Poster Session Abstracts
Evelio E. Astray-Caneda III, Florida International University
Variation of Quality of Hazard Mitigation Elements in Florida Coastal County Comprehensive Plans and Correlation with Social and Environmental Vulnerability Factors
Several U.S. states mandate local governments include elements of hazard mitigation in their comprehensive plans. Previous research shows such mandates are effective at reducing disaster losses. Very seldom, however, has research examined whether the quality of hazard mitigation elements varies among local governments in such states and, if so, what drives this variation. This poster seeks to fill these gaps by rating the hazard mitigation elements of Florida’s 35 coastal counties and providing initial correlations between ratings and commonly recognized factors of natural hazard vulnerability. Florida was selected because of its strong mandate for hazard mitigation planning and because it is regularly threatened by natural hazards.
The hazard mitigation elements of each county’s comprehensive plans were rated on 24 factors related to quality. Plans could score from 0 (low quality) to 48 (high quality). Actual ratings varied from 5 to 25, with the modal rating being 14. Testing of plan scores grouped by region indicates scores do not differ significantly by geography.
Several vulnerability-related variables have been tested against plan ratings. Increased median household income and Hispanic population correlated moderately with higher scores of hazard mitigation element quality, while increased numbers of person on public assistance and increased racial minority population correlated slightly with lower hazard mitigation element quality. An expanded list of independent variables will be presented.
Christopher A. Badurek, Appalachian State University
John C. Pine, Appalachian State University
Coordination of GIS and Remote Sensing Response to the Gulf Oil Spill Disaster in Louisiana
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig leased to BP exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, releasing 5,000 barrels of oil daily. Oil has since affected miles of Louisiana, Mississippi, and western Florida coastline. BP’s efforts to contain the spill have been difficult because of the well’s excessive depth; the impacts have been compared to 1979’s Ixtoc and 1989 Exxon Valdez spills.
The BP Deepwater Horizon Incident Command Center in Houma was developed to coordinate response efforts. It is the center of mitigation collaboration and GIS analysis. The U.S. Coast Guard initially established its Incident Command Center in Robert, but has since moved to downtown New Orleans.
This research reports on interviews with federal, state, academic, and commercial responders to the disaster, conducted to identify: (1) what kinds of GIS and remote sensing data are being used to assist in the response; and (2) how effectively GIS data has been exchanged among groups working on the response effort.
Preliminary results indicate unique response efforts led by federal agencies and a commercial enterprise. These initiatives involved many state and federal agencies as well as cutting edge GIS and remote sensing technologies. While respondents indicate the overall response is effective, many concerns about the long-term monitoring of the environmental, social, and economic impacts require further analysis. These results may provide insight into how GIS response may be best coordinated for effective data sharing among federal, state, and local responders to oil spills.
Laura Banks, University of New Mexico Center for Disaster Medicine
Susan Harrison-Salt, University of New Mexico Center for Disaster Medicine
Medical Response to the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti
On January 12, 2010, at 5:53 p.m. local time, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck 15 miles from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. It is estimated that 217,366 people died in the disaster. The U.S. National Disaster Medical System was activated for an international humanitarian mission, including the Disaster Medical Assistance Team from New Mexico (NM1-DMAT).
The NM1-DMAT, which provides emergency care in the immediate aftermath of disasters, is sponsored by the University of New Mexico Center for Disaster Medicine and has been in national service since 1989. The 35-member medical and logistics team uses self-contained medical units and is self-sufficient in austere environments for up to two weeks.
The NM1-DMAT was activated on February 12, operating in Port-au-Prince for two weeks. For this mission, the NM1-DMAT merged with an International Medical Surgical Response Team. The joint team provided service in collaboration with the local GHESKIO (Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections) nonprofit clinic and were housed at the U.S. Embassy compound. The team consisted of:
• Nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, paramedics, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, technicians
• Physicians specializing in emergency medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, and orthopedic and plastic surgery
• Logistical specialists in administration, information technology, equipment, safety, and communications
The team treated approximately 160 patients per day for earthquake-related injuries and other medical conditions for which local care was not available.
NM1-DMAT has provided care after many disasters including the Northridge earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, and the World Trade Center attacks. This was their first international mission.
Philip Berke, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Gavin Smith, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ward Lyles, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Coastal Resilience Starts With Planning
State mitigation plans play a critical role in supporting disaster loss reduction and long-term community resilience. Plans are but one step in a process aimed at effecting change. Without setting clear and practicable goals for the future and a coordinated strategy for achieving them, prospects for real change are limited.
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA) requires all states to prepare mitigation plans to be eligible for mitigation funding.
This study examines the quality of state plans prepared under the DMA. Using six principles of plan quality, a sample of 30 coastal state plans was evaluated to determine how well they support mitigation. Findings indicate that while plans scored moderately to low for plan quality principles, plan quality has improved in the past decade. Additionally, some state plans scored low for one principle, which can undermine plan implementation even if a plan scored high for remaining principles.
While hazard mitigation planning has significant potential for enabling state and local adaptation to climate change, only five state plans reveal initiatives to address this issue. Recommendations are offered on how plan quality evaluation can be used to guide development of state hazard mitigation plans and monitor their performance in advancing resilient communities.
John Bevington, ImageCat
Keiko Saito, University of Cambridge
Daniel Brown, University of Cambridge
Beverley Adams, ImageCat
Steve Platt, Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd
Torwong Chenvidyakarn, University of Cambridge
Robin Spence, Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd
Ratana Chuenpagdee, Kasetsart University
Amir Khan, University of Peshawar
Emily So, University of Cambridge
Monitoring and Evaluating Recovery Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery: Toward Standardized Indicators for Post-disaster Recovery
This poster introduces remote sensing-based indicators that allow stakeholders, such as donors and governments, to effectively monitor and evaluate post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Strategically, the framework and techniques allow users to monitor recovery in a systematic, comprehensive, and independent manner that promotes transparency and accountability.
Operationally, they improve coordination, situational understanding, and decision making; contributing to better understanding of good and bad practices.
The indicators adopted by the recovery project encompass a range of physical, environmental, social, and economic factors that give an independent picture of reconstruction. Recovery was monitored in two case studies— Ban Nam Khem, Thailand, following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, following the 2005 earthquake—using a series of high-resolution satellite images from before the disaster, immediately afterwards, and in the months and years following. A comprehensive analysis of cost-effectiveness was conducted for each indicator. The results of the remote-sensing analysis were independently verified using social audit techniques, including household surveys, focus group discussions and key-informant surveys. Physical ground verification was also captured using georeferenced field photography and video footage shot from foot and from a vehicle.
