Category: wildfire

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Tropical Storm “Ophelia” makes landfall in North Carolina, causing major flash floods https://watchers.news/2023/09/24/tropical-storm-ophelia-makes-landfall-in-north-carolina-causing-major-flash-floods/

Three dead, over 1 300 require medical care as dust storms hit Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan https://watchers.news/2023/09/25/three-dead-over-1-300-require-medical-care-as-dust-storms-hit-irans-sistan-baluchistan/

Motorway between Sweden and Norway shut down after massive landslide https://watchers.news/2023/09/25/motorway-between-sweden-and-norway-shut-down-after-massive-landslide/

Three tornadoes wreak havoc in Northern Italy https://watchers.news/2023/09/25/three-tornadoes-wreak-havoc-in-northern-italy/

The 23 September 2023 landslide at Stenungsund in Sweden https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/stenungsund-landslide-1

Mexico’s Jalisco hit by deadly flash floods https://watchers.news/2023/09/26/mexicos-jalisco-hit-by-deadly-flash-floods/

El Naranjo River bursts, destroying homes and causing evacuations in Guatemala City https://watchers.news/2023/09/26/el-naranjo-river-bursts-destroying-homes-and-causing-evacuations-in-guatemala-city/

Storm Elias causes second wave of severe flooding in Central Greece https://watchers.news/2023/09/28/storm-elias-causes-second-wave-of-severe-flooding-in-central-greece/

M6.1 earthquake hits Vanuatu at intermediate depth https://watchers.news/2023/09/28/m6-1-earthquake-hits-vanuatu-at-intermediate-depth-2/

Flash flooding in Lismore after heavy rain https://www.lismorecitynews.com.au/story/8367006/heavy-rains-causes-flash-flooding-in-lismore/

Fears rise of volcanic eruption near Naples after strongest earthquake in 40 years https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/28/fears-rise-of-volcanic-eruption-near-naples-after-strongest-earthquake-in-40-years

Volcanic activity worldwide 28 Sep 2023: Stromboli volcano, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Ibu https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/222061/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-28-Sep-2023-Stromboli-volcano-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Ibu-Dukon.html

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

A Record Number of Billion-Dollar Disasters Show U.S. Isn’t Ready for Climate Change https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-record-number-of-billion-dollar-disasters-show-u-s-isnt-ready-for-climate-change/

Rooftop solar meets all of South Australia demand in major new milestone https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-meets-all-of-south-australia-demand-in-major-new-milestone/

We need urban trees more than ever – here’s how to save them from extreme heat https://theconversation.com/we-need-urban-trees-more-than-ever-heres-how-to-save-them-from-extreme-heat-211414

Sherry Rehman: “It is high time Pakistan learns from its climate-induced challenges” https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/sherry-rehman-high-time-pakistan-learns-from-climate-challenges/

Understanding the recent increase in multiyear La Niñas https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01801-6

Exclude fossil fuel firms from Cop28 if they only want to obstruct, says ex-UN chief https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/21/un-cop28-fossil-fuel-firms-climate-action

Barbados’ Blueprint for Climate Resilience https://ifc.shorthandstories.com/barbados-blueprint-for-climate-resilience/index.html

Climate change is coming for America’s property market https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/09/21/climate-change-is-coming-for-americas-property-market

Was the freak ‘medicane’ storm that devastated Libya a glimpse of North Africa’s future? https://theconversation.com/was-the-freak-medicane-storm-that-devastated-libya-a-glimpse-of-north-africas-future-213680

Long-lasting La Niña events more common over past century https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/announce/news/long-lasting-la-nina-more-common/

How do we raise trillions of dollars to fight the climate crisis? The answer is staring us in the face https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/25/we-need-trillions-of-dollars-to-fight-the-climate-crisis-this-is-my-plan-to-raise-it

Visualizing a summer of extremes in 7 charts https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/visualizing-a-summer-of-extremes

American football season is getting hotter. Young players are dying https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/24/football-player-heat-deaths-athlete

‘Our Fragile Moment’ finds modern lessons in Earth’s history of climate https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fragile-moment-book-earth-history-climate

How scientists are grappling with the uncertain future of Antarctica’s melting ice https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01764-8.epdf

‘Off-the-charts records’: has humanity finally broken the climate? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/28/crazy-off-the-charts-records-has-humanity-finally-broken-the-climate

Swiss glaciers get 10% smaller in two years https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66950328

Energy agency says 1.5C climate goal still within reach due to record growth in solar power and EVs https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/energy-agency-says-1-5c-climate-goal-still-within-reach-due-to-record-growth-in-solar-power-and-evs/52iz27690

Handbook on European Union Climate Change Policy and Politics https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-on-european-union-climate-change-policy-and-politics-9781789906974.html

Why Rain Is Getting Fiercer on a Warming Planet https://www.wired.com/story/why-rain-is-getting-fiercer-on-a-warming-planet/

Global warming is advancing the season for intense tropical cyclones https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02800-5

Temperatures to soar 8C above average as ‘heat bubble’ brings scorcher to Australia’s east coast this weekend https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/29/australia-east-coast-weekend-weather-heatwave-sydney-melbourne-brisbane

New research reveals extreme heat likely to wipe out humans and mammals in the distant future https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2023/september/nature-geoscience-extreme-heat.html

Disaster risk reduction

140,000 landslides: What scientists are learning from Gabrielle’s record damage https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/140000-landslides-what-scientists-are-learning-from-gabrielles-record-damage/RRQIT47CFRBVDBVHZVJRYMU52A/

Wildfire-prone California to consider new rules for property insurance pricing https://apnews.com/article/california-home-insurance-wildfire-risk-premiums-cf40911606e8e4d9c7c35ca57ca733e8

Human-centric measures for urban flood risk by shifting focus from places to people https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3338918/v1

Shifting social-ecological fire regimes explain increasing structure loss from Western wildfires https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/2/3/pgad005/7017542

Understanding compound events in a changing climate https://phys.org/news/2023-09-compound-events-climate.html

Nationwide drops over 10,500 N.C. homeowners policies, including some on the Outer Banks https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/09/27/nationwide-drops-over-10500-n-c-homeowners-policies-including-some-on-the-outer-banks/

Drought intensity–duration–frequency curves based on deficit in precipitation and streamflow for water resources management https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/27/3427/2023/

Testing UAV-derived topography for hydraulic modelling in a tropical environment https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-020-03963-4

Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission https://www.usda.gov/topics/disaster-resource-center/wildland-fire/commission

Continuation of Events Detection with Global Long‐Period Seismic Data: An Analysis from 2010 to 2022 https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/srl/article-abstract/doi/10.1785/0220230148/627619/Continuation-of-Events-Detection-with-Global-Long

What happens when an earthquake hits a building already damaged by coastal flooding? https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2023/09/earthquakes-salt-corrosion.html

Earthquake response: Key takeaways from our lessons learned discussion with the Turkish business community https://www.connectingbusiness.org/news-events/news/lessons-learned-workshop-turkiye-earthquakes

Using the power of Landsat and Digital Earth tools to understand coastlines in Australia and Africa https://www.ga.gov.au/news/Using-the-power-of-Landsat-and-Digital-Earth-tools-to-understand-coastlines-in-Australia-and-Africa

Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme https://www.unesco.org/en/ihp

Toward consistent change detection across irregular remote sensing time series observations https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70239954

What Is The Wettest Place On Earth? https://www.universal-sci.com/headlines/2016/10/31/what-is-the-wettest-place-on-earth

A multifault earthquake threat for the Seattle metropolitan region revealed by mass tree mortality https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh4973

Fire from volcanic activity could greatly increase area affected by eruption https://www.gns.cri.nz/news/fire-from-volcanic-activity/

No mountain high enough: Assessing geohazard risks using satellite technology in South Asia https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/no-mountain-high-enough-assessing-geohazard-risks-using-satellite-technology

The environmental dimensions of Libya’s flood disaster https://ceobs.org/the-environmental-dimensions-of-libyas-flood-disaster/#2

Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand triggered 140,000 landslides https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/cyclone-gabrielle-1

Emergency management

Storm Daniel’s extreme rainfall in Central Greece marked as a 1-in-200+ year event https://watchers.news/2023/09/21/storm-daniels-extreme-rainfall-in-central-greece-marked-as-a-1-in-200-year-event/

CDC recommends Pfizer maternal RSV vaccine to protect infants, paving way for fall availability https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/22/rsv-vaccine-cdc-advisors-recommend-pfizer-maternal-shot-for-infants-.html

Governor Hochul Announces $7.4 Million in Federal Funding to Support Local Emergency Planning and Response Efforts https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-74-million-federal-funding-support-local-emergency-planning-and-0

The Next Era of Emergency Management with Dr. Samantha Montano https://10across.com/the-next-era-of-emergency-management-with-dr-samantha-montano/

Triple-Teaming Leominster’s Flood Recovery https://www.govtech.com/em/opinion-triple-teaming-leominsters-flood-recovery

The threat of wildfires is rising. So are new artificial intelligence solutions to fight them https://phys.org/news/2023-09-threat-wildfires-artificial-intelligence-solutions.html

Global Report on Internal Displacement (2023): Internal displacement and food security https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/global-report-internal-displacement-2023-internal-displacement-and-food-security

What to know as fall vaccinations against COVID, flu and RSV get underway https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-flu-covid19-rsv-viruses-fall-8ffa6bf0c2c0da1a8842db524aad5006

Government shutdown poised to halt federal flood insurance program https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/government-shutdown-poised-halt-federal-flood-insurance-program-rcna117711

Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement

Environmental Impacts of the 2022 Flood Disaster on the Richmond River Catchment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWeE8wm1EOU

Scottish Government would like your help to develop Scotland’s first Flood Resilience Strategy https://www.sniffer.org.uk/flood-resilience-strategy-for-scotland

Disaster psychology

Time for hard choices: A new global order for mental health https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640221112538

10 of the most widely believed myths in psychology https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/10-most-widely-believed-myths-psychology

Sociology and disasters

Politicization of COVID-19 and Conspiratorial Beliefs Among Emergency & Public Health Officials https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/jhsem-2021-0072/html

Mapping the Multi-Vulnerabilities of Outdoor Places to Enhance the Resilience of Historic Urban Districts: The Case of the Apulian Region Exposed to Slow and Rapid-Onset Disasters https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/19/14248#

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Lee goes post-tropical before reaching Nova Scotia https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/lee-goes-post-tropical-before-reaching-nova-scotia/

Libya – 5,300 Lives Lost in Derna Floods, Thousands Still Missing https://floodlist.com/africa/libya-floods-september-2023-update

Weather tracker: Australia bakes in spring heatwave while US hit by 14 storms https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/18/weather-tracker-australia-bakes-in-spring-heatwave-while-us-hit-by-14-storms

‘Worst risk since black summer’: NSW south coast fire danger upgraded to ‘catastrophic’ https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/19/nsw-schools-closed-heatwave-australia-high-fire-danger-total-fire-bans

Rare tornado touches down near the towns of Saint-Pierre-des-Landes and Ernée, France https://watchers.news/2023/09/18/rare-tornado-touches-down-near-the-towns-of-saint-pierre-des-landes-and-ernee-france/

Rainy season in Niger results in 41 deaths; Maradi Region worst hit https://watchers.news/2023/09/19/rainy-season-in-niger-results-in-41-deaths-maradi-region-worst-hit/

Destructive tornado outbreak hits Jiangsu, damaging or destroying 1 600 homes and killing 10, China https://watchers.news/2023/09/20/destructive-tornado-outbreak-hits-jiangsu-damaging-or-destroying-1-600-homes-and-killing-10-china/

East coast heatwave moves north as out-of-control bushfires rage across multiple states https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/east-coast-heatwave-moves-north-as-out-of-control-bushfires-rage-across-multiple-states/apuavk78z

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

French ski resort closes permanently because there’s not enough snow https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/travel/france-ski-resort-closes-la-sambuy-climate-scn/index.html

Antarctic sea-ice at ‘mind-blowing’ low alarms experts https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66724246

Record Heat Deaths in Arizona Spur Push for Disaster Assistance https://www.wsj.com/us-news/climate-environment/record-heat-deaths-in-arizona-spur-push-for-disaster-assistance-86352a62

‘Medicane’ storms to increase as climate change heats Mediterranean https://www.inkl.com/news/medicane-storms-to-increase-as-climate-change-heats-mediterranean/WMRYqATNkmy

Young people to take 32 European countries to court over climate policies https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/14/young-people-to-take-32-european-countries-to-court-over-climate-policies

Climate change undermines nearly all sustainable development goals https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/climate-change-undermines-nearly-all-sustainable-development-goals

The Libya floods: a climate and infrastructure catastrophe https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/the-libya-floods-a-climate-and-infrastructure-catastrophe/

Earth’s land masses have a higher chance of becoming wetter than drier as temperatures rise https://news.agu.org/press-release/as-earth-heats-up-rain-pours-down/

Seven megatrends that will shape the next 20 years https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/News/2022/July/Seven-megatrends-that-will-shape-the-next-20-years

