Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Tornadoes damage homes and infrastructure across multiple Midwest states on April 17 https://watchers.news/2026/04/18/tornadoes-damage-homes-infrastructure-midwest-april-17-2026/
Major M7.4 earthquake hits near east coast of Honshu, Japan, tsunami waves observed along Tohoku coast https://watchers.news/2026/04/20/major-m7-4-earthquake-hits-near-east-coast-of-honshu-japan-tsunami-waves-possible/
Record rainfall triggers flooding and evacuations in Wellington, New Zealand, one person missing https://watchers.news/2026/04/21/record-rainfall-triggers-flooding-evacuations-wellington-new-zealand-one-person-missing-april-2026/
Wildfires disrupt Amtrak rail services and strand passengers in Florida https://watchers.news/2026/04/21/wildfires-disrupt-amtrak-rail-services-strand-passengers-florida/
Large wildfire damages structures in Otsuchi, Japan https://watchers.news/2026/04/22/large-wildfire-damages-structures-otsuchi-japan/
Pineland Road Fire explodes to over 6 000 ha (16 000 acres) as over 100 fires burn across Georgia https://watchers.news/2026/04/22/pineland-road-fire-explodes-to-over-6-000-ha-16-000-acres-as-over-100-fires-burn-across-georgia/
Three tornadoes hit central California in third such day since 1955 https://watchers.news/2026/04/23/three-tornadoes-hit-central-california-third-such-day-since-1955/
Volcanic activity worldwide 19 Apr 2026: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Ibu, Dukono, Reventador, Mayon https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/300289/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-19-Apr-2026-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Ibu-Dukono-Reventador-Mayon.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
With Iran and the Strait of Hormuz still in flux, China’s bet on renewable energy is paying off https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-20/strait-of-hormuz-china-renewable-energy/106581226
Ocean warming weakens the sea–land breeze in coastal megacities https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02618-9
Global drought extremes in 2025 https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-026-00785-z
Hundreds of millions at risk as river deltas sink faster than rising seas https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260420014750.htm
What record global heat means for breaching the 1.5C warming limit https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-what-record-global-heat-means-for-breaching-the-1-5c-warming-limit/
Synergistic impact of marine heat waves and rapid intensification exacerbates tropical cyclone destructive power worldwide https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu1733
Relocating Venice among the options explored to protect city against sea-level rise https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/relocating-venice-among-the-options-explored-to-protect-city-against-sea-level-rise
Impact of Sea Level Rise on Land Loss in Vietnam https://www.adaptationcommunity.net/publications/impact-of-sea-level-rise-on-land-loss-in-vietnam/
State of the climate: Strong El Niño puts 2026 on track for second-warmest year https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-strong-el-nino-puts-2026-on-track-for-second-warmest-year/
The end of oil? As fuel shocks cascade, 53 nations gather to plan a fossil fuel phaseout https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-oil-as-fuel-shocks-cascade-53-nations-gather-to-plan-a-fossil-fuel-phaseout-280263
Japan reveals new name for 40C-and-hotter days after blistering summer https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr185nx0n9o
Scientists warn of 3,100 “surging glaciers” that can trigger floods and avalanches https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260416071958.htm
Sea Level Rise Maps Reveal: Coastal Cities Facing Climate Flooding, Acidification, and Erosion Now https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/72864/20260413/sea-level-rise-maps-reveal-coastal-cities-facing-climate-flooding-acidification-erosion-now.htm
Solar power surge leads to decline in fossil fuel generation https://www.semafor.com/article/04/21/2026/solar-power-surge-leads-to-fossil-fuel-generation-decline
Is a super El Niño imminent, and what could the impacts be? https://www.newscientist.com/article/2523034-is-a-super-el-nino-imminent-and-what-could-the-impacts-be/
Population shifts in the US are shaped far more by economic opportunity, housing affordability and local quality of life than by climate conditions alone https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/heat-population-shifts-study
Wildfires Used to ‘Sleep’ at Night. Climate Change Has Them Burning Overtime https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2026/04/21/337022.htm
AI Framework Pinpoints Global Drivers of Extreme Heatwaves http://english.iap.cas.cn/home/News/202604/t20260418_1157513.html
Tropics take the brunt as hotter oceans drive large-scale humid heat waves: Study https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/tropics-take-the-brunt-as-hotter-oceans-drive-large-scale-humid-heat-waves-study/
Disaster risk reduction
Research shows how forests can prevent floods of all sizes https://www.preventionweb.net/news/research-shows-how-forests-can-prevent-floods-all-sizes
The Australians keeping a century of rainfall records as stations disappear https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-19/australias-shrinking-rainfall-observation-network/106502184
AI for Social Risk Forecasting and Explanation: The Power of Machine Learning–Based Social Risk Models https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099359404132636690
