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Article: The enchanting world of beavers in King County — and how they might benefit a warming planet

The enchanting world of beavers in King County — and how they might benefit a warming planet https://flip.it/y7fbFg

Events/Resources/Articles March 1, 2021

Training & Events

Examining and addressing COVID-19 racial disparities in Detroit (Brookings) COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Black communities. In fact, Black Americans are 2.3 times more likely than white Americans to die from the virus. Black residents of Detroit, Mich., have been hit especially hard. In Detroit, Black people represent 76% of known COVID-19 diagnoses by race and 87% of deaths. In a forthcoming paper entitled “Examining and addressing COVID-19 racial disparities in Detroit,” Brookings researchers address the staggeringly large racial gap in COVID-19 infections in the city.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST

Prior announcements:

NEMA Webinar Series Presents: Emergency Management Virtual Learning Lab (NEMA) NEMA will host the webinar series which will include two webinars and one social event each week during the month of March. The topics have been chosen by NEMA Associate Member Sponsors and we are deeply gratified to have such experience and expertise to draw from during these remarkable times. These webinars will be held during March from 2:00 to 3:30 pm eastern time.

Flood Resilience in the Year Ahead: Opportunities for the New Congress (Pew Trusts) In recent years, the country has witnessed unprecedented hurricanes and inland flooding. As another spring flooding season approaches policy opportunities exist for the new Congress to ensure our communities and the roads, hospitals, schools, and other critical lifeline infrastructure they depend on can withstand future floods. The Pew Charitable Trusts and The BuildStrong Coalition for a discussion on ways the 117th Congress can better support state and local efforts to address growing flood risk posed by the increasing severity and frequency of disasters and climate impacts.

· Friday, March 5, 11am- Noon ET

Resources

Mapping Climate Risks by County and Community (American Communities Project) The American Communities Project (ACP) has leveraged data from Four Twenty Seven, a physical climate risk data firm and affiliate of Moody’s, to understand how the risks manifest by ACP type — and where populations and infrastructure may be especially vulnerable. Four Twenty Seven analyzes several physical risks to the U.S. landscape, including sea level rise; hurricanes; extreme rainfall; water stress; and heat stress, characterized by higher temperatures. Many of Four Twenty Seven’s projections through 2040 show the risks are regional, as illustrated in maps below. The ACP has further parse the degree to which high risks differ by 15 different ACP types.

Strategies for Emergency Evacuation and Sheltering during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Nat. Academies of Science) The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of emergency operations in response to natural hazards. In the context of the pandemic, fundamental shifts in preparedness planning are needed to ensure health, safety, and smooth operations during emergencies. This guidance, produced by the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) of the National Academies, explores how research on evacuation behavior, social responses to disaster, and risk communication can be applied to emergency management in the era of COVID-19. SEAN identifies strategies for updating evacuation plans, sheltering operations, and risk communication practices in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click on the links below to learn more.

Ready Responder Resources Ensure Peace Of Mind When Disaster Strikes (FEMA/Fire Admin) Ready.gov’s webpage Ready Responder offers resources and guides for both firefighters and law enforcement to help them be prepared when disasters occur. The Ready Responder Toolkit is designed to provide emergency response agencies with a series of planning tools to help prepare their personnel and their families for emergencies.

“Smart grid” interoperability standards from NIST may benefit future emergency services (FEMA) Just as southern states are recovering from the power blackouts caused by winter storms, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released Version 4.0 of its Smart Grid Framework, a roadmap to strengthen the resilience of the nation’s power infrastructure through use of interoperability standards. The Emergency Services Sector may benefit from the capabilities generated by “smart grid” interoperability.

The Cost of Climate: America’s Growing Flood Risk” (First St. Foundation) New research from First Street Foundation analyzes the economic impact of underestimated flood risk to properties throughout the United States. Current understandings of expected flood risk and its potential damage continue to underestimate the full extent of flood risk in many parts of the country. This is problematic as these understandings of flood risk are used to price insurance premiums in the market by estimating property-level average annual loss (AAL).

DHS Announces Funding Opportunity For $1.87 Billion In Preparedness Grants (FEMA) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) FY2021 grant funding focuses on terror attacks and major disasters: As the threats we face evolve, so too must the grant programs intended to prepare communities for those threats. To that end, DHS has identified five critical priority areas for attention in the FY2021 grant cycle: cybersecurity, soft targets and crowded places, intelligence and information sharing, domestic violent extremism, and emerging threats. The allocations for FY2021 include both competitive and non-competitive awards.

Non-competitive grants include:

• State Homeland Security Program (SHSP).

• Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI).

• Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Program.

• Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR) Program – Amtrak.

Competitive grants include:

• Operation Stonegarden.

• Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program.

• Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

• Port Security Grant Program.

• Transit Security Grant Program.

• Intercity Bus Security Grant Program.

