From ESRI: Creating Local Capacity in Community Disaster Resilience Zones

“On September 1, 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the first round of Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ). Through an interactive map, created with geographic information system (GIS) technology, the CDRZ platform weighs the risk and vulnerability of communities. It shows zones in 483 communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each place will receive support and funds—before, during, and after disasters.”

From the Conversation: 3 powerful earthquakes strike Afghanistan in one week – here’s how people around the world prepare for disasters

“The terrible devastation caused by the three 6.3 magnitude earthquakes in Afghanistan is the result of the presence of centuries-old historic buildings and the continued use of old construction methods, such as clay bricks and unreinforced masonry. These building materials are prevalent worldwide, particularly in developing countries.”

We have seen these problems in Morocco, Libya, and Turkey.

From the Guardian: Grieving Maui residents prepare to rebuild but ask: ‘For whom?’
Hawaii’s environment has suffered since its annexation by the US – can rebuilding return the island to an earlier way of life?

From The Conversation: Nationwide test of Wireless Emergency Alert system could test people’s patience – or help rebuild public trust in the system.

From Inside Climate News: For Sanibel, the Recovery from Hurricane Ian Will Be Years in the Making. Thousands of residents of this barrier island remain displaced a year after the costliest hurricane in state history.

From the WashPost: Inside the complex effort to rid Maui of toxic fire debris and rubble

One of the most complicated wildfire cleanup missions in recent memory is now underway on the Hawaiian island of Maui, where fleets of workers and equipment are being shipped to the island while officials plot how to carefully but quickly remove hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic debris.

Federal authorities are working with wary locals to negotiate significant logistical hurdles not found in the aftermath of blazes on the mainland United States, and they are attempting to navigate the delicate dynamics of disaster cleanup in a place as historically and culturally important as the ruined town of Lahaina.

From HSTODAY: PERSPECTIVE: AI-Powered Automation Is Changing Disaster Relief Efforts. AI-powered automation alleviates disaster response teams’ workload by automating tedious aspects of their work and quickly connecting data to drive insights across multiple disparate systems.

From the Congressional Research Service, this report ( 24 pp) on Emergency Relief Program for Disaster-Damaged Highways and Bridges

From The Hill: Lawmakers unveil bipartisan measure making FEMA its own Cabinet-level agency

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) introduced bipartisan legislation Wednesday that would make the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) its own Cabinet-level department, elevating its importance as natural disasters regularly thrust it into the national spotlight.

Moskowitz, who formerly headed Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, and Graves argued that bureaucratic red tape is hindering FEMA’s ability to respond rapidly.

By removing the agency from under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they said in their press release, they hope to “drastically improve FEMA’s ability to prepare, respond, and recover.”

From Mother Jones: FEMA aims to help underserved communities prep for climate havoc

Though the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is best known for disaster response, it has emerged as perhaps the federal government’s most robust resource for preparing the country for the effects of a warming world. The agency has pumped billions of dollars into climate adaptation projects over the past few years, helping states and cities relocate flood-prone homes and harden infrastructure against wildfires.

But the agency’s infrastructure programs have drawn criticism for disproportionately funneling money toward larger, wealthier, and whiter communities, leaving smaller and poorer jurisdictions without the money they need to adapt to worsening climate-driven disasters.

There are two big reasons for this funding gap. The first is that FEMA doles out adaptation money through competitive grant programs, which means that a local government needs significant funding and staff to put together an application that stands a chance of attracting federal dollars. The second is that federal law requires the agency to fund only those adaptation projects that pass what it calls a “benefit-cost analysis.”