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In other words, if someone is contemplating moving his or her firm to a new MSA, and they want to consider how natural hazards, and the risk thereof, will impact the profitability of their firm, is there data available to answer the question. I believe company profitability can be affected by the days that a business cannot be conducted, the cost of insurance to protect from business delays and to restore the firm to a predisaster state, and out-of-pocket costs to the firm for covering items not covered through insurance.
I will be using this research not strictly for company relocation analysis; that was just the example. I am using the analysis more to determine economic strength and to investigate the cost of doing business and commercial real estate investing issues.
The data would hopefully indicate the type of hazard, frequency, economic impact to the community, duration of the hazard, the duration of the restoration from the hazard, OR, simplistically, a numerical scoring system that encompasses these variables, and those that are more descriptive, to rank the top 50 MSAs.
Eventually, I would like to plot the rankings and the underlying data via GIS to show spatial relationships by type of hazard per MSA, the evolution of each type of hazard over 20+ years, and overall MSA ranking changes over time. Having all of this in a numerical time series and in a Web-based video using GIS would be powerful.
Some other brief questions I am contemplating:
Noting that this rule does not affect presidential discretion in declaring disasters and does not change published regulations and policies established under the Stafford Act, the agency stated how it will evaluate requests as they apply to its Public Assistance Program and its Individual Assistance Program. Under the Public Assistance Program, FEMA will examine the estimated cost of the assistance, using such factors as the cost per capita impact within the state. They currently use a figure of $1 per capita as an indicator that the disaster is of sufficient magnitude to warrant federal assistance. This figure will be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. In addition, FEMA established a minimum threshold of $1 million in public assistance damage per disaster, because the agency believes that even the least populated states can cover that level of damage.
FEMA will also evaluate the impacts of a disaster at the county, local government, and tribal level, particularly if critical facilities are involved; the amount of insurance coverage in force; the degree of hazard mitigation undertaken prior to the disaster; recent disaster history; and the availability of other federal assistance.
Under the Individual Assistance Program, factors FEMA will consider include:
The amendment modifies the department's position on the use of annual CDBG funds and their use to meet nonfederal matching fund requirements in the 1998 Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions Act (Public Law 105-174). Essentially, HUD found after further legal review that "annual appropriations of CDBG funds may be used to meet" the 25% nonfederal matching funds requirement.
For more information about this notice, contact Jan C. Opper, Office of Block Grant Assistance, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 7286, 451 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20410; (202) 708-3587; fax: (202) 401-2044. Copies of the ruling can be found in the Federal Register at your local government depository library or on-line at http://www.access.gpo.gov.
The final rule amends SBA's regulations regarding predisaster mitigation loans so that small businesses may undertake mitigation measures that may prevent future damage. It states that mitigation can include such activities as elevation of flood-prone structures; construction of retaining and sea walls; grading and contouring land; relocating utilities; and retrofitting and strengthening structures to protect them against high winds, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and other natural hazards. Loans are available only to those small businesses located in Project Impact communities. Applicants may borrow up to $50,000 per year at 4% per year or less.
The complete text of the final rule can be found in the Federal Register, and more information can be obtained from Bernard Kulick, Office of Disaster Assistance, Small Business Administration; (202) 205-6734.
EDA will produce three reports, one for each of the areas mentioned above that were flooded by Hurricane Floyd. The reports will describe the areas' predisaster economies and the businesses affected by the flooding, estimate lost revenue and property damage, and recommend means to speed recovery, prevent future losses, and promote local economic recovery. The EDA reports will also promote smart rebuilding through disaster-resistant construction and suggest incentives to encourage businesses to remain in the areas.
The recommendations in these reports will be implemented in part through grants from EDA, FEMA's disaster assistance programs, and other federal and state assistance programs. For more information about these efforts, contact FEMA's Office of Public Affairs, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20024; fax: (202) 646-3362; e-mail: eipa@fema.gov; WWW: http://www.fema.gov.
Recently, FEMA added an endorsement to the National Flood Insurance Program's Standard Flood Insurance Policy that will establish a permanent procedure for honoring claims for buildings that are damaged by continuous lake flooding from closed basin lakes or are under imminent threat of flood damage from such lakes. The interim final rule appeared in the August 2, 1999, Federal Register (Vol. 64, No. 147, pp. 41825-41827).
This rule was issued in response to problems experienced by property owners in the Devil's Lake area in northeastern North Dakota. During the past three years, that lake has risen 12 feet, overwhelming property owners' short-term flood mitigation efforts.
To deal with this unique hazard, Jo Ann Howard, administrator of FEMA's Flood Insurance Administration, waived a policy requirement that she concluded was not appropriate in light of the unusual circumstances at Devils Lake - i.e., the requirement that a building on Devils Lake be continuously flooded for 90 days before declaring it a total loss. Now, funds can be used by the insured to take mitigation action - relocating the structure. Howard estimates that by taking this action, the National Flood Insurance Program has saved, on average, 25% for each claim in that area. However, the rule applies to other closed basin lakes in the U.S. as well.
