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Natural Disasters and the Environment along the U.S.-Mexico Border: Eleventh Report of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board to the President and Congress of the United States
This 11th report of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB) "focuses on the environmental effects of natural disasters that occur along the border. Examples include hurricanes, mudslides, tornadoes, wildfires, and earthquakes. We divided our findings into three sections. Section 1 details the effects of natural disasters on the region's environment, including effects on human health as well as wildlife and ecosystems. It also examines how specific population groups such as tribes and families living in unincorporated communities (colonias) are affected. Section 2 looks at the capabilities of existing institutions and frameworks to manage natural disasters along the border. Section 3 highlights promising emergency management initiatives that already incorporate natural disaster management or could be expanded to do so. Recommendations in this year's report call for federal policymakers to concentrate on four areas when working with other authorities to manage natural disasters along the U.S.-Mexico border: (1) Support local initiatives to implement appropriate zoning codes, building codes, and other types of strategic planning. (2) Build capacity for transboundary cooperation when responding to natural disasters, as well as cooperation at the local, state, regional, and tribal levels, (3) Better integrate existing emergency management systems and practical exercises, including ensuring that they cover natural disasters as well as hazardous materials emergencies. (4) Expand current domestic and international agreements so that they reflect the need for border-specific measures to effectively manage natural disasters."
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
United States. Good Neighbor Environmental Board
2008-03
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Mount Mazama and Crater Lake: Growth and Destruction of a Cascade Volcano
"For more than 100 years, scientists have sought to unravel the remarkable story of Crater Lake's formation. Before Crater Lake came into existence, a cluster of volcanoes dominated the landscape. This cluster, called Mount Mazama (for the Portland, Oregon, climbing club the Mazamas),was destroyed during an enormous explosive eruption 7,700 years ago. So much molten rock was expelled that the summit area collapsed during the eruption to form a large volcanic depression, or caldera. Subsequent smaller eruptions occurred as water began to fill the caldera to eventually form the deepest lake in the United States. Decades of detailed scientific studies of Mount Mazama and new maps of the floor of Crater Lake reveal stunning details of the volcano's eruptive history and identify potential hazards from future eruptions and earthquakes."
United States. Department of the Interior; Geological Survey (U.S.)
Klimasauskas, Ed; Bacon, Charles; Alexander, Jim
2002-08
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Airborne Hunt for Faults in the Portland-Vancouver Area
"Geologic hazards in the Portland-Vancouver area include faults entirely hidden by river sediments, vegetation, and urban development. A recent aerial geophysical survey revealed patterns in the Earth's magnetic field that confirm the existence of a previously suspected fault running through Portland. It also indicated that this fault may pose a significant seismic threat. This discovery has enabled the residents of the populous area to better prepare for future earthquakes."
Geological Survey (U.S.)
1996
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Taking the Earth's Pulse
"During the past 35 years, scientists have developed a vast network of seismometers that record earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and nuclear explosions throughout the world. Seismographic data support disaster response, scientific research, and global security. With this network, the United States maintains world leadership in monitoring the greatest natural and technological events that threaten our planet's population."
United States. Department of the Interior; Geological Survey (U.S.)
