Natural Disasters

'The Concert for Sandy Relief'

*UPDATE* Brooklyn Councilman Brad Lander Warns Real Estate Group to Halt Development Project Along Gowanus Canal

[UPDATE]: The Lightstone Group will continue its bid to build a 700-unit housing development on Bond Street along the Gowanus Canal despite concerns raised in a letter from Councilman Brad Lander yesterday, the company said in a statement released to the Voice. "The Lightstone Group is fully commi ... More >>

Brooklyn Councilman Brad Lander Warns Real Estate Group to Halt Development Project Along Gowanus Canal

City Councilman Brad Lander let national realty firm, The Lightstone Group, in on a little secret yesterday: it's not a great time to build along waterfront neighborhoods in the city right now! Lander sent a letter to Lightstone Group chairman and CEO David Lichtenstein urging the company to withdr ... More >>

NY State Liquor Authority Keep the Booze Flowing

Due to Sandy, Gov. Cuomo and the New York State Liquor Authority announced that they will take measures to help venues with liquor licenses in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, including extending license renewal dates, free license replacements, and New Year's Eve permits. [See More: The Best of Nate S ... More >>

Andrew Cuomo Actually Acknowledges Idiot Rabbi's Gay Marriage/Hurricane Rant

Every time a natural disaster destroys entire communities, a handful of religious idiots blame it on gay people and the politicians who defend their civil rights. Hurricane Sandy is no exception.In most cases, however, the moronic ramblings of fringe lunatics are routinely ignored by elected officia ... More >>

Flood Zone, NYC

Bloomberg's push for development in the wrong places

Here's Some Old-Timey Video of New York's 1938 Hurricane -- Which Was Not Caused By "Global Warming"

The Global Warming crowd is claiming that climate change is part of the reason that a hurricane is about absolutely crush New York City."Substantial evidence indicates that global warming may be responsible for the recent increasing intensity of Atlantic hurricanes, including increasing their size a ... More >>

Frankenstorm Unleashes Tidal Wave Of PR Sluttiness

Do you happen to be a PR stooge who represents a climatologist, weather expert, hurricane survivor, or pretty much anyone who's ever encountered rain? If so, you probably sent out an email today to every media outlet in New York City trying to exploit what could potentially be a devastating natural ... More >>

Euro Crisis Meeting; Earthquake in Turkey; Gaddafi's Autopsy

​EU leaders are in Brussels today for a crisis meeting on how to resolve the Euro's financial woes. Germany is resisting calls to increase the bailout fund and cut Greece's debt. Bloomberg reports "measures on the table include writedowns of as much as 50 percent on Greek debt, 100 billion eur ... More >>

What It Was Like Inside the Washington Monument During Last Month's Earthquake

This video recently released by the National Park Service shows what it was like inside the Washington Monument during the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Virginia, sending vibrations up the Northeast coast, last month. It is unexpectedly scary!

Tornado Watch Issued for New York City

Wikipedia​The National Weather Service has put New York City and surrounding areas under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. this evening. The watch is also effective for counties in Connecticut and New Jersey. Along with potential tornadoes and hail, a "thunderstorm wind gust" of up to 70 miles per ... More >>

Charlie Sheen Visits Alabama to Help With Tornado Relief. For Real.

​So, it seems that Charlie Sheen is trying to help out after deadly tornadoes hit Alabama last week. He visited Tuscaloosa today (wearing a white University of Alabama hat) "to survey tornado damage" and meet with Mayor Walt Maddox, who's hopeful that Sheen's celebrity status will help with ra ... More >>

7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan, Tsunami Warning Issued [Updated: Warning Canceled]

Orange indicates 2 meter high waves, via JMA​Initially reported as a 7.4 magnitude, an earthquake struck Japan this morning, leading to another tsunami alert issued for the already ravaged northeastern coast. The Japanese Meteorological Agency has a map indicating seismic activity. Tsunami wav ... More >>

SONIC RELIEF

Two benefits for Japan draw marquee names

A Musical Guide to Japan Benefits and Valiantly Intentioned Fundraising Efforts, Featuring Thrill Jockey and Rebecca Black

​"I've been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture," said early American-adopter and purveyor of Japan's Harajuku girl style, Gwen Stefani. "The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking and I want to do anythin ... More >>

Wyclef's Jean's Trouble With The Truth: A Recent History

​This weekend, the Internet was abuzz with reports from Wyclef Jean and his people that the ex-Fugee and former Haitian presidential candidate had been shot in the hand while campaigning for fellow performer Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly in Port-Au-Prince. Well, "grazed" by a bullet. Or was it ... More >>

Klaus Jacob, Columbia Disaster Expert: Why Closing Indian Point Makes Sense

​In October 2008, the Voice profiled Klaus Jacob, Columbia University's expert on urban environmental disasters. In that story, we examined how the Ivy League school had ignored warnings by its own expert about expanding into areas subject to flooding because of climate change. Today we talke ... More >>

What Is the Red Cross Doing With Your Donations to Japan?

