Alas, in a careful analysis of the organized governmental/institutional response in these countries, authors Richard Olson, Juan Pablo Sarmiento Prieto, Robert Olson, Vincent Gawronski, and Amelia Estrada found that many of the lessons from the earlier event were lost - primarily because of a lack of prior planning and the political exigencies that emerged when the 1997-98 El Nino became a "catastrophe" that received national and global attention.
The principal finding of The Marginalization of Disaster Response Institutions: The 1997-1998 El Nino Experience in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador is that while the civil defense organizations in the respective countries were the nominal "national emergency organizations" at the outset of this most recent ENSO, each was rapidly pushed to the sidelines ("marginalized") by one or more new but temporary governmental organizations charged with supposedly managing the response. The result was 1) confusion and duplication at the institutional level and 2) a serious loss of credibility and morale in each country's civil defense structure. In all cases, the 1997-98 ENSO became a major domestic media and political issue.
Following their analysis of these events, the authors of The Marginalization of Disaster Response Institutions assess likely institutional readiness for the next ENSO, and, perhaps most importantly, suggest how standing national emergency management agencies can better prepare - not just for the physical consequences of a future ENSO event, but for the political consequences, as well.
The Marginalization of Disaster Response Institutions: The 1997-1998 El Nino Experience in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador (Natural Hazards Center Special Publication #36, 2000, 44 pp.) can be purchased for $10.00, plus shipping ($5.00 for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; $8.00 for international mail beyond North America). 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.
We have our fair share of natural hazards in New Zealand, and roads are particularly vulnerable given the steep terrain, young geology, seismicity, and weather patterns. Our objective is to develop a systematic approach to manage risks associated with natural hazards affecting road networks. A structured approach is being considered to assess the consequences to road networks from natural hazards; consider mitigation, contingency, and emergency preparedness measures; and develop a long-term risk management strategy. The economic and social impacts of road damage and economics of mitigation would require consideration. Such a strategy will help communities become more resilient to natural hazards.
Note the emphasis on road networks rather than specific structures such as bridges.
I would appreciate a response from others who are aware of similar research, studies, or strategies that are being considered or have been developed or applied elsewhere. This will help us to build on the good work already done.
Thank you,
P. Brabhaharan
Opus, P.O. Box 12003, Wellington, New Zealand
E-mail: p.brabhaharan@opus.co.nz
Tel: +64-4-471 7842; Fax: +64-4-471 1397
WWW: http://www.opus.co.nz/
I urgently need information on earthquakes in Turkey. I am particularly interested in impact data as well as insight into how effective the response may have been.
I am writing a book on information management in earthquakes. I am focusing in the first part of the book on the role and scope of information for post-disaster impact response management in earthquakes. I am covering topics such as identifying the type of data required for response management, techniques for storing data, the process of transforming data into information, and methods for communicating data for decision support. In the second part of the book I show the steps needed to create a spatial decision support system for earthquake response management.
I would be particularly interested to hear from academics, engineers, government officials, and anyone with an interest in earthquake response management.
Dr. Michael Francis
Senior Lecturer
Dubai Polytechnic
P.O. Box 14t57
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 (0)4 2072663
+071 (0)50 457 8851 Mobile
E-mail: mikhul1@emirates.net.ae
This draft report outlines recommendations that will be made to Congress and the President regarding national drought issues. Written comments should be mailed directly to the commission c/o Leona Dittus, Executive Director, National Drought Policy Commission, USDA/FSA/AO, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Mail Stop 0501, Washington, DC 20250-0501. Comments can also be submitted by e-mail to leona_dittus@wdc.fsa.usda.gov or faxed to (202) 720-9688.
With the growth of this hazard has come increasing recognition that, through wise community design and judicious use of prescribed fire, these costs can be reduced. Hence, in the last decade, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other wildland fire agencies have mounted major efforts to champion such solutions. For example, as part of its National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Protection Program, NFPA has produced a Web site and a host of publications, videos, and case studies aimed at promoting "firewise" behavior in every corner of the country. This work has resulted in new partnerships and improved the ability of firefighters, citizens, and our built and natural environments to deal with inevitable wildland fire.
To further their work of stimulating a grassroots response to this threat, NFPA is currently inviting concerned community leaders to participate in Firewise Communities Workshops. Using state-of-the-art simulation exercises, presentations, and support materials, participants will learn what it takes to create a firewise community in which wildland fire is planned as naturally as air and water quality or floodplain management. For more information about the Firewise Communities Workshop series, see the Firewise Communities Web site: http://www.firewise.org/communities.
This new grant program is designed to help organizations that are currently working within their respective communities to continue their efforts to educate high-risk groups about the importance of fire safety and prevention. Funding is available to organizations such as civic clubs, sororities and fraternities, youth groups, senior citizen groups, fire departments, fire associations, and schools.
For more information and to obtain an application package, contact Cindy Adams, Office of Financial Management, U.S. Fire Administration, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447-1221; fax: (301) 447-1092; e-mail: cindy.adams@fema.gov.
According to the agency:
The Corps of Engineers is very concerned with the loss of life and property resulting from unwise development in the floodplain. The Corps has recently advocated the strengthening of floodplain policy and the use of non-structural measures to reduce flood damages. We believe that the changes to the NWP program . . . will play an important role in reducing damages associated with development in the floodplain.Not only are the new permits and permitting process more stringent, but the Corps has also established pre-construction notification (PCN) thresholds to ensure that any activity that may have more than minimal adverse effects is reviewed by a Corps district engineer on a case-by- case basis. The Corps emphasizes that FEMA-mapped floodplains and FEMA-approved local floodplain construction requirements will be incorporated into their decisions when issuing permits.
The complete text of the "Final Notice of Issuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits" can be found in the Federal Register, available via the Internet at http://www.access.gpo.gov. To obtain further information about this notice, contact David Olson or Sam Collinson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, attn: CECW-OR, 20 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20314-1000; (202) 761-0199. Interested persons can also see the Corps of Engineers Regulatory Home Page: http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/functions/cw/cecwo/reg.
The agency stresses that the "overriding aim of the Hurricane Floyd supplemental appropriation is to clear the floodplain by helping occupants to move out of harm's way . . . we intend to use the funding to meet the needs of lower income households in the areas that are most affected by flood damage."
The Interim Final Rule that explains this process can be found in the February 11 edition of the Federal Register (Vol. 65, No. 29, pp. 7270-7274.) The rule states that funds are to be used for acquisition and relocation only, and that eligible properties must be:
Funds will be allocated to states that received a presidential disaster declaration resulting from Hurricane Floyd, and states will in turn distribute grants to interested communities, tribal organizations, or appropriate private, nonprofit organizations. Properties purchased with this funding must remain open space in perpetuity and may receive no future disaster assistance from any federal source. All funds must be obligated by January 1, 2002, and local sources must contribute up to 25% of the eligible costs.
For further information about these grants, contact Robert F. Shea, Mitigation Directorate, FEMA, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-3619; fax: (202) 646 3104; e-mail: robert.shea@fema.gov.
Further, the Inspector General assessed the effectiveness of FEMA's Substantial Damage Rule as a mitigation tool. The rule requires communities participating in the NFIP to ensure that flood-prone structures damaged equal to or greater than 50% of their value be replaced with flood-resistant structures and (usually) elevated. After an examination of insurance claim data, the Inspector General found that many communities are not implementing mitigation under this rule, resulting in higher insurance premiums for the owners. The office recommends that FEMA centralize management of substantially damaged structures; notify policyholders prior to payment that their homes may be substantially damaged and eligible for mitigation funding; re-rate flood policies based on a structure's flood risk; require communities to use market value capped at replacement cost to calculate substantial damage; increase training regarding this rule; and visit communities to monitor compliance.
