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For the next few months, Disaster Research will be published on a limited basis (every three to four weeks as opposed to every 12-14 days). We'll still send you the latest timely news and conference announcements and continue to circulate questions from our readers around the globe concerning their latest problems in disaster management.
However, we'll forgo the less time-critical items (such as those about new centers, research, or disaster management programs). Those items will continue to be written up in our printed and on-line newsletter, the Natural Hazards Observer, and we will let DR readers know whenever a new Observer becomes available on the web.
So please keep those cards and letters and e-mails coming in (hazctr@colorado.edu). Your guest editor, former Hazards Center intern and supereditor, Wendy Hessler, will make sure that all the hazards news that's fit to print will continue to be published by the Center.
Best regards,
The Natural Hazards Center
Gilbert F. White - renowned geographer, scientist, citizen of the world; one of the principal framers of natural hazards research and policy in the United States and around the globe; as well as founder, in 1976, of the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center - will celebrate his 90th birthday on November 26.
To commemorate this event, friends and colleagues are invited to send cards, letters, and other correspondence to the Hazards Center honoring Gilbert and/or reflecting on his work and contributions. These messages will be shared with him at a party in his honor on December 3 on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Correspondence should be mailed c/o Gilbert F. White, Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, 482 UCB, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0482; e-mail: hazctr@colorado.edu.
In recent years, members of Congress have expressed a desire that more "clear and meaningful" criteria be established for issuing presidential disaster declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. As a result, the General Accounting Office (GAO) has taken an in-depth look at the issues surrounding disaster assistance to states and recently presented their findings in the report, Disaster Assistance: Improvement Needed in Disaster Declaration Criteria and Eligibility Assurance Procedures - Report to the Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate (GAO Report No. GAO-01-837).
The Stafford Act requires that conditions exceed state and local capability to respond before disaster assistance from the federal government is granted. The law, however, specifically denies FEMA from denying federal assistance "solely by virtue of an arithmetic formula or sliding scale based on income or population." Factors FEMA uses to recommend a presidential disaster declaration include damage that exceed $1.04 per capita statewide and $1 million in total, the heavy impact of a disaster on a particular area, or recent multiple disasters in the same area. However, the GAO believes that problems with the criteria remain, particularly because staff assigned to disaster field offices are temporary and may not have the skills and training needed to make appropriate decisions.
The GAO notes that FEMA has made improvements in this area, but maintains that problems persist. Therefore, the office provides several recommendations to improve FEMA's disaster declaration process.
Copies of the report are available free and can be requested from the GAO, P.O. Box 37050, Washington, DC 20013; (202) 512-6000; fax: (202) 512-6061; TDD (202) 512-2537; e-mail: info@www.gao.gov. The complete text of the report is also available on-line at: http://www.gao.gov.
We would appreciate it if DR readers could send us a list of web sites dealing with "community and disaster."
Best regards
Edward Mallari
Operations Manager
International Institute for Disaster Risk Management (IDRM)
formerly Asia Pacific Disaster Management Centre (APDMC)
E-mail: edward@idrmhome.org
WWW: http://www.idrmhome.org
[We recently received the following notice regarding a proposed special publication on hazards in El Salvador:]
Content of the book: Recent work on natural hazards mitigation in El Salvador.
Significance of the volume: All scientists, most especially geoscientists, are faced with a rapidly increasing need to do research, training, and other work on the mitigation of natural hazards in less developed countries. This work requires many things that we are unprepared for. Each country is different, and natural hazards occupy a different rank in national priorities. It is difficult to do work that has an impact in a local country and that builds infrastructure there.
Little has been published in a comprehensive way about these problems, and devoted volumes are very rare. It is important to do a volume focused on a single country, but a volume that will be useful for other countries as well. El Salvador is a small, third-world country with significant seismic, landslide, and volcanic hazards. Events in recent years have included civil war, floods, drought, and major hurricane, earthquake, and landslide events. The country has forged a new plan to help it face severe natural hazards challenges. The plan includes the development of a new geological agency in El Salvador, which is seeking outside help. Scientists from throughout the world have already conducted significant work to aid with this effort. That work reflects the worldwide problem of building local infrastructural capability to mitigate natural hazards.
