<ul class="summary-list"><li>As of Sunday, the death toll in <keyword id="57389" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Haiti">Haiti</keyword> following the <keyword id="6362774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="earthquake">earthquake</keyword> sits at 1,297.</li><li>Government agencies in the country are working to clear main access roads and collapsed houses.</li><li>Meteorologists forecast that a tropical depression will bring heavy rainfall to Haiti on Monday night.</li></ul>Following a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 14, Haitians are scrambling to find and rescue any survivors as <keyword id="11865848" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tropical-depression-grace">Tropical Depression Grace</keyword> approaches. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-haiti-quake/rescuers-race-to-find-haiti-quake-survivors-as-death-toll-hits-1297-idUSKBN2FG046">Reuters reported Sunday</a> that the death toll had risen to 1,297, with another 5,700 individuals injured.Drone footage from CBS shows the aftermath of the early morning earthquake's epicenter, which struck Haiti's southwestern peninsula near Saint-Louis-du-Sud, <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/magnitude-72-earthquake-haiti">according to the United States Geological Survey</a>.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-CBS <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1427057574357213186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2021</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Steve Bowen (@SteveBowenWx) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1426597958678683649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote>Haiti's Ministry of Public Works, Transportation, and Communications is working with the National Equipment Center and the Haitian Armed Forces to clear main access roads and collapsed houses, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrArielHenry/status/1427051918761861121">Prime Minister Ariel Henry said in a thread of tweets</a> asking for additional support. Seriously injured individuals have been evacuated while volunteer doctors work to treat other injuries, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrArielHenry/status/1427050042414796807">according to Henry</a>."After my visit to the South, I renew my call for unity, for the solidarity of all Haitians to rebuild our beloved Haiti, which is so badly damaged today," <a href="https://twitter.com/DrArielHenry/status/1427075175888076806">Henry said in a tweet</a>. "I would like to salute the resilience and dignity of the victims, despite their great sadness."Videos and photos shared on social media show Cuban doctors on the ground treating wounded individuals and people rushing to find survivors in the rubble as Tropical Depression Grace approaches.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-✨Nene (@yntch0) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1426571695238811654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Manolo De Los Santos (@manolo_realengo) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1426611456435494917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote>Meteorologists forecast that <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2021-08-14-tropical-storm-grace-forms-south-florida-in-the-cone?cm_ven=dnt_social_twitter">Tropical Depression Grace</a>, which was downgraded from its previous classification as a <keyword id="385066" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="tropical-storm">tropical storm</keyword>, will bring heavy rain to the Dominican Republic and Haiti as early as Monday night. The heavy rainfall may potentially cause flooding and mudslides, <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/144904.shtml?key_messages#contents">according to the National Hurricane Center</a>."Most likely, Grace will remain a depression until it enters into the Gulf [of Mexico] where it could reintensify into a tropical storm, but that is also not a certainty," <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2021-08-14-tropical-storm-grace-forms-south-florida-in-the-cone?cm_ven=dnt_social_twitter">meteorologist Heather Tesch said</a>.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1426658151269601282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1426922918232088577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

Photos, videos show Haitians scrambling to find survivors of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake as Tropical Depression Grace approaches

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some hallways in the <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword> State Capitol filled with water amid a flash flood warning. </li><li>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said "it's all hands on deck" as government agencies worked to address the <keyword id="47726" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="flooding">flooding</keyword>.</li><li>Texas has struggled to pass environmental regulations amid <keyword id="6361617" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change">climate change</keyword> denials among lawmakers.</li></ul>Parts of the Texas State Capitol flooded on Sunday night as the state was hit with flooding as capital city Austin faced flash-flooding in several spots. <a href="https://twitter.com/wsbyerly/status/1426980932741959681?s=20">Videos</a> shared by one staffer showed water in an underground portion of the Capitol as rain poured in from windows above. "It's all hands on deck," Gov. Greg Abbott <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1426993182949187589?s=20">tweeted</a> on Sunday, adding that government agencies were working to address the flooding.<a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/education/university-of-texas/uts-gregory-gym-floods-during-storm/269-febc2102-2f39-469a-9627-77636b4f91bb">Some facilities on the University of Texas at Austin campus</a> also faced surprise flooding amid the heavy rains.Chris Currens of the State Preservation Board told the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/15/texas-capitol-flood/">Texas Tribune</a> that the flooding at the State Capitol was due to a clogged storm drain. The agency also told the outlet it was less than an inch of water, and the damage was contained to offices in two hallways of the Capitol's extension building. The heavy rains come as extreme weather has sparked countless headlines in recent months centered on Texas. Six months ago, a freeze left millions of Texans without power, heat, or water. Some experts told CBS <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> at the time the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-power-outage-storm-climate-change/">emergency was a first look</a> at the effects of the climate crisis that will likely grow more concerning for the state. A 2020 <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/03/05/study-future-texas-depends-climate-preparedness/">study</a> found from the Office of the Texas State Climatologist at Texas A&amp;M University said Texas residents should prepare for climate change to cause extreme weather in the next 15 years, including extreme heat, wildfires, flooding and hurricanes. Despite a renewed conversation on consequences stemming from the climate crisis, representatives working in the Texas legislature have faced roadblocks in their efforts to address the climate crisis.Rep. Erin Zwiener told the <a href="https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2021-06-04/even-the-winter-storm-disaster-couldnt-budge-the-texas-lege-on-climate-change/">Austin Chronicle in June</a> that she was initially "optimistic" that the legislature would make moves forwarding environmental regulations, but it didn't happen. "It's disappointing, especially since we all just experienced an event in February that is likely connected to global climate change," said Zwiener, who did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Texas previously said at least 151 people died in the freeze and subsequent power outages, although the real toll could be <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/texas-winter-storm-power-outage-death-toll">closer to 700, a BuzzFeed News analysis reported in May</a>. In 2019, Abbott said it was "impossible" for him to acknowledge whether man-made climate change was worsening weather disasters in the state. Abbott's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The Texas State Capitol flooded under heavy rains as storms soaked Austin

