Less than two weeks after the mayor of Huntington issued an emergency declaration over the second large-scale flooding episode to hit the city in the last nine months, elected leaders from across West Virginia, state officials who work on flooding, and the state's chief resilience officer were already scheduled to meet.

A flood-planning symposium takes place Wednesday and Thursday this week in Charleston, sponsored by the State Resiliency Office, national organization SBP, and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Matthew Sanders, senior manager of flood-prepared communities for The Pew Charitable Trusts, said West Virginia's recent flooding, which reportedly damaged more than 100 homes, makes the event even more important.

"The point of this plan is to really begin to think out further into the future and begin to anticipate what types of flooding events are going to be more likely in the future," Sanders explained. "So that the state can take mitigated action to reduce that risk. That's really the only way to get outside of this toxic cycle of 'disaster, response, recovery.' "

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice toured Huntington's flood damage last week, noting the state needed to work together to make repairs and prevent such damage from happening again.

The visit and comments came two days after Justice declared a State of Emergency for Huntington and other areas affected by flooding, which authorized the West Virginia Emergency Management Division to use all state resources necessary to support local counties in their response.

This week's two-day symposium will focus on updating the Mountain State's 18-year-old flood-protection plan.

Sanders emphasized now is the time for the 80 officials and experts scheduled to attend to work together to prevent more West Virginia families from experiencing catastrophic flood damage.

"The next step, I think, beyond this symposium is to figure out how the state can take what they're working on and really engage with the public with it in a thoughtful way," Sanders urged. "So that West Virginians across the state A) have an understanding of current and future flood risk and B) have a degree of buy-in involvement."

The Red Cross has reportedly distributed more than 900 meals to impacted Huntington residents, and will remain in the area for at least the remainder of the month to assist those in need.

Fire season is now upon us - and local experts are speaking out on best practices for dealing with large wildfires, which seem to be Nevada's "new normal."

Continuing drought and high temperatures, linked to climate change, have created the same conditions that led to 610 fires last year, which burned more than 134,000 acres.

University of Nevada, Reno Assistant Professor Christina Restaino directs the "Living with Fire" program that teaches communities how to get ready.

"You need to prepare your own home and the property around your home," said Restaino, "by doing proper defensible space. Also through creating an evacuation plan for both family and your animals."

In addition, Restaino said people need to plan for smoky skies and poor air quality. And she said she believes more people are needed to help educate the community, study wildfire risk, and reduce the fuel load on the wildland/urban interface.

Tim Brown, the director of the Western Regional Climate Center at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, said the impact on people will be twofold.

"It's going to be respiratory issues - last year, compounded with COVID," said Brown. "On the mental side, it's the stress of dealing with those physical impacts, but also wondering just how bad is this season going to be?"

Jennifer Cantley - Nevada field coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force and an advisor to Gov. Steve Sisolak's Environmental Justice Team - said she relies on Environmental Protection Agency data from the website 'Airnow.gov.'

At one point, she said, it showed Douglas County with more 'red' air-quality days than Washoe or Clark counties.

"It showed that the rural communities do have dirty air just as much as the big cities, even though it's overlooked," said Cantley. "And most of the time, they don't have air monitoring systems."

Data from the Nevada Department of Wildlife indicate the problem is only getting worse.

More than 9 million acres of Nevada's landscape burned between 2000 and 2020, which is double the acreage lost to wildfire between 1980 and 1999.

Reports of harmful algal blooms have increased in Michigan in recent years, and state officials have tips on how to keep an eye out for them.

Algal blooms are rapid increases or accumulations of algae in surface waters, and mostly occur in lakes during summer and into fall. Cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae, can sometimes produce toxins.

Gary Kohlhepp, supervisor of the Lake Michigan Unit for the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, said they are the biggest human health concern when it comes to algal blooms. He pointed out in the vast majority of cases, an algal bloom shows up as scum on the surface of the water.

"Whenever you see those conditions, we advise people not come into contact with it, and also to not allow their pet to swim in it," Kohlhepp recommended. "When in doubt, stay out. If you're not sure whether it's cyanobacteria or green algae, the best course of action is just to avoid it."

Skin contact with cyanobacteria can cause rashes, hives, skin blisters or runny nose or asthmalike symptoms. Swallowing large amounts can lead to flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal issues or neurotoxic symptoms such as harm to the liver or kidneys.

Kohlhepp noted while algae are naturally occurring, blooms are often caused by agriculture or lawn fertilizer running from farms or land into waterways. The phosphorous and sometimes nitrogen in fertilizers can be a good source of food for algae, Kohlhepp stressed, sometimes too good.

"If there's a lot of food and especially when the weather warms up, so you get warmer temperatures, you get a lot of sunlight, not a lot of wind blowing, so it's pretty still calm conditions," Kohlhepp outlined. "That's a perfect recipe for these algae to really grow like crazy. "

Kohlhepp added algal blooms often last just a short time, for a few days or up to a week, and in rare cases multiple weeks. He cautioned there is a perception the blooms are everywhere, but it is actually a small number of lakes compared with the more than 10,000 lakes in Michigan.

Maine is home to the largest number of loons in the region, and it's nesting season.

The Maine Loon Restoration Project is a five-year effort to limit threats to loons' breeding chances and survival. They place loon nesting rafts on Maine lakes where nesting pairs have not hatched chicks in three years. The goal is to place 100 rafts by 2026.

Earl Johnson, loon restoration biologist for Maine Audubon, said loons are sensitive to disturbance, especially during nesting season.

"That can be a really, really stressful time in a loon's life, and approaching them closely on a boat or in the water is not helping the loons at all," Johnson explained. "They're sensitive to disturbance and definitely amazing to observe, but from a safe distance is best for everybody."

He added they are launching a "Loon Rangers" program to educate and raise awareness about where nesting loons are, so people can avoid those areas in boats or on personal watercraft. The project also includes Fish Lead Free programs, to reduce the use of lead tackle, a common cause of death for loons.

In 2003, a spill leaked 98,000 gallons of oil into Buzzards Bay, killing hundreds of loons over the next few years.

Jill Marianacci, another loon restoration biologist for Maine Audubon, said Mainers love loons, and communities have enthusiastically involved in the project, funded by the 2017 settlement from the spill.

"It's currently the nesting season right now," Marianacci pointed out. "All the lakes and ponds that we've put rafts out on, we're starting to see which pairs are taking to these rafts, and hopefully in a few weeks, we'll see if they're successful at hatching chicks, which is very exciting."

Maine Audubon leads the Loon Restoration Project in partnership with the Penobscot Nation, Maine Lakes and Lakes Environmental Association.

They're seeking volunteers to help with outreach, education and management across the state. Bird watchers can participate in the annual loon count on Saturday, July 16.