Disasters

"Official reports released Monday say the catastrophic damage to Oroville Dam’s main spillway probably stemmed from swift water flows under the concrete chute, which was cracked and of uneven thickness."

"A biblical torrent here in October 2015 destroyed 51 dams, flooded hundreds of homes and businesses and led to more than 15 deaths. Officials say the disaster is a cautionary tale for a patchwork of weak, underfunded state dam oversight agencies across the country."

"Last year Florida was waterlogged. This year Florida is on fire. More than 100 active wildfires are burning across the state right now, according to the Florida Forest Service. Twenty-seven of them are scorching more than 100 acres each."

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is shutting down a program at its headquarters that helps states and localities adapt to the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels."

"GUANGZHOU, China — The rains brought torrents, pouring into basements and malls, the water swiftly rising a foot and a half."

"State officials said Thursday that they hope to sign a contract for reconstruction of the heavily damaged Lake Oroville spillway by April 17."

"Australia could be on the frontline of a new wave of “climate refugees” displaced by extreme weather events, droughts and rising seas, a US expert on the national security impacts of climate change has warned."

"The number of Chinook salmon predicted to return to the Klamath River on the California-Oregon border this fall fishing season is around 11,000 fish. That is the lowest number in recorded history. Coho salmon is already listed under the Endangered Species Act in California and Oregon."

"California is courting a 'very significant risk' if a damaged spillway on the nation's tallest dam is not operational by the next rainy season, and the state's plan for the work leaves no time for any delays, a team of safety experts has warned in a report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press."