Local Mitigation Plan Review Guide
An ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure, but not if executed poorly. That’s why the Federal Emergency Management Agency has just issued this guide to help state and federal officials better assess local mitigation plans. The guide is designed to make sure plans are evaluated consistently and meet Stafford Act requirements. Principles and procedures for conducting reviews, a regulation checklist, and a review tool are included.
ROVER
Assessing earthquake vulnerability doesn’t have to be a dog’s life, thanks to ROVER, a new software tool developed for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. ROVER, or Rapid Observation of Vulnerability and Estimation of Risk, can work either before or after an earthquake to compile seismic information on risky areas. Geolocation and mapping, syncing of pre- and post-quake data, remote screening, and a HAZUS-MH plug-in are among the many features offered by the free software.
SkyTruth Environmental Incident Alerts
When it comes to tracking the scores of environmental incidents taking place around the globe, SkyTruth aims to be your eye in the sky. From ammonia leaks to oil spills, the nonprofit environmental group sifts information from a number of sources (including their own investigations) and delivers the who, what, and where of each recent incident to you in map form. The newly launched site is limited to U.S. incidents, but promises to go global soon.
NOAA’s Digital Coast
Coastal management is a lot less complicated thanks to this constantly evolving website offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center. With data, tools, and training contributed by a wide range of partners, Digital Coast packs a whole lot of coastal knowledge in a simple, easy-to-navigate website. Everybody from planners to neighborhood organizations should stop by and save their coast today.
National Weather Service Modernization and Associated Restructuring: A Retrospective Assessment
All those bureaucracies struggling to achieve 21st Century momentum can take heart—the National Weather Service is here to tell you it can be done. This National Academies report details the decade-long, $4.5 billion effort that took the NWS from antiquated to relatively avant-garde, including masteries and missteps along the way. Findings include how technology improvements impeded the process but resulted in better forecasting, easier-to-use products, and more robust service overall.
iDisaster 2.0
This blog is a must for anyone who regularly ponders the juncture of social media and emergency management. Whether your scratching your head about how to move your organization forward or simply pondering the paradigm shiftiness of it all, the carefully considered and well-supported entries by lead blogger Kim Stephens provide insight while reminding us were all navigating this uncharted territory together.