Weather

Over the weekend, torrential rains caused “epic” flooding in Louisiana, requiring 30,000 rescues from 40,000 damaged homes in what appears to be the “worst flooding in Louisiana history” and the “worst natural disaster in the United States since Superstorm Sandy that hammered the East Coast in 2012” (AP, August 16, 2016;  LA Times

Everyone has opinions, and it seems that the opinions are constantly changing. As this tumultuous election season in the United States unfolds, we see the candidates relying on opinion polls to guide their strategy as they verbally thrust and parry, trying to best their opponents. Huge amounts of money are being spent to gauge the likes and dislikes, beliefs, frustrations and irritants as pollsters try to determine the mood and desires of the voting public. Political candidates, consultants and pundits use the statistical data to determine the “hot button” issues of their voting blocks.

Typhoon Nepartak left destruction in its wake as it plowed through China and Taiwan last week. Nearly 200 people were killed in China, 50,000 homes collapsed and over 1.6 million people were displaced (Telegraph, July 7, 2016).

“After two weeks of battling a number of out-of-control fires in California, Arizona and New Mexico, state and federal [fire] crews had the upper hand against all but one by Sunday morning—the Erskine Fire in Kern County, north of Los Angeles, which grew from 37,000 acres to 43,360 acres during the day” (ABC News, June 26, 2016). As the U.S.

According to a report last week, “The world’s most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, is to close on Friday amid worsening flooding caused by days of torrential rain… The Seine, which runs through Paris past the Louvre, has risen five metres above normal levels. Heavy rains across Europe have left at least 10 people dead, most of them in Germany” (BBC, June 2, 2016).