These are recently awarded contract and grants for the study of hazards and disasters. An inventory of contracts and grants awarded from 1995 to the present (primarily those funded by the National Science Foundation) is available on the Natural Hazards Center's Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/grants.html.
Developing Guidance and Expertise on Sustainable Recovery from Disaster for Communities. Funding: Public Entity
Risk Institute, $175,024, 20 months. Principal Investigator: Mary Fran Myers, Natural Hazards Research and Applications
Information Center, Campus Box 482, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0482; (303) 492-2150; fax: (303) 492-2151; e-mail: myersmf@colorado.edu; WWW: http://www.colo
rado.edu/hazards.
This project is a follow-up to the Natural Hazards Center's previous investigation of the feasibility of using teams of
experts to help stricken communities recover from disaster. In this phase, information will be developed on "sustainable
local recovery" and training will be conducted to generate expertise on this topic throughout the nation. The focus of the
materials and training will be on helping localities understand, plan for, and implement recovery policies and activities that
will enhance their overall sustainability through reduced vulnerability to hazards. The project will result in a guidebook on
sustainable local recovery and culminate in a pilot training session on the topic. A database of disaster professionals
involved in recovery and sustainability will also be developed.
Emergency Management Standards and Accreditation Project. Funding: Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), $95,000, 24 months. Contact: Tina Hembree, National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), Council of
State Governments, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578; (606) 244-8000;
e-mail: thembree@csg.com; WWW:
http://www.nemaweb.org.
NEMA has received funding from FEMA to develop an emergency management standards and accreditation program. The
association has established an initial working group, composed of representatives from NEMA, FEMA, the International
Association of Emergency Managers, and state representatives, that will address emergency management functions. The
working group will develop a commentary that builds on the National Fire Protection Association's 1600 Standards (see
the Observer, Vol. XXIV, No. 3, p. 10) by providing materials that explain contemporary best practices in emergency
management.
Flood Hazard Mitigation Community Training Video. Funding: Public Entity Risk Institute, $80,000, 12 months.
Contact: Diane Watson, Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), 2809 Fish Hatchery Road, Suite 204,
Madison, WI 53713; (608) 274-0123; fax: (608) 274-0696; e-mail: asfpm@floods.org; WWW: http://www.floods.org.
Approximately 18,000 communities in the U.S. are threatened by floods. To help these communities reduce losses and
better prepare, the ASFPM will produce and distribute a video, aimed at local government officials, community
representatives, and citizens, that provides guidance on reducing flood damage. It will emphasize preparing a community
flood mitigation plan and outline steps for accomplishing this task, including establishing a mitigation planning committee,
identifying areas appropriate for acquisition and redevelopment, identifying methods to reduce or eliminate exposure to
floods, adopting a plan, and monitoring implementation.
From Red Rocks Community College As society's exposure to hazards increases and as emergency management career opportunities increase in parallel, the
professional emergency manager must master new and increasingly complex skills. To do this, continuing education is
essential. Recognizing this need, faculty at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado, have developed a
program to serve the many prospective students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to attend traditional classes. They
have developed an Internet program exclusively for emergency management personnel. Students taking the Red Rocks on-line courses can obtain an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Emergency
Management and Planning or an Emergency Management Certificate. The 60-credit-hour associate degree is geared toward
new entrants into the emergency management field, while the certificate program, requiring 30 credit hours, is for current
practitioners wanting to upgrade their skills. The program includes all seven courses required for the Federal Emergency
Management Agency Professional Development Series Certificate. Being on the Internet, the courses are available to
students anywhere. Anyone interested in the Red Rocks Emergency Management distance learning courses can access a complete list of
offerings and register for courses via the World Wide Web at http://www.ccconline.org/catalog/index.cfm. To receive more
information, including a program brochure, contact Red Rocks Community College, 13300 West 6th Avenue, Lakewood,
CO 80228-1255; (303) 914-6462; fax: (303) 914-6803; e-mail: emp@rrcc.cccoes.edu. To assist those involved in planning disaster-resistant communities, particularly people and institutions involved in the
Federal Emergency Management Agency's Project Impact, the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering
Research (MCEER) Information Service recently added a number of model mitigation plans from various states and
communities to the State University of New York at Buffalo library collection. The plans can be borrowed from university
libraries, and planners can use them as models for designing postdisaster recovery and reconstruction programs in their
communities. For additional information contact Laura Taddeo, MCEER Information Service, State University of New
Emergency Management Education On-Line
MCEER Offers Mitigation Plans
Seeking Participants/Contributors
Environment Canada, in cooperation with Emergency Preparedness Canada and the Geological Survey of Canada, is in the initial stages of preparing an assessment of knowledge and research regarding natural hazards and disasters in Canada. This assessment is expected to be similar in many ways to the one conducted at the Natural Hazards Center, which resulted in the book, Disasters by Design: A Reassessment of Natural Hazards in the United States, by center director Dennis Mileti (see the Observer, Vol. XXIII, No. 4, p. 3).
