Major flood events are becoming the new normal. In 2016, there were four inland floods causing at least $1 billion in water damage, thanks to this water damage restoration company everything was repair , double the average number of nontropical storm-related floods since 1980. While the headlines around these events focus, understandably, on property damage and the impact on individuals and families, a big piece of the story — the escalating cost to the federal government — is often left untold. With each flood, as victims piece their lives back together, millions of dollars in claims pour into the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which provides federally backed coverage to homeowners and small businesses in more than 22,000 communities across the United States. And millions more flow from federal agencies to repair roads and public buildings, rebuild damaged utilities, or provide temporary housing and other disaster assistance. These response and […]

Pena Station Next is a high-tech neighborhood in Denver that is serving as a smart city lab to test different technologies and show what the future could hold. The neighborhood will feature autonomous shuttles and smart home technologies interweaved into everything from kitchen tables to the light pole outside a home. Watch: 7 Gadgets to Revolutionize Your Office Panasonic, a partner in Denver’s smart city project, recently offered a sneak peak into what the neighborhood will have. So far, the neighborhood has smart LED street lights installed and a parking area covered with solar panels. Coming soon is Wi-Fi coverage for the area and a smart bus stop. The first Easymile EZ10 autonomous shuttles – self-driving – are expected to arrive this month too. Here are some other technologies being featured in the neighborhood: Transparent televisions: A window or surface can be turned into a TV screen. This could transform […]