" of her body, it's unclear how.The couple's insurer has refused to cover the loss of their home, but "even with the homeowners insurance policy, if it was to completely pay out, it wouldn't come close to being able to replace our lives," Marsh said.For now, Thomas is trying to remain in the present and not worry too much about the future, although it hasn't fully hit her that they "don't have a home to go back to," she said.Marsh's brother set up a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-andrew-and-lindsays-recovery-journey?qid=360add922ba022e599f5153952f0bebe">GoFundMe</a> for the couple, to cover their medical expenses, temporary housing, and living costs as they get situated. Marsh said that although he struggles with the idea of accepting help, he knows they need as much as they can get right now."When this whole situation has passed, I'm going to dedicate some part of my life to returning the favor to the world," he said.

A self-employed couple lost their home and livelihoods in Hurricane Helene. Their home insurance doesn't come close to enabling them to rebuild their lives.

While headlines often dwell on the destructive power of <keyword id="6362774" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="earthquake" source="Orion">earthquake</keyword>s, their true human cost can be elusive. A recent study offers a fresh perspective through a new metric: the earthquake fatality load, or <keyword id="20689239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="eqfl" source="keywords">EQFL</keyword>. This metric compares earthquake fatalities to a country's population, revealing how some nations bear a disproportionate burden of earthquake deaths. Surprisingly, smaller countries like Ecuador, <keyword id="19935844" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lebanon" source="keywords">Lebanon</keyword>, and <keyword id="19959300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="haiti" source="keywords">Haiti</keyword> topped the EQFL list, despite experiencing fewer earthquakes than larger, more earthquake-prone nations like <keyword id="19904740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="japan" source="keywords">Japan</keyword> or China. The researchers suggest this disparity might be due to how even minor earthquakes can significantly impact smaller, unprepared populations. Additionally, such losses represent a larger portion of their population, making them more devastating for smaller nations. Apart from these, countries on major tectonic plate boundaries also rank high due to the occurrence of intense earthquakes in these regions. This explains Afghanistan's high EQFL ranking, as it lies in a zone where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet. Encouragingly, the study also found a global decline in EQFL over time, suggesting that advancements in building codes, disaster preparedness, and rescue efforts are mitigating the human cost of earthquakes. The global trend of urbanisation, with its typically more earthquake-resistant construction and faster emergency response in cities, could further contribute to this decline. However, challenges remain in countries like <keyword id="19894993" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="italy" source="keywords">Italy</keyword>, where older, vulnerable buildings are still in use. The EQFL serves as a valuable tool for understanding and addressing the human cost of earthquakes. By identifying the most vulnerable countries, it can guide targeted disaster risk reduction efforts and resource allocation.

Which countries are most affected by severe seismic activity? New earthquake metric provides fresh perspective

