Disasters

Having business continuity plans is not enough
More and more enterprises develop business continuity plans, but very few of them test these plans in the field
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ADASHI awarded SAFETY Act certification
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DHS pushes cities to develop regional disaster recovery plans
DHS insists that cities applying for urban security grants coordinate their disaster and recovery programs with neighboring cities so that they can present a regional disaster recovery plans in their application
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In post-Katrina shift, DHS to consider risk of natural disasters in grants to cities
When DHS absorbed FEMA in 2003, the agency was marginalized, the quality of its leadership declined, and its emphasis on natural disasters was eclipsed by the new emphasis on terrorism; DHS is now trying to recreate an agency with more balance between terrorism and natural disasters
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RAND, Gulf Coast schools to establish center to study long-term hurricane recovery issues
Most of the recovery and rebuilding activities along the Gulf Coast are addressing short-term needs. RAND and seven regional universities have created an institute to look into long-term recovery and rebuilding issues
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Highlights of $29 billion DoD budget hurricane recovery assistance
DoD bill approved Monday contains billions of dollars for Gulf recovery; here are some of the items to be funded by the bill
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Senate passes modified TRIA extension version
White House-backed Senate version of TRIA would extend government backstop of terrorism insurance by two years, increasing the amount to be paid by private insurance companies, and excluding certain items from coverage
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House establishes corporation to redevelop Gulf Coast
Congress creates a government-run corporation to run rebuilding and development efforts in Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast
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House committee report finds Red Cross ill-prepared for disaster relief
Minority staff report harshly critical of Red Cross’ ability to cope with mass-casualty disasters
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Illinois town short on funds for first response team
Where there is a will, there is not always a way: Small Illinois town wants first response capabilities but has no money to pay for them
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Experts urge the inclusion of social science insights into disaster planning
In Japan they wear face masks; in the U.S. they do not — this and other insights from cultural studies should be incorporated into disaster planning, experts argue
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Do not rely on government in case of pandemic
Nevada health and emergency officials have a blunt message to state citizens: Fend for yourselves
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Inspector General: DHS knew in April 2005 of inability to respond to catastrophic incidents
DHS IG reveals that in April 2005 government-wide exercise showed inadequacy of DHS plans for coping with hurricane disaster in the Gulf
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Legislators propose to restore FEMA as an independent, cabinet-level agency
FEMA’s performance in Katrina prompts calls to release “trapped agency” from DHS fold
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Last-minute battle over TRIA extension
Terrorism insurance was supposed to be a temporary, post-9/11 measure, but insurers and realtors got so used to it, they want it extended; the White House and Senate want to limit the measure’s scope, the House want to expand it; either way, it expires on 31 December unless extended
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The long view

To bolster the world’s inadequate cyber governance framework, a “Cyber WHO” is needed
A new report on cyber governance commissioned by Zurich Insurance Group highlights challenges to digital security and identifies new opportunities for business. It calls for the establishment of guiding principles to build resilience and the establishment of supranational governance bodies such as a Cyber Stability Board and a “Cyber WHO.”
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Protecting the U.S. power grid
The U.S. power grid is made up of complex and expensive system components, which are owned by utilities ranging from small municipalities to large national corporations spanning multiple states. A National Academy of Sciences report estimates that a worst-case geomagnetic storm could have an economic impact of $1 trillion to $2 trillion in the first year, which is twenty times the damage caused by a Katrina-class hurricane.
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More than 143 million Americans at risk from earthquakes
More than 143 million Americans living in the forty-eight contiguous states are exposed to potentially damaging ground shaking from earthquakes, with as many as twenty-eight million people in the highest hazard zones likely to experience strong shaking during their lifetime, according to new research. The research puts the average long-term value of building losses from earthquakes at $4.5 billion per year, with roughly 80 percent of losses attributed to California, Oregon, and Washington. By comparison, FEMA estimated in 1994 that seventy-five million Americans in thirty-nine states were at risk from earthquakes. In the highest hazard zones, the researchers identified more than 6,000 fire stations, more than 800 hospitals, and nearly 20,000 public and private schools that may be exposed to strong ground motion from earthquakes.
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A large Ventura Fault quake could trigger a tsunami
Earthquake experts had not foreseen the 2011 magnitude-9 Japan earthquake occurring where it did, so soon after the disaster, scientists in Southern California began asking themselves, “What are the big things we’re missing?” For decades, seismic experts believed the Ventura fault posed only a minor to moderate threat, but new research suggests that a magnitude-8 earthquake could occur on the fault roughly every 400 to 2,400 years. The newly discovered risk may even be more damaging than a large earthquake occurring on the San Andreas Fault, which has long been considered the state’s most dangerous. Unlike the Ventura fault, the San Andreas Fault is so far inland in Southern California, that it does not pose a tsunami risk. A large earthquake on the Ventura fault, however, could create a tsunami that would begin “in the Santa Barbara Channel area, and would affect the coastline … of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, down through the Santa Monica area and further south.”
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Coastal communities can lower flood insurance rates by addressing sea-level rise
City leaders and property developers in Tampa Bay are urging coastal communities to prepare today for sea-level rise and future floods in order to keep flood insurance rates low in the future. FEMA, which administers the National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP), is increasing flood insurance premiums across the country, partly to offset losses from recent disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Cities can reduce insurance premiums for nearly all residents who carry flood coverage by improving storm-water drainage, updating building codes to reflect projected rise in sea-levels, moving homes out of potentially hazardous areas, and effectively informing residents about storm danger and evacuation routes.
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California drought highlights the state’s economic divide
As much of Southern California enters into the spring and warmer temperatures, the effects of California’s historic drought begin to manifest themselves in the daily lives of residents, highlighting the economic inequality in the ways people cope. Following Governor Jerry Brown’s (D) unprecedented water rationing regulations,wealthier Californians weigh on which day of the week no longer to water their grass, while those less fortunate are now choosing which days they skip a bath.
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Having business continuity plans is not enough

ADASHI awarded SAFETY Act certification

DHS pushes cities to develop regional disaster recovery plans

In post-Katrina shift, DHS to consider risk of natural disasters in grants to cities

RAND, Gulf Coast schools to establish center to study long-term hurricane recovery issues

Highlights of $29 billion DoD budget hurricane recovery assistance

Senate passes modified TRIA extension version

House establishes corporation to redevelop Gulf Coast

House committee report finds Red Cross ill-prepared for disaster relief

Illinois town short on funds for first response team

Experts urge the inclusion of social science insights into disaster planning

Do not rely on government in case of pandemic

Inspector General: DHS knew in April 2005 of inability to respond to catastrophic incidents

Legislators propose to restore FEMA as an independent, cabinet-level agency

Last-minute battle over TRIA extension

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The long view

To bolster the world’s inadequate cyber governance framework, a “Cyber WHO” is needed

Protecting the U.S. power grid

More than 143 million Americans at risk from earthquakes

A large Ventura Fault quake could trigger a tsunami

Coastal communities can lower flood insurance rates by addressing sea-level rise

California drought highlights the state’s economic divide