Today in disaster resilience (16 March 2018)

Please find links below to recent news about some aspects of disaster resilience…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Queensland floods: Mammoth clean-up and more rain to come https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/03/12/05/38/queensland-floods-mammoth-clean-up-as-potential-cyclone-looms

Single lightning strike kills 16, injures 140 in Rwanda https://watchers.news/2018/03/11/single-lightning-strike-kills-16-injures-140-in-rwanda/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

State of emergency after landslide destroys over 100 homes, Peru https://watchers.news/2018/03/09/state-of-emergency-after-landslide-destroys-over-100-homes-peru/

Deadly thunderstorm, tornado hits Thailand https://watchers.news/2018/03/10/deadly-thunderstorm-tornado-thailand/

Kazakhstan – Hundreds Evacuated After Heavy Rain and Melting Snow Cause Flooding in East http://floodlist.com/asia/kazakhstan-floods-march-2018?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

At least a third of the Queensland’s local government areas are impacted by floods, with the damage bill to reach “in the millions” http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2018-03-12/queensland-floods-man-assaulted-with-baseball-bat-amid-breakins-in-flooded-ingham/1741758?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Records broken by 3rd nor’easter in 2 weeks, 4th possible next week https://watchers.news/2018/03/15/records-broken-skylar-3rd-noreaster-in-2-weeks-4th-possible-next-week/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Landslide destroys 7 homes in Hrvatska Kostajnica, Croatia https://watchers.news/2018/03/13/landslide-destroys-6-homes-in-hrvatska-kostajnica-croatia/

Tropical cyclone expected to form off Northern Territory coast, Australia https://watchers.news/2018/03/15/tropical-cyclone-expected-to-form-off-northern-territory-coast-australia/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Volcanic activity worldwide 15 Mar 2018: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Dukono, Reventador https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/68025/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-15-Mar-2018-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Dukono-Reventador-Sakurajim.html

 

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Britain’s CO2 Emissions Have Fallen to Levels Last Seen in 1890 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/britains-co2-emissions-have-fallen-to-levels-last-seen-in-1890

Special issue: Resilience and the climate threat https://thebulletin.org/blog/whats-new-bulletin/resilience-and-climate-threat-guest-edited-alice-c-hill?platform=hootsuite

Australia’s greenhouse gas pollution levels have jumped yet again, increasing for the third consecutive year https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/emissions-data-released-2017

Global Carbon Budget 2017 https://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/10/405/2018/

Australia’s solar future bright as households install record 3.5m panels https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/06/australias-solar-future-bright-as-households-install-record-35m-panels

22 leading Commonwealth science bodies urge action on climate change http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12010657

‘Vulnerable’: Climate change threatens Wollongong homes, WIN Stadium https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/vulnerable-climate-change-threatens-wollongong-homes-win-stadium-20180312-p4z40u.html

When Rising Seas Hit Home: Hard Choices Ahead for Hundreds of US Coastal Communities https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/global-warming-impacts/when-rising-seas-hit-home-chronic-inundation-from-sea-level-rise#.Wqb5SR1ubIW

Data Snapshot: Millennials and Climate Change https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/snapshot/millennials-climate

Climate Conflicts: Myth or Reality? https://theglobalobservatory.org/2018/03/climate-conflicts-myth-reality/

As the Arctic warms, nor’easters may get worse https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/us/winter-weather-arctic-warmth-linked/index.html?utm_content=buffer3ce09&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Climate change is a disaster foretold, just like the first world war https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/12/climate-change-is-a-disaster-foretold-just-like-the-first-world-war?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet

A climate-themed album sobers and inspires https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2018/03/climate-themed-album-sobers-inspires/

February 2018 was sixth warmest February on record https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2694/february-2018-was-sixth-warmest-february-on-record/

It’s 50 years since climate change was first seen. Now time is running out https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/15/50-years-climate-change-denial

Physicians are noticing an influx of patients whose illnesses are directly or indirectly related to global warming https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/doctors-warn-climate-change-threatens-public-health/

How people in Nepal live with the threat of a dangerous glacial lake outburst flood caused by climate change https://slate.com/technology/2018/03/how-people-in-nepal-live-with-the-threat-of-a-glacial-lake-outburst-flood-caused-by-climate-change.html

 

Disaster risk reduction

Turning Dhaka into a resilient city http://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/environment/turning-dhaka-resilient-city-1546240

After the tsunami: Japan’s sea walls – in pictures https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2018/mar/09/after-the-tsunami-japan-sea-walls-in-pictures?CMP=share_btn_tw

Drones will be used to investigate Auckland’s big landslide threats as part of EQC-funded study http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12010555

Sendai Framework Monitor takes off https://www.unisdr.org/archive/57401

Wet, cool summers create major fire threat on neglected crown land http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-11/are-wa-authorities-dropping-the-ball-on-fire-prevention/9532028

Water crises are hitting our economies: Time to hit back with natural infrastructure http://news.trust.org/item/20180221150159-vjq6b

