Weather & Natural Disasters 2006 Archive | PBS NewsHour

ABOUT US \| LOCAL TV LISTINGS EMAIL PRINT

WEATHER & NATURAL DISASTERS


	2006 DECEMBER Dec. 29, 2006 Colorado Gets Hit with Second Snowstorm in Two Weeks NewsHour reports from Denver on snowstorms that have blanketed parts of Colorado, interrupting travel plans and causing electrical outages.

	Dec. 26, 2006 Two Years After Deadly Tsunami, Southeast Asia Still Recovering Two years after a tsunami devastated Southeast Asia, the region's hardest hit areas continue to deal with the aftermath. Regional experts discuss efforts to restore the economy and society in the most affected areas.

	Dec. 21, 2006 Western Blizzard Causes Cancellation of Thousands of Flights The blizzard in Colorado has led to the cancellation of roughly 2,500 flights. NewsHour reports on what this will mean for travelers in the days ahead.

	Dec. 21, 2006 Small Business in New Orleans Still Struggling for Survival After Katrina Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco announced a plan to provide interest-free loans and $100 million of federal funds in grant money for small businesses in New Orleans. The NewsHour reports on the struggle for survival as the city rebuilds after Hurricane Katrina.

	Dec. 21, 2006 Report Charges FEMA Wasted Funds After Hurricane Katrina The Federal Emergency Management Agency is under fire for wasting taxpayers' money on illegitimate disaster aid claims in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, though the agency contends it had to streamline procedures to send aid quickly to those in need.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 23, 2006 New Orleans Homeowners Seek Federal Aid to Rebuild Thousands of homeowners in New Orleans have applied for federal funding to rebuild under a program called "The Road Home," but only a few dozen have received help.



	OCTOBER Oct. 30, 2006 Global Warming Could Significantly Impact World Economy, Study Says Unchecked global warming could impact the world economy on a scale comparable to world wars and the Great Depression, a report issued Monday by the British government says.

	Oct. 27, 2006 Firefighters Work to Contain Fire That Has Already Killed Four and Injured One Southern California firefighters are still struggling to contain a fire that authorities say was set ablaze by an arsonist. NewsHour Correspondent Jeffrey Kaye of KCET, Los Angeles, reports on the California fire that has already claimed the lives of four firefighters.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 25, 2006 New Orleans Celebrates Reopening of Superdome Monday night's kickoff between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints will mark the first regular season game at the Louisiana Superdome since Hurricane Katrina turned the stadium into a haven for people fleeing the floodwaters after the storm.

	Sept. 1, 2006 Analysts Discuss U.S. Policy in Middle East, Katrina Anniversary, CIA Leak Case Analysts Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss speeches by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld defending U.S. policy in the Middle East, the Hurricane Katrina one-year anniversary, and a revelation in the CIA leak case.



	AUGUST Aug. 29, 2006 Anniversary Raises Questions about Aid to Katrina Survivors President Bush marked the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans Tuesday with a speech where he admitted problems in the federal response to the disaster and pledged more funds for rebuilding efforts.

	Aug. 29, 2006 New Orleans, President Bush Mark Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina New Orleans commemorated the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with church services and jazz processionals while President Bush met with Mayor Ray Nagin and promised a better response to future hurricanes during a speech Tuesday. The NewsHour looks at the day's events.

	Aug. 28, 2006 President Bush Visits Gulf Coast for Katrina Anniversary President Bush arrived in Biloxi, Miss. Monday to survey the region's recovery effort in the year since Hurricane Katrina. His next stop is New Orleans. The city's leaders and residents discuss the changes that have taken place since the hurricane hit.

	Aug. 25, 2006 Reminders of Katrina Linger on Mississippi's Gulf Coast One year after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, the city's infrastructure remains in disarray and businesses are still suffering in parts of the state. The NewsHour provides a report from three recovering cities.

	Aug. 24, 2006 New Orleans Still Recovering One Year After Katrina A year after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, residents find that despite promises of aid from local, state and federal governments, the city still lacks adequate medical care and other basic services.

