FLOODING POSES WELL WATER RISKS IN BLANDERSVILLE, ILLINOIS

CA.News.Yahoo.com

This year's record-setting rainfall in the Midwest has damaged several homes and businesses. Residents of Blandinsville, Illinois, did not have safe drinking water for nearly two months. Waters in the wells turned muddy brown during the storm. When the sediment cleared, waters were still testing for bacteria such as E.coli. Though estimates vary, roughly 53 million U.S. residents, about 17% of the population, rely on private wells, according to a study conducted in part by Environmental Protection Agency researchers.

DAMAGE ESTIMATES CLIMB FROM MASSIVE NEW MEXICO WILDFIRE

www.NYTimes.com

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico commented on Albuquerque’s largest burning fire. The fire has burned 500 square miles (1,295 square kilometers) in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range, the southern end of the Rocky Mountains. Several hundred homes are estimated to be destroyed. Elected officials have called for the federal government to cover 100% of recovery costs.

EIGHT DEAD AND SERIOUS DAMAGE AFTER MUDSLIDE IN CHINA

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On May 28th, in Beijing, China, a mudslide claimed 8 lives. The local government has indicated that five of the bodies were found inside of a factory while the other three were in a residential buildings. The incident took place after several hours of downpours, the landslide completely covered both buildings. The authorities also relocated at least 11,300 people affected by the incident. China has spent US$74 million a week to support natural disaster response during the current rainy season.

MARSHFIELD AND ADAMS, WISCONSIN, SHUT DOWN WELLS DUE TO PFAS POLLUTION

John McCracken / The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Marshfield and Adams have shut down municipal wells due to PFAS contamination, along with other Wisconsin cities. The state Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday, May 25th, that sampling in the two cities had detected PFAS high enough to concern state health officials. Marshfield, Wisconsin, shut down four of 15 and Adams, Wisconsin, shut down one of two wells with elevated PFAS levels after receiving results.

HEAVY FLOODS DAMAGE CROPS, CUT OFF COMMUNITIES IN SURINAME, PUERTO RICO

WWTI.com

Vast flooding in Suriname, San Juan, Puerto Rico, has damaged crops, closed schools and businesses, and isolated certain communities. The rains that caused the flooding centralized over the central and southern regions of South America. Water purification infrastructures, Farms and electricity are all under water according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. Suriname’s southern region is only accessible by aircraft or boat for now.

PFAS MANUFACTURERES SUED

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Attorney General Maura Healey filed a lawsuit against multiple PFAS manufacturers, claiming that they deceptively marketed and sold dangerous chemicals. The lawsuit was filed in US District Court in South Carolina, where it will be joined with a host of other lawsuits before a single federal judge. 

The lawsuit alleges that the manufacturers knowingly deceived buyers about the risks of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. “These toxic and persistent ‘forever chemicals’ are contaminating countless water supplies and requiring massive efforts and expenditures of funds to investigate, treat, and remediate the contamination of the Commonwealth’s natural resources,” according to the lawsuit. 

The lawsuit requests an unspecified amount of money to clean up, restore, and treat the PFAS contamination as well as reimburse the state for damages. Furthermore, the lawsuit seeks to hold these manufacturers responsible for remediating and monitoring water supplies, rivers, and soil in the state.

COVID-RELATED BUSINESS LOSS IS NOT ‘PROPERTY DAMAGE,’ MD. APPEALS COURT SAYS

ABCNews.go.com

Maryland’s second-highest court ruled Tuesday, May 24th, that an insurance policy’s standard coverage for lost business due to property damage does not apply to a restaurant’s loss of revenue when Gov. Larry Hogan ordered eateries closed to in-house dining in 2020 in an attempt to halt the spread of COVID-19. Dozens of other state and federal courts have uniformly ruled the provision of property damage policies do not cover pandemic-related revenue loss.

