Scientists Are Getting Way Better at Forecasting. It Could Change How We Deal With Droughts.

This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. When a rainstorm slammed California's Russian River watershed in December 2012, water rushed into Lake Mendocino, a reservoir north of San Francisco.

The problem isn’t Trump’s brain. It’s his heart

During an hourlong performance Tuesday at a table crowded with lawmakers - let's call it The President Show - Donald Trump appeared determined to prove two things. The first was obvious: After much speculation about his temperament, inspired by the dark portrait painted in the book "Fire and Fury," he no doubt wanted to show himself to be an executive in command of the issues and fit to govern.

Early FEMA assistance is boon to Crossroads governments 8 hours from now

After dealing with the unprecedented carnage left by Hurricane Harvey, Refugio County officials are now dealing with an equally extraordinary recovery process. Like Refugio County, numerous local governments in the Crossroads have asked for expedited compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for debris clearing and emergency measures.

Atheist Group Upset FEMA Will Help Churches Rebuild After Disasters

American Atheists, a nationwide organization, expressed outrage over FEMA's recent policy change making churches eligible for federal relief funds in the wake of natural disasters. The atheist organization, which most recently gained the national spotlight by posting anti-Christmas billboards in several states, railed against the Trump administration for what they called a misapplication of federal law and for giving federal funds to churches that aided the relief efforts and served as emergency shelters and FEMA response bases for their local communities in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Storm slaps coastal South with most snow in nearly 3 decades

A brutal winter storm smacked the coastal Southeast with a rare blast of snow and ice Wednesday, hitting parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina with their heaviest snowfall in nearly three decades. Forecasters warned that the same system could soon strengthen into a "bomb cyclone" as it rolls up the East Coast, bringing hurricane-force winds, coastal flooding and up to a foot of snow.

‘Like a hurricane’: Coastal streets deserted in winter storm

Temperatures plummeted overnight to 2 degrees in the north Georgia mountains, 14 in Atlanta and 26 as far south as New Orleans as the... . Steam rises above the waters of the Mississippi River underneath the Eads Bridge as the temperature hovers around -1 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, in St. Louis.

Disasters Affected 8% of U.S. Population in 2017, FEMA Notes in Review of Historic Year

The Federal Emergency Management Agency supported 59 major disaster declarations and 16 emergency declarations in 2017, a year during which unprecedented disasters affected more than 25 million Americans, almost eight percent of the U.S. population. In its year-end review, FEMA notes it was a record busy year for FEMA employees and for state and local emergency responders across the country, as well for the federal flood insurance program, which FEMA manages.

In reversal, FEMA says houses of worship now eligible for disaster relief

Following a lawsuit filed by three churches damaged in Hurricane Harvey last year, FEMA has reversed a policy that prevented houses of worship from accessing disaster relief funds, according to a guidance document published by the agency today. The disputed policy allowed "community centers" and other nonprofits to receive FEMA emergency funds for certain repairs of storm-damaged facilities, but specifically excluded houses of worship like churches, synagogues and mosques used primarily for "religious activities, such as worship, proselytizing or religious instruction."

Blumenthal, Murphy head to Puerto Rico to see ongoing hurricane devastation

In this Dec. 22, 2017, photo, 6-year-old Melanie Oliveras González stands on the porch of her house, in front of a handful of electric cables knocked down by the winds of Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, Puerto Rico. Morovis has been without power since hurricane smashed into the island in November.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts vows to review judiciary sexual misconduct policies

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is promising a careful evaluation of the federal judiciary's sexual misconduct policies. WASHINGTON - Chief Justice John Roberts is promising a careful evaluation of the federal judiciary's sexual misconduct policies and an effort to highlight the work of court employees following the year's destructive hurricanes.

Shock new figures reveal hospitals with NO beds spare

'It is terrible for our family': Furious children of Prince Philip aide hit out at Netflix show for false portrayal of their father as a philanderer and reveal they are hiding it from their ailing mother, 94 Pictured: Law firm partner and family man, 58, who shot dead one co-partner and injured another at their Christmas party moments after they told him he was being ousted Five students from one school, an old man of 97 and a mother who confronted a playground bully: Three of the 343 victims of gun crime in blood-soaked Baltimore which is fast becoming murder central Man finds four-year-girl playing alone in the snow in her pajamas... then she leads police to her mother's dead body in their nearby home Would-be thieves are electrocuted by 24,000-volt transformer and DIE inside Detroit lighting facility as they try to steal copper wire 'She could have warned us': Angry residents of ... (more)

Kerry Katona’s ex George Kay ‘demands A 20k a month’

'It is terrible for our family': Furious children of Prince Philip aide hit out at Netflix show for false portrayal of their father as a philanderer and reveal they are hiding it from their ailing mother, 94 Pictured: Law firm partner and family man, 58, who shot dead one co-partner and injured another at their Christmas party moments after they told him he was being ousted Five students from one school, an old man of 97 and a mother who confronted a playground bully: Three of the 343 victims of gun crime in blood-soaked Baltimore which is fast becoming murder central Man finds four-year-girl playing alone in the snow in her pajamas... then she leads police to her mother's dead body in their nearby home Would-be thieves are electrocuted by 24,000-volt transformer and DIE inside Detroit lighting facility as they try to steal copper wire 'She could have warned us': Angry residents of ... (more)

We laughed. We cried. This is what we read most in 2017.

Go figure: The storyline of Donald Trump's first year in office was eclipsed by those of a kiss cam, a diet trend, a dead elk and well, an actual eclipse. In fact, lunar events and Trump's whirlwind presidency both cracked our list of top-read stories twice, the only topics to take multiple spots.

Nearly half of Puerto Rico clients still without power

Puerto Rico authorities said Friday that nearly half of power customers in the U.S. territory still lack electricity more than three months after Hurricane Maria. Officials said 55 percent of the nearly 1.5 million customers have power, marking the first time the government has provided that statistic since the Category 4 storm hit on Sept.