	Aug. 21, 2006 Reports Raise Concerns About Patient Euthanasia After Hurricane Katrina Recent controversial reports said five elderly and terminally ill patients who were abandoned and proclaimed dead in a New Orleans hospital immediately after Hurricane Katrina were euthanized by the hospital staff.

	Aug. 4, 2006 Deadly Heat Wave Reignites Climate Change Debate A front of cool air moved over the East Coast Friday, bringing an end to a record-breaking heat wave that started last week in California and is blamed for nearly 200 deaths. Climatologists discuss the debate over the Earth's changing weather.

	Aug. 2, 2006 Nationwide Heat Wave Strains U.S. Power Grid Utility companies warned Wednesday that rising demand may place a strain on the nation's power grid over the next few days. An expert discusses the impact of the heat wave on electricity demand and ways to conserve energy.



	JULY July 28, 2006 California Heat Wave Death Toll Rises One hundred degrees temperatures in California this week have had a deadly impact with at least 116 deaths attributed to the heat. Authorities discuss how they are helping those suffering.

	July 27, 2006 Report Finds Abuse of Homeland Security Contracts A congressional report to be released Thursday has found dozens of Homeland Security Department contracts worth $34 billion were prone to wasteful spending, overcharges, and abuse stemming from an increase in no-bid deals and a shortage of managers.

	July 27, 2006 Housing Woes in New Orleans Continue Nearly a Year After Katrina More than 75 percent of public housing in New Orleans is unfit for human habitation after Hurricane Katrina. Rebuilding plans for these homes are underway but will take time, even though residents are ready now to return home.



	JUNE June 22, 2006 Earth Warmest in 400 Years, Panel of Scientists Says A panel of top climate scientists reported Thursday that the Earth was hotter in the last few decades of the 20th century than it has been over the last 400 years and possibly longer.

	June 12, 2006 Costly New Orleans Levee Repairs May Be Inadequate In the first month of a new hurricane season, the Army Corps of Engineers has completed almost $800 million in repairs to the New Orleans levee system, repairs some say still leave the battered city vulnerable.

	June 2, 2006 Hurricane Season Brings Anxiety to New Orleans Chris Rose of the New Orleans Times-Picayune describes the state of mind in the Crescent City as hurricane season descends.

	June 2, 2006 Graduations Mark the End of a Traumatic Year for New Orleans Schools John Merrow has been reporting on the efforts of New Orleans schools to remain open in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, which destroyed much of the infrastructure of the school systems in the Gulf Coast.

	June 1, 2006 Homeland Security Chief Says U.S. Prepared for 2006 Storm Season On the first day of the 2006 hurricane season, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff discusses the federal government's preparedness for another storm season after the devastation and chaotic response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.



	MAY May 29, 2006 Survivors of Indonesia's Deadly Earthquake Face Threat of Volcano Eruption Survivors of Saturday's deadly earthquake in Indonesia face the threat of Mount Merapi, a volcano showing signs of eruption. Following a report on the volcano's activity, Indonesia's ambassador to the United States updates relief efforts in the region.

	May 27, 2006 Powerful Earthquake Kills Thousands in Indonesia A massive earthquake leveled homes and killed more than 3,000 people in central Indonesia early Saturday, in the nation's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami.

	May 25, 2006 Severe Drought Hits Horn of Africa Millions of people in Somalia and Kenya "are on the brink of starvation" because of a severe drought that has swept the Horn of Africa.

	May 24, 2006 New Orleans Tests Revamped Hurricane Evacuation Plan New Orleans officials enacted an updated plan Tuesday, under which an evacuation will be ordered up to 36 hours before a Category 3 or stronger hurricane hits the city. Local emergency responders used the test to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.

	May 22, 2006 National Hurricane Center Predicts Up to Six Major Hurricanes The National Hurricane Center forecast Monday four to six major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico this year.

	May 18, 2006 New Orleans Voters Divided as City Prepares for Saturday's Mayoral Election New Orleans voters head to the polls Saturday to choose between incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu in a race that will determine the future leadership of a changing city still recovering from the damage of Hurricane Katrina.

	May 17, 2006 Mississippi Works to Restructure Health Care Services Residents of Moss Point, Miss. have just a small clinic to cater to their medical needs after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the area last year.

