Author Archive | Wesley Shaw

National Hurricane Center Working on New Tools for Better Showing Risk

“NHC believes that the clearest way to communicate each of the hurricane hazards is to do so directly and distinctly, and not to conflate them as the proposed integrated scales do.” –National Hurricane Center press release Climate Central has posted a good summary of some new ways the National Hurricane Center is looking at better […]

Life on the Edge of a Rising Sea [VIDEO]

Ever wonder what life’s like out on the (rapidly disappearing) Louisiana bayou? The small community of Isle de Jean Charles has put together a great website with videos and more to help folks understand what’s at risk out there. This is a insightful look at the front lines of climate change. Have a look.

USACE to Investigate if New Orleans Levees Deflected Isaac’s Floodwaters into Neighboring Areas

“At the urging of residents who have long felt forgotten in the shadow of more densely populated New Orleans, the Army Corps of Engineers says it will look into whether the city’s fortified defenses pushed floodwaters provoked by Hurricane Isaac into outlying areas.” This could get interesting. “U.S. Corps of Engineers to study levee improvements’ […]

“What does it feel like to have your home flooded?”

Somebody on Quora.com asked “What does it feel like to have your home flooded?” The most popular response came in from a survivor from two floods in Queensland, Australia. The whole thing is worth reading, but following are a couple of sections that jumped out. The first is about how expectations affect behavior: Prior to […]

New Jersey Community Gets Serious About NFIP Compliance

Sea Isle City, NJ isn’t messing around with National Flood Insurance Program compliance issues. The city recently sent out 193 court summons to owners of non-compliant structures (mostly concerning inadequate flood vents and illegal conversions of below-home storage into living space) telling them to get their structures in order. The city’s motivation? The possible benefits […]