MORE THAN 150,000 STILL WITHOUT POWER AFTER DESTRUCTIVE ONTARIO STORM

JUSTIN TANG / THE CANADIAN PRESS

On May 22nd, a storm caused property damage in Ontario, Canada, leaving several residents without power. Powerful winds broke limbs off trees and sent them through windows of nearby properties and cars. Uxbridge, along with the communities of Clarence-Rockland and the Township of Greater Madawaska, east and west of Ottawa, declared states of emergencies after the storm. At least 10 people in Ontario and Quebec died as a result of the severe weather on Saturday. Provincial provider Hydro One said on May 24th that more than 142,000 customers were still without power, while Hydro Ottawa said it had 74,000 customers without service around midday.

A DAMAGED CUBAN CHURCH SITS ON TOP-QUALITY TOURISM REAL ESTATE

Ramon Espinosa / AP Images

On May 6th, an explosion in Havana, Cuba killed approximately 45 people and damaged multiple buildings including a Calvary Baptist Church. The Cuban government controls gas utilities, and the military owns the hotel, where the explosion occurred. The Calvary Baptist Church is a historic religious building that sits at the center of Cuba’s tourism industry, on Old Havana real estate. The building is considered part of Cuba’s national heritage. This means that any modifications must be approved by the government, and the exterior façade must be maintained.

VINEYARD DEVELOPER FACES FINE FOR ALLEGED ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE

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Hugh Reimers and Krasilsa Pacific Farms are facing a $3.75 million state fine for allegedly removing trees and destroying a small wetland on land east of Cloverdale, California. On May 9th, a complaint filed by the Water Board accused Reimers and Krasilsa Pacific Farms of also failing to abide by a 2019 cleanup and abatement order, which required them to restore the streams and wetlands. The Water Board will hold a public hearing in the first week of August on whether to approve the proposed fine.

LINCOLN HEIGHTS APARTMENT PROJECT UNCOVERS CONTAMINATED GROUNDS

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A 2021 project’s re-development of 141 West Avenue 34, an apartment building in Lincoln Heights Los Angeles, brought up a forgotten case of a American Caster Corporation toxic chemical dump in 1984. A total of 252 barrels filled with toxic chemicals were found underneath the property. Some of the barrels were nearly empty when the contents corroded through the containers and into the soil. Others were dumped into sewer lines.

The residents are demanding a new cleanup plan and accused the state of failing to properly test the chemical dumpsite and other surrounding properties underneath the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. In 2021 it was revealed that there were high levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that were more than 4000 times higher than what is recommended for safe residential standards. The former head of environmental health for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Angelo Bellomo, is asking both regulators and the company planning development to pause the demolition of the building to conduct an investigation into the dumping and perform more testing and cleanup.

MORE THAN 150,000 WITHOUT POWER AFTER DESTRUCTIVE ONTARIO STORM

www.theglobeandmail.com

On May 22nd, a storm caused property damage in Ontario, Canada, leaving several residents without power. Powerful winds broke limbs off trees and sent them through windows of nearby properties and cars. Uxbridge, along with the communities of Clarence-Rockland and the Township of Greater Madawaska, east and west of Ottawa, declared states of emergencies after the storm. At least 10 people in Ontario and Quebec died as a result of the severe weather on Saturday. Provincial provider Hydro One said on May 24th that more than 142,000 customers were still without power, while Hydro Ottawa said it had 74,000 customers without service around midday.

TEXAS WILDFIRE LOSSES $23.1 MILLION IN PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES

Kay Ledbetter / Texas A&M AgriLife

Eastland Complex, parts of the Panhandle and Coryell County regions of Texas were damaged by wildfires encompassing 433,000 acres have resulted in $23.1 million in preliminary agricultural loss estimates. These estimates have been produced by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The losses include more than 400 livestock deaths, lost grazing values, and fence repair costs.

Dry, windy conditions throughout the winter and spring raised the fire danger threat. The preliminary estimates were calculated beginning with the March 2022 fires and running through the April 2022 fires. Within one week in late March; state, federal, and local fire resources responded to 192 wildfires that burned 173,559 acres. More than 300 Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters, 200 Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System firefighters, and firefighting personnel from 28 states were positioned across Texas to respond.