For the Canadian effort, an initial workshop will be held in Toronto, May 11-12, 2000, to create a common vision of the nature of the assessment, develop a table of contents, and assign a variety of responsibilities to participants. Work will include the identification of lead authors and contributors, chapter organizers, editors, and other participants and roles. The project is expected to take approximately three years to complete.
The organizers understand that while the triggers of disasters can be natural environmental events, vulnerability is largely a product of socioeconomic forces. Hence, this project is a cross-sectoral, multidisciplinary exercise. Additionally, all important natural hazards will be examined, including hydrometeorological (e.g., floods, droughts, winter storms) and geophysical (e.g., earthquakes, landslides) events.
Persons interested in attending this workshop, becoming involved in the research, or obtaining more information, should contact David Etkin, Adaptation and Impacts Research Group, University of Toronto, Environment Canada, 33 Willcocks
Street #1016V, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E8; (416) 978-6310; fax: (416) 978-3884; e-mail: david.etkin@ec.gc.ca; WWW: http://www1.tor.ec.gc.ca/airg. Limited funding is available for travel for nongovernment participants.
The International Sociological Association's Research Committee on Disaster has established the Samuel Henry Prince Award Committee to encourage and acknowledge excellence in disaster scholarship. The committee honors young scholars who, in their dissertation research, make a distinguished contribution to the field of disaster research. Dissertations from any discipline will be considered for the award, there is no restriction on the number of awards given within a particular timeframe, and an award may be made up to five years after successful defense of a dissertation. The committee will outline the merits of successful dissertations in an official announcement presented at the World Congress of Sociology.
To nominate a scholar for this award, copies of the dissertation and a nominating letter from someone familiar with the dissertation's contribution to disaster research or a letter of endorsement from the supervisor of the dissertation should be sent to each committee member listed below. In either case, the letter should provide the title, date, and discipline of the dissertation, should indicate consent of the scholar, and should provide an address to which the committee can address further correspondence. The committee chair will acknowledge receipt of a submission and will outline the procedures followed by the committee.
Inquiries should be directed to the committee chair, Neil R. Britton, Ministry for Emergency Management, c/o P.O. Box 11-388, Wellington, New Zealand; e-mail: neil.britton@dia.govt.nz. Other commit tee members include Kenneth Hewitt,
Department of Geography, Wilfred Laurier University, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5, and Peter May, Department of Political Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.
Below are summaries of some of the recent, more useful publications on hazards and disasters received by the Natural Hazards Center. A complete bibliography of publications received from 1995 through 2000 is posted on our World Wide Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/bib/bib.html.
Environmental Hazards: Human and Policy Dimensions, Vol. 1, No. 1 (June 1999). Subscriptions: $58.00, individuals;
$125.00, institutions. To subscribe, contact Elsevier Science, Regional Sales Office, Customer Support Department, 655
Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10010; (212) 633-3680; WWW: http://www.elsevier.nl.
This new journal addresses the full range of hazards, from extreme geological, hydrological, atmospheric, and biological
events such as earthquakes, floods, storms, and epidemics to technological failures such as industrial explosions, fires, and
toxic materials releases. It focuses on issues related to human vulnerability, awareness, and response. This inaugural issue
contains papers that examine hazards in the current era of environmental and societal transformation, the differences
between human-caused and geophysical environmental damage, community sustainability, the use of building codes to
implement earthquake hazard mitigation, the reframing of global disaster policies, and environmental hazards in Russia.
