Extreme downpours — like those that flooded Louisiana, Houston and West Virginia earlier this year — will happen nearly three times as often in the United States by the end of the century, and six times more frequently in parts of the Mississippi Delta, according to a new study.

For years, scientists believed the mighty San Andreas—the 800-mile-long fault running the length of California where the Pacific and North American plates meet—could only rupture in isolated sections.

The estimate from catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide is for at least $762 million in losses but the damage to homes, business and infrastructure could be much higher. A full assessment is being hampered by continued poor weather in the region.

“While many have been lucky so far, it’s important that residents in the impacted areas know insurers are standing by ready to help,” Oyango Snell, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America’s regional manager, said in a statement.

Wildfires near the Georgia-North Carolina line are spewing smoke so thick that residents are being urged to wear special masks if they must do outdoor activities. The fires — many of them suspected arsons — have prompted evacuations in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee in recent days.

Shell-shocked, emotionally distraught and displaced from their homes, the victims of Hurricane Matthew have clearly been through more than most of us dare to imagine. However, now their plight is being made all the worse by a series of scam artists bringing a bad name to the insurance industry.

In the United States, tropical storms and hurricanes are the only kinds of storms that get a name. Andrew, Katrina, Ivan, Sandy. Other major storms -- tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and blizzards -- aren’t as special. The recent flooding in Louisiana caused damage on the level of a hurricane, but the storm had no name.

Louisiana flood victims have received over one billion dollars in flood insurance payments in less than three months after the historic flooding.

Travelers has deployed about 60 catastrophe response professionals trained on drone technology to areas affected by Hurricane Matthew. The company’s SVP of claim, Patrick Gee, says that the company’s mature drone program is already paying off in more efficiency and a safer experience for claims professionals.

North Carolina emergency officials have estimated that the destructive and deadly Hurricane Matthew caused $1.5 billion worth of damage to more than 100,000 homes, businesses and government buildings in the state.

It has not been the Lone Star State’s year weather-wise. Mother Nature seems to have it in for Texas, for some strange reason.

Hurricane Matthew has thousands fleeing the U.S. Southeast where it’s expected to batter the coastline and threaten electricity supplies to more than 1 million people in Florida. Potential losses are seen as high as $15 billion.

As predicted, Hurricane Matthew devastated the entire southern region of Haiti overnight with wind damage, flooding, houses which have been destroyed or washed away, landslides, power outages, and crop losses.

With Hurricane Matthew ready to slam the US in the next day or two, time is running out to get ready. "I cannot emphasize enough that everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday.

Officials in Broward County are asking some 150,000 residents who live in low-lying areas, mobile homes or along the coastline to evacuate before Hurricane Matthew approaches South Florida.