Options for reducing house-losses during wildfires without clearing trees and shrubs https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204618300598

Improving meteorological services to issue advance warnings & protect people from climate hazards in Moldova https://undp-adaptation.exposure.co/sound-the-alarm

Flooding has flushed 43 billion plastic pieces out to sea http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/03/flooding-has-flushed-43-billion-plastic-pieces-out-sea?utm_source=newsfromscience&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=floodinghas-18361

Continental United States Hurricane Landfall Frequency and Associated Damage: Observations and Future Risks https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/BAMS-D-17-0184.1

Vietnam and U.N. to build storm-proof housing for coastal communities http://news.trust.org/item/20180312080130-dwbm2?platform=hootsuite

Once the levee is constructed and accredited, more than 3,100 properties in Aberdeen and Hoquiam will be removed from the area that FEMA has mapped https://www.thedailyworld.com/news/design-permit-phases-of-north-shore-levee-project-now-fully-funded/

St. Louis’s Preliminary Resilience Assessment https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/news/city-releases-preliminary-resilience-assessment.cfm

How plant traits determine the flammability of ecosystems and interact with climate and weather to influence fire regimes http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa9ead/meta

Study shows NRA is wrong about Aussie gun laws https://www.smh.com.au/national/study-shows-nra-is-wrong-about-aussie-gun-laws-20180312-p4z41i.html?

To grow economically, protect Houston from flooding https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Houston-needs-housing-that-doesn-t-flood-12744658.php

Six figures for six feet: Some Harvey victims in Houston spend huge sums to elevate their homes https://www.texastribune.org/2018/03/14/harvey-elevate-homes-flood-houston-money-costs/

U.S. Infrastructure Must Be Flood-Ready, State and Local Officials Say http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/compass-points/2018/03/13/us-infrastructure-must-be-flood-ready-state-and-local-officials-say

A New Flood Protection Standard for the US’ Flooding Problem https://www.nrdc.org/experts/joel-scata/new-flood-protection-standard-us-flooding-problem

East Coast Nor’easters Amplify Calls for Resilient Building Code Regulations https://www.enr.com/articles/44146-east-coast-noreasters-amplify-calls-for-resilient-building-code-regulations

Delivering urban resilience https://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/delivering-urban-resilience-summary-report-2018.pdf

Hazard Mitigation for Natural Disasters: A Starter Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-08/documents/160815-hazardmitigationfornaturaldisasters.pdf

Disaster Risk Reduction can protect smallholder farmers, experts say http://news.trust.org//item/20180314224038-vuc5p/

Historic reconstructions of daily river flow for 303 UK catchments (1891-2015) https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/documents/f710bed1-e564-47bf-b82c-4c2a2fe2810e

Disaster resilience at the local level http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/opinion/2018/03/14/editorial-disaster-resilience-local-level-593557

Implementation guide for local disaster risk reduction and resilience strategies https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/57399_drrresiliencepublicreview.pdf

Natural Disasters Are Costing Farming Billions of Dollars a Year https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-15/natural-disasters-are-costing-farming-billions-of-dollars-a-year

Africa: Climate-Threatened Nations to Get Profiles of Drought, Flood Risk https://africareportonbusiness.com/2018/03/15/africa-climate-threatened-nations-to-get-profiles-of-drought-flood-risk-2/

Floods don’t just happen in flood zones https://www.philrichardinsurance.com/floods-dont-just-happen-flood-zones/

Number of natural disasters in the United States from 1900 to 2016, by type https://www.statista.com/statistics/236504/number-of-natural-disasters-in-the-us-by-type/

Cascading hazards: need to focus on research https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/cascading-hazards-need-to-focus-on-research/

 

Emergency Management

Papua New Guinea quake: An invisible disaster which could change life forever http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43297145

Five months after Hurricane Maria, the rebuilding effort in Puerto Rico is powered by women https://www.vogue.com/projects/13542078/puerto-rico-after-hurricane-maria-2/

Here’s How Mobile Technology Makes Disaster Zones Less Disastrous https://sanvada.com/2018/03/04/heres-mobile-technology-makes-disaster-zones-less-disastrous/

Puerto Rico’s New Resiliency Commission Pushes for Community-Led Recovery https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2018/03/09/puerto-ricos-new-resiliency-commission-pushes-community-led-recovery/

Fukushima nuclear disaster: did the evacuation raise the death toll? https://www.ft.com/content/000f864e-22ba-11e8-add1-0e8958b189ea

Firebombers in Australia set to tackle bushfires at night https://www.9now.com.au/today/2018/clip-cjenij2jh002j0gpcdgr90qqa

Incorporating intelligence for typical evacuation under the threat of fire spreading https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753517308330

90 Years Later, The St. Francis Dam Failure Remains A Vital Safety Lesson https://damsafety.org/article/awareness/90-years-later-st-francis-dam-failure-remains-vital-safety-lesson

