Please find below links to recent news about some aspects of disaster resilience…
Recent emergencies/disaster
Kuchinoerabujima erupts, generating long pyroclastic flows and ejecting ash up to 7 000 m (23 000 feet) a.s.l., Japan https://watchers.news/2020/02/03/kuchinoerabujima-eruption-february-2020/
Hundreds still cut off by floods in Milford Sound https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12305737
South Africa – Heavy Rain Triggers Flash Floods in Eastern Cape http://floodlist.com/africa/south-africa-floods-astern-cape-february-2020
Heavy rain in B.C. causes flooding, power outages, traps 500 people at Fraser Valley ski hill https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/heavy-rain-causes-flooding-bc-south-coast-vancouver-island-1.5448866
Rwanda – at Least 13 Killed in Floods and Landslides http://floodlist.com/africa/rwanda-floods-landslides-february-2020?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
New Zealand – Emergency Declared After Floods in Southland http://floodlist.com/australia/new-zealand-floods-southland-february-2020
Canada – Heavy Rain in British Columbia Triggers Floods and Landslides http://floodlist.com/america/canada-british-columbia-february-2020
Strombolian explosions at Fuego volcano, ash up to 4.6 km (15 000 feet) a.s.l., Guatemala https://watchers.news/2020/02/04/strombolian-explosions-fuego-volcano-february-2020/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Port Lincoln to truck in sand after ‘140 Olympic swimming pools’ of rain falls on city https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-04/140-olympic-swimming-pools-of-rain-floods-port-lincoln/11927946
Floods destroy 1 746 homes, claiming 21 lives and leaving more than 15 000 homeless in southeastern Tanzania https://watchers.news/2020/02/04/floods-destroy-1-746-homes-claiming-21-lives-and-leaving-more-than-15-000-homeless-in-southeastern-tanzania/
Avalanches in eastern Turkey claim at least 38 lives, many of them first responders working under blizzard conditions https://watchers.news/2020/02/05/avalanche-turkey-van-province-february-2020/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
France and Luxembourg – Emergency Rescues After Rivers Rise http://floodlist.com/europe/france-luxembourg-floods-february-2020
Malawi – Hundreds Displaced After Floods in Karonga http://floodlist.com/africa/malawi-floods-karonga-february-2020
Zambia – More Flooding in Eastern Province Displaces 100 Households http://floodlist.com/africa/zambia-flooding-eastern-province-february-2020
Burundi – Over 1,000 Displaced After Heavy Rain in North West http://floodlist.com/africa/burundi-rain-floods-january-2020
Papua New Guinea – at Least 3 Dead After Flash Floods in Western Highlands http://floodlist.com/asia/papua-new-guinea-floods-western-highlands-february-2020
Deadly storm hits eastern U.S. https://watchers.news/2020/02/06/winter-storm-us-tornadoes-february-6-2020/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Volcanic activity worldwide 6 Feb 2020: Fuego volcano, Klyuchevskoy, Popocatépetl, Krakatau, Ibu https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/97634/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-6-Feb-2020-Fuego-volcano-Klyuchevskoy-Popocatepetl-Krakatau-Ibu-D.html
Australia receives bushfire reprieve with floods, battens down for cyclone https://ca.news.yahoo.com/australia-receives-bittersweet-bushfires-reprieve-012933879.html
Newcastle weather: Hunter river flood warning as 30mm rainfall a day forecast for weekend https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6618128/hunter-river-flood-warning-as-30mm-deluges-forecast-for-weekend/
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Australia’s horrific bushfires could be the catalyst that pushes the world to a mass recognition that it’s time to act https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/03/if-theres-a-silver-lining-in-the-clouds-of-smoke-its-that-this-could-be-a-tipping-point
As cities are shaped by rising seas and extreme weather events, the way we work will be irrevocably altered https://www.fastcompany.com/90449975/were-on-track-to-hit-1-5c-of-warming-in-2040-heres-how-it-will-change-our-work-lives
As the Himalayas Melt, Thousands of Dangerous Floods Could Sweep Through the Mountain Range https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/as-the-himalayas-melt-thousands-of-dangerous-floods-could-sweep-through-the
Dwindling Arctic Sea Ice May Affect Tropical Weather Patterns https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26012020/arctic-sea-ice-melting-tropical-weather-el-nino-climate-change
Response to the Critical review of climate change and water modelling in Queensland https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3WJ9QKJ
The Stunning Rise Of The Climate Voter https://climate2020podcast.com/episodes/episode-19
No huge spike in climate alarm after bushfires
Heat kills. We need consistency in the way we measure these deaths https://theconversation.com/heat-kills-we-need-consistency-in-the-way-we-measure-these-deaths-120500
Number of Kiwis who view climate change as an issue doubles https://www.lincoln.ac.nz/Research/Research/rc/leap/research-themes/nrm/?sti=5