"Are You Prepared for Disaster?" History News, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Summer 1999). $13.00. To subscribe, contact the
American Association for State and Local History, 1717 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37203-9013; (615) 320-3203; fax:
(615) 327-9013; e-mail: history@aaslh.org.
Institutions responsible for protecting and sharing the history of our culture must prepare for disasters. This issue of
History News includes articles on the lack of local histories and understanding about disasters and their impacts; the
National Task Force on Emergency Response, an effort to reduce the future impact of natural disasters on cultural and
historic institutions in the U.S.; and the recovery from a tornado at the Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson's home. It
also includes a list of cultural heritage resources supporting disaster preparedness, response, and recovery and a "Technical
Leaflet" produced by the American Association for State and Local History, Protecting Cultural Heritage Properties from
Fire, by J. Andrew Wilson.
Open for Business: A Disaster Planning Toolkit for the Small Business Owner. 1999. 40 pp. $10.00, printed copies; free,
Internet version. To order, contact the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), 175 Federal Street, Suite 500,
Boston, MA 02110-2222; (617) 292-2003; fax: (617) 292-2022; e-mail: info@ibhs.org; WWW: http://www.ibhs.org.
IBHS and the Small Business Administration created this publication to guide small businesses in identifying potential
hazards; planning for and reducing the impacts of disasters; continuing to operate after a disaster occurs; and obtaining
insurance, disaster supplies, and other necessities. The kit contains "worksheets" for contacting creditors, customers, and
suppliers; creating a disaster supply kit; developing an emergency contact list; and inventorying business assets. An
employee disaster safety poster (17" x 23") outlines employee protection from earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods
and flash floods, severe thunderstorms, and wildfires. It also lists the items that should be included in a company's disaster
supply kit.
Business Risk Assessment. David McNamee. 1998. 107 pp. $85.00, nonmembers; $75.00, members. To order, contact the
Institute of Internal Auditors, 249 Maitland Avenue, Altamonte Springs, FL 37201-4201; (877) 867-4957 or (770) 442-9742; e-mail: iiapubs@pbd.com; WWW: http://www.theiia.org.
Risk analysis is a decision-making tool that involves considering the consequences of alternative actions. Because
businesses must function in an ever-changing environment, awareness of evolving risks is crucial to survival. In Business
Risk Assessment, McNamee discusses the nature of risk, processes that mitigate risk, business risk assessment in general,
risk identification, risk measurement, risk prioritization, and risk modeling. He provides a risk management self-assessment
questionnaire that involves all parts of an organization and leads to organization-wide risk management controls that result
in an effective response to rapidly changing conditions.
In the last 1,000 years, more than 15 million people have died in at least 100,000 natural disasters, according to the Munich Reinsurance (MunichRe) Geoscience Research Group, which has been gathering detailed world disaster data for over 25 years. The group recently published Topics 2000: Natural Catastrophes--The Current Position (1999, 126 pp., free). Based on MunichRe's comprehensive data, the report presents interesting facts about the consequences of earthquakes, floods, windstorms, and other natural disasters, as well as a history of major disasters in the second millennium. It contains numerous photos, as well as charts and graphs that indicate the number of events, economic losses, fatalities, and insured losses. It also discusses the reasons for the increase in natural catastrophes--population growth, climate change, development of at-risk areas, and building practices. In particular, the report focuses on disaster trends over the last 50 years, noting that economic losses have continued to increase at an alarming rate, and discusses the implications of these losses for the insurance industry.
Copies of the report, order number 2895-M-e, are free and can be obtained from Angelika Wirtz, Geoscience Research Group, Munich Reinsurance Company, Königstrasse 10, 80791 Munich, Germany; tel: 4989 3891-3453; e-mail: awirtz@munichre.com. Information contained in the report is also available from the company's Web site: http://www.munichre.com.
Metro Regional Services, the planning body for the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area, has done much work to identify and mitigate the hazards threatening that area. The Metro Natural Hazards Program recently created a Web site dedicated to informing the public about risks in the region; it can be viewed at http://hazards.metro-region.org. The site contains earthquake, landslide, and flood maps of the Portland area; links to other hazards sites; news releases; and publications and information on how to order them.