The work will be of interest to the whole natural hazards community and particularly to geoscientists working on hazard mitigation. The hazards to be highlighted in this volume include volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides. Contributors so far include Salvadorans and scientists from North America and Europe.
Editorial Group:
William I Rose, Michigan Technological University - overall editor
JJ Bommer, Imperial College - seismic hazards and social issues
Dina Lopez, University of Ohio and Michael J Carr, Rutgers University
- volcanic hazards
JJ Major, USGS - landslides and floods
Contributions are solicited!
Deadline for submission of papers: June 1, 2002
Reviewers comments deadline: August 15, 2002
Revised manuscripts due: October 31, 2002
Publication date: November 2003
William I Rose
Geological Engineering & Sciences
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI 49931 USA
(906) 487-2367
Fax: (906) 487-3371
E-mail: raman@mtu.edu
[Adapted from the October 2001 issue of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Newsletter]
Although earthquake scientists and engineers regularly develop new tools to aid local officials and building owners in mitigating seismic risks, many of these advances in earthquake safety remain unused. To address this problem, EERI has created an "Earthquake Mitigation Center" to identify tools and other resources and to train earthquake professionals to use them to promote seismic safety.
The center will be a repository for all such materials and will develop new materials as appropriate. It will also provide training for multidisciplinary teams of professionals. Recognizing the rapidly changing nature of both technology and communication, EERI hopes to work collaboratively with other institutions around the globe involved in the same issues.
For more information about EERI's new Earthquake Mitigation Center, contact EERI, 499 14th Street, Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612-1934; (510) 451-0905; fax: (510) 451-5411; e-mail: eeri@eeri.org; WWW: http://www.eeri.org.
The Department of Public Administration in the School of Community Service at the University of North Texas invites applications for two tenure-track positions at the assistant professor level beginning fall 2002. Primary teaching responsibilities for both positions are in the department's NASPAA-accredited Master of Public Administration program, with occasional teaching of undergraduate courses in public administration or in the baccalaureate program in emergency administration and planning. One position requires teaching courses in human resource management and at least one of the following areas: government management, strategic planning and management, nonprofit management, and/or undergraduate courses in emergency management. The other position requires teaching courses on diversity issues in public/emergency administration and at least one of the previously listed areas. Candidates must be able to combine excellent teaching with a productive agenda of research and community service.
Candidates should hold an earned doctorate in public administration, emergency management, or related field at the time the appointment begins. Review of complete files begins December 1, but applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. To ensure full consideration, candidates should submit a letter of interest, current vita, teaching interests, writing sample, and three letters of reference to the Search Committee Chair, Department of Public Administration, P.O. Box 310617, Denton, TX 76203-0617.
The African continent is extremely vulnerable to a variety of disasters that can completely undermine development. Consequently, there is a strong need in Africa to provide people with the skills and knowledge they need to understand and manage disasters.
The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) addresses this need by giving postgraduate students the opportunity to acquire those skills and knowledge in an inter-, intra- and multi-disciplinary two-year course. Upon completion of the course, students are awarded a Masters degree in Disaster Management.
The main aim of DiMTEC is to build disaster management capacity at all levels within departments, agencies, organizations, and communities in Africa for all kinds of disasters. Specifically, DiMTEC's aims are to:
In a nutshell, DiMTEC will contribute to formal and informal disaster management training and education programs, disaster management research, and community service programs.
For more information about this program, including entrance requirements, application procedures, course descriptions, etc., contact the Director, Disaster Management Training and Education Centre, Agricultural Economics (Internal 58), P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa; tel: +27-51-4012721; fax: +27-51-4013473; e-mail: DiMTEC@sci.uovs.ac.za or duplesla@sci.uovs.ac.za.
Prospective students for the 2002 academic year should apply by the end of this month.
