Why 'natural' disasters aren't as natural as their name suggests

Listening to the news, it feels like there are more natural disasters than ever. This hour, as we reflect on 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, we return to conversations about why flooding and droughts are becoming so common and how the word "disaster" affects the way we view an event. First, Connecticut State Historian Andy Horowitz explains why understanding disasters involves looking at the decisions people made before the devastation, sometimes decades before. And Professor Mohammed Ombadi breaks down the science behind how climate change is causing an increase in extreme weather.

GUESTS:

• Andy Horowitz: Associate Professor of History at UConn, Connecticut State Historian, author of 'Katrina: A History, 1915-2015'

• Mohammed Ombadi: Assistant Professor in the department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan

This episode originally aired on November 8, 2023.

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