natural disasters : NPR

Why Do People Live In Twister-Prone Oklahoma?

Tammy Wade (left) is hugged by Dana Givens in what is left of her home in El Reno, Okla., on Sunday, after it was destroyed by a tornado. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Why Do People Live In Twister-Prone Oklahoma?

June 3, 2013 • In response to our coverage of the tornadoes, online comments have asked, "Why put yourself in the path of such disaster?" But Oklahoma residents have their reasons for staying put.

Hundreds Dead, Hundreds Missing After Typhoon Slams Philippines

A woman carries a child through a flooded road on the island of Mindanao. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds Dead, Hundreds Missing After Typhoon Slams Philippines

December 5, 2012 • Rescuers are having trouble reaching many of those who were in the storm's path. Mud, fallen trees and downed electrical lines are in the way.

Sandy, Steve Inskeep And The Absurd On Morning Edition

November 5, 2012 • Steve Inskeep is a veteran reporter of wars and disasters with an appreciation for dark humor and the absurd. But how far can you go when you are the host of one of the largest general news shows in the country? Some listeners complained about his comments during coverage of Hurricane Sandy.

South's Tornado Tragedy Joins Political Foes For Now

April 29, 2011 • Natural disasters are no respecters of political parties or any of the other numerous ways humans use to separate themselves from each other. That seems to get largely ignored until calamities strike. Then, state officials who usually pan feds as intrusive welcome help from Washington.

Picturing Pakistan's Floods: A Photographer Looks Back

A Pakistani man and boy, displaced by floods, walk through flood waters on Aug. 22, 2010 in the village of Baseera near Muzaffargarh in Punjab, Pakistan. Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images hide caption

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Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

The Picture Show

Picturing Pakistan's Floods: A Photographer Looks Back

February 19, 2011 • For six weeks photographer Daniel Berehulak relentlessly covered the 2010 floods in Pakistan, revealing the immense suffering endured by millions of Pakistanis.

Cars sit in debris in a flooded street in Teresopolis, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, on Wednesday (Jan. 12, 2011). Roberto Ferreira/AP hide caption

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Roberto Ferreira/AP

The Two-Way

Mudslides Kill Hundreds In Brazil

January 13, 2011 • Many more people are missing, local news media report. Driving rains sent earth sliding down mountains into towns in the south-eastern part of the country.