SUSTAINABLE SWITCH — Multiple hurricanes hit US and Mexico

By Sharon Kimathi Oct 13 (Reuters) — Hurricanes and deadly storms have hit multiple cities across the United States and Mexico. Four people died after Hurricane Isaias made landfall this weekend, and about 670,000 residents in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi were still without power as the storm weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, according to local authorities and electricity monitoring services. Meanwhile, Hurricane Simon crept north-west just ​off Mexico's Pacific coast on Monday, lashing western states with winds and heavy rain, causing flooding that ‌put riverside communities on alert for possible evacuations.

The US National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Simon was about 55 miles (90 km) west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco state, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph), making it a Category 2 hurricane. Hurricane Isaias and Rachel Hazardous conditions remained, and storm surges, flash flooding, damaging winds and a risk of tornadoes across parts of the US ​Southeast were expected, the NHC said. The tornado threat continued across parts of the Florida ⁠Panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas, the NHC said.

In Florida, power restoration was given priority, authorities said, while highways, bridges and airports were reopening, and teams were ​assessing the damage. "They're going to make assessments this morning, and I think that'll give us a good sense about the future for the rapidity of the power restoration," ​ Governor ​Ron DeSantis told a press conference in Tallahassee. Some 16,000 utility linemen had prepared to respond to the storm, he said. In the coastal city of Pensacola, a lack of drinking water is a problem, the city’s mayor said.

Pensacola airport, Florida's 10th-largest, was damaged by the storm and is closed to commercial ​flights until further notice. A separate storm on the Pacific Ocean, Rachel, was moving toward the coast of northern Baja California over the weekend, bringing wind gusts and increased tides, which left another 7,000 people without power in California. Alabama's emergency management agency said the downed trees and power lines made ​travel hazardous in Houston County, which is under a flash flood warning.

” Emergency declarations were approved in Florida and Alabama to ensure federal resources would be available to respond to Isaias, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on X. Hurricane Simon Although Hurricane Simon has weakened since Saturday when it was a Category ​4 system, it is still forecast to make landfall on Thursday in Mexico's Sinaloa state. "Simon is slowly losing wind intensity and could ultimately stall this week and never make a true ​landfall as an organized storm," said Alex DaSilva, a hurricane expert at private forecaster AccuWeather.

"The slower Simon moves, the more rain potential the storm carries, ​but right now most of that rain is offshore and to the south of the storm's center, ultimately sparing the feet ​of rain we thought this storm could initially bring," said DaSilva. Simon was moving northwest at just 3 mph (5 kph) and was expected to continue along that track before turning northeast and moving inland across west-central Mexico around midweek. Authorities said that Simon could bring life-threatening flooding and mudslides to parts ​of the Pacific coast and nearby mountains.

Talking Points India protest movement detention: Top leaders of India's "cockroach" youth movement were detained ​on Tuesday after protests seeking the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation due to the revisions critics say favour Prime ​Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BPJ denies such accusations. The youth movement mobilized protests against issues ranging from government school infrastructure to jobs.

Additionally, almost three dozen journalists from outlets including the Indian Express, Scroll and Newslaundry, were detained for hours before being ​released, Ireland public sector strike: Some 300,000 teachers, health workers, civil servants and other public workers plan to hold a one-day strike for the first time since the height of the country's financial crisis ​in 2009, over a deadlock between unions and the government ​on the basis for entering talks on public sector pay rises.

Russia-Ukraine energy: Under pressure over high ‌energy prices ahead of US midterm elections next month, US President Trump blindsided Kyiv and its European allies by declaring that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed not to hit each other's energy systems. Ukraine's European allies voiced scepticism of any such energy ceasefire and urged the US to keep pressure on Moscow, while the EU approved its own largest ​set of sanctions since the full-scale invasion in 2022. Click here to read the full Reuters report.

US pushback on Russia energy: Republican and Democratic US senators called on Trump to "reverse course" on a diesel supply deal with Moscow, saying it runs counter to US ​law barring imports of energy until Russia ends its aggression against Ukraine. They also said that the administration failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation of its decision, something also required by law. Click here for an explainer on the deal. US rural energy program: The Trump administration continues to cut support for clean energy.

HIs office plans changes to a rural energy program that will make it harder for many farmers to access funds ‌for solar arrays and other energy efficiency projects, according to farmers, energy companies and analysts. In Conversation Marcus Coleman, vice president of community resilience at international non-profit United Way Worldwide, shares his thoughts on the importance of preparedness as residents begin recovery efforts from Hurricane Isaias: “Preparedness is often framed as a checklist for the next storm. In reality, it's about people.

“Communities recover better when neighbors know each other, organizations work together, and trusted relationships are already in place before a disaster happens. “As we continue to support people in places like Indiana, Hawaii and the communities impacted by Hurricane Isaias, it's a good reminder that preparedness doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. “A recent United Way survey found that most Americans are concerned that a disaster could affect their household, but far fewer feel prepared. For many families, cost is a real barrier.

“The good news is that some of the most important steps cost nothing: turn on emergency alerts, identify an out-of-area contact, make a plan for medications and pets, check in on neighbors, and save copies of important documents. “The same is true for communities. The places that recover fastest usually aren't the places with the fewest disasters. “They're the places where nonprofits, businesses, faith organizations, emergency managers, and residents have already built trust and know how to work together.

Those relationships become some of the most important infrastructure a community has when things go wrong. “Recovery doesn't start after the storm. It starts before it arrives. ” ESG Spotlight Climate adaptation is on the agenda in today’s spotlight as fish farms in Hungary team up with the national water authority to ​use water left in the huge pools when the fish are harvested to irrigate drought-hit agricultural land and parks.

Traditionally, during fish harvests, water from the pools was released into canals and rivers, but the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-Branch Organization (MA-HAL) has redirected some of it to local wetlands in recent years. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here.

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