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Henri caused power outages and flooding after making landfall in Rhode Island on Sunday.</li><li>The National <keyword id="11911086" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="weather" source="Orion">Weather</keyword> Service downgraded it from a <keyword id="11899295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tropical-storm" source="Orion">tropical storm</keyword> to a tropical depression.</li><li>Henri is expected to bring heavy rain and flooding as it moves east across Massachusetts through Tuesday.</li></ul>About <a href="https://poweroutage.us/">50,000 people across Rhode Island and Connecticut</a> are still without power after Henri made landfall as a tropical storm near Westerly, Rhode Island, on Sunday afternoon.Henri was downgraded to a tropical depression after its maximum sustained winds dropped below 39 mph on Sunday evening.As of 11 a.m. ET on Monday, Henri was moving east at 6 miles per hour, with winds of 30 mph, <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIAWPCAT3+shtml/231458.shtml">according to the National Hurricane Center</a>. It is 45 miles northeast of New York City and expected to move over the Atlantic by Tuesday morning. <div type="image" title="henri cone sunday 11pm" height="736" width="897" msid="85568379" hostid="261"></div>Up to 3 inches heavy rainfall are still expected across eastern Pennsylvania, southeast New York, New Jersey, Long Island, and portions of New England.That heavy rain may keep producing flash floods across southern New England, New York City, and the area around Albany, New York.<div type="image" title="noaa henri rainfall" height="716" width="892" msid="85568383" hostid="261"></div>The NHC added that an isolated tornado or two is possible across southern New England on Monday afternoon.<h2>A rare New England landfall</h2><div type="image" title="Water on the beach extending way farther down the shore" height="3280" width="4928" msid="85568386" hostid="261"></div>Henri was upgraded to a Category 1 <keyword id="11911087" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hurricane" source="Orion">hurricane</keyword> on Saturday, but deteriorated in strength Sunday morning before hitting Rhode Island.Even though Henri made landfall as a tropical storm, not a hurricane, it nonetheless caused flash flooding <a href="https://nwschat.weather.gov/p.php?pid=202108220721-KOKX-NWUS51-LSROKXhttps://nwschat.weather.gov/lsr/#OKX/202108202300/202108231100/0100">across New York and New Jersey</a>. Manhattan's Central Park recorded record levels of rain, with more than 4 inches between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/22/us/hurricane-henri-updates#emergency-declarations-are-issued-for-rhode-island-connecticut-and-new-york-as-henri-weakens">The New York Times called it</a> "the wettest hour on record for New York City."<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/22/us/hurricane-henri-updates#emergency-declarations-are-issued-for-rhode-island-connecticut-and-new-york-as-henri-weakens"></a>Emergency services in Newark, New Jersey, rescued more than 80 people as drivers were left stranded in flooded streets, <a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1878132735702935&amp;id=5274068674422022202">local officials said</a>.<h2>NOAA predicts up to 13 more named storms this season</h2><div type="image" title="An unidentified man walks his dogs through a flooded parking lot in the Watch Hill section of Westerly, R.I., after Tropical Storm Henri made landfall, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021." height="2500" width="4268" msid="85568390" hostid="261"></div>By definition, any cyclone-shaped storm with winds faster than 39 mph is a tropical storm. Storms get named once their winds reach that speed. After winds hit 74 mph, a storm becomes a Category 1 hurricane on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-hurricane-damage-as-measured-by-saffir-simpson-scale-2017-8">Saffir-Simpson</a> scale.Henri is the year's <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/13/weather/2021-atlantic-hurricane-season-fast-facts/index.html">eighth named storm</a>; two other storms, Elsa and Grace, also became hurricanes. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with activity peaking around September 10. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there will be a total of <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/atlantic-hurricane-season-shows-no-signs-of-slowing">seven to 10 hurricanes in 2021</a>, and up to 21 named storms. That includes three to five major hurricanes - meaning Category 3, 4, or 5, with winds at least 111 mph. Grace - which made landfall in Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane - has been the only major hurricane so far this year.Overall, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/2021-hurricane-season-above-normal-number-strong-storms-2021-7">average number of storms</a> per season has increased due to climate change, so NOAA recently updated the baseline numbers it uses to make <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/average-atlantic-hurricane-season-to-reflect-more-storms">seasonal hurricane predictions</a>. The agency now defines an average season based on data from 1991 to 2010, when the average was 14 named storms, seven of which were hurricanes. Previously, NOAA considered an average season to have <a href="https://www.insider.com/2021-hurricane-season-above-normal-number-strong-storms-2021-7">12 storms in total</a>, with six being hurricanes.

