AltWeeklies Wire
Ike Was Bad for Galveston's Poor, but it Might Get Worsenew

The hurricane devastated the city's North Side, an historic African-American community. Four of the area's six housing projects have been condemned and many residents have lost everything. Will the community be rebuilt or will it suffer the same fate as New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward after Katrina?
The Texas Observer |
Forrest Wilder |
12-17-2008 |
Disasters
The Brief but Violent Life of the Tea Firenew

At least 210 homes -- including 130 within city limits -- were destroyed by the devastating fire, which has been determined to have been caused be a bonfire started by a group of 10 18- to 22-year-olds the previous night.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Chris Meagher |
11-24-2008 |
Disasters
After the Flood: Letter From Galvestonnew

As the cleanup continues, Galveston, like Tennessee Williams' Blanche DuBois, must rely on the kindness of strangers. As for those who do come back intending to stay, medical experts say a plague of pestilences, from tetanus to toxic mold, may await them. So does a state of emergency and a dawn-to-dusk curfew with a $2,000 fine for violators.
The Texas Observer |
Tom Curtis |
10-08-2008 |
Disasters
Learning to Live with Fire in Santa Barbaranew

We love living right on the edge of one of the world's most scenic backdrops, but the privilege brings with it the potential for catastrophic disaster most any time the weather turns hot and the wind blows dry.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Ray Ford |
09-30-2008 |
Disasters
Louisiana Residents Once Again Face the Shock of Recoverynew
When it comes to rebounding from hurricanes, Louisiana's residents have been there before. But that doesn't mean it's getting any easier.
A Trip to Where Land Sinks into the Seanew
A trip to the land of the United Houma Nation after Hurricanes Gustava and Ike in Louisiana sheds light on a Native American people and a culture on the brink.
We Don't Like Ikenew
We run down the greatest hits of the hurricane that keeps on giving.
Houston Press |
Staff |
09-23-2008 |
Disasters
Only Time Will Tell the Impact of Gustav on Louisiana's Fisheriesnew

Hurricane Gustav smothered our beloved oysters and killed off thousands of fish, but the real impact on Louisiana's lakes, rivers and bayous is just beginning.
Tags: animal issues, Louisiana, water, oysters, fish, Wildlife, Hurricane Gustav, commercial fishing
Using Lessons from Katrina, Neighborhood Groups Stepped Up During Gustavnew

Patricia Jones and members of NENA and other neighborhood groups organized a campaign in which they passed out flyers to Lower Ninth Ward residents informing them of ways they could evacuate before Hurricane Gustav arrived.
New Orleans Photo Essay: Katrina's Anniversary and the Gustav Evacuationnew
What was supposed to be just a vacation, became so much more on my most recent trip to New Orleans. Over the weekend we found ourselves caught up in the mass evacuation as Gustav prepared to hit southern Louisiana. These are the photos from that experience.
Slideshow: Houston Prepares for Edouardnew

Scenes from Spec's, Home Depot and Kroger on Monday, Aug. 4, the eve of Tropical Storm Edouard's anticipated arrival in Texas.
Houston Press |
Daniel Kramer |
08-05-2008 |
Disasters
Burned by the Gap: Not Everyone Escaped Goleta Blaze Unscathednew

Much of the community breathed a sigh of relief when the Gap Fire entered its final days, having only claimed a few outbuildings and some lemon and avocado orchards. Not everybody was fortunate, however, as residents of the county's wilderness-adjacent communities can attest.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Ben Preston and Kathleen Zaratzian |
08-05-2008 |
Disasters
Summer Blazes Reveal the Real Cost of California's Money Problemsnew

As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger explained how he's get a handle on the fires, a man-made disaster erupted, as the annual financial crisis that paralyzes the state every budget season reeled out of control.
Metro Silicon Valley |
Eric Johnson |
07-17-2008 |
Disasters
A Look at the Ecological Impacts of the Big Sur Wildfiresnew

Big Sur enthusiasts may be horrified to see the wildfires turn postcard-quality forests into black moonscapes. But scientists remind us that fire is a critical ingredient in Big Sur's fire-adapted beauty, and the ecological challenges arise less from the flames than from human meddling. As long as the wildfires are burning, their precise ecological impacts will be shrouded in smoke -- but experts do have a sense of how the flames will affect non-human life in Big Sur.
Monterey County Weekly |
Kera Abraham |
07-11-2008 |
Disasters
Saving Birds from Burning in Big Surnew
As the wildfire in Big Sur carpeted more and more of the region's steep coastal mountains, the biologists of Ventana Wildlife Society's condor rehabilitation project realized the uncontrolled blaze could prove deadly for eight condors contained in a large aviary directly within the fire's predicted path.
Monterey County Weekly |
Stuart Thornton |
07-11-2008 |
Disasters