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Extreme weather is dangerous weather, and that’s particularly true for the heavy rainfall events that experts say are becoming more frequent with climate change. The powerful storms can pose threats ranging from falling limbs to downed power lines to drowning. Experts say disaster preparation and good planning can help protect lives and property. What should you do if you face record rainfall? Long before extreme weather happens, it’s important to consider whether your home meets building codes, and to know what your insurance covers, experts say. This is the time to address any shortcomings. Once storms draw near, stay informed by signing up for real-time city, county and federal weather alerts, and listen to the news and whatever your local officials are saying. You can take simple steps to help protect your property, such as ensuring that gutters, storm drains and stormwater systems are clear and ready to do their part in carrying off heavy rain. If using sandbags to protect property, make sure they’re properly made and stacked to keep water out. Should you try to evacuate or stay put? If there are local orders to evacuate, you need to heed them. Gather important documents, get enough gas to drive out and prepare to be away for an extended period of time, said Jeannette Sutton, associate professor at the University at Albany. People need to err on the side of caution, she said. As major storms move in, there often comes a point when leaving is more hazardous than staying put. One major danger involves flooded roadways. Drivers who attempt to push through them can be swept away by water that is deeper than it appeared and stronger than thought. How can you prepare your home and belongings? Moving keepsakes, furniture and valuables to upper levels and making sure sump pump batteries are fully charged are shorter-term ways to prepare, along with ensuring there’s enough food, water and medical supplies. Cars can be protected by getting them into a parking structure with upper levels. Experts also say use common sense in planning: Don’t keep your backup generators in a basement where they can be ruined by flooding, for instance. What can you do once a disaster has started? If you aren’t able to prepare for floods in time, you should move to the highest level of your home, experts say, or seek out a safe shelter. If high winds and tornadoes are a threat, however, it could be dangerous to be too high up. That’s why checking forecasts is critical. Alexa St. John, Associated Press climate reporter
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Another day, another recall: On Tuesday, popular chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely recalled two of its bars, Tony’s Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar (6.35oz) and Everything Bar (6.35oz), following 12 reports from consumers who found small stones “not filtered during third-party almond harvesting and the almond processing process.” The bars were distributed nationwide from February 7 to March 24, 2025 and sold in various retail stores, as well as at Tony’s online store. “We are extremely sorry to have to issue this recall, and for the inconvenience that this will cause,” a company spokesperson told Fast Company. “Whilst the probability of a product being affected is low, we always put the safety and satisfaction of our consumers first.” The company added that all complaints occurred outside of the United States and Canada, and no injuries or illnesses have been reported. Tonys issued this voluntary recall in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a precautionary measure. How can I tell if I purchased one of the recalled chocolate bars? The recall applies to seven lot codes, listed below: 6.35-oz. of of Tony’s Chocolonely Everything Bar with lot code 4327, UPC 850011828564, and use by date Nov. 22, 2025 6.35-oz. of of Tony’s Chocolonely Everything Bar with lot code 4330, UPC 850011828564, and use by date Nov. 25, 2025 6.35-oz. of of Tony’s Chocolonely Everything Bar with lot code 4331, UPC 850032676441, and use by date Nov. 26, 2025 6.35-oz. of of Tony’s Chocolonely Everything Bar with lot code M4331, UPC 850011828564, and use by date Nov. 26, 2025 6.35-oz. of of Tony’s Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt with lot code 163094, UPC 858010005641, and use by date April 2, 2026 6.35-oz. of of Tony’s Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt with lot code 162634, UPC 858010005641, and use by date Feb. 28, 2026 6.35-oz. of of Tony’s Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt with lot code M162634, UPC 850011828908, and use by date Feb. 28, 2026 No other Tony’s products are affected. What should I do if I have a recalled Tony’s chocolate bar? If you purchased one of the affected products with the specified lot codes, it is recommended to return it to the store of purchase for a refund, or throw it away. For more information, or to claim a refund or replacement, visit the company’s website here.
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Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. When assessing home price momentum, it’s important to monitor active listings and months of supply. If active listings start to rapidly increase as homes remain on the market for longer periods, it may indicate pricing softness or weakness. Conversely, a rapid decline in active listings could suggest a market that is heating up. Generally speaking, local housing markets where active inventory has returned to pre-pandemic levels have experienced softer home price growth (or outright price declines) over the past 30 months. Conversely, local housing markets where active inventory remains far below pre-pandemic levels have, generally speaking, experienced stronger home price growth over the past 30 months. How does housing inventory look in 2025? It looks like we will see a double-digit increase in active inventory this year across most of the country. National active listings are on the rise (up 28.5% between March 2024 and March 2025). This indicates that homebuyers have gained some leverage in many parts of the country over the past year. Some sellers markets have turned into balanced markets, and more balanced markets have turned into buyers markets. Nationally, were still below pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels (20% below March 2019) and some resale markets, in particular big chunks of Midwest and Northeast, still remain tight to tight-ish. Here’s how the March 2025 inventory/active listings, compare to historical totals, according to Realtor.com: March 2017: 1,172,713 March 2018: 1,067,281 March 2019: 1,115,940 March 2020: 937,319 March 2021: 440,589 (overheating during the pandemic housing boom) March 2022: 354,016 (overheating during the pandemic housing boom) March 2023: 562,444 (mortgage rate shock) March 2024: 694,820 March 2025: 892,561 Below is the year-over-year percentage change by state. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); While active housing inventory is rising in most markets on a year-over-year basis, some markets still remain tight. As ResiClub has been documenting, both active resale and new homes for sale remain the most limited across huge swaths of the Midwest and Northeast. Thats likely where home sellers this spring will have more power. In contrast, active housing inventory for sale has neared or surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels in many parts of the Gulf region, including metro area housing markets such as Punta Gorda and Austin. These areas saw major price surges during the pandemic housing boom, with home prices getting stretched compared to local incomes. As pandemic-driven migration slowed and mortgage rates rose, markets like Tampa and Austin faced challenges, relying on local income levels to support frothy home prices. This softening trend is further compounded by an abundance of new home supply in the Sun Belt. Builders are often willing to lower prices or offer affordability incentives to maintain sales, which also has a cooling effect on the resale market. Some buyers, who would have previously considered existing homes, are now opting for new homes with more favorable deals. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); At the end of March 2025, seven states are above pre-pandemic 2019 active inventory levels: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. The District of Columbia is also above pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels. (Weakness in D.C. proper predates the current admins job cuts.) The states that have jumped above pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels are where home buyers have gained the most leverage heading into the spring 2025 housing market. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); Big picture: Over the past few years weve observed a softening across many housing markets as strained affordability tempers the fervor of a market that was unsustainably hot during the Pandemic Housing Boom. While home prices are falling in some areas around the ulf, most regional housing markets are still seeing positive year-over-year home price growth. The big question going forward is whether active inventory and months of supply will continue to rise and cause more housing markets to see price softening? Below is another version of the table abovebut this one includes every month since January 2017. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); If youd like to further examine the monthly state inventory figures, use the interactive chart below. (You can also find more information here on the ongoing softness and weakness across Florida.) !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
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