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My daughter moved from San Francisco to Asheville three years ago. </li><li>I texted her when I heard Hurricane Helene was headed her way to see how she was preparing. </li></ul>There's an adage that says worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere. I found myself rocking back and forth for three days, imagining the worst for my ill-prepared daughter.Three years ago, she moved to Asheville from San Francisco, where she <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-wildfires-before-and-after-photos-show-damage-2020-9">weathered fire season</a> for 10 years. After extensive environmental research around places free from major natural disasters, Asheville checked all her boxes.But then <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-damage-port-strike-could-hurt-us-economy-2024-9">Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina</a> with force. <h2 id="36df25dc-af44-4f20-a86f-014dec11f8df">I lost contact with her</h2>On Thursday evening, I texted her to ask how she was holding up. "This rain is insane." She texted back but didn't seem concerned.Later on Friday, the news broke that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-elon-musk-starlink-hurricane-helene-fema-2024-9">Helene was pushing flash flood waters</a> into Asheville at a rapid rate of behemoth rage. The water was overflowing the Swananoa and French Broad Rivers. She lived just above areas of concern.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-reporter-rescues-woman-hurricane-helene-flood-live-on-air-2024-9">News media recommended staying put</a> or getting to higher ground. Evacuation for her was impossible. My girl would have to ride through what might be the worst experience of her life. I couldn't save her.She sent a series of short texts right before they lost power — "Five trees went down outside our building, water, and power out." And then: "Stuck here! Love you!"I responded, "I love you. Are you scared?" The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-rcs-iphone-ios-18-keeps-green-text-bubbles-android-2024-6">text bubble went green</a> and stayed green for days.<h2 id="1c2b684d-5bc2-4815-b906-ba720a4b9710">I started looking at maps to see if she could be OK</h2>By Saturday, I rocked some more and found myself watching YouTube videos where homes were swept away, rooftops floated above 22 feet of water, and half of the I-40 slid into the abyss by a mudslide.For hours I studied flood plains trying to estimate the distance of my daughter's apartment building to the center of the disaster, virtually met with other concerned friends and family on Buncombe County Community Facebook. A woman shared that her sister was pregnant and stuck on top of her roof in Black Mountain, a neighborhood my daughter lived in when she first moved there. Another person shared that a helicopter was on its way to rescue the pregnant woman. We shared addresses and tears.I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-home-prices-rise-appreciate-most-next-year-cities-zillow-2024-5">used Zillow to look up her building address</a>. I also used the 360º feature to imagine scenarios of safety, including one where Helene spared my heart.<h2 id="f6fcc69e-14d7-40ff-b4d1-fe95203603a4">I joined online meetings to distract myself</h2>My younger daughter reminded me throughout Saturday afternoon of her older sister's wit, her ability to think on her feet, and the fact that she has a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/travel-berkey-water-filter-system-review">Berkey filter that has enough water for a few days</a>. My partner said that she had neighbors near her; she wasn't alone.I found an online Live Zoom update. City officials from Buncombe County shared about the next steps once flood waters receded. They also talked about the loss of life and massive casualties.None of it calmed me. I distracted myself intermittently, taking aggression out on cleaning the floors.I couldn't pull myself away from the images of people's lives being washed away on the Weather Channel. I stayed awake for 48 hours after our text messages stopped, and phone calls went right to voicemail.As a therapist, I know none of this helps or manages stress, and yet my nervous system couldn't get me to higher ground.<h2 id="b0c2cb58-3758-4f0c-9225-fa36569bbd71">She finally reached out in the middle of the night</h2>By Saturday evening, I was directed to a Missing Persons form for Buncombe County. I filled out her address, hoping it still existed. I imagined officials making the dreaded call that they couldn't find her. I replayed our last conversation, grateful that we have overcome some of our mother-daughter differences. I sent her a stream of green texts, saying I was praying for her, thinking of her daily, and hoping she was safe. I even prayed a chainsaw would appear. I read about a woman who was using one to clear downed trees.My body gave in by 1:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, and I fell asleep.At 4:08 a.m., my phone rang. Then my partner's phone rang louder when I couldn't get to mine. It was my girl; she was safe. She and her partner borrowed a chainsaw. They chopped down trees and made a path for their neighbors. They shared how they had zero information. None of it made sense until they started to see the catastrophic details with their own eyes. They didn't know why nobody was coming to help them.Once they borrowed the chainsaw, they were able to reach others in their community, clear trees, and bring food and water to friends. They said they must've lifted a thousand pounds between them. Their voices were energetic and full of life.I reveled in this momentary joy. I listened to the early morning voicemail she left. I'll save the sweet sound of safety, knowing we are spared this time.I texted her on Monday, asking if she got some rest. "A little bit. I have nightmares," with a crying emoji. At least it was blue.

You Searched For "natural disaster" and got 10 results

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

Ira Alok Puranik

Hurricanes are taking the election by storm. Here's where Harris and Trump stand on natural disaster policies.

Alice Tecotzky

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

Kelly Cloonan

India announces relief aid worth 1 million US dollars for landslide-hit Papua New Guinea

ANI

Karnataka to get its first Doppler radar by this year to for better weather forecasting

PTI

Why hurricane-stricken Jamaica can't tap into $150 million of natural-disaster insurance

Filip De Mott

Counting the cost of Spain's hellish floods, the government pledged $11B, local officials want $34B

Thibault Spirlet

A self-employed couple lost their home and livelihoods in Hurricane Helene. Their home insurance doesn't come close to enabling them to rebuild their lives.

Serafina Kenny

Which countries are most affected by severe seismic activity? New earthquake metric provides fresh perspective

Ankush Banerjee

My daughter lives in Asheville, and I lost contact with her for 3 days as the hurricane hit. I imagined the worst.

Jeneane Nicodemus

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides