. . . and when I say “comprehensive,” I mean “comprehensive.” Ready.gov has come out with an emergency preparedness outreach plan they’re calling Resolve to be Ready in 2011, and it includes everything from press releases, newsletters, and links to videos to (are you ready for this?) tweets that you can cut and paste to […]
Author Archive | Wesley Shaw
UN Program Tries to Make Cities More Climate Ready
Posted on December 7, 2010
No targeting funding for communities, but the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction may help with coordination. For more info, see the United Nations Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready website.
Best Practices for Effective Hurricane Communication
Posted on December 6, 2010
Louisiana State University has released a great brochure on best practices for communicating about hurricane risks. It’s short, simple, and it makes sense. Here’s the meat of it, broken down by audience: GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS Be Proactive in Educating the Public: Gaining compliance during a hurricane requires year-round efforts. Waiting until the storms hit invites disaster. […]
New Climate Change Adaptation Tools
Posted on December 2, 2010
Last month, ICLEI (founded as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, but now going by “ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability”) released some new tools as part of their new climate adaptation program for local governments. While the program isn’t specifically targeting coastal communities, most of the resources they’re sharing will be useful for those working […]
While the Debate Continues, Sea Levels Keep Rising [CASE STUDY]
Posted on December 1, 2010
Interesting article on how one town (Norfolk, VA) is struggling with rising sea levels and shrinking budgets. If only this were a novel conundrum. . . . “Front-Line City in Virginia Tackles Rise in Sea“.
Why and How Businesses (and Municipalities) can Prepare for Disasters
Posted on November 17, 2010
The folks over at the Education Disaster Education Network (EDEN) have come up with a brief video explaining why it’s so critical that businesses develop a business continuity and disaster preparedness plan. Easy enough to translate most of it for municipal offices/departments, too. Worth a quick watch, and a good outreach tool you can use […]
FEMA Now Offering Live Chat with Map Specialists
Posted on November 9, 2010
This in the latest newsletter from FEMA: The FEMA Map Information eXchange (FMIX) is pleased to announce a new exciting service: Live Chat. Live Chat will allow FEMA stakeholders to interact with Map Specialists real-time via an online forum. Specialists can field inquiries pertaining to a wide variety of topics including Letters of Map Change, […]
Model Bylaw for Managing Coastal Floodplain Development
Posted on November 5, 2010
Any of us who have worked in more than one coastal community know this simple truth: there’s no one-size-fits-all activity to make communities safer from storms and flooding. Geography and geology vary. Community goals and political climates vary. Organizational structures within communities vary (Do you have a mayor? A town manager? A Board of Selectmen?). […]
Community Passes Forward-Thinking Floodplain Regulation
Posted on November 2, 2010
We acknowledge that this regulation wasn’t passed in Alabama (or even in one of the Gulf of Mexico states) but we think it might still be worth a look here as a model to draw on if your community is considering passing a regulation designed to promote safe development in your coastal floodplains. Here’s the […]
New Hurricane Science and Society Website
Posted on October 28, 2010
The University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography launched a new website this week: Hurricanes: Science and Society. The site has loads of information on the science of hurricanes, methods of observing hurricanes, and modeling and forecasting of hurricanes. In addition to in-depth science content, the website includes educational resources, case studies, and a […]