The speed and quality of recovery was monitored at both sites by comparing key indicators to satellite-acquired baseline statistics. For instance, in the Thai study, roads were cleared within several months and 70 percent of buildings were constructed in the first year. Key facilities and services, including schools and health facilities, were also restored within a year, as well as sources of livelihood such as piers and factories.
For more information, please contact info@recovery-aid.com.
Kevin A. Borden, Digital Sandbox, Inc.
Natural Hazards Risk Analysis with Stakeholder Input
Digital Sandbox uses a combination of software and service-based risk management solutions to calculate, analyze, and manage risk at the federal, state, and local levels. Our approach involves analyzing relevant natural hazard information and stakeholder input to produce a tangible output that emergency officials can integrate directly into their decision making process. This framework produces actionable results that support risk-based emergency management decisions derived from transparent, defensible methods. A central tool used to produce such analytics at Digital Sandbox is the Risk Analysis Center.
The Risk Analysis Center (RAC) 5.0 is a software platform that involves stakeholder input at the forefront of the analysis. The RAC combines tabular and spatial data as well as local knowledge related to assets, population, and natural hazards to provide a more holistic understanding of an area’s level of risk. With this information, RAC customers can make informed decisions about a variety of applications such as resource allocation and strategic planning. The RAC platform allows practitioners and decision makers in emergency management to take ownership of how risks are prioritized, managed, and the decisions made to mitigate those risks.
Carter T. Butts, University of California, Irvine
David Mendonça, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Gary Webb, Oklahoma State University
Lorien Jasny, University of California, Irvine
Christopher Steven Marcum, University of California, Irvine
Sean Fitzhugh, University of California, Irvine
Ali Avni Cirik, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Shaun Elsasser, Oklahoma State University
Key Findings from the Improvisation in Emergency Response Project: Linking Cognition, Behavior, and Social Interaction
This poster presents findings from the Improvisation in Emergency Response Project, which was funded by the National Science Foundation. Four research initiative vignettes are summarized. These include (1) the effects of attacks on skilled and unskilled coordinator response communication networks; (2) a comparison of core action types by informant group and disaster event; (3) three models of complex disaster response communication patterns; and (4) relational event approaches to modeling disaster response event histories.
From these research initiatives, we have found the loss of institutionalized coordinators in disaster response networks isolates actors; most actions reported during response include movement and general tasks; disaster response actors are more likely to use turn-taking and relaying communication strategies than repeating strategies; and the overall rate of improvisation in disaster response is rare, relative to conventional task performance. Our research in this area continues to be fruitful in understanding improvised and conventional human action.
Valérie Céré, Université Laval
Studying Resilient Population in Isolated Areas for Better Preparedness In Disasters
The harsh climate has forced the population of the Lower North Shore in the province of Quebec—an area populated for 500 years—to adapt to their hostile environment. Residents built strong houses to resist the hurricane force winds, which can blow for more than five days and are often accompanied by huge amounts of snow. While local knowledge of resilience and surviving in these conditions is strong, some incidents have brought home the reality of risk and vulnerability.
The avalanche of 1995, which killed two people and injured another while they were asleep, raised several questions. Why did it happen where there is only a small ridge, not a mountain? These extreme weather conditions had never been encountered before, even in the past when there were bigger and stronger storms. Locals were stunned. They asked the government for help when normally, in their local culture, they would rely on their own resources.
This research seeks to understand the means used by the population to adapt to their new perception of vulnerability and risk in a time of global climate change. In doing so, the researcher asked locals how they perceived risk in everyday life and what they expect to be the next catastrophes. The anthropology of disaster tries to find answers that might help the civil security in emergency management and preparedness.
Maria Claver, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Darya Friedman, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Aram Dobalian, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Results of a Systematic Literature Review on Veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs
In addition to its primary mission of caring for veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs assists other federal agencies during disasters and emergencies. The VA has helped veterans and non-veterans during every major national disaster since 1992, however the VA role in emergency management research has been limited. Thus, there was a need for a comprehensive agenda spanning the spectrum of VA-sponsored research.
To develop a research agenda, we first sought to understand the current state of emergency management research in the VA and the veteran population. This systematic literature review identified 92 emergency management articles related to the VA or veterans published between 1982 and 2009. We used a data abstraction instrument to review each article for research design, methodology, VA activities and lessons learned, and veteran health needs. The most frequently occurring themes included community collaboration and resource sharing during disaster, staff education and training, and communication. Veteran health needs related to emergency management included treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia.
Results support the need for more empirical research about VA emergency management. We found little or no research in the areas of veterans with cognitive limitations and functional disabilities, veterans’ family members, veterans in the community, and workforce issues. Of the four phases of emergency management, mitigation was the least frequently studied. The lack of evidence in these areas suggests a need for further research on these topics.
Aram Dobalian, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Maria Claver, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Darya Friedman, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Deborah Riopelle, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Tamar Wyte, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Ismelda Canelo, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
The Development of an Emergency Management Research Agenda for the Veterans Health Administration
In 2008, the Veterans Administration Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards (OPHEH) asked us to establish a comprehensive Veterans Health Administration (VHA) emergency management evaluation and research agenda. To develop the agenda, we used a four-step action plan: appraise the VA research portfolio, obtain systemic information about the health and healthcare needs of veterans during disasters, identify strategic priorities based on gaps between the existing VA research portfolio and the evidence base assessment, and foster VA emergency management research.
Emergency management practitioners and researchers from across the country participated in a research agenda-setting conference. After several presentations on the VA’s role in emergency management, attendees participated in one of five work groups: behavioral health, workforce, communication and information flow, sustainability and resilience, and systems capabilities. Workgroup participants identified priorities to be addressed in future emergency management research and drafted specific evaluation and research questions. In addition, representatives from OPHEH provided input on priorities.
Research priorities indentified included the prevention and treatment of behavioral health problems caused or exacerbated by a disaster, training program efficacy, crisis communication strategies, staff resilience, and the evacuation of veterans from healthcare facilities. To expand emergency management research, VHA needs to build program evaluation capacity, increase the awareness and visibility of its emergency management research, and partner with agencies that have long standing commitments to advancing emergency management research.
Aram Dobalian, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Maria Claver, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Jacqueline J. Fickel, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Evacuating Veterans from VA Nursing Homes
We sought to understand factors related to variations in evacuating veterans from Department of Veterans Affairs nursing homes following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Data were collected using 13 semi-structured interviews with key respondents (healthcare providers, administrators, and policymakers) from four VA medical centers. We used ATLAS.ti computer software, designed specifically for narrative interview and field notes, to synthesize qualitative data. This process involved reviewing the interview transcripts, assigning content themes, reviewing the derived themes, and coding the interviews.
The two hurricanes brought unanticipated challenges that highlighted potential flaws in disaster response plans. We found that (1) administrators relied primarily on local resources, previous experience, and local planning instead of state and federal emergency response systems; (2) there are substantial challenges in evacuating frail nursing home residents; and (3) it is difficult to retain staff and maintain a viable organization during and after disaster.
Although the VA response to the hurricanes was generally viewed as positive, most respondents stated some of this success was the result of good fortune. All voiced concerns regarding what might occur during the next disaster. Respondents suggested communication improvements could be made and existing contracts would be needed to alter transportation arrangements to. The VA electronic medical record was not immediately available at one location.
Lessons learned from these evacuations could be incorporated into future planning. Future research should examine evacuee health status and variations in evacuation impact health outcomes.
Paula Dunbar, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Kelly Stroker, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Heather McCullough, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Do the 2010 Haiti and Chile Earthquakes and Tsunamis Indicate Increasing Trends?
The National Geophysical Data Center and World Data Center for Geophysics and Marine Geology maintain a global historical event database of tsunamis, significant earthquakes, and significant volcanic eruptions. Recent analysis of these data shows that four of the 10 most deadly earthquakes and tsunamis since 1701 occurred in the last decade. Two of four were the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and 2010 Haitian Earthquake.
The magnitude 8.8 Chilean Earthquake was the fifth largest earthquake ever recorded. These events generate questions about the frequency and severity of geologic natural hazards worldwide. Analysis of the database revealed that, while the total number of magnitude 7.5 earthquakes per decade since 1901 has remained consistent, the last decade has experienced some of the most devastating geologic events in history.
Until 2010, the deadliest event in the Caribbean was the 1902 eruption of Pelee that caused 28,000 deaths. While devastating, this event was dwarfed by the 230,000 deaths resulting from the 2010 Haitian Earthquake. While the database does not provide answers about why these recent events are so deadly, the analysis reinforces the need for increasing understanding of earthquakes and tsunamis in all regions of the world.
Frannie Edwards, San Jose State University
Dan Goodrich, San Jose State University
State-Level Transportation Agencies and Emergency Management Exercises
In 2009-2010, Edwards and Goodrich took part in a Mineta Transportation Institute/Caltrans project that helped revise and update Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) plans for the California Department of Transportation. Effective implementation of COOP/COG plans requires training on the plan and its operations, as well as the opportunity to exercise the plan in simulated conditions. There is little literature on how to accomplish training and exercises for transportation and transit agencies, although Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has generic emergency training and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has some exercise models.
The researchers conducted surveys of transit and transportation agencies to determine their current COOP/COG exercises and future exercise needs. They completed a literature review of Web sites and databases to determine if there are existing documents that guide COOP/COG exercise planning and implementation.
Although DHS and the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program have an exercise planning rubric and FEMA has courses to train public agencies in creating exercises, there is a lack of specific step-by-step guidance for transit and transportation agencies in exercise development, including the integration of stakeholders into development and implementation. A new publication focusing on the training and exercise needs of transit and transportation agencies is being put together to encourage the development of COOP COG exercises.
The poster session will be used to collect additional input from Workshop participants on available, effective exercise guidance materials.
Elizabeth English, University of Waterloo
Amphibious Architecture: A Strategy For Flood-Resilient Housing
There is growing awareness that homeowners in established neighborhoods are resistant to elevation strategies that disrupt neighborhood appearance, bring the inconvenience of long flights of stairs, and don’t provide sufficient protection during extreme flooding. Amphibious architecture is a cost-effective, resident-friendly alternative to permanent static elevation. Amphibious foundation systems retain a home's relationship to the street by resting close to the earth most of the time, but floating the house as high as necessary to remain safely above the water during floods. The Buoyant Foundation Project has developed an amphibious foundation system for retrofitting traditional New Orleans elevated wooden “shotgun” houses, so that displaced residents can feel safe returning home without elevating their houses high above the street.
Successful amphibious foundation systems have been functioning for more than thirty years in Raccourci Old River, Louisiana, where they provide more reliable and more convenient flood protection than permanent static elevation. In the last decade, the Netherlands has built amphibious housing in the Maasbommel region along the Maas River, which has a long history of severe flooding. An amphibious house constructed in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans in 2007 is close to receiving its final occupancy permit. Most recently, the Make It Right Foundation completed the FLOAT House, an amphibious house designed by Morphosis Architects for New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward.
Ann-Margaret Esnard, Florida Atlantic University
Alka Sapat, Florida Atlantic University
Diana Mitsova, Florida Atlantic University
Toward a Displacement Index: Conceptual and Technical Considerations
Indicator and index-building activities have become common for assessing the social, environmental, and economic strengths and vulnerabilities of communities, regions, and even countries. In the context of disasters, much of the empirical research has focused on identifying places and populations that are vulnerable to catastrophic hurricane disasters—both current and emergent. However, there are no parallel efforts to capture the full range of indicators and measures for displacement vulnerability; a function of vulnerability, resilience, capacity and exposure. This poster seeks to fill this gap by summarizing (1) our conceptualization of displacement vulnerability, (2) a set of related indicators and measures at various scales, including indicators of policy capacity and commitment, (3) an operational displacement index and results, and (4) limitations and complications encountered.
Suzanne Frew, Pacific Disaster Center
International Program on Climate Change and Variability Risk Reduction (IP-CVR)
The IP-CVR is a collaborative initiative spearheaded by Pacific Disaster Center, a program of the University of Hawaii. The IP-CVR evolved from the 2008 Expert Working Group Meeting on Climate Change and Variability: Shifting Risks, hosted by the East-West Center, and is an inclusive network of public organizations, academics, the private sector, and individuals. The group addresses disaster resilience and adaptation to climate change and variability using an online forum.
With collaborative and applied science, information technology, and knowledge sharing, the initiative enhances and reinforces effective disaster risk reduction policy, planning, and development at a global-to-local level. The initiative serves as a single point of entry for community-driven content. The online platform leverages social networking to build community and engage active member participation.
Expected outcomes of IP-CVR are threefold: (1) the creation of an expert resource pool; (2) the creation of a rich and diversified network and knowledge base; and (3) possibly, later, serving as a framework for experts to create a roadmap and develop policy.
