Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Intense deluge forces evacuations in Francehttps://www.rt.com/news/542841-heavy-rains-trigger-flooding-france/
‘Quad-State Tornado’ crossed four states in four hours, a rare December tornado https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/quad-state-tornado-crossed-four-states-four-hours-leaving-trail-death-rcna8465
Violent tornado outbreak hits U.S. South and Midwest, leaving up to 100 people dead https://watchers.news/2021/12/11/us-tornado-outbreak-damage-fatalities-december-2021/
Intense Storms Cause Flooding, Bridge Collapse in Western Greece https://greekreporter.com/2021/12/12/storms-flooding-bridge-collapse-greece/
Spain – Rain Triggers Deadly Floods and Landslides in Navarre https://floodlist.com/europe/spain-floods-navarre-december-2021
More than 835 000 people affected by floods in South Sudan https://watchers.news/2021/12/15/more-than-835-000-people-affected-by-floods-in-south-sudan/
Severe thunderstorms hit Eastern Cape, claiming 6 lives and damaging more than 1 000 homes, South Africa https://watchers.news/2021/12/15/eastern-cape-thunderstorms-casualties-damage-december-2021/
Congo-Brazzaville – Floods in Leave 15 Dead, 9 Missing and Thousands Displaced https://floodlist.com/africa/congo-brazzaville-floods-november-december-2021
Papua New Guinea – Coastal Floods Affect Thousands https://floodlist.com/australia/papua-new-guinea-high-tide-floods-december-2021
Severe damage across Visayas from Typhoon Odette’s rampage https://www.rappler.com/nation/severe-damage-across-visayas-from-typhoon-odette-rampage/
Volcanic activity worldwide 16 Dec 2021: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Reventador, Sangay, Ruapehu https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/161212/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-16-Dec-2021-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Reventador-Sangay-Ruapehu-Ne.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Fleeing global warming? ‘Climate havens’ aren’t ready for you yet https://grist.org/migration/fleeing-global-warming-climate-havens-arent-ready-for-you-yet/
The Politics of Our Climate Attribution Obsession https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/the-politics-of-our-climate-attribution
Explainer: Was Deadly Tornado Storm System Related To Climate Change? https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tornado-kentucky-climate-change-storms_n_61b60745e4b0b50268a7678c
Scientists Find a New Source of a Greenhouse Gas Emissions in The Siberian Permafrost https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-find-a-new-source-of-a-greenhouse-gas-in-the-siberian-permafrost
FEMA chief says powerful storms ‘new normal’ in era of climate change https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/12/politics/deanne-criswell-fema-climate-change-cnntv/index.html
Protect or retreat: rising seas threaten Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific Coasts https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/protect-or-retreat-rising-seas-threaten-canadas-atlantic-and
‘2.4C is a death sentence’: Vanessa Nakate’s fight for the forgotten countries of the climate crisis https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/13/24c-is-a-death-sentence-vanessa-nakates-fight-for-the-forgotten-countries-of-the-climate-crisis
“This Isn’t a Natural Disaster”: Climate Scientist Michael Mann on Deadly Tornadoes in 8 States https://www.democracynow.org/2021/12/13/michael_mann_on_climate_crisis_tornadoes
A new report outlines how Australia is being left behind in the global race to urgently reduce emissions during the 2020s to avoid catastrophic climate change https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/crunch-time-glasgow-climate-pact-national-climate-decade/
Canada on track to reduce fossil fuel use by 62% by 2050 https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/canada-on-track-to-reduce-fossil-fuel-use-by-62-by-2050-1004215443/
Thwaites: Antarctic glacier heading for dramatic change https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59644494
Landfills Belch Climate-Warming Methane. Even the EPA Doesn’t Know How Much https://truthout.org/articles/landfills-belch-climate-warming-methane-even-the-epa-doesnt-know-how-much/
The Arctic has a new record high temperature, according to the U.N. https://www.npr.org/2021/12/14/1064042128/arctic-heat-record-siberia-climate-change
2021 was a remarkable year for Earth’s climate https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/12/2021-was-a-remarkable-year-for-earths-climate/
Near-term transition and longer-term physical climate risks of greenhouse gas emissions pathways https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01236-x
