Breaking News: Natural Disasters

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Newswise: Cell phone data from winter snowstorm shows Dallas is resilient
Released: 23-May-2023 9:35 AM EDT
Cell phone data from winter snowstorm shows Dallas is resilient
Southern Methodist University

Natural disasters can wreak havoc on a city, from hurricanes in Houston to winter storms in Dallas. Measuring resilience -- the length of time it will take a city to bounce back -- can help policymakers and others plan responses to future events and reveal potential vulnerabilities. An SMU research team measured Dallas’s resilience before, during, and after the February 2021 winter snowstorm and found Dallas recovered almost immediately after the snowstorm ended, indicating Dallas exhibits a great degree of resilience.

Newswise:Video Embedded fsu-faculty-available-to-comment-for-2023-hurricane-season
VIDEO
Released: 17-May-2023 5:10 PM EDT
FSU faculty available to comment on Idalia, 2023 hurricane season
Florida State University

By: Bill Wellock | Published: May 17, 2023 | 3:32 pm | SHARE: From the atmospheric disturbances that generate them to the insurance market that helps in their aftermath, there is much to understand about hurricanes.Florida State University faculty are world leaders in the study of hurricanes, the effects of these destructive storms and solutions for mitigating their impacts.

   
Released: 15-May-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Socio-economic development on the West African coast is a key factor for increasing flood risks
Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD)

Anthropogenic factors on the West African coast are contributing more than global climate change to the rapid increase in vulnerability and flood risks in the region.

Released: 12-May-2023 3:30 PM EDT
Immigration Nation: Research and Experts
Newswise

Title 42, the United States pandemic rule that had been used to immediately deport hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed the border illegally over the last three years, has expired. Those migrants will have the opportunity to apply for asylum. President Biden's new rules to replace Title 42 are facing legal challenges. Border crossings have already risen sharply, as many migrants attempt to cross before the measure expires on Thursday night. Some have said they worry about tighter controls and uncertainty ahead. Immigration is once again a major focus of the media as we examine the humanitarian, political, and public health issues migrants must go through.

       
Newswise: WHOI Marine Chemist Shares Hard Won Advice for Communicating in the Face of Environmental Disasters
Released: 9-May-2023 12:15 PM EDT
WHOI Marine Chemist Shares Hard Won Advice for Communicating in the Face of Environmental Disasters
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A new book by Christopher Reddy, marine chemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), identifies the principal challenges that scientists face during an environmental disaster when communicating with different stakeholder groups, and offers advice on how to navigate the maze of competing interests and deliver actionable science when the clock is ticking. Science Communications in a Crisis: An Insider's Guide (Routledge; May 10, 2023), draws on Reddy’s decades of experience and offers his hard-won advice from the front lines of environmental disasters.

Newswise: Idaho Researchers Develop Tool to Help Restore Electricity After Natural Disasters
Released: 9-May-2023 9:05 AM EDT
Idaho Researchers Develop Tool to Help Restore Electricity After Natural Disasters
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

Storm-DEPART helps utilities refine their damage estimates by combining utility infrastructure data with weather data from the National Hurricane Center to efficiently deploy restoration resources.

Newswise: Nitrogen addition and mowing alter drought resistance and recovery of grassland communities
Released: 4-May-2023 7:35 PM EDT
Nitrogen addition and mowing alter drought resistance and recovery of grassland communities
Science China Press

This study is led by Dr. Zhuwen Xu (School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University). The effects of increased nitrogen input and mowing on the resistance and recovery of temperate grassland experiencing a three-year natural drought (from 2015 to 2017) were investigated based on a five-year field manipulative experiment.

Newswise: Prolonged power outages, often caused by weather events, hit some parts of the U.S. harder than others
Released: 1-May-2023 2:45 PM EDT
Prolonged power outages, often caused by weather events, hit some parts of the U.S. harder than others
University of Washington

New research found that Americans already bearing the brunt of climate change and health inequities are most at risk of impact by a lengthy power outage.

Released: 28-Apr-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Is Colombia’s deadly Nevado del Ruiz on the verge of a major eruption?
University of Miami

Hundreds of villagers who live in the shadow of the Western Hemisphere’s deadliest volcano, Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz, have been on edge for nearly a month ever since the 17,000-foot-tall mountain started spewing plumes of ash and steam high into the atmosphere, indicating that an eruption could be imminent.

