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

Recent emergencies/disaster

Rescuers rescued in Qld’s flood disaster https://www.theherald.com.au/story/5884348/rescuers-rescued-in-qlds-flood-disaster/?cs=9397&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Bodies of two men found in flood waters in Townsville https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/05/bodies-of-two-men-found-in-flood-waters-in-townsville

Queensland’s floods are so huge the only way to track them is from space https://phys.org/news/2019-02-queensland-huge-track-space.html

6 killed as powerful storm hits California, more heavy rain expected https://watchers.news/2019/02/04/6-killed-as-powerful-storm-hits-california-more-heavy-rain-expected/

Major disruption after snowstorm hits Czech Republic, 10 killed as series of avalanches hit Alps https://watchers.news/2019/02/05/major-disruption-after-snowstorm-hits-czech-republic-10-killed-as-series-of-avalanches-hit-alps/

Dozens hurt after M5.2 earthquake hits Shamakhi, Azerbaijan https://watchers.news/2019/02/06/dozens-hurt-after-m5-2-earthquake-hits-shamakhi-azerbaijan/

Brazil flooding damages homes, kills at least 5 https://www.cbs17.com/news/brazil-flooding-damages-homes-kills-at-least-5/1762152767?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

State of emergency declared in Bosnia after heavy flooding https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/state-emergency-declared-bosnia-heavy-flooding-190205100057671.html

Bolivia – 16 Dead After Landslides and Floods in La Paz Department http://floodlist.com/america/bolivia-landslides-floods-caranavi-la-paz-february-2019

USA – Flash Floods in Tennessee After Record Rain http://floodlist.com/america/usa/tennessee-floods-february-2019

Desert highways flood as rains lash Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/desert-highways-flood-as-rains-lash-israel/

Volcanic activity worldwide 7 Feb 2019: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Shiveluch, Agung https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/74796/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-7-Feb-2019-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Shiveluch-Agung.html

 

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

January warmest on record for Australia http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/month/aus/summary.shtml

Boost Your Understanding Of The Polar Vortex With These Visualizations https://www.forbes.com/sites/amysterling/2019/01/30/visualizing-a-polar-vortex/

Ancient Plants Reveal Arctic Summers Haven’t Been This Hot In 115,000 Years https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/01/ancient-plants-revealarctic-summers-havent-been-this-hot-in-115000-years/

Why people in the US south stay put in the face of climate change https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/24/us-south-climate-change?CMP=share_btn_tw

Using the big freeze to deny climate change… stupidity or cynicism? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/02/using-the-big-freeze-to-deny-climate-change-stupidity-or-cynicism

Extreme Weather Events Could Worsen Climate Change https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/extreme-weather-events-could-worsen-climate-change/

One glacial cavity in Antarctica could drastically speed up sea level rising https://mashable.com/article/antarctica-glacer-cavity/

How to change the minds of climate deniers https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/03/climate-change-denial-changing-minds?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco

Parenting the Climate Change Generation http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/parenting-children-generation-of-climate-change.html

‘Astounded’: former fire chief unloads on politicians over climate change inaction https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/astounded-former-fire-chief-unloads-on-politicians-over-climate-change-inaction-20190204-p50vl0.html

A third of Himalayan ice cap doomed, finds report https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/04/a-third-of-himalayan-ice-cap-doomed-finds-shocking-report?CMP=share_btn_tw

Globally, temperatures in January 2019 were a little over 0.4°C warmer than the average January from 1981-2010 https://climate.copernicus.eu/surface-air-temperature-january-2019

Sea Level Rise Risk ‘Hasn’t Hit Home’ for Coastal R.I. Property Owners, Experts Say http://www.govtech.com/em/preparedness/Sea-Level-Rise-Risk-Hasnt-Hit-Home-for-Coastal-RI-Property-Owners-Experts-Say.html

Norway’s Arctic islands at risk of “devastating” warming – report http://news.trust.org/item/20190204175124-vspyx/

Australia’s record on emissions and sustainability condemned by OECD review https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/30/australias-record-on-emissions-and-sustainability-condemned-by-oecd-review

State by state – solar records fell across Australia in 2018 https://reneweconomy.com.au/state-by-state-solar-records-fell-across-australia-in-2018/