Rebekah Green, Western Washington University
Scott Miles, Western Washington University
Rosalie Germond, Western Washington University
Sheena Sokolowski, Western Washington University
Anthony Vendetti, Western Washington University
The Resilience Institute—Providing Knowledge and Tools to Live with Natural Hazards
The Resilience Institute, a research institute at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, is creating and disseminating practical knowledge and tools to promote resilience in human and ecological communities in the context of natural hazard risk. The Institute defines resilient communities as those that maintain services and livelihoods after a hazard or disturbance. If disaster occurs, services and livelihoods recover rapidly with optimal use of resources and vulnerability reduction. The Institute undertakes a wide range of research projects aimed at understanding and promoting community resilience.
A project on resilience in the agricultural sector explores how small and mid-sized farms in Western Washington cope with and capitalize on economic, natural hazard, and urbanization pressures. The impacts of infrastructure disturbance on regional economic recovery are also being studied through a National Science Foundation grant. Other regional projects include a study of the effectiveness of disaster preparedness public awareness campaigns, a study of the state levee system, and an examination of state seismic policy.
The Institute is also collaborating with the humanitarian aid and development organization Oxfam-Great Britain to assess landslide risk in Guatemala’s precarious urban settlements. It is developing an urban community risk reduction strategy for the Latin American and Caribbean region. The Resilience Institute promotes undergraduate and graduate student involvement in disaster research through research internships that bring current research into the classroom in the form of service learning projects.
Marjorie Greene, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Jay Berger, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Learning from Earthquakes Program
The Learning from Earthquakes Program enables the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) to coordinate and send multi-disciplinary teams to the sites of damaging earthquakes around the world. The National Science Foundation-supported program has been very active since the last Natural Hazards workshop, sending teams to six major events, creating virtual clearinghouses for these events to capture information from many sources, and producing newsletter inserts for events.
Multi-disciplinary reconnaissance teams were sent to Padang, Indonesia; American Samoa; Eureka, California; Haiti, Chile and Baja California. Reports from each of those investigations are available as inserts to the EERI Newsletter and can be downloaded from the EERI Web site. In addition, special issues of the journal Earthquake Spectra are planned for the Haiti and Chile events.
The Virtual Clearinghouses mentioned above are available online. In addition, briefings for these events were held in various locations in the United States, and in most cases were taped. Those recordings are available on the Web site.
Marjorie Greene, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Shubharoop Ghosh, ImageCat Inc.
Jay Berger, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Mobilizing the GEO-CAN Effort in Haiti
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Port-au-Prince region of Haiti on January 12, 2010. The effects of the earthquake were calamitous, resulting in 222,570 deaths, 300,000 injuries, 1.3 million displaced, 97,294 homes destroyed and 188,383 homes damaged in the Port-au-Prince area.
An innovative social networking and crowd sourcing allowed many earthquake experts to participate in the preliminary damage assessment, which was submitted to the government of Haiti within two weeks of the quake. As the extent of devastation became apparent, the global scientific community searched for ways to help.
Building on the experience of the Sichuan, China earthquake—where satellite imagery was analyzed by a pilot network of earthquake experts (engineers, geoscientists and social scientists)—ImageCat and Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) launched the Global Earth Observation Catastrophe Assessment Network (GEO-CAN). This global community was coordinated by ImageCat to speed up damage assessment using pre- and post-event aerial imagery. An area of some 300 square kilometers was divided into grids, and individual grids were allocated to each GEO-CAN expert for damage assessment. EERI played an important role by recruiting volunteers from its membership. The organization helped complete the assessments within 96 hours of the GEO-CAN launch.
GEO-CAN volunteers participated in the assessment of thousands of buildings, ultimately assessing collapse or partial collapse in about 30,000 buildings from the comparison of aerial imagery with pre-event satellite imagery. The network currently has over 600 participants and continues to grow.
Himanshu Grover, Texas A&M University
Walter Gillis Peacock, Texas A&M University
Sam Brody, Texas A&M University
Assessment of Mitigation and Engagement Needs for Disasters (MEND) along the Texas Coast
Recent hurricane losses in the coastal counties of Texas have prompted this analysis of disaster mitigation needs there. We build on the existing methodology of risk assessment and social vulnerability analysis to propose a simple method of assessing mitigation needs that will help emergency managers, planners, and decision makers to prioritize disaster mitigation policies and actions geographically.
The proposed index of Mitigation and Engagement Needs for Disasters combines the measure of inherent social vulnerabilities of the Texas Coast at the block group level and the respective environmental hazards risk assessments. We have identified areas requiring support for child care, elder care, public transportation, temporary shelter and housing recovery, and community capacity building.
The MEND index combines these components to generate a map of relative mitigation needs along the Texas Coast. Data analysis from the past three decadal censuses (1980, 1990, and 2000) indicates that the number of block groups requiring mitigation action has increased significantly. The nature of mitigation needs have also changed over the past decades. This emphasizes the importance of continued feedback and updating of local mitigation policies.
Jennifer Horney, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mary Dickinson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jason Hsia, Centers for Disease Control
Marianne Zotti, Centers for Disease Control
Amy Williams, Centers for Disease Control
Improving the Efficiency of Estimating Unmet Needs of Pregnant and Postpartum Women after Disasters in Two Communities: Two-Stage Cluster Sampling with Referral
Background: Women of reproductive age, particularly women who are pregnant or less than six months postpartum, are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters that create stressors for caregivers, limit access to prenatal or postpartum care, or interrupt contraception. Traditional approaches (e.g., newborn records, community surveys) to survey these women about unmet needs are not practical after disaster. Finding pregnant or postpartum women is challenging since fewer than five percent of women of reproductive age fall into these categories at any time. In 2009, we piloted a strategy to increase the proportion of pregnant and postpartum women sampled in Johnston County, North Carolina and Cobb and Douglas Counties, Georgia after tornados and flooding.
Methods: A two-stage cluster sampling method that added referrals of pregnant and postpartum women was used. In the first stage, census blocks were selected probability proportionate to population (10 in Johnston, 30 in Cobb and Douglas). In the second stage, seven random points were generated in each block using a GIS toolkit. Interviewers drove to each point, approached the closest household, and attempted an interview with a woman of reproductive age. All households were asked to refer pregnant or postpartum women nearby.
Results: Overall, 1,176 households were approached. Fifty-two percent (55/105) of households in Johnston and 39 percent (421/1071) in Cobb and Douglas had someone at home. In both pilots, 44 percent (24/55 in Johnston, 185/421 in Cobb and Douglas) had a woman of reproductive age. Of 73 interviews in Cobb/Douglas, five were either pregnant or postpartum and nine additional pregnant or postpartum women were identified by 49 referrals, for a total of 14 (19 percent). Of 19 interviews conducted in Johnston, one was pregnant or postpartum and four additional pregnant or postpartum women were identified through 17 referrals, for a total of five (26 percent). Compared to sampling without referral, this method identified more pregnant or postpartum women (13 versus 6).
