Below are some recent disaster Internet resources we've encountered. For a list of some of the better sites dealing with hazards and disasters, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/sites/sites.html.
http://www.fema.gov/library/
Although we've cited the Federal Emergency Management Agency's on-line library before, it deserves additional mention
since it is one of the better Internet repositories of disaster information and since several new documents have been added.
Some of the library's current offerings include:
From the Mitigation section -- http://www.fema.gov/library/lib06.htm:
From the Response and Recovery section -- http://www.fema.gov/library/lib08.htm:
The Legal section--http://www.fema.gov/library/lib10.htm--includes copies of disaster legislation, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief Act, the Code of Federal Regulations, Emergency Management and Assistance, Executive Orders, FEMA congressional testimony, official notices, and all proposed and final FEMA rules from the Federal Register.
The Preparedness, Training, and Exercises section--http://www.fema.gov/library/lib07.htm--contains numerous publications on personal, family, and business mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery--many in multiple languages. Indeed, the library has an entire section devoted to Spanish-language publications.
http://www.fema.gov/mit/tsd/ft_mhira.htm
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Multi-Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment document is now
available on-line. As part of the agency's national effort to mitigate human and economic losses caused by disasters, FEMA
initiated a research project to document previous efforts to identify natural and technological hazards and assess associated
risks. Subsequently, Multi-Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment was prepared to summarize the findings. It reviews
virtually all atmospheric, geologic, hydrologic, and other natural hazards, as well as numerous technological risks. It then
summarizes several risk assessment approaches, identifies the various activities that compose the National Mitigation
Strategy, and concludes with a summary and numerous appendices.
http://www.riskinstitute.org (click on "Clearinghouse")
The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI--see the Observer, Vol. XXII, No. 2, p. 20; Vol. XXIII, No. 1, p. 8) has recently
upgraded the "Clearinghouse" section of its Web site. This searchable database now lists nearly 900 resources in five areas:
http://www.civil.buffalo.edu/aawe (click on "Publications")
In the late 1990s, FEMA prepared a National Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan, and subsequently asked the Multihazard
Mitigation Council (MMC) to review it. The plan's premise is that the nation must place a stronger emphasis on the
implementation of predisaster mitigation measures. It includes vision and mission statements and a list of guiding
principles and goals for achieving long-term disaster resiliency. The draft plan can be viewed on-line or downloaded from
this American Association for Wind Engineering Web site.
http://www.senate.gov/~edwards/cnhc/index.html
Senators John Edwards of North Carolina and Ted Stevens of Alaska have formed a Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus
to promote ways to reduce disaster losses and streamline disaster aid (see
the Observer, Vol XXIII, No. 2, p. 14). On June
21 of this year, they convened the "Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus Forum on Reducing America's Vulnerability to
Disasters" and heard testimony from several national disaster experts. Senator Edwards also called on a caucus work group
to prepare a report on U.S. natural hazards mitigation that could serve as a basis for discussion by the full Senate. Subsequently, Senator Edwards' office established this caucus Web site, which provides background information and testimony
from the June meeting.
http://www.adrc.or.jp/
http://www.adrc.or.jp/highlights.asp
Besides information about the center and disaster news of the region, the Web site of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center
(ADRC) in Kobe, Japan, now provides the center's new biweekly newsletter ADRC Highlights. The newsletter is also
distributed in English or Japanese through e-mail, fax, or regular mail. To subscribe to the e-mail version send your e-mail
address to editor@adrc.or.jp. More information is available from the Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Third Floor, IHD
Building 1-5-1, Wakihamakaigan-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073, Japan; tel: +81-78-230-0346; fax: +81-78-230-0347;
e-mail: editor@adrc.or.jp.
http://www.naem.com/connection.html
The Connection newsletter, published by North American Emergency Management Inc., comprises articles on local
preparation for and mitigation of emergencies written by the people involved. It includes profiles of specific local organizations and activities, particularly showcasing Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs). The editors of The
Connection welcome article submissions. The deadline for the next issue is February 15, 2001, and guidelines are available
from the newsletter's Web site. In addition, the editors are assembling a list of CERT-type community programs with
contact information for program coordinators. A submission form is also available from the site. For more information
about CERTs, see the FEMA Web site: http://www.fema.gov/emi/cert/.
http://coe-dmha.org/dr
The Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance has made the entire text and appendices of
Disaster Response: Principles of Preparation and Coordination, by Erik Auf der Heide, available on-line. The book, first
published in 1989, is now out of print. However it remains a comprehensive source of disaster management information.
