The Future of Disaster Recovery
The story of two cities and two cyclones It was last year on September 16th, Sunday that typhoon (as cyclones are called in these parts of the world) Mangkhut hit … Continue reading
When ‘1-In-100-Year’ Floods Happen Often, What Should You Call Them?
Australia’s worst natural disasters The bushfires in Victoria have so far claimed 131 lives, making it Australia’s worst-ever bushfire disaster. It’s also Australia’s worst-ever natural disaster in 110 years. Here’s … Continue reading
Natural disasters could be far less damaging with better building codes
Cholera and widespread destruction as second cyclone hits Mozambique Cyclone Kenneth, which hit Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique just five weeks after Cyclone Idai caused widespread destruction, has brought … Continue reading
New research explains why Hurricane Harvey intensified immediately before landfall
Hurricane Maria Left Thousands of Puerto Rican Children Experiencing Symptoms of PTSD, Survey Finds Hurricane Maria was the deadliest storm in modern U.S. history. And the damage didn’t end when … Continue reading
Montreal Emergency Workers Warning People Against Taking Flood Selfies
Montenegro boosts action on disaster resilience Major efforts are underway in Montenegro to reduce the risks from disasters with the launch of a national disaster loss database to mark … Continue reading
Mozambique Cholera Cases Top 1,000 in Wake of Cyclone Idai
India’s Heat Season Arrives Early and Extreme It’s only March, and communities from Kerala to Gujarat are already battling extreme heat in India. Temperatures reached 41ºC (105ºF) in Surat along … Continue reading
Hack Brief: FEMA Leaked the Data of 2.3 Million Disaster Survivors
Your insurance premium is about to rise like the sea levels Climate change means disasters are becoming the norm. In New York, Superstorm Sandy racked up an estimated $50 billion … Continue reading
Nebraska flooding shows (again) how extreme weather can threaten national security
In Her Words: Samaris Pagán on Hurricane Maria Twenty days had passed and I felt myself going a bit crazy. Not because I’d been living in complete darkness with zero … Continue reading
El Niño Conditions Strengthen, Could Last Through Summer
As wildfires devour communities, toxic threats emerge As an uncontrollable wildfire turned the California town of Paradise to ash, air pollution researcher Keith Bein knew he had to act fast: … Continue reading
Preparing people for peril
Wildfire catastrophe models need improvement: Reinsurer The world’s second-largest reinsurer is looking for partners in the artificial intelligence space to help the reinsurer get a better idea of how much … Continue reading
The First (Very Early) Forecast for the 2019 Hurricane Season Is Here
Japan Sends Robot Into the Nuclear Hell of the Fukushima Reactor The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) just sent a robot into one of the reactors of the Fukushima nuclear … Continue reading
Landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria
Black Saturday: What have we learnt? In the ten years since the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, many improvements have happened in fire prevention and management, writes Dr John Iser. … Continue reading
7 key figures: Breaking down the cost of natural disasters in 2018
Fears of further destruction from Tasmania bushfires Crews battling bushfires in Tasmania are preparing for hot and dry conditions, with 12 emergency alerts issued and continued threats to property. … Continue reading
Puerto Ricans Concerned That $20 Billion Recovery Plan Is ‘Not For The People’
Tasmania Is Burning Up And Things Could Get Worse This Week Australia’s blistering heat wave began in December and has only intensified since then. So far the country has … Continue reading
As environmental catastrophe unfolds, we need architecture that is more than just green
Puerto Rico received lopsided hurricane disaster aid compared to Texas and Florida, study says In 2017, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit the United States in August and September. The … Continue reading
Heartbreaking & Devastating Camp Fire Was World’s Costliest Catastrophe of 2018
Over 600 flee as flooding, landslides hit Southern Mindanao Hundreds fled their homes as several villages in Southern Mindanao were flooded due to moderate to heavy rains dumped by the … Continue reading
Can architecture save people from disaster?