1997
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 3249: Predisaster Hazard Mitigation Act of 2010
"S. 3249 would authorize appropriations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for grants to states and localities for predisaster mitigation programs, such as constructing levies, relocating homes from flood-prone areas, and retrofitting buildings in earthquake zones. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing this legislation would cost $630 million over the 2011-2015 period and $340 million in later years, assuming appropriation of the specified amounts. Enacting S. 3249 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2010-05-11
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Interior Geospatial Emergency Management System (IGEMS) [website]
"The Interior Geospatial Emergency Management System (IGEMS) [...] enables users to monitor and analyze natural hazards events as they are occurring anywhere on the Earth aiding efforts in monitoring, responding to, and analyzing current natural hazards events. All of this information is presented in an integrated geospatial view that combines dynamic natural hazards events with a rich set of reference data including imagery, transportation, and hydrography. IGEMS uses data provided by outside sources as well as data from Interior bureaus such as the U.S. Geological Survey. (Inclusion of this data does not constitute endorsement, express or implied, by the Department of the Interior of the referenced organizations, their suitability, content, products, functioning, completeness, or accuracy.) IGEMS is also the next generation replacement for the Natural Hazards Support System (NHSS). NHSS has been in operation since 2003 supporting a significant customer base that can be responsible for over 8 million hits a month. NHSS was one of the first public applications to provide an integrated approach to natural hazards. Although individual federal agencies do an outstanding job of supplying natural hazards information to the public, each type of hazard (earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, wildland fires etc.) is usually treated independently. IGEMS incorporates all of the data and functionality contained in NHSS, it also provides added information including hurricane tracks and current wind conditions. Since IGEMS utilizes the latest software and technology it provides a richer functionality, including a locate ability, and a richer user experience that supports mobile devices like tablets."
United States. Department of the Interior; Geological Survey (U.S.)
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Defense Critical Infrastructure: Actions Needed to Improve the Consistency, Reliability, and Usefulness of DOD's Tier 1 Task Critical Asset List, Congressional Committees
"The Department of Defense (DOD) relies on a global network of defense critical infrastructure so essential that the incapacitation, exploitation, or destruction of an asset within this network could severely affect DOD's ability to deploy, support, and sustain its forces and operations worldwide and to implement its core missions, including current missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Because of its importance to DOD operations, this defense critical infrastructure could be vulnerable to attacks by adversaries, and vulnerable to natural disasters and hazards, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Since September 2003, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs (ASD[HD&ASA]) has been responsible for developing and ensuring implementation of critical infrastructure protection policy and program guidance. To identify and help assure the availability of this mission-critical infrastructure, in August 2005 DOD established the Defense Critical Infrastructure Program (DCIP), assigning overall responsibility for the program to ASD(HD&ASA). In April 2008, DOD issued an instruction that further assigned responsibilities and prescribed procedures for the implementation of DCIP, among other things. In October 2008, DOD formalized the process for identifying and prioritizing its critical infrastructure."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-07-17
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Technology Helps Safeguard Citizens: Risk Assessment Data Compilations Map Quick Road to Recovery During Iowa Floods
This report explains how Johnson County, Iowa, Emergency Management Agency (EMA) officials found it more effective to asses the flooding situation in Johnson County, Iowa using simple Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis rather than, "...plotting historical data on ink paper maps to plan response and recovery routes." The EMA used the program HAZUS, which "...is FEMA's powerful GIS-based software methodology that estimates potential losses from earthquakes, hurricane wind and floods; calculating physical damage and functional loss in communities. HAZUS' ability to estimate the potential impacts of a flood provided the team with an unprecedented 'crystal ball.'" The report also includes maps that are produced with HAZUS and testimonials of officials.
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS)
2009-02?
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Japan Lessons Learned
"On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan and was followed by a 45-foot tsunami, resulting in extensive damage to the nuclear power reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi facility. The NRC has taken significant action to enhance the safety of reactors in the United States based on the lessons learned from this accident. This page is intended to serve as a navigation hub to follow the NRC's progress in implementing the many different lessons-learned activities."