[Below are some new or updated Internet resources we've discovered. For an extensive list of good Internet sites dealing with hazards, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/sites/sites.html]
http://www.worldwatch.org
http://secure.worldwatch.org/cgi-bin/wwinst/WWP0158
[From the Worldwatch Institute:]
More people worldwide are now displaced by natural disasters than
by conflict. In the 1990s, natural catastrophes, including hurricanes,
floods, and fires, affected more than two billion people and caused in
excess of $608 billion in economic losses worldwide - a loss greater
than during the previous four decades combined. But more and more of
the devastation wrought by such "natural" disasters is unnatural in
origin - caused by ecologically destructive practices and an
increasing number of people living in harm's way.
These are the basic findings presented in a new study, Unnatural Disasters (61 pp., ISBN: 1-878071-60-2) by Janet Abramovitz of the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental research organization. "By degrading forests, engineering rivers, filling in wetlands, and destabilizing the climate, we are unraveling the strands of a complex ecological safety net," said Abramovitz. "We have altered so many natural systems so dramatically, their ability to protect us from disturbances is greatly diminished." Also contributing to the rising toll of disasters is the enormous expansion of the human population and the built environment, which put more people and more economic activities in harm's way.
Although "unnatural disasters" occur everywhere, their impact falls disproportionately on the poor as they are more likely to live in vulnerable areas, and they have fewer resources to deal with disasters. Between 1985 and 1999, 96% of recorded disaster fatalities were in developing countries.
At the same time, economic losses from "unnatural disasters" are greater in the developed world. The earthquake that rocked Kobe, Japan, in 1995, for example, cost more than $100 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster in history. Still, smaller losses often hit poor countries harder, where they represent a larger share of the national economy. The damage from 1998's Hurricane Mitch in Central America was $8.5 billion - higher than the combined gross domestic product of Honduras and Nicaragua, the two nations hardest hit.
Besides presenting these issues, Abramovitz suggests measures that could lessen disasters' toll - from economic/financial safety nets to ecological measures, promotion of community-based disaster planning, wise land-use planning, and hazard mapping. Copies of Unnatural Disasters can be downloaded for $5.00 in PDF format from the second URL above. They can also be ordered from the Worldwatch Institute, 1776 Massachusetts Ave, N.W., Washington, DC 20036; 1-800-555-2028 (U.S.) or 1-301-567-9522 (outside the U.S.).
http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/enews/default.asp
The latest issue of the MCEER (Multidisciplinary Center for
Earthquake Engineering Research) Information Service electronic
newsletter provides much information about the engineering community's
actions in response to the World Trade Center catastrophe. The
newsletter not only describes specific work and studies being done but
also lists other sources of information on the web and elsewhere.
http://www.fema.gov/emi/edu/aem_courses.htm
Each Monday (or shortly thereafter) the current version of the
document "Terrorism Bibliography-wp.doc" is updated on this web page.
It can be found at the bottom of the page following the listing of the
"Terrorism and Emergency Management" Higher Education Project course.
Virtually every listing has a URL that takes one to the item listed.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/anthrax_g.htm
This page is an anthrax "fact sheet" provided by the Centers for
Disease Control.
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/hazmat/bioagents.htm
To help America's First Responders cope with the anthrax threat,
the U.S. Fire Administration has posted federal guidelines and other
information resources about responding to bioterrorism incidents via
this web page.
http://www.tallytown.com/redcross
"Anthrax: What You Should Know" is a new web site developed by
the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.
http://www.usps.com/news/2001/press/pr01_1010tips.htm
This site lists U.S. Postal Service tips on dealing with mail
suspected of contamination.
http://reports.eea.eu.int/Environmental_Issues_No_21/en/enviissue21.pdf
As part of its assessment of the sustainable use of water in
Europe, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has produced this
report, Sustainable Water Use in Europe - Part 3: Extreme
Hydrological Events: Floods and Droughts. The document presents an
overview of the main causes and impacts of these extreme events in
Europe and provides an overview of policy responses to prevent such
disasters or reduce resultant damage. It also describes some of the
major recent disasters in the region and thus provides a comprehensive
survey of flood and drought hazards in Europe.