Henri, downgraded to a tropical depression after making landfall, is moving across New England

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/things-you-should-never-do-during-a-hurricane-2019-7">Hurricane Ida</a> has made landfall on Cuba's Isle of Youth.</li><li>It's expected to rapidly strengthen over the Gulf of Mexico, then strike Louisiana and Mississippi as a Category 4 storm on Sunday.</li><li><keyword id="11896311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">Climate change</keyword> is causing more <a href="https://www.insider.com/tropical-storm-henri-forecast-hurricane-track-landfall-updates-2021-8">storms</a> to strengthen rapidly.</li></ul><keyword id="11911087" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hurricane" source="Orion">Hurricane</keyword> Ida is rapidly gaining strength as it barrels over Cuba and towards the Gulf Coast.Forecasters at the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/">National Hurricane Center</a> expect Ida to hit Louisiana and Mississippi as a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph on Sunday. Ida is expected to make landfall on the same date that Hurricane Katrina struck the area catastrophically 16 years ago."Ida is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the coast of Louisiana," the NHC <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/272049.shtml">forecast</a> warned on Friday evening.Ida was still a tropical storm early on Friday but it strengthened into a hurricane by the afternoon. As of 11 p.m. ET, the storm entered the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to rapidly intensify before its projected landfall late Sunday.Cuba has issued a hurricane warning for its Pinar del Rio and Artemisa provinces. Up to 20 inches of rainfall from the storm may cause dangerous flash floods and mudslides across western Cuba, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.A hurricane warning is also in place for the Louisiana coast from Intracoastal City to the mouth of the Pearl River - an area that includes metropolitan New Orleans. The city has <a href="https://twitter.com/nolaready/status/1431297701535158279">issued</a> a mandatory evacuation order for all areas outside its levee system. The Friday announcement included voluntary evacuations for the rest of the city.<div type="image" title="forecast cone 5pm friday august 27 2021 shows tropical storm ida heading for cuba and louisiana" height="736" width="897" msid="85704526" hostid="261"></div>Ida may bring "extremely life-threatening" storm surge - a wall of water as high as 10 to 15 feet - along the coast from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Smaller surges are expected across the rest of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.As the cyclone moves through the Gulf of Mexico, NHC forecasters say it will encounter "very favorable" conditions - warm water and air, a moist atmosphere, and very little wind shear to disrupt the storm. This will likely fuel a process called rapid intensification, in which a storm's wind speeds increase by at least 35 mph in just 24 hours.The NHC initially expected Ida to strike the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm but the agency now projects a Category 4, since the cyclone is entering the Gulf with higher wind speeds than expected. Forecasters also expect Ida to grow in size, expanding its wind field to affect a larger area."There is higher-than-normal confidence that a large and powerful hurricane will impact portions of the northern Gulf coast by late this weekend and early next week," the NHC said.Miami <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> station <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/08/28/hurricane-ida-miamis-florida-task-force-2-heads-to-alabama-louisiana/">WPLG Local 10 reported</a> that 80 members of Florida Task Force 2 left on Friday night with truckloads of equipment, including water rescue boats, all-terrain vehicles, generators, and medical equipment, to help with Hurricane Ida response. Many on the task force also responded to Hurricane Katrina, <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/08/28/hurricane-ida-miamis-florida-task-force-2-heads-to-alabama-louisiana/">WPLG reported</a>.A hurricane watch extends west to Cameron, Louisiana, and east to the border of Mississippi and Alabama. The entire Alabama coast is under a tropical storm watch.<h2>NOAA predicts up to a dozen more named storms this season</h2><div type="image" title="Water on the beach extending way farther down the shore" height="3280" width="4928" msid="85698708" hostid="261"></div>By definition, any cyclone-shaped storm with winds faster than 39 mph is a tropical storm. Storms get named once their winds reach that speed. After winds hit 74 mph, a storm becomes a Category 1 hurricane on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-hurricane-damage-as-measured-by-saffir-simpson-scale-2017-8">Saffir-Simpson</a> scale.Ida is the year's <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/13/weather/2021-atlantic-hurricane-season-fast-facts/index.html">ninth named storm</a>; three other storms - Elsa, Grace, and Henri - also became hurricanes. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with activity peaking around September 10. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there will be a total of <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/atlantic-hurricane-season-shows-no-signs-of-slowing">seven to 10 hurricanes in 2021</a>, and up to 21 named storms. That includes three to five major hurricanes. A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4, or 5, with sustained wind speeds of at least 111 mph. Grace - which made landfall in Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane - has been the only major hurricane so far this year.Overall, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/2021-hurricane-season-above-normal-number-strong-storms-2021-7">average number of storms</a> per season has increased, so NOAA recently updated the baseline numbers it uses to make <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/average-atlantic-hurricane-season-to-reflect-more-storms">seasonal hurricane predictions</a>. The agency now defines an average season based on data from 1991 to 2010, when the average was 14 named storms, seven of which were hurricanes. Previously, NOAA considered an average season to have <a href="https://www.insider.com/2021-hurricane-season-above-normal-number-strong-storms-2021-7">12 storms in total</a>, with six being hurricanes.<h2>Climate change is making cyclones stronger, slower, and wetter</h2><div type="image" title="seven adults wade through tropical storm harvey floodwaters carrying children and bags" height="1578" width="2400" msid="85698711" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/climate/climate-change-hurricanes.html">Earth's warming</a> increases the chance that a hurricane will be <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/48/23942">more devastating</a>. Rising ocean temperatures in particular <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0673-2">play a major role</a>, since the temperature of the water below a storm influences its wind speed. A 1-degree-Fahrenheit rise in ocean temperature can increase a storm's wind speed by <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2016/08/warmer-oceans-stronger-hurricanes/">up to 20 miles per hour</a>.That also enables storms to <a href="https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-013-1713-0">intensify</a> in less time, so rapid intensification events <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/22/11975">have gotten more frequent</a> over the last 40 years. <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/jcli/article/31/20/8281/92614/Projected-Response-of-Tropical-Cyclone-Intensity">One study</a> found that the chance a hurricane will undergo rapid intensification went from 1 in 100 in the early 1980s to 1 in 20 by 2005.Over the past 70 years or so, the speed at which hurricanes and tropical storms travel <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-019-0074-8">has also dropped</a> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0158-3">about 10%</a>. That's a problem, since it means any given storm has more time to pummel an area with wind and rain. To make matters worse, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricanes-and-rain-getting-stronger-2018-6">a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture</a>, so a 10% slowdown in a storm's pace could double the amount of rainfall and flooding that an area experiences. Peak <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricanes-and-rain-getting-stronger-2018-6">rain rates of storms have increased by 30%</a> over the past 60 years.That increased rainfall, paired with rising sea levels, means cyclones will likely bring increasingly devastating flooding in the coming years and decades.

