DISASTER RESEARCH 455

June 15, 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. New Biography Recounts Life of Gilbert F. White
  2. Lightning Safety Awareness Week: June 18-24, 2006
  3. NOAA Seeks Partners to Study Resiliency
  4. Call for Abstracts: Special Issue on Children and Disasters
  5. New Message Board from International Research Committee on Disasters
  6. Reader Announcement: 2006 E.L. Quarantelli Theory Award Recipient
  7. Reader Invitation: GSA Session on Geology, Health, and Public Policy
  8. Reminder: Abstracts Due for Drought Conference
  9. Some New Web Resources
  10. Conferences and Training
  11. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

1) New Biography Recounts Life of Gilbert F. White

In Living with Nature’s Extremes: The Life of Gilbert Fowler White (2006. 336 pp. $26.50), author Robert E. Hinshaw tracks the fascinating life of the eminent, public-minded geographer Gilbert F. White and his legacy to both science and humanity.

Known as the “father of floodplain management” and the founder of the Natural Hazards Center, White spent his career studying nature’s extremes: the hazards they posed for humanity and the political, scientific, and philosophical issues surrounding their mitigation and effective societal response. White proposed that man work with nature, not against it, championing sound, comprehensive management of floodplains. He advocated adaptation to or accommodation of flood hazards, where feasible, rather than the structural solutions that dominated policy in the early twentieth century. He also made major contributions to the study of water systems in developing countries, the management and preservation of arid lands, global environmental change, international cooperation over water resources, and mitigation of a number of natural hazards.

Published by Johnson Books, White’s biography can be purchased from local and online booksellers or Big Earth Publishing, 3005 Center Green Drive, Suite 220, Boulder, CO 80301; (303) 443-9766, (800) 258-5830; e-mail: books@bigearthpublishing.com; http://www.bigearthpublishing.com/. A limited number of copies are available for a discount ($20.00 plus $5.00 for shipping and handling) from the Natural Hazards Center. To order from the Center, contact Kiara Christianson at (303) 492-6819 or kiara.christianson@colorado.edu. Online ordering will be available by the end of the month at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/.

2) Lightning Safety Awareness Week: June 18-24, 2006

In the United States, an average of 67 people are killed each year by lightning. In 2005, there were 43 deaths confirmed deaths and 172 confirmed injuries. Lightning Safety Week, June 18-24, 2006, helps to get safety messages out to the public during the start of the summer lightning season in the United States. Lightning strikes and associated thunderstorms and high winds also increase flood and wildfire risks.

For handouts, indoor safety and outdoor risk reduction tips, medical facts, history, survivor stories, photos, teacher tools, and more, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Lightning Safety Week Web page, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!” at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/.

3) NOAA Seeks Partners to Study Resiliency

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) invites applications for two funding opportunities:

NOAA’s Coastal Services Center seeks proposals for a two-year cooperative agreement under the funding opportunity titled FY 2007 Information Resource Supporting the Resiliency of Coastal Areas in the U.S. Portion of the Gulf of Mexico (NOS-CSC-2007-2000691). The cooperator and the center will jointly develop a regional framework for a Community Resilience Index to increase the capacity of coastal communities to survive, mitigate the effects of, and recover from the effects of natural and other hazards. Letters of interest must be received by June 30, 2006. Application packages can be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/ or requested from Jeffrey Adkins, NOAA Coastal Services Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina 29405; e-mail: Jeffery.Adkins@noaa.gov. Full proposals must be submitted by mail no later than August 15, 2006.

NOAA’s Coastal Services Center also invites applications for a funding opportunity titled FY 2007 Climate and Weather Impacts on Society and the Environment (NOS-CSC-2007-2000686) to establish a cooperative agreement with the agency under the Climate and Weather Impacts on Society and the Environment program. The agreement will be established between the National Climatic Data Center, the Coastal Services Center, the Climate Program Office, and the award recipient to further understanding and increase the resiliency of natural, economic, and social systems to weather and climate-related environmental stressors through interdisciplinary research, information and services delivery, education, and outreach. Applications are due by August 28, 2006. Application packages can be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/ or requested from Shauna Harris, NOAA Coastal Services Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405; (843) 740-1149; e-mail: Shauna.Harris@noaa.gov.

For more information on both these opportunities, visit http://www.grants.gov/.

4) Call for Abstracts: Special Issue on Children and Disasters

An upcoming special issue of Children, Youth and Environments will advance scholarly and applied knowledge regarding the experiences of children in disasters. Children, Youth and Environments is an interdisciplinary and peer-reviewed journal with a multidisciplinary audience of researchers, policy makers, and professionals in 143 countries around the world. The special issue will help scholars and practitioners gain insight into the unique vulnerabilities and special capacities of children by exploring what disasters do to children and youth, what is done on their behalf, and what they do for themselves.

Special issue authors will examine children’s experiences in disasters, while elucidating linkages between disasters and the larger social, economic, political, and cultural contexts in which these events occur. Here disasters are broadly defined as extreme natural, technological, or intentional human-caused events. Manuscripts that are international in scope and address the consequences of disasters for children in the developed as well as the developing world are encouraged. Innovative theoretical, empirical, or methodological manuscripts from various disciplinary perspectives will be considered for inclusion in the special issue.

Topics for this special issue may include examinations of questions such as the following: What are the unique costs and consequences of disasters for children and youth? What are children’s experiences in disasters? How do children’s experiences differ from others around them? Are children more vulnerable in disaster events? If so, in what ways? How do children of different genders, age groups, ethnicities, social class backgrounds, or religions experience and cope with disasters?

Potential contributors should submit a one-page abstract to Lori Peek (lori.peek@colostate.edu) by September 15, 2006. After evaluation of the relevance of the abstracts to the special issue, a number of authors will be invited to submit full manuscripts to the journal for peer review. For more information, contact Lori Peek, Department of Sociology, Colorado State University, B-237 Clark Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523; (970) 491-6777; lori.peek@colostate.edu; http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/.

5) New Message Board from International Research Committee on Disasters

The International Research Committee on Disasters now has a message board on the Web site of the “International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters.” The research committee invites anyone interested in the area of hazards and disasters to become a member of this discussion group, post or reply to a topic or question, and help create a new resource for this area. The message board may be found at http://www.ijmed.org/phpbb/.

6) Reader Announcement: 2006 E.L. Quarantelli Theory Award Recipient

Robert Stallings (University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning, and Development) sent us the following award announcement:

Thomas E. Drabek (John Evans Professor, Emeritus, University of Denver) is the 2006 recipient of the E.L. Quarantelli Theory Award. The Quarantelli Award is given periodically by the International Research Committee on Disasters (Research Committee 39 of the International Sociological Association) in recognition of notable and significant theoretical work by social and behavioral scientists in the disaster area.

Among Drabek’s best known works are “Conquering Disaster: Family Recovery and Long-Term Consequences” (with William H. Key, 1984), “Human System Responses to Disaster: An Inventory of Sociological Findings” (1986), “Emergency Management: Strategies for Maintaining Organizational Integrity” (1990), “Emergency Management: Principles and Practice for Local Government” (coedited with Gerard J. Hoetmer, 1991), “Disaster Evacuation and the Tourist Industry” (1994), and “Strategies for Coordinating Disaster Responses” (2003). He currently is compiling a series of essays based on his lectures for a book titled “The Human Side of Disaster.”

7) Reader Invitation: GSA Session on Geology, Health, and Public Policy

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

David Mogk (Montana State University) and I are convening a topical session on Geology, Health, and Public Policy at the 2006 Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia (October 22-25, 2006). This session (T123) is cosponsored by the GSA Geology and Health Division, the GSA Geology and Society Division, and the GSA Committee on Geology and Public Policy.

We are convening this session to elevate awareness of and strengthen the important connections between the geosciences and health sciences. The Earth system abounds with examples of natural health hazards (e.g., the effects of extreme weather, global change, flooding, earthquakes, hurricanes) as well as anthropogenic health hazards (e.g., diseases related to natural resource industries, contaminated groundwater, behavioral response to disaster, global pandemic). Some of these health hazards have been addressed by legislation designed to enact public policy to protect the health and safety of people (e.g., U.S. federal legislation, such as CERCLA, RCRA, Toxic Substances Control Act, Stafford Act); others are the focus of emerging policy initiatives.

