Disaster Plan News

October 14, 2016

Business Cycle Drives Spread of Epidemics

Marsh Erosion from Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Smoke Waves To Affect Millions in Coming Decades

2009 Swine Flu Pandemic Originated in Mexico

Latest Headlines

updated 12:05am EDT

What Do Americans Fear?

Oct. 12, 2016 — The third annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2016) has been released by researchers. The survey asked respondents about 65 fears across a broad range of ... read more

As the Climate Warms, We Are 'Primed' for Worse Storms Than Sandy

Oct. 6, 2016 — With the climate warming and the sea level rising, conditions are ripe for storms deadlier and more devastating than Sandy that put more people at risk, warns a geography professor who has served as ... read more

Researchers Closer Than Ever to a Universal Flu Vaccine

Oct. 3, 2016 — Seasonal flu vaccines work by generating antibodies that bind to the virus and prevent it from infecting cells. Universal flu vaccines do this as well, but go one step further by recruiting white ... read more

High-Tech Future Early Warning System for Hurricanes, Tornados and Volcanic Eruptions

Sep. 27, 2016 — The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has been able to detect a gravity wave wafting through space ... read more

What Causes Mass Panic in Emergency Situations?

Sep. 20, 2016 — ... read more

Risk of Another Chernobyl or Fukushima Type Accident Plausible, Experts Say

Sep. 19, 2016 — The biggest-ever statistical analysis of historical accidents suggests that nuclear power is an underappreciated extreme risk and that major changes will be needed to prevent future ... read more

New Analysis Explores the Geographical Origins of the Flu

Sep. 14, 2016 — A computer model shows that small increases in transmission rates of the seasonal influenza A virus (H3N2) can lead to rapid evolution of new strains that spread globally through human ... read more

Climate, Air Travel Maps Identify Countries in Africa, Asia at Greatest Risk of Zika Virus

Sep. 1, 2016 — Many countries across Africa and Asia-Pacific may be vulnerable to Zika virus outbreaks, with India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, ... read more

Time Window for Action to Limit Climate Change Is Closing Rapidly

Sep. 1, 2016 — The window of opportunity for limiting climate warming up to 2°C is closing rapidly. However, a reinforcing upward spiral of national government policy, non-state actions and transformative ... read more

More Than 57,000 Children Become Overweight or Obese During Primary School

Aug. 31, 2016 — Every year, 57,100 children who started primary school in England at a healthy weight end up obese or overweight by the time they leave, according to new ... read more

Haiti Hurricane Aid Efforts Pick Up Pace

After Hurricane, Haiti Confronts Cholera Outbreak

Cholera Spreads in Storm-Devastated Haiti

Climate Change Could Put New York City Underwater More Often

Sandy's Surge Topped by 'Rogue' 1950 Storm in Some Areas

Sep. 29, 2016 — In November 1950, a freak storm spawned a record storm surge in Atlantic City and a near-record surge at Sandy Hook. Scientists are studying weather systems known as extratropical cyclones or ... read more

Floods Severely Affect Children, Young People

Sep. 22, 2016 — Research with flood-affected children reveals serious impacts on well-being but also a desire to take on a role in flood risk management. Factors impacting on children's well-being include: loss ... read more

'Funneling' Behind Severe Flooding on the Clyde

Sep. 15, 2016 — A “funneling” effect has been a major factor in severe flooding on the River Clyde in recent years, according to a study by English ... read more

Trauma and Shopping: Post Disaster Consumers Value Off Brand, Low Cost Goods

Sep. 6, 2016 — Traumatic events have lasting influence on what products people desire and purchase. When rebuilding and restocking an area that has been affected by conflict or natural disaster, what traumatized ... read more

FIND Offers Simple Guidance for Lost Person Searches

Sep. 2, 2016 — The new FIND software uses Lost Person Locator statistics of decisions and patterns made by lost individuals in over 150,000 past cases, known as lost person ... read more

Accurate Tools Can Help Vulnerable Areas Prepare for Disasters, Recover Afterward

Sep. 1, 2016 — Assessments that tell policy makers how vulnerable and resilient their communities are to devastating floods and other destructive events aren’t always accurate, according to the first-ever ... read more

Study Assesses Climate Change Vulnerability in Urban America

Aug. 31, 2016 — One of the first efforts to systematically assess how cities are preparing for climate change shows that city planners have yet to fully assess their vulnerability to climate change, leaving serious ... read more

Study Provides Voice for Evacuation Needs of Mobility Impaired

Aug. 26, 2016 — A new study details the challenges faced by people with mobility impairments during emergency evacuation from multistory buildings. The findings are especially relevant because they are based upon ... read more

Hurricanes Are Worse, but Experience, Gender and Politics Determine If You Believe It

Aug. 25, 2016 — Despite ample evidence that Atlantic hurricanes are getting stronger, research found that people's view of future storm threat is based on their hurricane experience, gender and political ... read more

In the Aftermath of Disaster, Social Media Helps Build a Sense of Community

Aug. 25, 2016 — Social media can disseminate critical information as well as unite disaster victims during their recovery efforts, suggests a new ... read more

World Risk Report 2016: Inadequate Infrastructure Pushes Up the Risk of Disaster

Aug. 25, 2016 — The World Risk Report 2016 analyzes the role that infrastructure plays in shaping a country's disaster risk. The World Risk Index, an integral part of the report, ranks 171 countries according ... read more

Tech Issues Cause Most Drone Accidents, Study Finds

Aug. 23, 2016 — Researchers have found that communications links and other technical problems were the cause of most reported drone accidents. This has led to a call for increased airworthiness regulations for drone ... read more

Protecting Plain Tobacco Packaging Against Industry Influence

Aug. 22, 2016 — Canada's public consultation on plain packaging for tobacco requires strict guidelines to protect against interference by the tobacco industry, and media must also be wary, according to a new ... read more

Seawalls, Forests Show Mixed Effectiveness at Reducing Deaths, Damage from Tsunami

Aug. 19, 2016 — The Pacific coast of the Tohoku region has been struck by four large tsunamis in just over a century - in 1896, 1933, 1960 and 2011. Many critics claim that seawalls are detrimental because they ... read more

Faster Method of Rebuilding Destroyed Homes

Aug. 18, 2016 — Texas legislators are investigating the benefits of RAPIDO, a pilot program that dramatically reduces the time it takes to rebuild homes destroyed by natural ... read more

Twitter Shows Promise in Rapid Assessment of Collective Traumas' Local Impact

Aug. 17, 2016 — An alternative to using Twitter geotags and hashtags to identify community members who have experienced collective trauma, such as a school shooting, shows promise in helping researchers rapidly ... read more

Medicaid Expansion Did Not Increase Emergency Department Use

Aug. 9, 2016 — Researchers have found that the expansion of Medicaid insurance coverage in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act did not increase hospital emergency department visits, as was widely ... read more

1967 Solar Storm Nearly Took US to Brink of War

Aug. 9, 2016 — A solar storm that jammed radar and radio communications at the height of the Cold War could have led to a disastrous military conflict if not for the US Air Force's budding efforts to monitor ... read more

Adaptation to Climate Risks: Political Affiliation Matters

Aug. 4, 2016 — A new study reveals that those who affiliate with the Democratic Party have different views than those who vote Republican on the following issues: the likelihood of floods occurring, adopting ... read more

Researchers Work to Understand Causes of Search and Rescue in the Arctic

Aug. 3, 2016 — Search and rescue operations in Nunavut have more than doubled over the past decade. In the communities of the vast northern Canadian territory, it's commonly felt that climate change is one ... read more

Thursday, September 29, 2016