Conversations, culture and constructive climate action https://www.greenbiz.com/article/conversations-culture-and-constructive-climate-action
November 2021: Earth’s 4th-warmest November on record https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/12/november-2021-earths-4th-warmest-november-on-record/
How rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/13/1041309/climate-change-rising-groundwater-flooding/
How Climate Change is Impacting Extreme Weather Events in Germany https://www.ambientalrisk.com/how-climate-change-is-impacting-extreme-weather-events-in-germany/
Tornadoes and climate change: What a warming world means for deadly twisters and the type of storms that spawn them https://theconversation.com/tornadoes-and-climate-change-what-a-warming-world-means-for-deadly-twisters-and-the-type-of-storms-that-spawn-them-173645
Australia forecast to have summer of extreme heatwaves and floods https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/15/australia-forecast-to-have-summer-of-extreme-heatwaves-and-floods
Climate of chaos: Stanford researchers show why heat may make weather less predictable https://news.stanford.edu/2021/12/14/warming-makes-weather-less-predictable/
In praise of ‘Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction’ https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/12/in-praise-of-climate-change-a-very-short-introduction/
The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world https://www.science.org/content/article/arctic-warming-four-times-faster-rest-world#.YbufK1ezJv0.twitter
Here’s what we know about corporate climate ambition https://www.greenbiz.com/article/heres-what-we-know-about-corporate-climate-ambition
2021 Arctic Report Card: Winter sea ice pack likely thinnest on recordhttps://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/2021-arctic-report-card-winter-sea-ice-pack-likely-thinnest-record
Time lag between intervention and actual CO2 decrease could still lead to climate tipping point https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211215132705.htm
This BAMS special report presents assessments of how human-caused climate change may have affected the strength and likelihood of individual extreme events https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/publications/bulletin-of-the-american-meteorological-society-bams/explaining-extreme-events-from-a-climate-perspective/
Disaster risk reduction
How the ‘deadly December tornado’ carved a 250-mile path through 4 states https://www.livescience.com/deadly-december-tornado-four-states-midwest
Indigenous-led action plan focused on flood strategy for entire Lower Mainland https://www.peacearchnews.com/news/indigenous-led-action-plan-focused-on-flood-strategy-for-entire-lower-mainland/
A framework for global science in support of risk-informed sustainable development and planetary health https://www.undrr.org/publication/framework-global-science-support-risk-informed-sustainable-development-and-planetary
Why the southern US is prone to December tornadoes https://theconversation.com/why-the-southern-us-is-prone-to-december-tornadoes-173643
Three Questions About Last Weekend’s Devastating Tornado Outbreak https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/12/14/three-questions-about-last-weekends-devastating-tornado-outbreak/
Estimation of levee breach discharge hydrographs: comparison of inverse approaches https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02626667.2021.1996580
As floods slam more U.S. firms, $50 billion economic drag expected in 2022 https://news.trust.org/item/20211213093834-8tw2h/
How to select the most suitable fuel management strategies to reduce bushfire risk https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/108
Environmental Sensors to improve bushfire prediction capabilities https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/news/article/1386/environmental-sensors-to-improve-bushfire-prediction-capabilities
Malawi: New early warning system to reduce mortalities and loss https://diraj.org/stories/malawi-new-early-warning-system-to-reduce-mortalities-and-loss/
A massive underground tunnel may be the way to alleviate Houston’s flooding, Army Corps says https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/A-massive-underground-tunnel-may-be-the-way-to-16703473.php
Chennai’s floods: the city has learned nothing from the past – here’s what it can do https://theconversation.com/chennais-floods-the-city-has-learned-nothing-from-the-past-heres-what-it-can-do-172254
Emergency management
Grenfell delivers yet more horrors. But the guilty still fail to take responsibility https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/12/grenfell-delivers-yet-more-horrors-but-the-guilty-still-fail-to-take-responsibility