The Semi-Annual Report (1999, 40 pp., free) also describes numerous investigations regarding attempted fraud, inappropriate grant awards, and bribery of government employees. It describes the agency's Fraud Hotline, the Disaster Fraud Training course currently being developed, the IG's participation in other FEMA activities, and reviews of legislative and regulatory activities.
Copies of the Semi-Annual Report are free and can be obtained from Rita Rios, FEMA, Office of Inspector General, 500 C Street, S.W., Room 506, Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-4166; fax: (202) 646-3901; e-mail: Rita.Rios@fema.gov; WWW: http://www.fema.gov/ig.
The Subcommittee on Basic Research held a hearing on Wednesday, October 20, 1999, on "The Turkey, Taiwan, and Mexico Earthquakes: Lessons Learned." Witnesses testified regarding the role of the USGS's National Earthquake Information Center during those recent quakes, structural failures due to the quakes and their relevance for the U.S., the geological characteristics of the quake areas and their similarities to U.S. locales, and urban search and rescue efforts following the quakes. These documents can be viewed at http://www.house.gov/science/106_hearing.htm.
The minutes from several other hearings held by the committee are also available from that Web site, including "Tornadoes: Understanding, Modeling, and Forecasting Supercell Storms," conducted on June 16, 1999; and "Year 2000 Computer Problem: Did the World Overreact, and What Did We Learn?", conducted January 21, 2000.
The DRM program is interdisciplinary, addressing prevention strategies, implementation activities, education, and knowledge dissemination in relation to both human-caused technological risks and natural disasters. The DRM will also play an active role in the ProVention Consortium on Natural and Technological Catastrophes of the World Bank (see DR #313).
The Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) represents numerous research centers that study a broad range of hazard-related issues, from risk management to engineering to public policy. Virginia Tech has multidisciplinary capabilities and experience in natural and technological disaster management, including in the areas of seismology, water resource management, environmental and hazardous materials studies, transportation research, and public policy.
Several affiliated universities from around the world are also part of the DRM network. Basically, DRM will provide services to aid the private sector, governments, and community groups in defining and dealing with hazards and risks.
To obtain further information about this effort, contact DRM, World Institute for Disaster Management, Alexandria Research Institute, 206 North Washington Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 518- 8080; fax: (703) 518-8085; e-mail: widrm@vt.edu; or DRM, c/o ETH Board, Haldelwig 15, ETH Centre, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland; tel: +41 1 632 20 02; fax: + 41 1 632 11 90; e-mail: DRM@ethrat.ch.
Although flood insurance claims were large, the majority of victims had no flood insurance. In North Carolina, the state hardest hit by the hurricane, only 81,000 policies were in force, and much of the flooding there occurred in areas outside high-risk zones protected by flood insurance.
The 10 states that suffered the highest losses were:
1) Oklahoma $1.1 billion May tornadoes 2) North Carolina $928 million Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd 3) Texas $515 million Severe weather 4) Virginia $485 million Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd 5) Michigan $375 million Severe weather 5) Ohio $375 million Severe weather 7) Arkansas $325 million Severe weather 8) Pennsylvania $255 million Hurricane Floyd 9) New York $230 million Severe weather 10) Florida $222 million Hurricanes Floyd and Irene
ISO notes that 1999 was the first time in 25 years that California did not suffer a single catastrophe, while Florida, the state that incurred the greatest insured losses this decade, was only tenth, despite an active hurricane season. Although the number of events was the second lowest in the decade, eight hurricanes struck the U.S., five of which were category 3 or higher in intensity. The record year for losses was 1992, when Hurricane Andrew struck the U.S., causing insured losses of $22.9 billion.
