Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
One dead in Haiti as Tropical Storm Melissa brings severe weather across the Caribbean https://watchers.news/2025/10/24/one-dead-in-haiti-as-tropical-storm-melissa-brings-severe-weather-across-the-caribbean/
Unwarned potential tornado causes significant damage in south Fort Worth, Texas https://watchers.news/2025/10/25/unwarned-potential-tornado-causes-significant-damage-in-south-fort-worth-texas/
Catastrophic and life-threatening winds, flooding and storm surge forecast as Category 5 Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica landfall https://watchers.news/2025/10/27/catastrophic-and-life-threatening-winds-flooding-and-storm-surge-forecast-as-category-5-hurricane-melissa-nears-jamaica-landfall/
Severe floods hit Hue and Da Nang, leaving at least one dead and thousands isolated, Vietnam https://watchers.news/2025/10/27/severe-floods-hit-hue-and-da-nang-leaving-at-least-one-dead-and-thousands-isolated-vietnam/
Strong and shallow M6.0 earthquake hits western Turkey https://watchers.news/2025/10/27/strong-and-shallow-m6-0-earthquake-hits-western-turkey/
Hurricane Melissa Barrels Down on Jamaica as Category 5 Storm https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/hurricane-melissa-barrels-down-on-jamaica-as-category-5-storm-11a39b95
Hurricane Melissa Live: Category four storm stronger than Katrina makes landfall in Jamaica https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-29/storm-melissa-jamaica-live/105945328
Jamaica declared a disaster area after Hurricane Melissa leaves over half a million without power https://watchers.news/2025/10/29/jamaica-declared-a-disaster-area-after-hurricane-melissa-leaves-over-half-a-million-without-power/
Cyclone Montha leaves 2 dead and around 50 000 ha (123 000 acres) of crops destroyed in Andhra Pradesh https://watchers.news/2025/10/29/cyclone-montha-leaves-2-dead-and-around-50-000-ha-123-000-acres-of-crops-destroyed-in-andhra-pradesh/
Category 3 Hurricane Melissa makes landfall over Santiago de Cuba, Cuba https://watchers.news/2025/10/29/category-3-hurricane-melissa-makes-landfall-over-santiago-de-cuba-cuba/
Hurricane Melissa devastates Caribbean countries and leaves dozens dead https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-30/hurricane-melissa-devastates-caribbean-countries-kills-dozens/105949964
100 000 homes flooded, nine fatalities as extreme rainfall hits Vietnam https://watchers.news/2025/10/30/100-000-homes-flooded-nine-fatalities-as-extreme-rainfall-hits-vietnam/
Volcanic activity worldwide 30 Sep 2025: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Karymsky, Popocatépetl, Soputa https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/282215/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-30-Sep-2025-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Karymsky-Popocatepetl-Soputa.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
El Niño could soon turn deadly predictable, scientists warn https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251024041753.htm
Australia fiddles with fossil gas while the country swelters in record heat. It doesn’t make sense https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/25/australia-fossil-gas-record-heat
Risk of Atlantic Current Collapsing Much Higher Than Previously Expected https://cleantechnica.com/2025/10/25/risk-of-atlantic-current-collapsing-much-higher-than-previously-expected/
Slashing methane emissions could slow the runaway train of global warming long enough to get other emissions under control https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/10/10/greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-change-methane-leaks-eu-regulations-trump-lng-exports-smac/
UN agency says CO2 levels hit record high last year, causing more extreme weather https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-greenhouse-gases-wmo-un-708c3d35ce6fc3d3bcaccafdba6bba45
Antarctica Will Teach Us A Hard Lesson About Non-Linear Change https://cleantechnica.com/2024/04/08/antarctica-will-teach-us-a-hard-lesson-about-non-linear-change/
Southern Ocean Is Building a ‘Burp’ That Could Reignite Global Warming https://www.sciencealert.com/southern-ocean-is-building-a-burp-that-could-reignite-global-warming
Thai villagers have moved four times to escape rising sea levels – life on the climate-change frontline https://theconversation.com/thai-villagers-have-moved-four-times-to-escape-rising-sea-levels-life-on-the-climate-change-frontline-267278
UN Report Finds Country Climate Commitments Falling Short https://www.wri.org/news/statement-un-report-finds-country-climate-commitments-falling-short
Climate change is a crisis of intergenerational justice. It’s not too late to make it right https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-a-crisis-of-intergenerational-justice-its-not-too-late-to-make-it-right-263347
‘Climate change impacting marathon records’ https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/articles/cx2pxl7v9myo
Data shows wealthiest 0.1% of the US burn carbon at 4,000 times the rate of the world’s poorest 10% https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/29/americas-super-rich-running-down-planet-safe-climate-spaces-oxfam
‘Millions of Avoidable Deaths’: Climate Change Health Harms Reach Unprecedented Levels https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28102025/millions-of-avoidable-deaths-climate-change-health-harms-reach-unprecedented-levels/
Global climate plans need urgent acceleration to meet 2035 emissions target, UN report finds https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-28/climate-goals-not-on-track-to-meet-2035-emissions-target-says-un/105945130
The 2025 state of the climate report: a planet on the brink https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biaf149/8303627
Just 1% of coastal waters could power a third of the world’s electricity – but can we do it in time? https://theconversation.com/just-1-of-coastal-waters-could-power-a-third-of-the-worlds-electricity-but-can-we-do-it-in-time-268237
Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/climate-change-is-making-hurricanes-caf
The 2025 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01919-1/abstract
World’s climate plans fall drastically short of action needed, analysis shows https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/28/worlds-climate-plans-fall-drastically-short-of-action-needed-analysis-shows
In 2024, the climate crisis worsened in all ways. But we can still limit warming with bold action https://theconversation.com/in-2024-the-climate-crisis-worsened-in-all-ways-but-we-can-still-limit-warming-with-bold-action-268579
Rising heat kills one person a minute worldwide, major report reveals https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/29/rising-heat-kills-one-person-a-minute-worldwide-lancet-countdown
Are Countries’ New Climate Plans Ambitious Enough? What We Know So Far https://www.wri.org/insights/assessing-2025-ndcs
Why heat warnings need to get more local https://dialogue.earth/en/climate/why-heat-warnings-need-to-get-more-local/
Disaster risk reduction
Enhance infrastructure resilience https://www.undrr.org/resilient-infrastructure/enhance-infrastructure-resilience
How AI can improve storm surge forecasts to help save lives https://theconversation.com/how-ai-can-improve-storm-surge-forecasts-to-help-save-lives-259007
To build trust, include researchers in major disaster infra projects https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-research-builds-trust-flood-control-infrastructure/
Systemic risk https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/key-concepts/systemic-risk
Nature-based Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction https://www.undrr.org/words-action-nature-based-solutions-disaster-risk-reduction
Why animals are the missing link in disaster risk reduction https://www.preventionweb.net/drr-community-voices/funding-resilience-why-animals-are-missing-link-disaster-risk-reduction
Could a Cascadia Megathrust Earthquake Trigger the San Andreas Fault? https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/News/pr/2025/25-14.aspx
Six nature-based solutions transforming communities and ecosystems in Africa https://www.preventionweb.net/news/six-nature-based-solutions-transforming-communities-and-ecosystems-africa
Urban disaster resilience: A new framework for quantifying and enhancing city preparedness https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1103112
A tale of two fire systems: indigenous fire stewardship in British Columbia and California https://fireecology.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42408-025-00399-8
New Arun Checklists Set Higher Bar for Drainage Design https://www.unda.co.uk/news/new-arun-checklists-set-higher-bar-for-drainage-design/
Bureau of Meteorology ordered to fix new website after torrent of complaints https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-29/bureau-of-meteorology-ordered-to-fix-website-after-backlash/105945832
Operational Ethics for Researching Geohazards https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-03754-1_5
Insurance price caps sound like a good idea. But are they? https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/insurance/article/insurance-price-caps-144327688.html
