Even as Florida prepared for another catastrophic hurricane, recent estimates show that Hurricane Helene cost property owners up to $47.5 billion.

According to CoreLogic, Helene, a fatal Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on September 26, produced “widespread and devastating” flooding in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

However, many residents in Helene’s path lacked flood insurance. CoreLogic believes that Helene caused between $20 billion and $30 billion in uninsured flood losses.

As Hurricane Milton Threatens The US, Helene Could Cost Property Owners More Than $47 Billion

That much exceeds the firm’s forecast of $10.5 billion to $17.5 billion in uninsured wind and flood damages.

“A significant portion of the losses from this hurricane are likely to go uninsured, leaving the individual property owner responsible for paying for repairs,” according to CoreLogic in a Friday report.

Overall, CoreLogic estimates that Hurricane Helene produced $30.5 billion to $47.5 billion in combined wind and flood losses across 16 states. The company stated it does not intend to release another update unless fresh developments merit it.

The latest cost calculations come as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, quickly strengthening from a tropical storm to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane in less than 20 hours.

Milton threatens to cause extra devastation to the region, emphasizing the lack of flood insurance in communities that continue to suffer significant flooding risks.

Helene’s severe rains devastated entire communities in western North Carolina. Helene has killed at least 232 people in six states, making it the second worst hurricane to hit the US mainland in the last 50 years.

In Florida, the hurricane created historic tidal levels in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, both of which have many hotels and condos.

Even when hurricanes have been exacerbated by record-warm seas in the Gulf of Mexico, traditional homeowners insurance policies often do not cover floods.

As Hurricane Milton Threatens The US, Helene Could Cost Property Owners More Than $47 Billion

Homeowners frequently have to acquire flood insurance independently, usually via the National Flood Insurance Program, which is handled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Homeowners are not required to obtain flood insurance unless they have a federally backed mortgage and their home is in a 100-year flood zone known as the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

“Lenders do not require homes without a mortgage or those outside the SFHA to have flood insurance,” the firm claimed.

According to CoreLogic, the great majority of Hurricane Helene’s damage was caused by floods, with wind accounting for only $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion in losses. The majority of the Florida wind losses occurred in Perry, a small town of only 7,000 people.

SOURCE | CNN

(VOR News) – For their research on small MicroRNA molecules that aid cells in modulating the proteins they produce, two scientists have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

Victor Ambros of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Gary Ruvkun of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital have been awarded the prize for their discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

The Nobel assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, disclosed the winners, who will divide an award of 11 million Swedish kronor, or approximately £810,000, equally.

Their research offered a unique perspective on the manner in which distinct traits and distinct proteins can be produced by various cells in our body, despite the fact that all of our cells possess the same DNA.

MicroRNA nerve and muscle cells serve specific functions.

For their research on small RNA molecules that aid cells in modulating the proteins they produce, two scientists have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

Victor Ambros of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Gary Ruvkun of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital have been awarded the prize for their discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

The Nobel assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, disclosed the winners, who will divide an award of 11 million Swedish kronor, or approximately £810,000, equally.

Their research offered a unique perspective on the manner in which distinct traits and distinct proteins can be produced by various cells in our body, despite the fact that all of our cells possess the same DNA. For example, nerve cells and muscle cells are highly specialized to serve specific functions.

In the early 1990s, the two independently identified a distinct mechanism and published crucial research while working with a small roundworm species known as C.elegans.

Their research revealed that microRNAs, which are short RNA segments, could directly attach to mRNA and prevent the machinery responsible for protein production from reading the instructions of the corresponding protein.

MicroRNA was once thought to be unique to C. elegans, according to Kämpe.

Nevertheless, additional microRNAs were identified in the years that followed, and it is currently believed that humans possess over one thousand genes that correspond to unique microRNAs.

It was later demonstrated by numerous research groups that microRNA can not only bind to mRNA and obstruct protein synthesis, but also induce mRNA degradation.

Additionally, there were additional discoveries. In accordance with Kämpe, “a robust system for gene regulation is created by each microRNA regulating several mRNAs and each mRNA being regulated by many distinct microRNAs.”