http://www.myflorida.com/doea/healthfamily/learn/elderservices/doeaelderupdate.html
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has published the 2001
version of its Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders in both print
and PDF format (available from the web site above). The guide includes
useful information on preparedness for hurricanes, floods, and
tornadoes; evacuation; pet safety; safety for motorists in
emergencies; as well as an emergency preparedness checklist,
suggestions on how to build a disaster-resistant neighborhood, and
other information and references to other sources of information.
http://www.fema.gov/nfip
The web site of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA/NFIP) has been remodeled. Major
improvements include alphabetizing the site index and including links
to each web page throughout the site; alphabetizing all lists and
links; posting all publications in a "Publications" section of the
"Library"; streamlining the home page by reducing initial links and
features and putting the links for specific audiences on that page;
reorganizing the "Policies and Claims Statistics" section so more NFIP
stakeholders can take advantage of this data; and combining related
topics in individual links. The site managers also hope soon to offer
a subscription service that will provide e-mail notices of updates and
new information.
http://www.fema.gov/mit/tsd/dl_cgs.htm
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently issued
Draft Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping
Partners, which defines technical requirements, necessary
coordination and documentation, and specifications for flood hazard
maps and related National Flood Insurance Program products. The
guidelines compile requirements incorporated in previous FEMA
documents and reflect recent changes associated with implementation of
the FEMA Map Modernization Program (see DR #355).
FEMA will accept comments on the draft until November 9 for
possible incorporation into the final version. The agency emphasizes
that these guidelines are a "living" document that will be updated
whenever FEMA determines changes are appropriate. For more information
about this effort, contact the Hazards Study Branch, Hazard Mapping
Division, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, FEMA, 500 C
Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472; fax: (202) 646-4596; e-mail:
femacg&s@floodmaps.net.
http://www.trinet.org
http://www.trinet.org/shake/archive/scenario.html
TriNet is a collaborative project among the California Institute
of Technology, the California Division of Mines and Geology, and the
U.S. Geological Survey. Its aim is to create an effective real-time
earthquake information system for Southern California (see DR #306).
Now nearing completion, TriNet incorporates new technologies to
provide vital information within minutes of an earthquake, thus
helping to mitigate the impact of large earthquakes in the region. The
system is designed to aid both scientists and emergency managers.
Through continuous monitoring of seismicity in Southern
California TriNet produces rapid estimates of earthquake times,
locations, and magnitudes, enabling direct estimates of the strength
of ground shaking near earthquakes. Its products include maps known as
"ShakeMaps" that demonstrate ground acceleration, velocity, and other
measures of intensity. The TriNet ShakeMap Web pages now display not
only near-real-time information, but also, at the second URL above,
selected earthquake scenarios for southern California. Maps for other
regions of the U.S. will be available soon. Indeed, users interested
in specific scenarios not currently available can make a request to
the ShakeMap Working Group via a comment form on the ShakeMap web
site. The maps are already being used in emergency response planning
by city, county, state, and federal agencies, by response planners and
managers of utilities and other private organizations, and by
engineers.
http://developmentgateway.org
http://developmentgateway.org/topic/?page_id=4188
The World Bank has added a new "Heritage in Peril" topic to its
"Global Development Gateway" Web site, available through the "Culture
and Development" and other subsections (see the second URL above). As
the site developers say, "Recent terrorism and the international
response to this has highlighted the risk to culture and particularly
the cultural heritage of the world [due to] wars and . . . both
natural and civil disasters, while all the available statistics show
that over past decades all three of these threats . . . have had a
disproportionate effect on developing countries."
The new section provides access to information and advice about
all aspects and phases of both natural and human-induced cultural
disasters - including preparation, response, and long-term recovery -
as well as the opportunity to register for regular e-mail updates as
new material is added. It also includes links to international
treaties and conventions set up to protect culture in times of war.
Though still in the early stages of development, the site offers
nearly 50 substantial resources, and the developers are seeking
additional relevant material.