PORTIONS OF CENTRAL PARK, MICHIGAN TO CLOSE TEMPORARILY

MapIO.net

Work related to the protection of the drinking water supply for the Village of Milford will cause portions of Central Park to be closed for several days over the next two weeks. An Administrative Order requiring ZF Active Safety US Incorporated to install a treatment system to address the presence of contaminants was issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).  Contaminants in the groundwater have migrated from properties that were formerly owned by ZF's predecessor Kelsey Hayes Company

THE CITY OF TALLAHASSEE RECEIVES $500K GRANT FOR BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION

www.DailyAdvent.com

On May 13, 2022, the City of Tallahassee announced that they were awarded $500,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Brownfields Assessment Grant program. The grant allows the city to assess and remediate the properties. The city also expects to use some funds for community involvement activities for properties around Tallahassee’s Southside.

A LANDSLIDE DESTROYED ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA HOMES 24 YEARS AGO. A DEVELOPER WANTS TO BUILD THERE AGAIN

Geraldine Wilkins–Kasinga / Los Angeles Times

In 1998, a hill below Via Estoril collapsed due to heavy rains during the winter. Properties were destroyed when they slid down the hill and the properties below the hill were damaged. Residents of the Laguna Niguel neighborhood thought no one would think to build on this location again.

Laguna Niguel Properties LLC, builder of the original Niguel Summit neighborhood, is proposing new condominiums at the base of the hill in 2022. They claim improvements have been made since the landslide to prevent future disasters. However, local residents are worried the construction will destabilize the hill, causing another landslide.

LEAD CONTAMINATION AT SHINGLE MOUNTAIN SITE NEAR DALLAS, TEXAS

Lynda M. Gonzalez / www.DallasNews.com

On May 11th, a $2 million cleanup at the former Shingle Mountain site was approved to address lead contamination. In 2021, the city of Dallas, Texas, removed years of construction debris from the Floral Farms neighborhood. Concerned about the levels of contamination, local residents called for an environmental assessment and found lead in the soil. The lead in the soil was three times higher than the minimum to clean up the site.

An additional assessment of the property has been started by the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS). Once complete, officials plan to enter the property site into a regulatory cleanup program.

FEDERAL CIRCUIT CLEARS LAWSUIT AGAINST ARMY CORPS FOR FLOODWATER RELEASES DOWNSTREAM AFTER HARVEY

www.ClaimsJournal.com

On June 2nd, a panel of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a US Court of Federal Claims ruling that dismissed 176 lawsuits against the US Army Corps of Engineers. The lawsuits were filed by property owners along Buffalo Bayou downstream of the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs in Houston, Texas, after the US Army Corps of Engineers emptied two reservoirs that were holding back floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The plaintiffs claim the government must compensate them for damages under the 5th Amendment.

DR. MICHAEL TACHOVSKY, REAL ESTATE EXPERT, SHARES WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE COASTAL FIRE

KESQ.com

Residents in the Orange County, California community of Laguna Niguel experienced home loss from the Coastal Fire. At least 20 homes have been reported destroyed and evacuations were ordered along the Coronado Pointe and Pacific Island Drive areas. Dr. Tachovsky cautioned, "The Coastal Fire may be a precursor for homeowners in California as we move into the warmer summer season."

Dr. Tachovsky specializes in real estate damage and complex valuation; this includes valuation issues related to a variety of conditions, such as environmental contamination, natural disasters, eminent domain, crime scenes, construction defects, neighborhood nuisances, geotechnical issues, location premiums, and other conditions involving a wide variety of property types.

EVERY HOME IN AMERICA NOW HAS A WILDFIRE THREAT SCORE

Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images

Of the wildfires that have been traced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration since 1980, 66% of the damage has occurred in the last five years. The end of 2021 concluded the 7th consecutive year of insured losses above $2 billion.

First Street uses everything from property tax data to satellite imagery and assigns a wildfire risk score that factor in construction type, roof type, weather and exposure to natural fuels like trees and grass. First Street gives every home a unique score and unique probabilities of risk. They collaborated with Realator.com to include a flood score on every property as well.