Irma Caused 129 Deaths, More Than $53 Billion in Damages, Hurricane Center Concludes http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Irma-Caused-129-Deaths-More-Than-53B-in-Damages-Hurricane-Center-Concludes.html

Elevating Emergency Response in Tanzania https://www.gfdrr.org/en/feature-story/elevating-emergency-response-tanzania

A study of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami has emphasized the importance of economic recovery to the well-being of communities in the post-disaster phase https://www.unisdr.org/archive/57445

The Relationship Between Firearm Availability and Suicide https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/supplementary/firearm-availability-suicide.html

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) Community Resilience Strategy 2016-2019 – Year One Outcomes Report has been released https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/get-ready/resilience

FEMA Releases 2018-2022 Strategic Plan https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2018/03/15/fema-releases-2018-2022-strategic-plan

 

Disaster education, communications and engagement

Impressive animation – family prepares for major Tokyo earthquake https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/972022507669667840

Dozens of persons with disabilities (PWDs) from the Province of Benguet underwent a one day training on disaster preparedness https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/03/10/pwds-undergo-disaster-preparedness-training-in-benguet/

Tornado safety starts with preparedness http://www.wandtv.com/story/37697941/tornado-safety-starts-with-preparedness

3M survey shows public has hope for science, if others do it http://www.startribune.com/3m-survey-shows-public-has-hope-for-science-if-others-do-it/476336893/

Japan marks 7th anniversary of tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster http://www.dw.com/en/japan-marks-7th-anniversary-of-tsunami-and-fukushima-nuclear-disaster/a-42926522?maca=en-rss_top_news-13961-xml-mrss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Seismic waves visualisation http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/swaves/

European Region countries convene to boost emergency preparedness and response http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/emergencies/disaster-preparedness-and-response/news/news/2018/2/european-region-countries-convene-to-boost-emergency-preparedness-and-response

We should be promoting early STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills https://theconversation.com/five-things-parents-can-do-every-day-to-help-develop-stem-skills-from-a-young-age-92927?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twitterbutton

When the Earth Moves Under Your Feet: What to Do When an Earthquake Strikes http://riskconversation.com/blog/personal/2017/03/08/what-to-do-when-an-earthquake-strikes/

Fun way to examine Australia’s future population scenarios http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-13/big-australia-or-small-australia-you-decide-our-population/9470156

Everything has changed. Even the way we change has changed https://globalecoguy.org/inflection-point-97d81c4ec445

FEMA offers tips for rebuilding after Harvey at home improvement stores https://www.chron.com/business/bizfeed/article/FEMA-offers-tips-for-rebuilding-after-Harvey-at-12742309.php?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Giant Spider Rescued From Herbert River, North Queensland, Twitterati Frightened After Watching The Video https://www.latestly.com/social-viral/giant-spider-rescued-from-herbert-river-north-queensland-twitterati-frightened-after-watching-the-video-60801.html

Drills in schools to mark 2011 Japan earthquake & tsunami https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live/

“Americans use the phrase ‘natural disaster’ with ease, but have continued to debate its meaning even more following Hurricane Katrina” http://www.processhistory.org/parker-disasters-have-histories/

Australians rescued a giant spider from floodwaters. The rest of the world wonders why http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-australians-giant-spider-20180312-story.html

Measurement and communication: what worked and what did not in Fukushima http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/ANIB_45_2S

Malawi’s Recovery and Resilience Efforts Have Major Impact on Education https://reliefweb.int/report/malawi/malawi-s-recovery-and-resilience-efforts-have-major-impact-education

Gamification in disaster management http://www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/topics/gamification/

Resilience Through Creativity: Global Resilience Institute Art Show https://globalresilience.northeastern.edu/event/resilience-art-show/

 

Social Media and Emergency Management

A social media analysis tool that monitors Twitter to gather real-time information on the disaster situation to be tested in Piedmont http://www.i-react.eu/i-react-tests-for-the-first-time-its-technology-against-floods-in-piedmont/

A majority of Americans use Facebook and YouTube, but young adults are especially heavy users of Snapchat and Instagram http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/

Unofficial weather forecaster Higgins Storm Chasing criticised for alarmist social media flood post http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-15/higgins-storm-chasing-criticised-by-farmers-for-flood-forecast/9549878

With 7 billion hits, Hurricane Irma nearly broke the Internet http://www.bradenton.com/news/state/article204796764.html

 

Psychology and disasters

Pre-Disaster PTSD as a moderator of the relationship between natural disaster and suicidal ideation over time https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322239746_Pre-Disaster_PTSD_as_a_moderator_of_the_relationship_between_natural_disaster_and_suicidal_ideation_over_time

 

Sociology and Disasters

Flooding and gentrification https://mailchi.mp/ef63e5ab2d8b/flooding-the-g-word?e=c165902733

Humans ‘thrived’ after historic Mount Toba eruption http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43377960

Research shows the importance of social capital in longevity https://hackspirit.com/psychologist-reveals-secret-longevity-us-largely-ignore/?utm_content=bufferff8ae&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer