Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
At least nine dead after severe flooding and landslides hit KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa https://watchers.news/2025/02/22/at-least-nine-dead-after-severe-flooding-and-landslides-hit-kwazulu-natal-kzn-south-africa/
Tropical Cyclone Alfred forms off the coast of Queensland, Australia https://watchers.news/2025/02/23/tropical-cylone-alfred-forms-off-the-coast-of-queensland-australia/
Historic floods claim 21 lives in Kentucky https://watchers.news/2025/02/23/historic-floods-claim-21-lives-in-kentucky/
Severe floods claim 11 lives in Madagascar https://watchers.news/2025/02/25/severe-floods-claim-11-lives-in-madagascar/
Severe floods leave at least 26 dead in Helmand and Farah, Afghanistan https://watchers.news/2025/02/26/severe-floods-leave-at-least-26-dead-in-helmand-and-farah-afghanistan/
Volcanic activity worldwide 26 Feb 2025: Etna volcano, Santiaguito, Semeru, Ibu, Dukono, Reventador https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/265945/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-26-Feb-2025-Etna-volcano-Santiaguito-Semeru-Ibu-Dukono-Reventador.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Rising seas are already toppling coastal cities https://www.earth.com/news/rising-seas-are-already-toppling-coastal-cities/
Extreme heat more frequent in Sydney than reported, new research suggests https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-23/extreme-heat-greater-sydney-cities-australia/104961478
Waves are getting bigger. Is the world ready? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/22/waves-are-getting-bigger-is-the-world-ready
Micro-climate of nature-based solutions in stockholm royal seaport https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411524000971
Australia’s main grid sets new solar output record before rooftop PV takes centre stage https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-main-grid-sets-new-solar-output-record-before-rooftop-pv-takes-centre-stage/
Scientists identify tipping point for Greenland’s ice sheet — and it’s not far off https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/scientists-identify-tipping-point-for-greenlands-ice-sheet-and-its-not-far-off
Calculating the economic cost of climate change is tricky, even futile – it’s also a distraction https://theconversation.com/calculating-the-economic-cost-of-climate-change-is-tricky-even-futile-its-also-a-distraction-248862
Sea ice levels drop to record lows on both poles as scientists issue warning https://www.earth.com/news/sea-ice-levels-drop-to-record-lows-on-both-poles-as-scientists-issue-warning/
Frontiers in attributing climate extremes and associated impacts https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/climate/articles/10.3389/fclim.2024.1455023/full
Past hydroclimate extremes in Europe driven by Atlantic jet stream and recurrent weather patterns https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01654-y
Farmers, investors, miners and parents: how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences https://theconversation.com/farmers-investors-miners-and-parents-how-unconventional-climate-advocates-can-reach-new-audiences-249949
Australia’s main grid ends summer with a new big solar output record https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-main-grid-ends-summer-with-a-new-big-solar-output-record/
Computer simulations show nightmare Atlantic current shutdown less likely this century https://phys.org/news/2025-02-simulations-nightmare-atlantic-current-shutdown.html
Intense heat changes our biology and can make us age significantly faster: study https://theconversation.com/intense-heat-changes-our-biology-and-can-make-us-age-significantly-faster-study-250784
Disaster risk reduction
Amid flood of complaints, Florida insurance regulator warns insurers to follow the law https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/state/2025/02/21/insurer-disputes-with-consumers-has-regulator-issuing-warning/79311406007/
Flood defences are the first line of protection against climate change in the UK https://www.floodre.co.uk/uk-flood-defences/
Understanding Past Earthquakes – an open access book https://paleoseismicity.org/understanding-past-earthquakes-an-open-access-book/
Improving early warnings of thunderstorms https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news-global/news/article/5732/improving-early-warnings-of-thunderstorms
Understanding the Community Rating System (CRS): How FloodMapp Helps Communities Earn Points https://www.floodmapp.com/post/understanding-the-community-rating-system-crs-how-floodmapp-helps-communities-earn-points
Insurance industry calls for $30b flood defence fund as fees cripple households https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-26/insurance-cost-calls-for-30b-flood-fund-as-election-looms/104978284
Combining Multisite Tsunami and Deformation Modeling to Constrain Slip Distributions for the 1700 C.E. Cascadia Earthquake https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/article-abstract/doi/10.1785/0120240218/651488/Combining-Multisite-Tsunami-and-Deformation
Seeing Earth through AI: New initiative tackles global sustainability challenges https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/seeing-earth-through-ai-new-initiative-tackles-global-sustainability-challenges
Enablers and barriers to implementing effective disaster risk management according to good governance principles: Lessons from Central Vietnam https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420925001682
New study explores the future of ‘living with water’ https://www.deltares.nl/en/news/new-study-explores-the-future-of-living-with-water
Scientists hope their model will enable risk assessments to more holistically capture the human impact of disasters https://www.sra.org/2025/02/10/new-computer-model-can-predict-the-length-of-a-households-displacement-in-any-u-s-community-after-a-disaster/
Emergency Management
Delta’s handling of air crash victims https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/with-just-3-words-delta-air-lines-taught-a-powerful-lesson-in-handling-a-crisis/91150646
Statewide insurance costs may rise as California grapples with post-fire financial strain https://kmph.com/news/local/statewide-insurance-costs-may-rise-as-california-grapples-with-post-fire-financial-strain
Evacuations failed and 85 people died during California’s deadliest wildfire. What are lessons for L.A.? https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-25/evacuations-were-botched-during-the-deadliest-fire-in-california-history-heres-what-one-local-sheriff-learned
FEMA workers and disaster survivors open up about Donald Trump’s call for “fundamentally reforming or overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA” https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/fema-dismantling-trump-reaction-1235273891/
Product to protect homes from wildfires born from BC wildfires https://www.myprincegeorgenow.com/220182/news/product-to-protect-homes-from-wildfires-born-from-bc-wildfires/
Why people rebuild in Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas despite the risks https://theconversation.com/why-people-rebuild-in-appalachias-flood-ravaged-areas-despite-the-risks-240429
Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement
How do basin and range mountains and valleys form? https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/basin__range_structural_evolution
Western Sydney high school students to learn about extreme heat effects https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/western-sydney-subjects-to-learn-urban-heat-subject/104945006
‘Strong Kids’: Effects of drama therapy on child resilience after the 2021 German flood disaster https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455625000073
Connecting After Chaos tells the story of how people restored their lives and society in the months and years after disaster, focusing on how New Orleanians used social media to cope with trauma following Hurricane Katrina https://nyupress.org/9781479815319/connecting-after-chaos/
Disaster psychology
Reciprocity: Rethinking Our Relationship with the Natural World https://e360.yale.edu/features/robin-kimmerer-interview
Sociology and disasters
Disaster and political trust: Evidence from the 2017 Mexico city earthquake https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X25000105
Mapping the Vulnerability of Older-Adult Neighborhoods: An Ecological Study of New York State https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/332
Relationship of social capital, community identity, and perceived safety resilience during public emergencies in Shanghai https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-86990-0
Disaster Resilience News 