National Public Radio aired a piece earlier this week exploring the parallels and differences between Alabama’s Dauphin Island and Isle Derniere (a Louisiana island that was a resort town in the 1800s, but was slowly abandoned in the wake of an 1856 hurricane). The story raises that age-old question: is retreat sometimes the only answer? […]
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Short Video on Building Tougher [BUILDING]
Posted on June 4, 2009
The Weather Channel recently traveled to Texas to talk to builders about the construction techniques that allowed some homes on the Bolivar Peninsula to withstand the wrath of Hurricane Ike last September while so many others were destroyed. Meteorologist Jim Cantore said these disaster-resistant homes, “should be the ultimate example for anyone living in hurricane-prone […]
Slight Downgrade in Hurricane Projections [REPORT]
Posted on June 3, 2009
The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University has slightly decreased the number of storms predicted for this year’s hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin. A quick summary of the changes since the April projections: Read the 34-page report, Extended Range Forecast Of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity And Landfall Strike Probability For 2009 (PDF).
New Cape Cod Flood Maps Project Greater Risk
Posted on June 2, 2009
An article in the Cape Cod Times today reports the results, and some thoughts, on the preliminary revisions of FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for some Cap Cod Communities. For anybody who has been following the issue anywhere along our nation’s coastlines, it’s not surprising to see that rates are expected to increase. It’s […]
HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE (Is Your Community Ready?)
Posted on June 1, 2009
Today is the first day of the official Hurricane Season for those of is in the Northern Hemisphere. While August, September, and October are usually the most treacherous months, 97% of tropical activity happens between June 1 and November 30th (hence the currently defined Hurricane Season). Of the 40 tropical systems that have impacted our […]
REPORT: Interagency Study Concludes Structural Shore Protection Can't Solve All Problems
Posted on May 28, 2009
The Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (a group organized by the U.S. Corps of Engineers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina) has released a draft of a report evaluating the performance of the New Orleans hurricane protection system during Hurricane Katrina and to assess the risks posed to the New Orleans region by future tropical […]
President Declares National Hurricane Preparadness Week
Posted on May 28, 2009
Well, it’s official: President Obama has declared this week National Hurricane Preparedness Week. As his press release explains: “The threat hurricanes pose to lives and property cannot be eliminated, but preparedness can reduce the dangers these storms pose for our families and communities . . . . I call upon government agencies, private organizations, media, […]
PUBLICATION: New EPA Report Outlines Adaptation Options
Posted on May 18, 2009
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a report outlining different ways that coastal managers of all levels can help adapt to on-going climate change. It focuses on nine general goals: Maintain/restore wetlands Maintain sediment transport Preserve coastal land/development (including infrastructure) Maintain shorelines utilizing “soft” measures Maintain shorelines utilizing “hard” measures Invasive species management […]
FEMA Moves Towards Digital-Only FIRMs
Posted on May 18, 2009
FEMA has announced that beginning on or after October 1, 2009, it will provide only a single paper Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) to each community when their maps are updated, and will convert all other distribution of maps and FIS reports for digital delivery. FEMA will continue to provide […]
DHS Releases New Compendium of Disaster Assistance Programs
Posted on May 18, 2009
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security just released The Compendium of Disaster Assistance Programs (PDF 1.5 MB), and it’s arguably as imposing impressive as it sounds. While the 43-pages of tabular data on “federal programs providing assistance (financial and non-financial) to individuals, states, localities, nonprofit organizations, and businesses impacted by a disaster” may not be […]