Hurricanes

The recent enormous storms have hit the industry hard, with several signs turning negative. But economists expect a rebound when the weather improves.

No coastal watches or warnings are in effect for Jose, but the storm is expected to bring high surf and life-threatening rip currents along portions of the U.S. East Coast in the coming days.

The software of major airlines monitor supply and demand, then lower or raise prices accordingly — within seconds. That can lead to some exorbitant prices, NPR's Scott Simon says.

GoFundMe campaigns and robocalls have already started. Fight instances of fraud by staying informed and carefully researching reputable charities.

We know how damaging and costly, in many ways, such natural phenomena can be — but the devastation is not surprising, once you know how much energy is involved, says astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser.

With winds currently rated at near 85 mph, Harvey is a Category 1 hurricane — and its sustained winds could reach 115 mph in the next 36 hours, forecasters say.

The first hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic season made landfall in eastern Mexico and should break up by late Thursday or Friday. But its rains could cause intense flooding.

The storm is expected to make landfall north of Veracruz, where it could dump as much as 15 inches of rain, causing "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides."

"The season could be comparable to last year, which was the most active since 2012 with 15 named storms," said Gerry Bell of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

Threats of 3-5 inches of rain — and the possibility of 8 inches in some places — have people in northwest Florida bracing for floods.