Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Massive eruption at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai produces huge shockwave and 1.2 m high tsunami, Tonga https://watchers.news/2022/01/15/massive-eruption-hunga-tonga-hunga-haapai-shockwave-tsunami-january-15-2022/
Pacific volcano: Ash-covered Tonga is like a moonscape say residents https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60009944
Widespread damage after winter storm spawns multiple tornadoes in Florida, U.S.https://watchers.news/2022/01/17/florida-tornado-damage-january-16-2022/
Peru – 2 Dead After Tonga Volcano Triggers Coastal Flooding https://floodlist.com/asia/tonga-volcano-tsunami-floods-january-2022
Madagascar – 10 Killed After Heavy Rains Trigger Floods and Landslides in Antananarivo https://floodlist.com/africa/madagascar-floods-january-2022
Uruguay – Floods in Montevideo After 150mm of Rain in 1 Hour https://floodlist.com/america/uruguay-floods-january-2022
South Africa – Dozens Evacuate Floods in KZN https://floodlist.com/africa/south-africa-floods-kzn-north-west-province-january-2022
Perth heatwave declared as firefighters contain blaze burning near Karrakatta cemetery on 42-degree day https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-19/perth-karrakatta-bushfire-warning/100767898
Volcanic activity worldwide 19 Jan 2022: Fuego volcano, Reventador, Sangay, Nevados de Chillán https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/170812/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-19-Jan-2022-Fuego-volcano-Reventador-Sangay-Nevados-de-Chillan-Nev.html
Iran – 1,200 Homes Damaged After More Floods in Kerman Provincehttps://floodlist.com/asia/iran-floods-kerman-january-2022
Zambia – Floods Affect Thousands in Southern Province https://floodlist.com/africa/zambia-floods-southern-province-january-2022
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Past seven years hottest on record, prompting calls for stronger climate action https://www.sbs.com.au/news/audiotrack/past-seven-years-hottest-record-prompting-calls-stronger-climate-action
South Australia breaks record by running for a week on renewable energy https://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/south-australia-breaks-record-running-for-a-week-on-renewable-energy-20220116-p59omi.html
Record numbers of Americans are alarmed or concerned about climate change https://theplanet.substack.com/p/record-numbers-of-americans-are-alarmed
UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1047003/climate-change-risk-assessment-2022.pdf
Climate crisis could wipe 1% a year off UK economy by 2045, say ministers https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/17/climate-crisis-1-percent-a-year-off-uk-economy-by-2045
Natural Disaster Costs Exceed $250 Billion in 2021 and Worse to Come, Scientists Warn https://www.theenergymix.com/2022/01/13/natural-disaster-costs-exceeded-250-billion-in-2021-and-worse-to-come-scientists-warn/
The problem with the carbon footprint https://www.mic.com/impact/forget-your-carbon-footprint-lets-talk-about-your-climate-shadow
‘Rivers’ in the sky likely to drench East Asia under climate change https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220118104112.htm#:~:text=%22’Rivers’%20in%20the%20sky,ScienceDaily.
Painting Barcelona’s rooftops could lower temperatures by up to five degrees, say experts https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/01/11/painting-barcelona-s-rooftops-could-lower-temperatures-by-up-to-five-degrees-say-experts
‘We have a lot to lose’: 16 Minnesota cities declare climate emergency, urge legislative action https://www.startribune.com/we-have-a-lot-to-lose-16-minnesota-cities-declare-climate-emergency-urge-legislative-action/600137514/
New Research Shows How Health Risks to Children Mount as Temperatures Rise https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/climate/children-climate-change.html
Warm Season and Emergency Department Visits to U.S. Children’s Hospitals https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP8083
Giant canyon discovered underneath Vanderford Glacier in Antarctica, revealing history behind rising sea levels https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/canyon-discovered-underneath-vanderford-glacier-antarctica/100770634
2021 was one of the hottest years on record – and it could also be the coldest we’ll ever see again https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/2021-was-one-of-the-hottest-years-on-record-and-it-could-also-be-the-coldest-well-ever-see-again/articleshow/89011720.cms
Disaster risk reduction
Why the volcanic eruption in Tonga was so violent, and what to expect next https://theconversation.com/why-the-volcanic-eruption-in-tonga-was-so-violent-and-what-to-expect-next-175035
First-ever 3D compound inland-coastal flooding guidance system https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/-/when-water-is-coming-from-all-sides
Building a Resilient Canada https://cca-reports.ca/reports/disaster-resilience/
Shock waves, landslides may have caused ‘rare’ volcano tsunami: experts https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220117-shock-waves-landslides-may-have-caused-rare-volcano-tsunami-experts
