DISASTER RESEARCH 311

January 12, 2000

As long-time readers of Disaster Research know, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado sponsors "Quick Response" studies of immediate postdisaster impacts and response. Upon completing their work, quick response researchers submit brief reports to the center, which publishes them via the World Wide Web. The latest report is:

QR122: Natural Disaster Episode: Impacts, Emergency Response, and Health Effects of Hurricane Georges in the Gulf Coast, by Francis O. Adeola of the University of New Orleans.

Published in 2000, this report is now available on the Web at: http://www.Colorado.EDU/hazards/qr/qr122/qr122.html.

The entire list of quick response reports is available at: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr.html.

In addition, printed copies can be purchased for $5.00 each, plus shipping charges ($3.00 for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; $4.00 for international surface mail; and $5.00 for international air printed matter). Orders should be directed to the Publications Clerk, Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, Campus Box 482, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0482, (303) 492-6819; fax: (303) 492-2151; e-mail: janet.kroeckel@colorado.edu. For overseas costs, contact the Publications Clerk at the address above or consult the Hazards Center on-line publication order form: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/puborder.html.

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New on the Net

[Here are a few of the latest and more useful Internet resources we've discovered. For an extended list of selected Internet sites dealing with hazards and disaster management, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/sites/sites.html]

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes.html
The National Climatic Data Center offers this page on "Extreme Weather and Climate Events," which, the NCDC tells us, has become the most popular segment of the center's Web site. These pages cover U.S. hurricanes, U.S. heavy rainfall, U.S. temperature extremes, U.S. tornadoes, 1991-1999 weather events, historical global extremes, satellite images, U.S. radar composites, climatic data, U.S. local storm reports, climate of 1999, El Nino/La Nina, global climate change, and billion dollar weather disasters.

http://landslides.usgs.gov/
http://landslides.usgs.gov/html_files/nlicsun.html
The landslide Web page of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Web site for the National Landslide Information Center (NLIC) (both of which we've mentioned before) have moved to the addresses above. The first site describes the National Landslide Hazards Program, lists landslide program publications and current projects, and describes recent landslide events. The NLIC site provides "real-time" monitoring of an active landslide in California, San Francisco Bay area landslide maps, links to landslide information for each state, landslide images, other useful links, a virtual fieldtrip of a Colorado landslide, and access to the on-line bibliographic database.

http://www.bghrc.com
Founded in 1997, the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre at University College London has become the largest multidisciplinary academic hazard research center in Europe. It now incorporates over forty staff, associates, and affiliates in numerous projects ranging from long-term seasonal prediction of hurricanes and other severe storms to landslide and volcano hazard mitigation. Commensurate with this impressive growth, the center has revamped its Web site, which now includes descriptions and results of many of the organization's projects (including the long-range forecasts mentioned above), as well as a comprehensive publications list, a photo gallery, an entire section dedicated to the center's Disaster Management Unit, and other information about the center, its staff, and programs.

http://www.wsspc.org
The Western States Seismic Policy Council (WSSPC) has created a Web-based forum for the discussion of earthquake and other disaster costs, and strategies and policy options to ameliorate those losses. The group is open to anyone from any discipline interested in this issue. Potential topics for discussion range from methods for increasing public awareness, to public risk perception, to loss estimation models and improved data collection methods, to the identification of realistic public and private policies to deal with the quantifiable costs of future damaging events. WSSPC anticipates publishing summaries of these discussions in its newsletter, EQ: Earthquake Quarterly, and, based on these summaries, posing new questions to be addressed by participants. For more information about this discussion group, see the Web site above, or contact WSSPC, 121 Second Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 974-6435; fax: (415) 974-1747; e-mail: wsspc@wsspc.org.

http://www.tallytown.com/redcross
The Florida Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Leon County, Florida, Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management have published a brochure entitled Tis The Season, to instruct residents of mobile/manufactured homes how to prepare for the high winds of a hurricane. This brochure is available from the Capital Area Chapter's Web site above in PDF format, which can be easily downloaded and printed.

http://www.iaem.com
iaem-list@asmii.com
Following the relatively quiet rollover of the millennial clock (time to take the planet in for its 2,000-year tune up???), the members of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Y2K e-mail list voted not to abandon their discussions, but rather to continue correspondence and expand discussion to all hazards and all aspects of emergency management. Hence, the list will transmogrify and continue via the second (e-mail) address above. Interested persons can subscribe by going to the first (Web) address and filling out a form.

