NOAA Chief Outlines Proposed National Disaster Information Network
In a speech to the National Emergency Managers Association (NEMA) on February 9, 1998, D. James Baker, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), discussed the need for a national and international information system to deal with disasters. He indicated that to save more lives and reduce disaster costs, accurate information must be placed in the hands of those who make critical life and property decisions. "We have the best opportunity ever, right now, to solve this problem, by bringing people and information together through the use of technology," Baker said.
Baker described the work of an interagency task force that he co- chaired over the previous six months, which studied the feasibility of a Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN).
Responding to the task force's recommendations, the Office of Management and Budget recently included $15 million in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) budget request for FY 99 to support "a multi- agency program for the integration of natural disaster-related information and its dissemination to emergency managers and others who can take action to reduce disaster losses." Along with robust computer and broadcast networks that can operate during all phases of disaster management, the program will establish a public/private partnership to bring all stakeholders together to develop a truly comprehensive disaster network.
The task force found that the required technology exists, but that significant coordination and integration of information providers, disseminators, and users are required. Baker indicated that the problem is finding what you need, when you need it, in a form that is useful for making critical decisions. Under the plan recommended by the task force the USGS will host an Integrated Program Office (IPO) that will include members from each of several key federal agencies in order to integrate and coordinate federal disaster information. At the same time, the Administrator of NOAA will chair an executive committee that will oversee the office and set policy. The IPO will work with other interested groups to form the Public/Private Partnership that will design and implement the national disaster information system. In addition, global partners will be sought to develop ways to expand the national system to form the GDIN.
The network will be used during all phases of emergency management - mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery - and it will provide information from all types of sources. The information will be made available rapidly and reliably to decision makers and to others who are charged with taking action to reduce the loss of life and property damage before, during, and after a natural disaster.
Once in place, the GDIN will be available on the World Wide Web. Users will be able to get the information they need to make critical decisions that may save lives and reduce or prevent property damage. When disaster strikes, the GDIN will support the high volume of requests for information that are sure to come, with critical users having access to government "Intranets" (limited access, proprietary networks) where use can be restricted to minimize overloading. Access may also be provided by satellite to avoid the flow of information being cut off by damage on the ground.
Federal groups participating in the feasibility study included the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Interior, State, and Agriculture; the Environmental Protection Agency, National Economic Council, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Office of Management and Budget.
For further information about the formation of these National and Global Disaster Information Networks, contact Peter Ward, U.S. Geological Survey, 106 National Center, Reston, VA 20192; (703) 624- 6264; fax: (703) 325-3282.
In addition, a NDIN/GDIN Web site has been established at http://www.disasterinfo.net. The site explains the current status of the project and will be the eventual homesite of the network. It now describes in detail the project's organization; provides a downloadable copy of the project's recently released 125-page feasibility study, "Harnessing Information and Technology for Disaster Management: The Global Disaster Information Network - Disaster Information Task Force Report, November, 1997"; frequently asked questions about the project; current transition team plans; and press releases about the NDIN/GDIN.
[Note: Several DR readers brought this information to our attention.
The following is taken from a recent e-mail message from WSSPC - the
Western States Seismic Policy Council -
wsspc@wsspc.org.]
The following abstract is of an article published in the New England
Journal of Medicine. It can be found at:
http://www.nejm.org/public/1998/0338/0006/0373/1.htm
You can also hear a story from National Public Radio (using RealAudio)
from their Web site at:
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/archives/1998/current.html;
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/980205.me.14.ram
Abstract
Background. Among the victims of floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes,
there is an increased prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and
depression, which are risk factors for suicidal thinking. We conducted
this study to determine whether natural disasters affect suicide
rates.
Methods. From a list of all the events declared by the U.S. government
to be federal disasters between 1982 and 1989, we selected the 377
counties that had each been affected by a single natural disaster
during that period. We collected data on suicides during the 36 months
before and the 48 months after the disaster and aligned the data
around the month of the disaster. Pooled rates were calculated
according to the type of disaster. Comparisons were made between the
suicide rates before and those after disasters in the affected
counties and in the entire United States.
Results. Suicide rates increased in the four years after floods by
13.8 percent, from 12.1 to 13.8 per 100,000 (P<0.001); in the two
years after hurricanes by 31.0 percent, from 12.0 to 15.7 per 100,000
(P<0.001); and in the first year after earthquakes by 62.9 percent,
from 19.2 to 31.3 per 100,000 (P<0.001). The four-year increase of
19.7 percent after earthquakes was not statistically significant.
Rates computed in a similar manner for the entire United States were
stable. The increases in suicide rates were found for both sexes and
for all age groups. The suicide rates did not change significantly
after tornadoes or severe storms.
Conclusions. Our study shows that suicide rates increase after severe
earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes and confirms the need for mental
health support after severe disasters.
(N Engl J Med 1998;338:373-8.)
Source Information:
To place an order for the full article, call 1-800-THE-NEJM.
To minimize the workload and stress at the local level, the Community
Rating Task Force has tried to minimize changes to the National Flood
Insurance Program's (NFIP's) Community Rating System (CRS) over the
past few years. However, during that time, the CRS has undergone an
extensive evaluation that showed areas where the program could be
improved. As a result, some important changes have been proposed for
the "1999 CRS Coordinator's Manual," and these changes are summarized
in the Winter 1998 issue of the "NFIP/CRS Update" newsletter. The
NFIP/CRS is interested in any comments on the proposed changes to the
program. Comments are due March 16. Interested persons should contact:
NFIP/CRS, P.O. Box 501016, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1016; (317) 848-
2898; fax: (317) 848-3578; e-mail:
bret.gates@fema.gov. Copies of
the newsletter should be available from that address.
Following receipt of comments, a draft 1999 manual will be created and
pilot tested at two CRS training sessions at FEMA's Emergency
Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Persons interested in
attending one of these session (August 17-12 and September 14-18)
should contact EMI at (800) 238-3358.
Coventry University in the U.K. offers two undergraduate degree
courses dealing with disaster management, as well as a masters
program:
* BSc (Honours) International Disaster Engineering and Management
* BSc (Honours) Development and Health in Disaster Management
* The MSc (Research) in Disaster Management is composed of the three
mandatory taught elements and a number of optional modules. The
research thesis comprises the largest component and is assessed
through a dissertation and oral presentation.
If you require further information, please contact Hazel Hancock,
Coventry University, School of The Built Environment, Priory Street,
Coventry, U.K. CV1 5FB; tel: +44 1203 838929; fax: +44 1203 838590;
e-mail:
H.Hancock@coventry.ac.uk; WWW:
http://www.coventry.ac.uk/
(university site);
http://www.coventry.ac.uk/acad/sbe/disaster/
(disaster programs site).
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently formed a
Technical Council on Natural Disaster Reduction (TCNDR), and the
society is seeking new members to help in its plan to coordinate the
use of natural disaster reduction measures throughout the U.S. The
TCNDR is working to coordinate those ASCE activities that impinge upon
the national plan to reduce the effects of natural disasters, as well
as to develop, improve, and promote the use of design practices as
routine mitigation measures. Anyone interested in joining the TCNDR
should send their name, address, phone and fax numbers, and some
indication of their specific interest and expertise to Cyrena Colella,
ASCE, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4400.
Following a presidential disaster declaration, public and private
entities often receive disaster assistance to repair and/or replace
damaged buildings. However, on occasion, confusion has arisen
concerning whether a structure should be rebuilt to existing building
codes or should be required to meet updated standards that were
adopted as a consequence of the disaster.