Monitoring El Nino in a warming climate https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/monitoring-el-nino-in-a-warming-climate/1512801

Intense September heat toppling records in SE Australia https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/intense-september-heat-toppling-records-in-se-australia/1513224

Wind and solar remain the lowest cost new build electricity generation sources despite inflationary pressures https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/news/2023/july/gencost

California sues five of the world’s largest oil companies — ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips and Chevron https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-17/california-sues-oil-exxonmobil-shell-bp-conocophillips-chevron/102866110

Rooftop solar eats up all demand in South Australia, world’s most renewable grid https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-eats-up-all-demand-in-south-australia-worlds-most-renewable-grid/

People who work from home all the time ‘cut emissions by 54%’ against those in office https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/18/people-who-work-from-home-all-the-time-cut-emissions-by-54-against-those-in-office

The BoM has finally declared an El Niño. What does it mean – and why did it take so long? https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/19/what-is-el-nino-weather-pattern-climate-event-australia-bushfires-temperature-summer

Governments must step up to fund methane-hunting space camera https://www.context.news/net-zero/opinion/governments-must-step-up-to-fund-methane-hunting-space-camera

Libya floods: how climate change intensified the death and devastation https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02899-6

Climate-induced rising sea levels are forcing residents of this tiny Panama island to leave https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-11/carti-sugtupu-residents-leave-panama-island-hit-by-rising-seas/102839860

How weather ‘blocks’ have triggered more extreme heatwaves and floods across Europe https://theconversation.com/how-weather-blocks-have-triggered-more-extreme-heatwaves-and-floods-across-europe-213304

Germany to Surpass 50 Percent Renewable Power This Year, Official Says https://e360.yale.edu/digest/germany-50-percent-renewable-power

Mission Zero: How Today’s Climate Choices will shape Australia https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/missionzero/

Climate change played major role in Libya floods https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66854670

“We should lead:” Australia urged to fast track net zero to 2035, as El Niño declared https://reneweconomy.com.au/we-should-lead-australia-urged-to-fast-track-net-zero-to-2035-as-el-nino-declared/

NT desert ranger groups call for extension of carbon credits program to support fire mitigation https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-21/savanna-carbon-credits-market-traditional-fire-mitigation-nt/102870062

Net zero by 2035 would be ‘monumentally’ hard for Australia to achieve. But these experts argue it’s critical https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-21/experts-say-net-zero-should-be-by-2035-for-australia/102881722

Interplay of climate change-exacerbated rainfall, exposure and vulnerability led to widespread impacts in the Mediterranean region https://www.preventionweb.net/news/interplay-climate-change-exacerbated-rainfall-exposure-and-vulnerability-led-widespread

From Carbon Sink to Source: The Stark Changes in Arctic Lakes https://e360.yale.edu/features/greenland-lakes-climate-change

Australia should wipe out climate footprint by 2035 instead of 2050, scientists urge https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/20/australia-should-wipe-out-climate-footprint-by-2035-instead-of-2050-scientists-urge

Climate scientists and Pacific activists call on Australia to ramp up ambitions ahead of UN summit https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-20/australia-called-to-ramp-up-climate-ambitions-nyt-ad/102876940

Disaster risk reduction

Creating Resilient Futures https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-80791-7

The Politics of Modelling: Numbers Between Science and Policy https://academic.oup.com/book/46867

Forensic investigations of disasters: Past achievements and new directions https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/1490/2662

CAMS global biomass burning emissions based on fire radiative power (GFAS) https://ads.atmosphere.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/dataset/cams-global-fire-emissions-gfas

A very busy Atlantic hurricane season continues: Hurricane Nigel is here https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/a-very-busy-atlantic-hurricane-season-continues-hurricane-nigel-is-here/

Japan’s pioneering early warning system offers blueprint for climate adaptation efforts https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/09/japans-early-warning-systems-blueprint-climate-adaptation-efforts/

What new data reveal about how hurricanes kill https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/08/what-new-data-reveal-about-how-hurricanes-kill/

Hydrological regimes explain the seasonal predictability of streamflow extremes https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/acf678

Changes in hail hazard across Australia: 1979–2021 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-023-00454-8

Hazards with escalation potential: Governing the drivers of global and existential catastrophes https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/hazards-escalation-potential-governing-drivers-global-and-existential-catastrophes

A priori selection of hydrological model structures in modular modelling frameworks: application to Great Britain https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02626667.2023.2251968

