Breaking News: Floods

Filters close
Released: 28-Feb-2020 1:20 PM EST
Study reveals Missoula Floods impact on past abrupt climate changes
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A new study shows for the first time how massive flood events in the eastern North Pacific Ocean—known as the Missoula Floods—may have in part triggered abrupt climate changes in the Northern Hemisphere during the last deglaciation (approximately 19,000–11,700 years ago). The findings are contrary to the long held notion that cooling was primarily driven by changes in North Atlantic circulation.

Released: 30-Jan-2020 3:35 PM EST
Outcomes published following Iowa State workshop discussing land use, infrastructure issues within Mississippi River watershed
Iowa State University

A new network of researchers and community officials is working to find solutions to some of the biggest challenges within the Mississippi River watershed.

   
Released: 27-Jan-2020 3:40 PM EST
Earth's most biodiverse ecosystems face a perfect storm
Lancaster University

A combination of climate change, extreme weather and pressure from local human activity is causing a collapse in global biodiversity and ecosystems across the tropics, new research shows.

Released: 27-Jan-2020 4:05 AM EST
Sea level rise to cause major economic impact in the absence of further climate action
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Rising sea levels, a direct impact of the Earth’s warming climate, is intensifying coastal flooding. The findings of a new study show that the projected negative economy-wide effects of coastal flooding are already significant until 2050, but are then predicted to increase substantially towards the end of the century if no further climate action on mitigation and adaptation is taken.

Released: 21-Jan-2020 11:40 AM EST
UCI, other researchers find collaborative flood modeling process effective
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Jan. 21, 2020 – Community collaboration and high-resolution maps are key to effective flood risk management, according to civil engineers and social scientists at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions. In a study published recently in the American Geophysical Union journal Earth’s Future, the researchers report on a successful new process called “collaborative flood modeling” for addressing the increasing threat of rising waters brought on by climate change, aging infrastructure and rapid urban development.

Released: 25-Nov-2019 4:00 PM EST
FAU Receives $1.68 Million Grant from Florida Division of Emergency Management
Florida Atlantic University

The goals of this project are to help communities guide future mitigation projects as well as to assist local communities in moving up in the Community Rating System (CRS) of the National Flood Insurance Program.

Released: 14-Nov-2019 1:25 PM EST
Researchers study impact of contaminants in floodwaters
Missouri University of Science and Technology

Last spring’s historic flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers may have distributed toxic contaminants along wide flood routes. Researchers know little about how these materials may affect public health and safety in rural and urban areas. But a group of geologists and geological engineers from Missouri University of Science and Technology is working to find out.

Released: 14-Nov-2019 12:05 PM EST
Future rainfall could far outweigh current climate predictions
University of Plymouth

Homes and communities across the UK have felt the full force of torrential downpours in recent weeks.

Released: 30-Oct-2019 3:45 PM EDT
Bye-Bye, Beaches
California State University (CSU) Chancellor's Office

Those beaches, as we know them today at least, almost certainly will not last. By the end of the 21st century, more than $150 billion in property along our coast could be under water. That's because the level of the sea is rising at an alarming rate, putting these areas at risk for devastating floods.

Released: 21-Oct-2019 11:05 AM EDT
Plant physiology will be major contributor to future river flooding, UCI study finds
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 21, 2019 – The next time a river overflows its banks, don’t just blame the rain clouds. Earth system scientists from the University of California, Irvine have identified another culprit: leafy plants. In a study published today in Nature Climate Change, the UCI researchers describe the emerging role of ecophysiology in riparian flooding.

Released: 9-Oct-2019 2:30 PM EDT
With Coastal Waters Rising, Researchers Provide First-Ever National Assessment of FEMA Buyouts
University of Delaware

A first-of-its-kind study of FEMA buyouts in flood-prone areas nationwide found that most occur in wealthy, denser counties, but that within those areas the most likely targets were vulnerable communities. The study paves the way for future research into equity, race and effectiveness of the buyouts.

Released: 9-Oct-2019 12:05 PM EDT
UCI-Led Team to Study Socioeconomic Effects of Coastal Flooding in California
University of California, Irvine

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine are leading a new project with three other UC campuses to study the impact of coastal flooding on disadvantaged communities in California. Launched with funding from the National Science Foundation’s Coastlines & People initiative, the effort will employ advanced simulation systems to deepen understanding of increasing flood risks within the state’s two most imperiled areas: Greater Los Angeles and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Released: 24-Sep-2019 9:15 AM EDT
New Collaborative Hazard and Disaster Research Network Aims to Advance Innovation
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

A new grant from the National Science Foundation will support the creation of a national network of researchers in systems engineering seeking to develop innovative methods for mitigating, responding to, and learning from hazards and disasters.

Released: 11-Sep-2019 2:00 PM EDT
Soils Could Be Affected by Climate Change, Impacting Water and Food
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Coasts, oceans, ecosystems, weather and human health all face impacts from climate change, and now valuable soils may also be affected. Climate change may reduce the ability of soils to absorb water in many parts of the world, according to a Rutgers-led study. And that could have serious implications for groundwater supplies, food production and security, stormwater runoff, biodiversity and ecosystems.

Released: 23-Aug-2019 10:05 AM EDT
'100-Year' Floods Will Happen Every 1 to 30 Years, According to New Flood Maps
Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science

A 100-year flood is supposed to be just that: a flood that occurs once every 100 years, or a flood that has a one-percent chance of happening every year.