	May 12, 2006 Poet Visits Hurricane-Ravaged Birthplace Born in Gulfport, Miss., poet Natasha Trethewey recently returned to the coast of Mississippi to witness the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the landmarks she elegized in her book "Native Guard."

	May 10, 2006 List Highlights America's Most Endangered Places The National Historic Trust for Historic Preservation released Wednesday its annual list of endangered sites, including buildings and neighborhoods. Jeffrey Brown speaks with Trust President Richard Moe.

	May 9, 2006 Post-Katrina Home Insurance Hard to Get Nine months after Hurricane Katrina destroyed homes in Mississippi and Louisiana, real estate agents and residents of the area are having big problems obtaining homeowners insurance.

	May 9, 2006 Amid Widespread Criticism, Government Prepares for Next Hurricane Season The Senate has recommended the dissolution of FEMA and every level of government has come under fire for its handling of Hurricane Katrina, government organizations are launching initiatives to deal with another potentially active hurricane season.



	APRIL April 27, 2006 Senators Propose Eliminating FEMA, Creating New Agency The senators who investigated the administration's performance during last year's Hurricane Katrina recommended the government dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency and create a new, stronger agency in its place.

	April 21, 2006 Student Activism A report on a new wave of student activism brought about by September 11th, the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.

	April 19, 2006 New Orleans Churches Start from Scratch After Hurricane New Orleans churches are struggling to rebuild themselves and their communities after Hurricane Katrina. Ray Suarez reports on religious rebuilding.

	April 17, 2006 Paper Chronicles New Orleans Recovery, Advocates for City's Survival The 169-year-old New Orleans Times-Picayune has found itself tested by Hurricane Katrina in unprecedented ways. A report on the newspaper's changing role after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

	April 13, 2006 Government Unveils New Orleans Rebuilding Documents Government officials released an analysis of flood risk in New Orleans and four nearby parishes Thursday -- the first such assessment since the 1980s -- and offered guidelines for rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.

	April 12, 2006 California Works to Prepare for Next 'Big One' The 1906 earthquake killed about 3,000 San Franciscans, yet despite modern building codes and materials, scientists fear a similar earthquake could be even more devastating today.

	April 11, 2006 Hurricane Evacuees Vote in New Orleans Mayoral Elections As post-Katrina New Orleans prepares for its mayoral election, candidates are contending with the city's changing demographics and officials are making sure evacuees can fill out absentee ballots.

	April 10, 2006 Hurricane Katrina Gives Birth to Poetry A report on poetry in New Orleans, where one night a week, in one small corner of the French Quarter, local poets tell stories of Hurricane Katrina.

	April 10, 2006 Refugees Return to Pakistan Six months after a devastating earthquake, refugees are returning home to Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. NewsHour correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro of Twin Cities Public Television reports on their progress and how a relatively warm winter and massive relief effort helped avert a second wave of deaths.

	April 7, 2006 Levee Repair Costs Could Reach $6 Billion A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimate predicts an additional $6 billion will be needed to make the levees in Louisiana strong enough to meet the standards of the federal flood insurance program.

	April 4, 2006 Louisiana Struggles to Maintain, Improve Wetlands Even before Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana was losing miles of wetlands every year due to its systems of levees and canals. Now, the Army Corps of Engineers has asked the people of New Orleans to comment on a plan that includes restoration of some of the region's wetlands.



	MARCH March 29, 2006 Drought Plagues Horn of Africa Drought and hunger are spreading quickly across east Africa, specifically in Somalia and Kenya, damaging the countryside and killing families. A report on the severity of the famine and ways that organizations are helping soothe the plight.

	March 27, 2006 Paper Chronicles New Orleans Recovery, Advocates for City's Survival The 169-year-old New Orleans Times-Picayune has found itself tested by Hurricane Katrina in unprecedented ways. A report on the newspaper's changing role after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

	March 21, 2006 Search Effort Continues for Katrina's Missing Nearly seven months after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, 1,400 people are still missing. A report from Baton Rouge traces the continuing search for lost loved ones and the efforts to identify the dead bodies.

	March 20, 2006 Pass Christian, Miss. Rebuilds After Katrina Private grants and state funding have allowed the Mississippi Gulf Coast town of Pass Christian to recreate itself. NewsHour correspondent Tom Bearden reports on a town in search of a new image after Hurricane Katrina.