Ambros and Ruvkun have prior experience working together; they collaborated in Robert Horvitz’s laboratory during their postdoctoral studies. Horvitz was also a co-winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, who was awarded the 2009 Chemistry Nobel Prize for his efforts in decoding the structure of the cell’s protein-generating apparatus, expressed his enthusiasm for the announcement.

This award, which has been long overdue, is well-deserved and illustrates the control that small RNAs can exert over the expression of specific genes in a variety of cell types.

“It will have far-reaching microRNA implications and could open a new area of biology.”

However, he added, “It is unfortunate that David Baulcombe’s lab, which along with Ambros and Ruvkun shared the 2008 Lasker award, discovered a similar phenomenon in plants, was not included in the prize.”

According to Thomas Perlmann, the Nobel assembly’s secretary general, Ruvkun was awakened on Monday morning. Perlmann was able to communicate with scientists in the United States.

Perlmann stated that he had not yet been able to contact Ambros; however, that “his wife answered, and it took a long time before he came to the phone and sounded very tired.” He was quite excited and happy when he understood what it was all about.”

“I trust that he will contact me in the near future.” “I left a message on his cell phone,” he declared. The 2024 Nobel Prize in physics will be announced on Tuesday, while the prize in chemistry will be announced on Wednesday.

SOURCE: TGN

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(VOR News) – Sue Gray, who served as the chief of staff for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, tendered her resignation on Sunday, a little more than three months after the party won the election with a landslide victory.

As a result of rumors that problems were occurring within his team of advisers, which cast a shadow over his government, he decided to retire from his position.

During the previous month, Gray, a former senior civil servant, was the subject of leaks to the media about her wage concerns. Furthermore, she was blamed for Keir Starmer’s difficult beginnings in Downing Street by a number of officials who spoke to the media in an anonymous capacity. Throughout these revelations, Gray was the primary focus.

Gray said in a statement that was made public, “In recent weeks it has become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risks becoming a distraction to the government’s vital work of change.”

Gray made this declaration prior to the public release of the Keir Starmer statement.

Starmer led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in July, claiming to bring about reform and the enforcement of discipline. This victory came after the Conservative Party had dominated the politics of the United Kingdom for fourteen years.

On the other hand, his tenure in power has already been beset by criticism regarding the free gifts from wealthy contributors that he and other parliamentarians from the Labour Party received. Opposition has been generated in response to this critique.

Refunds have been issued for presents that amounted to thousands of pounds, as stated in comments that were released by Keir Starmer’s office the previous week. The figures, on the other hand, have been politically damaging at a time when his administration is cutting the amount of financial support that is provided to thousands of seniors in order to cover their heating bills.

Gray will be taking on a new duty as Keir Starmer’s envoy for the regions and nations, as stated by the office of the Prime Minister. This new post takes effect immediately.

According to the information that was provided, Morgan McSweeney, who had previously worked as chief adviser to the prime minister, will take over as her successor.

Gray was engaged by Keir Starmer to provide assistance for his Labour Party during the time that Keir Starmer’s party was in opposition in the year 2023.

Due to the fact that she had previously engaged in a government inquiry into parties at Downing Street at the period when Boris Johnson, a member of the Conservative Party, was serving as prime minister, the appointment was considered controversial.

In 2023, Johnson completed Keir Starmer’s departure from Downing Street.

James Lyons, a former top journalist with British newspapers, will be in command of the new strategic communications team that Starmer has developed.

Lyons will be in charge of their communications. Additionally, Starmer divulged that he would be implementing additional alterations to the members of his advisory team.

The first announcement that Starmer and his finance minister Rachel Reeves will make regarding their intentions regarding taxes and expenditure will be included in a budget statement that will be released on October 30. The upcoming month will be a defining moment for both of them.

According to the Conservatives, Starmer’s ministry had been “thrown into chaos” first by criticism of the free presents, and then subsequently by Gray’s resignation. Both of these events occurred simultaneously. The occurrence of both of these events took place concurrently.

The party’s representative issued a statement in which they said, “Sue Gray was brought in to deliver a program for government, and all we’ve seen in that time is a government of self-service.” This is according to the statement.

SOURCE: TET

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