From the NewYorker, a review of two new books: The Stark Inequality of Climate Change
Inequality and Climate Change
Reply
Author Archives: recoverydiva
Wildfires as a Public Health Issue
Earthquakes Are Still a Surprise
Earthquakes Still Surprise Us, Even with All the Science. None of the detection equipment or computer-generated models helped geologists predict the 4.5 magnitude earthquake that rolled through Pleasant Hill, Calif., Monday night. The fault shook 70,000 people in the region.
A Consultant’s Assessment of U.S. Recovery System
From the blog Disaster-Zone.com, this account of U.S. Recovery System from Jerry Quinn.
New Study on Buyouts
From HSWire: With Coastal Waters Rising: First-Ever National Assessment of FEMA Buyouts. Some excerpts:
Now, a new study by a team involving University of Delaware researcher A. R. Siders is the first to examine nationwide data on FEMA’s buyout program. “Managed retreat through voluntary buyouts of flood-prone properties,” a study led by University of Miami’s Katharine J. Mach, was published today in Science Advances.
“It’s amazing to me that this program has existed for 30 years and no one has done this research,” said Siders, an assistant professor of Public Policy and Administration and Geography who is also affiliated with UD’s Disaster Research Center. “There are several great case studies of buyouts, but no one has looked at the whole program, the whole country, and that gives a different perspective.”
Disaster Fatigue in Japan
Fukushima, Beaten Down by Nuclear Disaster, Takes Big Typhoon Hit, Some facilities that had been damaged in 2011 were hit again over the weekend in a region of Japan that can never seem to catch a break.
Flood Prone Property Buy Outs
From BloombergNews: FEMA Bought 44,000 Flood-Prone Homes. They May Have to Buy Millions More. Few Americans have voluntarily sold properties to the government to avoid future flood damage. That’s likely to change.
Recovery in FL Panhandle
Devastation Endures in Panhandle After Hurricane Michael. A drive through Mexico Beach tells visitors all they need to know about what happened in the small coastal town: large empty slabs of land, no gas stations, no sit-down restaurants and lots of food trailers set up.
New GAO Report on FEMA and Wildfires
Wildfire Disasters: FEMA Could Take Additional Actions to Address Unique Response and Recovery Challenges.GAO-20-5: Published: Oct 9, 2019.
Hurricane Michael Recovery
The aftermath of other big storms like Sandy and Katrina have made it clear that the recovery process takes years to complete, with the burden falling on local nonprofits once the sense of urgency outside the immediate area dissipates.
In the largely rural Florida counties where Hurricane Michael hit hard, a few nonprofits are leading the way with rebuilding efforts that bring local religious congregations, businesses, governments and independent organizations together. These new networks are coordinating efforts by national, regional and local organizations that bring their own expertise and resources.
Recovery Diva 