The Web version is not simply the original text, but rather a new hypermedia edition, which the author is currently
updating.
http://www.ContinuityPlanner.com
ContinuityPlanner.com is a free service hosted by the Disaster Recovery Information Exchange in Canada. Open to all
individuals interested in business continuity planning, the site is nonprofit, supported by corporate sponsorship. It includes
a job bank; sample business continuity plans, templates, and guides; back issues of the Disaster Recovery E-zine; members'
Web pages; information on scheduled training and professional certification; links to other sources of current information;
on-line bulletin boards and meeting rooms; and more.
http://www.grid.unep.ch/preview/
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Global Resource Information Database (GRID) Project for Risk
Evaluation, Information and Early Warning (PREVIEW) has developed a new tool for quickly locating relevant Web sites
from among 100 organizations offering reports, data, and early warning information on natural and complex hazards. The
index covers climatic hazards (floods, droughts, tropical cyclones); tectonic hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes,
landslides); "eco-degrading" hazards (erosion, forest fires, biodiversity loss, deforestation); and polluting hazards (air,
water, soil, oil spills, nuclear waste). Information from the PREVIEW Web site can be accessed by theme or by
geographical location. The offerings are not intended to be exhaustive, but instead represent a selection provided by the
U.N. International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) Secretariat. The pages provide the names of the
organizations, a description of their products, their objectives, and their Web URL.
http://www.unicef.org/emerg
The United Nations Children's Fund emergency Web site has been revamped. The new format enhances the availability of
UNICEF field situation reports, thematic reviews, appeals, and references. Comments about the site and information
requests can be e-mailed to emops@unicef.org.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/policy/papers/fgemg/fgemgsum.htm
Oxfam has recently issued a policy paper entitled An End to Forgotten Emergencies, which is available from this Web
site. The paper contends that humanitarian aid clusters around highly-visible disasters, while ignoring lower-profile crises
and their many victims. It also maintains that donors give vastly disproportionate amounts of aid to a few well-known
crises and trivial amounts to hundreds of other, hidden emergencies. The paper concludes with nine specific recommendations for making international aid more equitable.
http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/emergency
The State of Victoria (Australia) Department of Human Services has numerous emergency management responsibilities.
The department's recently updated Web site brings together all those responsibilities and interests in one site managed by
the State Emergency Recovery Unit. The well-organized site includes sections on emergency management and recovery
management, the Victoria Medical Emergency Response Plan, as well as dozens of fact sheets on various aspects of
emergency planning and response (in 19 different languages!), many other on-line resource materials, and a "What's New"
section offering disaster news and describing the latest publications from the department.
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/Drought/
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/ENSO/
The mission of the NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center (CDC) is to understand climate variations on time scales
ranging from a month to centuries and to use this information to predict climate variations. The CDC provides several
Internet resources, including its "Map Room Weather Products"
(http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/~map/maproom/text/weather_products.shtml), "Map Room Climate Products"
(http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/~map/maproom/text/climate_products.shtml), and "Display and Analysis Web Pages for CDC
Climate Data" (http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/PublicData/web_tools.html).
At the second URL above, the CDC offers a page entitled "Current and Anticipated Precipitation Anomalies over the U.S." that provides information on drought situations in the U.S. The page includes maps, graphics, other information, and forecasts regarding developing precipitation anomalies.
At the third address, the site provides "El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Information" covering such questions as: What happens during an El Niño/La Niña cycle? What are the effects of El Niño/La Niña on climate and individual weather systems? and, What is the current state of El Niño/La Niña? Also included are FAQs, a glossary, other links and publications, forecasts and advisories, and educational resources.
http://enso.unl.edu/ndmc
http://enso.unl.edu/monitor/monitor.html
Given this summer's heat wave, Observer readers may be wondering where they can find the latest information on drought
conditions. Seek no longer. The Web site of the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, which we have mentioned before, offers everything you need, both to understand the current situation
and to plan for and mitigate future events. At the second URL, the center now offers a "Drought Monitor," a
comprehensive analysis of the current situation. Released each Thursday, the monitor reviews conditions across the country
and provides an outlook for the coming weeks.
http://www.nacc.usgcrp.gov
The National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change for the United States is being
conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which coordinates participation of
federal agencies in global climate change research. The assessment will provide a detailed understanding of the
consequences of climate change for the nation and is examining the possible coping mechanisms that exist to adapt to such
change. The assessment, which includes regional activities, sectoral activities, and a broad synthesis, attempts to involve
concerned stakeholders from both public and private institutions in evaluating consequences for the environment, economy,
and society. A draft report of the National Assessment Synthesis Team, Climate Change Impacts on the United States:
The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change is now available on the USGCRP Web site above. It
notes several potential consequences--for example, increased summer drought and increased winter flooding--that should
be of note to hazards researchers and managers. Much additional information about this major national assessment is also
available from this URL.
http://www.ozone.org/heatstress
http://www.psr.org/heatsheet.html
On July 26, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Ozone Action, a national environmental organization, released a
report showing that extreme heat waves and overheated nights are becoming more frequent in cities and regions across the
United States. Indeed, the report, Heat Waves and Hot Nights, states that in the U.S. the number of heat waves, high heat
index days, and extremely warm nights has doubled since the 1950s and that each summer 2,000-3,000 people now die due
to this hazard. Moreover, the findings in this report support predictions made in the draft National Assessment of the
Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change in the United States (see above), which cites warmer
temperatures, a higher heat index, and increased frequency of extreme weather events as potential impacts of
human-induced global warming. Heat Waves and Hot Nights, including graphs of 171 individual cities and regional
trends, is available from the Ozone Action Web site above, and more information about climate change and health impacts
is available from the second address, part of the Web site for Physicians for Social Responsibility.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/2000/0800issue/0800epstein.html
Besides the report mentioned above, Observer readers interested in the health problems associated with global warming
might also want to see the cover article from the August 2000 issue of Scientific American, "Is Global Warming Harmful
to Health?" by Paul R. Epstein of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. According
to Epstein, computer models indicate that many diseases will surge as the earth's atmosphere heats up, and signs of the
predicted troubles have already begun to appear. With both increased drought and increased weather extremes, including
flooding, societies will suffer not only directly from these natural hazards, but also from the increased occurrence of both
mosquito-borne and water-borne diseases. Epstein's prescription includes improved surveillance, better prediction, and
actions that directly attack global warming itself. Nonetheless, he worries "that effective corrective measures will not be
instituted soon enough, [that] the multiple factors that are now destabilizing the global climate system could cause it to
jump abruptly out of its current state, [and that] such a sudden, catastrophic change is the ultimate health risk--one that
must be avoided at all costs."
http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/index.html
The "Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards" Web site, offered by the Ames Space Science Division of NASA, provides
background information about these space hazards, recent and archived news stories, reports and position papers from
NASA, transcripts of recent congressional testimony on the threat, a list of currently known near-earth objects (NEOs) and
projected future close encounters, an overview and reports regarding the NASA NEO Project, photographs and artist
renderings of asteroid/comet encounters, and a bibliography and fact sheet on the NEO hazard.
http://www.louisianafloods.org
The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center's Cooperative Extension Service maintains an extensive Web site with
information about various types of flooding--from hurricane storm surge to flash floods. The site has sections on flood
conditions, safety and recovery, emergency protection, and flood damage prevention. It provides numerous publications on
flood mitigation and floodproofing, including a document prepared by the Extension Service entitled Beyond the Basics on
flood risk and flood protection.
http://www.usbr.gov/dsis/research/documents/dso-99-06.pdf
In September 1999, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Dam Safety Office, published A
Procedure for Estimating Loss of Life Caused by Dam Failure,
by Wayne J. Graham (see the Observer, Vol. XXIV, No.
6, p. 25), which can now be downloaded from the site above. The report first recounts some historical dam failures, then
provides observations on dam failure, and finally provides a step-by-step procedure for estimating potential loss of life.
http://books.nap.edu/books/0309070961/html/index.html
The National Research Council recently conducted a review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program
(VHP), and the council's final report is now available, either to order or to view on-line, at this Web site. Interested persons
might consult the "Executive Summary" and "Principal Conclusions and Recommendations," which site several issues and
opportunities for the VHP. The issues include the limited hiring of new staff over the last 15 years, flat budgets, a lack of
priority setting for specific volcano studies and hazard analyses, and a shift in focus from basic research to application and
hazard mitigation. The opportunities include possible partnerships with other hazards institutions and the prospect of
improved, comprehensive, consistent data management and dissemination in near real-time.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov
As hazards Web surfers are well aware, the U.S. Geological Survey provides earthquake information up the wazoo via
dozens of Internet avenues. However, the amount of information is daunting, and, in the past that abundance, along with
the multiplicity of USGS sites, has sometimes made it difficult to locate and sort relevant information. To remedy that
problem, the Survey has launched this Earthquake Hazards Program site--"Earthquake Hazards on the Web"--as an entry
point for all USGS earthquake information. It provides information for both global and regional earthquakes and includes
sections on earthquake activity past, present, and future; earthquake education for children, grownups, and teachers;
earthquake products such as maps, publications, fact sheets, videos, etc.; earthquake research; the USGS regional centers
and regional Web sites; seismic networks; and frequently asked questions about quakes.
http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov/eqint/html/zipcode.shtml
This is the USGS "Zip Code Earthquake Ground Motion Hazard Look-up Page." Put in a ZIP code and out comes the
predicted seismic ground motion for that location.