Released: 1-Aug-2019 9:30 AM EDT
How Roads Can Help Cool Sizzling Cities
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Special permeable concrete pavement can help reduce the “urban heat island effect” that causes cities to sizzle in the summer, according to a Rutgers-led team of engineers. Their study appears in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

Released: 30-Jul-2019 9:00 PM EDT
The ADCIRC Prediction System
Homeland Security's Science And Technology Directorate

APS uses modeling technology with a 30-year track record of providing accurate representations of coastal water movement, flooding, and storm impacts.

Released: 22-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Informatics researchers leading the way in developing ‘smart city’ floodwater management
Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University professors Eck Doerry and Ben Ruddell are collaborating with water engineers in the city of Phoenix and Flagstaff for a pilot program that uses traffic cameras and crowd-sourced data to track and predict flooding during monsoon season.

Released: 3-Jun-2019 1:05 PM EDT
Downpours of torrential rain more frequent with global warming
University of Saskatchewan

The frequency of downpours of heavy rain--which can lead to flash floods, devastation, and outbreaks of waterborne disease

7-May-2019 3:10 PM EDT
As Climate Changes, Small Increases in Rainfall May Cause Widespread Road Outages
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

As more rain falls on a warming planet, a new computer model shows that it may not take a downpour to cause widespread disruption of road networks. The model combined data on road networks with the hills and valleys of topography to reveal “tipping points” at which even small localized increases in rain cause widespread road outages.

Released: 22-Apr-2019 4:25 PM EDT
Engineers Study Failed Levees, Research Potential Solutions
Iowa State University

Cassandra Rutherford, an Iowa State geotechnical engineer, has inspected failed levees along Midwestern rivers. And now she's working with other engineers to develop technologies that could improve levee performance.

Released: 8-Apr-2019 10:05 AM EDT
Many coastal homes are unprotected from hurricanes and homeowners have no intention of retrofitting, study finds
University of Notre Dame

According to the Notre Dame study, 62 percent of coastal homeowners are not considering taking any action to reduce the vulnerabilities of their homes or enhance protections against future hurricanes.

   
Released: 2-Apr-2019 8:05 AM EDT
Researchers use artificial intelligence to design flood evacuation plans
Missouri University of Science and Technology

Artificial intelligence may soon help transportation agencies and first responders determine the best evacuation routes during floods such as those affecting portions of Missouri and the Midwest, thanks to the work of researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Drs. Suzanna Long and Steve Corns of Missouri S&T’s engineering management and systems engineering department are using a form of AI known as deep learning to develop forecasting tools to integrate water level rate of change as part of evacuation routing planning in flood-prone areas.

Released: 7-Mar-2019 9:00 AM EST
Predicting Hope
University of Oklahoma, Gallogly College of Engineering

The devastation of the Peruvian floods of March 2017 caused native and University of Oklahoma Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor, Salazar-Cerreno, to look for ways to apply his expertise to help improve weather decision making and warnings.

Released: 6-Mar-2019 2:55 PM EST
A Simplified Way to Predict the Function of Microbial Communities
Department of Energy, Office of Science

A pioneering study offers an easier approach to study how microbes work and could help scientists advance models of the cycling of elements and nutrients in frequently flooded soils.

26-Feb-2019 8:00 AM EST
As Floodwaters Rise, So Do Dermatologic Conditions
American Academy of Dermatology

As more frequent and intense flooding events have occurred in recent years, both disaster victims and relief workers have experienced significant dermatologic problems.

Released: 27-Feb-2019 3:05 PM EST
Gust or Bust: Blustery Winds Important for Modeling Tropical Rainfall
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Researchers find gusty winds increase surface evaporation that drives summer rainstorms in the Tropical West Pacific.

7-Feb-2019 11:30 AM EST
In Disasters, Twitter Influencers Get Out-Tweeted
University of Vermont

A first-of-its-kind study on Twitter use during 5 of the costliest U.S. natural disasters offers potentially life-saving insights. The research, in PLOS ONE, finds that Twitter users with small networks (100-200 followers) increase activity more than those with larger networks in these situations. It also finds that each disaster type (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods) has a unique pattern of social media use.

Released: 22-Jan-2019 9:05 AM EST
Society for Risk Analysis to Host Fifth World Congress on Risk
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), the world’s leading authority on risk and risk analysis, will host the Fifth World Congress on Risk, in partnership with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

   
3-Jan-2019 1:05 PM EST
Texas expert has big plans as UAH director of Unmanned Aerial Systems Programs
University of Alabama Huntsville

Jerry Hendrix has joined the Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center (RSESC) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) as its director of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Programs responsible for UAS research.

Released: 3-Jan-2019 10:05 AM EST
URI scientists model Anak Krakatau volcano, tsunami to better prepare U.S. for future tsunamis
University of Rhode Island

The recent eruption of Anak Krakatau – which means “son of Krakatau” – is providing URI researchers Stephan Grilli and Steven Carey with a new opportunity to gain additional insights and create models that they hope will help the United States better prepare for future tsunamis.

Released: 28-Dec-2018 10:05 AM EST
Best of 2018: Experts respond to wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters
Newswise

See expert analysis and research from our members related to natural disasters

Released: 11-Dec-2018 10:10 AM EST
Nursing instructor changed forever by hurricane relief work
Wichita State University

Wichita State University nursing instructor Richard Nold spent two weeks in North Carolina providing medical assistance to victims of Hurricane Florence. He describes the experience as tough but rewarding.

   


close
1.28007