We encourage you to consider submitting an abstract. We are particularly interested in abstracts that demonstrate the connections between the three unique, but ultimately complementary, perspectives of geoscience, human health, and public policy. We also seek abstracts that illustrate ways in which the geosciences inform health and policy issues and provide insights into pathways for geoscientists to more effectively contribute to public discourse about these important issues.

The abstract deadline is midnight, Pacific Time, July 11, 2006. All abstracts must be submitted online at http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2006/. GSA membership is not required to participate, although members receive a discount on the registration fee.

Please pass this invitation and reminder along to any and all of your colleagues and students interested in this topic. Please plan to join us in attendance at the session this fall! If you have any questions about this session, please feel free to contact me at gowan.monica@mayo.edu or David Mogk at mogk@montana.edu. We hope to see you in Philadelphia!

Thank you,
Monica Gowan

Monica E. Gowan
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Division of Epidemiology
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55903
(507) 266-1498

8) Reminder: Abstracts Due for Drought Conference

The Geological Society of America and partners, including the Natural Hazards Center, will convene a participatory conference in Boulder, Colorado, titled Managing Drought and Water Scarcity in Vulnerable Environments: Creating a Roadmap for Change in the United States, from September 18-20, 2006. Poster presentations on case studies, innovative research, and outreach efforts are invited on a variety of topics related to drought. More information on the conference and abstract topics may be found at http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/06drought/ead.htm. Abstracts are due June 26, 2006.

The goals for the conference are to create a forum for improving planning and management of drought and water scarcity in the United States and to stimulate national debate through the publication of a science- and policy-based discussion document. The focus of the meeting will be on identifying successful strategies and developing a decisive action plan.

9) Some New Web Resources

[Below are some new or updated Internet resources we've discovered. For an extensive list of useful Internet sites dealing with hazards, see www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/.]

EQNET: Java, Indonesia, May 27, 2006
The Earthquake Information Network (EQNET), created and maintained by the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, has compiled this list of resources with information on the May 27, 2006, Java, Indonesia, earthquake.

International Charter Space and Major Disasters: Images from Indonesia
The International Charter Space and Major Disasters created this Web page with information, images, and additional links related to the Java, Indonesia, earthquake.

Report on the Yogyakarta-Central Java Earthquake Disaster
The Asian Development Bank prepared this report on the impacts of the May 27, 2006, earthquake in Java, Indonesia.

GAO: Improve Coordination between FEMA and the Red Cross
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Coordination between FEMA and the Red Cross Should Be Improved for the 2006 Hurricane Season features the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) interim findings on how the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency operated following the Gulf Coast hurricanes and what improvements can be made for the 2006 hurricane season.

GAO: U.S. Tsunami Preparedness
U.S. Tsunami Preparedness: Federal and State Partners Collaborate to Help Communities Reduce Potential Impacts, but Significant Challenges Remain from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identifies U.S. coastal areas facing the greatest tsunami hazard and the extent to which potential impacts have been assessed. The report also discusses the effectiveness of the existing federal tsunami warning system, describes efforts to mitigate the potential impacts of tsunamis on coastal communities, and assesses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s efforts to develop long-range plans for federal tsunami programs.

CRS: Update to Federal Emergency Management Organization Report
The report, Federal Emergency Management and Homeland Security Organization: Historical Developments and Legislative Options, from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has been updated.

U.S. Senate Hearing on FEMA Placement
The webcast and testimony statements from the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing, National Emergency Management: Where Does FEMA Belong?, on June 8 can be accessed here.

2006 National Hurricane Operations Plan
The Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference meets annually to bring together the responsible federal agencies and other stakeholders to review the nation’s hurricane forecast and warning program and to discuss recommendations for improving preparedness for the upcoming hurricane season. The updated plan incorporates new procedures, procedural changes, and agreements reached at the 2006 conference and is available for free online from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research.