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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Impact of the June 2012 Derecho on Communications Networks and Services: 'Report and Recommendations'
"In June 2012, portions of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States experienced a fast-moving, destructive windstorm called a derecho, resulting in twenty-two deaths and leaving millions without electrical power. Unlike hurricanes and superstorms, which are generally well-forecast, derechos are more like earthquakes, tornados, and man-made events for which there is little-to-no advance notice and opportunity to prepare. The 2012 derecho severely disrupted 9-1-1-related communications. Seventy-seven 9-1-1 call centers (also known as 'Public Safety Answering Points' or 'PSAPs') serving more than 3.6 million people in six states lost some degree of connectivity, including vital information on the location of 9-1-1 calls, mostly due to service provider network problems. From isolated breakdowns in Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, and Indiana, to systemic failures in northern Virginia and West Virginia, 9-1-1 systems and services were partially or completely down for up to several days. Seventeen PSAPs in three states lost service completely, affecting the ability of more than 2 million people to reach 9-1-1 at all. Even in the context of a storm like the derecho, a large-scale failure of communications -- particularly 9-1-1-related communications -- is unacceptable, and action must be taken to prevent similar outages in the future."
United States. Federal Communications Commission
2013-01
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Global Disease Detection and Emergency Response Activities at CDC 2012
"In recent years, the statement that diseases know no borders has become a truism, validated by infectious disease threats such as SARS [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome], avian influenza, and drug-resistant tuberculosis. These diseases repeatedly cross national borders and pose immediate threats to the United States. Humanitarian emergencies, including the earthquake in Haiti, flooding in Pakistan, and famine in the Horn of Africa, are not isolated incidents but global crises which can sometimes have immediate and long-term effects throughout the world. It is also increasingly recognized that a one-time response is often not adequate and investments must be made in public health reconstruction in order to be better prepared for future emergencies. As emphasized in the Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference of 2011, the human and financial devastation of infectious diseases are still an ever-present danger to the world. In short: investments in global health security matter now more than ever. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines global health security as the reduction in vulnerability of people around the world to new, acute or rapidly spreading risks to health, particularly those that threaten to cross international borders. President Obama's National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats (2009) similarly defines global health security as the reduction in threats from outbreaks of infectious disease whether natural, accidental or deliberate in nature. While the U.S. has made substantial progress with partner nations to implement disease surveillance programs and respond at the source, the threats posed by emerging pandemics remain a challenge to global security, threatening economies and increasing political instability. CDC's [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] global disease detection and emergency response activities help protect the global community from urgent public health threats and mitigate humanitarian emergencies. CDC health experts overseas collaborate with ministries of health (MOH) to not only keep their people safe, but also protect Americans against the spread of disease to the U.S. CDC's global disease detection and emergency response activities have enhanced global health security since 2004 with current tasks focusing on: 1) Detecting and containing emerging health threats 2) Deploying CDC experts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at country request 3) Building capacity in support of the International Health Regulations (IHR) 4) Promoting policies for public health and health security 5) Responding to complex humanitarian emergencies."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2012-08
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Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education
"Our nation's postsecondary institutions are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for students, faculty, and staff who live, work, and study on campus. Faced with emergencies ranging from 'active shooter situations' to fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and pandemic influenza, this is no easy task. Many of these emergencies occur with little to no warning; therefore, it is critical for institutions of higher education (IHEs) to plan ahead to help ensure the safety and general welfare of all members of the campus community. […] Lessons learned from emergencies at IHEs highlight the importance of preparing IHE officials and first responders to implement emergency operations plans. By having plans in place to keep students and staff safe, IHEs play a key role in taking preventative and protective measures to stop an emergency from occurring or reduce the impact of an incident. When an emergency occurs, IHE personnel must respond immediately, providing first aid, notifying response partners, and providing instruction before first responders arrive. IHE officials must work with partners across the institution as well as their community partners (governmental organizations that have a responsibility in the IHE emergency operations plan) including first responders (law enforcement officers, fire department officials, and emergency medical services [EMS] personnel), emergency managers, and public health and mental health practitioners to provide a cohesive, coordinated response. It is recommended that planning teams at IHEs responsible for developing and revising a higher ed EOP [higher education Emergency Operations Plan] use this document to guide their efforts. It is recommended that IHEs compare existing plans and processes against the content and process outlined in this guide. To gain the most from it, users should read through the entire document prior to initiating their planning efforts and then refer back to it throughout the planning process."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2013-06
