As they say, winter is coming, and even as we get kids back to school and cozy up to autumn rituals, it’s important to be prepared. Many people don’t stop to take account of what we have on hand, so we don’t really think about what we might need when winter weather and other storms hit. Here are five categories of things you could need in the event of a winter storm. 1. The Necessities This […]
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September 17, 2018
As evidenced by this summer’s rash of wildfires raging across America, fires are a scary phenomenon. Wildfire, in fact, is a natural phenomenon that is somewhat predictable; the U.S. Fire Administration reports that more than 1.3 million fires that aren’t due to wildfires kill more than 3,000 people each year, cause more than 15,000 injuries, and cost nearly $15 billion in losses. Let’s take a closer look. What Causes Fires? If we understand what causes fires, […]
September 3, 2018
We’ve all heard the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and it’s truer that ever as storms across the country grow in size and ferocity. Storms can carry a variety of hazards with them including wind damage, debris, and jolts to your roof, walls, or foundation, not to mention secondary hazards like flooding. Wind can be one of the bigger surprises that causes storm damage because so many people and […]
August 20, 2018
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), there have been more than 20 “significant” earthquakes in 2018 alone including a 7.9 magnitude earthquake southeast of Kodiak, Alaska and a string of quakes up to 6.9 on Hawaii. When we talk about the “Big One,” most people envision disasters in coastal California or amid the rainy streets of Seattle, Washington, but the truth is that an earthquake can happen anywhere. Between climate change and man-made interventions […]
August 6, 2018
2017 was a bad year for flooding. According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), during 2017 the United States experienced a historic year for flood and storm events, including 16 separate billion-dollar disaster events including three tropical cyclones, eight severe storms and two inland floods. The potential for flooding has never been higher since 2011’s historic flooding season. This year could be worse. To get ahead of potentially devastating floods, some homeowners are taking robust actions to protect […]
July 23, 2018
A formerly little-known molecule created in labs by scientists could help future buildings withstand even the most ferocious of storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes by making walls that are virtually indestructible, according to new research from a team of British scientists at the University of Exeter. The substance is known to researchers and construction experts as graphene, a combination of the prefix graphite and the suffix -ene, coined by the German scientistwho pioneered it. The product has a wide array of potential applications including […]
July 9, 2018
With the 2018 hurricane season already underway and forecasters predicting a seventy percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms with winds of 40 miles per hour or higher, you can never be too prepared for an active storm season. One step to take is to download some apps and invest in some up-to-date information that can help you stay safe and connected. Here are a few ideas to help you and your family weather the storm. WhatsApp With over […]
June 11, 2018
It seems like every summer we see the Western United States ravaged by wildfires, with the destruction augmented this year by an exploding volcano in Hawaii. These disasters are leading fire experts to investigate new technologies to help supplement existing efforts by fire departments to combat this growing threat. Structural engineers and other experts have been visiting burned homes, stores, and other sites in California to help brainstorm new ideas to provide next level […]