A preprint of an article from the American Geophysical Union: Hurricane Harvey links to Ocean Heat Content and Climate Change Adaptation
H. Harvey Precipitation Linked to Global Warming
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Author Archives: recoverydiva
Hawaii Volcano
Once Lava Stops Rebuilding Futures Uncertain.
“We really don’t know the extent of the damage and whether or not people can actually rebuild,” Hawaii state Rep. Joy A. San Buenaventura, who represents the Puna district where Leilani Estates is located, told NBC News Thursday. Another question, she said, “is whether or not you should rebuild” in areas more likely to see lava flows.
2018 Hurricane Season – Preparedness
From the NY Times: Puerto Rico Nervously Prepares for Hurricane Season: ‘What if Another One Comes?’
Emergency managers say they have revamped their plans since Hurricane Maria. But work is left to be done, and hurricane season begins June 1.
Update on May 16th: Hurricane season may be even worse in 2018 after a harrowing 2017. “The initial forecasts of an above-average season for hurricanes, beginning on 1 June, follow a punishing spate of storms last year.”
Update on May 17th: Advice from the Red Cross on Personal Preparedness.
Pet Animal Disaster Preparedness
Here are some recommendations for pet preparedness from a firm that provides insurance for pets. See: Trupanion Recommends National Disaster Preparedness With your Pet in Mind.
Here is a good example of local coordination for pet sheltering preparations.
Update: One more article on this topic – Preparing your pets for natural disasters
Resilience for Small Business
New Report: Building Resilience for Coastal Small Busineses. This 60-page report was produced by the Lowlander Center in LA.
Thanks to Alessandra Jerolleman for the citation. As one of the authors, she noted that it was the culmination of a two-year long project focusing on the resilience of small businesses along the Louisiana coast. The project was funded through a grant from Entergy to the Lowlander Center, with Water Works as as sub-consultant,
Accountability After a Disaster
The importance of accountability after deadly disaster. An excerpt:
After the failure of complex systems that result in deadly disasters, we struggle to hold people to account.
Organizational anthropologists refer to four types of accountability: Market, bureaucratic, community and randomness. Each type characterizes accountability differently; all have strengths and important limitations.
Detailed Account of Electrical Infrastructure Problems in PR
From the NYTimes, this detailed, well-researched account of the electric grid problems before and after Hurricane Maria. See: How Storms, Missteps and an Ailing Grid Left Puerto Rico in the Dark. “It took months to restore electricity in Puerto Rico after hurricanes dealt a one-two punch. Many homes are still without power, and the system’s future is far from certain.”
There are many elements of this article worth delving into, but one that I would like to highlight is this question: Is the Stafford Act adequate to deal with a catastrophic event?
New Ebook Available from the NAS
New from the National Academy of Sciences: Protecting the Health and Well-Being of Communities in a Changing Climate; Proceedings of a Workshop (2018)
[Note: all of their ebooks are free.}
An Article to Ponder
This article from the May issue of The Atlantic has nothing to do with disasters. But it does provide an optimistic view of small town American life, which is refreshing. The thought occurs to me that there is hope for interest, competence, and commitment to dealing with hazards and potential disasters at the local level, at a time when our federal leadership is questioned every day.
No Mention of Climate Change in FEMA’s Strategic Plan
From the HuffPost: FEMA’s Latest Excuse For Why It’s Ignoring Climate Change: It Forgot
Rep. Keith Ellison asked the agency why, and so far he’s not happy with the answer. In its latest response, FEMA says it basically forgot.
“There was no decision, and no direction, to deliberately avoid or omit any particular term in the writing of the 2018-2022 Strategic Plan,” FEMA Director Brock Long wrote on April 12, referring to the document the agency uses to help anticipate and prepare the nation for natural disasters.
Long’s claim is a remarkable one given that 2017 was the costliest, most-damaging year on record for weather and climate-related disasters in the U.S., and the third-warmest year on record. Experts predict those costs, which directly impact FEMA’s operation, will increase as the climate shifts further and further from its baseline.
Recovery Diva 