Newswise: Creating a Tsunami Early Warning System Using Artificial Intelligence
12-Apr-2023 3:05 PM EDT
Creating a Tsunami Early Warning System Using Artificial Intelligence
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

In Physics of Fluids, researchers develop an early warning system that combines acoustic technology with AI to immediately classify earthquakes and determine potential tsunami risk. They propose using underwater microphones, called hydrophones, to measure the acoustic radiation produced by the earthquake, which carries information about the tectonic event and travels significantly faster than tsunami waves. The computational model triangulates the source of the earthquake and AI algorithms classify its slip type and magnitude. It then calculates important properties like effective length and width, uplift speed, and duration, which dictate the size of the tsunami.

Newswise:Video Embedded live-event-for-april-21-sleeping-pill-reduces-levels-of-alzheimer-s-proteins
VIDEO
Released: 21-Apr-2023 3:10 PM EDT
TRANSCRIPT AND VIDEO AVAILABLE Live Event for April 21: Sleeping pill reduces levels of Alzheimer’s proteins
Newswise

Researcher will discuss the study which involved a sleeping aid known as suvorexant that is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for insomnia, hints at the potential of sleep medications to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

       
Newswise:Video Embedded fau-virtual-planet-and-city-of-west-palm-beach-unveil-groundbreaking-virtual-reality-experience2
VIDEO
Released: 20-Apr-2023 8:30 AM EDT
FAU, Virtual Planet and City of West Palm Beach Unveil Groundbreaking Virtual Reality Experience
Florida Atlantic University

The multidisciplinary team created a virtual simulation of the devastation that a Category 5 hurricane and sea level rise could have on West Palm Beach. The simulation, produced with 3D technology, reveals the destruction that could occur in Osprey Park and the surrounding communities, highlighting the threat to the coastline and potential solutions for coastal areas.

Released: 18-Apr-2023 8:35 PM EDT
Biological invasions as costly as natural disasters
CNRS (Centre National de Recherche Scientifique / National Center of Scientific Research)

By invading new environments, some alien species have caused disastrous consequences for local species and ecosystems, as well as for human activities – damage to infrastructure, crops, forest plantations, fishing yields, health and tourism. The areas affected are multiple and the damage is costly.

Released: 18-Apr-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Surveys, focus groups reveal what Puerto Rico residents want to know after 2020-21 earthquakes
Seismological Society of America (SSA)

In the wake of the 2020-2021 Southwest Puerto Rico earthquake sequence, researchers asked emergency responders and residents in affected communities about the information they needed to prepare for the next earthquake.

   
Newswise: Warming climate will affect streamflow in the northeast
Released: 17-Apr-2023 7:40 PM EDT
Warming climate will affect streamflow in the northeast
Dartmouth College

A new Dartmouth study provides insight into how changes in precipitation and temperature due to global warming affect streamflow and flooding in the Northeast. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association.

Newswise: Earth Day 2023: Virginia Tech experts available to discuss environmental issues, research
Released: 17-Apr-2023 2:05 AM EDT
Earth Day 2023: Virginia Tech experts available to discuss environmental issues, research
Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech media relations office has the following experts available for interviews surrounding the environment, energy, and sustainability. To schedule an interview, please contact [email protected]. Rising seas threatens U.S. coastlines and cities A recently released report from the U.N. on climate change found that rising sea levels are "unavoidable for centuries to millennia due to continuing deep ocean warming and ice sheet melt, and sea levels will remain elevated for thousands of years.

Newswise: Come Health or High Water
Released: 13-Apr-2023 10:05 AM EDT
Come Health or High Water
University of Pittsburgh

Historically oppressed communities are faced with compounded health, economic and social injustices – with climate change making them worse.

   
Newswise: College Student Recalls Harrowing Experience to Find Dog Lost During Devastating Arkansas Tornado
Released: 12-Apr-2023 10:05 AM EDT
College Student Recalls Harrowing Experience to Find Dog Lost During Devastating Arkansas Tornado
University of Arkansas at Little Rock

They say that cats have nine lives, but one UA Little Rock student-athlete believes it’s a miracle that she found her beloved dog, a 4-year-old Australian Shepherd named Remy, alive and well after he was trapped in her apartment for almost a day following the devastating tornado that struck Little Rock on March 31.

Newswise: The 2022 Durban floods were the most catastrophic yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal
Released: 11-Apr-2023 5:00 PM EDT
The 2022 Durban floods were the most catastrophic yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

The disastrous flood that hit Durban in April 2022 was the most catastrophic natural disaster yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in collective terms of lives lost, homes and infrastructure damaged or destroyed and economic impact.

