Latest news with #Buckingham
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Approves $12 Million For Urgent Disaster Recovery Projects
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced that $12 million in disaster recovery funds will be approved for infrastructure and housing projects across four Texas communities. The money comes from reallocated federal grants originally designated for previous disasters. The funding represents a last chance for cities still rebuilding from the 2015 floods. Federal deadlines loom for spending these disaster recovery dollars, creating urgency for communities with unfinished projects. 'Texans impacted by disasters deserve real solutions,' said Commissioner Buckingham. 'The GLO is making sure every dollar is put to work for the people who need it most.' Harris County will receive the largest share, with a $7.35 million split between Jacinto City and Tomball. Newton County secured $3.95 million for street and sewer improvements, while Brazoria was awarded $700,000 for sewer line replacement. The money comes through the Disaster Recovery Reallocation Program, which repurposes unused federal disaster funds. The Texas General Land Office received $1.4 billion in project requests but had only $140 million available across six disaster programs. Jacinto City's $6 million allocation addresses critical infrastructure needs from the 2015 flooding. The city will upgrade sewer lines, improve emergency communications systems, and enhance its wastewater treatment plant. Newton's projects focus on street repairs and sewer improvements in flood-damaged areas. Tomball will use its $1.35 million for channel improvements to reduce future flood risks. Federal regulations impose strict completion deadlines on these projects. Communities that fail to finish work on time must repay the funds to Washington. Still, the program offers vital support for Texas cities struggling with disaster recovery costs. The selected projects underwent rigorous eligibility reviews based on federal grant requirements and completion feasibility. That said, the funding falls far short of the requested needs. The $1.4 billion in submissions highlights the extensive damage Texas communities still face from multiple disasters spanning more than a decade.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas Secures $382K Grant To Boost Beach Water Quality Monitoring
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced Wednesday that her agency has secured $382,000 in federal funding to monitor bacterial levels at Texas beaches. The EPA grant will support the state's Texas Beach Watch program through the 2025 swimming season. The funding comes as millions of Texans prepare for summer beach trips along the Gulf Coast. Rising concerns about water quality have made bacterial monitoring increasingly critical for public health officials. 'The GLO is proud to monitor the water quality up and down our beautiful Texas coast for the well-being of beachgoers, our shoreline communities, and the marine life across various beach habitats,' said Buckingham. 'As someone who lived on the coast for over a decade, I want to thank President Trump's EPA for the issuance of this grant that will assist the Texas Beach Watch program in keeping Texans informed as they visit our beaches this summer.' The program tests specifically for Enterococcus bacteria, which naturally occurs in warm-blooded animals. While normal in coastal ecosystems, elevated levels can signal potential health risks. Heavy rainfall and stormwater runoff often drive bacterial spikes. When levels exceed safety thresholds, the GLO issues water quality advisories to warn swimmers. Still, the actual risk remains relatively low. Last year, only 797 of 8,237 samples triggered advisories—roughly 9% of all tests conducted. The GLO does not close beaches during advisories. That decision rests with local authorities who weigh multiple factors beyond bacterial counts. The grant stems from the federal BEACH Act, which mandates coastal water quality monitoring nationwide. EPA officials framed the funding as part of their 'Powering the Great American Comeback' initiative. That said, bacterial monitoring represents just one piece of coastal management. The GLO simultaneously oversees beach nourishment projects and hurricane recovery efforts across the Texas coast. Buckingham, who became Texas's first female Land Commissioner in 2022, has prioritized coastal issues. Her agency recently completed what officials describe as the state's largest beach nourishment project. The Texas Beach Watch program encourages visitors to help maintain water quality. Officials specifically request proper pet waste disposal and trash management at beach sites.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hazy sky to persist as Canadian wildfire smoke and Saharan dust invade US
The haze is here to stay. Rounds of smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires, as well as dust blowing off Sub-Saharan Africa, will continue to envelop portions of the United States into the summer, say AccuWeather meteorologists. Recent rounds of smoke blowing across the northern and eastern U.S. over the last week resulted in a hazy sky, poor air quality and vibrant sunrises and sunsets. While the smoke has mostly retreated back into Canada as of late this week, additional episodes are expected through the summer, with the first expected early next week. Meanwhile, the Saharan dust will result in similar effects in the South, mostly in Florida and areas surrounding the Gulf and southwestern Atlantic. A recent round of dust blowing off of Africa will also have the effect of putting a temporary lid on potential tropical development. A cycle of smoke from Canadian wildfires The 2025 Canadian wildfire season is off to a quick start, and the result has been plumes of thick smoke pouring into the U.S. since May. Because of how Canada manages these fires, mostly burning unabated in unpopulated areas, the smoke will continue to flow south in cycles through the summer, warn AccuWeather meteorologists. According to data released by the Canadian government last week, nearly 1,500 fires have burned so far in the country. While this number is not unusual, the size of the fires has been, covering an area that's over 300 percent of the historical average for this time of year, mostly in the prairies of central Canada. From last week into early this week, plumes of smoke dimmed the sky and led to poor air quality in Midwestern