Besides waving the 90-days-of-flooding criterion, the interim final rule also requires local governments having jurisdiction over the imperiled property to adopt and enforce permanent mitigation measures, such as prohibiting new construction that might be subject to future flooding.
As mentioned above, the complete text of this interim final rule may be found in the Federal Register at your local federal depository library or on-line at http://www.access.gpo.gov. For more information, contact Charles M. Plaxico, Jr., FEMA, Federal Insurance Administration, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-3422; e-mail: charles.plaxico@fema.gov.
http://www.fema.gov/EMI/
http://www.fema.gov/EMI/rclist2000.htm
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Emergency
Management Institute (EMI), which we are often wont to tout, is the
nation's leading provider of disaster management education - both
on-site at the EMI campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland, or FEMA's training
facility at Mt. Weather, Virginia; and off-site via group training or
independent study. EMI's schedule of courses through September 30,
2000, is available from the second URL above.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov
http://tgsv5.nws.noaa.gov/om/omdis.html
Not surprisingly, the National Weather Service (NWS) Web site is
a trove of severe weather information and data. It not only includes
information on current conditions, but also encompasses IWIN - the
Interactive Weather Information Network, which shows currently active
severe weather warnings; EMWIN - the Emergency Managers Weather
Information Network; flood and hurricane information; natural hazard
statistics; drought information, and much more.
For example, after major meteorological disasters in the U.S., the NWS Office of Meteorology (OM) conducts "Service Assessments" to evaluate how the NWS performed in that disaster. These assessments provide information not only about the NWS, but also about the events themselves. Thus, they can provide much useful information to hazards researchers, planners, and managers. The latest assessment examines the intense tornado outbreak of May 3 in Oklahoma and Kansas, which consisted of about 70 tornadoes, including the devastating F5 vortex that struck Oklahoma City. The complete list of assessments is available on-line. They can also be ordered free by contacting National Weather Service Headquarters, attn: Publications, 1325 East West Highway, SSMC2, Room 14408, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 713-0090, ext.118. Additional assessments are available from the NWS Office of Hydrology Natural Disaster Assessment Web site: http://tgsv5.nws.noaa.gov/oh/Dis_Svy/.
http://www.edf.org/pubs/Reports/Hotny/index.html
In June, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) released a report
entitled Hot Nights in the City: Global Warming, Sea-Level Rise and
the New York Metropolitan Region, by Janine Bloomfield, Molly Smith,
and Nicholas Thompson. Available from the URL above in PDF format, the
report states that "sea-level rise will contribute to the temporary
flooding or permanent inundation of many of New York City's and the
region's coastal areas as increased sea levels accentuate the impact
of the storms that already strike the region." It also projects both
increased droughts and increased flooding from downpours, with
consequent increases in heat-related morbidity, respiratory problems,
and mosquito-borne diseases [perhaps a prediction already being
fulfilled?!]. It concludes by outlining options for dealing with this
impending crisis. The 40-page report details specific hazards and
their potential effects on individual metropolitan New York areas.
Paper copies can be ordered from EDF, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20009 for $10.00, postpaid.
http://www.trsa.ac.za/dm/
Disaster Management (DM) at Technikon Southern Africa was
established in 1996 through collaboration with the Disaster Management
Association of Southern Africa, Cranfield University, U.K., and the
University of Wisconsin-Madison in the U.S. Since then numerous
students from South and Southern Africa have completed the
organization's internationally accredited courses in disaster
management. This Web site was established to put DM's disaster
management educational opportunities on-line. The site is interactive
and designed for students and practitioners alike. It includes course
materials, links to numerous additional disaster-related sites, a
disaster management discussion forum, and (beginning January 2000) an
interactive virtual classroom. The site developers welcome comments
and suggestions. For more information, contact Dewald van Niekerk,
Institute for Public Management Development, Technikon Southern
Africa, Room 406C, Private Bag X6, Florida, 1709, South Africa; tel:
+27 11 471 3538; fax: +27 11 471 3568; e-mail:
dvnieker@tsamail.trsa.ac.za; WWW: http://www.trsa.ac.za/
http://www.floydhelp.org
This site was established by volunteers to support communication
during the recovery from Hurricane Floyd in the eastern U.S.
