Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
State of Disaster Emergency declared for Colorado as Sharpe Fire grows to over 11 400 ha (28 000 acres) https://watchers.news/2026/05/18/state-of-disaster-emergency-declared-for-colorado-as-sharpe-fire-grows-to-over-11-400-ha-28-000-acres/
25 tornadoes reported in central United States, damage in Iowa and Nebraska https://watchers.news/2026/05/18/25-tornadoes-reported-in-central-united-states-damage-in-iowa-and-nebraska/
13 buildings collapse, 2 die after M5.2 earthquake hits Guangxi, China https://watchers.news/2026/05/18/13-buildings-collapse-2-die-after-m5-2-earthquake-hits-guangxi-china/
Largest wildfire in Santa Rosa Island history burns more than 5 900 ha (14 600 acres), threatening rare Torrey pines, California https://watchers.news/2026/05/19/largest-wildfire-in-santa-rosa-island-history-burns-more-than-5-900-ha-14-600-acres-threatening-rare-torrey-pines-california/
Heavy rainfall triggers rescues and flood disruptions in southeast Queensland, Australia https://watchers.news/2026/05/19/heavy-rainfall-triggers-rescues-and-flood-disruptions-in-southeast-queensland-australia/
At least 21 dead after extreme rainfall hits southern and central China https://watchers.news/2026/05/19/at-least-21-dead-after-extreme-rainfall-hits-southern-and-central-china/
Severe storms trigger damaging tornado and flooding in Puebla, Mexico https://watchers.news/2026/05/20/severe-storms-trigger-damaging-tornado-and-flooding-in-puebla-mexico/
Over 10 000 pilgrims rescued after landslides disrupt Kedarnath route, India https://watchers.news/2026/05/20/over-10-000-pilgrims-rescued-after-landslides-disrupt-kedarnath-route-india/
M6.1 earthquake damages buildings and injures 28 in Ica, Peru https://watchers.news/2026/05/20/m6-1-earthquake-damages-buildings-and-injures-28-in-ica-peru/
Schools evacuated after M5.6 earthquake in Malatya, Türkiye https://watchers.news/2026/05/20/schools-evacuated-after-m5-6-earthquake-in-malatya-turkiye/
Volcanic activity worldwide 19 Apr 2026: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Ibu, Dukono, Reventador, Mayon https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/300289/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-19-Apr-2026-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Ibu-Dukono-Reventador-Mayon.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
A New Study Explains How Carbon Dioxide Cools the Upper Atmosphere—and Warms Earth Below https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2026/05/12/a-new-study-explains-how-carbon-dioxide-cools-the-upper-atmosphere-and-warms-earth-below/
Greenland ice melt has surged sixfold and scientists are alarmed https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504023852.htm
As El Niño Approaches, Scientists Predict Fierce Heatwaves, Wildfires and Floods https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12052026/el-nino-climate-extremes-heatwaves-wildfires-floods/
Future big droughts may be worse than we think – NZ’s past shows why https://theconversation.com/future-big-droughts-may-be-worse-than-we-think-nzs-past-shows-why-282259
Rising seasonal sea-level swings are under-reported, but could have a major impact https://phys.org/news/2026-05-seasonal-sea-major-impact.html
Antarctica’s sudden sea ice loss is one of the most extreme and confusing events in the modern climate record. Scientists now know why it’s happening https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/antarctica/antarcticas-sudden-sea-ice-loss-is-one-of-the-most-extreme-and-confusing-events-in-the-modern-climate-record-scientists-now-know-why-its-happening
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away https://www.newscientist.com/article/2526826-the-doomsday-glaciers-giant-ice-shelf-is-about-to-break-away/
Natural world heritage sites are at risk from climate change globally https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/natural-world-heritage-sites-are-risk-climate-change-globally
What previous Super El Niños can tell us about the next one https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/19/climate/super-el-nino-impacts-history-climate
Indonesia says its giant sea wall will stop flooding. Is this climate adaptation or a costly folly? https://theconversation.com/indonesia-says-its-giant-sea-wall-will-stop-flooding-is-this-climate-adaptation-or-a-costly-folly-276181
How Much Will Western Wildfires Worsen Under Warming? https://eos.org/research-spotlights/how-much-will-western-wildfires-worsen-under-warming
The Mediterranean Sea is capable of generating hurricanes and climate change will make them worse https://theconversation.com/the-mediterranean-sea-is-capable-of-generating-hurricanes-and-climate-change-will-make-them-worse-281182