Urban Flood Risk Handbook: Assessing Risk and Identifying Interventions https://www.gfdrr.org/en/publication/urban-flood-risk-handbook-assessing-risk-and-identifying-interventions

Uncertainty in three dimensions: the challenges of communicating probabilistic flood forecast maps https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/27/3351/2023/

Two years on from Victoria’s largest earthquake https://www.src.com.au/two-years-on-from-victorias-largest-earthquake/

Paleostorm Chasers Test a New Detection Tool https://eos.org/articles/paleostorm-chasers-test-a-new-detection-tool

Earthquakes and other natural hazards are a risk everywhere – here’s how people are preparing in the US and around the world https://theconversation.com/earthquakes-and-other-natural-hazards-are-a-risk-everywhere-heres-how-people-are-preparing-in-the-us-and-around-the-world-199588

The countries with the highest disaster risk worldwide are the Philippines (WRI 46.86), Indonesia (WRI 43.50), and India (WRI 41.52) https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/world-risk-report-2023-focus-diversity

Emergency management

The One Thing Everyone Should Know About Fall COVID Vaccines https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2023/09/fall-covid-vaccine-update-cdc-recommendation/675304/

MapAction disaster mappers working with UN on response to floods in Libya https://mapaction.org/breaking-mapaction-disaster-mappers-to-support-un-response-in-libya/

Why the pandemic treaty risks becoming COVID-19 groundhog day https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02904-y

What Will Make Or Break Maui’s Bumpy Recovery? https://themessenger.com/opinion/what-will-make-or-break-mauis-bumpy-recovery

With a ‘difficult’ fire season ahead, emergency services are calling for aerial firefighting capabilities https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-21/australia-aerial-firefighting-apability-730/102883174

Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement

There are more than 1,500 volcanoes potentially active in the world and more than one million volcanic vents under the sea https://www.preventionweb.net/knowledge-base/hazards/volcano

For Military, PFAS in Firefighting Foam Pose New Threat https://www.govtech.com/em/for-military-pfas-in-firefighting-foam-pose-new-threat

Fire gets attention – but extreme heat can do more damage https://theconversation.com/worried-about-heat-and-fire-this-summer-heres-how-to-to-prepare-212443

The Big River Watch: help us demand better for our rivers https://www.ciwem.org/news/the-big-river-watch-help-us-demand-better-for-our-rivers

This site offers a compilation of images from 35 years of geological field research. The photos on this site are suitable for instructional presentations and are freely available for those purposes https://geologypics.com/

Disaster psychology

Wave goodbye to winter. Say hello to above average warmth with a side of climate anxiety https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/wave-goodbye-to-winter-say-hello-to-above-average-warmth-with-a-side-of-climate-anxiety/4hgriyrld

The Good Luck of Your Bad Luck: Marcus Aurelius on the Stoic Strategy for Weathering Life’s Waves and Turning Suffering into Strength https://www.themarginalian.org/2021/09/19/marcus-aurelius-luck/

‘Listen to me!’: Young people’s experiences of talking about emotional impacts of climate change https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378023001103

Where does scientific uncertainty come from, and from whom? Mapping perspectives of natural hazards science advice https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420923004284#sec5

Elite Panic vs. the Resilient Populace https://www.commentary.org/articles/james-meigs/elite-panic-vs-the-resilient-populace/

‘Treated like machines’: wildfire fighters describe a mental health crisis on the frontlines https://thenarwhal.ca/wildfire-firefighter-burnout/

Psychosocial Perspectives on Community Responses to Covid-19 https://www.routledge.com/Psychosocial-Perspectives-on-Community-Responses-to-Covid-19-Networks-of/ODwyer-Souza/p/book/9781032295060

Sociology and disasters

Who lives and who dies in the world’s next pandemic should not depend on where they live https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/17/who-lives-and-who-dies-in-the-worlds-next-pandemic-should-not-depend-on-where-they-live

‘You have to be ready for a war’: Severe storms, power outages leave caregivers and their loved ones feeling helpless https://buffalonews.com/news/local/you-have-to-be-ready-for-a-war-severe-storms-power-outages-leave-caregivers-and/article_7fca519a-4779-11ee-970d-0756b40b3ea1.html

Reducing disaster risk for the poor in tomorrow’s cities with computational science https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-023-00521-3

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

More than 2,100 killed by earthquake near Marrakech, Morocco https://edition.cnn.com/africa/live-news/morocco-earthquake-marrakech-09-10-23/index.html

