<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2w0nUf_0vqkeq3a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2w0nUf_0vqkeq3a00" width="1920" height="1080" ><figcaption>The Meltdown newsletter will curate the most monumental climate and environmental news shaping the nation’s views, which undoubtedly sends many of us into a frantic spiral of despair </figcaption></figure> According to the staff at a major international hotel I stayed at in Wilmington, North Carolina, it was entirely my fault that a river joined me in my poor little Subaru. It turns out that I had failed to adequately prepare for the possibility of a freshwater swimming pool in my car. I was in town to report on the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c3e99g1d21xo" rel="nofollow"> record-breaking floods. </a> Carolina Beach got dumped on— <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-carolina-record-rainfall-once-every-1000-years/" rel="nofollow"> 21 inches of rain </a> —and the Cape Fear River, apparently not content to stay put, wandered into Wilmington’s streets. Scientists <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change#:~:text=Fossil%20fuels%20%E2%80%93%20coal%2C%20oil%20and,of%20all%20carbon%20dioxide%20emissions." rel="nofollow"> attribute this to climate change </a> caused by society’s relentless devotion to fossil fuels. <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/earth/climate-change/steamy-relationships-how-atmospheric-water-vapor-amplifies-earths-greenhouse-effect/" rel="nofollow"> Here’s the science: </a> warmer air holds more moisture, so when it rains, it really rains. The kind of rain that makes you wonder if you should sell your car and buy a boat. Private corporations <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/shaina-sadai/fossil-fuel-companies-make-billions-in-profit-as-we-suffer-billions-in-losses/" rel="nofollow"> profit wildly </a> from this oil and gas addiction but seem <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/bio/josh-axelrod/corporate-honesty-and-climate-change-time-own-and-act#:~:text=Corporations%20produce%20just%20about%20everything,climate%20change%20was%20officially%20recognized." rel="nofollow"> increasingly less likely </a> to take <a href="https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/global-social-challenges/2022/07/07/corporations-vs-consumers-who-is-really-to-blame-for-climate-change/" rel="nofollow"> responsibility </a> when it harms us and our property. I paid to park in the hotel’s then-dry parking lot, thinking that was the responsible thing to do. The hotel said they had warning signs up about the potential for flooding. Yes, there were two. But they weren’t visible at night and I’m not an owl. The hotel should have mentioned that the river might decide to check out my car’s interior during a <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/09/this-only-happens-once-every-1000-years.html" rel="nofollow"> 1,000-year rain event. </a> They started to ignore my complaints, including that my room had a coffee maker but no coffee. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know… As we face the increasingly wild behavior of nature going through a hot flash—floods, <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/08/battling-historic-blazes-wildland-firefighters-face-political-brinkmanship-over-fair-pay-but-theres-hope.html" rel="nofollow"> wildfires </a> , <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/11/the-mississippi-river-shes-a-goin-dry-the-southeast-is-under-historic-drought-conditions-but-the-worst-is-yet-to-come.html" rel="nofollow"> droughts </a> , <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/09/hurricane-helene-is-coming-heres-how-technology-can-help-you-prepare.html" rel="nofollow"> hurricanes </a> , <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/09/most-americans-can-have-their-power-cut-off-despite-record-heatwaves.html" rel="nofollow"> poverty </a> , <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/04/the-epa-is-ignoring-cancer-causing-polluters-again.html" rel="nofollow"> disease </a> , and all that fun stuff—it won’t be the corporations footing the bill. That pleasure will be ours as we pay more for <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/09/families-are-already-fleeing-climate-vulnerable-states-blame-soaring-home-insurance-costs.html" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/09/families-are-already-fleeing-climate-vulnerable-states-blame-soaring-home-insurance-costs.html"> home insurance </a> , <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2022/11/how-thanksgiving-is-being-changed-by-climate-change.html" rel="nofollow"> food </a> , taxes, infrastructure, and just about anything else you can think of. So, how do we prepare for disaster? This week in The Meltdown, we’re exploring the ways technology can help us brace for the impact of Hurricane Helene and other climate disasters. Hurricane Helene <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1mSKf6_0vqkeq3a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1mSKf6_0vqkeq3a00" width="1024" height="683" ><figcaption>Storm surge breaks over a small sea wall near boat docks, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla. Hurricane Debby made landfall early this morning.