Tsunami hazard and its challenges for preparedness Three major disasters in 2018 taught some painful lessons about the challenges of tsunami preparedness and early warning in Indonesia. In August, a … Continue reading
How to Design Semi-Permanent Structures
How to Design Semi-Permanent Structures Natural disasters continue to leave thousands of people homeless every year, forcing them to seek refuge without any alternatives. On many occasions, cities cannot cope … Continue reading
Using the ‘World Disasters Report’ for programming and advocacy
Using the ‘World Disasters Report’ for programming and advocacy Over the past decade, almost 4000 natural disasters have impacted 2 billion people costing $1.7 billion in damages. Two-thirds of those … Continue reading
California wildfires: ‘If this town recovers, it will take years’
Climate Change Is Already Making Hurricanes Wetter, Study Confirms New research published in Nature Wednesday has confirmed that some of the most destructive hurricanes to pummel the U.S. in the … Continue reading
Hurricane Michael is looking even more violent on closer scrutiny
Scale of California’s Deadly Camp Fire Shown in Satellite Photos As wildfires continue to burn in California, new satellite photos show the massive scale of the deadly Camp Fire that … Continue reading
The Worst Is Yet to Come for California’s Wildfires
These Wind Patterns Explain Why California’s Wildfires Are So Bad In California three major fires—the Camp Fire in the north and Hill Fire and Woolsey Fire in the south—continue to … Continue reading
Are Hurricanes Changing How We Talk?
Are Hurricanes Changing How We Talk? Linguists have figured out a lot about the many different regional dialects of American English. They know why Brooklynites say “cawfee,” for example, and … Continue reading
Florida’s catastrophic damage from Hurricane Michael, as seen from above
UK recruits ‘resilience advisers’ for post-Brexit fallout The British government is seeking to recruit a team of “resilience advisers” to handle the potential fallout from a chaotic Brexit. The positions, … Continue reading
The promotion of resilience as a communication challenge
Rich, white towns are getting more hurricane recovery help than others Small, rich, white towns in southeast Texas are getting a disproportionate amount in federal disaster recovery funds following Hurricane … Continue reading
What happens when you buy a house in a disaster zone – and no one told you?
Lessons From Katrina: This Organization Tries to Get Hurricane Florence Survivors Home Quicker After Hurricane Florence made landfall in the Carolinas, the USDA’s Forest Service staff and FEMA coordinated to … Continue reading
Science and politics of disaster death tolls
In photos: Astronaut sees powerful Super Typhoon Trami aimed at Japan Super Typhoon Trami, which as of Tuesday afternoon was the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane, is projected to … Continue reading
Hurricane Florence Brought North Carolina an Environmental Disaster
Flooding continues in the Carolinas in Florence’s wake About 6,000 to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, S.C., were alerted to be prepared to evacuate potential flood zones ahead of a … Continue reading
Following Florence, lessons from Harvey in recovery and resilience
Something Unexpected And Weird Is Happening Beneath California’s Deadliest Faults The detection of strange, unpredicted behaviour deep below the surface near the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults suggests scientists … Continue reading
How the money donated to Hurricane Harvey relief was spent
Hurricane Maria stirred up dangerous pollutants on this Puerto Rico waterfront Tucked in the southwest corner of Puerto Rico, the town of Guanica sits on the edge of a small … Continue reading
Earthquakes: Why some natural disasters are more deadly than others
Lombok’s lesson: Time for disaster-sensitive tourism Let’s face it: Indonesia is prone to natural disasters, ranging from a 24-meter-high tsunami that devastated Aceh to a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that rattled Lombok, … Continue reading
Why there’s a ring of natural disasters around the Pacific
Nepal: 455 Dead, 72 Missing Due to Natural Disasters ]Kathmandu, Jul 30 (Prensa Latina) Natural disasters in Nepal has killed at least 455 people and missed 72 in the … Continue reading
A Global Heat Wave Has Set the Arctic Circle on Fire
Somerset Regional Council secures $138k to fund new flood studies FIVE rural communities will be protected from flooding under new council flood studies and floodplain management plans. Somerset Regional Council … Continue reading
Can you spot disaster-related fraud?