Newswise: Promote biopesticides for locust control in China: Study
Released: 11-Apr-2023 2:00 PM EDT
Promote biopesticides for locust control in China: Study
CABI Publishing

A new study led by scientists from the Chinese MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Biosafety suggests greater awareness of biopesticide market availability, efficacy and field application processes could help tackle locust outbreaks in China.

Released: 6-Apr-2023 9:55 AM EDT
Costs of Natural Disasters Set To Spiral with Continued Rise in CO2 and Global Temperature, Study Shows
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Researchers estimated that climate change-related natural disasters have increased since 1980 and have already cost the United States more than $2 trillion in recovery costs. Their analysis also suggests that as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the global temperature continue to rise, the frequency and severity of disasters will increase, with recovery costs potentially rising exponentially.

   
Newswise: UAH researchers use Earth observations to identify damage, impacts from earthquakes in Turkey
Released: 29-Mar-2023 9:50 AM EDT
UAH researchers use Earth observations to identify damage, impacts from earthquakes in Turkey
University of Alabama Huntsville

The country of Turkey is still reeling from a 7.8 and a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and thousands of aftershocks that occurred in February, causing widespread destruction to infrastructure and human life. To aid response and recovery efforts, two researchers from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Earth System Science Center (ESSC) are using Earth observations to help those on the ground in Turkey make informed decisions.

Released: 28-Mar-2023 1:15 PM EDT
SMART warnings could protect communities at risk from flooding
University of Birmingham

Engaging communities in developing a real-time early warning system could help to reduce the often-devastating impact of flooding on people and property – particularly in mountainous regions where extreme water events are a ‘wicked’ problem, a new study reveals

Newswise: Phytoplankton blooms offer insight into impacts of climate change
Released: 23-Mar-2023 4:15 PM EDT
Phytoplankton blooms offer insight into impacts of climate change
University of Otago

The first study into the biological response of the upper ocean in the wake of South Pacific cyclones could help predict the impact of warming ocean temperatures, New Zealand researchers believe.

Released: 23-Mar-2023 9:50 AM EDT
Housing plays key role in disaster preparedness
Ohio State University

Researchers focus a lot of attention on how disasters such as hurricanes and floods affect people’s housing in the United States. But a new national study found that housing is also important before disasters happen: People with homes not meeting federal quality classifications and those who are housing insecure tend to be less prepared to face natural calamities.

Released: 14-Mar-2023 6:40 PM EDT
A mechanistic and probabilistic method for predicting wildfires
Lehigh University

Data shows that between 2016-2020, at least five of the top 20 most destructive California wildfires started from power systems. Paired with the extreme weather conditions and nearby vegetation, power system-ignited incidents are more likely to develop into large, intense wildfires.

Released: 7-Mar-2023 3:50 PM EST
A new study unveils the mechanism behind the generation of large tsunamis off the Northwest Mexican Coast
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

The Northwest Pacific coast of Mexico is an area struck by large earthquakes and tsunamis as a result of the interaction of two tectonic plates. However, to date, the structure of the continental margin and, therefore, the causes behind the generation of these natural hazards were unknown.

Released: 1-Mar-2023 3:20 PM EST
Tracking Trash: Researchers use aerial imaging to capture rapidly changing hurricane debris data
Florida State University

Juyeong Choi, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, will lead a $75,000 National Science Foundation-funded study examining debris collection and illegal dumping in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm that hit southwestern Florida in 2022.

Released: 28-Feb-2023 10:05 AM EST
The claim that U.S. temperatures are not trending upward is false
Newswise

It is simply false to claim that data from the Climate Reference Network show no warming over the last 18 years. There is a warming trend. Even if it was true, the US represents only 1.9 % of the Earth's surface.

Newswise: One is bad enough: climate change raises the threat of back-to-back hurricanes
Released: 27-Feb-2023 7:20 PM EST
One is bad enough: climate change raises the threat of back-to-back hurricanes
Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science

Getting hit with one hurricane is bad enough, but new research from Princeton University’s engineering school shows that back-to-back versions may become common for many areas in coming decades.

Released: 24-Feb-2023 2:15 PM EST
We cannot predict earthquakes with accuracy, despite claim
Newswise

The claim a Dutch researcher predicted the February earthquake in Turkey and Syria would happen three days before it occurred is misleading. Despite the accuracy of his prediction, scientists cannot predict when and where an earthquake will occur.