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National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program 2013-2017 Strategic Plan
"The National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) is a partnership between Federal and State agencies, and is designed 'to improve tsunami preparedness of at-risk areas in the United States and its territories' (Title 33 U.S.C. Ch. 45). Led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS), the NTHMP includes all 28 U.S. coastal states, territories and commonwealths, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and NOAA. This strong and active partnership enables all levels of government to work together toward the common goal of reducing tsunami losses. The NTHMP was established in 1995 by Congressional action which directed NOAA to form and lead a Federal/State working group aimed at identifying potential hazards and mitigating their risks. This action was based on increased recognition of the Cascadia tsunami threat, the April 1992 earthquake and tsunami on the Cascadia Subduction Zone in northern California, and the loss of life and property in Japan due to the 199 3 Hokkaido Nansei-Oki tsunami that devastated the island of Okushiri. These events, together with the historic Alaska tsunamis of 1946 and 1964, brought to light the general lack of tsunami preparedness and hazard assessment for the U.S. coasts and the need for significant improvement in tsunami detection and forecasting. The 2006 Tsunami Warning and Education Act (PL 109-424-TWEA) refined the NTHMP mission by focusing efforts on mitigation and preparedness activities versus detection and forecasting. This Strategic Plan describes how, over the next five years (2013-2017), the NTHMP will help U.S. coastal communities threatened by tsunami s enhance their preparedness and mitigation efforts. The plan is based on language contained within TWEA; however, modifications to the Strategic Plan may be necessary pending the outcome of TWEA reauthorization."
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (U.S.)
2013-05-21
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Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship
"Many people think of a house of worship as a safe area where violence and emergencies cannot affect them. However, violence in houses of worship is not a new phenomenon. In addition to violent acts, fires, tornados [sic], floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and arson also affect houses of worship. With many incidents occurring with little to no warning, many houses of worship are developing and updating plans and procedures to ensure the safety and security of their congregations, staff, and facilities. In collaboration with other houses of worship and community partners (i.e., governmental entities that have a responsibility in the plan, including first responders, public health officials, and mental health officials), houses of worship can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the creation of an emergency operations plan (EOP). Additionally, community organizations and private sector entities may have a role in the plan. Houses of worship are distinctive settings in that congregants share a common bond and have a predisposition to volunteer. The demographics of a congregation often mean that children and the elderly are present and may need assistance. This guide provides houses of worship with information regarding emergency operations planning for the spectrum of threats and hazards they may face. It discusses actions that may be taken before, during, and after an incident in order to reduce the impact on property and any loss of life and it encourages every house of worship to develop an EOP."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2013-06
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'LLIS.gov' Resource Compilation for the 20 May 2013 Oklahoma Tornado: Housing Issues and Solutions
"The 'LLIS.gov' [Lessons Learned Information Sharing] team has compiled various resources to help support efforts and initiatives focused on preparedness, response, and recovery following the May 20, 2013, Oklahoma Tornado. These resources are topic-specific and have been analyzed in order to provide support during the tornado response. More than 10,000 homes were damages or destroyed by the May 20, 2013, tornado, leaving many individuals and families in need of housing assistance. A variety of national and local organizations are in the process of providing temporary and transitional housing to Moore, OK, residents whose homes have been heavily damaged or destroyed. The 'LLIS.gov' team found that following many recent disasters, innovative housing techniques and solutions were formulated and implemented to serve displaced residents. These disasters include Hurricane Sandy and the Japan earthquake and tsunami."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; United States. Department of Homeland Security
2013-06-18
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SAFRR (Science Application for Risk Reduction) Tsunami Scenario-Executive Summary and Introduction
"The Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) tsunami scenario depicts a hypothetical but plausible tsunami created by an earthquake offshore from the Alaska Peninsula and its impacts on the California coast. The tsunami scenario is a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the California Geological Survey, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), other Federal, State, County, and local agencies, private companies, and academic and other institutions. This document presents evidence for past tsunamis, the scientific basis for the source, likely inundation areas, current velocities in key ports and harbors, physical damage and repair costs, economic consequences, environmental and ecological impacts, social vulnerability, emergency management and evacuation challenges, and policy implications for California associated with this hypothetical tsunami. We also discuss ongoing mitigation efforts by the State of California and new communication products. The intended users are those who need to make mitigation decisions before future tsunamis, and those who will need to make rapid decisions during tsunami events. The results of the tsunami scenario will help managers understand the context and consequences of their decisions and how they may improve preparedness and response. An evaluation component will assess the effectiveness of the scenario process for target stakeholders in a separate report to improve similar efforts in the future."