Metro recently sent the Natural Hazards Center some of their newest publications, including:
All items can be purchased from the Metro Data Resource Center, 600 N.E. Grand Avenue, Portland, OR 97232-2736; (503) 797-1742; fax: (503) 797-1909; e-mail: drc@metro.dst.or.us; WWW: http://www.metro.dst.or.us.
Midwest Tornadoes of May 3, 1999: Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance. FEMA 342. 1999. 218
pp. Free. Copies can be requested from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Publications Distribution
Facility, P.O. Box 2012, Jessup, MD 20794-2012; (800) 480-2520. The Web version can be viewed at
http://www.fema.gov/mit/bpat.
In May of last year, an outbreak of tornadoes tore through areas of Oklahoma and Kansas, leveling entire neighborhoods
and killing 49 people. FEMA deployed a Building Performance Assessment Team (BPAT) to the area to evaluate building
successes and failures, and their findings are contained in this document. The report provides a history of the storm, a
general assessment and characterization of the damage, and observations on residential and nonresidential property
protection and on personal protection and sheltering. It also includes recommendations from the BPAT regarding wind-resistant building codes, ordinances that incorporate tornado shelters into new construction and communities,
improvements in manufactured homes and their connections to foundations, improved construction techniques and
materials, enforcement of existing building codes, and many other activities that could reduce risk from tornadoes.
The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth. Blake Gumprecht. 1999. 384 pp. $39.95. Available from
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD; (800) 537-5487; fax: (410) 516-6998; WWW:
http://www.press.jhu.edu/press.
Three centuries ago, the Los Angeles River meandered through marshes and forests of willow and sycamore. Today, it runs
through concrete and is probably best known as a place where Hollywood movie studios film high-speed car chases. In this
volume, Blake Gumprecht describes the dramatic changes to the river wrought by various flood-control projects. Despite
its usually meager flow, in the past the river was unpredictable and prone to flooding during winter rains, often shifting its
course with each new storm. Repeated catastrophic floods in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to a comprehensive
regional flood-control program. Gumprecht describes these developments and the complex and often controversial
processes by which the river was straightened, deepened, and widened, and its new channel lined with concrete from its
source to the sea.
Hydrological Extremes: Understanding, Predicting, Mitigating. 1999. 314 pp. £46.50. Copies can be purchased from Jill
Gash, International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) Press, Institute of Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire
OX10 8BB, U.K; tel: +44 1491 692442; fax: +44 1491 692448/692424; e-mail: jilly@iahs.demon.co.uk.
Hydrological Extremes contains 39 papers, the edited proceedings of a symposium held during the General Assembly of
the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics in the U.K. in July 1999. Papers are organized around four major
themes: links between atmospheric circulation patterns and hydrological extremes, natural processes that cause these
extreme events, methods for prediction of the severity of drought and floods, and mitigation of these phenomena.
Comprehensive River Basin Development: The Tennessee Valley Authority. Barbara A. Miller and Richard B. Reidinger,
Editors. World Bank Technical Paper No. 416. 1998. 104 pp. $22.00. Available from the World Bank, P.O. Box 960,
Herndon, VA 20172-0960; (800) 645-7247 or (703) 661-1580; fax: (703) 661-1501; e-mail: books@worldbank.org;
WWW: http://www.worldbank.org.
Established more than 65 years ago to guide the development of the resources of the Tennessee River Basin, the Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA) subsequently constructed a vast infrastructure of multipurpose dams and reservoirs and continues
to operate a wide variety of programs in the region that deal with water, power, economic development, and the
environment. This report presents an overview of TVA's growth and development, its institutions, and its operational
programs.
Living with the Lakes: Understanding and Adapting to Great Lakes Water Level Changes. 1999. 38 pp. Free. Copies are
available from the Great Lakes Commission, Argus II Building, 400 Fourth Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4816; (734) 665-9135; WWW: http://www.glc.org/docs/lakelevels/lakelevels.html.
Unlike oceans, where tides and levels are relatively constant and predictable, water levels on the Great Lakes can vary
significantly over both the short and long term, making them difficult to predict accurately. This document describes the
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin; natural factors that affect lake levels; human influences on the system; methods for
controlling water levels; the effects of lake level fluctuations; and options for combating erosion and flooding, including
structural and nonstructural measures. It also provides an extensive list of "Points of Contact from which one can obtain
information, as well as Web sites and suggested further reading.