Shih-Kai Huang, Texas A&M University
Michael K. Liddell, Texas A&M University
Carla S. Prater, Texas A&M University
Household Evacuation Decision Making in Response to Hurricane Ike
This study focuses on how household risk perception affected evacuation decisions during Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Ike, a strong Category 2 storm, made landfall in Texas, resulting in 112 casualties and $31.7 billion in damages.Using household evacuation decision making as a dependent variable, we tested the independent variables of demographic characteristics, storm characteristic perceptions, personal impact perceptions, evacuation facilitator perceptions, and evacuation inhibitors.
The results indicate that females were more likely to evacuate, where those with higher incomes, homeowners, and those living in houses were less likely to leave. In addition, evacuation decisions were influenced more by perceptions of personal impacts (e.g., the likelihood of the evacuee or family members being injured or killed) and on environmental and social cues (e.g., observations of people evacuating) than on storm characteristics (e.g., nearby landfall) or evacuation inhibitors (e.g., concerns about looters).
As in previous hurricanes, our results also show that the evacuation rate was significantly higher in coastal risk areas than inland risk areas. However, unlike the case of Hurricane Rita, there was little shadow evacuation from inland Harris County. Moreover, most people responded to evacuation orders immediately before the hurricane warning (24 hours before landfall), preferring to begin their departure during the day rather than at night. Otherwise, as in previous hurricanes, few variables were significantly correlated with evacuation timing.
Kanako Iuchi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Understanding Key Planning Decisions and Processes for Better Community Resettlement after Disasters
Although disaster studies have progressed in recent years, long-term resettlement receives little attention, particularly in declining rural areas. This research identifies key planning decisions and processes to better reestablish livelihoods in rural settings through the choices of returning and relocating. The research contains four sub-themes: (1) rationales for deciding between repopulating and relocating; (2) the influence of planning processes on decisions; (3) resettlement choices on post-resettlement communities; and (4) planning elements that lead to a successful resettlement.
The research employs comparative case study methods using archival research, open-ended interviews, and direct and participant observation techniques. The case observed is in Chuetsu Region, Japan, which is facing serious depopulation and is still experiencing the impacts of the 2004 earthquake. The two districts targeted share similar history, culture, and industry, but were provided with different resettlement strategies by their local governments—either to relocate or to return. Fifty-six people, including government officials, community leaders, and local citizens, were interviewed.
The study so far suggests: (1) households make resettlement decisions outside of economic opportunity based on their level of livelihood satisfaction; (2) the level of collaboration in community throughout the displacement period influences collective decisions, but has minimal impact on decisions to relocate or return; (3) internal community dynamics play a great role in determining a community’s resettlement pattern, and (4) planning processes by local governments are less influential to community outcomes, but determine the pace of resettlement.
Rebecca Kihslinger, Environmental Law Institute
David Salvesen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Combining Natural Hazard Protection and Habitat Conservation: Issues and Opportunities
A recent study conducted by the University of North Carolina and the Environmental Law Institute found that areas vulnerable to natural hazards in coastal and riverine communities often overlap with priority habitat areas identified in state wildlife action plans (SWAP). However, the research showed that local land use planners and hazard mitigation specialists—whose plans play a crucial role in conserving priority habitat—have, at best, an overwhelmingly lack knowledge of SWAPs and, at worst, view wetland conservation as antithetical to their objectives.
Habitat restoration in these areas can provide multiple benefits, including wildlife conservation and natural flood protection. Using GIS mapping, case study analysis, interviews with key informants, and a scored review of state and local land use and hazard mitigation plans to determine the level of support for wildlife conservation, the joint study found reason for optimism. Diverse options exist for optimizing synergies and facilitating collaboration among land use planners, hazard mitigation planners, and conservationists.
The study recommendations include facilitating increased cooperation among interested parties and revamping existing planning frameworks at the federal, state, and local level. Identifying innovative funding sources and existing federal programs to support the conservation of flood-prone areas that provide high quality wildlife habitat is also suggested.
Cedar E. League, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Walter Díaz, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez
Brenda Philips, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Ellen J. Bass, University of Virginia
Public Warnings and Emergency Manager Decision Making During Tornados
Emergency managers play a critical role in communicating severe weather and tornado warnings to the public. But communicating the uncertainty of when, where, or if a tornado will hit remains a great challenge.
Focus group and survey data concerning weather product usage, weather spotter interaction, and decisions to warn the public were collected from Oklahoma emergency managers characterizing the communication processes they use during severe weather outbreaks.
These processes include: (1) acquiring weather information; (2) interpreting the information to make weather hazard threat assessments; (3) verifying the information; and (4) making time-sensitive warning decisions. The results indicated that while emergency managers use a variety of weather and radar products to acquire information, weather spotters are key sources of verification data. Sirens were the primary method of warning the public about tornado threats.
These findings are related a new radar system being developed by the Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere; allowing this new technology to be designed to reduce uncertainty in the emergency decision-making and warning communication.
Yi-Sz Lin, University of Illinois at Springfield
A Comparative Analysis of HAZUS and MAEViz Earthquake Population Dislocation Estimation Models
The HAZUS model was designed by Federal Emergency Management Agency using housing damage data collected from Hurricane Hugo, the Loma Prieta Earthquake, and the Northridge Earthquake to compute uninhabitable units and affected population. The MAEViz model uses empirical data to develop a logistic regression algorithm that includes not only the level of housing damage, but also the neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics supported by research literature and the empirical analysis.
This study uses 18 earthquake scenarios created by combining three earthquake locations in the New Madrid Earthquake Zone with six earthquake magnitudes. Shelby County, Tennessee, was the study area used to compare the sensitivities of the two models. The two earthquake models were used to calculate the population dislocation estimates for Shelby County in the 18 different earthquake scenarios. These population dislocation estimates were then employed to analyze the sensitivities of the two models with regard to earthquake magnitudes at three different earthquake locations.
Judith Mitrani-Reiser, Johns Hopkins University
Thomas D. Kirsch, Johns Hopkins University
Richard Bissell, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Lauren M. Sauer, Johns Hopkins University
William T. Holmes, Rutherford and Chekene
Michael Mahoney, Federal Emergency Management Services
Nicolás Santa Cruz, Pontificia Universidad Catolica
Francisco de la Maza, Chilean Ministry of Health
Assessment of Diminished Functionality of Hospitals Following the 2010 Chilean Earthquake
Hospitals are essential in disasters. They provide emergency medical care necessitated by the event and regular services required to maintain the health of the community. One hundred and thirty hospitals (71 percent of public hospitals in Chile) were located in regions affected by the 2010 Chile earthquake. Of these, the Chilean Ministry of Health found four were uninhabitable, 12 had a loss of functionality of greater than 75 percent, and eight were only partially operational after the main shock. Sixty-two percent needed repairs or replacement.
