Mr Twigg added that many small towns, particularly along the coast, struggled to attract teachers.

BBC: Clacton

The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red and Arabian seas, has become a treacherous stretch for ships, particularly along the Somali coast.

CNN: Report: Pirates holding Chinese ship, crew of 24

He said stricter standards have proved to be cost-effective, particularly along the Gulf Coast where there has been a demonstrable difference between buildings that took stricter flood prevention measures after Hurricane Katrina and those that didn't.

WSJ: HUD, DOT chiefs in NJ announce new post-Sandy regs

High winds hampered cleanup efforts across the region, particularly along the New England coast, forecasters predicted.

CNN: Winter storm pounds New England