The Disaster Time Line provides a unique, graphic depiction of major disasters, both natural and technological, that have affected emergency management policies in the U.S. Using colorful graphics, the Disaster Time Line chart (roughly 11" x 32") shows not only major events and the year they occurred, but also after-action reports and analyses, and the influence each entry had on major federal statutes, federal regulations and executive orders, federal response plans, and major federal organizational changes.
Within the U.S., the Disaster Time Line costs $20.00, including postage. Contact the address below for details about bulk purchases, international mailing costs, or other mailing arrangements. Orders must be prepaid by check or money order and should be directed to Disaster Time Line, Claire B. Rubin and Associates, P.O. Box 2208, Arlington, VA 22202; (703) 920-7176; e-mail: info@disaster-timeline.com or cbrubin@aol.com. For more information, see http://www.disaster-timelin e.com.
Encyclopedia of Deserts. Michael A. Mares, Editor. 1999. 672 pp. $49.95. To order, contact the University of Oklahoma
Press, 4100 28th Avenue, N.W., Norman, OK 73069-8218; (800) 627-7377; fax: (405) 364-5798; WWW: http://www.ou.edu/oupress.
According to its publishers, the Encyclopedia of Deserts is the first comprehensive reference to the deserts and semideserts
of the world. Compiled by 37 experts, the volume contains information on desert biology, geography, climatology,
geology, hydrology, anthropology, and history. It also provides information on the causes of arid lands, the types of arid
lands that exist, and native peoples. Topics of interest to Observer readers include agriculture in deserts, alluvial fans,
cyclones, dams and deserts, El Niño, flooding, hail, and Santa Ana winds. (But this volume is a true encyclopedia. There's
even a section that describes movies filmed in deserts.) Each entry is cross-referenced and contains a "Further Reading
section that lists additional sources of information.
Improving El Niño Forecasting: The Potential Economic Benefits. Rodney F. Weiher, Editor. To request a copy, contact
Rodney Weiher, Chief Economist, Policy and Strategic Planning, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), Room 6117, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; e-mail: rodney.f.weiher@noaa.gov.
Determining economic benefits is a useful tool in setting research and operational priorities for NOAA activities as well as
gauging the social returns from expenditures of public dollars. This publication describes a NOAA program to quantify the
economic benefits of improved forecasts of El Niño climate events. Unlike hurricanes and tornadoes, the El Niño Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) is a climatic cycle that has longer-term implications on weather patterns throughout the world. Its 12-
to 18-month cycle between warm and cold states can alter temperatures and precipitation to such an extent that they
significantly disrupt agriculture, commercial fishing, tourism, and many other businesses and industries. Over the last
decade, NOAA has greatly improved forecasting for this phenomenon--70% to 80% accurate a year prior to occurrence.
Improving El Niño Forecasting offers varying perspectives on this technological advance and includes papers that
examine the economic value of an improved ENSO forecast, the economic costs of El Niño and La Niña for agriculture,
their effects on fuel oil costs, and the value of improved forecasting for agricultural commodities markets and Pacific
Northwest fisheries. It also contains a cost/benefit analysis of forecasting systems.
Implications for Earthquake Risk Reduction in the United States from the Kocaeli, Turkey, Earthquake of August 17,
1999. Circular 1193. 1999. 65 pp. Free. To obtain a copy, contact the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box
25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225; (800) 435-7627 or (303) 202-4700; fax: (303) 202-4693. The complete report
is also available on-line: http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/circulars/c1193.
In August of last year, a damaging earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Izmit, killing over 17,000 people, injuring
more than 43,000, and rendering over 250,000 people homeless. The Kandilli Observatory and Research Institute of
Bogazici University in Istanbul invited the U.S. Geological Survey to participate in postearthquake research: this circular
contains the findings. The research team, assisted by representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the
National Institute for Standards and Technology, have long understood that the Turkish quake zone bears strong
similarities to the San Andreas fault system in California. They discuss this geologic setting and the earthquake history of
the region, earthquake forecasting, surface faulting, ground shaking, liquefaction, and building performance, and other
lessons for the U.S.
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire. John H. MacLean. 1999. 275 pp. $35.00. For a list of
booksellers who carry this item, see the William Morrow (publisher) Web site: http://www.williammorrow.com/howtoorder.html.