In the February 5 Federal Register (Volume 63, No. 24, pp. 5895-5897),
FEMA issued a final rule stating that assistance will be based only on
construction standards in writing and formally adopted by a state or
local government on or before the date of a disaster declaration. The
rule takes effect on January 1, 1999, for local governments and
January 1, 2000, for state governments. It declares that eligible
costs will be those associated with state and local repair or
replacement standards (building codes, specifications, or standards
required for the construction of facilities) that are found reasonable
and are in effect at the time of the disaster.
For more information on this final rule, contact Melissa Howard,
Infrastructure Support Division, FEMA, Room 713, 500 C Street, S.W.,
Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-3243.
In a recent issue of the Federal Register (Volume 62, No. 207, p.
55705), FEMA published a final rule establishing a new flood insurance
rate zone, known as the flood control restoration zone or Zone AR, to
delineate special flood hazard areas on Flood Insurance Rate Maps
(FIRMS). This new designation covers areas for which a flood
protection system is being restored, and it reduces flood insurance
costs and elevation requirements for properties that will be exposed
to an increased risk during restoration.
In October 1992, Congress enacted the Housing and Community
Development Act (Public Law 102-550), which created the Zone AR
designation. Under this legislation, Congress reduced elevation
requirements for new construction, eliminated elevation requirements
for substantial improvements to existing structures, and capped the
flood insurance rate for such structures while the flood protection
system is being restored. At the same time, Congress realized that the
federal government would accept additional costs during reconstruction
due to increased insurance liability and potential costs for disaster
assistance. Congress also specifically prohibited the designation of
Zone AR in coastal high hazard areas.
The final rule outlines the procedures for remapping of areas for both
projects that involve federal cost-sharing and those that do not. It
describes the steps communities can take to receive such a
designation, limitations of the designation, and other procedures.
Copies of the Federal Register can be found at your local government
depository library or can be perused via the Internet:
http://www.access.gpo.gov.
For further information about the final rule, contact Michael Buckley,
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Division, Mitigation
Directorate, FEMA, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472; (202)
646-2756.
- Promotion and Public Awareness -
The International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR)
Secretariat is currently developing the 1998 World Disaster Reduction
Campaign, entitled "Natural Disaster Prevention and the Media."
Various activities are being planned, together with support material.
The campaign will go beyond traditional discussions of the role of the
media in disasters by placing a special emphasis on building active
partnerships with different types of media and promoting community-
based risk assessments.
- RADIUS Project -
The IDNDR Secretariat has selected nine case study cities for the
RADIUS urban earthquake hazard mitigation project (see DR #220 and
#235): Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Antofagasta, Chile; Bandung, Indonesia;
Guayaquil, Ecuador; Izmir, Turkey; Skopje, TFYR Macedonia; Tashkent,
Uzbekistan; Tijuana, Mexico; and Zigong, China. The secretariat will
offer financial assistance for the case studies, thanks to a
substantial financial contribution from the government of Japan. The
studies will be conducted from February 1998 until July 1999 and will
lead to the development of practical tools for seismic risk assessment
in urban areas.
In order to promote widely the work accomplished under RADIUS, the
IDNDR Secretariat is inviting other cities to participate as either
associate cities or member cities. Cities that have carried out a
similar seismic risk assessment or are in the process of doing so can
participate as associate cities. They are expected to share their
valuable experience with other cities while obtaining useful
information themselves from the network. Cities that are not carrying
out a similar study can nevertheless participate in RADIUS information
exchange as member cities. They will be incorporated into a
comparative studyþ"Understanding Urban Seismic Risk Around the World."
Applications for either associate or member status will be accepted
until the end of March 1998. For more information on RADIUS, visit the
RADIUS Web site:
http://pangea.stanford.edu/~tucker/Radius/RADIUS.html.