Which is scarier: natural disasters or hell? Which scares you more: a pending natural disaster or the thought of spending eternity in hell? On the surface, this question can appear … Continue reading
The world has never seen a Category 6 hurricane. But the day may be coming
How the Caribbean Is Recovering, One Year After Devastating Hurricanes It’s almost impossible to quantify the destruction, but hundreds of islands in the Caribbean were pummeled by the storms — … Continue reading
Someone Flew a Drone Too Close to a Wildfire, Again
FEMA Has Rejected 60 Percent of Assistance Requests in Puerto Rico. Why? Many Puerto Ricans have a jaundiced view of the federal response to Hurricane Maria: Federal aid was slow … Continue reading
Japan Earthquake Kills at Least 3 and Injures Hundreds More
Yolanda-hit town opens office-cum-evacuation center THE REHABILITATED municipal office of Marabut. a fifth-class town in Samar, was recently inaugurated, with the building designed to double as an evacuation center during … Continue reading
Hawaii community clings to life in shadow of fiery volcano
With hurricane season approaching, Texas should heed Harvey’s warning on climate change The 2018 hurricane season is just around the corner – June 1st, in fact. Initial predictions for … Continue reading
Best practices for disaster recovery
10 Years after Wenchuan Earthquake, A Silver Lining in Disaster Management On May 12, China will mark the 10th anniversary of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake that struck Sichuan province, leaving … Continue reading
Survey: Most Pet Owners Are Not Prepared for Natural Disasters
Hawaii’s Volcanic Eruption Could Hit Low-Income Residents Hardest Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano continues to erupt, spewing molten rock and sulfur dioxide from more than a dozen fissures that have opened … Continue reading
Supercomputers are driving a revolution in hurricane forecasting
Supercomputers are driving a revolution in hurricane forecasting Back in 1998, the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts housed the 27th most-powerful supercomputer in the world, with 116 cores providing … Continue reading
15 Ways You Can Help After a Natural Disaster (Hint: It’s Rarely Donate Clothes)
This water filter made of paper could save people’s lives during natural disasters Clean water is a basic human right. But after hurricane Maria, 70 percent of Puerto Rico’s water … Continue reading
Buffett: The surging cost of natural disasters isn’t just about climate change
New eBook will prepare people with dementia for natural disasters AUSTRALIANS are warned to prepare for natural disasters. But how do hundreds of thousands of Australians suffering from dementia … Continue reading
Stakeholders aim for disaster-resilient city
Hurricane Harvey Survivors Kicked Out of Hotels in Texas The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has officially let down Hurricane Harvey survivors. As of Tuesday, about 1,400 Texans had to … Continue reading
Why is business so resistant to talking about climate resilience?
Making disaster resilience an intrinsic part of cultural heritage sites The guideline, which is in its draft stage at the moment, was developed by the Department of Culture in collaboration … Continue reading
Here’s What Will Happen After a Huge Earthquake Inevitably Hits California
USDA implements up to $2.36B to help ag producers recover from hurricanes, wildfires U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture will make disaster payments … Continue reading
Hurricane Harvey woke Houston up. Now things have to change.
Flood insurance rates climb due to Florida natural disasters Get ready to pay more for flood insurance. Having a waterfront view can be a slice of paradise, but Roger Barlow … Continue reading
It’s official: NYC hasn’t seen snow like this in 130 years
Needs go unmet 6 months after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico Generators are still humming. Candles are still flickering. Homes are still being repaired. Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane … Continue reading
Extreme Hurricanes Deliver Powerful Lesson on Mitigation, Readiness, Resiliency
Papua New Guinea quake: An invisible disaster which could change life forever Nearly two weeks after a powerful earthquake hit Papua New Guinea (PNG), officials still do not know what … Continue reading
More than 12 years after Hurricane Katrina, scientists are learning what makes some survivors more resilient than others
Smart surface solutions can improve disaster resilience, health and comfort in cities A cost/benefit analysis by clean energy advisory and venture capital firm Capital E suggests that implementing smart surface … Continue reading
Will 2018 Bring Massive Earthquakes? Earth Could Enter High Seismic Activity Period
Will 2018 Bring Massive Earthquakes? Earth Could Enter High Seismic Activity Period As the new year dawns on us, the first horrible news is already out for the year. Scientists … Continue reading
This Year’s Hurricane Season Was the Costliest Ever. Now What?