For more information, or to submit suggestions, contact Patrick Boylan, Culture and Development Guide Manager, Development Gateway, Department of Arts Policy and Management, City University, London, U.K.; tel: (+44) (0)116.288.5186 or (+44) (0)20-704.8750; e-mail: P.Boylan@city.ac.uk.
Below are descriptions of recently awarded contracts and grants for the study of hazards and disasters. An inventory of contracts and grants awarded from 1995 to the present is available on the Natural Hazards Center web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/grants.html.
Observing and Documenting the Inter-Organizational Response to the September 11, 2001, Terror Attacks. Funding: National Science Foundation, $24,999, six months. Principal Investigator: John R. Harrald and Joseph Barbera, George Washington University, 2121 Eye Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20037; e-mail: harrald@seas.gwu.edu.
Impact of World Trade Center Disaster on Critical Infrastructure Interdependence. Funding: National Science Foundation, $70,000, 12 months. Principal Investigator: William A. Wallace and Joe H. Chow, Rennsselaer Polytechnical Institute, 110 8 Street, Troy, NY 21280; e-mail: wallaw@rpi.edu.
A Test of "Flashbulb" Memory: Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Funding: National Science Foundation, $48,968, 22 months. Principal Investigator: Andrew Conway, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612; e-mail: aconway@uic.edu.
Digital Data Collection for Damage Assessment at the World Trade Center. Funding: National Science Foundation, $20,000, 12 months. Principal Investigator: J. David Frost, Georgia Technological Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA 30332; e-mail: dfrost@ce.gatech.edu.
World Trade Center Post-Disaster Fire Reconnaissance and Perishable Data Collection. Funding: National Science Foundation, $15,000, 12 months. Principal Investigator: Frederick W. Mowrer, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD 20742; e-mail: fmowrer@eng.umd.edu.
World Trade Center Post-Disaster Reconnaissance and Perishable Structural Engineering Data Collection. Funding: National Science Foundation, $15,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720; e-mail: astaneh@ce.berkeley.edu.
Infrastructural Damage Assessment Using Land-Based Laser Swath Mapping Technology. Funding: National Science Foundation, $45,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: David Bloomquist and Ramesh L. Shrestha, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; e-mail: dave@ce.ufl.edu.
How Support Organizations Respond to Crises: Middle Eastern and South Asian American Organizations in the Aftermath of September 11. Funding: National Science Foundation, $60,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Mehdi Bozorgmehr, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4309; e-mail: mbozorgmehr@gc.cuny.edu.
Large-Scale Seismic Performance of Urban Regions. Funding: National Science Foundation, $1,199,465, 36 months. Principal Investigators: Michael L. Stokes, Joerg Meyer, Tomasz Haupt, Jacobo Bielak, and Gregory L. Fenves, Mississippi State University; e-mail: stokes@erc.msstate.edu.
Analysis of Lifeline Damages and Economic Impacts of an Earthquake: Development of an Integrated Economic-Engineering Assessment Model. Funding: National Science Foundation, $259,605, months. Principal Investigators: Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820; e-mail: hewings@uiuc.edu.
Developing a Long-Term Research Agenda for the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. Funding: National Science Foundation, $420,000, 24 months. Principal Investigators: Richard Little, National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418; e-mail: rlittle@nas.edu.
Performance of Electric Utility Lifelines in Urban Centers for Earthquake Hazards. Funding: National Science Foundation, $244,496, 24 months. Principal Investigators: Dorothy A. Reed, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105; e-mail: reed@u.washington.edu.
Forecasting Change in Hurricane Risk Over Time. Funding: National Science Foundation, $274,979, 36 months. Principal Investigators: Rachel A. Davidson and David V. Rosowsky, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Hurricane Andrew 10 Years Later: Implications for Disaster Mitigation. Funding: National Science Foundation, $240,027, 14 months. Principal Investigators: Betty H. Morrow and Walter G. Peacock, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199; e-mail: morrowb@fiu.edu.
Urban Containment Programs and the Vulnerability of Infrastructure to Hazards: Are Cities Being Engineered to be Safe as Well as Smart? Funding: National Science Foundation, $149,995, 24 months. Principal Investigators: Raymond J. Burby, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514; e-mail: rburby@chapel.unc.edu.
