In Newberry County, Sheriff Lee Foster made a call that sparked debate. He chose to set off tornado sirens on a stormy Saturday night, even though the National Weather Service hadn't issued a tornado warning. This decision came after heavy rain and hail hit the area around 6 p. m. Judy Wicker was caught outside during the storm, feeding her baby goats. She described...
President Donald Trump is heading to Texas to check out the damage from recent floods that have caused over 100 deaths. The floods hit hard and fast, overwhelming entire neighborhoods in minutes. This has led to questions about how well the government warned people and how quickly they responded. Trump's trip is partly to show support and partly to quiet critics. He...
Texas is still reeling from the recent floods. Over 120 people lost their lives, and 160 are still missing. This disaster has put a spotlight on how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) operates. The Trump administration has made some changes to Fema's procedures. One big change is that the Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, now has to approve any F...
The central United States is no stranger to rough weather. But this spring has been unusually tough. The region is still recovering from a brutal storm system that swept through over the weekend. This storm was a series of tornadoes that struck the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. The aftermath was grim, with at least 27 people losing their lives and many more i...
Imagine this: A big city's hospitals are suddenly overwhelmed. Maybe a big storm hit, or there's a sudden shortage of staff. What do hospitals do when they need to free up space fast? They use something called reverse triage. This means quickly deciding who can go home safely to make room for those who need urgent care. This is not a new idea, but putting it into act...
Emergency managers in California face a tough job when it comes to dealing with wildfires. They have to handle not just the fires, but also the other problems that come with them, like floods and landslides. Four main issues came up in discussions with emergency managers from nine California counties. First, not all areas have the same resources to deal with wildfir...
Headaches aren't just grown-up problems—kids can get them too. In fact, many kids end up in the emergency room because of headaches. Doctors in the ER have a tricky job: they need to figure out if the headache is just a common problem like a migraine or a tension headache, or if it's something more serious. How do they do this? They talk to the child and family abou...