Articles

All-Hazards:

· Many Rural Texas Counties Currently Left Out Of Federal Disaster Aid Eligibility For Winter Storm (Texas Tribune)

· Most of Texas Deep Freeze $90 Billion in Losses Avoidable, Modeler Says (Ins Journal)

· Post-Wildfire Landslides Becoming More Frequent In Southern California (Phys.org)

· New USGS Strategy Harnesses State-of-the-Art Science to Tackle Wildfires Before, During and After the Flames (USGS)

· The Disasters Keep Coming But Not The Funds For FEMA (The Hill)

· Natural Hazards Have Unnatural Impacts—What More Can Science Do? (AGU Eos)

· Juneau Officials Recommend Residential Evacuations, Warning Of Dangerous ‘Historic Avalanches’ (Anchorage Daily News)

· We’re Less Than 100 Days From the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season – Here Are This Year’s Names (Weather.com)

Resilience:

· Climate Threats Could Mean Big Jumps in Insurance Costs This Year (NYTimes) and Flood Risk Is Growing For US Homeowners Due To Climate Change. Current Insurance Rates Greatly Underestimate The Threat, A New Report Finds (CNN)

· Wind Power Didn’t Cause The Texas Blackouts. But It Wasn’t Just Fossil Fuels, Either (LA Times)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

· Unscathed: These Alaska villages are reaching herd immunity — without a single case of COVID-19 (AK NPR)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

· Feds Up Share of FEMA Grants That Must Be Spent on Cybersecurity (Rt. Fifty)

· Biden Orders Review to Bolster Supply Chain Resiliency (HS Newswire)

· A Looming Crisis for Local U.S. Water Systems? (HS Newswire)

· What Went Wrong with Texas’ Power Grid? (HS Newswire) and Texas’ Power Grid Was 4 Minutes And 37 Seconds Away From Collapsing. Here’s How It Happened (NPR –Austin TX)

· Public Employees’ Use of Personal Phones, Tablets Puts Local Governments at Risk (Rt. Fifty)

· U.S. Energy Regulator to Examine Climate Change’s Threat to Power Reliability (US News)

Innovations & Interconnections:

· Fleets of Radar Satellites Are Measuring Movements on Earth Like Never Before (Science)

· Science at a crossroads: Where to next? (Pew Trusts / Trend magazine)

Articles, Resources, Events – as of 2/22/21

Earthquake Resilience Technology Webinar and Guidance for Earthquake Awareness Month (FEMA) During the month of February, Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) will promote earthquake awareness, including educational resources for increasing resilience of the built environment and facilitating recovery from earthquakes. CUSEC is providing webinars that are intended to educate the public, private sector, first responders, and government. This webinar will discuss new technology of interest to those involved in hazard mitigation and planning, featuring the Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) App used to screen buildings for potential earthquake vulnerabilities. Also relevant to earthquake resilience is a publication released in January 2021 in support of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), titled Recommended Options for Improving the Built Environment for Post-Earthquake Reoccupancy and Functional Recovery Time. This report is a joint effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to chart a path toward superior earthquake recovery.

Thursday, February 25 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST

FEMA Mapping Issues: Technical Mapping Advisory Council meetings (FEMA) Homeland Security Department; Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.R. Page 9358) holds a meeting by teleconference of the Technical Mapping Advisory Council, March 1-2. Agenda includes: Vote to submit the final report to the FEMA Administrator; Introduce 2021 TMAC tasking, and Vote to appoint a new chair for 2021. Contact: Brian Koper at 202-646-3085 brian.koper@fema.dhs.gov. Note: RSVP required by 5 p.m. February 26 to FEMA-TMAC@fema.dhs.gov

Monday & Tuesday, March 1-2 | 10am to 4pm ET

Friday, March 5, 11am- Noon ET

Resources

Housing Recovery and CDBG-DR: A Review of the Timing and Factors Associated with Housing Activities in HUD’s Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery Program (HUD) This study examines post-disaster housing recovery supported by the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which channels specially appropriated federal funds to state and local grantees in support of a variety of post-disaster recovery activities. The main goals of the study were to estimate how long it typically takes to complete CDBG-DR housing activities, what factors contributed to those completion times, and what could be done to improve them. The researchers estimate these activities are completed, on average, in 3.8 years, and that this time to completion has shortened over the program’s lifetime. The study also examines factors that contribute to faster recovery, discusses a variety of challenges grantees face, and offers recommendations to help accelerate post-disaster housing recovery.

Ransomware Factsheet for Emergency Response and Government Organizations Released (FEMA) This month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) released a ransomware factsheet to increase awareness of the ransomware threats to police and fire departments; state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; and critical infrastructure entities. The FBI NCIJTF’s Ransomware Factsheet is a timely resource to enhance the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) recent efforts to empower agencies to address ransomware threats. In January 2021, CISA launched the Reduce the Risk of Ransomware Campaign, a focused, coordinated and sustained effort to encourage public and private sector organizations to arm themselves with awareness, tools and resources they can use to help them defend against ransomware attacks.