Greek floods: PM Mitsotakis warns of very unequal battle with nature https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66751510

A modest rebound expected for Hurricane Lee https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/a-modest-rebound-expected-for-hurricane-lee/

Two dead after Hong Kong’s heaviest rain in at least 140 years https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/08/hong-kong-weather-record-rain-flooding-after-typhoon-haikui

Live feed of eruption on Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live

Up to 2,000 feared drowned after Libyan city hit by ‘catastrophic’ storm floods https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/11/storm-daniel-floods-libya

Violent rainstorms hit Shanghai, causing severe flooding https://watchers.news/multimedia_gallery/violent-rainstorms-hit-shanghai-causing-severe-flooding/

Georgia – Homes Destroyed, 3 Dead After Floods and Landslides in Guria https://floodlist.com/asia/georgia-floods-landslide-september-2023

Destruction in Derna: how floods ravaged Libyan port city https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/12/destruction-in-derna-how-floods-ravaged-libyan-port-city

Up to 10,000 people missing and feared dead after devastating floods sweep Libya https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/libya-floods-thousands-feared-dead-derna-dams-collapse-rcna104576

USA – Several Rescued After Storm Triggers Flash Floods in Pennsylvania https://floodlist.com/america/usa/floods-pennsylvania-september-2023

Japan – Floods Impact Chiba, Fukushima and Ibaraki After Record Rain https://floodlist.com/asia/japan-floods-september-2023

Hurricane Lee turns north, takes aim at New England and Atlantic Canada https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/hurricane-lee-turns-north-takes-aim-at-new-england-and-atlantic-canada/

Libya – 5,300 Lives Lost in Derna Floods, Thousands Still Missing https://floodlist.com/africa/libya-floods-september-2023-update

Volcanic activity worldwide 13 Sep 2023: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Ibu, Dukono, Reventador https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/220836/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-13-Sep-2023-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Ibu-Dukono-Reventador-Kila.html

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Wind and solar hit record share of main grid, as curtailment underscores need for more storage https://reneweconomy.com.au/wind-and-solar-hit-record-share-of-main-grid-as-curtailment-underscores-need-for-more-storage/

How is climate change impacting hurricane season? It’s complicated https://thebulletin.org/2023/09/how-is-climate-change-impacting-hurricane-season-its-complicated/

‘All ice could disappear’: Europe’s heatwaves threaten to wipe out glaciers in the Alps https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/europe-heatwaves-threaten-wipe-out-glaciers-alps-2603439

‘Minutes to midnight’: UN warns world must phase out fossil fuels https://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/minutes-to-midnight-un-warns-world-must-phase-out-fossil-fuels-20230909-p5e3bf.html

Cities are advertising themselves as ‘climate havens.’ Experts say there’s no such thing https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/climate-change/4190038-cities-are-advertising-themselves-as-climate-havens-experts-say-theres-no-such-thing/

UK renewables still cheaper than gas, despite auction setback for offshore wind https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-renewables-still-cheaper-than-gas-despite-auction-setback-for-offshore-wind/

Climate change and insurance: The alarm bell we can’t afford to ignore https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/climate-change-and-insurance-the

Heat waves have a cost. Here’s why it’s important to quantify it https://theconversation.com/heat-waves-have-a-cost-heres-why-its-important-to-quantify-it-213141

Antarctic helicopter mission helps confirm Totten Glacier melting from below due to warm water https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-13/antarctic-sea-ice-probes-dropped-from-helicopter-totten-glacier/102844512

Faster disaster: climate change fuels ‘flash droughts’, intense downpours and storms https://theconversation.com/faster-disaster-climate-change-fuels-flash-droughts-intense-downpours-and-storms-213242

Lethal Heat Is Spreading across the Planet https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lethal-heat-is-spreading-across-the-planet/

Observational and model evidence together support wide-spread exposure to noncompensable heat under continued global warming https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg9297?