Sustaining Multiple Functions for Urban Wetlands. Funding: National Science Foundation, $69,944, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Mary V. Santelmann, Denise H. Lach, James A. Moore, Wayne C. Huber, and Kenneth J. Williamson, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331; e-mail: santelmm@ucs.orst.edu.
Pervasive Monitoring and Control of Water Lifeline Systems for Disaster Recovery. Funding: National Science Foundation, $400,000, 36 months. Principal Investigators: Masanobu Shinosuka and John S. Heidemann, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697; e-mail: shino@uci.edu.
Interactions of Riparian Pattern, Policy, and Biocomplexity in Coupled Human/Riverine Systems. Funding: National Science Foundation, $1,950,000, 48 months. Principal Investigators: Stanley V. Gregory, John P. Bolte, and David W. Hulse, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR; e-mail: stanley.gregory@orst.edu.
Alternatives to Crisis: Constructing Models of Resilience in the Red River Valley of the North. Funding: National Science Foundation, $70,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Dennis R. Keeney, IATP, 2105 First Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55405-2505; (612) 870-3404; e-mail: drkenney@iastate.edu.
Better Safe than Sorry: Precautionary Reasoning, Utility Reversals, and the Creation of Dominance. Funding: National Science Foundation, $190,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: . . Funding: National Science Foundation, $, months. Principal Investigators: Michael L. DeKay and Paul Fischbeck, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; e-mail: dekay@andrew.cmu.
Necessary Uncertainty: The Scientific Controversy over Fallout Hazards in the United States, 1954-1963. Funding: National Science Foundation, $8,000. Principal Investigators: Mary Jo Nye, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331; e-mail: nyem@ucs.orst.edu.
Highly Detailed Reconstructions of New England Weather over the Past Few Centuries and Their Climatic Implications. Funding: National Science Foundation, $326,329, 36 months. Principal Investigators: Gregory A. Zielinski and Kirk A. Maasch, University of Maine, Orono, ME 044695; e-mail: gzielinski@maine.edu.
Evacuation and Vulnerability in Mexico. Funding: National Science Foundation, $73,540, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Benigno E. Aguirre, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716; e-mail: aguirre@udel.edu.
Infrastructure for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science. Funding: National Science Foundation, $1,212,447, 36 months. Principal Investigators: Roger C. Bales, John S. Selker, Upmanu Lall, Marc B. Parlange, Mark W. Williams, and Christopher J. Duffy, American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009.
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Reconnaissance of the June 23, 2001, Arequipa Earthquake. Funding: National Science Foundation, $29,671, six months. Principal Investigators: Adrian Rodrigues-Marek, Pedro C. Repetto, and Joseph Wartman, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164; e-mail: adrian@wsu.edu.
The Earthquake Research Plan: Research Needs and Opportunities for Earthquake Engineering. Funding: National Science Foundation, $100,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Susan K. Tubbesing and Paul G. Somerville, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), 499 14th Street, Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612; e-mail: skt@eeri.org.
Household Impacts of the Nisqually Earthquake. Funding: National Science Foundation, $74,511, 12 months. Principal Investigators: William B. Beyers and Stephanie E. Chang, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98106; e-mail: beyers@u.washington.edu.
Reconnaissance of the Geotechnical Aspects of the February 28, 2001, Nisqually Earthquake. Funding: National Science Foundation, $20,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Jonathan D. Bray, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 437 Davis Hall, MC 1710, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1710; (510) 642-9843; e-mail: bray@ce.berkeley.edu.
Collection of Perishable Data from the Nisqually Earthquake for Improving Casualty Loss Estimation Methodologies. Funding: National Science Foundation, $94,548, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Kimberley I. Shoaf and Hope Seligson, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024; e-mail: kshoaf@ucla.edu.
Digital Government: A Geospatial Decision Support System for Drought. Funding: National Science Foundation, $1,517,475, 36 months. Principal Investigators: Stephen E. Reichenback, Peter Z. Revesz, Jitender S. Deogun, Stephen M. Goddard, and William J. Waltman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588; e-mail: reich@cse.unl.edu.
