FEMA maps missed parts of North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene, Post analysis shows
A Washington Post analysis shows how federal flood maps underestimated the risk homeowners faced in the parts of North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene.
By Kevin Crowe, Shannon Osaka and John Muyskens
How Milton raises risks of EV battery fires — and what to do about it
Saltwater is corrosive and leaving electric vehicles submerged in it could lead to the large lithium-ion batteries short circuiting and catching fire.
By Allyson Chiu
Earth’s wildlife populations have disappeared at a ‘catastrophic’ rate in the past half-century, new analysis says
The Living Planet Index tracks thousands of vertebrate species globally and found the worst declines were in Latin America and the Caribbean.
By Frances Vinall and Allyson Chiu
What is making Hurricane Milton so ferocious
See how a heat wave in the Gulf of Mexico contributed to Hurricane Milton’s rapid intensification.
By Kasha Patel, Harry Stevens and Niko Kommenda
Have black plastic in your home? It could expose you to toxic chemicals, researchers say
A study raises concerns that recycled plastic containing flame retardants, initially used in electronics, are being reused in the manufacturing of consumer products.
By Amudalat Ajasa
This Caribbean nation is preparing for the ravages of climate change by selling citizenship
Dominica is using revenue from its citizenship-by-investment program to fund its ambitious plans to become more resilient against hurricanes in the Caribbean.
By Chico Harlan and Carolyn Van Houten
Plastic-eating bacteria could combat pollution problems, scientists hope
A bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source, a new study finds. Scientists hope it is a pollution solution.
By Lizette Ortega
He helped offset companies’ planet-warming pollution. Now he’s accused of fraud.
Ken Newcombe, the former CEO of C-Quest Capital, was charged as part of an alleged scheme to sell an inflated number of carbon credits
By Chico Harlan
No hazardous chlorine levels found in Atlanta after fire at nearby plant, authorities say
Homes were evacuated in Rockdale County, and Atlanta-area residents reported a strong chemical smell, though officials said they hadn’t detected dangerous levels of chlorine near the capital.
By Holly Bailey, Jonathan Edwards, Amudalat Ajasa and María Luisa Paúl
Another train car leaked chemicals in Ohio. Here’s what to know about it.
Plumes of white vapor shot out from a pressure release valve of a rail car, leaking styrene — a toxic chemical — that saturated the area in a pungent odor midday Tuesday.
By Amudalat Ajasa and Annabelle Timsit
NFL stadiums will soon double as disaster shelters, federal officials say
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the NFL are partnering to turn football stadiums across the country into emergency shelters, temporary hospitals and other venues needed during disasters.
By Maxine Joselow and Brianna Sacks
One block on the Outer Banks has had three houses collapse since Friday
In Rodanthe, N.C., ten houses have fallen into the ocean since 2020 in an erosion-plagued stretch of the Outer Banks. The National Parks Service is urging people to avoid the water because of debris.
By Brady Dennis
See the latest houses in this Outer Banks town to fall into the ocean
Nine homes have fallen into the ocean in Rodanthe, N.C., since 2020, and more in the Outer Banks remain vulnerable to higher tides and looming storms.
By Brady Dennis and Jason Samenow
California accuses ExxonMobil of lying about plastics being recyclable
The state alleges that the oil company deceived “the public to convince us that plastic recycling could solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis.”
By Allyson Chiu
Where the sea wall ends
At a time of fast rising seas, the ocean wants this barrier island back. But humans, who have held their ground here for over a century, are planning new condos.
By Chris Mooney, John Muyskens, Brady Dennis and Ricky Carioti
Why does the internet love baby hippo Moo Deng? There’s a science to it.
Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, has become the internet’s latest craze. But what seems like unlikely celebrity has a simple explanation, scientists said: Her cuteness is hijacking our brains.
By María Luisa Paúl
Five endangered red wolf pups die in N.C., officials say
The deaths dealt the latest setback to reestablish the once-thriving red wolf population in the Southeast.
By Brady Dennis
Scientists just figured out how many chemicals enter our bodies from food packaging
More than 3,000 chemicals from food packaging have infiltrated our bodies, a new study has found.
By Shannon Osaka
These birds are almost extinct. A radical idea could save them.
As habitats disappear, biologists are trying to find new homes for birds like the Guam kingfisher and other animals beyond their native habitats.
By Dino Grandoni and Matt McClain
One of the most potent greenhouse gases is rising faster than ever
Emissions of methane — a powerful greenhouse gas — are rising at the fastest rate in recorded history, scientists said Tuesday, defying global pledges to limit it.
By Sarah Kaplan