Geological Survey (U.S.); United States. Department of the Interior
2013
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Lesson Learned, Mass Care Response: Planning for Exotic, Zoo, and Illegal Animals
"The February 2011 State of Ohio Earthquake Mass Care Tabletop Exercise revealed that mass care stakeholders had not planned for the shelter needs of exotic, zoo, or illegal animals. Participants also noted that no State agency had authority or responsibility to provide guidance and support to local jurisdictions in the sheltering of these animals. Recommendations included amending mass care plans to incorporate the needs of exotic, zoo, and illegal animals and to assign responsibility to specific State agencies. […] This Lessons Learned document focuses on the importance of planning and assigning responsibility for exotic, zoo, and illegal animals. Participants noted that the mass care plans they were testing in this exercise neither planned for shelter of these animals nor assigned responsibility for corresponding support and guidance to local emergency management agencies to a State agency. They also noted that this issue could be remedied in future disasters with improved planning."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2013-10-25
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FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-319, Tornado Mitigation Basics for Mitigation Staff
"The goal of this independent study module is to help members of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce successfully communicate to the public the risks associated with tornados, and the mitigation measures available to improve personal safety and reduce damages to structures and personal property. This module is one in a series of Independent Study modules for the Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce, which addresses appropriate basic mitigation information for public consumption regarding earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, and wildfires."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2013-10-31
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FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-320, Wildfire Mitigation Basics for Mitigation Staff
"The goal of this independent study module is to help members of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce successfully communicate to the public the risks associated with wildfires, and the mitigation measures available to improve personal safety and reduce damages to structures and personal property. This module is one in a series of Independent Study modules for the Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce, which addresses appropriate basic mitigation information for public consumption regarding earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, and wildfires."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2013-10-31
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FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-321, Hurricane Mitigation Basics for Mitigation Staff
"The goal of this independent study module is to help members of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce successfully communicate to the public the risks associated with hurricanes, and the mitigation measures available to improve personal safety and reduce damages to structures and personal property. This module is one in a series of Independent Study modules for the Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce, which addresses appropriate basic mitigation information for public consumption regarding earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, and wildfires."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2013-10-31
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FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-322, Flood Mitigation Basics for Mitigation Staff
"The goal of this independent study module is to help members of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce successfully communicate to the public the risks associated with floods, and the mitigation measures available to improve personal safety and reduce damages to structures and personal property. This module is one in a series of Independent Study modules for the Hazard Mitigation disaster workforce, which addresses appropriate basic mitigation information for public consumption regarding earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, and wildfires."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2013-10-31
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Establishing FEMA Operational Centers of Excellence
From the letter of William L. Carwile, III to FEMA: "During the July 2009 Regional Administrator's Conference, we discussed a number of priorities and initiatives that will help advance the mission of the Disaster Operations Directorate and FEMA in the coming months and improve our ability to prepare for and respond to all hazard events. One such initiative involves the creation of FEMA Operational Centers of Excellence (OCOE) demonstrating expertise in discreet operational response functions. FEMA Regions regularly and consistently respond to the same types of disasters, based on their geographic location and susceptibility to specific hazardous conditions or unique weather patterns. These regions could become Regional OCOEs or, combined with other regions, could form Territorial OCOEs for specific disaster response functions. In this capacity, the OCOEs could serve as a centralized body of subject matter experts responsible for leading the development of specialized guidance and best practices for the specific response function identified. Each OCOE would leverage the existing knowledge base and response, training, and exercise experience in a particular functional response area and share this expertise. For example, Regional and/or Territorial OCOEs could be established on a regional or territorial basis for earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, tornados, cold weather, biological, man-made, or other response functional areas."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2009-08-13
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Seismic Waves: Safely Spreading the Benefits of Precast Construction
Seismic Waves is a newsletter published by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. "Should scientific research advance knowledge, commercial activity, or the public good? These objectives are sometimes viewed as competitors in a zero-sum game or as rivals for increasingly scarce societal resources. The Diaphragm Seismic Design Methodology (DSDM) Project is serving all of these objectives, however, and that is just one of several attributes that make this a remarkable research effort."