- IDNDR and Disaster Reduction Institutions -
To promote the exchange of information and institutional
collaboration, and to support research, training, and the application
of disaster reduction at the local and regional levels, the IDNDR
Secretariat has created, together with the University of Geneva, a Web
site entitled "Directory for Disaster Reduction Institutions." It
provides an inventory of scientific, technical, and research
institutions active in disaster preparedness, prevention, and
mitigation. By early 1998, almost 250 institutions from around the
world had registered. The site's address is
http://www.unige.ch/idndr.
- IDNDR and El Nino -
The IDNDR Secretariat convened the second meeting of the United
Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on El Nino in late January 1998.
Participants agreed to assemble an international meeting of experts on
El Nino to determine preventive strategies for future El Nino
occurrences. They also discussed an action plan that would address
both medium- and long-term El Nino problems, as well as the specific
needs formulated in the U.N. resolution on El Nino passed in December
(see DR #244). The action plan comprises five stages: data collection
and analysis, hazard predictions, the formulation of user-oriented
products, the development of communication media with users, and the
generation of effective user applications and, thus, direct user
benefits. The participants agreed to produce a consolidated
information/press kit that would concentrate on specific country
situations and requirements. For a copy of the final report of the
meeting, contact the IDNDR Secretariat at the address below. The press
kit, which provides an overview of United Nations actions regarding El
Nino, is accessible via the United Nations Reliefweb Web site:
http://www.reliefweb.int (click on "The Latest on El Nino").
For additional information on any of these developments, or to receive
regular IDNDR updates via e-mail, contact Scott Weber, IDNDR
Secretariat, United Nations, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland; tel: (41-22) 740-0377, 798-6894; fax: (41-22) 733-8695;
e-mail:
scott.weber@dha.unicc.org.
Disaster Research Issue #244 featured an article on "Magnetic Anomaly
Precursors to Earthquakes: An Upcoming U.N.-Sponsored Meeting." We
inadvertently failed to include the name and address of the person who
passed along that information about possible earthquake precursors:
Russell Coile, Pacific Grove Fire Department, 600 Pine Avenue, Pacific
Grove, CA 93950-3317; (408) 648-3110; fax: (408) 648-3107; e-mail:
russell@coile.com.
If you have questions or comments about that interesting piece, please
contact Russ. . .
Of Disasters and Suicide
The New England Journal of Medicine
February 5, 1998
Volume 338, Number 6
Suicide after Natural Disasters
Etienne G. Krug, Marcie-jo Kresnow, John P. Peddicord, Linda L.
Dahlberg, Kenneth E. Powell, Alex E. Crosby, Joseph L. Annest
>From the Epidemic Intelligence Service (E.G.K.), the Office of
Statistics and Programming (M.K., J.P.P., J.L.A.), and the Division of
Violence Prevention (E.G.K., L.L.D., K.E.P., A.E.C.), National Center
for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta. Address reprint requests to Dr. Krug at Mailstop
K-60, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway,
Atlanta, GA 30341.
NFIP/CRS Seeks Comments to Update Manual [Adapted from the
"NFIP/CRS Update" newsletter]
Introducing the Coventry University Programs in Disaster
Management
The course is modular and is normally taken over three years,
with opportunities to incorporate a sandwich year to gain work
experience. The course has been designed such that all students will
study the five main themes of the course, ensuring continuous and
developing study of essential engineering and disaster management
subjects together with field skill training. The five themes are:
Engineering and Technology, Management, Disaster Studies,
International Studies, and Field Skills.
The course is aimed at developing skills and experience in
complementary areas of study in disaster management, in particular,
sustainable human development and health. This course too, is modular
and is normally taken over three years, with opportunities to
incorporate sandwich years to gain work experience. The five main
areas of study are: Technological Development, Environmental and
Economic Development, Health Studies, Disaster Management Studies, and
Disaster Relief.
ASCE TCNDR Seeking Help [Adapted from the January issue of
"NCEER Information Service News"]
FEMA Issues Final Rule on Replacing Damaged
Structures
FEMA Establishes New Flood Insurance Rate Zone
Another IDNDR Update
A Correction
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