Earth is heating at a rate equivalent to five atomic bombs per second. Or two Hurricane Sandys https://thebulletin.org/2020/02/earth-is-heating-at-a-rate-equivalent-to-five-atomic-bombs-per-second-or-two-hurricane-sandys/
Scientists Make First-Ever Observation Of Warm Water Undercutting Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2020/02/scientists-make-first-ever-observation-of-warm-water-undercutting-antarcticas-doomsday-glacier/
Climate emergency: Indonesia faces catastrophic floods, disappearing islands https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/climate-emergency-indonesia-faces-catastrophic-floods-disappearing-islands
Insurers concerned about climate change as bushfire claims bill tops $1.3b https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/insurers-put-focus-on-climate-change-as-bushfire-claims-bill-tops-1-3b-20200204-p53xl9.html?cspt=1580848931|2f57f0369d908c714080e2611efaa8a0
Consolidating Sea Level Acceleration Estimates from Satellite Altimetry https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027311772030034X
Ideological polarization over the reality of climate change actually increases with respondents’ knowledge of politics, science and/or energy policy https://theconversation.com/humans-are-hardwired-to-dismiss-facts-that-dont-fit-their-worldview-127168?utm_medium=amptwitter&utm_source=twitter
Sea-level rise ‘accelerating’ along U.S. coasts, report warns https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/newswire/2020/02/04/sea-level-rise-accelerating-along-u-s-coasts-report-warns/4654700002/
U.S. Sea-Level Report Cards https://www.vims.edu/research/products/slrc/index.php
January 2020 warmest on record: EU climate service https://phys.org/news/2020-02-january-warmest-eu-climate.html
Bad news for coal: India lands world’s largest, super cheap solar and storage tender https://reneweconomy.com.au/bad-news-for-coal-india-lands-worlds-largest-super-cheap-solar-and-storage-tender-80682/
Andes Meltdown: New Insights Into Rapidly Retreating Glaciers https://e360.yale.edu/features/andes-meltdown-new-insights-into-rapidly-retreating-glaciers
World’s biggest iceberg makes a run for it https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51389690
The climate crisis is here, and right now, in Australia, it’s speaking to us in the language of smoke and fire https://climaterealityproject.org/blog/stories-smoke-and-fire-how-five-australians-are-facing-climate-crisis
Climate, extreme weather, biodiversity, food and water crises could lead to ‘systemic collapse https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/06/humanity-under-threat-perfect-storm-crises-study-environment?CMP=share_btn_tw
Permafrost Is Thawing So Fast, It’s Gouging Holes in the Arctic https://www.wired.com/story/abrupt-permafrost-thaw/
Disaster risk reduction
Hong Kong researchers develop vaccine for coronavirus https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Hong-Kong-researchers-develop-vaccine-for-Coronavirus-Report-615967
This is how much severe weather claims could cost in 10 years https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/climate-change/this-is-how-much-severe-weather-claims-could-cost-in-10-years-1004173416/
Singapore preparing various contingencies as outbreak of novel coronavirus evolves https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/novel-coronavirus-singapore-preparing-contigencies-moh-12385056
Fighting floods with ‘sponge cities’ https://wle.cgiar.org/thrive/2018/02/07/fighting-floods-sponge-cities
Washed Away: How communities prepare for more frequent flooding https://www.abc57.com/news/washed-away-how-communities-plan-for-more-frequent-flooding
InSAR observations over the Taupō Volcanic Zone’s cone volcanoes: insights and challenges from the New Zealand volcano supersite https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00288306.2020.1721545?journalCode=tnzg20#.XjjIhkL0_mE.twitter
Global Wildfire Information System https://gwis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/static/gwis_current_situation/public/index.html
Peeking at the plumbing of one of the Aleutian’s most-active volcanoes https://phys.org/news/2020-02-peeking-plumbing-aleutian-most-active-volcanoes.html
The U.S. Army Corps will study how to improve the vast flood control systems along the lower reaches of the Missouri River https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-army-corps-looks-to-avoid-repeat-of-2019-midwest-floods/
A new book shows how we can adapt the built and natural environment to be more flood resilient in the face of climate change https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/building-a-flood-resilient-future
Extreme weather: Business continuity and damage limitation https://insider.zurich.co.uk/trending/emerging-risks/extreme-weather-business-continuity-and-damage-limitation/
