This Week in Disasters
A Week of Extremes: Floods in California, Hail in Texas, and Cold Records Ahead
Nov 7, 2025
Photo: A vehicle drives through floodwaters in San Francisco’s Upper Haight neighborhood on Nov. 22, 2024, as a storm brought heavy rain, strong winds, and minor flooding to the Bay Area. (Photo: Beth LaBerge / KQED)
Plus, the human side of recovery
Welcome back to This Week in Disasters! This newsletter combines expert perspectives with a weekly roundup of upcoming threats, recent natural disasters, and available survivor assistance. If you’re an HR, Risk, Employee Assistance, or Emergency Management professional (or you’re just really curious about disasters in the United States!) you’re in the right place.
Major Disasters of the Last Week
Northern California flooding and road/power issuesA pacific storm and king tides led to around one foot of water over ground in the SF & Monterey Bays and gusts to ~50–65 mph, which led to flooding of lots/parks/shoreline roads and scattered outages. Read more... |
Hailstorm in Corpus Christi, TexasA powerful hailstorm struck the area, with wind gusts up to 69 mph and golf-ball-sized hail. The storm was one of the largest avian mortality events from hail in North American in decades. Around 2,000 birds (mostly brown pelicans) were killed or severely injured. Read more... |
Photo: Flooding and damage from Hurricane Melissa in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, on Oct. 29, 2025. (Source: Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, via Facebook)
Forecasted Risks for Next Week
Blast of arctic air to bring snow and low temperatures across the U.S. This front will push farther south and east through the weekend, and temperatures could drop 10 to 20 degrees below normal. Several locations in the Southeast could even see daily record low temperatures.
A moderate risk of heavy snow is flagged for parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from approximately November 12-14.
Heavy precipitation and mudslide risk in California and Southwest. This is flagged for portions of southern California on November 13-14 and parts of Arizona on November 14-15. This raises concerns of urban flooding and mudslides especially in burn-scar areas.
Disasters in the Headlines
Hurricane Death Toll Rises to 43 in Haiti as Aid Pours in Across the Northern Caribbean
Where Americans Won’t Buy Homes Due To Climate Change or Natural Disasters
They survived the hurricane. Their insurance company didn’t.
Grist
Five Pillars of Climate-Adaptive Insurance
The Epicenter
PRO PERSPECTIVE
The Human Side of Recovery
Disaster recovery isn’t just about rebuilding structures, it’s about rebuilding lives. This week, we spoke with Heather Robson-Jones, a Bright Harbor Disaster Recovery Advisor with a background in Psychology and Criminal Justice, who entered the field in the aftermath of a disaster in her own community. Her expertise lies in navigating government programs and nonprofit systems, helping survivors understand what resources are available and how to access them.
She believes the hardest part of recovery isn’t paperwork or permits, it’s the emotional toll.
“Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint,” Heather explained. “It takes years, not months. People start out hopeful, but as time drags on, exhaustion and burnout set in.”
Through the process, one constant remains: connection matters most.
Many survivors find strength in community, neighbors rebuilding side by side, online groups sharing hard won advice, and WhatsApp threads that keep neighborhoods connected long after the crisis fades from headlines. “Technology helps people find their support system,” Heather said. “But nothing replaces empathy and understanding.”
Recovery is also deeply psychological. Every part of the process, from financial strain to navigating government systems, can affect mental health. Yet, too few survivors seek the free counseling and mental health services available through FEMA and local agencies. “Every part of disasters will affect your mental health,” Heather said. “It’s a huge trauma. You can’t rebuild higher-level needs until your basic needs are met.”
If your employees or constituents are struggling from a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is a great resource for those who need extra support.
Active Federal Major Disasters
There is usually a 60 day window to apply for help after a disaster is declared. The following disasters are still actively taking applications from survivors for financial support.
The following disasters are actively taking applications from survivors for financial support. To apply, survivors can visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800‑621‑3362.
Wisconsin - Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, FloodingSTATUS Major Disaster declared September 11, 2025; IA applications accepted in eligible counties until November 12, 2025. AFFECTED COUNTIES Milwaukee, Washington, Waukesha |
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate - Severe Storms & FloodingSTATUS Major Disaster declared September 11, 2025; IA applications accepted in eligible counties until December 5, 2025. AFFECTED COUNTIES Lake Traverse (Sisseton) Indian Reservation |
Alaska - Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon HalongSTATUS Major Disaster declared October 22, 2025; IA applications accepted in eligible counties until December 22, 2025. AFFECTED COUNTIES Lower Kuskokwim Regional Educational Attendance Area, Lower Yukon Regional Educational Attendance Area, Northwest Arctic |
Missouri - Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight Line Winds, Tornadoes & FloodingSTATUS Major Disaster declared May 21, 2025; 20 more counties added for IA on October 23, 2025; IA applications in eligible counties until December 22. AFFECTED COUNTIES Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cooper, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Vernon, Washington, Wayne |
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe - Severe Storms, Flooding & Straight Line WindsSTATUS Major Disaster declared October 22, 2025; IA applications accepted in eligible counties until December 30, 2025. AFFECTED COUNTIES Leech Lake Indian Reservation |
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