EPA Hurricanes Web Page
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing information for people, businesses, and state and local governments on preparations to make before hurricane force winds or storm flooding may occur.

DHS Pets and Emergencies Preparedness Brochure
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Ready.gov Web site includes the brochure “Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies Makes Sense. Get Ready Now.”

RMS Report: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and a Modern Super Cat
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: Perspectives on a Modern Super Cat from Risk Management Solutions (RMS) examines the potential economic and insured losses from a repeat of the 1906 earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area.

AARP Research Report on Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) research report We Can Do Better: Lessons Learned for Protecting Older Persons in Disasters addresses three major topics as they relate to older persons: planning and communications, identifying who will need help and the kind of help needed, and evacuation, including transportation and special needs shelters.

Disability Resources in an Emergency
This Web page from the Northeast Center for Special Care provides many links to resources for planning for and assisting people with disabilities in an emergency.

MyFireCommunity.net Site Relaunch
The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center has relaunched its MyFireCommunity Web site, which is an online resource where fire professionals can join existing groups or start new groups to share ideas, documents, pictures, and more. The new site features improved usability, including the ability for neighborhood groups to set up their own custom home page.

HelpinDisaster.org
HelpinDisaster.org is a Web portal sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network that allows volunteers to register their skills, availability, contact preferences, and ability to travel, so that they can be reached to volunteer during a disaster.

U.S. Department of Interior Emergency Management
This Web page provides information on the Department of Interior’s response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the roles of the different agencies withing the department, and links to emergency management resources and disaster alert tools. The site also features a link to the Natural Hazards Support System developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which provides a comprehensive overview of current natural hazards events for the public, as well as USGS federal, state, and local partners.

Fact Sheet: CDC Makes Preparedness a Priority
This fact sheet from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Emergency Preparedness program describes the program’s data, progress, and performance measures.

NCAR Center for Capacity Building
The Center for Capacity Building (CCB) is a newly developed program within the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Societal-Environmental Research and Education Laboratory. The CCB will encourage the development of climate affairs to foster inter- and multidisciplinary programs that will serve a wide variety of academic disciplines and climate-sensitive, socioeconomic sectors of society.

10) Conferences and Trainings

[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 Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html.]

New Zealand Security and Civil Defense Conference. Wellington, New Zealand: June 19-21, 2006. Organizer: Institute for International Research. This conference will focus on natural disasters, biosecurity, all-hazards emergency management and recovery, critical infrastructure protection, communication strategies, and more. It will feature case study presentations and interactive workshops. To learn more, contact Institute for International Research; +(02) 9923 5090; e-mail: info@iir.com.au; http://www.iir.com.au/conferences/confdetail.html?conf_code=I0348&cat_code=risk&detail=I0348.html.

MCEER Annual Meeting: Enhancing Resilience Against Multiple Hazards. Arlington, Virginia: June 29, 2006. The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) is organizing this one-day program open to representatives from federal agencies, congressional staff, and policy think tanks and the practicing community of architects, engineers, owners, other corporate stakeholders, and emergency managers from around the United States. Its purpose is to present current and future developments on the state-of-the-art in applied research to enhance the disaster resilience of communities nationwide. For more information, contact Karen Buchheit, MCEER; (716) 645-3391 x126; e-mail: buchheit@mceermail.buffalo.edu; http://www.mceer.buffalo.edu/meetings/2006AnnualMeeting/.

Disaster Planning for Hospitals. Organizer: World Research Group. Washington, DC: August 9-11, 2006. Participants in this conference will learn strategies to prepare hospital staff and facilities for a large-scale disaster or pandemic, to collaborate with partner hospitals, to meet surge capacity, and to respond to a disaster situation. For further information, contact World Research Group; (800) 647-7600; e-mail: info@worldrg.com; http://www.worldrg.com/showConference.cfm?confCode=HW675.