Heatwaves are now everyday disasters – governments need to do more to protect people https://theconversation.com/heatwaves-are-now-everyday-disasters-governments-need-to-do-more-to-protect-people-281944
Summers are getting longer each year, and it isn’t all fun and games https://theconversation.com/summers-are-getting-longer-each-year-and-it-isnt-all-fun-and-games-280884
Indonesia May Soon Lose Its Last Glaciers https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2026/05/14/indonesia-may-soon-lose-its-last-glaciers/
State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/state-climate-latin-america-and-caribbean-2025
The nation holding back the sea https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-21/tuvalu-australia-falepili-visa-climate-migration-pacific/106674754
Study Finds Arctic Was Ice-Free Year-Round 14,000 Years Ago At Far Lower CO2 Levels https://climatechangedispatch.com/arctic-ice-free-low-co2-study/
Scientists improve knowledge on sea level rise—and confirm it has been accelerating since 1960 https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-knowledge-sea.html
Disaster risk reduction
2025 was EU’s most destructive wildfire season on record https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/2025-was-eus-most-destructive-wildfire-season-record-2026-03-31_en
Alaska’s near‑record landslide tsunami sent a wave 1,580 feet up the fjord walls – and left clues for building a warning system https://www.preventionweb.net/news/alaskas-near-record-landslide-tsunami-sent-wave-1580-feet-fjord-walls-and-left-clues-building
Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/terminology/hips/mh0607
Tanzania Integrates AI Into National Disaster Management Infrastructure to Predict Climate Disasters https://iafrica.com/tanzania-integrates-ai-into-national-disaster-management-infrastructure-to-predict-climate-disasters/
Landslides are New Zealand’s most expensive natural hazard, and the costs are rising quickly https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/new-zealand-landslides
AI in disaster risk reduction: Who is being left out? https://www.preventionweb.net/drr-community-voices/ai-disaster-risk-reduction-who-being-left-out
The Value of Forecasters-in-the-Loop in Real-Time Flood Forecasting in the Age of Machine Learning https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL118317
Floods with compounding hazards increased almost threefold in 30 years https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/floods-compounding-hazards-increased-almost-threefold-30-years-2026-05-20_en
Understanding the Hazard Potential of the Seattle Fault Zone: It’s “Pretty Close to Home” https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/News/pr/2026/GSA%20News%20Release%2026-07.aspx
Emergency Management
Disaster Storylines and Knowledge Graphs from Global News with Large Language Models and Retrieval-Augmented Generation https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-026-07036-2
Shifting ground: A counterfactual analysis of recovery in earthquake-affected regions https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00168-026-01490-x
2026 Global report on internal displacement https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/2026-global-report-internal-displacement
Disaster Education Communications and Engagement
PreventionWeb empowers students with disaster resilience knowledge https://www.preventionweb.net/news/preventionweb-empowers-students-disaster-resilience-knowledge
Seeing the hazard: Effects of visual communication in flood warning messages https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/seeing-hazard-effects-visual-communication-flood-warning
Disaster psychology
Japan’s ‘ibasho’ sense of belonging helps disaster survivors heal, study finds https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353783/japans-ibasho-sense-belonging-helps-disaster-survivors-heal-study-finds
The long shadow of Maui’s wildfires https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/05/the-long-shadow-of-mauis-wildfires/
Sociology and disasters
Social Vulnerability, Locational Vulnerability, and Uncertainty in Wildfire Risk Index Construction https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/24694452.2025.2604851
Climate change costs lives by breaking down social connection, says study https://phys.org/news/2026-05-climate-social.html
After the Storm Passes, Inequities Worsen https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/after-the-storm-passes-inequities-worsen
Effects of cumulative exposures to climate-related disasters on social capital https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420926002220
Disaster Resilience News 