Interesting article in the Boston Globe on how the state is working to reach the magical storm-damage dollar amount ($8.2 million) so federal funds can be freed up to assist communities in recovery from the February 25th storm that slammed into the state. “US storm aid may be gone with the wind” (Boston Globe)
Author Archive | StormSmart admin
National Flood Insurance Program Expires [UPDATED]
Posted on March 11, 2010
[ORIGINAL MARCH 1 POST]: Nothing to panic about (we don’t think), but the US Senate failed to pass a reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). As a result, the NFIP officially expired last night. FEMA, meanwhile, released an announcement last Friday expressing its confidence that the program will be reauthorized when the Senate […]
Hindsight: Video of Galveston After the 1900 Hurricane
Posted on March 10, 2010
The Caffeinated Politics blog has chased down some fascinating old video footage of the famous 1900 Galveston Hurricane. This storm made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane and caused somewhere between 6,000 and 12,000 deaths (the current population was 42,000), making it the deadliest natural disaster ever to strike the United States. The footage below […]
Video of Chatham Flooding
Posted on March 6, 2010
From the Cape Cod Chronicle. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_Jo2fdKdWk&feature=youtube_gdata
National Hurricane Center Announces Changes
Posted on March 4, 2010
Straight from the National Hurricane Center press-release: Product Changes for the 2010 Hurricane Season’s Effective May 15, the National Hurricane Center will implement important changes in some of its text and graphical products. It will also make some additions to its Web site and experimental products. This is part of a continuing effort at the […]
Chatham Hammered by Storm's Waves
Posted on March 3, 2010
The Cape Cod Chronicle reports that Chatham’s North Beach Island has been badly beaten-up by the recent storms, when waves of up to 20′ hammered the coast. According to the article: Chatham Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon said it appears the surf washed over the beach in several areas, swirling around and under the camps. […]
With Crumbling Seawalls and Limited Resources, France Struggles with Storms
Posted on March 3, 2010
The Associated Press is reporting on the aftermath of Xynthia, the storm that slammed into Europe last weekend. The hurricane-force winds and huge storm surge destroyed seawalls and killed dozens there. The article focuses on the past, present, and future challenges of devastated historic towns along the French coast. New homes have cropped up chaotically […]
Disaster‐Resilient Homes Webinar Series [EVENT]
Posted on March 3, 2010
The Resilient Home Program has just announced a new (free) webinar series on resilient homes. The first two webinars are co‐sponsored by FEMA and will be: Home Evaluation after Storms and Floods March 9, 2010 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM (Eastern) Presented by Bill Coulbourne, Director of Wind and Flood Mitigation Applied Technology Council (ATC) […]
Top 10 Reasons to Buy Flood Insurance NOW
Posted on February 25, 2010
While this list was written by FEMA for the general public, most of it applies to your municipal properties, too (and it’s not a bad outreach tool, either). The Top Ten Reasons to Buy Flood Insurance Now Spring flooding is almost here and there is a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins. Coverage is relatively […]
Risk Communication: Best Practices
Posted on February 24, 2010
The folks over at the NOAA Coastal Services Center recently released a two-page summary of risk communication specifically for those working in coastal hazards. In addition to explaining the concept of risk and why our behavior in the face of risk is so complicated, it provides six best practices for those trying to communicate risk. […]