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INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTIONMajor U.S. Cities Are Sinking
An analysis of 28 major U.S. cities revealed that all 28 are sinking, potentially affecting 34 million people, according to Virginia Tech research published in Nature Cities.
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LIGHTNING STRIKESAI Model Predicts Lightning Wildfires with 90% Accuracy
Israeli researchers use seven years of weather and satellite data to predict future wildfires caused by lightning strikes.
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DISASTERSComing This Summer: Record-Breaking Heat and Plenty of Hurricanes
Forecasters are predicting higher temperatures across the U.S. and up to 10 hurricanes. Cutting federal programs could leave people even more vulnerable.
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DISASTERSFlood Risk 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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DISASTER EESPONSETrump Denies Disaster Aid, Tells States to Do More
In the wake of recent natural disasters, state leaders across the country are finding that emergency support from the federal government is no longer a given, as the White House says states must have an ‘appetite to own the problem.’
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CLIMATE CHALLENGESWhite House Proposal Could Gut Climate Modeling the World Depends On
Potential funding cuts for NOAA and its research partners threaten irreparable harm not only to climate research but to American safety, competitiveness, and national security.
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COASTAL CHALLENGESCoastal Management Model Plays the Long Game Against the Rising Tides
To protect against rising sea levels in a warming world, coastal cities typically follow a standard playbook with various protective infrastructure options. The problem? Future climate conditions might differ substantially from the used projections.
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DISASTERSAs Wildfires Intensify, Utilities Want Liability Protections. But Then Who Pays?
As climate change drastically increases the frequency and severity of wildfires, power companies say they’re facing growing risk for payouts that could bankrupt them or require massive rate hikes on customers.
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SEARCH & RESCUENext-Gen UAVs Enhance Search and Rescue Efficiency
Search and rescue operations often face difficulties due to unpredictable weather, rugged terrain, and limited resources. UAVs offer a promising approach to search and rescue missions, but there is a need for improved Aerial Person Detection (APD) technologies to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of UAV-based rescue efforts.
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EARTHQUKESDo Earthquakes Affect Car Crashes in the United States?
Researchers are combining data on earthquake shaking intensity, crowdsourced traffic data from the Waze navigation app and police crash reports to find out if car crashes are more likely during seismic events.
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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.
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WILDFIRESThe Growing Challenge of Urban Wildfires
The wildfires that burned in the Los Angeles area in January surged through highly populated areas, causing catastrophic damage. The two largest fires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, together destroyed over 16,000 homes and other buildings, killed 29 people, and displaced thousands.
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DISASTER RESPONSEFEMA Moves to End One of Its Biggest Disaster Adaptation Programs
In an internal FEMA memorandum obtained by Grist, the Trump administration announced its plans to dismantle the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program.
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SEARCH & RESCUEA Flexible Robot Can Help Emergency Responders Search Through Rubble
SPROUT, developed by Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame researchers, is a vine robot capable of navigating under collapsed structuresSPROUT, developed by Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame researchers, is a vine robot capable of navigating under collapsed structures.
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DISASTERSClimate Disasters Are on the Rise. These States Want to Make Oil Companies Pay.
State “climate Superfund” laws have sparked a legal brawl with fossil fuel groups.
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The long view
SCHOOL VIOLENCEStrengthening School Violence Prevention
Violence by K-12 students is disturbingly common. Ensuring that schools have effective ways to identify and prevent such incidents is becoming increasingly important. Expanding intervention options and supporting K-12 school efforts in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) would help.
CLIMATE-CHANGE CHALLENGESHuge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
WILRDFIRESTrump’s Cuts to Federal Wildfire Crews Could Have “Scary” Consequences
President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to face deadly consequences when big blazes arrive this summer. States, tribes and fire chiefs are preparing for a fire season with minimal federal support.