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Severe weather events have left millions of people without power for days, sometimes weeks or months, raising questions about whether the United States power infrastructure needs an overhaul. Joseph Vantassel, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, believes moving power lines underground could be a solution. However, he notes it is neither an easy nor inexpensive task.

Heavy rain might seem like a welcome relief after a blazing wildfire, but scorched earth is susceptible to mudslides. Wildfire destroys vegetation like trees and shrubs, whose roots fortify soil and protect against these dangerous, natural events. Alba Yerro-Colom, assistant professor in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, researches how vegetation and rainfall can predict and prevent mudslides.