Space Weather Impacts and National Policy. Funding: National Science Foundation, $55,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: William Hooke and Genene M. Fisher, American Meteorological Society, 45 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108; e-mail: hooke@dc.ametsoc.org.
U.S.-Sweden Cooperative Research: Damage Assessment, Control, and Restoration Following Power Grid Disturbance. Funding: National Science Foundation, $8,800, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Arun G. Phadke and Virgilio A. Centeno, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061; e-mail: aphadke@vt.edu.
National Mass Fatalities Training and Response Center. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $376,856, 12 months. Recipient: Kirkwood Community College, 6301 Kirkwood Boulevard, S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA 52404; (319) 398-5517; (800) 363-2220; e-mail: info@kirkwood.cc.ia.us. For program technical information, contact Edwin Kent Gray, Chief, Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, 4770 Buford Highway, Mailstop F38, Atlanta, GA 30341; (770) 488-7100; e-mail: keg1@cdc.gov.
The Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, (a province-wide/tri-government emergency response and recovery organization) is seeking an executive coordinator.
For a complete job description, requirements, and application procedures, see http://www.gov.mb.ca/csc/jobs/mgmt_legal/6906.html.
Applications are due October 31, 2001, and should be submitted to Advertisement No. 6906, Manitoba Transportation and Government Services, Human Resource Services, 304-379 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3C 0T9; fax: (204) 945-4907.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Education Network (EENET) has rescheduled its Sixth Annual Emergency Preparedness Satellite Broadcast Seminar with the following program:
Day 1
October 24 - 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
This is the third 2-day seminar that USDA, DOD, and FEMA have
jointly sponsored on animal and human health issues. It will focus on
the threat of animal-borne diseases spreading throughout the United
States. Intended for veterinarians, emergency managers, and all others
who must be aware of and deal with this problem, the topics to be
covered in Day 1 are: "Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Around the World";
"Intentional Disease Introduction"; "West Nile Virus Update";
"Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) Update"; and "Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy in Germany."
Satellite coordinates for October 24 only:
C-Band Ku-Band
Telstar 4C SBS 6
Transponder 19 Transponder 7
Downlink Freq: 4080 MHz Downlink Freq: 11872 MHz
Audio Freq: 6.2/6.8 MHz Audio Freq: 6.2/6.8 MHz
Location: 89o West Location 74o West
Polarity: Vertical Polarity: Horizontal
Day 2
October 25 - 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
The topics to be addressed on Day 2 are: "Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Who Are They and What Do
They Do?" "Tripartite Exercise: Lessons Learned"; and "Foot and Mouth
Disease, Part Two - The European Experience."
Satellite coordinates for October 25 only:
C-Band Ku-Band
Telstar 4C SBS 6
Transponder 19 Transponder 4
Downlink Freq: 4080 MHz Downlink Freq: 11798 MHz
Audio Freq: 6.2/6.8 MHz Audio Freq: 6.2/6.8 MHz
Location: 89o West Location: 74o West
Polarity: Vertical Polarity: Vertical
NOTE: For the USDA Satellite Seminar a technical test begins at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time each day.
To register for the seminar, or to receive additional information, visit the APHIS web site: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/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]
Are You Prepared for Disaster - virtual workshop. Presented by: American Public Works Association. The World Wide Web: 10:00-12:00 a.m. Central Time, October 25, 2001. See: http://www.apwa.net.
Forum on the Technical Implications of the World Trade Center Collapses. Sponsored by the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, through the Center for Hazards and Risk Research, Columbia University, together with the Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems (ICIS), New York University. New York City, NY: November 12, 2001. Admission is free, but participants are asked to RSVP by October 31, 2001 via the on-line form available from http://www.civil.columbia.edu/wtcforum/.