Hurricane Ida is expected to pummel Louisiana as a Category 4 storm on Sunday - exactly 16 years after Katrina

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Criminal <keyword id="11916138" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gangs" source="Orion">gangs</keyword> in <keyword id="11901216" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="haiti" source="Orion">Haiti</keyword> have slowed down aid efforts trying to reach those injuries by the recent <keyword id="6362774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="earthquake" source="Orion">earthquake</keyword>. </li><li>Tropical storm Grace has also hampered humanitarian efforts. </li><li>On August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, killing 2000 people and injuring 12,000.</li></ul>Rescue workers had to battle with armed gangs in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-haiti-gets-earthquakes-tectonic-plates-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Haiti</a> to deliver aid to those suffering after a 7.2 magnitude <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/72-magnitude-earthquake-hits-haiti-larger-than-epic-2010-quake-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">earthquake</a>. Aid convoys were attacked in Haiti and the <keyword id="11893452" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="un" source="Orion">UN</keyword> Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs was forced to negotiate with the gangs that allowed the aid to be passed through. Haitians are getting so desperate for supplies and support that on Friday, 20 August, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/aid-struggles-reach-remote-areas-haiti-quake-zone-2021-08-20/">Reuters reported</a> that an aid truck was looted. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-58284713">The BBC report </a>that a major hospital in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, had to be closed for two days after two doctors were kidnapped by criminal gangs. A pregnant mother and her baby died while waiting for an emergency Cesarean section meant to be performed by one of the captured doctors. On August 14, Haiti was struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, killing 2000 people and injuring 12,000 people - 332 people are still missing. Jerry Chandler, head of Haiti's civil protection agency, spoke at a news conference to say that there are 600,000 people in need of emergency assistance, with the UNICEF stating that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unicef-over-half-a-million-children-affected-by-haiti-earthquake-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">over 500,000 children have no access to shelter or safe water. </a>Homes have been destroyed by the earthquake, leaving people having to live in makeshift campgrounds and shelters. Fears of a public health emergency are rising, with the cramped, damp conditions and an inability to access healthcare spiking fears of disease and even more deaths. Aftershocks from the quake are still shaking the island, but they've not caused any additional fatalities. "Our hearts are tearing apart; some of our compatriots are still under the rubble," he said, appealing for the troubled nation to come together at a time of crisis. "The days ahead will be difficult and often painful." Reuters report Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry as saying. The aid effort has been further hampered by poor weather conditions inflicted by tropical storm Grace.US aid agency USAID - who have transported 143 medical and search and rescue staff and 6,800 pounds of medical supplies to Haiti - have said that many roads were inaccessible due to the weather conditions. The nation - still reeling from a devastating 2010 earthquake that killed 200,000 people - is now battling the shock of this earthquake and political tensions from the recent assassination of their late-President.

