As hurricane season kicks into full gear, Pennsylvania officials are reflecting on the impacts of Hurricane Agnes 50 years ago, and urging property owners to consider getting flood insurance to protect their homes.

Hurricane Agnes was the costliest big storm to hit the United States at the time in 1972. It affected much of the East Coast, but Pennsylvania was hit the hardest, with more than 3,000 businesses and 68,000 homes destroyed.

Michael Humphreys, acting insurance commissioner for Pennsylvania, said natural disasters create hardship and stress for property owners left to deal with the aftermath.

"There are too many Pennsylvanians who have lost everything and didn't have flood insurance to help them rebuild," Humphreys recounted. "Even if your property is outside a federally designated Special Flood Hazard area, and you are not required to buy flood insurance by your mortgage lender, you should consider flood insurance. The risk of flooding doesn't go away just because you paid off your mortgage."

Just last summer, Tropical Storm Ida caused severe flooding damage throughout the Commonwealth, with cleanup costs estimated at $100 million. People looking to purchase a home or property should do their research before buying to determine if the area has had previous flooding.

Randy Padfield, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said flooding continues to be the most common natural disaster experienced in the Commonwealth. He said over the past 28 years, 90% of flooding incidents in the state have occurred outside the Special Flood Hazard Zone, meaning places that have never seen flooding before.

"Please take the first step and at least inquire as to what a policy would cost," Padfield urged. "You may be surprised to how affordable a policy is, depending on your individual circumstances and the peace of mind it affords you and your family."

There is more information on the National Flood Insurance Program and other resources in the event of severe flooding on the state Insurance Department's website. In most cases, there is a 30-day waiting period after purchase before flood insurance policies become active.

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for many people, including scammers.

Oregonians lost $136 million to holiday shopping scams last year, according to a new study. Although older people tend to lose higher dollar amounts to a scam, the Federal Trade Commission said scammers steal from young adults more often.

Carmel Perez Snyder, associate state director of AARP Oregon, said the most common cons this year revolve around online shopping, charities and gift cards. She acknowledged victims of scams can feel embarrassed but they should never be blamed for falling for a trap.

"A scam is just like somebody being held at gunpoint," Snyder explained. "They are robbed by very professional people who are very good at what they do."

Snyder pointed out crypto scams have been big this year, in which the victim is led through a series of steps, ending with all their money converted to cryptocurrency. Once the money has been converted, Snyder said, there is no way to trace it or get it back.

The best way to avoid scams, Snyder emphasized, is to never give personal information to anyone over the phone. If they claim they're from the IRS or your bank, hang up and call the agency or business to confirm. Snyder added if their request comes with a threat -- that you're going to be arrested or you need to keep something a secret -- it's a scam. The goal is to play on people's emotions so they aren't thinking clearly and are more likely to follow nefarious instructions.

"They get them that way by making them scared, having a sense of urgency, making them think 'this great deal is going to go away tomorrow,'" Snyder outlined.

Snyder stressed if you suspect a scam, it is important to report it. You can call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline or the Federal Trade Commission and your local police. Even if they cannot do much about it, it is critical they are able to track the scams going on in the community.

Many folks are still expecting holiday packages this week, and the United States Postal Service is warning customers not to fall for what are known as smishing scams.

Smishing, said John Hyatt - a strategic communication specialist with the USPS - is the practice of sending fake text messages to smart phones, asking users to click on a link to resolve a zip code or other issue with a pending package.

He warned that personal data is what the sender is after.

"Basically, criminals trying to obtain personally identifying information about a person," said Hyatt, "such as accounts, user names, passwords, dates of birth, credit card numbers - things like that."

In 2020, the Internet Crime Complaint Center reported over 240,000 victims of smishing, phishing, and other fraudulent schemes - costing over $54 million, with the average person losing about $800.

Smishing texts can be relentless this time of year, but Hyatt said you should never follow the message prompts.

"When you get a suspicious text message," said Hyatt, "if you click on those links, it will take you to a website that could be downloading onto your phone - and once you submit that information then they use it for nefarious purposes."

Hyatt said you will only receive text messages from the USPS if you have gone online and registered for such services.

"You can sign up to receive text messages about a tracking number," said Hyatt, "or you can go into the tracking service and put the number in and then ask for text message updates, or even an email update on usps.com."

He said the USPS informed delivery program is being used by millions of Americans to receive legitimate messages about what packages are on the way.

Go to the USPS.com website for more information.




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As the new year quickly approaches, Wisconsin business owners and shoppers alike are bracing for the prospect of tariffs from a new administration that could affect both their livelihoods and families. Eau Claire Outdoors is a shop that sells gear for camping and backwoods experiences.

Kate Felton, shop owner, said she carries products manufactured both in the U.S. and elsewhere. She worries about shoppers being able to afford the brands she stocks if U.S. manufacturers increase prices as a result of tariff backlash.

"The Trump tariffs really couldn't come at a worse time for small businesses. Certainly, there's no good time for this to come - but this moment in particular is just a very dangerous moment for prices to increase on small businesses," she explained.

Eau Claire small businesses saw record-low sales this past year, she added, including the lowest turnout for Small Business Saturday in over a decade. Felton said the uncertainty has also made her and her husband reconsider plans to start a family. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to impose a new slate of tariffs as soon as he enters office in January.

Tariffs, or taxes on imports, are paid by businesses purchasing goods from other countries. Economists say tariffs are typically passed on to consumers of anything the U.S. imports, from electronics and home goods to gas.

Thomas Kemp, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire economics department chair, suspects a significant number of businesses in the state would feel the effects.

"Let's say a small Wisconsin business is dependent upon a Chinese supplier for, say, machinery and equipment, that's going to impact them significantly. Or if they're a retailer that sells primarily goods and services made in China, they're going to be impacted by this," he explained.

In 2022, Wisconsin, imports totaled $41-billion, the highest level recorded in state history, according to Wisconsin Economic Development. The state ranks 20th nationally for imports.