High impact low probability events: research landscape and future opportunities https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-026-08107-8
From Flames to Fungi: Prescribed Burns and Soil Restoration https://today.uconn.edu/2026/04/from-flames-to-fungi-prescribed-burns-and-soil-restoration/
Earthquake-resisting building in Pakistan https://www.preventionweb.net/resource/case-study/earthquake-resisting-building-pakistan
Integrated fire management as an adaptation and mitigation strategy to altered fire regimes https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/integrated-fire-management-adaptation-and-mitigation-strategy-altered-fire-regimes
Can Any Single Satellite Keep Up with the World’s Floods? https://eos.org/editors-vox/can-any-single-satellite-keep-up-with-the-worlds-floods
On the Seattle Fault, the Biggest Quakes Aren’t the Most Likely https://eos.org/articles/on-the-seattle-fault-the-biggest-quakes-arent-the-most-likely
Before the Wave Arrives: Disaster Risk Reduction and Tsunami Events https://carleton.ca/thedisasterlab/2026/before-the-wave-arrives-disaster-risk-reduction-and-tsunami-events/
New study finds ‘alarming’ high flood risk for 17 million Americans on Atlantic and Gulf coasts https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/22/new-study-finds-alarming-high-flood-risk-for-17-million-americans-on-atlantic-and-gulf-coasts/
Western states face above-normal wildfire threats this summer. New maps reveal which areas are most at risk https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/western-states-face-above-normal-wildfire-threats-this-summer-new-maps-reveal-which-areas-are-most-at-risk
Venice is sinking – we analysed every plan to save it, and none would preserve the city as we know it https://theconversation.com/venice-is-sinking-we-analysed-every-plan-to-save-it-and-none-would-preserve-the-city-as-we-know-it-280891
Advancing national capability in surface water flood forecasting https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advancing-national-capability-in-surface-water-flood-forecasting–2
Ocean Bottom Seismometers Could Improve Earthquake Warning Times in Pacific Northwest https://www.seismosoc.org/news/ocean-bottom-seismometers-could-improve-earthquake-warning-times-in-pacific-northwest/
2025 disasters in numbers: Earth, wind and fire https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/2025-disasters-numbers-earth-wind-and-fire
Floods in 2025 https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-026-00779-x
Multidimensional Advances in Wildfire Behavior Prediction: Parameter Construction, Model Evolution and Technique Integration https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/10/402
Identifying predictors of tropical cyclone impacts on coastal agriculture to assess coastal wetland buffering signals https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.70335
Emergency Management
An investigation of resilient community recovery and potential future risks in the long-term development period after major disasters: a case study from China https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-026-08096-8
Thailand: State Audit Office proposes strategic upgrades to early warning system to maximize public safety https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/thailand-state-audit-office-proposes-strategic-upgrades
Disaster displacement risk in Kenya: An overview of the risk of future displacement https://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/disaster-displacement-risk-in-kenya-an-overview-of-the-risk-of-future-displacement/
Fires and Falsehoods in California https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2026/04/20/fires-and-falsehoods-in-california/
Disaster Education Communications and Engagement
School-Based Disaster Risk Management Guidebook https://www.pathfinder.org/publications/disaster-risk-guidebook/
Disaster psychology
Psychological Experiences of Community as Building Blocks of Civil Society https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08997640261437115
Bridging the watershed–urban disconnect: The interplay of risk perception, self-efficacy, and institutional trust in flood preparedness in Pakistan https://resiliencepress.org/index.php/disaster/article/view/50/58
Sociology and disasters
Social homophily is associated with evacuation destination choice and long-term displacement decisions after the Marshall Fire in the United States https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-026-07237-5
Women’s Health in the Wake of Disasters: Investigating the Outcomes of Natural Disasters on Women’s Health and Gender Sensitivity in Bangladesh https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2321-4_3
The Influence of Adaptive Capacity and Participatory Governance on Community Preparedness for Flood Disasters https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403978346_The_Influence_of_Adaptive_Capacity_and_Participatory_Governance_on_Community_Preparedness_for_Flood_Disasters
After the floods, the GBV: The double tragedy for women in Kenya’s informal settlements https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2026/04/20/after-floods-gbv-women-kenya-informal-settlements
Gender, Disasters and Climate Change: A Japanese Perspective https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-6188-9_27
The world must act on unacceptable failures to protect persons with disabilities from disasters https://www.undrr.org/report/2023-gobal-survey-report-on-persons-with-disabilities-and-disasters
Disaster Resilience News 