Reports of criminal gangs stealing aid shipments at gunpoint are hampering the effort to help Haiti's earthquake victims

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Over 500,000 children in <keyword id="57389" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Haiti">Haiti</keyword> have been left without proper food, shelter, or clean water after an earthquake last week.</li><li>UNICEF said over 84,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, in addition to schools, hospitals and other infrastructure. </li><li>As of Tuesday, officials said the death toll in the disaster had reached over 1,900 people.</li></ul>More than 500,000 children have been left without proper food, shelter, or clean water after a powerful <a href="https://www.insider.com/haiti-earthquake-video-footage-survivors-2021-8">earthquake</a> rocked Haiti on Saturday, <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/over-half-million-children-affected-haiti-earthquake">UNICEF</a> said on Tuesday. The organization said both flooding and mudslides caused by a Tropical Storm Grace will likely further complicate the humanitarian response and worsen the situation of vulnerable individuals. UNICEF also said over 84,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Schools, hospitals, bridges, and other public infrastructure have also been damaged by the back-to-back disasters."Right now, about half a million Haitian children have limited or no access to shelter, safe water, health care, and nutrition," said Bruno Maes, UNICEF's Representative in Haiti. Haiti - which was still reeling from the assassination of its president in July - was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Saturday. On Tuesday, officials said the death toll in the disaster had reached over 1,900 people.The organization said it plans to mobilize additional supplies like education and recreational kits, as well as host community-oriented engagement activities to maintain support for children and prevent family separation. With its partners, UNICEF is working to provide emergency shelters, safe water reservoirs and hygiene kits.Assessments conducted by UNICEF revealed plenty of destruction to schools in particular just weeks before they were set to reopen. "It will be extremely difficult for parents, teachers, and the government to get children safely back to school just three weeks from now, when schools re-open on September 7," Maes said. "But it is so crucial for children who have just gone through this traumatic earthquake-plus-extreme weather experience, to have the normalcy and stability of being in a classroom with their friends and teachers."Over the last two years, children have been out of school for months on end, whether because of political instability or the COVID-19 pandemic.Maes said putting children back in school is "perhaps the best way" to make sure students, families, and communities can recover.UNICEF estimates it will need $15 million, subject to review and adjustment as the situation develops, to assist at least 385,000 people. Those looking to help relief efforts can donate to charities such as <a href="https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/major-earthquake-hits-haiti/38873?form=FUNZZFVXQHV&amp;utm_campaign=20210815_Emergencies&amp;utm_medium=Referral&amp;utm_source=HTHHaitiEarthquake&amp;utm_content=HaitiEarthquake&amp;ms=Referral_PRL_2021_Emergencies_20210815_HTHHaitiEarthquake_HaitiEarthquake_none_none&amp;initialms=Referral_PRL_2021_Emergencies_20210815_HTHHaitiEarthquake_HaitiEarthquake_none_noneaitiEarthquake_none_none">UNICEF</a> or <a href="https://hopeforhaiti.com/">Hope for Haiti.</a> <iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/FbUVRH7y-gFnR6QwM.html" width="100%" height="100%" style="position:absolute;"></iframe>

Over 500,000 children are living without proper shelter, food, or clean water after Haiti earthquake, UNICEF says

Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-khive-defenders-democratic-women-2021-8">Here are 12 Democratic women power brokers doing damage control for Vice President Kamala Harris</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-says-taliban-pledged-civilians-safe-passage-out-afghanistan-2021-8">The White House says the Taliban has pledged to allow civilians safe passage out of Afghanistan</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-votes-punish-school-districts-that-broke-mask-mandate-rules-2021-8">Florida is ready to crack down on school districts that impose mask mandates</a></li></ul>With Phil Rosen.<hr />1. INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE: Washington's version of the "KHive" is swarming to defend Vice President Harris. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-khive-defenders-democratic-women-2021-8">Her team includes some of the most powerful women in</a> Washington who have long played defense for male politicians like Bill Clinton, Mike Bloomberg, and Bernie Sanders.Here are some of the members of her team:<ul><li>Minyon Moore: Moore was a guest at a recent DC-area dinner focused on how to help Harris fight back against negative press, <a href="https://www.axios.com/kamala-harris-press-coverage-crisis-dinner-7139cfc7-754b-42aa-a411-95716273dbb0.html">per Axios</a>. The Chicago native and principal at Dewey Square Group is a longtime friend of Tina Flournoy, Harris' chief of staff, and confidant to Hillary Clinton.</li><li>Ashley Etienne: Norm Eisen once dubbed Etienne the Democrats' "secret weapon in the war against Trump." As a Hill veteran, Etienne shaped the party's messaging during Trump's first impeachment while serving as a top advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. </li><li>Symone Sanders: As Harris' chief spokesperson, Sanders has publicly pushed back on reports of office disfunction. She joined Sanders' 2016 campaign and then became one of Biden's key public voices in 2020. </li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-khive-defenders-democratic-women-2021-8">See the full list of Harris' high-profile defenders.</a><hr />2. The Taliban is making lofty promises as it takes power: Taliban leaders are pledging a peaceful future for Afghanistan and a more moderate view on women's rights - stark contrasts to the brutal history of its 1990s-era rule, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/world/asia/taliban-leaders-kabul.html">The New York Times reports</a>. But this <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taliban-trying-to-pose-as-moderates-after-years-terror-tactics-2021-8">desire to rebrand</a> already runs counter to reports of abuse and of local commanders prohibiting girls from attending school. One of the first signs of what's to come will be who serves in the new government, especially given reports that the US-backed President Hamid Karzai may be involved.<ul><li>Images from when the Taliban first seized power: A photographer looks back on the militant group's emergence in 1996, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-in-afghanistan-1996-when-taliban-first-took-power-2021-8">recounting a soldier reenact an execution and the trepidation he feels watching everything unfold now.</a></li></ul><div type="image" title="taliban fighters armed laghman afghanistan 2021" height="2192" width="2923" msid="85426550" hostid="261"></div>Other top stories on Kabul:<ul><li>Trump defense secretary says the former president "undermined" the situation: Mark Esper said the US deal with the Taliban may have been "undermined" after Trump continued to try to get troops out of Afghanistan before the militant group met conditions that were part of the 2020 agreement. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-former-defense-secretary-says-he-undermined-taliban-deal-2021-8">Esper said both Biden and Trump made mistakes. </a></li><li>White House says Taliban promised safe passage for those fleeing the country: The agreement was negotiated by Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the US troops in Kabul, who met on Sunday with Taliban senior leaders in Doha, Qatar. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-says-taliban-pledged-civilians-safe-passage-out-afghanistan-2021-8">Airlifts are back on track, but there's still no firm timetable on how long the entire evacuation will take.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-says-taliban-pledged-civilians-safe-passage-out-afghanistan-2021-8"></a></li><li>Afghans are erasing their internet histories: Many are worried that any trace of promoting education or work with western NGOs will risk reprisal, Wired reports. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afghans-erase-online-data-fearing-taliban-repercussions-2021-8">But many Afghans also need that information to get the necessary visas to leave.</a></li></ul><hr />3. White House expected to announce booster-shot advice today: Top health officials will outline their advice on why most Americans should get an extra dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna shot eight months after their second dose. Americans who received the single-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine will eventually receive guidance on what to do as well. The FDA still needs to issue its approval. <a href="https://www.insider.com/biden-administration-will-advise-most-americans-receive-coronavirus-booster-2021-8">If that happens, boosters could begin as soon as next month.</a><ul><li>Travelers will have to mask up on planes through next year: The TSA will extend the federal transportation mask mandate through January 18, Reuters reports. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/exclusive-us-expected-extend-transportation-mask-mandate-through-jan-18-sources-2021-08-17/">The news comes as flight attendants face increasingly hostile passengers.