Heat is a ‘silent killer’ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/multimedia-article/extreme-heat-climate-change-health/

The new normal for Australia and it’s being driven by climate change https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/climate-change-extreme-weather/

How Climate Change Is Affecting Our Mental Health https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/climate-change-mental-health_uk_5c5806dbe4b09293b205ac62

As the planet warms, there might be fewer Mediterranean hurricanes according to climate models. However, according to a new study, they will be wetter, windier and last longer than before http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/rockyplanet/2019/02/05/climate-change-could-make-mediterranean-hurricanes-more-damaging/#.XFn5jNIzbIU

Fire, drought and flooding rain: it’s time for national action on climate change https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/fire-drought-and-flooding-rain-its-time-for-national-action-on-climate-change/

The prospects for skilful near-term climate predictions https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/near-term-climate-prediction-%E2%80%98coming-of-age%E2%80%99

Environmental Photographer Focuses On Protecting The Climate — And Its People https://www.npr.org/2019/02/06/691967491/environmental-photographer-focuses-on-protecting-the-climate-and-its-people

WMO Confirms Past 4 Years Were Warmest on Record https://unfccc.int/news/wmo-confirms-past-4-years-were-warmest-on-record

Could climate change and rsultant extreme weather make it harder to get insurance in Australia? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-06/could-climate-change-make-australia-uninsurable/10783490?pfmredir=sm

International climate change experts and frameworks recognize that women and men face different climate change vulnerabilities, risks, and impacts https://www.insuresilience.org/applying-a-gender/

Polar Thinking https://blogs.plos.org/models/polar-thinking/

Climate change or “just the weather?” Here’s how to answer that https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/how-do-we-know-when-climate-change-makes-weather-disasters-worse/

Gothenburg Foresees Impact of Climate Change: Plans to Build a Barrier by 2070 to Prevent Flooding http://gothenburg-400.com/gothenburg-foresees-impact-of-climate-change-plans-to-build-a-barrier-by-2070-to-prevent-flooding/

An overview of global surface temperatures in 2018 https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/news/2019/global-surface-temperature-in-2018

Does climate change influence people’s migration decisions in Maldives? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10584-019-02376-y

Dangerously unpredictable weather will worsen unless global action taken, NZ-led research shows https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/News-and-Events/Media-Releases/Dangerously-unpredictable-weather-will-worsen-unless-global-action-taken-NZ-led-research-shows

Temperature in Canada’s Saskatoon plunges to lowest in over a century https://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-weather/temperature-in-canadas-saskatoon-plunges-to-lowest-in-over-a-century-idUSKCN1PW2HY

 

Disaster risk reduction

Latest edition of Disaster Research https://mailchi.mp/colorado/dr684-disaster-research-news-you-can-use?e=4fda5946f3

Mexico-Guatemala earthquake, felt by millions, likely triggered by the 2017 megaquake http://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/mexico-guatemala-earthquake-felt-by-millions-likely-triggered-by-the-2017-megaquake-8314/

Natural Disasters Are Costing Homeowners Big — And The Problem Is Only Getting Worse https://www.forbes.com/sites/alyyale/2019/02/01/natural-disasters-are-costing-homeowners-big-and-the-problems-only-getting-worse/#235f8c753dfa

Renowned seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones speak on local earthquake risks https://www.kesq.com/news/renowned-seismologist-dr-lucy-jones-speak-on-local-earthquake-risks/998097333

Investment in flood resilience measures for Cumbrian manufacturing firm https://www.thecumbrialep.co.uk/news/investment-in-flood-resilience-measures-for-cumbrian-manufacturing-firm/

Interactive map shows flooding risk as Gulf rises and southern Louisiana continues to sink https://thelensnola.org/2017/01/18/interactive-map-shows-flooding-risk-as-gulf-rises-and-southern-louisiana-continues-to-sink/

The Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) https://floodresilience.net/resources/item/the-flood-resilience-measurement-for-communities-frmc

The Meteorological Culprits Behind Strange and Deadly Floods https://eos.org/research-spotlights/the-meteorological-culprits-behind-strange-and-deadly-floods

Fix past flooding mistakes, prevent future problems https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/editorials/fix-past-flooding-mistakes-prevent-future-problems/article_de063764-258d-11e9-a5b8-935152fd7708.html

