From Politico, an article by Michael Brown ( former FEMA Director) title Stop Blaming Me for Hurricane Katrina. Ten years later, the name ‘Brownie’ is still identified with the government’s failures. Here’s what really happened.

Be sure to read the comments from readers too.

New FEMA document (59 pp): Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial and Local Incidents.

Apparently, it is for use in disasters of all sizes, including those that fall below the threshold for a presidential declaration.

I have not yet had time to read it all carefully, but comments from those who have are welcome.

How to Handle Community Development Funds

Here is an article about the efforts in Christchurch, NX, rebuilding after two major sets of earthquakes.

Disaster Visualization
Frequency and location of FEMA designated disasters (1973-2013)

New Orleans launches resilience roadmap to tackle climate and social challenges.

As well as focusing on climate-related catastrophes, the 41-step resilience strategy addresses social issues such as poverty, racial inequality and crime.

In the week that marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans officials have launched a comprehensive “resilience strategy” aiming to secure the city’s future.

As well as seeking ways for the city to both prevent and survive more climate-related catastrophes, it treats social challenges such as poverty, racial inequality and crime as disasters that must be addressed if New Orleans is to become truly “resilient”. In the strategy’s parlance, it tackles both “shocks” and “stresses”.

Resilient New Orleans is a joint effort between the city and the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative, which provides money and technical support for urban areas facing threats to their long-term prosperity.

The Wharton Risk Center’s reflections on the anniversary and progress in building resiliency are posted on the Risk Center’s website
Two recent publications are:

• Six Lessons From Katrina Loom Even Larger 10 Years Later (published online in Government Executive). Donald F. Kettl, Howard Kunreuther, and Ronald J. Daniels, editors of On Risk and Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina, discuss six lessons from the book that loom even larger now 10 years after Katrina. http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2015/08/six-lessons-katrina-loom-even-larger-10-years-later/119166/

• Zurich North America and the Wharton Risk Center’s whitepaper Beyond Katrina: Lessons In Creating Resilient Communities, outlines new flood resilience strategies and identifies the need to devote more resources to preventive measures rather than post-event disaster relief, and overcoming current infrastructure vulnerabilities. https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/45511.

The release of Beyond Katrina coincides with a panel discussion on Aug. 27 in New Orleans. The five-member panel, moderated by acclaimed writer Michael Lewis, will discuss lessons from Katrina and how the storm dramatically changed the paradigm of how businesses, governments and communities manage pre-disaster planning and post-disaster recovery. The panelists are Zurich CEO Mike Foley; Wharton’s Dr. Erwann Michel-Kerjan; Mitch Landrieu, mayor of New Orleans; Gerard W. Barousse Jr., chairman of the Bayou District Foundation; and Dr. Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation.

Reducing the exposure to damage before disasters occur is one of the most important lessons to take from Hurricane Katrina. The Risk Center and its collaborators in the Zurich flood resilience alliance are working to design measurable solutions.

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Thanks to Chris Jones for providing me with this information.

Explanation of new handbook from PreventionWeb: UNEP: Preparedness key to avoiding worst consequences of disasters

Links directly to the handbook:
APELL Handbook: A process for improving community awareness and preparedness for technological hazards and environmental emergencies. (108 pages)