Trees and Hurricanes
Trees sometimes get a bad rap for adding injury to a hurricane’s insult, but in truth, hurricane hardy trees can act as a protective barrier that prevents damage. The University of Florida’s Trees and Hurricanes site helps communities establish wind-resistant urban forests and provides information on cleaning up and restoring hurricane-damaged trees.
A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
From graphic novel to personal narrative to interactive media, A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge tells the story of six Katrina survivors in the year following the storm. The book by Josh Neufeld has just been released in print, but you can also read it online—complete with interactive elements, reviews, and blog entries—on the Smith website.
The Transformation that Fell Short: Bush, Federalism, and Emergency Management
This report, released last month by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, examines the individual role of state, local and federal governments in responding to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Author Martha Derthick concludes that, despite efforts to concentrate emergency management under the Bush Administration, we still depend on state and local governments during disaster.
Sahana Free Open Source Disaster Management Tool
In today’s troubled economy, who doesn’t like free, especially when it’s coupled with the ability to track missing persons, manage volunteers and inventory, and view on-the-ground situations via GIS capabilities. With an easy interface and successful use in situations ranging from Philippine mudslides to the Sichuan earthquake, Sahana is making a hit with governments and nonprofits.
Flu Prevention PSA Contest
Face it, you’re going to be seeing a lot of public service announcements about flu prevention this year—why not pick your favorite? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has narrowed the field to ten finalists in their Flu Prevention PSA contest. All you have to do is vote.
Bay Area Seismic Retrofit Map
Want to know what Bay Area buildings have been retrofitted for earthquake safety—or let others know your older building is safe? There’s a website for that. The Bay Area Seismic Retrofit Map is an ongoing project that catalogs buildings updated to modern earthquake-resilience standards. Users can view structure and retrofit information for homes, commercial buildings, and public infrastructure such as hospitals and police stations or add their own updates.
Controlled Burn Time-lapse
This short but sweet time-lapse video and accompanying commentary explains how to safely conduct a prescribed burn, even in windy conditions. The commentary makes it informative; the time lapse makes it just plain cool.