On the morning of July 3, 1994, a forest fire on Storm King Mountain in Colorado was wrongly recorded as taking place at
South Canyon. This oversight became the first of a series of seemingly small human errors that led to the deaths of 14
firefighters three days later. With the aid of papers obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and dozens of
interviews, MacLean takes a hard look at the official investigation that followed the fire and the divided conclusions of the
investigative team. He also tries to answer three mysteries that surround the blaze: Why wasn't the fire, clearly visible from
an interstate highway, put out earlier? Why did a legendary smoke jumper turn back to the fire after making his way to
safety? and How could a seasoned group of firefighters be caught off guard?
1999 Activities of the Tsunami Mitigation Subcommittee: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, FEMA.
1999. 62 pp. Free. To request a copy, contact Chris Jonientz-Trisler, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
Region X, 130 228th Street, S.W., Bothell, WA 98021-9796; (425) 487-4645; fax: (425) 487-4622; e-mail: Chris.Jonientz-Trisler@fema.gov.
The Mitigation Subcommittee of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program includes representatives from several
state programs that promote "tsunami-resistant communities." In addition to these efforts, states collaborate to produce
regional products. These activities are detailed in this report, which provides information on the products and programs for
each member state along with complete contact information; case studies of successful tsunami-related programs; and
multistate projects. Appendices present the results of a survey conducted following an earthquake-induced tsunami warning
and a list of Web resources.
Educating those who work and play in steep terrain about the dangers of snow avalanches is critical to their safety. Following a two-year effort, professionals who deal with avalanches, such as ski patrol members, forecasters, and avalanche educators, have produced new guidelines for avalanche education courses in the U.S. These criteria were recently approved by the American Association of Avalanche Professionals' (AAAP) governing board.
The guidelines include a statement of educational philosophy and course objectives and list prerequisites, suggested reading, classroom lecture guidelines, field session guidelines, and post-evaluation items.
The complete set of guidelines is contained in the December 1999 issue of the Avalanche Review (Vol. 18, No. 1). To subscribe, contact the AAAP, P.O. Box 1032, Bozeman, MT 59771-1032; (406) 587-3830; fax: (406) 586-4307; e-mail: avalpro@theglobal.net; WWW: http://www.avalanche.org.
Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool. 1999. CD-ROM. Free. To request a copy, contact the NOAA Coastal Services
Center Clearinghouse, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413;
(843) 740-1210; fax: (843) 740-1315; e-mail: clearinghouse@csc.noaa.gov; WWW: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/nc.htm.
This CD explains community vulnerability to coastal hazards in general and presents a tutorial on using a vulnerability
assessment method to define risk, identify critical resources, and analyze potential impacts from hazards. The tutorial helps
the user analyze physical, social, economic, and environmental vulnerability as well as identify mitigation opportunities at
the community level. A case study of Hanover County, North Carolina, illustrates how geographic information systems can
be used to accomplish these activities. The CD also contains an examination of various data tools, such as remote sensing
and geographic information systems, that can be used to reduce vulnerability.
The Unexpected Catastrophe. 2000. CD-ROM. $80.00 (U.S.), plus $8.00 (Australian) for shipping. To order, contact the
Newcastle Region Library, P.O. Box 489, Newcastle NSW 2300, Australia; tel: (612) 4974 5300; fax: (612) 4974 5395; e-mail: irc@ncc.nsw.gov.au; WWW: http:
//www.ncc.nsw.gov.au/library/eqdb/earthq10.htm.
This CD-ROM contains an electronic multimedia library on the 1989 Newcastle earthquake. Organized as a database, it
includes not just bibliographic information, but the full text of documents, images,and excerpts of sound and video clips
relating to the first historical earthquake in Australia. Topics include engineering, seismology, emergency response,
renewal of the city of Newcastle, insurance reports and studies, as well as psychological, social, and economic impacts on
the community.
Effective Disaster Recovery Techniques. Order #PB.E24A. 1998. VHS (four tapes) and 23-page booklet. $49.00, plus
$8.00 shipping, members; $75.00, plus $9.00 shipping, nonmembers. To order, contact the American Public Works
Association, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 500, Kansas City, MO 64108-2641; (816) 472-6100; fax: (816) 472-1610; e-mail: catalog@apwa.net; WWW: http://www.apwa.net/catalog.