Funding resilience: India’s pathway lies in data and technology https://www.preventionweb.net/drr-community-voices/funding-resilience-indias-pathway-lies-data-and-technology
Construction in flood zones continues to leave thousands of Valencians exposed to a new DANA https://www.valenciaextra.com/societat/construccio-en-zones-inundables-continua-deixant-milers-valencians-exposats-davant-nova-dana_578869_102.html
Marine cores record Cascadia megathrust earthquakes followed by near-simultaneous San Andreas fault rupture https://watchers.news/epicenter/marine-cores-record-cascadia-megathrust-earthquakes-followed-by-near-simultaneous-san-andreas-fault-rupture/
Valencia floods, one year on: what have we learned, and how can we prevent similar tragedies in the future? https://theconversation.com/valencia-floods-one-year-on-what-have-we-learned-and-how-can-we-prevent-similar-tragedies-in-the-future-268603
The effectiveness of prescribed burning for protecting houses during wildfires in Australia https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42408-025-00413-z
Emergency Management
Hurricane Melissa’s Wind Speeds Doubled in Less Than a Day https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/weather/hurricane-melissa-rapid-intensification-jamaica.html
Melissa leaps from tropical storm to Category 4 hurricane in 18 hours https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/10/melissa-leaps-from-tropical-storm-to-category-4-hurricane-in-18-hours/
Man accused of lighting Mount Gambier Valley Lake bushfire while wearing mask and cape denied bail https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-27/man-accused-of-lighting-mount-gambier-bushfire-denied-bail/105938734
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Your reliable roundup of the latest disaster risk reduction news and research collected by the PreventionWeb editors https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/preventionweb-editors-picks-undrr-pqnzf
Minecraft: CoastCraft – players can manage the coast and make decisions for the needs of the area https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/educational-materials/minecraft-coastcraft
What local leaders can teach us about floods https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/sustainability-works/what-local-leaders-can-teach-us-about-floods/
A new online game helps imagine life on Earth in 2100 https://theconversation.com/a-new-online-game-helps-imagine-life-on-earth-in-2100-267353
I tried out a new version of Minecraft to see why environmental storylines help children learn https://www.preventionweb.net/news/i-tried-out-new-version-minecraft-see-why-environmental-storylines-help-children-learn
Disaster psychology
Invest in social and collective approaches to improve mental health in the context of climate disasters https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-sustainability/fulltext/S2949-7906(25)00224-1
An empirical analysis of unwillingness to participate in flash flood hazard adjustments in mountain communities of North India https://www.emerald.com/ijdrbe/article/doi/10.1108/IJDRBE-01-2025-0002/1301865/An-empirical-analysis-of-unwillingness-to
Planetary Dysregulation and Our Mental Health https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disaster-by-choice/202510/planetary-dysregulation-and-our-mental-health
Crisis and Risk Psychology in Norway https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disaster-by-choice/202510/crisis-and-risk-psychology-in-norway
Aussie mum reveals how she healed after the Black Summer bushfires https://www.nowtolove.com.au/news/real-life/take-5/aussie-mum-reveals-how-she-healed-after-the-black-summer-bushfires/
Sociology and disasters
Building a connected and resilient Australia by measuring our invisible infrastructure https://sociabli.resilientready.org/
Advancing gender-responsive National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes: State of play and promising examples https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/advancing-gender-responsive-national-adaptation-plan-nap-processes-state-play-and
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Quality of Life, Anxiety, Connections to Friends, and Access to Resources Among People with HIV: Using the Social Ecological Model https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-025-04928-z
Call for Multilingual Inclusiveness in Science and Disaster Research and Contexts Studies https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/article/971123
Disaster Resilience News 