Texas, United States – A toxic chemical leak at an industrial plant has killed two contract workers and hospitalized at least 30 others, according to local authorities, prompting a major emergency response and renewed scrutiny of workplace safety practices. Emergency teams quickly arrived at the facility, moved to contain the...
New York City and much of the Northeast are under a Flood Watch as a slow-moving storm system brings intense thunderstorms and potentially life-threatening flash flooding. The National Weather Service warns that many locations may see 2 to 5 inches of rain, with isolated cloudbursts producing 2 to 3 inches...
Swiss Re said on Tuesday that ongoing wildfires in France and Spain are likely to drive higher demand for private insurance coverage in southern Europe. The reinsurer noted that wildfire losses are generally not covered by national insurance pools in the region, leaving homeowners to purchase separate policies and creating...
Record quantities of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed are inundating beaches along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, disrupting tourism and raising environmental concerns, according to officials and researchers speaking in late July. Authorities in Quintana Roo, home to Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, project about 119,000 tons of sargassum will reach shore by...
NEW JERSEY – Northern New Jersey and parts of the wider New York metropolitan area faced severe flash flooding, structural damage, and significant transit disruptions after a fast-moving storm system struck late Monday and continued into Tuesday. Torrential downpours, damaging microburst winds, marble-sized hail, and numerous downed power lines disrupted...
Washington, United States – The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a small agency that monitors and responds to injuries linked to consumer products ranging from lawn mowers to household appliances, has demanded that some of the nation’s largest hospital systems provide it with detailed, personally identifiable medical records for...
In the United States, insurers are re-evaluating how El Niño affects hurricane risk as coastal exposure rises sharply. El Niño, identified by U.S. government scientists in June at the onset of the Atlantic hurricane season, typically suppresses storm formation, and officials expect a below-average 2026 season with eight to 14...
Authorities in Longview, Washington, say two workers are confirmed dead and nine others are presumed dead following the implosion and rupture of a 900,000-gallon chemical storage tank at a Nippon Paper Group mill on July 26. The tank contained “white liquor,” a highly corrosive chemical used in paper processing, which...
UNITED STATES – Officials say firefighters are battling 90 large wildfires across the western United States as an intense heat wave fuels dangerous conditions in multiple states. The National Interagency Fire Center reports that the 2026 wildfire season is the most active in a decade, with at least four firefighters...
Wildfires in southwest France moved toward the outskirts of Bordeaux on Sunday, prompting intensified firefighting efforts and precautionary evacuations in nearby municipalities. Authorities said around 220,000 people have been evacuated across France, while in Spain more than 75,000 have been evacuated and about 30,000 ordered to shelter in place. Fires...
