Please find below a list of links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Deadly weather: 6 dead in Montana dust storm pile-up; 2 dead in Colorado flooding https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/16/montana-crashes-hardin-pileup-dust-storm-colorado-flood/10076850002/
The heatwave gripping Europe that sparked a ‘red’ warning in the UK is expected to get worse https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-17/europe-heatwave-uk-red-warning-temperatures-increase-monday/101245370
Heatwave: More evacuations as Mediterranean wildfires spread https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62196045
More than 1 000 heat-related deaths reported in Spain and Portugal https://watchers.news/2022/07/18/more-than-1-000-heat-related-deaths-reported-in-spain-and-portugal/
China floods leave at least 12 dead, with thousands evacuated https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/18/china-floods-sichuan-gansu-province-dead-thousands-evacuated
USA – Rain on Burn Scar Areas Triggers Deadly Flooding in Colorado https://floodlist.com/america/usa/flood-burn-scar-colorado-arizona-july-2022
Sudan – 13 Fatalities After Floods in Sennar and South Darfur https://floodlist.com/africa/floods-sudan-july-2022
UK officials declare major incident as fires burn outside London amid historic heatwave https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-20/united-kingdom-record-temperatures-fires-burn-london/101252668
More than 480 000 people told to evacuate as record-breaking rainfall hits southwestern Japan https://watchers.news/2022/07/19/more-than-480-000-people-told-to-evacuate-as-record-breaking-rainfall-hits-southwestern-japan/
Heatwave: Ferocious European heat heads north https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62216159
Heat deaths in large Arizona county hit half-year record https://apnews.com/article/arizona-phoenix-heat-waves-deserts-climate-and-environment-977c3c0a6a54f4b30c81a33a1423f3d6
Niger – Heavy Rain and Floods Destroy Hundreds of Homes, 8 Fatalities Reported https://floodlist.com/africa/niger-floods-july-2022
Nigeria – Floods Wreak Havoc in Yobe State https://floodlist.com/africa/nigeria-floods-june-july-2022
Volcanic activity worldwide 21 Jul 2022: Fuego volcano, Shiveluch, Ibu, Sangay, Nevado del Ruiz, Sabancaya https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/186809/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-21-Jul-2022-Fuego-volcano-Shiveluch-Ibu-Sangay-Nevado-del-Ruiz-Sabancaya.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
A hypothetical weather forecast for 2050 is coming true next week https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/15/weather/2050-uk-forecast-comes-true-in-2022/index.html
Long-term drought intensification over Europe driven by the weakening trend of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581822001896
‘Climate change affects everyone’: Europe battles wildfires in intense heat https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/spain-portugal-battle-wildfires-heatwaves-scorch-southern-europe-2022-07-17/
Lake Mead, once the largest water reservoir in the US, now little more than a graveyard https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-17/lake-mead-nevada-drought-water-levels-drop-further/101229988
Australians are installing rooftop solar like never before. Who is burdened with taking care of it at home? https://theconversation.com/australians-are-installing-rooftop-solar-like-never-before-who-is-burdened-with-taking-care-of-it-at-home-184840
High-tide floods surge as climate changes and sea level rises https://phys.org/news/2022-07-high-tide-surge-climate-sea.html
This heatwave has eviscerated the idea that small changes can tackle extreme weather https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/18/heatwave-extreme-weather-uk-climate-crisis
Humanity faces ‘collective suicide’ over climate crisis, warns UN chief https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/18/humanity-faces-collective-suicide-over-climate-crisis-warns-un-chief
Europe’s big dry https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-temperature-heat-wave-drought/
Day of 40C shocks scientists as UK heat record ‘absolutely obliterated’ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/19/day-of-40c-shocks-scientists-as-uk-heat-record-absolutely-obliterated
Melting Snow From Climate Change Could Lead To Unpredictable Water Levels, Study Suggests https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/07/18/melting-snow-from-climate-change-could-lead-to-unpredictable-water-levels-study-suggests/
Why is it so hot? Climate change is here https://news.trust.org/item/20220718101036-cl1q0/
California Wildfires Could Destroy Forests Forever https://www.govtech.com/em/preparedness/california-wildfires-could-destroy-forests-forever
Heatwave: The UK and Europe’s record temperatures in maps and charts https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62224157
The amount of Greenland ice that melted last weekend could cover West Virginia in a foot of water https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/20/world/greenland-heat-wave-ice-melting-climate/index.html
Extreme weather: What is it and how is it connected to climate change? https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58073295
The UK just hit 40℃ for the first time. It’s a stark reminder of the deadly heat awaiting Australia https://theconversation.com/the-uk-just-hit-40-for-the-first-time-its-a-stark-reminder-of-the-deadly-heat-awaiting-australia-187347
Record-breaking heat waves show we need to adapt to the climate crisis now https://www.dw.com/en/record-breaking-heat-waves-show-we-need-to-adapt-to-the-climate-crisis-now/a-61661802
How the UK’s ‘insane’ 40C heat was forecast ‘weeks in advance’ https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-how-the-uks-insane-40c-heat-was-forecast-weeks-in-advance/
The Landsat archive of decades of change on the Earth is a brilliant starting point for a rigorous scientific analysis of climate change https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/fifty-years-landsat-impartial-eye-climate-change