The top 10 states for losses from 1990 to 1999 were:
1) Florida $19.3 billion 2) California $17.5 billion 3) Texas $6.6 billion 4) North Carolina $3.4 billion 5) Oklahoma $2.6 billion 6) New York $2.4 billion 7) Minnesota $2.3 billion 8) Kansas $2.0 billion 9) Illinois $1.7 billion 9) Colorado $ 1.7 billionFor more information about these data, contact Christopher Guidette, Insurance Services Office, Inc., 7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10048-1199; (212) 898-6609; e-mail: cguidette@iso.com; WWW: http://www.iso.com.
Completion of the certificate program requires 12 semester hours of graduate work, including the courses "Disaster Management," "Disaster Relief and Recovery," and two electives. This curriculum provides an overview of disaster management in public and nonprofit agencies; an introduction to emergency management policies and programs with a focus on disaster mitigation; and specialized work on land-use planning geographic information systems, terrorism, environmental planning, the economic impact of disasters, and other issues.
For more information about the programs available from Georgia State University, contact William L. Waugh, Jr., Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303; (404) 651-4592; fax: (404) 651-1378; e-mail: wwaugh@gsu.edu.
First the project has compiled an annotated list of colleges, universities, and other institutions offering emergency management courses, certificates, and degrees. This catalog is available on-line at http://www.fema.gov/emi/edu/higher.htm.
Next, EMI has developed an outline of a potential emergency management curriculum consisting of a series of classroom-based, upper-division, baccalaureate-level classes, and the institute is working with a variety of colleges and universities to develop these courses. Several are now complete and available on-line. Courses currently available, or soon to be posted, include:
Recently, EMI also designed a "Prototype Curriculum for Associate Degrees in Emergency Management," based on existing EMI training courses that could be used or adapted by colleges.
For additional information about the FEMA Higher Education Project or to obtain background and course materials, see http://www.fema.gov/emi/edu/higher.htm or contact the project director, Wayne Blanchard, FEMA Higher Education Project, Emergency Management Institute, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447-1262; fax: (301) 447-1598; e-mail: wayne.blanchard@fema.gov.
Cooperative Agreement to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to Initiate the Post Hurricane Reconstruction of the Public Healthcare System in Central America and the Caribbean. Funding: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $1 million, 12 months. Contact: PAHO, Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination Program, 525 23rd Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20037; (202) 974-3520; fax: (202) 775-4578; e-mail: disaster@paho.org; WWW: http://www.paho.org/english/ped/pedhome.htm.
An Investigation of the Geotechnical Aspects of the June 1999 Central Mexico Earthquakes - Preliminary Assessment. Funding: National Science Foundation, $12,110, 12 months. Principal Investigator: Jonathan D. Bray, Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center and National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering (NISEE), University of California, 1301 South 46th Street, Richmond, CA 94804; (510) 231-9554; fax: (510) 231-9471; e-mail: bray@ce.berkeley.edu; WWW: http://nisee.ce.berkeley.edu.
Ranking Risk Factors Affected by Coastal Storms. Funding: Public Entity Risk Institute, 24 months. Principal Investigator: Robert S. Young, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723; (828) 227-3822; fax: (828) 227-7647; e-mail: rsyoung@wcu.edu.
Processes Mediating Judgements of Likelihood. Funding: National Science Foundation, $178,664, 36 months. Principal Investigator: Paul D. Windschitl, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA; e-mail: paul-windschitl@uiowa.edu.
IM-AWARE (Instructional Meteorology - Applications of Weather for Awareness, Readiness and Education). Funding: National Science Foundation, $73,848, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Kevin A. Kloesel and Renee A. McPherson, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK; e-mail: kevin@redrock.ocs.ou.edu.
Impacts of Disasters on Small, Not-for-profit and Business Organizations. Funding: Public Entity Risk Institute, $307,995, 36 months. Principal Investigator: Daniel J. Alesch, Center for Organizational Studies, Department of Public and Environmental Affairs, Suite 324, Rose Hall, 2120 Nicolet Drive, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001; (920) 465-2045; fax: (920) 465-2791; e-mail: aleschd@uwgb.edu.