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (U.S.)
2009-07
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Seismic Waves: The NEHRP 'Recommended Provisions' and the National Model Building Codes: How NEHRP Interacts with the Code-Making Bodies
Seismic Waves is a newsletter published by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). "There is no single mandatory national building code or standard for designing and constructing buildings and other structures in the United States. Building codes are adopted and enforced by individual States, by local jurisdictions within the States, or by both State and local authorities. State or local building codes are usually based on a 'model' building code or other voluntary consensus standards. State and local governments may either directly adopt the model code or adopt the code with amendments. Today, the model building code that is predominantly adopted in the United States is the 'International Building Code' (IBC), which is promulgated by the International Code Council (ICC). The ICC also promulgates other model codes that impact the building process, such as the 'International Residential Code' (IRC). In addition to the IBC and IRC, some localities have adopted the 'NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code', which is promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association."
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (U.S.)
2007-06
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Operationalizing Mobile Applications for Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief Missions
From the thesis abstract: "When a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, has occurred, the critical information communications technology (ICT) infrastructure is often completely destroyed or damaged to a point of ineffectiveness. For first responders, such as the military, government relief agencies, and non-governmental organizations, quick and reliable communication tools are essential for carrying out their missions. As technology continues to evolve, more tools are becoming available to first responders in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) missions. These tools are improving relief strategies in many ways by providing real-time or near real-time situation updates and data essential to the mission. There are mobile applications under development and commercially available are aimed at improving the ability of HA/DR responders to make assessments. This research assesses the implementation of applications used on mobile devices while enhancing the ICT of the disaster area for first responders during HA/DR missions. This includes a setup of a hastily formed network in order to establish a wide area network to provide a network for the applications to work. The use of such applications can drastically improve information sharing, interoperability, command and control, and coordination among responders between all agencies involved."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Summerville, Carlton B.