</a></li></ul><hr /><a href="https://www.insider.com/haiti-earthquake-video-footage-survivors-2021-8"><div type="image" title="Scenes of devastation from the Haiti earthquake" height="1000" width="2000" msid="85426552" hostid="261"></div></a>4. Death toll for Haiti quake reaches nearly 2,000: Rescue efforts were suspended in some areas as rains and mudslides from Tropical Storm Grace slammed the country, The Washington Post reports. Officials said the weekend earthquake was stronger than the devastating 2010 quake that led to the deaths of more than 220,000 people, but it was centered farther from the densely-populated capital. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/17/haiti-earthquake-tropical-storm-grace/">The latest on the disaster response. </a><ul><li>Seismologists say it's only a matter of time before another major earthquake: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-haiti-gets-earthquakes-tectonic-plates-2021-8">Why the island nation can't seem to shake these natural disasters.</a></li></ul><hr />5. Florida is ready to crack down on school districts that impose mask mandates: Florida education officials voted to punish two school districts that violated Gov. Ron DeSantis' law banning such mandates. The decision is the first punitive move made against school districts since DeSantis threatened to withhold paychecks from districts that shirked the law last week. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-votes-punish-school-districts-that-broke-mask-mandate-rules-2021-8">More on the fallout.</a><ul><li>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has COVID-19: A spokesperson said the governor is fully vaccinated and currently asymptomatic. Abbott has banned mask mandates in Texas, despite a worsening outbreak driven by the Delta variant. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-gov-abbott-tested-positive-covid-19-attending-republican-fundraiser-2021-8">He attended a crowded GOP fundraiser shortly before testing positive. </a></li></ul><hr />6. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-gov-abbott-tested-positive-covid-19-attending-republican-fundraiser-2021-8"></a>Pelosi braces for a showdown over infrastructure: Top House Democrats are plowing ahead with their plan to vote on an outline for a $3.5 trillion social-spending plan next week, opting against demands from more centrist lawmakers to pass the bipartisan infrastructure deal into law first, The Wall Street Journal reports. Pelosi pressed lawmakers to support the strategy in a letter last night, hoping to avoid a fight between the party's wings. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nancy-pelosi-braces-for-showdown-with-moderates-next-week-over-infrastructure-vote-11629234279?mod=hp_lead_pos7">More on the intraparty squabbles and the future of Biden's domestic agenda.</a><hr />7. Policing talks reportedly axe qualified immunity: Long-running negotiations on a major police-reform bill in Congress no longer include changes to the controversial legal doctrine that protects officers from civil legal liability, Politico reports. The bipartisan talks have repeatedly blown past deadlines, including the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's killing. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/17/lawmakers-immunity-police-reform-talks-505671">The focus now is on a much more scaled-down bill.</a><hr />8. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is a new parent: Buttigieg said that the "​​process isn't done yet," but he and his husband Chasten Buttigieg will share more soon. The Buttigiegs had been trying to adopt a child for a year, Chasten told The Post last month. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/transportation-secretary-pete-buttigieg-and-husband-chasten-become-parents-2021-8">More on the exciting news.</a><hr />9. Sen. Marco Rubio wants to ban TikTok: Rubio is asking Biden to block the video-sharing app in the US after news surfaced that the Chinese government bought a stake in its parent company, resurrecting a Trump-era push to ban the popular app. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rubio-biden-tiktok-ban-bytedance-china-data-privacy-security-concerns-2021-8">The request follows China's increased regulatory crackdowns.</a> <ul><li>Beware US-listed Chinese stocks, says top regulator: In his most direct warning yet, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler explained that <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/china-stocks-warning-gary-gensler-investing-risks-chinese-regulation-2021-8">investors' money may not be going to what they think.</a></li></ul><hr />10. The newest way to get a job in crypto: A hacker who stole $600 million from a cryptocurrency firm was invited to be the firm's chief security advisor. The invitation came days after the DeFi platform offered the same hacker $500,000 for returning stolen money. The hacker had said he only did the heist for fun -<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/poly-network-chief-security-advisor-600-million-heist-defi-platform-2021-8"> but now could be set for a real career shift.</a><hr />Today's trivia question: Thanks to a new project, you can now see <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-digital-renderings-show-five-alternate-white-house-designs-2021-8">what the White House would have looked </a>like had different designs - including one proposed by Thomas Jefferson - been chosen. What president later made the "White House" nickname official? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Yesterday's answer: Before his land played host to Woodstock, Max Yasgur was a dairy farmer in Bethel, New York. Many neighbors despised him for hosting the festival, <a href="https://time.com/5645555/woodstock-max-yasgur/">but Yasgur said he did not regret his decision.</a></li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: Kamala Harris' damage control squad