locales before heading south and east. That smoke has now mostly retreated or dissipated from the lower 48 states. "Pockets of smoke and haze are expected to hover over portions of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes through this weekend," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. "However, the density and overall aerial coverage of the smoke will continue to decrease." Multiple storms moving across the Midwest and East-in association with clouds, rain and changes in the wind direction-have led, and will continue to lead, to the dissipation of smoke in many areas. However, this break from the smoky conditions will be the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+ "Between Sunday and Monday, a cold front diving out of Canada is expected to bring a resurgence of smoky skies," said Buckingham. "This will likely target many of the same areas that experienced smoky skies this past week, especially across the northern Plains and Midwest." Where the smoke is thickest in the Midwest, the air quality can suffer, resulting in hazardous conditions, especially for susceptible populations such as the elderly and those with respiratory ailments. By the time the smoke moves east later next week, that concern will lessen. "Hazy skies from upper-atmosphere smoke can potentially spread across the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Northeast by the middle and end of next week," added Buckingham. The smoky start to the warm months has many recalling the thick smoke that invaded Midwestern and Northeastern cities in 2023, which ended up being Canada's most destructive wildfire season. Saharan dust to put a lid on tropical activity in the Atlantic While wildfire smoke will continue to intrude from the north this summer, rounds of dust blowing off Africa will impact the South. A current round through late this week can be replaced by another next week, say AccuWeather experts. "Besides the dust that is already over the Southeast and moving across the Atlantic, another large round of dust is moving off Africa now," said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva on Thursday morning. "It is expected to reach the Lesser Antilles beginning late this weekend, and perhaps Florida by the end of next week." In the meantime, a hazy sky and vibrant sunrises and sunsets can be expected all along the Gulf Coast, and also portions of the southwest Atlantic coast, through Friday. The dimming of the sunshine can also have a slight cooling effect, resulting in daytime high temperatures that are a few degrees lower than they otherwise would have been with full sun. Unlike with thick wildfire smoke plumes, the Saharan dust will remain mostly in the upper atmosphere, because of the great distance of thousands of miles it must travel to reach the U.S. Because of that, poor air quality is not anticipated in either the Caribbean or Southeast, though some of the dust can mix with rain from thunderstorms, leaving what appears to be dirty spots on cars and other objects. The dust can have an effect of quelling potential tropical development, however. "This dust will likely prevent anything from forming across most of the Atlantic tropical basin over the next few weeks," pointed out DaSilva. "The only areas that can see a risk of development will be across the western Caribbean or in the Gulf." AccuWeather meteorologists are currently highlighting a low risk for tropical development in that area through mid-June. The hurricane season as a whole, which runs through Nov. 30, is expected to be an active one, especially after Saharan dust subsides. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
The Hill
a day ago
- Business
- The Hill
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham discusses Chinese threats
With the focus on the White House's tariff talks with China, you might have missed an issue between the two countries that's playing out in our back yards— U.S. land owned by citizens of our adversaries. The Texas legislature just passed a bill that would prevent Texas land sales to people from certain countries. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told me the state took up the issue when a Chinese official purchased property too close to a U.S. military site. 'We realized that that was really a mechanism for destabilizing our grid, causing problems for our bases,' Buckingham told me. Think this concern is bipartisan? Not necessarily. A couple states away in Arizona, the Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs just rejected a similar bill. While we watch President Trump deal with Xi Jinping, a reminder that issues involving China rest in the states as well.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Dangerous' air quality in Minnesota, Wisconsin as wildfire smoke pours in from Canada
Air quality reached dangerous levels in part of the Midwest Tuesday morning as thick smoke from wildfires burning in Canada blew across the region. Smoke started to appear in the sky over parts of the central and eastern United States in late May, but the intensity of the smoke near the ground reached a new level by daybreak Tuesday in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Residents in Minneapolis could smell smoke in the air, and visibility was reduced to less than 3 miles. The air quality index (AQI) reached 288, a "dangerous" level at which even healthy individuals can start to experience immediate effects on their breathing and health when outside. Images from an EarthCam in St. Paul showed the dramatic difference between the smoky start to Tuesday compared to last week when little to no smoke was in the sky. The scenes are similar to the Northeast during 2023 when smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded skylines across the Northeast, including in New York City. There is good news for people in the Midwest awaiting relief from the poor air quality. "The prolonged stretch of a smoke-filled sky and poor air quality across portions of the Upper Midwest will finally come to an end heading into midweek courtesy of a cold front sweeping the smoke eastward," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. "Residents across Minnesota and Wisconsin who have seen the smoke, haze, and poor air quality will be able to breathe more easily by Wednesday; however, this may not be a prolonged stretch of smoke-free air, as waves of additional Canadian wildfire smoke could return by Friday and Saturday across the region," Buckingham added.