Flood risk management plans are Scotland’s route map for reducing the effects of flooding on our communities https://www2.sepa.org.uk/frmplans/
How Volcanologists Tracked a Violent, Months-Long Eruption https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/la-palma-volcanology
30th Anniversary Disaster Prevention Management Virtual Issue https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/dpm/30th-anniversary-disaster-prevention-management-virtual-issue
US plans $50B wildfire fight where forests meet suburbia https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/us-plans-wildfire-fight-where-160352657.html
Hard truths about a hard time: Marshall Fire devastation illustrates conditions leading to wildfire disaster https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/Fire-Break/Blog-Posts/2022/01/03/Hard-truths-about-a-hard-time-Marshall-Fire-devastation-illustrates-conditions
Severe Weather in 2021 Caused $2.1 Billion in Insured Damage in Canada http://www.ibc.ca/on/resources/media-centre/media-releases/severe-weather-in-2021-caused-2-1-billion-in-insured-damage
State agencies among groups to criticise Warragamba Dam proposal https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/state-agencies-among-groups-to-criticise-warragamba-dam-proposal-20220118-p59p3l.html
“Spacing here was a problem”: Closely built homes helped Marshall firestorm spread, researchers say https://www.denverpost.com/2022/01/15/marshall-fire-insurance-losses-housing-density/
The ‘Disasterology’ author wants us to rethink emergency management https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/disasterology-author-wants-us-to-rethink-emergency-management
Scientists Are Racing to Understand the Fury of Tonga’s Volcano https://www.wired.com/story/tonga-volcano-eruption-science/
New simulations can improve avalanche forecasting https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220119135042.htm
Emergency management
Waves from the Tonga tsunami are still being felt in Australia – and even a 50cm surge could knock you off your feet https://theconversation.com/waves-from-the-tonga-tsunami-are-still-being-felt-in-australia-and-even-a-50cm-surge-could-knock-you-off-your-feet-175056
The Tonga volcanic eruption has revealed the vulnerabilities in our global telecommunication system https://theconversation.com/the-tonga-volcanic-eruption-has-revealed-the-vulnerabilities-in-our-global-telecommunication-system-175048
Hong Kong quarantine rules are no longer just an inconvenience https://www.ft.com/content/394e7e58-e7da-4386-aa49-be800a9585a3
Israeli trial, world’s first, finds 4th dose ‘not good enough’ against Omicron https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-trial-worlds-first-finds-4th-dose-not-good-enough-against-omicron/
The pandemic’s true death toll: millions more than official counts https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00104-8
Living with endemic Covid will not be painless https://www.ft.com/content/90c0d2e5-063e-44d1-9acf-d603aeafd41d
FEMA Strategic Plan https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan
This Guidebook describes institutional options, successful characteristics and management lessons based on real-world experience with disaster recovery operations https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/handbook-recovery-institutions-guidebook-recovery-practitioners
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Creating effective emergency alerts https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/creating-effective-emergency-alerts
The words used in warning communications can powerfully convey risk and encourage immediate behaviours such as moving to a safer area or avoiding floodwaters https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/choosing-powerful-words-signal-risk-and-encourage-action
Collaborating With Communities: Citizen Science Flood Monitoring in Urban Informal Settlements https://www.cogitatiopress.com/urbanplanning/article/view/4648
New Zealanders need to understand the hazards of volcanoes here https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/459805/new-zealanders-need-to-understand-the-hazards-of-volcanoes-here-eqc
Mauna Loa:Preparing for the next eruption of Earth’s largest active volcano https://geonarrative.usgs.gov/maunaloa/
How to Plan a Tsunami Walk! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYbK8lZsrsc
Province’s new interactive flood-predicting map ‘basic’ but valuable, says advocate https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/flood-predicting-map-1.6315647
Psychology and disasters
Repeated exposure to major disasters does not make people mentally stronger https://www.preventionweb.net/news/repeated-exposure-major-disasters-has-long-term-mental-health-impacts
Sociology and disasters
The crisis forces us to consider what kind of society we want to have https://www.theage.com.au/national/the-crisis-forces-us-to-consider-what-kind-of-society-we-want-to-have-20220113-p59nzt.html
Equitable Community Resilience: The Case of Winter Storm Uri in Texas https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.06652
Coldhearted Policies Put People at Risk of Extreme Heat Work Hazards https://blog.ucsusa.org/alicia-race/coldhearted-policies-put-people-at-risk-of-extreme-heat-work-hazards/
Disaster Resilience News 