A multidisciplinary team including experts in engineering, public health, and emergency management deployed to Chile after the earthquake on February 27 to assess its impact on hospital functions and services.
This study focused on damage to structural and nonstructural components, as well as to hospital utility service. The assessment shows structural damage was minimal Bio-Bio province, but most suffered nonstructural damage and loss of utilities. All hospitals in the study area lost municipal electrical power and communication for several days, and 71 percent lost their municipal water supplies.
Most hospitals reported damage to their ceilings, walls, and partitions. A few had moderate water damage from pipe failures. This damage resulted in the reduction of multiple services, most commonly affecting the radiology and laboratory departments. Additionally, a quarter of the hospitals reported impact to their operating rooms, outpatient clinics, kitchen, laundry, and administration. This study demonstrates that strategic improvements can be made to make hospitals everywhere more earthquake resilient.
Ryan O’Donnell, Wyoming State Geological Survey
Wyoming Earthquake Database Internet Mapping Service
The goal of creating the Wyoming Earthquake Database Internet Mapping Service was to make an interactive database showing historic and near real-time seismic events in Wyoming. The database is Web-based and easily accessible to the public and government agencies. It will raise awareness of seismicity in Wyoming and allow users to find events that have occurred in the state. Government agencies, such as city planners, can create maps or spread sheets for areas of interest.
Data was taken from the Wyoming State Geological Survey Earthquakes in Wyoming (1871-1970) database, Advanced National Seismic System Composite Earthquake Catalog, and the Earth Scope Array Network Facility. The data from all sources were modified from their original format and made uniform so datasets are easily searchable. Federal Information Processing Standards codes from the U.S. Census were also included.
Anna Osland, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Evaluating Social Equity Near Hazardous Liquid And Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines In North Carolina
Large-scale transmission pipelines—two inches to 42 inches in diameter—cross the United States, transferring petroleum and natural gas products from suppliers to areas of demand. Pipeline accidents, acute ruptures, and chronic leaks pose immediate risks to those living nearby, including chemical burns, explosions, and inhalation of gases. Chronic leaks can contaminate soil, water supply reservoirs, and household wells.
Social equity research indicates disproportionate exposure for communities of color, lower-income households, and renters near many types of natural and technological hazards, yet there is limited research on the characteristics of those living near transmission pipelines.
This poster addresses these shortcomings by evaluating the social inequity of transmission pipelines hazards in North Carolina. I examine large-scale differences and localized clusters of individuals near pipelines using 2,000 block groups as the unit of analysis. I discuss policy implications and provide suggestions for improving local mitigation of transmission pipeline hazards to reduce vulnerability.
Ali Tolga Ozden, Texas A&M University
Simple Measures Save Lives: Developing a Communication Tool for Self-Builders in Earthquake-Prone Rural Areas of Turkey
Past experience has revealed that dwellings in rural Turkey are vulnerable to seismic forces. Insufficient transfer of knowledge and inadequate training tools for self-builders, combined with gaps in the rural building inspection system, result in structures that cannot resist earthquakes. Former earthquake experiences affecting rural settlements of Turkey are compared and contrasted in terms of structural damages. The reason for structural and constructional failures are briefly explained. The role of self-builders in deficient construction system in rural settlements is evaluated.
A Risk Reduction Communication Tool (RR-CoT) is prepared for this purpose. RR-CoT can be also used as a method to raise awareness on earthquake risk reduction and to develop a risk reduction culture among self-builders and locals. RR-CoT can be implemented by using easily understandable posters and booklets showing earthquake-damaged dwellings that explain how damage could have been avoided. The goal of the study is to develop a basis for more effective training tools for rural self-builders, using pictures of former structural and non-structural failures from the earlier quakes.
Stephan Parker, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies
Hazards and Security Guides from the Transportation Research Board Cooperative Research Programs
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks that followed, transportation agencies in the United States expanded on their all-hazards program approach developed over decades of experience in traffic incident management and emergency response to natural hazards. The Transportation Research Board has developed a series of publications distilling this knowledge:
• Costing Asset Protection: An All-Hazards Guide for Transportation Agencies is a convenient and robust planning tool for top-down estimating the effects of risk reduction measures on capital and operating budgets. Costing Asset Protection covers different modes of transportation, multiple asset classes, and many individual assets.
• A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards provides a framework for thinking about the stages of a disaster from a transportation perspective; describes the most current and innovative hazards-related research to a transportation audience; and introduces research from fields not generally associated with transportation engineering (including social science, mitigation, land use planning, and policy analysis).
• A Guide to Emergency Response Planning at State Transportation Agencies provides operationally oriented and practical guidance for state transportation agencies to plan, organize, staff, train, exercise, manage, implement, and fund preparations to carry out emergency responsibilities.
• Security 101: A Physical Security Primer for Transportation Agencies focuses on measures and concepts designed to safeguard personnel; prevent unauthorized access to equipment, installations, material, and documents; and safeguard equipment, installations, material, and documents against espionage, sabotage, damage, and theft.
For more information, visit the Transportation Research Board publications page.
Ann Patton, Tulsa Partners, Inc.
Tim Lovell, Tulsa Partners, Inc
Using Green Hazard-Mitigation Partnerships To Create Disaster-Resistant, Sustainable Communities
By linking green practices with hazard mitigation, Tulsa Partners, Inc. (TPi) is working to create disaster resistant, sustainable communities. TPi evolved from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Project Impact program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation. Our multifaceted agenda includes hazard management, ecology, and social justice. Progress in any of these fields depends on progress in the others, too. A house that blows or washes away is not sustainable—it is a waste of valuable resources.
Vulnerable people suffer disproportionately in disasters from natural, anthropogenic, or environmental causes. Meaningful progress demands holistic thinking and actions grounded in long-term vision. Building on our experience, we advocate collaboration based in local communities and connected by peer-to-peer networks. This process would be carried out through mutually beneficial partnerships focused on common visions.
This poster presentation will share how TPi’s partnerships gradually developed from Tulsa’s green stormwater management program to our present safe and sustainable endeavors. The presentation links our work with national and international trends that merge multihazard mitigation with sustainability and shows how peer-to-peer community networks can enhance these trends.
John W. Porco, Michael Baker Jr.
The Infrastructure Security Partnership
Following the events of September 11, 2001, 11 professional and technical organizations and federal agencies formed The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP), a nonprofit partnership that facilitates dialogue on domestic infrastructure security. It offers technical support and commentary on public policy related to the security of the nation’s built environment.