(AP Photo/Christopher O'Meara) </figcaption></figure> As <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tropical-storm-helene-hurricane-path-maps-track-forecast/" rel="nofollow"> Hurricane Helene </a> barrels toward Florida’s panhandle and south Georgia, expected to hit as a Category 4 Friday night, the clock is ticking for residents to prepare and <a href="https://www.wctv.tv/2024/09/24/see-list-evacuation-notices-big-bend-ahead-tropical-storm-helene/" rel="nofollow"> evacuate. </a> While many Gulf Coast locals have their go-to hurricane survival strategies—stockpiling canned food, flashlights, gas, and <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/06/how-to-prepare-cats-and-dogs-for-hurricanes-and-other-climate-disasters.html" rel="nofollow"> looking after those precious pets </a> —there are some handy tech tools that could make a huge difference, even at the last minute. First, weather apps like NOAA and AccuWeather can provide real-time updates on the storm’s path, wind speeds, and rainfall predictions from your phone. Emergency alerts from FEMA or local government platforms are another must, offering critical information about evacuation orders and other safety warnings. And if the power goes out, battery backups or portable solar chargers can keep your essential devices running. But there’s much more tech that can help—everything from GPS apps for evacuation routes to smart home devices that monitor flooding remotely. Want to know how electric vehicles or drones could help with your hurricane prep? Before you read on, please feel free to follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/Charress" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Twitter </a> , <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CJharress/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Facebook </a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/charress/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Instagram. </a> And share this newsletter with your friends if you think they’ll enjoy it. What do the numbers say? <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1XVeCz_0vqkeq3a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1XVeCz_0vqkeq3a00" width="1250" height="777" ><figcaption>Activist Gene Stilp stands on Constellation Energy property. Protesters oppose the reopening of Constellation Energy’s Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1. August 12, 2024. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com </figcaption></figure> 18 inches: amount of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-flooding-rains-alert-florida-georgia-north-carolina-noaa" rel="nofollow"> rainfall predicted </a> to fall in the Appalachian region once Hurricane Helene makes landfall. 20 feet: height of the <a href="https://www.wfla.com/weather/tracking-the-tropics/tampa-bay-could-see-record-level-water-levels-storm-surge-from-hurricane-helene/" rel="nofollow"> storm surge predicted </a> from Hurricane Helene. 835 megawatts: power <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/constellation-inks-power-supply-deal-with-microsoft-2024-09-20/" rel="nofollow"> generated by restarting </a> the nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island to help power Microsoft’s artificial intelligence operations. That’s enough to power 700,000 homes every day. Z: the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/23/new-york-climate-week-al-gore-john-kerry-condemn-fossil-fuels" rel="nofollow"> climate action grade </a> given by John Kerry, the special presidential envoy for climate, to major greenhouse gas emitters at a major climate summit in New York earlier this week. 250: number of workers that will be part of President Biden’s <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/biden-launches-environmental-justice-climate-corps/" rel="nofollow"> environmental justice corps </a> launched Wednesday. Climate change is unpredictable <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4CTVpr_0vqkeq3a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4CTVpr_0vqkeq3a00" width="1024" height="683" ><figcaption>Lina Anasri, 19, enjoys the winds and waves along the beach as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida panhandle, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in Pass-a-Grille, Fla. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP) </figcaption></figure> And so, as I sit here, drying out both my Subaru and my pride, I can’t help but think: if only the hotel staff had warned me that their parking lot moonlights as a riverbed, I might have had time to invest in a kayak. But at least now I’m better prepared for the next 1,000-year storm. Until then, I’ll be keeping an eye on Hurricane Helene and my weather app because, as it turns out, the only thing more unpredictable than a river in your car is climate change. Stay dry and safe. Thanks for reading The Meltdown. Please sign up, share, and be nice to people. Send environment and climate tips to: <a href="mailto:charress@reckonmedia.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank" title="charress@reckonmedia.com"> charress@reckonmedia.com </a> See you next week. <a href="https://www.reckon.news/author/charress/" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.reckon.news/author/charress/" target="_blank"> Chris Harress </a> </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

I went to North Carolina. My car is now a swimming pool.

The Meltdown newsletter analyzes the latest apocalyptic dramas, debunks climate myths, shares sustainability hacks, and holds polluters and the government accountable for harming our toasty little planet.