‘(In)action’- rethinking traditional understandings of disaster risk reduction https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330870163_’Inaction’-_rethinking_traditional_understandings_of_disaster_risk_reduction_Cornes_et_al_2019

Deadly earthquake traveled at ‘supersonic’ speeds—why that matters https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/02/deadly-earthquake-supersonic-supershear-speed-indonesia/

Bushfire planning around our expanding urban environments is crucial for dealing with Australia’s increasing bushfire risk https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/black-saturday-bushfire-planning-as-our-population-grows?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=story

Flooding in Canadian Rural Communities https://uwaterloo.ca/partners-for-action/blog/post/flooding-canadian-rural-communities

USA flood map breakthrough https://www.ambientalrisk.com/flood-risk-usa-breakthrough/

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS): a proactive approach to reducing surface flooding https://www.groundsure.com/news/sustainable-urban-drainage-systems-suds-a-proactive-approach-to-reducing-surface-flooding/

Business owners in Aberdeen have welcomed works which could bring an end to a flooding problem https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/aberdeen-city-centre-business-owners-welcome-work-to-end-flooding/

Turning river level data into meaningful content https://defradigital.blog.gov.uk/2019/02/05/turning-river-level-data-into-meaningful-content/

New 2018 report outlines Doral’s Flood Protection Efforts https://communitynewspapers.com/doral-tribune/new-2018-report-outlines-dorals-flood-protection-efforts/

As severe events increase, U.S. needs strategy to reduce costs and impacts of disasters https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2019/02/05/in-state-of-the-union-a-missed-opportunity-on-flood-reform

2018’s Billion Dollar Disasters in Context https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/beyond-data/2018s-billion-dollar-disasters-context

Flood Re sets out long term vision for affordable flood insurance for all households https://www.floodre.co.uk/flood-re-sets-out-long-term-vision-for-affordable-flood-insurance-for-all-households/

‘We have to learn to live with floods’: waterlogged Surat to become latest megacity https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/05/we-have-to-learn-to-live-with-floods-waterlogged-surat-to-become-latest-megacity

The world’s watersheds, mapped in gorgeous detail https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/the-worlds-watersheds-mapped-in-gorgeous-detail

Advanced modelling techniques could improve how cities deal with floods http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2019/january/city-flood-planning.html

Preparedness against mobility disruption by floods https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718345388#

Faster flood forecasting to improve responses https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/comment-faster-flood-forecasting-improve-responses

Sharing international flood and drought science https://www.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-media/blogs/sharing-floods-and-drought-science

Emergency Management

Tasmania’s fire disaster revealed in satellite images showing the extent of the damage https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-02/tasmanian-bushfires-from-the-air-satellite-images/10771528?pfmredir=sm

An American’s view of Tassie fires https://firecentre.org.au/an-americans-view-of-tassie-fires/

Housing is key to Puerto Rico’s recovery. Will 2019 see promised funding, solutions? https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna959776?__twitter_impression=true

The speed of the Brumadinho tailings dam landslide https://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2019/02/04/brumadinho-tailings-dam-landslide/

How Queensland is being soaked by an ‘unprecedented monsoonal burst’ https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/how-queensland-is-being-soaked-by-an-unprecedented-monsoonal-burst-20190204-p50vib.html

Townsville floods expert reaction https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/expert-reaction-townsville-floods

Lack of Entry Level Emergency Management: The Need for a Standard of Job Titles https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lack-entry-level-emergency-management-need-standard-job-holwege-mpa/

Hurricane Florence evacuees with disabilities endured unsafe, ‘disrespectful’ conditions, report says https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article225498020.html

Louisiana Flood Victims and the Duplication of Benefits Trap http://www.whaleylaw.com/2019/01/23/louisiana-flood-victims-and-the-duplication-of-benefits-trap/

Townsville residents return home to mud and mess in wake of flood disaster https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-06/townsville-floods-disaster-residents-return-home/10782008

Townsville floods: good Samaritans, wildlife carers run off their feet with animal rescues https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/townsville-floods-good-samaritans-wildlife-carers-run-off-their-feet-with-animal-rescues/news-story/0e9a2846b0273b1c4a62c33d0622ef3b