TISP has become a national leader in infrastructure security and resiliency. Membership continues to grow. It includes local, regional, state, federal and foreign agencies; professional associations and industry trade groups; engineering, architecture and construction firms; codes and standards organizations; educational institutions and universities; planners and economic developers; infrastructure owners and operators; manufacturers; and service providers.
Collectively, TISP represents nearly two million individuals and firms involved in the planning, design, construction, and operation of infrastructure. In 2006, TISP published the multihazard Regional Disaster Resilience: A Guide for Developing an Action Plan. The guide was developed by a TISP committee comprised of more than 100 practitioners, policy makers, and technical and scientific experts. An update to this guide and a disaster resilience manual is now under way.
This poster introduces TISP and solicits comments and participation in future activities, such as the update of the guide.
Antonia Rosati, University of Denver
Public Perceptions of Tsunamis and the NOAA TsunamiReady Program in Los Angeles
After the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, California and other coastal states began installing "Tsunami Warning Zone" and "Evacuation Route" signs at beaches and major access roads. The geography of the Los Angeles area may not be conducive to signage alone for communication of the tsunami risk and safety precautions.
More than a year after installation, most people surveyed did not know about or recognize the tsunami signs. More alarming is that many did not believe a tsunami could occur in the area even though earthquake-generated waves have reached nearby beaches as recently as September 2009.
Fifty-two percent of the 147 people surveyed did not believe they would survive a natural disaster in Los Angeles. The data from this survey showed that most people believed climate change would increase the occurrence of tsunamis. Also, public understanding of water inundation is disturbingly low. It is important to understand the big picture of this research—how it is ultimately communicated, understood, and used by the public.
Given the unique geography of Los Angeles, how can the city and county improve the mental health of its citizens before and after a natural disaster? This poster addresses the issues of community resiliency in the face of tsunami threats.
Claire B. Rubin, Claire B. Rubin & Associates
Time Line Charts
Terrorism Time Line: Major Focusing Events and U.S. Outcomes (2001-2008): This chart, which measures 13"x 40," shows major focusing events by year and the influences each event had on reports and analyses; federal statutes, regulations and executive orders; federal response plans; and major federal organizational changes.
Disaster Time Line: Major Focusing Events and U.S. Outcomes (1988-2008): This chart, also 13" x 40", contains information on natural, industrial, technological, and biological events and their outcomes. It also shows major defining events and their outcomes.
Century Time Line (1900-2005): This chart is a companion to the recently published “Emergency Management: The American Experience, 1900-2005,” edited by Claire B. Rubin. The book is available from the Public Entity Risk Institute.
Disaster Time Line for B. C. and Canada: Major Focusing Events and Outcomes (1917-2007): This chart covers 90 years of Canadian disaster history, showing major focusing events and outcomes for the provinces and the country.
To browse the charts online or to obtain more information, visit the Disaster Timeline site.
Floyd K. Russell, West Virginia University
A Dashboard Framework for Community Resilience Assessments: Resilient Communities Research Consortium
The Resilient Communities Research Consortium (RCRC) dashboard framework for community resilience assessments provides high-level analysis through the monitoring of six key indicator areas: community planning and capacity building; economic development; health, social, and community services; infrastructure systems; natural and cultural resources; and information and communications.
Each key indicator has three indicator measures, and each measure has three aspect ratings. Aspects scores roll up to measures assessments, which in turn roll up to key indicators assessments. Indicators roll up to a community resilience assessment that is displayed in the dashboard with drilldown capability back to aspects, measures, indicators, explanatory annotations of ratings, and improvement action plans.
Repeated assessments at intervals chosen by the community provide a temporal view of the community’s understanding of its resilience stance and how actions taken and events are affecting resilience status. The RCRC community resilience assessment is subjective. Community groups will find it valuable for data analyses and monitoring to improve community resilience.
The RCRC mission is to develop an integrated, interdisciplinary research agenda for producing new knowledge to help rural and urban communities achieve resilience.
Debra Schneck, Indiana University
Measurement and Comparison of Local Radiological Emergency Management Networks: A View of Local Incident Management and Control
Every two years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in cooperation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state and local officials, observes and evaluates a radiological emergency preparedness exercise near each commercial nuclear power plant. The exercise tests actions prescribed in existing emergency plans and procedures. These have been designed to conform to existing regulations and guidance and respond effectively in a radiological emergency. Though some aspects of a radiological emergency exercise are relatively technical and easy to measure, many more rely on the professional judgment and experience (e.g., incident management, decision making, and provision of public information) of observers and evaluators.
The research questions, broadly defined, are: Do relationships observed support the actions prescribed in plans and procedures? And, if it is assumed that that the plans and procedures are designed to promote an effective response, do relationships observed support an effective emergency response?
Network analysis techniques were used to evaluate the relative effectiveness of incident command and control at the level of two local emergency management agencies. Data were collected from videos taken during two emergency exercises in two local emergency operations centers. The videos have been used for training purposes at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute and in each of FEMA’s 10 regions. Archival records, in the form of plans and procedures, were used to determine ideal, or at least planned, relationships among players.
James C. Schwab, American Planning Association
Ken Topping, Topping Associates International
Kathleen Smith, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning
The initial chapters of Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning present a framework for understanding its six case studies. Chapter One is discusses expanding the role of planners in hazard mitigation, detailing the value they bring to the table while summarizing the roles of other actors in the process. Chapter Two explains the complex relationships between federal and state hazard mitigation laws and local hazard mitigation planning. Chapter Three details the relationships between hazard-related and other elements in local comprehensive plans, discussing the hazard elements prescribed in state planning legislation. Chapter Four describes how hazard mitigation can be integrated into other types of community and regional plans—specifically, area, functional, and operational plans. Chapter Five offers best practices for integrating hazard mitigation in local policy.
The remainder of the book includes case studies of large, intermediate, and small towns and rural areas. These shows communities large and small can integrate best practices to achieve meaningful results in reducing loss of life and property from natural hazards.
Report authors summarize what they learned about what works, what doesn’t work, and what lies ahead for our nation’s communities with regard to natural hazards. Handouts containing the two-page executive summary, including conclusions and recommendations, will be available.
Benjamin Sims, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Infrastructure Modeling and Disaster Impact Analysis at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a major center for the development of critical infrastructure modeling and simulation tools that support federal homeland security and disaster preparedness efforts. This includes the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center, a Department of Homeland Security program with analytical staff at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratory. LANL modeling and simulation tools cover a diverse array of infrastructure systems, from technological systems such as electrical power, telecommunications, and water supplies, to more organizationally based infrastructures such as health care and emergency response. Recent efforts are leveraging this national resource to develop ways to assess social vulnerability and community resilience, taking into account the impacts of disasters on infrastructure systems. The poster provides an overview of LANL modeling capabilities and shows the results of recent social vulnerability analyses.