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59a6fb3179bbfd2d0d8b4fad-2400/ap17242012070492.jpg" alt="Hurricane Harvey" data-mce-source="AP/David J. Phillip" data-mce-caption="A home is surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston." />AP/David J. PhillipOfficials estimate up to 40,000 homes were destroyed in the Houston area.</div></div></div><ul><li>Tens of thousands of Texans have been driven from their homes after dangerous flooding from Harvey. </li><li>Officials estimate up to 40,000 homes in the Houston area could be destroyed.</li><li>Less than 20% have flood insurance, leaving people to rely on FEMA to help replace belongings and rebuild their homes.</li></ul>Since Hurricane Harvey <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tropical-storm-harvey-hurricane-updates-map-texas-where-landfall-damage-2017-8">made landfall in Texas</a> last Friday, dangerous flooding has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes, leaving "<a href="https://twitter.com/NWS/status/901832717070983169">unprecedented</a>" rainfall and winds to wreak havoc.Officials estimate that <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/harvey-now-tropical-storm-makes-landfall-louisiana/story?id=49507156">up to 40,000 homes</a> in the Houston area - a city of more than two million people - have been destroyed.The coastal areas of Rockport and Port Arkansas, which are close to where the storm made its first landfall, were <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-harvey-destruction-flooding-photos-2017-8">heavily damaged,</a> as were <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/harvey-port-arthur-26-inches-rain-flash-floods-residents-survival-mode-2017-8">the nearby cities of Port Arthur and Beaumont</a>.Aerial <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/houston-harvey-flooding-aerial-photos-2017-8">photos</a> of the aftermath in Houston show entire neighborhoods submerged in water.But as Harvey begins to subside - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tropical-storm-harvey-hurricane-updates-map-texas-where-landfall-damage-2017-8">the tropical storm made a second landfall</a> in Western Louisiana on Wednesday with lower wind speeds of 40 mph - the financial toll on survivors is just beginning.Over the coming days and weeks, tens of thousands of Texans who fled their homes for safety will return to devastating scenes. The recovery process - from salvaging personal belongings to catching up on mortgage payments to dealing with insurance companies - will be long-lasting and could leave many people in financial ruin.<h2>Mortgage payments</h2>In Houston and nearby areas impacted by the storm, there are "more than twice as many mortgage properties with nearly four times the unpaid principal balance" as there were in the counties hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/30/harvey-hits-mortgages-as-flood-stricken-homeowners-are-unlikely-to-pay.html">according to data cited by CNBC</a> from Black Knight Financial Services.An aftermath on par with Katrina could mean 75,000 Houston borrowers may fall behind on their mortgage payment in the next two months, and 45,000 could become "seriously delinquent" within four months.Mortgage lenders Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are offering some relief for homeowners affected by Harvey, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/30/harvey-hits-mortgages-as-flood-stricken-homeowners-are-unlikely-to-pay.html">forbearing mortgage payments at least 90 days</a>, and potentially up to a year. Borrowers won't have to make their monthly payments and no penalties will apply, though interest will still accrue.<h2>Flood insurance</h2>Only 17% of the homes in the eight counties left in Harvey's wake have flood insurance, which can cost homeowners anywhere from $500 to $2,000 annually depending on the location, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/29/where-harvey-is-hitting-hardest-four-out-of-five-homeowners-lack-flood-insurance">according to the Washington Post</a>.For the more than 80% of homeowners without flood insurance, private charity and grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is all they have. At the high-end, a homeowner who can prove their house is unlivable can be given up to $33,300 from FEMA. Still, the process can take weeks or months after a disaster like Harvey.A lack or delay of funds could force many people into debt or bankruptcy, particularly if a home is the most valuable financial asset they own."There are some early indications that this is going to have an exceptionally large impact on the number of people who are totally uninsured," Howard Mills, the global insurance regulatory leader at Deloitte, <a href="https://qz.com/1063985/hurricane-harvey-why-85-of-homeowners-in-houston-dont-have-federal-flood-insurance/">told Quartz</a>.Most flood insurance policies are issued through the government-run <a href="https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program">National Flood Insurance Program</a> (NFIP), which is already $25 billion in debt after payouts from Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Those policies will cover up to $250,000 in rebuilding costs for structural damage to residential properties.<a href="https://www.fema.gov/nfip-file-your-claim">Filing a claim</a> is the first step, and then homeowners will need to document the damage with photos and make an appointment for an adjuster to visit. As thousands of people move through this process simultaneously, claims and payments are likely to be delayed.<h2>Replacing belongings</h2>Legendary investor Warren Buffett - whose company Berkshire Hathaway owns Geico and several other insurers -<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-billionaire-warren-buffett-says-hurricane-damage-will-linger-2017-8">said</a> it's likely that 10% of the vehicles Geico insures in the Houston area will have to be replaced.Flood insurance policies through FEMA will replace damaged personal belongings such as clothing, TVs, and furniture up to $100,000. But with the vast majority of homeowners in the area uninsured, the losses could be immense.<h2>Managing money</h2>Tens of thousands of people quickly evacuated their homes before Harvey's first landfall, possibly leaving behind important financial documents, like social security information, tax documents, insurance policies, and mortgages. These are all <a href="https://www.usa.gov/replace-vital-documents">replaceable</a>, but may take some time.The Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0379-dealing-weather-emergency-getting-back-your-feet-financially">suggests</a> reaching out to credit card companies, lenders, and other financial institutions to ask for help. Many could be willing to defer payments, extend grace periods, waive late fees, postpone collection or foreclosures, or raise credit limits. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-pilots-fly-directly-into-hurricane-harvey-noaa-2017-8">Pilots flew straight into Hurricane Harvey and caught this incredible first-hand footage</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/FxwNQHHJ-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

You Searched For "tropical storm grace" and got 8 results

Photos, videos show Haitians scrambling to find survivors of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake as Tropical Depression Grace approaches

Morgan Keith

The Texas State Capitol flooded under heavy rains as storms soaked Austin

Katie Balevic

Henri, downgraded to a tropical depression after making landfall, is moving across New England

Aylin Woodward

Hurricane Ida is expected to pummel Louisiana as a Category 4 storm on Sunday - exactly 16 years after Katrina

Morgan McFall-Johnsen,Aylin Woodward

Reports of criminal gangs stealing aid shipments at gunpoint are hampering the effort to help Haiti's earthquake victims

Bethany Dawson

Over 500,000 children are living without proper shelter, food, or clean water after Haiti earthquake, UNICEF says

Jake Epstein

10 Things in Politics: Kamala Harris' damage control squad

Brent D. Griffiths

Harvey is subsiding, but for the tens of thousands driven from their homes the financial toll is just beginning

Tanza Loudenback