Organizations responding to the disaster are welcome to use the Web
site's resources. The site provides information about the Disaster
Recovery Centers recently opened in North Carolina, guidance on how to
donate to the relief effort, situation reports, resource links, a
means to search news stories related to the disaster, information for
volunteers, and numerous discussion forums/bulletin boards designed to
aid victims of and responders to the disaster.
http://www.paho.org/english/ped/floyd.htm
http://www.disaster.info.desastres.net/PED-Ecuador/desastre/infpre1.html
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Web site is almost
always a good source of information about recent disasters in the
Americas. For a situation report and press release on health-sector
disaster response activities in the Bahamas following hurricane Floyd,
see the first URL above. For information about a currently developing
crisis - the potential eruption of Guagua Pichincha volcano above
Quito, Ecuador - see the second URL. (For more information about this
latter event, see
http://cnn.com/WORLD/americas/9909/27/ecuador.volcano.reut/.)
To receive updates about ongoing hazard events in Latin America and the Caribbean, join PAHO's DisasterInfo e-mail list. To subscribe, just send a message to disaster@paho.org.
http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/disastmgmtteam/disastmgmtteamopenar.nsf/Homepage/Homepage?OpenDocument
The World Bank's Web site (see DR #292) includes this new section
addressing hazards in Latin America, with information on all World
Bank disaster recovery projects in that region, as well as news about
recent and ongoing disasters.
http://qsilver.queensu.ca/~icestudy
The Web site for the "Ice Storm '98 Project" at Queen's
University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, is now up and running. The
project involved an exhaustive examination of the ice storm that
occurred in eastern Canada and in New York and the New England states
in January 1998. In addition to photographs, the site offers over 200
interviews with emergency responders and volunteers who were involved
in the restoration effort. A number of post-storm reports are also
available, including several from the U.S. that are currently being
entered onto the site. The project welcomes comments and inquiries.
For more information, contact Wayne Smith, Project Manager, Ice Storm
'98 Analysis, Department of Political Studies, Queen's University,
Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6; e-mail: icestudy@qsilver.queensu.ca.
During a major disaster, like Hurricane Floyd, our resources are not sufficient to handle the large volume of information. However, information delivered to us by mailing lists or e-mails can be quickly placed on the appropriate message board.
Thus, we would like to invite members of this group to add our name - host@disastercenter.com - to your mailing lists so that we can distribute your agencies' information before, during, and after a disaster. We would also welcome help. What Hurricane Floyd taught us is that we cannot handle an event of this magnitude ourselves. If you want to learn how you can help contact us at: help@disastercenter.com.
We would also like to request financial support for a project to develop graphics of potential coastal inundation of the United States. An example of such a graphic is located at: http://www.disastercenter.com/hurrican/StormSur.htm.
Thanks for your interest,
Christopher Effgen
The Disaster Center
WWW: http://www.disastercenter.com
Applications and nominations will be considered immediately. Screening
of applicants will begin January 1, 2000 and continue until the
selection is made. Applicants should submit a letter of application,
curriculum vitae, and the names and addresses of four references to:
Professor J. Lawford Anderson, Chair
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0740
Nominations of potentially interested candidates can be transmitted
via e-mail to: anderson@usc.edu or mailed to the above address.
We seek a seismologist who will assist in developing a prototype earthquake alert system (early warning) for TriNet. Duties include: performing seismological research needed to implement the alert system; designing and implementing software; developing methods of testing; assessing the effectiveness of the prototype alert system; operating, administering, and developing the prototype alert system; and participating in user training.
Requirements: M.S. or Ph.D. degree in seismology; minimum 1-3 years experience in ground motion research and computer programming. Prefer significant experience in seismological research and/or programming experience; experience with PERL, C++, JAVA, UNIX; computer networking, and modern software engineering design and development procedures. Must possess excellent communication (verbal/written) skills. Must be able to carry out research and develop software as a member of a team.
Two years of funding are available for this position. If you are interested and wish to apply, please contact: Office of Human Resources, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard (at Wilson), Pasadena, CA 91125; (626) 395-4660 Dial-A-Job; WWW: http://acs3.caltech.edu/HR/Jobs-HTML/EO.htm.
The design of this program is also unique. It is tailored specifically to on-line delivery. This means that each unit will include the most recent information through Web materials that are constantly updated. Students will be able to interact both with this exciting material and with their fellow students and lecturers. Because students will be located around the world, individual students will have a unique opportunity to network and "chat" with others currently working on the front lines of emergency management and community development on a global level. Because of this design, participants must have access to a computer with a CD drive and to the Internet.
For more information, a list of core curriculum courses, and a list of courses available in the first trimester 2000, see the program's Web site: http://www.scu.edu.au/emonline.
More information is also available from Jan Foster, Course
Coordinator, Graduate Programs in Community Development, School of
Human Services, Southern Cross University, Hogbin Drive, Coffs
Harbour, NSW 2457, Australia; tel: +61 2 6659 3314; fax: +61 2 6659
3103; e-mail: jfoster@chec.scu.edu.au
or
Trish Welsh, Administrative Officer, School of Human Services,
(address as above); tel: +61 2 6659 3210; fax: +61 2 6659 3103;
e-mail: twelsh@chec.scu.edu.au.
