Natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, floods, winds and swells can have far reaching influence on our history, culture, and infrastructure. Nikita Beck has been working on cataloging hazards in the US Virgin Islands throughout our recorded history and understanding the impacts, both tangible and intangible, that they have had on our infrastructure systems. From a major drought in 1733 leading to a successful slave revolt in St. John to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the impacts of hazards are continuing to change the way we live. This research is part of the University of the Virgin Islands work on the update to the USVI Hazard Mitigation and Resilience Plan.
Read MoreIn early October of this year, California experienced sweeping blackouts across the state. People were left flustered as school and workplaces were shut down, emergency services struggled to find backup generators, and daily life got a whole lot harder for over 2 million people.
So why would any utility company choose to do this?
To avoid something even worse… igniting devastating wildfires.
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