In a quest to develop a novel residential connection device, researchers from the four Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant college programs have constructed a full-scale testing facility capable of producing winds of up to 140 miles per hour. While most previous testing relied on miniature models, researchers home that the full-scale destructive testing of houses […]
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Can Bill Gates Stop Hurricanes?
Posted on July 27, 2009
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has applied for patents to slow or stop hurricanes through the use of special barges to pump cool water from deep in the Gulf of Mexico to the surface. When the hurricanes hit the cooler water, the thinking goes, the hurricanes will dissolve. As reported in USA Today, if the patents […]
New Report Shows How Urban Governments are Adapting to Climate Change
Posted on July 27, 2009
The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) released a report highlighting the innovative measures local governments are beginning to implement to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change. Developed by CCAP’s Urban Leaders Adaption Initiative, the report, Ask the Climate Question: Adapting to Climate Change Impacts in Urban Regions, (PDF, 1.8MB) offers best practices […]
Experimental Hurricane Wind Scale Debuts This Season
Posted on July 27, 2009
NOAA officials are experimenting with the traditional Saffir-Simspon Hurricane scale—used since 1975 to label hurricane impacts—by removing its storm surge ranges and flooding. NOAA hopes removing the surge information could make categories less confusing for the public. Storm surge information is “scientifically inaccurate,” according to NOAA officials, and values assigned to storm surge within each […]
Disaster Preparedness for Your Community Records
Posted on July 1, 2009
How safe are your community’s critical records from wind and floodwaters? Major (and sometimes even minor) disasters take their toll on the files your community needs to keep itself running, adding more challenges to the already overwhelming task of recovering from an event. Two articles (below) explain why it’s so critical to protect your records […]
Role Play Helps Communities Find Consensus
Posted on June 23, 2009
In Annapolis (MD) earlier this spring, more than 170 mayors, county commissions, environmentalists, business leaders and Maryland state officials came together for an interactive summit about community-level responses to climate risks such as sea-level rise and storm surge that threaten the state’s coast. You can watch a video introduction to the project here. The event […]
Evacuating with Your Pets
Posted on June 23, 2009
FEMA has a new press release with evacuation tips for you and your furry, feathered, or scaly friends. Specifically: A secure pet carrier, cage or crate, plus leash and collar or harness for each pet Muzzle (anxiety and stress can cause any pet to bite. A muzzle serves to protect both the pet and other […]
Study Finds Florida Home Retrofitting Program Cost Effective
Posted on June 23, 2009
A new assessment of the “My Safe Flordia Home” program found that while there was room for improvement, the program saved more than it cost. More precisely, it found that each dollar spent in the program reduced risk by $1.50. Perhaps most relevant for those working in coastal communities in a time of limited resources, […]
FEMA Releases 2010 Hazard Mitigation Unified Guidance
Posted on June 23, 2009
Need to know how to apply to the Hazard Mitigation Grants Program (HGMP)? Or for Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC), or Severe Repetitive Loss Pilot (SRL) grants? If so, you’re in luck: FEMA’s just released the extensive (188-page) Hazard Mitigation Assistance Unified Guidance handbook applicable to HMGP funds available […]
Poll Reveals Coastal Residents Grossly Unprepared for 2009 Hurricane Season
Posted on June 18, 2009
A new poll suggests that even after an active 2008 hurricane season, residents from Texas to Maine have taken no steps to prepare for major storms. The Mason-Dixon poll was conducted as part of the 2009 National Hurricane Survival Initiative, which was launched at a news conference at the International Hurricane Research Center in Miami […]