Monthly Archives: April 2015

Do We Have, or Need, a Community for Disaster Science?

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From the current issue of Science Magazine (April 2015), see this editorial by the editor-in-chief who used to be director of the USGS. The title is A Community for Disaster Science.

I am not going to comment just yet on the article. I have sent it to the directors of the Disaster Research Center at the Univ. of DE, Prof. James Kendra, and to the Hazards Center at the Univ. of CO/Boulder, Prof. Kathleen Tierney. I am awaiting their replies. In the meantime I invite readers to comment.

Update: See this posting by Eric Holdeman with his take on this topic.

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Thanks to Ian McLean in NZ for bringing this article to my attention.

Resilience Project at ABAG

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See this major new project done by the Association of Bay Area Governments:  Stronger Housing, Safer Communities.

This new project could be used as a guide for other regions/communities. It’s a multi-part study led by the Association of Bay Area Governments with funding from an array of federal partners and with a particular focus on linking up thinking about climate change (particularly sea level rise) with current flooding and seismic risks.

ABAG first established a framework for thinking about the hazards, then they worked with a steering committee to develop a set of housing and ‘community-scale’ vulnerability indicators for those hazards. One of the challenges was defining indicators that could be measured region-wide with available data. I was involved with the 3rd part which was to develop a suite of strategies targeting local governments and how to better manage multi-hazard risk. We were looking at priority development areas across the region, many of which are near transit corridors along the margins of San Francisco Bay with high earthquake liquefaction and current/future flooding risks. One of the key goals of this effort was to better link up the land use planning and policy tool kits that we have for dealing with seismic and flood related hazards.

For more info, cont act the project manager: Danielle Meiler at ABAG: <DanielleM@abag.ca.gov>.

Thanks to Laurie A. Johnson, Laurie Johnson Consulting | Research, for this information and the link,

New National Survey Data on Household Preparedness

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From Governing magazine: How Prepared Is Your Community for an Emergency? A new survey shows the extent to which Americans around the country have taken measures to prepare for natural disasters or other emergencies.

The Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released data this week showing the extent to which Americans in different parts of the country have taken measures to prepare for natural disasters or other emergencies. Disaster preparedness questions were a new addition to the 2013 American Housing Survey, intended to assist policymakers and emergency responders with planning.

Nationwide, just over half of households had prepared an emergency evacuation kit. Only a third had communication plans in place, while 37 percent had established emergency meeting locations.

Here is the direct link to the full report and data. Be advised you will have to drill down to get state and local information.

Update: for a dissenting opinion, from a former emergency manager, see this blog post by Eric Holdeman.

Non-Profit Security Grants

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During this week of Passover and Easter,  it is a good time for non-profit organizations, especially houses of worship, to plan to look into the prospects for Non-profit Security Grants.

Even since H. Sandy, the Jewish Community Relations Council of NY has been closely following the process and offering help to local non-profits. See: their security grants page.

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Thanks to David Pollack of the JCRCNY for this information.

Audit in NYC Reveals Big Problems with Housing Repair Program Post-Sandy

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Here is a second posting on the topic of post-disaster housing, this one focusing on the post-Sandy housing repair programs. Considering how much money is being spent on post-disaster housing programs, clearly the time has come for better oversight and some reform!

An article about the audit appeared in the NY Times, but here is the actual source document:

COMPTROLLER STRINGER AUDIT OF BUILD IT BACK REVEALS MILLIONS PAID OUT FOR INCOMPLETE WORK, DOUBLE-BILLING & UNDOCUMENTED TRAVEL COSTS. Frustrated homeowners forced to contend with over 100 procedural changes in the course of a year. Same subcontractors that bungled earlier work still on the job, working without legally enforceable controls.  Some excerpts:

New York City’s recovery effort following Superstorm Sandy was a boon for consultants who failed to do required work and left thousands of victims without help long after the storm ravaged the City—and problems continue to this day, according to an audit released by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer.

The Comptroller’s audit revealed the City’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations (HRO) failed to properly monitor contractors and paid $6.8 million to them for work that that was flawed or incomplete – contributing to extensive delays in the delivery of aid to more than 20,000 people seeking help.

“New York City’s response to Sandy was a case study in dysfunction,” Stringer said. “During the course of this audit, I went to affected communities to hear first-hand the stories of the recovery from hundreds of City residents — from the endless delays, to the lost paperwork and the maddening lack of progress. With this audit, we present a new level of detail about how the City allowed consultants to run amok and what must be done to ensure these mistakes are never again repeated.”

The audit examined the Build it Back Single Family Program – which focused on owner-occupants of properties with one-to-four units affected by Sandy – from June 1, 2013 to August 1, 2014. The findings were enhanced by testimony from six public hearings that Stringer’s office held in areas hardest hit by the storm, which were attended by hundreds of New Yorkers. The audit included detailed reviews of a random sample of 70 applicants, plus reviews of program design, management and operations by HRO and its contractors.

This is not the first example of housing repair program problems. They occurred after H. Katrina in LA as well.  The Diva hopes to have more posts on the topic of the use of CDBG-DR funding for post-disaster home repair in the future.

The High Cost of Disaster Recovery

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Is it any wonder that even the federal government is worried about future costs of disaster recovery? Here is an article about one element of housing repair costs post- Sandy, compensation for damage to public housing:

From the NY Daily News: FEMA to give $3 billion to NYCHA for Hurricane Sandy repairs in 33 developments. Some details:

  • A $3 billion bonanza from the Federal Emergency Management Agency — the disaster bureau’s largest grant ever — will go to repair and upgrade city public housing projects damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
  • The money will flow to 33 NYCHA developments in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, Mayor de Blasio and Sen. Chuck Schumer plan to announce Tuesday.
  • “When Sandy hit, it brought weeks of cold and darkness for thousands of NYCHA residents – and too many are still feeling the impact,” de Blasio said. “This investment of $3 billion, the largest in FEMA history, won’t simply bring NYCHA developments back to pre-Sandy conditions. It will allow us to fortify buildings and utilities so that they’re resilient.”