Husband of woman killed in Middle Tennessee tornado sues homebuilder for negligence https://fox17.com/news/local/husband-of-woman-killed-in-middle-tennessee-tornado-sues-homebuilder-for-negligence?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Camp Fire’s Dispersed Survivors Plot Their New Homes on a Map https://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2019/02/camp-fires-dispersed-survivors-plot-their-new-homes-map/154642/

Townsville flood insurance bill hits $80m https://www.star1019.com.au/headlines/116611-townsville-flood-insurance-bill-hits-80m

Black Saturday ten years on – what did we discover? http://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/58?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=haznote58

Disaster Aid Targeting and Self-Reporting Bias: Natural Experimental Evidence from the Philippines https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/3/771

Online journal: Tropical Cyclone Florence in South Carolina https://scdnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=c2d63441bc974cadb52f0bed7528aae1

Death, statistics and a disaster zone: the struggle to count the dead after Hurricane Maria https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00442-0

In Texas, hundreds of victims of the flooding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey are suing the federal government https://www.marketplace.org/2019/02/06/economy/houston-residents-reservoir-argue-flooding-amounted-land-taking

It’s a disaster when home isn’t considered ‘a home’ for flood relief https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/06/its-a-disaster-when-home-isnt-considered-a-home-for-flood-relief

Copernicus EMS Monitors Floods in Australia https://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/ems/copernicus-ems-monitors-floods-australia

 

Disaster education, communications and engagement

The powerful story of a family who lose their home in a bushfire and their journey of recovery https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/childrens/young-adult-fiction/The-House-on-the-Mountain-Ella-Holcombe-illustrated-by-David-Cox-9781760636968

‘We can all recover’: bereaved families remember victims of Black Saturday https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/04/we-can-all-recover-bereaved-families-remember-victims-of-black-saturday?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Social media and the social sciences: methods and tools for academic research https://wasimahmed.org/2019/01/27/social-media-and-the-social-sciences-methods-and-tools-for-academic-research-must-read-for-2019/

Learning hard lessons of Black Saturday https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5881564/learning-hard-lessons-of-black-saturday/

Community initiatives for sharing flood risk information across border: case study from Ghagara river basin https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/63391

How to Reduce the Impact of Flooding: 5 Steps to Flood Resilience https://thefloodhub.co.uk/knowledge-hub/#how-to-reduce-the-impact-of-flooding-5-steps-to-flood-resilience

Even as internet use has grown in emerging economies, social media use is somewhat less widespread- In Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil and South Africa, half or more report using social media http://www.pewglobal.org/2019/02/05/digital-connectivity-growing-rapidly-in-emerging-economies/

Global internet and social media use in 2019 –latest stats https://wearesocial.com/blog/2019/01/digital-2019-global-internet-use-accelerates

What can we do to better prepare communities for floods? https://www.redcross.ca/blog/2019/2/what-can-we-do-to-better-prepare-communities-for-floods

Disaster narratives: Flooding in Townsville https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/disaster-narratives-flooding-in-townsville,12350

Flood impact in north-west Queensland revealed in dramatic time-lapse vision https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-07/time-lapse-images-show-dramatic-flood-rise-north-west-qld/10791932

 

Disaster psychology

Part three of our series exploring the enduring appeal of bushy, fire-prone places https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-03/kinglake-black-saturday-bushfire-anniversary-we-live-here/10739546

Lessons of Black Saturday ignored as Australians forget, research shows https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/lessons-of-black-saturday-ignored-as-australians-forget-research-shows-20190205-p50vtw.html?platform=hootsuite

The Black Saturday bushfires taught us that disasters are a unique form of trauma – learning how to respond can help people and their communities recover https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/black-saturday-understanding-disaster-recovery-and-resilience

 

Sociology and Disasters

Enduring the tide: the flooded Philippine islands that locals won’t leave https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/01/enduring-the-tide-the-flooded-philippine-islands-that-locals-wont-leave

Social resilience in the context of urban development in Christchurch, New Zealand https://opus.ostfalia.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/993/file/Menking_2018_Social_Resilience_Christchurch_New_Zealand.pdf

Resilience-Based Approaches and Public Policy: Operational Views https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-7362-5_3