As Hurricane Dorian raged through the Bahamas, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked around the clock to aid recovery efforts for one of the Caribbean’s worst storms ever, providing geographic data that guided decisions on everything from where to open emergency shelters to how to staff first-aid centers.
PNNL researchers investigate the environmental conditions, from soil moisture to surface temperature, that precede wildfire.
A glacier that had held an Alaskan slope in place for centuries is melting, releasing the soil beneath in what can be described as a slow-motion landslide that could trigger a devastating tsunami, researchers say. In a study published last week, scientists offered some of the first measurements to quantify how the slope is falling there and modeled potential tsunamis.
A new study found suicide rates increase during disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes. A team of researchers examined the impact of 281 natural disasters on suicide rates during a 12-year span and found overall suicide rates increased by 23% when compared to rates before and after the disaster.
Effective national and local governments are associated with fewer deaths from tropical cyclone disasters – even in countries with similar levels of wealth and development.
Hurricanes impact obstructive sleep apnea patients’ ability to use positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy not only during, but also before and after the storm, according to a scientific investigation by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Simple actions can dramatically improve a person’s chances of surviving a landslide, show records from 38 landslides in the U.S. and around the world. People who survived landslides tended to have moved upstairs or to higher ground, among other key actions.
Two CUSEC apps help emergency managers prepare for and recover from disasters like earthquakes. Both are free and available for use via the S&T-supported Regional Information Sharing Platform.
DHS S&T's Smart City Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs program is bringing together government and private sector partners to identify technologies that can detect and alert emergency management, utilities, and citizens of a threatening wildfire.
DHS S&T is convening a diverse group of public-private partners to present, Clearing the Path: Responding to Disasters During a Crisis, a virtual discussion for National Preparedness Month.
When Hurricane Michael devastated rural inland communities in the Florida Panhandle in 2018, public libraries played a critical role in the natural disaster response. It also exposed the need for improved upon procedures and policies for public libraries responding to natural disasters.
With Hurricane Sally expected to make landfall on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) is providing critical chemical hazard support.
Natural disasters alone are not enough to motivate local communities to engage in climate change mitigation or adaptation, a new study from Oregon State University found.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health experts available for comment to media regarding public health issues related to hurricanes
Researchers are using unmanned underwater robots to map ocean heat content in advance of Hurricane Laura
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With hurricane season already underway and projected to be active, communities throughout the U.S. are trying to balance disaster preparation amid an unprecedented public health crisis. While significant attention is rightly being given to COVID-19, leaders – especially those in communities along the coast – must plan for the possibility of dual disasters. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have extensive experience studying and responding to natural disasters and are available during this hurricane season to share their research and perspectives.
St. Louis was selected as the site for the first SCIRA exercise. The pilot program brought together first responders, city managers and other stakeholders, and through a series of realistic disaster scenarios, demonstrated how smart city technology can transform municipal emergency response.
Four years after the disastrous flooding in southern West Virginia, new research highlights the role faith-based groups and other community organizations have played in the relief and recovery efforts.
The Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Disasters is a critical resource for anyone wanting to reduce the risks to their family and property from natural hazards. The handbook covers essential information on emergency preparedness, evacuation planning, flood/wind insurance, and steps to protect life and property.
As coastal communities prepare for the possibility of hurricanes this summer and fall, they are doing so amid the uncertain landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic — a crisis that has already taxed health care systems, governments, and supply chains. A faculty and student team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been modeling how the combined disasters may make community recovery vastly more difficult. What they have found serves as a stark warning to policymakers preparing for hurricane season.
To help communities prepare for disasters and rebuild in the aftermath, DHS S&T partnered with NAPSG to convene experts from around the country to share best practices and identify practical solutions related to information sharing, geospatial technologies, and leadership.
When a hurricane is dangerous enough to prompt evacuations, thousands of people find themselves fleeing at once. Emergency planning officials want to know the best ways to safely and quickly evacuate their residents. That’s often meant focusing on a single objective, like moving people out of danger in the fastest way possible. But researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Florida State University’s Department of Psychology have developed models that account for multiple considerations in a crisis, including the physical and mental demands on evacuees, especially vulnerable populations.
The Team Awareness Kit (TAK) is the emerging DHS-wide solution for situational awareness. Its exceptional tactical value has been proven time and again.
In the wake of a disaster, many people want to help. Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Alabama have developed tools to help emergency response and relief managers coordinate volunteer efforts in order to do the most good.
Researchers have found strong evidence that the risk for armed conflict is higher after a climate-related disaster, but only in vulnerable countries.
Patience is a virtue for on-farm flood recovery
Researchers at the University of Rhode Island (URI) used San Diego Supercomputer Center’s (SDSC) Comet supercomputer to show that high-performance computer modeling can accurately simulate tsunamis from volcanic events. Such models could lead to early-warning systems that could save lives and help minimize catastrophic property damage.
In 1988, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Armenian city of Spitak. The temblor destroyed cities and is estimated to have killed between 25,000 and 35,000 people, many of whom were schoolchildren.
A new approach to analyzing seismic data reveals deep vertical zones of low seismic velocity in the plumbing system underlying Alaska's Cleveland volcano, one of the most-active of the more than 70 Aleutian volcanoes
With a team of experts in fields including data science, statistics, computer science, finance, energy, agriculture, ecology, hydrology, climate and space weather, The Predictive Risk Investigation System for Multilayer Dynamic Interconnection Analysis (PRISM), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will integrate data across different areas to improve risk prediction.
A new survey from dermatology and emergency medicine researchers at the George Washington University suggests that the dermatology community is inadequately prepared for a biological disaster and would benefit from a formal preparedness training program.
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