Here is the notice from the Disaster Research Center about the passing of Russell Dynes, a legend in the field of emergency management.
The Diva had the pleasure of knowing Russ, and she enjoyed his stories of the old days in emergency management. He will be missed by many.
Update: DRC has added some information about Russ and a place to record comments at this site.
New report from FEMA: State-Led Public Assistance Guide (68 pp)
CNA has prepared a major report (164 pp) on the topic of Supply Chain Resilience and the 2017 Hurricane Season. It is a collection of case studies about Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Marie and their impact on supply chain resilience. It was released in Sept. 2018 and more work on this topic is underway presently at the National Academy of Sciences.
Thanks to Delilah Barton, one of the authors, for the citation and link.
From the HSDL, details about a new report: Assessing Public Health Preparedness of States
According to CNN news at about 3:30pm EST, Brock Long has resigned as Administrator of FEMA. Peter Gaynor will be the Acting Director.
From the Atlantic Monthly: What the President Could Do If He Declares a State of Emergency. From seizing control of the internet to declaring martial law, President Trump may legally do all kinds of extraordinary things.
Hurricane Michael Cost This Military Base About $5 Billion, Just One of 2018’s Weather Disasters. Major hurricanes, devastating wildfires, a drought and a series of extreme storms ran up the count of billion-dollar U.S. climate and weather disasters.
From HStoday, this article: Atlantic Hurricanes Are Strengthening Faster, Partially Because of Climate Change, Study Finds. Hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin are exploding into monster storms at a rapid pace more and more often, and climate change is one reason why, a new study has found.
Published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications, the findings compiled by a team of hurricane experts – several of whom work for NOAA – concluded that rapid intensification is happening more often than it should.
The result can be a hurricane that grows from a relatively tame Category 1 to a massive Category 4 or 5 storm, the most recent example being Hurricane Michael, which ravaged the Florida Panhandle last October (the Gulf of Mexico is included as part of the Atlantic Basin).
Toxic Debris Forces Camp Fire Victims To Stop Living On Their Land.
Thanks to Eric Holdeman for the citation.
Update on Feb. 11: In a related story, the local residents are having trouble with using RVs for temporary housing. See: Residents Pushed Out….
3 big takeaways from the disasters that hammered the US in 2018. Why wildfires, hurricanes, and floods cost us hundreds of lives and billions of dollars this year.
This year’s disasters are going to haunt us for months, if not years, as well. The Camp Fire destroyed nearly 10,000 homes in California. Residents are now jumping into one of the tightest and most expensive real estate markets in the country. Disaster managers are moving many of the people who lost their homes into longer-term shelters.
But that still leaves a major question: Should people rebuild their lives where they once were, or move on to safer ground? People around the country will increasingly be asking themselves this question, as the changing climate renders the future more uncertain.
Here is the WashPost’s take on the same topic.
Recovery Diva 