State Hazard Mitigation Plans and Climate Change: Rating the States
When it comes to incorporating climate change into disaster mitigation planning, most states are woefully inadequate, according to a recent report from Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law. The report categorized mitigation plans from all 50 states based on how much, or little, attention the plans paid to the effects of climate change. Nearly 30 states gave climate matters short shrift. For more on the report and to see a map of how states rank, see this article in Mother Jones.
Typhoon Haiyan Resources
As humanitarian aid workers and decision makers begin grappling with issues related to the devastation wrought by Typhoon Haiyan, Evidence Aid has compiled a list of resources that can be of use. Topics include infectious diseases and flooding, disaster evacuation and medication, flooding and mental health, secondary stressors in disasters, and the health impacts of windstorms.
Tracking and Reunification of Children in a Disaster
Speaking of Typhoon Haiyan, this online lesson will give healthcare workers a background in handling children who’ve become separated from their parents in a disaster. From creating general awareness of responder responsibility, to identifying lost children, to knowing what resources are available to help find parents, this tool will help guide emergency workers in the field. The lesson, created by the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, is also eligible for a variety of continuing education credits.
Regional Catastrophic Planning Team
The Regional Catastrophic Planning Team website is a resource for stakeholders from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania to contribute to crowdsource their knowledge to create better guidance for creating disaster plans. Conceptual plans on topics such as critical infrastructure protection, debris management, disaster housing, mass fatalities, volunteer preparedness, and private sector integration are presented and improved upon by members. Don’t live in the area? Check it out anyway—there’s a chance you might be able to tweak the offerings to fit your own locale.