Today marks the first day of a two-week online dialogue on the establishment of the NOAA Climate Service. You can participate in the conversation by visiting their website: www.NAPAclimatedialogue.org. The study is trying to determine how the NOAA Climate Service can best: Provide information at the global, regional and state levels over varying timescales Support […]
Author Archive | Wesley Shaw
Federal Flood Insurance Will Cover Flood-Related Oil Damage [FEMA Memo]
Posted on June 11, 2010
FEMA has released a memo clarifying that in the event of a declared flood disaster, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage will apply even if oil is mixed with flood waters. The brief memo suggest that the NFIP will bill the party that caused the oil damage (in this case, British Petroleum) for the damages. […]
New NOAA PDF Answers Hurricane vs Oil Slick Questions
Posted on June 8, 2010
NOAA has released a short new PDF outlining how they expect the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill will affect this year’s hurricanes. The short version: not much. The two pages of “Hurricanes and the Oil Spill” attempt to concisely answer such questions as: What will happen to a hurricane that runs through this oil slick? (Very […]
New Survey of Southeast Louisiana Residents Shows Most Planning to Evacuate
Posted on June 7, 2010
A new survey of residents of Southeast Louisiana finds that while 57% feel at least “moderately comfortable” with the area’s levee systems, drainage pumps, and emergency warning systems, about 80% have “well developed” hurricane evacuation plans and say they are willing to evacuate in the face of a hurricane (see the graph for percentages of […]
Gulf Spill Oil Coming to Atlantic?
Posted on June 3, 2010
What’s the real worst case scenario for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill? What it the oil keeps gushing all summer? The New York Times is reporting that a team of scientists has run the models, and that the results aren’t pretty. Nearly all of the simulations show oil heading into the Atlantic, and, perhaps, even […]
Funding Available! FEMA's Unified Hazard Mitigation Grant Period Begins
Posted on June 9, 2009
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant program provides funding for eligible mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages. In the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) co-administer these grants, and to assist sub-applicants they will be hosting briefings […]
NOAA's New Institute Advances National Climate Service
Posted on May 29, 2009
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced yesterday that U.S. government and university scientists are partnering to form a new institute that will use satellite observations to detect, monitor and forecast climate change and its impact on the environment. The Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites is part of NOAA’s effort to create a […]
Rising Sea Levels: Survival Tips from 5000 BC
Posted on May 26, 2009
Recent research has shown that sites in the Caribbean dating back to 5000 BC experienced sea level rise that was “just as bad as anything we are expecting.” Not only did these civilizations survive a changing coastline and more storm surges, but also they stayed put and successfully adapted to the changing world. Ongoing reseach […]
Blueprint for Coastal Resiliency Released
Posted on April 27, 2009
The Heinz Center and Ceres have released Resilient Coasts: A Blueprint for Action, which outlines policy changes and common sense actions that could reduce economic, ecological and social losses from future storms and rising sea levels along U.S. coastlines. Specific recommendations include: enable planning for climate impacts by providing the necessary science and decision-making tools; […]