The five-year project, to be based in Washington, D.C., will support OFDA's activities in contracting/grant making, information gathering and reporting, recruiting, and training. It will also provide administrative support to these operations. Chemonics is seeking qualified candidates for the following positions:
First Regional Training Course on Urban Flood Mitigation (UFM-1). Offered by: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Bangkok, Thailand: April 3-14, 2000. See: http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/course/ufm/ufm1.htm, or contact: Learning and Professional Development, ADPC, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; tel: (66 2) 5245386 or 5245391; fax: (66 2) 5245350; e-mail: tedadpc@ait.ac.th.
Corporate/Public Agency Coordination and Interdependence. Sponsored by the University of California at Berkeley Certificate Program in Emergency Management. San Francisco, California: April 11-14, 2000. To register, or for more information, contact: UC Berkeley Extension, (510) 643-7143; e-mail: env@unx.berkeley.edu; WWW: http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/em.
Emergency Management (Disaster) Planning Workshop for Business, Industry and Government. Sponsors: American Red Cross, [Florida] Capital Area Chapter, in cooperation with Leon County [Florida] Sheriff's Office, Division of Emergency Management, Apalachee Regional Planning Council. Tallahassee, Florida: April 24-27, 2000. For additional information, see: http://www.tallytown.com/redcross; or contact the Disaster Services Office, American Red Cross, 187 Office Plaza Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301; (850) 878-6080. [Note: A Self Study version of this workshop is available for $85.00. To order, contact the Disaster Services Office above.]
Floods and Flooding in a Changing Environment. Sponsors: School of Environmental Science - University College Northampton, Association of British Climatologists, and St. James Community Forum. Northampton, U.K.: April 28-29, 2000. The deadline for abstracts has been extended to April 4. Papers are invited on following themes: causes, hydrology, and climatology of flood events in the UK; management of floodplains to reduce flood risk; past flood events in the UK; flood risk and climate change. Contact: Dr. Chris Holt, Course Leader, University College Northampton, Park Campus, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, U.K. NN2 7AL; tel: +44(0)1604-735500, ext. 2091; fax: +44(0)1604-720636; WWW: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/aps/env/envsci.html.
Earthquake Conference 2000: "It's Our Fault" (first Mississippi state earthquake conference). Tunica, Mississippi: May 24-26, 2000. Government and private, nonprofit employees will be eligible for reimbursement. Contact Patrick Wanker, (601) 352-9100; e-mail: pwanker@memaorg.com.
Advancing Community Sustainability. Sponsored by Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs with support from numerous federal agencies and other organizations. Roanoke, Virginia: June 1-3, 2000. "Plenary and roundtable sessions will examine the practice of sustainability in each of three areas of community life: a) physical development; b) infrastructure design; and c) economic structure." For more information, see: http://www.conted.vt.edu/advcom.htm, or contact: Prof. Richard C. Rich, Chair, Department of Political Science, 531 Major Williams Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0130; (540) 231-6571; fax: (540) 231-6078; e-mail: urban@vt.edu.
17th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction. Taipei, Taiwan: September 18-20, 2000. In memory of last year's 921 Ji-Ji (Taiwan) earthquake, a session entitled "Hazard Management Technology" will be included in this year's symposium. The deadline for abstracts is March 31. More information is available via: http://www.ce.ntu.edu.tw/~isarc17; or contact: Walter Chen, Ph.D., Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology; e-mail: waltchen99@yahoo.com.
Applications of Risk Analysis in Industry and Government. Sponsor: Society for Risk Analysis. Arlington, Virginia: December 3-6, 2000. Proposals due May 12. Contact: Society for Risk Analysis, 1313 Dolley Madison Boulevard, Suite 402, McLean, VA 22101; (703) 790-1745; fax: (703) 790-2672; e-mail: sra@burkinc.com.
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