US behind more than a third of global oil and gas expansion plans, report finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/12/us-behind-more-than-a-third-of-global-oil-and-gas-expansion-plans-report-finds

Eight catastrophic floods in 11 days: What’s behind intense rainfall around the world? https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/eight-catastrophic-floods-11-days-s-intense-rainfall-world-rcna104620

We’re Thinking About Climate Risk All Wrong https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/09/calculating-climate-change-risk-wrong-ipcc-existential/

Climate Change Hurting Water Quality in Rivers Worldwide, Study Finds https://e360.yale.edu/digest/climate-change-water-quality-rivers

Enhancing urban resilience in Medellín through insurance protection for climate risks https://www.strategic-risk-europe.com/home/case-study-enhancing-urban-resilience-in-medellin-through-insurance-protection-for-climate-risks/1445599.article

The Libya floods: a climate and infrastructure catastrophe https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/the-libya-floods-a-climate-and-infrastructure-catastrophe/

Devastatingly low Antarctic sea ice may be the ‘new abnormal’, study warns https://theconversation.com/devastatingly-low-antarctic-sea-ice-may-be-the-new-abnormal-study-warns-212376

Throwing shade: Model maps NYC street trees’ cooling benefits https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/08/throwing-shade-model-maps-nyc-street-trees-cooling-benefits

Spring heatwave for eastern Australia ‘a heads-up’ of what’s to come, meteorologists say https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/14/spring-heatwave-for-eastern-australia-a-heads-up-of-whats-to-come-bom-says

Yale Center for Earth Observation (YCEO) Surface Urban Heat Islands, v4 (2003 – 2018) includes annual, summertime, and wintertime Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) intensities for daytime and nighttime for over 10,000 global urban extents https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/sdei-yceo-sfc-uhi-v4

As effects of global warming continue to heat the planet, visualizing climate change’s wrath https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/09/14/climate-change-global-warming-visual-tracker/70457785007/

Young people to take 32 European countries to court over climate policies https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/14/young-people-to-take-32-european-countries-to-court-over-climate-policies

August 2023 was Earth’s hottest August on record https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/august-2023-was-earths-hottest-august-on-record/

How rising water vapour in the atmosphere is amplifying warming and making extreme weather worse https://theconversation.com/how-rising-water-vapour-in-the-atmosphere-is-amplifying-warming-and-making-extreme-weather-worse-213347

Disaster risk reduction

Endangered Māori construction methods pass modern seismic testing https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/04/26/endangered-maori-construction-methods-passes-seismic-testing.html

Predicting Future Pandemics and Formulating Prevention Strategies: The Role of ChatGPT https://www.cureus.com/articles/183472-predicting-future-pandemic-and-formulating-prevention-strategy-the-role-of-chatgpt#!/

Disaster risk https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362455223_Disaster_risk

US has been hit with 23 separate billion-dollar disasters so far this year https://www.noaa.gov/news/us-saw-its-9th-warmest-august-on-record

For an early warning system to be truly effective, we must take a holistic and people-centred approach https://practicalaction.org/knowledge-centre/resources/practical-action-and-early-warning-systems/

The major drivers of changing wildfire dynamics in California https://www.iawfonline.org/article/drivers-of-californias-changing-wildfires-state-has-potential-to-be-a-model-for-change/

Rainfall Extremes Increasingly Threaten Mountain Regions and Areas Downstream From Them https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28062023/rainfall-extremes-mountain-regions/

Mapped: The Deadliest Earthquakes of the 21st Century https://www.visualcapitalist.com/deadliest-earthquakes-21st-century/

Mapping of Flood-Prone Areas in Kogi State Nigeria https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/528572dd623141589a03bbba059df683

Colombia’s national disaster management organization, Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD), has just announced a new forward-leaning disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiative https://www.pdc.org/colombia-ndpba-kick-off-2023/

Hurricane Fiona’s legacy: How studying storm impacts can help us better prepare for future events https://theconversation.com/hurricane-fionas-legacy-how-studying-storm-impacts-can-help-us-better-prepare-for-future-events-206483

Morocco’s earthquake wasn’t unexpected – building codes must plan for them https://theconversation.com/moroccos-earthquake-wasnt-unexpected-building-codes-must-plan-for-them-213220

With back-to-back years of expensive natural disasters, like the floods and the 2020 Canberra hailstorm, Australia has become a losing bet for reinsurers https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-12/thousands-australian-homes-becoming-uninsurable-rising-costs-730/102833374

Developing Low-Likelihood Climate Storylines for Extreme Precipitation Over Central Europe https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023EF003628

Unleashing the Power of Copernicus: Enhancing Decision-Making with the European and Global Drought Observatories https://www.copernicus.eu/en/news/news/unleashing-power-copernicus-enhancing-decision-making-european-and-global-drought

Morocco earthquake: experts explain why buildings couldn’t withstand the force of the 6.8 magnitude quake https://theconversation.com/morocco-earthquake-experts-explain-why-buildings-couldnt-withstand-the-force-of-the-6-8-magnitude-quake-213245