Ben Smilowitz, Disaster Accountability Project
Peter Hanink, Disaster Accountability Project
The Disaster Accountability Project: Latest Initiatives
ReliefOversight.org: After the Haitian earthquake, hundreds of relief organizations from around the world descended on Haiti. Many were asking for cash. Through all the solicitations, mostly based in emotional appeals, it was unclear which were best positioned to deliver needed services and which had long-standing ties on the ground. ReliefOversight.org is a new Web site aimed at improving transparency by building a clearinghouse for situation reports and factual aid information to better inform the public, encourage improved coordination among relief organizations, and facilitate more effective resource distribution.
Disaster Policy Wiki: In the five years since Hurricane Katrina, the Government Accountability Office, policy groups, Congress, the White House, students, researchers, and academics have published thousands of reports containing tens of thousands of policy recommendations for how to prevent another Katrina disaster. While many of these recommendations have been considered and some have been implemented, scores are just collecting dust. The Disaster Policy Wiki will serve as a clearinghouse for policy recommendations and allow users (you!) to provide information on the implementation status of each.
Policy Research: Disaster Accountability Project works to address issues of disaster mental health, housing, AM/FM radio communications, mass care, public health, disability and functional needs, and the Gulf oil spill.
Advocacy: We are working to pass the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act in key states.
Shannon Van Zandt, Texas A&M University
Dustin Henry, Texas A&M University
Post-Disaster Household Recovery: Galveston in the Aftermath of Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike’s landfall in Galveston County, Texas, in September 2008 caused large-scale damage to houses and business on Galveston Island. Following the devastation of Hurricane Ike, a team of researchers and graduate students from the Texas A&M University Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center initiated a National Science Foundation-funded study to determine how preexisting physical and social development patterns affect long-term recovery trajectories for socially vulnerable households on Galveston Island. The project surveyed a random sample of 1,500 households to examine the impact of the hurricane on the community.
Both household surveys and visual assessments of damage were conducted to establish initial damage and early decision making about repair and rebuilding. Subsequent assessments and interviews of the study panel were conducted in January 2010. Data gathered from these surveys was combined with other coastal resilience research to evaluate which characteristics are related to vulnerability and resilience. Another goal of this study was to gather follow-up data on structures and households to capture long-term recovery trajectories for the community.
Findings from the research reveal how social vulnerability shaped the response, impact, access to resources, and the initial stages of recovery, including:
• Evacuation timing data (Ike household survey)
• Housing damage analysis (Ike damage survey of single-family housing)
• Recovery resources (Ike household survey)
• Short-term recovery (rebuilding/repair permit data)
Hao-Che Wu, Texas A&M University
Michael K. Lindell, Texas A&M University
Carla S. Prater, Texas A&M University
Logistics of Hurricane Evacuation in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
This research focuses on the actions of evacuees from preparedness to arrival at the evacuation destination. In previous work, researchers who studying household evacuation have focused on the first phase of the process—decision making from the time a household receives an evacuation warning until the time they leave their home. However, evacuation logistics include a much broader range of behaviors than this first phase of evacuation process.
This study found that evacuees vary significantly in their preferences for information sources, as well as travel time, food cost, lodging cost, shelter, destination, and evacuation route. Moreover, evacuees with previous evacuation experience tend not to rely on official information sources.
Evacuees from coastal or urban counties have the longest travel time and those from inland and rural counties have the least. Our research also confirmed previous findings that homes of friends and relatives are the most popular choices for shelter during evacuation.
This research also assessed the extent to which evacuees used different evacuation routes and destinations, including minor transportation routes and destinations. The study was limited by moderate response rates for the questionnaire and a limited number of counties affected, so further study is needed.
Ann Yoachim, Tulane University
Brian Jackson, Environmental Defense Fund
Douglas Meffert, Meffert+Etheridge Environmental Projects, LLC
Dan Etheridge, Meffert+Etheridge Environmental Projects, LLC
Jonathan Tate, Miscellaneous Tactics, LLC
Planning For The Future In A Changing Landscape: A Case Study of the United Houma Nation
The United Houma Nation (UHN) is a state recognized tribe of approximately 17,000 citizens residing within a six-parish service area that encompasses 4,570 square miles of southern Louisiana. The UHN tribal communities face declining livelihoods and displacement related to continued coastal erosion, planned restoration projects, sea level rise, increased intensity of hurricanes, and now oil spill impacts.
Through a collaborative effort of tribal citizens, regional and national nonprofits, academic institutions, and technical experts, the UHN has begun to implement a “Campaign for a Sustainable Houma Nation.” The campaign is a three-part plan: evacuation and emergency relief; mitigation; and stabilization. An outgrowth of the tribal council vision, the plan provides a framework to simultaneously address the tribe’s immediate needs and long-term sustainability. Implementation has included risk communication and outreach throughout the tribal service area, the ongoing development of an emergency response plan, a hazard mitigation plan, memoranda of understanding with neighboring tribes to support evacuation, plans for hardened community centers, and exploration of voluntary relocation options and strategies.
Jeri J. Young, Arizona Geological Survey
Arizona Integrated Seismic Network: A Collaboration
Small to moderate earthquakes have occurred historically throughout much of Arizona, with most of the larger earthquakes occurring in the northern part of the state. The Arizona Geological Survey, Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona have established the Arizona Integrated Seismic Network (AISN) to better gauge the size and location of earthquakes that occur around the state and adjacent regions.
AISN consists of eight broadband seismometers adopted from Earth Scope USArray, five broadband seismometers operated as part of the national seismic network, and eight analog seismometers previously established in northern Arizona by Northern Arizona University. For more uniform station coverage, the new broadband seismometers were adopted at locations in southern, central, and eastern Arizona to fill gaps between existing stations.
AISN has provided better earthquake location and magnitude data. Multiple earthquake swarms have been detected in the central and northern part of the state in the past year. We are also conducting geodetic and geologic studies to better understand seismic hazards across Arizona. Contemporary geodetic strain rates are being estimated from new measurements obtained by the reoccupation of National Geodetic Survey stations in Arizona.
Preliminary results indicate strain rates across the state may be higher than previously estimated and, in some regions, may be partitioned along known and unknown fault systems. In addition, Arizona Geological Survey and Arizona State University personnel are updating and reevaluating data on Quaternary faults in Arizona.