AltWeeklies Wire
'Trouble the Water': The Big Uneasynew

This new documentary goes into the eye of the Hurricane Katrina disaster that wiped out a community.
East Bay Express |
Kelly Vance |
09-04-2008 |
Reviews
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
Thanks to the Firefighters of Gap Firenew
It's time to count our blessings and start saying thanks to all those who've saved our blistered pork-rind butts.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Nick Welsh |
07-14-2008 |
Commentary
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
Iowa Dispatch: After the Floodnew

It goes without saying that these floods are double-edged swords. But unlike, say, wildfires that destroy houses in California or tornadoes that level mobile homes in Arkansas, there are compelling reasons why everybody should take an interest in last month's Iowa floods.
Earthquake Experts Say There is a Way to Survive 'The Big One'new

November's Great Southern California ShakeOut -- the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history -- aims to find out how many lives and how much property can be saved through quake training and preparedness.
Pasadena Weekly |
Jana Monji and Nathan Solis |
06-17-2008 |
Disasters
Keep the National Guard in New Orleansnew
Starting next month, the National Guard will start pulling its 300-odd troops out of New Orleans, taking with them many people's feelings of safety. Although we understand that the state has limited military resources, and we acknowledge that the commitment of the Guard was never intended to be open ended, we feel that withdrawal of the troops at this time would be a tragic mistake -- one that would cost lives.
Twitter Beat the U.S. Geological Survey to China Earthquake Infonew
Earthquakes are notoriously difficult to predict, but the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) does an admirable job of tracking tectonic activity across the world and providing early warnings for people in quake zones. The USGS was able to report on the Chinese event after only a few minutes. Still, it was no match for Twitter.
NOW Magazine |
Joseph Wilson |
05-27-2008 |
Tech
Chinese Americans Reach into Their Pockets To Help Quake Victimsnew
The Committee of 100, a national group of influential Chinese-American leaders, is calling for donations to aide the victims of Monday's disastrous earthquake in China.
Pasadena Weekly |
Joe Piasecki |
05-20-2008 |
Disasters
In the Wake of Disaster, the Burmese People Are On Their Own, As Usualnew

By blocking foreign aid in the wake of the deadly cyclone, Burma's ruling generals may be fueling the uprising they're trying to quell.
NOW Magazine |
Gwynne Dyer |
05-16-2008 |
International
Not Again ...new
The New Year might be off to a fresh start, but the Corps of Engineers is up to its old tricks of missing deadlines and confusing priorities.
Was the Eastern Market Fire Really an Accident?new
That fire and several more recent Capitol Hill fires have something in common: burned-out trash containers.
Washington City Paper |
Jason Cherkis |
12-27-2007 |
Disasters
Tags: disasters