	March 16, 2006 India Works on Fertility Reversal After Tsunami NewsHour correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro of Twin Cities Public Television reports from India on the effort to reverse sterilization, one of India's most common forms of birth control, for those who lost children in the tsunami.

	March 9, 2006 Dogs Join Search for Bodies in New Orleans NewsHour correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports on specially trained dogs that search for those still missing in New Orleans.

	March 8, 2006 Domino Sugar Plant Reopens After Rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina Six months after Hurricane Katrina, Domino Sugar reopened its facilities after setting up temporary trailer parks to house its workers and their families.

	March 8, 2006 President Visits Gulf Coast Six months after Hurricane Katrina hit, President Bush made his 10th trip to the Gulf Cost to see how communities were rebuilding.

	March 6, 2006 California Levee Breaks After Rain Heavy rains Monday led to a small levee break in Sonoma County, California. In a Science Unit report, NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels looks at California's Central Valley levee system.

	March 3, 2006 President Faces Katrina Fallout, Pakistani Protests Mark Shields and David Brooks speak with Jim Lehrer about Hurricane Katrina and the briefing video with President Bush, the president's trip to India and Pakistan and other leading stories from this week.

	March 2, 2006 Houston Struggles to Accomodate Katrina Evacuees NewsHour correspondent Lee Hochberg of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports on Houston's growing pains from sheltering more than 150,000 evacuees displaced by Hurricane Katrina



	FEBRUARY Feb. 27, 2006 New Orleans Health Care System Struggles to Rebuild Charity Hospital was the second-oldest continuously operating hospital in the United States until Katrina struck the Gulf Coast six months ago. Now, it operates from tents inside the New Orleans Convention Center. Susan Dentzer of the NewHour's Health unit reports on the city's struggling health care system.

	Feb. 24, 2006 Subdued Mardi Gras Returns to Big Easy With so much devastation and loss in New Orleans, some residents resent this year's Mardi Gras celebration, while others say it is important to get on with life. NewsHour correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports from the Big Easy.

	Feb. 21, 2006 Illness Breaks Out Among Philippine Mudslide Survivors Breakouts of chickenpox and other infectious diseases at crowded evacuation centers in the Philippines have sparked new concerns about the survivors of Friday's deadly landslide.

	Feb. 17, 2006 Houston Struggles with FEMA to Provide Shelter for Katrina Evacuees Gulf Coast residents who fled to Houston, Texas after Hurricane Katrina found emergency housing but are now facing problems receiving help from the federal government months after the storm.

	Feb. 17, 2006 Mudslide Buries Villages in Philippines, Hundreds Missing Heavy rains in the central Philippines triggered mudslides Friday morning that swallowed hundreds of homes and an elementary school in sludge three stories high.

	Feb. 16, 2006 Army Corps Races to Rebuild New Orleans Levees NewsHour correspondent Betty Ann Bowser provides a Science Unit report from New Orleans on efforts to rebuild the levee system before the next hurricane season.

	Feb. 15, 2006 Chertoff Discusses Response to Katrina Report Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff discusses the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina and what can be done differently in another natural disaster.

	Feb. 15, 2006 House Lawmakers Discuss the Katrina Report Members of the House Select Committee investigating the preparation and response to Hurricane Katrina discuss what they have learned.

	Feb. 15, 2006 Chertoff Grilled About U.S. Katrina Response Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff appeared before a Senate panel investigating the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

	Feb. 13, 2006 Chertoff Announces Changes for FEMA Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Monday that he plans to reshape the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make it better prepared for disasters. Two experts discuss the possible changes.

	Feb. 10, 2006 Former FEMA Chief Questioned by Congress As part of its investigation into failings in the federal government's Hurricane Katrina response, the Senate Homeland Security Committee heard the testimony of Michael Brown, former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

	Feb. 10, 2006 Senators React to Brown Testimony The Senate heard testimony from former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown on the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina. Two senators on the Homeland Security Committee discuss their reactions to Brown's testimony.

