b'ONE DAY the New York summer sun struggled to break through THIS PAST JULY,a red-orange haze as smoke from West Coast wildfires traveled more than 2,500 miles and hung over the city, prompting millions of phones to ding with air quality safety alerts.It was an atypical event for the East Coast city but, when it comes to the weather, what was once unusual has become increasingly common worldwide.A polar vortex swept through Texas in February, dragging temperatures down to record lows and leaving millions freezing in the dark as the electric grid failed.In Seattle and Portland, Oregontwo popular Pacific Northwest cities known for their mild summerstemperatures hit record highs in June, soaring well above 100 F. As extreme weather events become the norm, retailers have to navigate what that means for their businesses, from safety precautions to insurance costs.National Jeweler spoke to jewelers and insurance providers to find out how theyre handling whats quickly becoming commonplace.NATIONAL JEWELER 11'