A rare January hurricane forms, could become month’s strongest on record

Hurricane Alex formed south of the Azores on Thursday morning far from the United States, becoming the third January hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean and the first in 78 years. By early afternoon it had strengthened to a system with sustained winds of 85mph…

How much do natural disasters cost the world?

Natural disasters caused a total of $1.5 trillion in damage worldwide between 2003 and 2013, according to a study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which finds they caused more than 1.1 million deaths and affected the lives of more than two billion people…

Remembrance and resilience

LIKE many Toowoomba business owners, I spent a quiet moment on Sunday remembering that fateful afternoon five years ago when raging floodwaters swept through our region. Not only were lives lost and homes flooded, but many businesses were damaged as the heavy deluge caused East, West and Gowrie creeks to break their banks and gush into the city’s heart and surrounding suburbs…