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Help Wanted
Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County Department of Public Safety/Emergency Management is seeking a recovery and mitigation program manager (starting salary, $44,031). This person develops, implements, and manages pre- and post- disaster recovery and mitigation programs and initiatives. He/she also reviews county departments and divisions, municipalities, and non- county agencies to ensure compliance with recovery and mitigation strategies, programs, and initiatives. Necessary qualifications include an MS/MA in public or business administration, four years experience in administration and planning of emergency mitigation and recovery operations and procedures. Related supervisory/State of Florida experience; experience in oral presentation/public speaking; CEM certification; and experience in grant administration are preferred. Applications/resumes should include a social security number, position title, and any veteran preference documentation, and should be submitted by February 18, 2000, to Palm Beach County Personnel, 50 South Military Trail, #210, West Palm Beach, FL 33415; fax: (561) 233-4604; WWW: http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us.

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Help Wanted
Bangkok, Thailand

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, Thailand is seeking suitable candidates for the following positions:

Training Program Development Manager
Training Course Development Manager
(2) Training Managers
Training Coordinator
Training Materials Development Specialist
Administrative Manager
Administrative Associate
Database Management Specialist
Webmaster

For more information please visit the ADPC Web site: http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th, or contact the center for detailed job descriptions. Apply by sending a curriculum vitae and a recent photo. Please state qualifications and experiences, expected salary, and two referees no later than January 16, 2000. Send applications to: ADPC Foundation, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; fax: (662) 524 5360; e-mail: adpc@ait.ac.th. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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Conferences and Training

[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of upcoming hazards-related meetings and training is available from our World Wide Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html]

Fourth Annual Western Washington State School Emergency Management Conference. Shoreline, Washington: February 16-17, 2000. Brochure and registration information can be obtained from http://www.metrokc.gov/prepare under the "What's New" category; or contact Laurel L. Nelson, Training and Education Program Coordinator, King County Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Management Division, 7300 Perimeter Road South, Room 128, Seattle, WA 98108-3848; (206) 296-3830; fax: (206) 296-3838; e-mail: laurel.nelson@metrokc.gov.

Workshop on the Prediction of Underwater Landslide and Slump Occurrence and Tsunami Hazards off of Southern California. Sponsor: National Science Foundation. Los Angeles, California: March 10-11, 2000. Contact: Philip Watts, Applied Fluids Engineering, Private Mail Box #237, 5710 East 7th Street, Long Beach, CA 90803; tel/fax: (562) 498-9407; e-mail: phil.watts@appliedfluids.com; WWW: http://rccg03.usc.edu/la2000/.

Chapman Conference on Space Weather: Progress and Challenges in Research and Application. Sponsor: American Geophysical Union (AGU). Clearwater, Florida: March 20-24, 2000. Contact: AGU Meetings Department, Space Weather Conference, attn: Ann Singer, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009; (202) 462-6900 (outside North America); 1-800-966-2481 (toll free in North America); fax: (202) 328-0566; e-mail: meetinginfo@agu.org; WWW: http://www.agu.org/meetings/chapman.html. Some travel support for students is available.

Fifth Annual Northern Plains Convective Workshop. Hosts: Environment Canada Prairie Storm Prediction Centre, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, and the University of Winnipeg. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: April 25-27, 2000. "Address[es] the need to improve the understanding and forecasting of northern plains convection (in particular, as it relates to severe weather)." Persons interested in presenting should send an expression of interest and/or abstracts (electronic versions preferred - MS Word recommended) by March 22, 2000, to Jay.Anderson@ec.gc.ca; (204) 984-6389; fax: (204) 983-0109. For more information contact: Pat McCarthy, Severe Weather Program Manager, Prairie Storm Prediction Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; (204) 983-1904; fax: (204) 983-0109; e-mail: Patrick.McCarthy@ec.gc.ca.

Fourth International Conference of Local Authorities Confronting Disasters and Emergencies - LACDE 4. Reykjavik, Iceland: August 27-30, 2000. Contact: The Union of Local Authorities in Israel, 3 Heftman Street, P.O. Box 20040, Tel Aviv 61200, Israel; tel: +972-3-695-5024; fax: +972-3-691-6821; e-mail: ulais@netvision.net.il; WWW: http://www.ulai.org.il/f_lacde.htm -or- http://www.samband.is/lacde.

Eleventh International Conference on Wind Engineering. Lubbock, Texas: sometime in 2003. Contact: The Wind Engineering Research Center, Box 41023, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023; (806) 742-3479; fax: (806) 742-3446; toll free: (888) 946-3287; e-mail: amacdowell@coe.ttu.edu; WWW: http://www.wind.ttu.edu.

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