Crews search for the missing in Kentucky after devastating tornadoes https://www.ems1.com/search-and-rescue/articles/crews-search-for-the-missing-in-kentucky-after-devastating-tornadoes-DKuDN4WUKnNM0wfl/
Caldor Fire suspects: Son converted firearm into a machine gun, district attorney says https://news.yahoo.com/caldor-fire-suspects-son-converted-033149721.html
Latest edition of Fire Australia magazine https://www.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/magazine
A new set of evidence-based resources for people and organisations engaged in disaster recovery https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/recovery-matters-webinar-series/#capitals
What South Africa needs to do to exit the pandemic state of disaster https://theconversation.com/what-south-africa-needs-to-do-to-exit-the-pandemic-state-of-disaster-172781
Why did the early warning system fail to save the lives of residents around Mount Semeru? https://theconversation.com/why-did-the-early-warning-system-fail-to-save-the-lives-of-residents-around-mount-semeru-173428
The NSW and Australian Government have committed over $790 million to support recovery, repair and rebuilding efforts of storm and flood impacted regions https://www.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw/regional-recovery-programs/storm-and-flood-recovery
S. Africa reports record daily COVID-19 cases as Omicron spreads https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-reports-record-daily-covid-19-infections-2021-12-15/
U.K. Sets New Record For Daily Covid-19 Cases https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2021/12/15/uk-sets-new-record-for-daily-covid-19-cases/
Broadly neutralizing antibodies overcome SARS-CoV-2 Omicron antigenic shift https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.12.472269v1
B.C. paramedics, firefighters to be given more medical powers to assist in emergencies https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2021/12/03/bc-paramedics-medical-scope/
UN chief: ‘We cannot defeat a pandemic in an uncoordinated way’ https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/12/1108092
Cautious clean-up on La Palma as hopes rise for end to volcano eruption https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/la-palma-volcanos-underground-vents-are-solidifying-lava-dries-up-2021-12-16/
Disaster education, communications and engagement
National Award Winners and Finalists https://www.aidr.org.au/resources/2021-resilient-australia-national-awards/
Australian Warning System: Know the signs https://www.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/newsletter/article/australian-warning-system-know-the-signs
Improving Tornado Warnings Will Help Save Lives https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/disaster-choice/202112/improving-tornado-warnings-will-help-save-lives
Not just the weather: How TV meteorologists influence the public’s views on climate https://thebulletin.org/2021/12/not-just-the-weather-how-tv-meteorologists-influence-the-publics-views-on-climate/
Psychology and disasters
Survivors describe the fear and horror they endured as tornadoes tore through the southern and central US https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/12/us/survivors-deadly-storm-kentucky/index.html
Exploring the Long-Term Impact of Cascading Disasters in the U.S. Virgin Islands on High School Student and Teacher Mental Health and Resilience https://hazards.colorado.edu/public-health-disaster-research/exploring-the-long-term-impact-of-cascading-disasters-in-the-u-s-virgin-islands
6 Ways to Help Someone with PTSD https://psychcentral.com/ptsd/how-to-help-someone-with-ptsd
Brain study on how to slow down climate change https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211215113240.htm
Mental health during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/infographic-mental-health-second-wave-covid-19-pandemic.html
Sociology and disasters
NZ’s social cohesion post-Covid still unclear — researchers https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/12/12/nzs-social-cohesion-post-covid-still-unclear-researchers/
New Research Shows Household Income Impacts of Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, Need for More Equitable Climate Resilience Planning for Cities https://www.iit.edu/news/new-research-shows-household-income-impacts-hurricane-katrina-and-superstorm-sandy-need-more
Informal social support and disaster preparedness: Mediating roles of perceived collective efficacy and self-efficacy https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420921006956
Disaster Resilience News 