​Earlier today we were asked some questions about how organizations like the Red Cross are dealing with donations received for Japan. Specifically, how long do those text donations take to reach aid organizations? Are donations even reaching Japan, and will they? Gizmodo addressed the question ... More >>

Relax, the Next Big New York City Earthquake Could Happen 'Any Minute'

​Typically impatient New Yorkers are freaking out because we haven't gotten our earthquake yet. And we're due for an earthquake! Where's our earthquake? No, we are not going to wait in line for our earthquake! Nature, do you know who the fuck we are? Fortunately, seismologist Won-Young Kim fro ... More >>

Hurricane Rips Into a Haiti Still Waiting for Post-Earthquake Aid

Photo: Ariana Cubillos While Hurricane Tomas batters Haiti today, none of the $1.15 billion in aid pledged by the United States after last January's devastating earthquake has arrived. Ten months since the 7.3 magnitude quake killed 230,000 people and only weeks after news of a cholera outbreak, th ... More >>

Most Epic Tornado Video Yet: "We Are In the Tornado!"

This tornado video -- taken by Eric Meyers in Rice, Texas, from his car on Sunday as 125-mile winds tore through the area -- kinda makes the Brooklyn tornado guys look like amateurs, or, worse, a couple of wussy hipsters. "We are in the tornado" is the anti "Double rainbow all the way."

Earthquake Strikes Oklahoma, Moves Man in La-Z-Boy

​A 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck Oklahoma southeast of Oklahoma City, near Norman, at about 9 a.m. this morning. Aftershocks were apparently felt in Texas and Kansas. Midwesterners are all abuzz on Twitter, not least because earthquakes are somewhat rare in the Midwest. Tulsa World has the b ... More >>

First Tornado Hits the Bronx in 36 Years

via Daily News​On Friday night, for a 15-minute period, we were hunkered down in our windowless bathroom (just in case!) as our Twitter flashed "Tornado WARNING" from New York's Office of Emergency Management, NotifyNYC, and, of course, the National Weather Service. (A warning, for future refe ... More >>

HEARTS ON FIRE

Capturing devastation one disaster at a time

Fault Lines: David Schwimmer Brings You Some Chat About Semen

Tremor town

Katrina, Stark and Surreal, in Trouble the Water

Hard rain falls in this "old weird America" documentary on the disaster

Desert Bayou

Should the Brooklyn Cyclones Be Renamed the Tornados?

More Blues in New Orleans

In New Orleans, the Saints Are Marching In Again

Just as Hitler and Stalin couldn't ban jazz, Hurricane Katrina can't keep it and New Orleans down

All Wet

Bloomberg's man Dan Doctoroff has an answer for rising seas: more coastal condos!

My Last Normal Day in New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina? Throw a BBQ—at least we won't lose the meat in the freezer

'Typhoon'

The Ninth Re-Ward

The Vietnamese community in New Orleans East rebuilds after Katrina

Water, Logged

Document by document, inquiry skewers Bush's Katrina cover-up

Barricading the Storm

Why the White House Won't Release Its Katrina Papers

Flyover

Bush stands up Catholic schoolgirls in the Big Uneasy

Make Levees, Not War

Serious hurricane protection could take 30 years to build

Rotting Meat Still Litters Gulf Coast

Mississippi governor says federal Katrina response stinks

Morning Report 9/28/05
Barney Fife on Capitol Hill

Storm Front

In global warming's kitchen, hurricanes love the heat

Rita and Weep

Texas, home to the country's largest refineries, has yet to be declared a disaster area by Bush

Morning Report 9/13/05
Lifeless Body Removed from FEMA HQ

Bush Regime Remains in Persistent Vegetative State

Katrina's Impact Hits Weiner

Crude Manipulation

In Katrina's wake, the supposed oil shortage and suspicious gas price hikes

Third World

Katrina puts us—and the press—in a different place

World Goes Nuts

New Orleans Via New York

Break out the beads for a little Mardi-Gras mayhem

Paradise Regained?

A Plan to Restore Iraq's Wetland Graveyard