#climate disasters

[abood-anqar]

"Together in Hardship: A Message of Solidarity and Hope"

To my friends in America and everyone affected by the devastating hurricanes and wildfires,

I watch with sadness and sorrow as you endure these difficult times. Seeing the images of destruction and tragedy reminds us all of how harsh life can be at times. Here in Gaza, despite the ongoing blockade and tough conditions, our hearts are with you, and we understand deeply the pain of loss and the challenge of fighting for a better tomorrow.

I wish you strength and patience as you navigate these hardships, and I pray that life returns to normal for you as soon as possible.

If there's one thing I’ve learned from our situation, it’s that human solidarity holds immense power. In this spirit, I share my personal hope to improve the conditions of my life and my family, which have been deeply affected by the situation here. Any support or sharing, no matter how small, can make a big difference in someone else’s life.

With all my prayers for your safety,

Abd al-Salam Al-Anqar, Gaza."

Donate to Help Abd AL Salam and his family get through this war inGaza, organized by Ahmed Alanqar

**Humanitarian Support Request: Abdul Salam Al-Anqar** … Ahmed Alanqar needs your support for Help Abd AL Salam and his family get th

[rjzimmerman]

Why insurers worry the world could soon become uninsurable

Günther Thallinger, a board member at Allianz, one of the world's biggest insurers, says the climate crisis could make adaptation economical

Excerpt from this story from CNBC:

Top insurers fear the climate crisis could soon outpace industry solutions, effectively threatening to make entire regions around the world uninsurable.

Günther Thallinger, a board member at Allianz, one of the world’s biggest insurers, recently outlined how the world is fast approaching temperature levels where insurers will no longer be able to offer cover for financial services, such as mortgages and investments.

In practice, this scenario implies some may face difficulty being able to afford home insurance cover, which is typically a prerequisite for getting a mortgage.

In a LinkedIn post published in late March, Thallinger made the case for rapid decarbonization, pointing out that entire asset classes were “degrading in real time” as extreme weather events take their toll. Perhaps most strikingly of all, he warned the worsening climate crisis appears to be on track to destroy capitalism.

Insurance, which is regarded as the invisible lubricant of the global economy, has a unique role to play in addressing climate-related risks. As professional risk managers, insurers routinely allow investors to take on calculated risks, protecting individuals and businesses against financial losses.

Thallinger, who is responsible for investment management and sustainability at Allianz, told CNBC that approximately two-thirds of economic losses from natural catastrophes are currently uninsured, indicating a “major societal problem.”

The so-called protection gap means that the financial burden of these disasters often falls on individuals, businesses and governments, rather than insurance firms.

“If this volume just grows even more, we simply have a societal situation that is not bearable anymore because it is just too much risk that is no longer covered,” Thallinger told CNBC by video call.

“The logic is not ours or mine. No, absolutely not. There are many people who are actually talking about how you cannot insure certain assets. It’s very, very difficult to deal with these assets as an investor.”

[mindblowingscience]

Report: Number of people impacted by climate disasters in the Pacific increased 700% in the last decade

Climate disasters are costing the Pacific eight times more than they did a decade ago

Climate disasters are costing the Pacific eight times more than they did a decade ago The number of people impacted by climate disasters in the Pacific increased 700% on average in the last decade, compared to the previous decade, according to new analysis by Oxfam Australia released as COP29 climate negotiations begin today in Baku.

Continue Reading.

[tomorrowusa]

Has California ever had a hurricane? One expert says tropical storm threat from Hilary is "nearly unprecedented"

It is extremely rare for California to be hit with tropical storms or hurricanes — but it has happened before.

California has gotten its first tropical storm watch ever. The last time a tropical storm hit California was in September of 1939 just after Hitler had started World War II. They didn't issue such watches in those days.

Major Hurricane Hilary in the Pacific is way stronger than low energy Hurricane Don in the Atlantic a few weeks ago; the latter spent only a few hours as a hurricane as it spun around aimlessly away from land.