Flood risk and insurance cost fears highlighted for 1.8 million UK residents https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4010093/flood-risk-insurance-cost-fears-highlighted-million-uk-residents?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Hazard reduction burning had little to no effect in slowing extreme bushfires https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/06/hazard-reduction-burning-had-little-to-no-effect-in-slowing-this-summers-bushfires?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Generation of a global synthetic tropical cyclone hazard dataset using STORM https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-0381-2
Australian bushfires prompt conversation about land management practices https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/australian-bushfires-prompt-conversation-about-land-management-practices
How Europe Turned Into a Perfect Landscape for Wildfires https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/climate/forests-europe-climate-changed.html
New data sets from the ArcticDEM project help scientists track elevation changes from natural hazards like volcanoes and landslides before, during, and long after the events https://eos.org/articles/using-satellites-and-supercomputers-to-track-arctic-volcanoes
USask Professor Leads Project to Predict River Ice Jams and Reduce Risk of Flooding https://www.watercanada.net/usask-professor-leads-project-to-predict-river-ice-jams-and-reduce-risk-of-flooding/
Emergency management
Australian Smoke Plume Sets Records https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146235/australian-smoke-plume-sets-records
Disasters displace more people than conflict and violence https://www.undrr.org/news/disasters-displace-more-people-conflict-and-violence
Surf boat competitors describe becoming first responders as bushfires hit NSW south coast https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-04/from-elite-surf-boat-competitors-to-bushfire-first-responders/11928780
When fires blazed through Northern California last fall, I looked to online maps to tell me whether my family and I were safe. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do that https://www.fastcompany.com/90458635/how-maps-tracking-climate-disasters-fall-short-and-endanger-lives
Heat from helicopter’s landing light starts fire in Australia https://fireaviation.com/2020/02/05/heat-from-helicopters-landing-light-starts-fire-in-australia/
Beyond the fires: stories of response https://www.redcross.org.nz/stories/new-zealand/beyond-fires-stories-response/
New Zealand floods: first ever red weather warning issued as thousands evacuated https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/05/new-zealand-floods-first-ever-red-weather-warning-issued-as-thousands-evacuated
Don’t insult or duplicate firefighter’s efforts https://www.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/newsletter/article/don’t-insult-or-duplicate-firefighter’s-efforts
Reflect and remember at National Memorial event https://www.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/newsletter/article/reflect-and-remember-at-national-memorial-event
No food, no fuel, no phones: bushfires showed we’re only ever one step from system collapse https://theconversation.com/no-food-no-fuel-no-phones-bushfires-showed-were-only-ever-one-step-from-system-collapse-130600
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Integrating Climate Across the Curriculum https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2020/01/24/no-excuse-not-to-teach-climate-crisis-mitigation-and-adaptation/amp/
Phreatic eruptions, tephra falls: Making sense of volcano lingo https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1214948/phreatic-eruptions-tephra-falls-making-sense-of-volcano-lingo
New Zealand schools to teach students about climate crisis, activism and ‘eco anxiety’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/13/new-zealand-schools-to-teach-students-about-climate-crisis-activism-and-eco-anxiety
Before and now: lived experiences of early warning systems during a flood https://reliefweb.int/report/cambodia/and-now-lived-experiences-early-warning-systems-during-flood
Find out how to develop a community wildfire protection plan https://www.usfa.fema.gov/wui/
UT scientists’ fossil-finding board game is a success in classrooms https://phys.org/news/2020-02-ut-scientists-fossil-finding-board-game.html
The Environment Agency identified its Long Term Flood Risk Information service (LTFRI) as a way of improving how we tell people about the risk of surface water flooding https://defradigital.blog.gov.uk/2020/02/05/long-term-flood-risk-a-user-centred-service/
Bushfire recovery resources online https://www.aidr.org.au/news/bushfire-recovery-resources/
Psychology and Disasters
The social psychology of responses to trauma: social identity pathways associated with divergent traumatic responses https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10463283.2020.1711628#.XjsqopqGYcc.twitter
Local university students examine hurricane effects on mental health in North Carolina https://www.wtkr.com/news/health/local-university-students-examine-hurricane-effects-on-mental-health-in-north-carolina
Sociology and disasters
How Natural Hazards Impact the Social Environment for Vulnerable Groups: An Empirical Investigation in Japan https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3531149
Disaster Resilience News 