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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Resident shares harrowing experience in aftermath of devastating hurricane: 'I've lost everything'
Those affected by the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season are still feeling the reverberations. One Florida resident shared her experience recovering from Hurricane Helene and her apprehensions for the future as hurricane seasons intensify as a result of rising temperatures. Residents are struggling to rebuild and relocate after Hurricane Helene. In Madeira Beach, Florida, many homes are still damaged and unlivable, and the 2025 hurricane season is approaching fast. "I've lost everything," former Madeira Beach resident Connie Noren told WFLA News. "Everything, I've lost all the memories, all the pictures, all the souvenirs. I've traveled a lot with being a military wife, and I've collected a lot of stuff. So, it's gone." Madeira Beach isn't the only city affected. All across Tampa Bay, repairs are still barely getting underway. Even with governmental assistance, the cost of home repairs is a massive roadblock, according to ABC Action News, especially as obtaining flood insurance checks is frustratingly difficult. Per the Weather Channel, hurricane season has only amplified in severity over the past decade, with storms each year exceeding the former average. In fact, 2015 marked the last hurricane season without a single storm making landfall. Ever since, the damage to land and residential infrastructure rates have soared. If hurricane damage continues to keep up this alarming pattern, we can expect insurance coverage to drop in at-risk areas and threats to infrastructure and home security to increase, making hurricanes both a financial and mortal risk. The rise in more intense hurricanes can be attributed to our warming planet. As we release more and more heat-trapping pollution into our atmosphere, Atlantic temperatures grow warmer, supercharging seasonal hurricanes. While federal and state assistance can help offset the costs of Hurricane Helene repairs, it's not a long-term fix. To protect ourselves from worsening hurricanes in the future, we need to cut down on our pollution output and focus on fortifying our urban and residential infrastructure. Installing solar panels in conjunction with battery power, for example, can simultaneously lower your reliance on fuel-based energy, save money on bills, and make your home more resilient against storms, since energy grids often go down in extreme weather conditions. Do you think your house could withstand a hurricane? No way Maybe a weak one I'm not sure It definitely could Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. If making upgrades seems daunting, services like EnergySage can help you get started in navigating the process and finding the best local installers. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘I feel lousy': Tampa woman, 83, lost $4.5K to a common phishing scam — here's how to avoid the same bait
When Ed Mondello's 83-year-old wife received a text message about an unpaid toll, it seemed legitimate. 'They said she didn't pay the toll and had to pay $6.99 by a certain time,' the Tampa Bay resident told WFLA News. 'If not, it would go to her credit report, and she would lose her registration. I feel lousy." I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) The link in the message looked official, appearing to come from Florida's SunPass system complete with branded logos and language. Wanting to resolve the issue quickly, she clicked the link and entered her debit card information. That small decision cost $4,500. According to Mondello, the thieves used his wife's debit card 25 times over three days, making purchases at Staples stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Their story is part of a troubling national trend: a surge in toll-related phishing scams. The toll scam targeting the Mondellos follows a typical playbook in which scammers impersonate toll agencies and send mass text messages claiming that recipients owe a small amount for unpaid tolls. The messages typically include a link and urgent warnings of steep late fees or even the threat of license suspension without immediate payment. The link directs victims to a fake payment portal. Once a victim enters their credit or debit card information, scammers charge large sums or steal sensitive information for future use. Read more: Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lost $470 million to text-message scams in 2024 alone — five times as many as in 2020. Older adults are particularly vulnerable. AARP reports that people in their 70s suffered median losses of $20,000 to investment scams — a stark contrast to the $1,551 median loss reported by victims in their 20s. Here are some ways you can protect yourself from toll-related text scams: Don't click links in unsolicited texts: If you receive a toll notice, contact the tolling agency through their official website. Look closely at the sender: Scam texts often come from email addresses or numbers you can't trace. Verify the message with the tolling agency using a trusted source when in doubt. Watch for urgency: Scammers rely on panic to prompt quick action. A legitimate agency won't threaten license suspension or credit damage over a single missed payment. Enable alerts from your bank: Instant notifications can help you catch and respond to fraudulent activity before it causes more damage. Report suspicious messages: Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and delete them from your device. In the end, the Mondellos were fortunate. Their credit union, Achieva, reimbursed the more than $4,500 they lost in the scam. Still, the experience left its mark. Ed says his wife learned a challenging but important lesson about suspicious text messages. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead There's a 60% chance of a recession hitting the American economy this year — protect your retirement savings with these essential money moves ASAP (most of which you can complete in just minutes) This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sign in to access your portfolio