Local- and Community-Level Disaster Risk Management (LCLDRM-2) Course. Offered by: Asian Pacific Disaster Management Centre (APDMC). Makati City, Philippines: November 8-19, 1999. Applications are currently being solicited. Contact: John W. Barrett, P.O. Box 1005, Makati Central Post Office, 1250 Makati City, Philippines; fax: (632) 810-5444/638-2814; mobile phone: (63) 0918-877-7958; e-mail: edwardm@nsclub.net -or- apdmc@nsclub.net.
One-Day Seminar: Communicating Village-Level Technologies - Third Annual Seminar of the Housing and Hazards Group. Exeter, U.K.: November 19, 1999. (Focuses on safe building practices for developing regions.) Contact: Dr. Robert Hodgson, e-mail: R.L.P.Hodgson@exeter.ac.uk.
14th William T. Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium and the Land Satellite Information in the Next Decade III Conference. Sponsors: American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), North American Remote Sensing Industries Association, U.S. Geological Survey, and others. Denver, Colorado: December 6-10, 1999. Includes sessions on emergency response, environmental planning, and other hazards-related topics. Contact: ASPRS, Pecora 14/Land Satellite Information III, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 210, Bethesda, MD 20814- 2160; (301) 493-0290, ext. 109; fax: (301) 493-0208; WWW: http://www.asprs.org.
Short Course: Engineering for Extreme Winds. Offered by: Wind Engineering Research Center, Texas Tech University. Lubbock, Texas: February 9-11, 2000. Contact: Mary Ruth Cram, Division of Extended Studies, Texas Tech University, Box 42191, Lubbock, TX 79409-2191; (806) 742-7200, ext. 237; fax: (806) 742-7277.
21st Annual International Disaster Management Conference. Sponsored by: Florida Emergency Medicine Foundation. Orlando, Florida: April 27- 30, 2000. Abstract/paper deadline: January 10, 2000. Contact: Florida Emergency Medicine Foundation, 3717 South Conway Road, Orlando, FL 32812; 1-800-766-6335 or (407) 281-7396; fax: (407) 281-4407; e-mail: info@fcep.org.
Post-Graduate Training Course in "Analysis and Management of Geological Risks" (Certificat d'Etudes des Risques Géologiques - CERG). Organized by: University of Geneva, Faculty of Sciences; in association with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL). Geneva, Switzerland: May 1-June 21, 2000. The course language is English. The deadline for application is December 31, 1999. Contact: CERG-Secretariat, 13, rue des Maraichers, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland; tel: +41 22 702 66 02; fax: +41 22 320 57 32; e-mail: cerg@sc2a.unige.ch; WWW: http://www.unige.ch/hazards/cerg/.
17th Annual Conference of the ALERT (Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time) Users Group. Monterey, California: May 2-5, 2000. Contact: Mark Heggli; (916) 574-2627; e-mail: heggli@water.ca.gov; WWW: http://www.alertsystems.org.
American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Annual Conference - DC 2000: "Start the 21st Century: Launching the Geospatial Information Age." Includes session on "disaster support." Washington, D.C.: May 22-26, 2000. Contact: ASPRS, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 210, Bethesda, MD 20814-2160; (301) 493-0290, ext. 109; fax: (301) 493-0208; WWW: http://www.asprs.org.
Housing and Hazards Group Millennium Conference: Village Infrastructure to Cope with Environmental Hazards. Dhaka, Bangladesh: November 24-27, 2000 -and- Exeter, U.K: December 4-5, 2000. Contact: Dr. Robert Hodgson, e-mail: R.L.P.Hodgson@exeter.ac.uk; or Prof. Salek Seraj, e-mail: smseraj@bangla.net. Alternatively, contact the Housing and Hazards Group, 20c High Street, Topsham, Exeter EX3 0PA, U.K.; tel: +44 (0)1392-876255; fax: 01392-876418.
Dave has worked at the Natural Hazards Center for 22 years and in that time become recognized by hazards researchers around the world as the best database available (human or machine) on social science hazards literature. Because of his own commitment to lessening the suffering and loss due to natural disasters, Dave has provided continued dedicated service to the world hazard management community.
To honor Dave, the Natural Hazards Center will host a reception for him on October 29. Friends and colleagues in the Boulder, Colorado, area are invited to attend. At the same time, those of you beyond this area who have worked with and gotten to know Dave are invited to send notes of appreciation/congratulations, which we will pass on to Dave at that time (please do not contact Dave directly before the reception).
If you would like to attend the event in honor of Dave Morton or would
like to convey a message, please contact Diane Smith, Staff Assistant,
Natural Hazards Center, e-mail: Diane.Smith@colorado.edu;
or
Campus Box 482, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0482; (303)
492-6818; fax: (303) 492-2151.
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