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WILDFIRESGames Can Promote Preparedness and Build Community Resilience to Wildfire
If a wildfire causes an evacuation, people are forced to leave quickly and make decisions under pressure. These challenging decisions can have serious impacts on the outcome of a fire, and are what players confront in ‘Firewise Residents,’ one of three simulation games created by University of California, Santa Cruz computational media researchers.
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EMERGENCY POWERSEmergency Powers Are for Emergencies
The country thrived for many decades before the creation of most emergency powers. It can do so as well, going forward.
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DISASTER RESPONSEStates Fear Critical Funding from FEMA May Be Drying Up
Many states rely on the federal government for the vast majority of their emergency management funding. Now, local leaders are looking for clues about the money —and the future of FEMA itself.
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DISASTERSNIST Releases Extensive Video Update on Champlain Towers South Investigation
NIST has released an extensive video update on its investigation into the June 2021 partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida.
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CASCADING HAZARDSHurricane Helene Set Up Future Disasters, from Landslides to Flooding -- Cascading Hazards Like These Are Now Upending Risk Models
Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future.
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FLOODSNew Tool Could Help Florida Homeowners Weather Flood Risks, Lower Insurance Costs
With flood risks increasing from extreme weather events like hurricanes and even routine plumbing issues, researchers are helping Florida homeowners make smarter choices about building materials and interior finishes that better protect their homes and potentially save on their insurance premiums.
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FLOODSResearchers Offer Hard-Hit Communities Solutions for Flood Recovery and Resilience
Long before flash floods damaged communities in Ohio and Marion counties this month, West Virginia University researchers were studying community resilience in flood-devastated areas of the state. The toolkit they developed will help communities better prepare for such emergencies and recover quicker.
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RESILIENCEImproving Resilience to Tsunamis and Earthquakes via Predictions of Waste Disposal Times
Researchers develop framework to predict cleanup times after seismic events by analyzing the interdependence of disposal facilities and road networks.
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POWER-GRID RESILIENCE Hardening the Grid: Research Team Focuses on Quake Proofing Transformer Bushings
During an earthquake, the place where a large, high-voltage power transformer is most vulnerable is its bushings – hollow electrical insulators that safely guide current between a transformer’s internal windings and external power lines.
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WATER SECURITYOvershadowed by Border Dispute, India-Pakistan Water Security Risks Grow
Glacial meltwater accounts for a significant portion of annual flows in the Indus River Basin, but as glaciers retreat due to climate change, this flow is decreasing, leading to water scarcity. Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to reduction in Indus River Basin flows: it relies on the Indus River for more than 90 percent of its water, and is already grappling with severe water shortages.
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RESILIENCE10-story Steel-Framed Building to be Put to the Test on UC San Diego Earthquake Simulator
A10-story cold-formed steel-framed building will soon be put to the test on an earthquake simulator at the University of California San Diego to see how well it can withstand earthquakes.
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DISASTERSUncertainty About Federal Disaster Aid Looms as Storms Roll In
Multiple states bordering the Mississippi River are still waiting for federal disaster aid decisions.
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DISASTERSAs Hurricane Season Approaches, Trump’s NOAA Budget Cuts Threaten Safety
President Trump’s NOAA cuts will significantly hamper the public’s understanding of the environment and weather forecasting, negatively affecting people in the United States and abroad.
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DISASTERSFlood Risk is Increasing in Pacific Northwest
The next great earthquake isn’t the only threat to the Pacific Northwest. A powerful earthquake, combined with rising sea levels, could significantly increase flood risks in the Pacific Northwest, impacting thousands of residents and properties in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
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WILDEFIRESNIST Updates Critical Wildfire Evacuation and Sheltering Guidance
Wildfires move fast. They can reduce communities to ash in a matter of hours. To save as many lives as possible, officials must have an evacuation and shelter plan in place before an actual wildfire threatens their community.
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The long view
CLIMATE CHALLENGESTrump Aims to Shut Down State Climate Policies
President Donald Trump has launched an all-out legal attack on states’ authority to set climate change policy. Climate-focused state leaders say his administration has no legal basis to unravel their efforts.