As climate catastrophes rise, reinsurers reduce risks https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230913-as-climate-catastrophes-rise-reinsurers-reduce-risks

Deadly Morocco quake resulted from Africa’s ongoing collision with Europe https://temblor.net/temblor/2023-morocco-quake-africa-europe-collision-15527/

Before and after satellite images show scale of Libya flood destruction https://www.axios.com/2023/09/12/libya-floods-daniel-dam-collapse-satellite-images-before-after

The Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 https://sdgs.un.org/gsdr/gsdr2023

Mass Movement Hazard and Exposure in the Himalaya https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022EF003253

Early Warning System Saves Lives in Mozambique https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2023/09/11/early-warning-system-saves-lives-in-afe-mozambique

Flooding in Libya a ‘gray swan’ event, but dam infrastructure worldwide ‘not ready’ to meet the demands of a changing climate, expert says https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/09/12/libya-flooding/

Editorial: Climate services for risk informed anticipatory action https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2023.1243391/full

Why do disasters occur? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362454553_Why_do_disasters_occur

Sydney faces months of smoke as authorities race to conduct hazard reduction burns https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/11/sydney-wakes-to-blanket-of-burnoff-smoke-that-could-linger-for-days

The diversity of volcanic hazard maps around the world: insights from map makers https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13617-023-00134-5

Deciphering extreme rainfall and historical floods at Easkey on the west coast of Ireland https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/wea.4452

Nature-Based Solutions for Cities https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/nature-based-solutions-for-cities-9781800376755.html

100-year floods could occur yearly by end of 21st century https://www.preventionweb.net/news/100-year-floods-could-occur-yearly-end-21st-century

Emergency management

What are the latest COVID protocols amid rising cases and hospitalizations? https://abcnews.go.com/Health/latest-covid-protocols-amid-rising-cases-hospitalizations/story

Signs point to a hot, dry fire season ahead for Western Australia, authorities warn https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-10/wa-at-risk-of-difficult-fire-season/102837728utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=twitter&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web

Updated COVID shots are coming. They’re part of a trio of vaccines to block fall viruses https://apnews.com/article/covid-flu-rsv-vaccines-tripledemic-2a55728638c1c0879ce58deeeb0196bf

Rescuers race to find survivors after deadly Morocco earthquake https://edition.cnn.com/africa/live-news/morocco-earthquake-marrakech-09-11-23/index.html

Satellite views of massive floods in Greece – September 2023 https://watchers.news/2023/09/11/satellite-views-of-massive-floods-in-greece-september-2023/

What to expect this bushfire season https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/abc-news-daily/what-to-expect-this-bushfire-season/102841116

The failed dams in Wadi Derna in Libya https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/the-failed-dams-in-wadi-derna-in-libya

Libya floods: IFRC announces CHF 10 million appeal for urgent relief efforts https://www.ifrc.org/press-release/libya-floods-ifrc-announces-chf-10-million-appeal-urgent-relief-efforts

Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement

Citizen and machine learning-aided high-resolution mapping of urban heat exposure and stress https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2634-4505/acef57

Disaster psychology

Stakeholders in development assistance in mental health: An analysis of recent funding patterns https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/stakeholders-in-development-assistance-in-mental-health/

R U OK? Mateship Manual: How you can help someone who’s doing it tough because of a natural disaster or emergency https://www.ruok.org.au/natural-disaster-and-emergency-mateship-manual

Intermediate levels of scientific knowledge are associated with overconfidence and negative attitudes towards science https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01677-8

Sociology and disasters

Why climate action is critical to reducing poverty and what it means for policy tradeoffs https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/why-climate-action-critical-reducing-poverty-and-what-it-means-policy-tradeoffs

Covid’s back, you say? As disabled and vulnerable people know all too well, it never went away https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/10/covid-coronavirus-disabled-vulnerable-people

Why mothers and babies will suffer more as Africa grows hotter https://theconversation.com/why-mothers-and-babies-will-suffer-more-as-africa-grows-hotter-212715

World’s human migration patterns in 2000–2019 unveiled by high-resolution data https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01689-4

The emergence of online social capital during the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on individual coping and community resilience in rural areas https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-023-05167-y

Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023 https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2023/09/progress-on-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-gender-snapshot-2023

Snowed in? An analysis of social and transportation networks in the 2015 Boston Snowmageddon https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373161980_Snowed_in_An_analysis_of_social_and_transportation_networks_in_the_2015_Boston_Snowmageddon