Improving Access and Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities in Samoa Samoa has implemented the Enhanced Road Access Project to restore important road assets damaged by extreme weather, also to … Continue reading
How to cope with fears of a nuclear disaster
Lacklustre on-farm disaster recovery highlights need for a new approach The latest severe weather event experienced by Queensland farmers and the ensuing processes have again highlighted why the Queensland Farmers’ … Continue reading
These Cities May Be At Risk Of Drowning Due To Global Warming, According To NASA
These Cities May Be At Risk Of Drowning Due To Global Warming, According To NASA While the effects of melting glaciers on Earth’s sea levels have been widely cited, NASA concluded Wednesday … Continue reading
Richard Branson Survived Irma and is Helping Others Rebuild. Here Are His Words on How to Weather Any Storm.
Richard Branson Survived Irma and is Helping Others Rebuild. Here Are His Words on How to Weather Any Storm. He’s a billionaire. He’s been knighted by the queen. He’s had … Continue reading
These new satellite images show the scale of Irma’s destruction Hurricane Irma
These new satellite images show the scale of Irma’s destruction Hurricane Irma caused life-changing devastation after it ripped across the Caribbean and the US state of Florida. Meteorologists have described … Continue reading
Two Hurricanes in Two Weeks Bring Two Very Different Reactions
Two Hurricanes in Two Weeks Bring Two Very Different Reactions In the psychology of evacuations, what Hurricane Katrina was to Rita in 2005, so Harvey has been to Irma today. … Continue reading
Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry review
Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry review Because of its harsh climate and remoteness from the centre, Tohoku, Japan’s north-eastern region, … Continue reading
The long recovery from an earthquake
Climate change – ‘Asia is paying for the West’s emissions’ Progressive global warming will have an outsized effect on countries in Asia and Oceania. In DW interview, Kira Vinke from … Continue reading
How to survive a tsunami
9 Key financial strategies for recovery after a natural disaster Financial recovery after a natural disaster, like the flooding this week in mid-Michigan, involves many decisions by homeowners and renters. … Continue reading
Trust In Resilience: Intangible assets: How they impact a company’s value
Trust In Resilience: Intangible assets: How they impact a company’s value Today, the full picture of a company’s value cannot be captured on a balance sheet because “value” is not … Continue reading
Prevention better than cure in natural disasters
Disaster preparedness now more urgent Jamaica enters the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season on June 1 without the will to tackle the weaknesses that a major hurricane strike would show up … Continue reading
Insurers call for disaster mitigation increase
State Recovery Coordinator says Rockhampton the initial focus of rebuilding following Cyclone Debbie HIS priority will be Rockhampton, but Brigadier Christopher Field, AM, will find his expertise needed across a … Continue reading
Weighing the Options for Disaster Recovery
Lawmaker proposes statewide ‘zombie preparedness month’ Illinoisans are facing a fiscal emergency. Homeowners are saddled with the nation’s highest property taxes, job creators have to navigate an uncompetitive workers’ compensation … Continue reading
India Ganges floods ‘break previous records’
India Ganges floods ‘break previous records’ The monsoon floods in India’s Ganges river this year have broken previous records, officials have told the BBC. They said water levels reached unprecedented … Continue reading
Are you prepared? The importance of disaster recovery and business continuity.