Accelerated western European heatwave trends linked to more-persistent double jets over Eurasia https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31432-y
Decreasing surface albedo signifies a growing importance of clouds for Greenland Ice Sheet meltwater production https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31434-w
Heatwave relief: What can hot countries teach us about keeping cool? https://news.trust.org/item/20220719084404-1u4yr/
Wildfires are becoming more common in the UK – but the threat can be managed https://theconversation.com/wildfires-are-becoming-more-common-in-the-uk-but-the-threat-can-be-managed-187217
Disaster risk reduction
NSW flood plain harvesting rules won’t protect environment, government advisers warn https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/17/nsw-flood-plain-harvesting-rules-wont-protect-environment-government-advisers-warn
Subduction earthquake cycles controlled by episodic fluid pressure cycling https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024493722002092
A personal reflection by Dr Sam Ramsden, Charity Support Coordinator at the Flood Innovation Centre on the 15th anniversary of the Hull floods https://floodinnovation.co.uk/a-personal-response-to-the-15th-anniversary-of-the-hull-floods/
The Controversial Plan to Unleash the Mississippi https://hakaimagazine.com/features/the-controversial-plan-to-unleash-the-mississippi/
Primary drivers of multidecadal spatial and temporal patterns of shoreline change derived from optical satellite imagery https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169555X22002537
Mapping a Volcanic Eruption in the Backyard of Iceland’s Capital https://eos.org/articles/mapping-a-volcanic-eruption-in-the-backyard-of-icelands-capital
Elevated flooding risk lingers over NSW for months to come https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/elevated-flooding-risk-lingers-over-nsw-for-months-to-come-20220721-p5b3if.html
Questions over Sydney sprawl as Australia cleans up after floods https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/21/questions-over-sydney-sprawl-as-australia-cleans-up-after-floods
Emergency management
‘The way it’s playing out is unexpected’: UK faces up to changing waves of Covid https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/17/unexpected-changing-waves-covid-seasonal
How omicron subvariants are causing a surge in COVID infections https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-omicron-subvariants-are-causing-a-surge-in-covid-infections
Post-disaster policies expose more people to disaster risks https://voxeu.org/article/post-disaster-policies-expose-more-people-disaster-risks
Portugal fights wildfires with new tactics as heatwaves raise risk https://news.trust.org/item/20220715150955-7zfy5/
Data reveals the ‘unseen tragedy’ of COVID-19 pandemic as thousands wait longer for elective surgery https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-20/covid-19-cause-unseen-tragedy-thousands-wait-elective-surgery/101251126
Map shows devastating scale of wildfires across Europe https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/18/map-shows-devastating-scale-of-wildfires-across-europe-17018440/?ito=article.mweb.share.top.twitter
BA.5 doesn’t care that you just had Covid-19 https://www.vox.com/23200811/covid-19-omicron-ba5-reinfection-vaccine-paxlovid
It’s not just heat stroke. Extreme temperatures pose special risk to people with chronic illness (and that’s a lot of us) https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/19/heat-waves-risk-to-people-with-chronic-illness/
Hurricane preparedness is expensive. Emergency managers and community leaders are looking for a solution https://www.wuft.org/news/2022/07/19/hurricane-preparedness-is-expensive-emergency-managers-and-community-leaders-are-looking-for-a-solution/
Masks are ‘strongly suggested’ by health authorities as the winter COVID wave hits. Here’s how effective they are https://theconversation.com/masks-are-strongly-suggested-by-health-authorities-as-the-winter-covid-wave-hits-heres-how-effective-they-are-187006
Data and imagery from the joint USGS/NASA Landsat satellites play a critical role in understanding the impact, severity, and extent of large fires https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/fifty-years-landsat-watchman-wildfires
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Flood recovery forum in Abbotsford focused on ‘breaking down silos’ https://www.abbynews.com/news/flood-recovery-forum-in-abbotsford-focused-on-breaking-down-silos/
More than a warning: Expanding the role of communication in Eastern Caribbean volcano science https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.907559/full
Maximum temperatures and how they are recorded https://blog.metoffice.gov.uk/2022/07/18/maximum-temperatures-and-how-theyre-recorded/
Psychology and disasters
Instead of planning for dry conditions, Americans seem incapable of even remembering them https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/07/history-flood-drought-photography-climate-change/670549/
As Europe Swelters, How Are We Affected Psychologically? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disaster-choice/202207/europe-swelters-how-are-we-affected-psychologically
Sociology and disasters
This briefing looks at how climate change affects vulnerable groups https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/just-resilience-leaving-no-one-behind/towards-just-resilience-leaving-no
The risks to the most vulnerable from extreme heat are growing due to a lack of access to sustainable cooling https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/chilling-prospects-tracking-sustainable-cooling-all-2022
The Key To Disaster Survival? Friends And Neighbors https://www.npr.org/2011/07/04/137526401/the-key-to-disaster-survival-friends-and-neighbors
When disaster strikes, these Americans may not be ready https://news.osu.edu/when-disaster-strikes-these-americans-may-not-be-ready/
Nowhere left to turn, part 1: Venezuela’s COVID fallout leaves children dying and the poor scavenging for food https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2022/07/13/Venezuela-COVID-fallout-leaves-children-dying-and-the-poor-scavenging-for-food
Disaster Resilience News 