During disasters, local public works organizations have many responsibilities, such as responding to gas leaks, ensuring
roadways are cleared, and keeping drinking water clean. These four videos, based on the four phases of emergency
management--mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery--highlight the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
Project Impact, which works to build disaster resistant communities; discuss preparing for and recovering from floods and
El Niño related hazards, provide insight into cyber/computer threats to infrastructure; and explain critical incident stress
Immediately following an earthquake, individuals and organizations involved in earthquake preparedness, planning, and response will now be able to save valuable time when assessing damage, thanks to work just completed for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
HAZUS (short for "Hazards U.S.") is a state-of-the-art computer program developed by NIBS to provide loss estimations following earthquakes. It is nationally applicable, standardized, and can be used at the community or regional level. HAZUS is designed to aid not only response and recovery but also preparedness and mitigation through the creation of earthquake scenarios.
Under a cooperative agreement with FEMA, NIBS has significantly upgraded the program; it is now faster and can provide more detailed information just minutes following a quake. The new edition--HAZUS99--is available from FEMA and NIBS and is free to all federal, state, and local agencies and other public and private organizations involved in earthquake planning and response. The program is available on CD-ROM in three editions: Eastern U.S., Central U.S., and Western U.S. Each CD includes a tutorial and an "Inventory Collection Tool." The program is being developed to work with either MapInfo or ArcView geographic information system software.
FEMA is currently expanding HAZUS by developing loss estimation models for flood and hurricane hazards, and preview versions of these models are being prepared for release in 2002. CD-ROMs containing data for earthquake, wind, and flood exposure analysis are also being prepared for each state.
For more information about HAZUS99, contact Claire Drury, FEMA HAZUS Project Manager, FEMA, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-2884; e-mail: claire.drury@fema.gov or Philip Schneider, NIBS Multihazard Loss
Estimation Program, NIBS, 1090 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005-4905; (202) 289-7800; fax: (202) 289-1092; e-mail: pschneider@nibs.org; WWW: http://www.nibs.o rg.
The NATURAL HAZARDS RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS INFORMATION CENTER was founded to strengthen communication among researchers and the individuals and organizations concerned with mitigating natural disasters. The center is funded by the National Science Foundation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Institute for Business and Home Safety, and the Public Entity Risk Institute. Please send information of potential interest to the center or the readers of this newsletter to the address below. The deadline for the next Observer is March 17, 2000.
Center phone number: (303) 492-6818
Fax: (303) 492-2151
E-mail: hazctr@spot.colorado.edu
Publications Clerk: (303) 492-6819
E-mail: janet.kroeckel@colorado.edu
Sylvia C. Dane, Editor
David L. Butler, Prestidigitator
Dennis S. Mileti, Center Director
Mary Fran Myers, Co-Director
Sarah Michaels, Information Architect
Jacquelyn Monday, Program Manager
Diane Smith, Staff Assistant
Janet Kroeckel, Publications Clerk
Eve Passerini, Research Associate
Lori Peek, Research Assistant
Alice Fothergill, Research Assistant
Len Wright, Research Assistant
Cartoons for the Observer are drawn by Rob Pudim.
ISSN 0737-5425
Printed in the USA.
Published bimonthly. Reproduction with acknowledgment is permitted and encouraged.
The Observer is free to subscribers within the U.S. Subscriptions beyond the U.S. cost $15.00 per year. Back issues of the Observer are available for $2.00 each, plus shipping and handling. Orders must be prepaid. Checks should be payable to the University of Colorado.
Copies of the Observer and the Hazards Center's e-mail newsletter, Disaster Research, are also available from the Natural Hazards Center's World Wide Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards
To contact the editor of the Natural Hazards Observer, send an e-mail message to sylvia.dane@colorado.edu
To contact the editor of Disaster Research, send an e-mail message to david.butler@colorado.edu
For other services or information provided by the Natural Hazards Center, send an e-mail message to hazctr@spot.colorado.edu
To reach us by snail mail, send correspondence to:
Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center
Institute of Behavioral Science #6
University of Colorado at Boulder
Campus Box 482
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0482
Last updated February 23, 2000.
If you have questions about this document, please contact sylvia.dane@colorado.edu.
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