Workshop on Strategy for Providing Atmospheric Information: Planning to Exploit our National Investment in Weather Technology. Arlington, Virginia: December 3-5, 2001. WWW: http://www.dc.net/stc/SAI_Workshop/main.htm
and
Workshop on Effective Emergency Response: Selecting a Suitable
Dispersion Model for a Given Application. Arlington, Virginia:
December 5-6, 2001. Contact: Col. Jud Stailey, Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM); (301) 427-2002); e-mail: Judson.Stailey@noaa.gov; WWW: http://www.dc.net/stc/ATDII/main.htm.
Disaster Risk Reduction Hemispheric Conference. Sponsors: Governments of Costa Rica and the United States. Host: Pan American Health Organization and others. San Jose, Costa Rica: December 4-6, 2001. WWW: http://www.ofdalac.org/summit/. The deadline for registration is November 15, 2001. 2002 Disaster Leadership Conference. Host: American Red Cross. Dallas, TX: January 3-6, 2002. Contact: Disaster Leadership Conference, American Red Cross, Office of Events Management, 430 17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 2006; (202) 434-4098; fax: (202) 639-6163.
Preparedness Through Partnership - Integrating Medical Mass Care Management in a WMD Incident. Sponsors: Veterans Health Administration and others. St. Petersburg, Florida: January 11-15, 2002. See: ; or contact Dennis W. Mullins, Coordinator Medical Education, Office of Education, Veterans Health Administration, (727) 398-9306; fax: (727) 398-9556; e-mail: dennis.mullins@med.va.gov; WWW: http://www.va.gov/wmd.
International Conference on Disaster Management - Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Long-Term Development. Sponsors: State University of New York at Binghamton, USA; and York University, Toronto, Canada. Host: Indian Institute of Management. Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India: January 25-27, 2002. Abstracts of no more than 150 words should be submitted by November 30, to Keith Lehrer, 282 Atkinson College, York University, 4700 Keele Street, North York, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3; fax: (416) 736-5963; e-mail: klehrer@yorku.ca.
RESCHEDULED
Symposium on Best Practices in Humanitarian Information Exchange. Organizers: United Nations Relief Web Project in collaboration with the Field Information Support Project of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Geneva, Switzerland: February 4-7, 2002. WWW: http://www.reliefweb.int/symposium.
Fires, Floods and Faults III. Host: Collaborative for Disaster Mitigation. San Jose, California: April 29, 2002. Contact: CDM, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0082; (408) 924-3596; fax: (408) 924-3857; e-mail: sjsu_cdm@email.sjsu.edu; WWW: http://www.sjsu.edu/cdm.
National Flood Conference. Host: Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA/NFIP). New Orleans, LA: May 19-22, 2002. To be added to the conference mailing list, contact: Catherine King, NFIP Bureau, 7700 Hubble Drive, Lanham, MD 20706; fax: (301) 918-1471; e-mail: catherine.king@fema.gov.
World Congress on Drowning. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: June 26-29, 2002. Includes several sessions on water-related disasters (floods, accidents involving passenger ships, etc.). Contributions on prevention, rescue, and treatment of drowning victims as a result of these disasters are sought. Contact: Secretariat World Congress on Drowning 2002, Mrs. Kim Postma, c/o Consumer Safety Institute, P.O. Box 75169, 1070 AD Amsterdam, The Netherlands; tel: 31 20 511 45 14; fax: 31 20 511 45 10; e-mail: secretariat@drowning.nl; WWW: http://www.drowning.nl (the second announcement and call for abstracts can be downloaded as a PDF file).
12th World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM): The Changing Face of Disaster Management. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: July 7-10, 2002. The conference organizers have issued a call for presentations. WWW: http://www.wcdm.org/.
XV International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress of Sociology. Brisbane, Australia: July 7-13, 2002. The ISA Research Committee on Sociology of Disasters (RC39) has issued a second call for papers; the *new deadline* is November 30, 2001. To see a list of planned sessions, along with chairpersons, submission instructions, and additional information, see: http://www.ucm.es/info/isa/congress2002/rc/rc39.htm. Additional information is also available from the Program Coordinator, Maureen Fordham, Geography Department, Anglia Polytechnic University, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK; tel: 01223 363271, ext. 2177; fax: 01223 417726; e-mail: m.h.fordham@anglia.ac.uk.
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