	Feb. 10, 2006 Analysts Weigh Fallout from Muhammad Cartoons Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss the response to controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, the debate over surveillance programs and the government's Hurricane Katrina response.

	Feb. 9, 2006 Residents Weigh Return to New Orleans Five months after Hurricane Katrina struck, two reports from New Orleans track one family's struggle over whether to move back and a prominent musician's battle to retain the city's jazz tradition.

	Feb. 8, 2006 New Orleans Health Care Struggles After Hurricane Katrina Susan Dentzer of the Health Unit reports from New Orleans about the city's broken health care system after Hurricane Katrina and the effort to assist the thousands of residents who are poor, uninsured and chronically ill.

	Feb. 7, 2006 Vice President Cheney Defends Government's Wiretapping Program In a wide-ranging newsmaker interview, Vice President Dick Cheney defends the government's program of warrantless wiretapping of suspected terrorist communications as well as addresses the diplomatic standoff with Iran and the overall effectiveness of the Bush administration.

	Feb. 6, 2006 President Submits 2007 Budget to Congress President Bush submitted his 2007 budget proposal to Congress on Monday. The $2.8 trillion plan includes increases in defense spending, provisions to make existing tax cuts permanent and reductions in entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Two guests discuss the administration's priorities.

	Feb. 3, 2006 Brooks and Oliphant Debate the Election of John Boehner David Brooks and Tom Oliphant discuss the election of John Boehner as House majority leader, the Senate hearings on domestic security, the State of the Union address, and the report by the GAO critiquing the Department of Homeland Security response to Hurricane Katrina.

	Feb. 3, 2006 ITN Reporter Discusses Experience in Pakistan The NewsHour recently aired a report by Dan Rivers of Independent Television News on earthquake survivors in the Pakistani village of Moori Patan. Rivers talks about the process of putting together his report and the outpouring of viewer mail it generated.

	Feb. 1, 2006 Report Finds Federal Leadership Lacking in Wake of Katrina Congress-commissioned investigators faulted the Bush administration Wednesday for not designating a senior official to lead the overall federal response to Hurricane Katrina or establishing a clear chain of command.



	JANUARY Jan. 31, 2006 Analysts Preview State of the Union Columnists David Brooks and Tom Oliphant speak with Jim Lehrer prior to the president's State of the Union address.

	Jan. 25, 2006 White House Accused of Hindering Congressional Katrina Probe Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the committee investigating the government's response to Hurricane Katrina accused the Bush administration Tuesday of slowing the inquiry by refusing to provide key documents and officials for questioning.

	Jan. 25, 2006 White House Accused of Hindering Congressional Katrina Probe Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the committee investigating the government's response to Hurricane Katrina accused the Bush administration Tuesday of slowing the inquiry by refusing to provide key documents and officials for questioning.

	Jan. 20, 2006 New Orleans Businesses Struggle to Rebuild A commission called Bring New Orleans Back is charged with helping struggling business owners get back on their feet after much of their property and the city's tourist industry were damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

	Jan. 19, 2006 Pakistan Earthquake Victims Struggle Through Winter Earthquake survivors in the remote Himalayan village of Moori Patan, Pakistan face a frigid winter.

	Jan. 17, 2006 New Orleans Universities Open After Hurricane Katrina A NewsHour report on the struggles faced by many New Orleans colleges and universities, opening for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.

	Jan. 13, 2006 Hotel Crunch Hinders Rebirth of New Orleans A report from New Orleans about the hotel crunch created by residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina and tourists hoping to visit the Crescent City.

	Jan. 11, 2006 New Orleans Residents React to City Revitalization Plan A report on how residents of New Orleans are reacting to the recommendations of a city revitalization commission, whose members were appointed by Mayor Ray Nagin.

	Jan. 11, 2006 New Orleans Plan Would Allow Low-lying Areas to Rebuild A sweeping plan to rebuild New Orleans unveiled Wednesday would give all residents a chance to rebuild, including those in low-lying areas, marking a departure from past proposals.

	Jan. 3, 2006 Refugees International Officials Discuss Recovery Efforts in Pakistan Relief efforts continue in Pakistan three months after a devastating earthquake struck the region. Following a report detailing the efforts, two officials from Refugees International discuss the recovery.