"... since 2010, New Zealand had incurred $64b in costs from natural hazards, at least $19b of which came from central government.

The research showed that 97% of the central government expenditure was on responding to and recovering from natural disasters, with only 3% spent on risk reduction and resilience."

#MartySharpe, 2026

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360932600/government-rejects-plan-prevent-landslides-and-save-hundreds-millions

#HatTip to @norightturnnz for the link (see the post above for a link to the post referencing this)

(1/2)

#NaturalDisasters #resilience

The #Trump admin has abruptly begun slashing key #FEMA staff who work on #disaster response & #recovery

On New Year’s Eve, some employees received emails saying their positions “would not be renewed” & “therefore, your services will no longer be needed” after their contracts expire in the first days of January.

#law #policy #DHS #terrorism #NaturalDisasters #ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #wildfires #flooding #hurricanes
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/01/politics/dhs-cutting-fema-disaster-response-staff?cid=ios_app

The #Trump admin has abruptly begun slashing key #FEMA staff who work on #disaster response & #recovery

On New Year’s Eve, some employees received emails saying their positions “would not be renewed” & “therefore, your services will no longer be needed” after their contracts expire in the first days of January.

#law #policy #DHS #terrorism #NaturalDisasters #ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #wildfires #flooding #hurricanes
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/01/politics/dhs-cutting-fema-disaster-response-staff?cid=ios_app

Strong earthquake hits northern Japan, tsunami warning issued

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20251209_02/

#HackerNews #StrongEarthquake #NorthernJapan #TsunamiWarning #NaturalDisasters #JapanNews

But the sudden warming in the far upper atmosphere is going to result in anything but warmth. It is causing the #PolarVortex winds to weaken, said Amy H. Butler, a meteorologist at the #NOAA, & they could even reverse.

…These warming events…can trigger the most intense “polar vortex” cold-air outbreaks in the #US.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Trump #NaturalDisasters #FEMA #NationalGuard

#Satellites are crucial to observing the stratosphere & making predictions about sudden stratospheric warming events, she said, & some of that #data is blinking out as satellites age & #NOAA makes #budget & program decisions that affect the availability of current & future measurements. She cited some newly missing data from polar-orbiting satellites as an example.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #PolarVortex #Trump #NaturalDisasters #PublicHealth #FEMA #NationalGuard

Both Butler & Lopez Lang said having accurate #forecasts for #PolarVortex events can help make 7- to 10-day forecasts better, which can be beneficial for decision-making.

…As impactful as these polar vortex events are, scientists are losing some of their eyes on this layer of the atmosphere, Lopez Lang said.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Trump #NaturalDisasters #PublicHealth #FEMA #NOAA #NationalGuard

#PolarVortex disruption could bring colder temperatures into December
Northern parts of the US may record colder than normal temperatures in the coming weeks, according to a three- to four-week temperature forecast.

“We can see more active & shifted storm tracks & increases in #cold air outbreaks in regions across the Northern Hemisphere,” Lopez-Lang said.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Trump #NaturalDisasters #PublicHealth #FEMA #NOAA #NationalGuard

Over the next two weeks, these shifts could start to be felt in #NorthAmerica, #Europe & #Asia as the #PolarVortex weakens & tumbles south, like a spinning top that slows & wobbles off course.

One unusual feature of this event is its timing; sudden stratospheric warming events of this magnitude are almost unheard of in November, said meteorologist Judah Cohen, a research scientist at MIT.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Trump #NaturalDisasters #FEMA #NOAA #NationalGuard

But the sudden warming in the far upper atmosphere is going to result in anything but warmth. It is causing the #PolarVortex winds to weaken, said Amy H. Butler, a meteorologist at the #NOAA, & they could even reverse.

…These warming events…can trigger the most intense “polar vortex” cold-air outbreaks in the #US.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Trump #NaturalDisasters #FEMA #NationalGuard

Think of the stratospheric #PolarVortex like a wall of wind, corralling the ultra-cold, Arctic air over the North Pole. When it weakens, cold air spills south into places like the Lower 48, Europe & Asia.

Right now, the air in the stratosphere — the layer of the atmosphere above where most #weather occurs — is warming quickly & dramatically, in a phenomenon known as a sudden stratospheric warming event.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Trump #NaturalDisasters #FEMA #NOAA #NationalGuard

…Over the next 10 days, changes in the stratosphere will upend #weather patterns & set the stage for a cold, snowy December across the Northern Hemisphere.

It will mean a dramatic swing in weather for parts of the #US that are currently simmering in record heat….

It could also be one of the earliest significant #PolarVortex disruptions recorded since the dawn of the satellite era.

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Trump #NaturalDisasters #FEMA #NOAA #NationalGuard
https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/weather/polar-vortex-cold-snowy-december-stratosphere?cid=ios_app

Olivia Julianna talks about how wearily predictable natural disasters are for Texas, and also how wearily predictable is the non-response of Texas government, the non-preparation for the natural disasters.

As people still swallow the diversionary line fed to them by state Republican leaders that we shouldn't "politicize" natural disasters….

#Texas#Republicans#NaturalDisasters #floods #hurricanes #tornadoes
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https://contrarian.substack.com/p/how-many-more-have-to-die-before

Olivia Julianna talks about how wearily predictable natural disasters are for Texas, and also how wearily predictable is the non-response of Texas government, the non-preparation for the natural disasters.

As people still swallow the diversionary line fed to them by state Republican leaders that we shouldn't "politicize" natural disasters….

#Texas#Republicans#NaturalDisasters #floods #hurricanes #tornadoes
/1

https://contrarian.substack.com/p/how-many-more-have-to-die-before