http://www.pwsrcac.org
In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council
(PWSRCAC) sponsored research to learn how to mitigate the psychological and sociological impacts of a major oil spill or
other technological disaster. Their mitigation strategies are contained in the guidebook Coping With Technological
Disasters. The guidebook was developed because of the council's need for a human impacts "contingency plan," and it
provides a framework for communities to deal with the mental health issues of a catastrophic oil spill or other technological
calamity. The guidebook and its appendices can be viewed at the address above, or the two-volume set can be purchased
for $40.00 from the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, 3709 Spenard Road, Anchorage, AK
99503; (907) 277-7222; fax: (907) 277-4523; e-mail: kaaihue@anch.pwsrcac.org.
http://www.who.int/peh/
http://www.who.int/peh/air/vegetation_fires.htm
Via the second Web address above, the World Health Organization (WHO) Protection of the Human Environment (PEH)
Program offers Health Guidelines for Vegetation Fire Events, a document describing wildfires generally, discussing the
health problems related to fire-caused air pollution, and laying out guidelines for public health preparedness for and
response to this problem. Besides bounteous information on the wildfire health hazard, the document provides an extensive
bibliography, a list of acronyms, a glossary, and 10 other appendices with additional information.
philrisknews-request@infra.kth.se
Philrisknews is an electronic newsletter for people interested in the philosophy of risk, uncertainty, and safety. The
newsletter is edited by Sven Ove Hansson and Martin Peterson and distributed by the philosophy group at the Royal
Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. The initial issue introduces the newsletter, provides an article entitled "What
is Philosophy of Risk?," offers a list of recent publications, and presents the first part of a bibliography on risk and ethics.
The editors welcome contributions, which can be e-mailed to owner-philrisknews@infra.kth.se. To subscribe to
Philrisknews, send an e-mail message with the single word "subscribe" to philrisknews-request@infra.kth.se. If you
experience subscription problems, e-mail owner-philrisknews@infra.kth.se.
risk-com-request@umich.edu
A new e-mail discussion group has been formed by members of the Risk Communication Specialty Group of the Society
for Risk Analysis. Risk-com is an unmoderated public discussion forum, designed to promote communication among those
interested in this growing field. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to the address above with the word "subscribe" as the
subject of the message.
http://www.emergency-world.com/fire-l/
The list owner of the fire-l@cornell.edu listserve has announced that the list has moved. People can now subscribe to it by
sending a blank e-mail message to fire-l-subscribe@topica.com, or by visiting the URL above.
For several years, the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (see the item at left) has maintained a human resource information database known as UN-HiNet, in which approximately 1,400 researchers, administrators, and experts from 51 countries (primarily in Asia) are registered. The center is now revising the database and re-launching it as the "ADRC Expert Network" (ADRC E-Net). ADRC E-Net is a comprehensive database of human resource information that covers all hazard-related disciplines, especially disaster management, disaster research, and other disaster-related works. It consists of biographical information on researchers and engineers, university professors, members of research institutions or societies, government officials, experts, NGO staff, and other institutional staff. The information can be searched by country, field of study, name, and other dimensions.
ADRC has requested that experts who are already registered on UN-HiNet check their information at http://unhinet.adrc.or.jp/ and, if necessary, revise it via http://unhinet.adrc.or.jp/register.htm, which also provides on-line registration for new participants.
Recent statistics cited by the U.S. Fire Administration indicate that African American citizens are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by fire than the general population. Moreover, due to the proliferation of natural disasters, fires, and chemical and biological threats across the U.S., minority communities located in inner cities and rural communities will encounter ever increasing risks in the future. These risks are amplified because minority communities in general, and African American communities in particular, have received less emergency preparedness training, education, and information than most other populations.
To address this situation, FEMA is sponsoring the African American Emergency Preparedness and Information Project (EPIP)--a public/private partnership whose aim is to alert national institutions and organizations in African American communities about the importance of emergency preparedness. EPIP has the ultimate objective of bringing greater awareness to the African American population about the risks posed by disasters and the importance of preparing for and mitigating these hazards.
EPIP functions as an information resource center linking segments of the African American community to disaster readiness information. Using on-line communications, workshops, and information bulletins, EPIP is putting organizations in touch with the wealth of emergency preparedness information available from FEMA, other federal agencies, and public and private emergency response organizations.
The project has established a Web site--http://www.epipgateway.com--designed to reach minority communities with information about creating disaster-resistant families, communities, institutions, businesses, and organizations. The site is also hosting on-line discussions and experimenting with other communication media.
For more information about the Emergency Preparedness and Information Project, contact EPIP, P.O. Box 70427, S.W., Washington, DC 20024; fax: (202) 347-1081, or see the Web site above.
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