Some Earthquake Science re the Japan Earthquake

Posted on December 1, 2011 by recoverydiva

Thanks to the Internet, I can find all sorts of interesting articles about disasters. This one deals with the physics of disasters, which for the most part is not something this social scientist understands very fully. But I was intrigued with some of the details of the article. Source is phsicstoday.org; December 2011. Insights from the great 2011 Japan earthquake.

One quote from the Lessons Learned section of the article:

The Tohoku-oki event confirmed the value of applying modern technologies to earthquake and tsunami mitigation efforts. Strain-accumulation measurements, offshore fault-zone observations, and early earthquake and tsunami warning systems all played a role in saving lives, as terrible as the event was. Extreme events can and do happen, and resources may be too limited to fully protect ourselves. Our best prospect for coping with those events’ effects, however, is to draw on our technologies, preparations, and ability to respond when Earth delivers the unexpected, as it did on 11 March 2011.

Predictably, scientists always wish they knew more and always are in hopes of finding more research money!

Update on Recovery in Christchurch, N.Z.

Posted on December 1, 2011 by recoverydiva

According to a news report, the city of Christchurch has adopted the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Plan; December 1, 2011. For updated versions of the Infrastructure Strategy, go to this website. For more information about the recovery process, check out this additional site.

See also this article about Christchurch being one of the 9 Cities to Watch in the Future. Dec. 2, 2011.

Private Sector Contributions to Recovery

Posted on November 29, 2011 by recoverydiva

A typical Lowe's storefront in Santa Clara, Ca...

Image via Wikipedia

What Big-Box Retailers Can Teach Government About Disaster Recovery ; from Govtech.com, November 28. There’s not a lot of new information in here, but the article does serve as a good reminder that some of the major national corporations are well organized and practiced when it comes to working with the public sector to assist with response and recovery functions. If you do have some of these well-prepared private enterprises in your community, start early to work on public/private partnerships, including agreements regarding assets and even the ability to borrow executives, if needed locally.

With hundreds of locations nationally and globally, big-box companies like Lowe’s and Target have become masters of disaster recovery and business continuity. With their geographic vastness, these companies must be ready for natural and man-made disasters and have an action plan for everything from rebuilding a store to supporting affected employees.

These companies excel at disaster recovery because they’ve endured it before. They’ve learned lessons along the way (think Hurricane Katrina) and adapted plans. While there are many distinctions between public and private sectors, they’re more alike than different when it comes to business continuity and disaster recovery.

Profile of Craig Fugate, FEMA Directior, from FL newspaper

Posted on November 26, 2011 by recoverydiva

FL paper reports kindly about one of its former state officials who now has national prominence. See Master of Disaster Stands Ready, from fltoday.com; Nov. 25, 2011.

Invitation to become a guest blogger

Posted on November 23, 2011 by recoverydiva

Opportunity to write for this blog : for those of you out there engaged in recovery research or practical projects, consider writing a short posting about your work. Or, offer your perspective on a current event.

More Natural Disasters Expected – emergency managers should take note

Posted on November 19, 2011 by recoverydiva

Cover of "Climate Change: The Ipcc Respon...

Cover via Amazon

Report: Climate change means more frequent droughts, floods to come is the title of an article that appeared in the Wash. Post on 11/18.

Climate change will make the drought and flooding events that have battered the United States and other countries in 2011 more frequent in years to come, forcing nations to rethink the way they cope with disasters. according to a new report the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued Friday.

The report — the culmination of a two-year process involving 100 scientists and policy experts — suggests that researchers are far more confident about the prospect of more intense heat waves and heavy downpours than they are about how global warming is affecting hurricanes and tornadoes. But the new analysis also speaks to a broader trend: The world is facing a new reality of more extreme weather, and policymakers and business alike are beginning to adjust.

For those of you who are educators or students of emergency management, it would appear that this will be a growing field in the future.

One more take on a related subject, future climate change and the prospect of future dust bowl disasters; added on 11.22.

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Historical Account of EM in the U.S. Needs Correction

Posted on November 18, 2011 by recoverydiva

Remember: All Disasters Are Local, says the FEMA Deputy Administrator; an article in Emergency Management Magazine, Nov. 14, based on Mr. Serino’s talk to IAEM Annual Conference. I take issue with a couple of points made here:

“FEMA started in 1979. Did we have disasters before 1979?” Serino asked. “It was locals taking care of each other, then the states helping and eventually the federal government.”

The emphasis has gone back to neighbors taking care of one another, and local and state governments utilizing mutual-aid agreements and Emergency Management Assistance Compacts instead of waiting for the federal government.

This brief account of the history of emergency management before FEMA was formed is not accurate. There were other federal agencies that dealt with disasters before FEMA was created, and the states and military had significant roles.

For a full and accurate account of emergency management development in the U.S. I can recommend a good book: Emergency Management; The American Experience, 1900-2005. And the first 3 people from Mr. Serino’s office to contact me will get a free copy!

FEMA’s New Think Tank — not the way to go [Corrected]

Posted on November 16, 2011 by recoverydiva

FEMA has just released details of a new endeavor. The good news is that FEMA thinks it needs a Think Tank, and the Deputy Director has set one up online. It relies in part on Twitter, which in my view is useless for most serious conversations though it might be useful for emergency alerts. In my view, this type of online exchange is not a Think Tank; I would have called it a forum or an information exchange. In depth thinking needs to be orchestrated differently .

Why am I so negative on this topic? In recent weeks I have been editing some very thoughtful work by noted academics in the field of EM in the U.S., and the number of complicated and intractable problems that FEMA faces is considerable. The new Think Tank is not likely to get to the fundamental issues, conflicts, and problems. I am waiting for FEMA to make a try to solve or minimize some of them. I will be glad to provide a list of fundamental issues we have identified.