Wednesday, July 29, 2009

FEMA's fuzzy chain of command impedes its mission -

The Federal Emergency Management Agency needs a clearer chain of command and more efficient partnerships with state and local governments in disaster relief situations, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. READ MORE

The House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management met on Monday, July 27, 200 to receive testimony on defining a catastrophic disaster, the role of the Federal Government after a catastrophic disaster, and whether additional authority is needed to address the response and recovery from a catastrophic disaster. MORE INFO

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

3rd Annual HAZUS Conference

Updated July 5, 2009










VENUE:


McKimmon Conference and Training Center / NC State’s Extension and Continued Education Conference Center / Raleigh, North Carolina / MORE INFO

HAZUS Map Gallery:

Awards will be presented for the following categories (you do not have to be present to win):
  • Best Mitigation Applications using HAZUS-MH
  • Best Practice for Data Improvements to HAZUS-MH (Level 2 or 3 analysis)
  • Best practice for incorporating modernized flood maps
  • Best incorporation of a HAZUS-MH analysis into a mitigation plan
  • Best innovative practice of HAZUS-MH
  • Best multi-hazard analysis
  • Best integration of other tools with HAZUS-MH
All maps must be submitted by July 31, 2009 electronically (.pdf) to Margaret Griffith, PBS&J, MMGriffith@pbsj.com.


REGISTER NOW...

CONFERENCE AGENDA...



HAZUS.org has been receiving "lots" of comments on the upcoming HAZUS User Conference. Check out what others are saying and get your opinion heard. Comments are moderated. Click on the "comments" link at the end of this post...
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Tsunami Risk for U.S. West Coast Higher Than Expected

The risk of a massive tsunami striking the U.S. West Coast may be greater than previously thought, according to recent analysis.

In 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake off the coast of Alaska generated a tsunami that killed 130 people and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Now, geologists say an even bigger tsunami could someday be in store for the West Coast. READ MORE

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Friday, July 17, 2009

Artic Ice Images Derived From Classified Data Made Public

On July 15, 2009 the National Academy of Sciences recommended that the U.S. government release the archive of Arctic ice images that has been collected by U.S. classified satellite systems. READ MORE

Hours later, USGS released a set of derived product images of Arctic sea ice imagery, READ MORE

USGS Global Fiducials Library

Arctic Sea Ice Data Archive

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

GIS for DUMMIES...

Available now at the HAZUS.org Bookstore ...

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

"Mysterious" Tremors Detected on Central San Andreas Fault

Scientists have detected a spike in underground rumblings on a section of California's San Andreas Fault.

What these mysterious vibrations say about future earthquakes is far from certain. But some think the deep tremors suggest underground stress may be building up faster than expected and may indicate an increased risk of a major temblor. READ MORE

The persistent changes in tremor suggest that stress is now accumulating more rapidly beneath the part of the San Andreas Fault which ruptured in the 7.8M Ft. Tejon earthquake of 1857. SCIENCE Magazine Article Abstract


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Sunday, July 5, 2009

Hurricane Katrina: Why Some People Stayed Behind

Nobody asked the residents who stayed behind during Hurricane Katrina why until recently. Stanford University psychologist Nicole Stephens and her colleagues decided to compare the views of outside observers with the perspectives of the New Orleans residents who actually rode out Katrina. READ MORE

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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED)

SSPEED is a multi-institutional collaboration that aims to address deficiencies in storm prediction, disaster planning and evacuations for communities stretching from New Orleans to Brownsville, Texas. MORE INFO

Anybody know how or if HAZUS-MH fits into the SSPEED efforts?

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