Natural disasters take toll on schools and children around Asian region A greater humanitarian focus on schools before, during and after natural disasters will save lives, protect children and benefit … Continue reading
The leader’s greatest lesson: building resilience to overcome uncertainty…and more
Fukushima Farmers Are Using Soil Made From Polyester It’s been five years since Japan’s Tohoku earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown in Fukushima—and some consumers are still wary of produce grown … Continue reading
Disaster survivors aren’t helpless victims. Tourism shows resilience. And more…
Disaster survivors aren’t helpless victims: relief can be the enemy of recovery “Relief is the enemy of recovery” is a truism often cited after disasters. In other words, by focusing … Continue reading
A powerful cyclone has pushed the North Pole 50 degrees…and more
As St. Louis cleans up, areas to the south prepare for flooding As flooding receded Saturday in the St. Louis area, residents to the south prepared for high water by … Continue reading
US storms: 43 dead, states of emergencies called as tornadoes, floods thrash southern US…and more
US storms: 43 dead, states of emergencies called as tornadoes, floods thrash southern US At least 43 people have been killed after storms across the US’s southern states unleashed floods … Continue reading
How a group of sex workers is doing its bit for Chennai flood relief…and more
How a group of sex workers is doing its bit for Chennai flood relief In a heartwarming gesture, around 2,000 sex workers from Maharashtra have donated around Rs 100,000 (approximately … Continue reading
How Hurricane Patricia Compares to Katrina in One Photo…and more
How Hurricane Patricia Compares to Katrina in One Photo Hurricane Patricia has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but not before gaining notoriety as the strongest hurricane on record in … Continue reading
ROI of resilient buildings…and more
Tallying the ROI of resilient buildings If there’s one thing the real estate industry doesn’t like, it’s financial uncertainty. With developers constantly trying to balance long project timelines and pressure … Continue reading
World Resilience NEWS
What Katrina left behind: New Orleans’ uneven recovery and unending divisions Ronald Lewis finds it hard to believe it is 10 years since the water came, even though the newspaper … Continue reading
World Resilience NEWS
Nepal, Three Months After the Earthquakes Three months have now passed since massive twin earthquakes struck Nepal, killing more than 8,800 people, injuring more than 22,000, flattening nearly 600,000 homes, … Continue reading
World Resilience NEWS
Nature’s Aftermath: The zoo animals of the Tbilisi flood As clean up continued in the capital city of Tbilisi, Georgia from severe flooding that killed 12 people, attention shifted to … Continue reading
World Resilience NEWS
First named storm of hurricane season forms in Atlantic – nearly a month early A tropical storm warning was issued Friday for parts of North and South Carolina as Ana … Continue reading
World Resilience NEWS
Dire Prospects Seen When the Full Nepal Earthquake Death Toll is Tallied Yesterday, I received word of a chillingly high projection of the eventual death count in the Nepal earthquake, … Continue reading
World Resilience NEWS
Nepal earthquake expected, but infrastructure not ready Saturday’s deadly earthquake in Nepal was the “big one” experts have been expecting, based on the region’s history and geology. The magnitude-7.8 earthquake … Continue reading
Resilience NEWS
Norfolk’s latest tourist attraction? Curious visitors gawk at aftermath of tidal surge that destroyed homes on the east coast as residents begin massive clean-up operation Disaster tourists today flocked to … Continue reading
Resilience NEWS
How to Spot Fraudulent Charities Whenever typhoons, tornadoes, floods and other disasters strike, it usually doesn’t take long for clever con artists to emerge, trying to take advantage of human … Continue reading
Resilience NEWS
This map reveals how natural disasters affect the internet If you want to know the internet is affected by natural disasters, here’s an amazing visualization. It shows all the places … Continue reading
Resilience NEWS
Disaster Preparedness & Relief: Three Things to Know It will take months to fully understand the human and economic losses brought about by Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines on … Continue reading
Resilience NEWS
From the Philippines to Haiti, Disaster Recovery is a Way of Life For many millions of people living in the planet’s poorest, most populous places, a state of recovery from … Continue reading