NEMA 2006 Annual Conference. Orange Beach, Alabama: September 18-22, 2006. Organizer: National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). This conference provides an opportunity for emergency managers to come together to discuss the many challenges that face the community today, share solutions, grow professionally, and network with peers. Attendees will hear from those involved in shaping the future of homeland security and emergency management, strengthen relationships with partner organizations, and discuss NEMA’s views on all-hazards emergency preparedness with the leadership in Washington. To learn more, visit http://www.nemaweb.org/?1590.

Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: October 22-25, 2006. At this annual meeting, geoscientists, educators, and policy makers from around the world will come together to share the latest advances and discoveries and to work to improve the understanding and application of science in society. The meeting will include the exchange of scientific information and ideas through field trips, sessions, special symposia, and the public forum. Abstracts are due July 11, 2006. For additional information, contact GSA Meetings Department, PO Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140; (303) 357-1090; e-mail: meetings@geosociety.org; http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2006/.

Conserving and Restoring Frequent Fire Landscapes of the West: Linking Science, Collaboration, and Practice. Flagstaff, Arizona: October 24-26, 2006. Host: Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University. This conference will bring together land managers, stakeholders, and scientists to enhance participants’ skills in integrating science, collaboration, and management practice. Specific topics will include hazardous fuels reduction, postfire rehabilitation, addressing threats to natural resource sustainability, restoring human and wildlife habitats, enhancing watershed function, and providing for the economic vitality of natural resource dependent communities. For further information, contact Ecological Restoration Institute, PO Box 15017, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5017; (928) 523-7182; e-mail: eri-conference@for.nau.edu; http://www.eri.nau.edu/cms/content/view/740/952/.

2006 Disaster Mental Health Conference. Casper, Wyoming: November 8-11, 2006. Presenter: Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Institute. The general theme of this conference is “Taking Charge in Troubled Times: Response, Resilience, Recovery, and Follow-up.’ Topics will include cultural concerns, ethnicity, political concerns, religious considerations, children, and mitigation, among others. Presentation abstracts are due July 15, 2006. To learn more, contact Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Institute, PO Box 786, Laramie, WY 82073-0786; (307) 399-4818; e-mail: rockymountain@mail2emergency.com; http://www.rmrinstitute.org/call2006.pdf.

2006 IBHS Annual Conference on Property Loss Reduction. Lake Buena Vista, Florida: November 16-17, 2006. Organizer: Institute of Business & Home Safety (IBHS). This annual congress on property loss reduction brings together professionals in the insurance industry, emergency management, government agencies, and academic institutions to discuss the latest developments in natural hazards mitigation. To learn more, contact the IBHS, 4775 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617; (813) 286-3400; e-mail: info@ibhs.org; http://www.ibhs.org/congress/.

V International Conference on Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal: November 27-30, 2006. Presenter: University of Coimbra. The purpose of this conference is to bring together scientists from around the world working on different aspects of forest fires to encourage the presentation of the latest advances in research, promote discussion of methodologies and results, and increase international cooperation. The conference will include formal sessions, keynote lectures, oral presentation of papers, and poster sessions. To learn more, contact +351 239790732; e-mail: icffr@dem.uc.pt; http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/course/meeting/meet2004_25.htm.

11) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

_________________________________
Disaster Services Program Director
United Animal Nations: Sacramento, California

United Animal Nations (UAN) provides emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and is an advocate for the critical needs of animals. Based in Sacramento, California, UAN operates programs for animals in crisis or in need across the nation, including its Emergency Animal Rescue Service program, which trains and deploys thousands of volunteers who come to the aid of animal victims of disasters.

UAN is currently recruiting a full-time professional to be based in the Sacramento, California, headquarters office, who will manage all program-related activities for the animal disaster services program and supervise Emergency Animal Rescue Service staff, including headquarters and field personnel (both paid and volunteer).

A more detailed job description is available from the National Emergency Management Association at http://www.nemaweb.org/jobs/Job_Description.cfm?ID=598. For more information, contact Nicole Forsyth, UAN; (916) 429-2457; e-mail: employment@uan.org; http://www.uan.org/.

Questions for the readership and contributions to this e-newsletter are encouraged. Questions and messages should be indicated as such and sent to hazctr@colorado.edu.

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