Articles Tagged with ''extreme weather''

The tens of thousands of people affected by Hurricane Harvey will be contending with more than rebuilding their homes, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).

Cable news and newspapers across the country are headlining the continuing explosions at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, that was flooded by Hurricane Harvey.

More deaths have been reported, evacuation centers are packed, gas prices are up and the task of assessing the damage from the historic storm has barely begun. Here are a few stories about the storm and its effects:

Harvey may have been downgraded from hurricane status to tropical storm, but it continues to produce extraordinary amounts of rain, bringing misery to residents of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. Forecasters say the area can expect heavy rain to persist throughout the Labor Day weekend.

A number of both indoor and outdoor worker populations may be particularly vulnerable to climate variations. Examples include: emergency responders, health care workers, fire fighters, utility workers, farmers, manufacturing workers and transportation workers.

Southeastern states are picking up the pieces today after a weekend of severe weather destroyed dozens of homes and killed at least 19 people -- 15 of them in Georgia. News sources report that first responders are still searching for victims amid the debris.

The first weekend of the new year could be a dangerous one for the 80 million Americans who are in the path of what authorities are calling a “historic” winter storm. As the weather system that has already devastated western states sweeps eastward, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama that begins this afternoon.

Hurricane Matthew is a recent reminder for many of us that severe weather can be deadly. While all of us need to take precautions, outdoor workers are especially vulnerable. Two examples from New England show why it’s so vital that employers monitor and address the dangers extreme weather can present.

La Nina, the climate phenomenon that sometimes appears in the fall and influences winter weather, is expected to have an effect this year, leading to warmer than normal conditions in the south and colder than usual temperatures in the north.

Climate-related occupational hazards have historically received little attention. In 2009, NIOSH began work to address this gap and developed a framework to identify climate-related occupational hazards.