The University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography launched a new website this week: Hurricanes: Science and Society. The site has loads of information on the science of hurricanes, methods of observing hurricanes, and modeling and forecasting of hurricanes. In addition to in-depth science content, the website includes educational resources, case studies, and a […]
Author Archive | Wesley Shaw
Quick Proof that Building Codes Work [video]
Posted on October 27, 2010
The Institute for Business and Home Safety built a proper hurricane making machine, then constructed two homes in front of it. One was built to standard building codes, the other to their “Fortified for Safer Living” code. They turned the hurricane on and, well, you can see the results. Wow. Show this the next time […]
New Free Webinar on Climate Change Adaptation for Local Governments
Posted on October 26, 2010
Just got this press release announcing that EPA will continue a promising-looking webcast series designed to help local governments adapt to climate change. While the blurb doesn’t say the program is specifically targeting coastal communities, it seems likely that much if not all of what they discuss will apply to all of us abutting the […]
New Guidance for Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning
Posted on October 21, 2010
The Florida Department of Community Affairs and Florida Division of Emergency Management yesterday released its long-awaited Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning: A Guide for Florida Communities. [QUICK NOTE: while this is written for Florida, it’s likely to be useful for communities anywhere in the US.] From their announcement: Over the past four years the Department and the […]
Quick and Easy Way to Create Storm Surge Maps
Posted on October 11, 2010
They’re not precise enough to use for planning purposes, but the National Hurricane Center has created a neat tool to show projections for where hurricanes are likely to drive storm surge. Using it is as easy as visiting their Storm Surge Interactive Risk Maps webpage, selecting a category of storm (1-5) you’d like to see […]
White House Creates Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force
Posted on October 6, 2010
The Obama Administration yesterday designated a new Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. This group, to be made up of a mixture of federal, state, tribal, and local representatives, will work to maximize efficiency in the Gulf of Mexico’s efforts to improve its resiliency in the wake of man-made disasters. To that end, heathy ecosystems […]
New Details on the $500 Million BP Independent Research Initiative
Posted on September 30, 2010
A new press release yesterday from BP, outlining how the committed $500 million will be distributed (here in its entirety): BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Announce Implementation of BP’s $500 Million Independent Research Initiative HOUSTON – BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance today announced plans for the implementation of BP’s $500 million […]
Is Your Community Getting New Flood Maps? Here's How to Ease the Sting
Posted on September 28, 2010
The fine folks over at Colorado State’s Natural Hazards Center have a neat summary of the National Flood Insurance Program’s Preferred Risk Policies program in their monthly newsletter. The short version? Property owners who find themselves newly mapped into high risk flood areas now have up to two years to apply for a Preferred Risk […]
Training: Basic Concepts for Floodplain Management [December 14-15, Virginia]
Posted on September 23, 2010
First, the bad news: the course is in Virginia. The good news: it sounds like a good spot to get an overview of what it means to manage a floodplain. From the organizer’s description: This training course will present the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) concepts in flood management, damage prevention terminology, and protocols from […]
Senate Passes 1-Year National Flood Insurance Program Extension
Posted on September 22, 2010
The US Senate agreed today to a one-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The House (which has already approved a five-year extension) is expected to adopt the Senate extension. This is obviously a short-term fix, but given that the program has expired four times this year alone, it’s still welcome news.