2014-03
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Privacy Compliance Review of the NOC Publicly Available Social Media Monitoring and Situational Awareness Initiative, April 16, 2014
"The Office of Operations Coordination and Planning (OPS), National Operations Center (NOC), has statutory responsibility to (1) provide situational awareness and establish a common operating picture for the federal government, and for state, local, and tribal governments as appropriate, in the event of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster, and (2) ensure that critical terrorism and disaster-related information reaches government decision-makers. […] In January 2010, to help fulfill its statutory responsibility to provide situational awareness and to access the potential value of public information within the social media realm, the NOC launched the first of three Media Monitoring Capability (MMC) pilots using social media monitoring related to specific incidents and international events. The NOC pilots occurred during the 2010 Haiti earthquake response, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill. Prior to implementation of each social media pilot, the DHS Privacy Office and OPS developed detailed standards and procedures for reviewing information on social media web sites. A series of pilot-specific Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) document these standards and procedures. In June 2010, the Department released its Publicly Available Social Media Monitoring and Situational Awareness Initiative PIA, which incorporated these protections. OPS/NOC and PRIV [DHS Privacy Office] subsequently updated the PIA in January 2011, and published a Privacy Act System of Records Act Notice (SORN) on February 1, 2011, to allow for the collection and dissemination of personally identifiable information (PII) in a very limited number of situations in order to respond to the evolving operational needs of OPS/NOC."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2014-04-16
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U.S. Embassy Science Fellows Support to Japan: Observations and Commentary on Remediation of the Areas Off-Site from the Fukushima Daiichi Reactors
"Following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, Japan's Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered damages resulting in the release of radiological contamination. This release is the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 and only the second disaster (along with Chernobyl) to be rated Level 7 (the highest level) for safety significance on the logarithmic International Nuclear Event Scale. Japan was profoundly impacted. The radioactive material settled around the Daiichi plant and caused major contamination over large areas of the Fukushima Prefecture. The contamination level (predominantly Cs-137 [Caesium-137] and Cs-134 [Caesium-134]) was high enough to require decontamination of the surrounding areas to protect human health and the environment. Fourteen nearby cities were evacuated […], and more than 100 cities beyond those will require remediation…"
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
2014?
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Role of Military Forces in Disaster Response: Remove the Impediments
From the thesis abstract: "Hurricane Katrina and the events that unfolded on 11 September 2001 continue to raise the issue of timely responses to disasters by the state and federal government. Two recent natural disasters-the devastating tornadoes that struck multiple states in April 2011 and the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan affirm that catastrophes strike unexpectedly and can quickly overwhelm the capabilities of local and state authorities to respond. Since 2005 Congress has passed and amended laws to improve the military's responsiveness to disasters, including better structures for command and control. However, some restrictions and command and control issues still impede defense support to civil authorities (DSCA). This SRP [Strategy Research Project] recommends two further changes that will facilitate better military responses to domestic crisis: amend the Posse Comitatus (PCA), and allow federal forces to serve in a tactical control (TACON) relationship under the governor of a state while supporting civil support operations inside of the United States."
Army War College (U.S.)
Bentley, Michael
2012-03-08
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Measurement Science R&D Roadmap for Windstorm and Coastal Inundation Impact Reduction
"The impetus for the project was the extensive property losses and casualties that have occurred over the last several decades as a result of damaging hurricanes, such as Hurricane Katrina, and severe tornadoes affecting the coastlines and interior portions of the nation. NIST's [National Institute of Standards and Technology] interest in the project stemmed from the agency's desire to expand its existing research and development capabilities in earthquake hazard reduction and fire engineering to include efforts to reduce the impacts of other hazards. The roadmap development process included a review of the literature that identified research needs in the area of windstorm and coastal inundation hazards reduction, two workshops to obtain input from the nation's specialists in windstorm and coastal inundation hazard reduction, and an extensive roadmap preparation and review process. The roadmap identifies a broad range of research and development activities for reducing the impacts of severe windstorms and coastal inundation hazards. The report includes: [1] A vision for windstorm and coastal inundation resilient communities; [2] A list of grand challenges in windstorm and coastal inundation impact reduction; [3] Detailed descriptions of thirty priority research and development topics; and [4] A proposed program of prioritized research and development activities, and their associated benefits."
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.); National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (U.S.)
2014-01
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Crisis Abroad Involving American Citizens
This document from the State Department outlines basic procedures for emergencies, evacuation, and crises abroad. From the document: "Earthquakes, hurricanes, political upheavals, acts of terrorism, and hijackings are only some of the events threatening the safety of Americans abroad. Each event is unique and poses its own special difficulties. However, for the State Department there are certain responsibilities and actions that apply in every disaster or crisis. When a crisis occurs, the State Department sets up a task force or working group to bring together in one set of rooms, all the people necessary to work on that event. Usually this Washington task force will be in touch by telephone 24 hours a day with our Ambassador and Foreign Service Officers at the embassy in the country affected."
United States. Department of State
2007
