According to an article in USA today, More than half in U.S. at greater risk in disasters

More than 50% of the U.S. population may be in need of special attention during extreme weather events, with such emergencies putting the disabled, seniors and children at greater risk.

Nearly one in five Americans is disabled, which means about 60 million people are more at risk during times of emergency.

“Very little is known as to how to make these individuals safe,” says Irwin Redlener, head of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and one of the foremost authorities on disaster relief.

Disasters could cost world $421bn by 2030:  The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events could cost the world $421 billion per year by 2030, the Red Cross warned on Monday.

“Disasters take lives and ruin prospects, often making the situation of already impoverished people even worse,” said European Union Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva in a news release from the Red Cross on Monday.

The warning came as the Red Cross-a global humanitarian aid charity-and the European Commission-the executive body of the European Union-launched a joint communications campaign on the importance of preparing for disasters.

NOTE: Usually I post the URL to the original report, but in this case I cannot find it. The Red Cross is a big organization!  If any readers know please comment.

Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Action Needed to Enhance Integration and Coordination of Vulnerability Assessment Efforts [Reissued on September 17, 2014]. Some excerpts from the report:

Damage from natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy in 2012 highlights the vulnerability of the nation’s CI. CI includes assets and systems whose destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, or national public health or safety. The private sector owns the majority of the nation’s CI, and multiple federal entities, including DHS, are involved in assessing its vulnerabilities. These assessments can identify factors that render an asset or facility susceptible to threats and hazards. GAO was asked to review how federal entities assess vulnerabilities.

This report examines the extent to which DHS is positioned to (1) integrate DHS vulnerability assessments to identify priorities, (2) identify duplication and gaps within its coverage, and (3) manage an integrated and coordinated government-wide assessment approach. GAO reviewed CI laws, regulations, data from fiscal years 2011-13, and other related documentation, as well as interviewed officials at DHS, other agencies, and a private CI association.

What GAO Recommends: GAO recommends that DHS identify the areas assessed for vulnerability most important for integrating and comparing results, establish guidance for DHS offices and components to incorporate these areas into their assessments, ensure that assessment data are consistently collected, and work with other federal entities to develop guidance for what areas to include in vulnerability assessments, among other things. DHS concurred with these recommendations.