Disasters

"The NOAA pilots and scientists flying aboard hurricane hunter aircraft into Hurricane Melissa’s 185-mile per hour winds are not being paid during the government shutdown, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed Tuesday."

"Earth’s vital signs are “flashing red,” fossil fuel use is at peak levels and warming is increasingly impacting forests, oceans and disaster frequency, according to a new report."

"Hurricane Melissa left at least dozens dead and caused widespread destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, where roofless homes, toppled utility poles and water-logged furniture dominated the landscape Wednesday."

"Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba near the city of Chivirico early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said."

"Republican attorneys general, GOP lawmakers, industry groups and the president himself are all maneuvering to foreclose the ability of cities and states to hold the fossil fuel industry liable for damages linked to climate change."

"The warming of the world’s oceans caused by climate change helped double Hurricane Melissa’s wind speed in less than 24 hours over the weekend, climate scientists said Monday. Melissa is currently a Category 5 storm, the highest category, with sustained wind speeds of over 157 mph (252 kph). Melissa is forecast to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday before crossing Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday."

"Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength Monday as it neared Jamaica with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain and a life-threatening storm surge."

"The Trump administration stopped updating a database tracking the costs of the country’s worst disasters. A group of scientists has revived it."

"The Trump administration has sent a referral to the Department of Justice recommending Biden-era Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff face criminal charges, alleging politicization of emergency funding."

"As Tropical Storm Melissa crawls through the Caribbean, it will strengthen to a hurricane and unleash torrential rain that may trigger major to extreme flooding and mudslides, endangering lives and property."