Released: 22-Feb-2023 3:50 PM EST
Study by FSU researchers finds resilience to natural disasters lags in Black communities
Florida State University

Years after Hurricane Michael devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast, residents of that area are still struggling to overcome the trauma of the Category 5 storm. In a recent study, FSU researchers found that trauma and a host of psychosocial and physical challenges caused by Hurricane Michael are disproportionately affecting the region’s Black communities.

Released: 20-Feb-2023 5:05 PM EST
The road to safety: Researchers work to improve access to special needs hurricane shelters
Florida State University

New research from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response Center (RIDER) shows how repurposing regular hurricane shelters to special needs shelters could cut travel times for vulnerable populations.

Newswise: Poor infrastructure in Turkey, Syria partially to blame for the high number of earthquake casualties, says expert
Released: 20-Feb-2023 12:05 PM EST
Poor infrastructure in Turkey, Syria partially to blame for the high number of earthquake casualties, says expert
Virginia Tech

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria killed over 45,000 people and decimated large areas. The shockingly high number of fatalities raises the question of whether infrastructure issues are to blame. Roberto Leon, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, said there are several reasons for the large number of collapses, leading to mass casualties: Poor enforcement of existing codes (modern codes instituted after the 1999 Izmit earthquake) Grandfathering of older, deficient structures and not requiring their retrofit (structures built before 1999) Poor construction practices (i.

Newswise: New Technique Maps Large-scale Impacts of Fire-induced Permafrost Thaw in Alaska
Released: 14-Feb-2023 8:30 AM EST
New Technique Maps Large-scale Impacts of Fire-induced Permafrost Thaw in Alaska
Florida Atlantic University

For the first time, researchers have developed a machine learning-based ensemble approach to quantify fire-induced thaw settlement across the entire Tanana Flats in Alaska, which encompasses more than 3 million acres. They linked airborne repeat lidar data to time-series Landsat products (satellite images) to delineate thaw settlement patterns across six large fires that have occurred since 2000. The six fires resulted in a loss of nearly 99,000 acres of evergreen forest from 2000 to 2014 among nearly 155,000 acres of fire-influenced forests with varying degrees of burn severity. This novel approach helped to explain about 65 percent of the variance in lidar-detected elevation change.

Released: 10-Feb-2023 7:35 PM EST
To save our pets, we need to know our neighbors' Lessons from an urban firestorm
University of Colorado Boulder

More than 1,000 pets perished in the Dec. 30 Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colo., many of them trapped inside their homes as guardians who had left for the day desperately tried to devise a plan to free them, according to new CU Boulder research published in the journal Animals.

Newswise: Understanding Japan’s earthquakes: New insight into the relationship between slow slip events and the build-up and release of tectonic strain
Released: 10-Feb-2023 5:35 PM EST
Understanding Japan’s earthquakes: New insight into the relationship between slow slip events and the build-up and release of tectonic strain
Kobe University

The Japanese archipelago is actively undergoing seismic shifts due to interactions between the oceanic plate and the continental plate.

Newswise: Microgrid in a Box opening new possibilities in defense, utilities, disaster relief
Released: 9-Feb-2023 10:05 AM EST
Microgrid in a Box opening new possibilities in defense, utilities, disaster relief
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

Microgrid in a Box, it includes 320 kilowatt-hours of battery storage, and can tie seamlessly into a modern electrical grid and coordinate the distribution of electricity for a small village, military base, or, in the event of a disaster, a hospital, transportation depot, or other critical infrastructure building.

Newswise:Video Embedded ohio-state-virtual-reality-technology-prepares-first-responders-for-mass-casualty-events
VIDEO
Released: 9-Feb-2023 9:50 AM EST
Ohio State virtual reality technology prepares first responders for mass casualty events
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

The increasing frequency of active shooter incidents and other mass casualty events places heighten pressure on first responders to quickly assess, triage and treat victims to save lives. To help first responders prepare for these critical events, The Ohio State University College of Medicine developed a cutting-edge virtual reality disaster response training program.

   
Released: 8-Feb-2023 2:50 PM EST
New method helps scientists better predict when volcanos will erupt
Cornell University

Cornell University researchers have unearthed precise, microscopic clues to where magma is stored, offering a way to better assess the risk of volcanic eruptions.

Released: 7-Feb-2023 4:45 PM EST
As extreme weather events become more often and intensify, the number of people and places exposed to flooding events is likely to grow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

As extreme weather events become more often and intensify, the number of people and places exposed to flooding events is likely to grow.



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