Hilary will weaken from the current Category 4, but how much it will weaken is still not certain. If it maintains sustained winds of at least 74 MPH/119 KMH when it reaches California, then it will become California's first ever official hurricane.

Hurricane Hilary is expected to hit Southern California as a tropical storm, with a punch that could include flash flooding and significant amounts of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center.  A tropical storm watch for much of Southern California was issued Friday morning. The National Weather Service's San Diego outpost said this was the first time such an advisory had ever been issued for the region. 

As somebody who's been through half a dozen tropical cyclones on the East Coast, I would advise our California friends that rain is a bigger hazard than wind – in most cases. People in areas which have the potential for flooding should particularly remain on alert.

The 1939 storm, called El Cordonazo, became the first and only tropical storm to make landfall in the state in the 20th century, according to the National Weather Service. NWS says the storm, which was at one point a hurricane, originated off the southern coast of Central America before moving north and eventually coming ashore at San Pedro, California.  Resulting floods from the storm killed at least 45 people across the Southern California region and caused $2 million in damage to structures and crops, the weather service reports. Another 48 people were also killed at sea.

There were far fewer people in California in 1939 when El Cordonazo caused deadly flooding.

Here is the current forecast for rainfall potential.

Keep up with the track of Hurricane Hilary here. Southern California should begin to feel the effects of Hilary on Sunday afternoon. Monitor local emergency information and follow advisories.

And if you're wondering why this is happening...

Our oceans are the warmest in recorded history. This is why it's so concerning

[thoughtlessarse]

Climate disasters will send many countries into a debt spiral – but there’s a way out

Many small island developing states remain just one storm away from fiscal collapse and unsustainable debt.

After years of disciplined reform and painful sacrifice, Jamaica had done what few global debt specialists thought possible. Through tough and sometimes controversial spending cuts and fiscal discipline, it slashed its debt from a staggering 150% of GDP in 2013 to just 62% by 2024. By 2025, Jamaica was hitting its stride. One internationally recognised credit rating agency upgraded the country’s credit ratings from category BB- to BB (slightly less vulnerable in the near term to adverse economic conditions). This gives the country more leeway to borrow on the international market. Unemployment and crime rates were falling. Jamaica’s economy was on track for one of its best years in decades. However, in late October Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, tore across the island, leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. The island nation was prepared, but not protected. Preliminary estimates put the damage at a staggering US$7 billion (£5.3 billion) – equivalent to 28-32% of last year’s GDP. Jamaica has a multi-layered financial safety net: a contingency fund, catastrophe insurance through the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility – which will pay out US$91.9 million, its largest ever payout – and a US$150 million catastrophe bond. But these buffers barely make a dent in the US$7 billion recovery bill. There is a shortfall of more than US$6 billion. Given the scale of the destruction, Jamaica will likely have to borrow to fund its recovery – deepening its debt, just as it had emerged from a debt crisis. This loop of disaster, debt, recovery and the another disaster does not just affect Jamaica. Increasingly frequent climate disasters wipe out years of progress in small island developing states, forcing them into increasingly costly borrowing to fund their recovery.

continue reading

[rt8815]

The skies where I am were hazy today, and likely will be tomorrow as well.

The reason?

The wildfires in Canada.

Y'all, I live in southeastern Virginia.

NYC had the worst air quality in the entire world today. NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation issued a health advisory over it.

My heart goes out to our neighbor to the north. I'm sorry y'all are having to deal with this.

[doomsayersunited]

An Atlas of Collapse: The Climate Crisis Pt. 2

So, last week's letter went a little long, and between that and writing the thing for more than a week, I have too much more to address that

[anerdyfeminist]

I really don’t know how anyone could have anything cruel to say about climate disasters. I mean, I guess those who do haven’t been a victim of one yet but they’re fucking terrifying and you’d have to be a hollow monster to say anything just generally shitty about one. It’s so obvious that this WILL affect everyone more and more. It costs $0.00 to just not be mean and yet that’s still a challenge for some dummies. I don’t get it.