Articles

All-Hazards:

Winter Storm Uri to Generate Billions in Insured Losses: Moody’s (Ins Journal)

HUD Sat On This Disaster Report. Here’s Why It Matters (E&E News)

Audit Raises Concerns About Wildfire Risks At US Nuclear Lab (The Tribune)

In Predicting Shallow But Dangerous Landslides, Size Matters (Berkeley News)

The Extreme Weather in the US Is So Severe Even Weather Satellites Are Bewildered (Science Alert)

Northwest Rivers Expected to See 60% Bigger Floods (Climate Wire)

Resilience:

Earthquake Warning System ShakeAlert Coming to Oregon in March (Oregonian)

Beyond Climate Change: Ecological Disruption Calls for a National Security Reboot (HS Today)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

Piecing Together the Next Pandemic (NY Times)

New Ebola Outbreaks in Guinea, DR Congo Pose Regional Risk (Reuters)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

NYC Initiatives are a Model for Safeguarding the Nation’s Public Transit Systems (DHS /S&T)

The Nation’s Power Grid Cannot Support Extreme Weather (Governing)

Sensors That Track Earthquakes Are Hackable (Rt. Fifty)

Innovations & Interconnections:

The Learning Agenda Every Public Agency Needs (Governing)

Building a Holistic Homeland Security Enterprise System (Dom Prep)

Tragedy at the Capitol: Four Questions that Demand Answers – Just Security

https://www.justsecurity.org/74121/tragedy-at-the-capitol-four-questions-that-demand-answers/?fbclid=IwAR1A6wXefc2e5QjzZq2kRryzpZHXpaw651-xkGL919bgMcIcCjoDp0Jk93E

Article: Wetlands, not walls, may be key to managing flooding as sea levels rise

Wetlands, not walls, may be key to managing flooding as sea levels rise https://flip.it/tIzFML

Events, resources, articles 12/8/20

Training & Events

The Intergovernmental Audit Forums are offering these inaugural events to the community free of charge:

“COVID’s New Normal: Addressing Challenging Environments and Creating a Resilient and Agile Workforce” (Intergovernmental Audit Forums) Mountain and Plains (MPIAF)|Western (WIAF):

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm (EST)

U.S. Vaccine Allocation Planner for COVID-19 (Intergovernmental Audit Forums) New York-New Jersey Intergovernmental Audit Forum (NYNJIAF)

Thursday, December 10, 2020 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. (EST)

ESG Isn’t Enough: Bringing Science & Accuracy to Impact Measurement (Boundless Impact) As regulations tighten around climate, accurate and scientifically-validated climate impact measurement methods will be of utmost importance to companies and investors looking to comply with new standards and remain in good standing with increasingly savvy customers. Most Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) experts agree: there are quite a number of different definitions under this catch-all term. Luckily, new tools are emerging that incorporate cutting-edge science and data analytics into user-friendly tools for investors. These new tools are far more capable of making accurate predictions on which companies will be leading the market in the coming years.

Wednesday, December 8th, 2020: 2:00pm – 3:00 pm EST

Solutions of the Year: Four Covid Innovations to Carry Forward (Next City) Next City sought out, and reported on, the ways that such disruptions could lead to lasting reform across sectors such as housing, drug treatment, education and criminal justice reform. We published more than 200 city-by-city responses to COVID-19; in doing so, we found the helpers that have made people’s lives easier. Join Next City as they dig into the long-term potential of four quick-pivot innovations: repurposing hotels as affordable housing; mobilizing methadone delivery during stay-at-home orders; training research librarians as contact tracers; and working with local businesses to supply incarcerated youth with books, games, and PPE to make their isolation bearable, safe and stimulating

Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 1 p.m. ET
Total Cost: $27.00

Water + Energy – Engage, Educate, Empower (SSF) This is the third Water-Energy Summit hosted by Security & Sustainability Forum (SSF’s) sustainability partner, Zpryme. During the WE3 Summit, connect global thought leaders who are embracing change and defining the dent that we should put in our water-energy future by focusing on the intersection of sustainable transformation, investment, innovative technology, and regulation for our economic recovery. Hear from top leaders from industry and government in the front lines of the transition to resilient infrastructure and economic vitality on a changing planet.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 9:00 AM – Thu, Dec 10, 2020, 12:00 PM EST
Cost: $0 – $99

Incorporating Sea Level Rise into a Capital Facilities Plan or Capital Infrastructure Plan (APA) This webinar will explore how to incorporate sea level rise and coastal hazards into the capital infrastructure or capital facilities planning process. In some cases, local planners are an integral part of the capital infrastructure planning process. Under these types of systems, planners can play an important role integrating sea level rise into the process of prioritizing and selecting projects to be included in the Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP). In other jurisdictions, planners provide input but are not central in the development of a CIP. In these situations, planners can play a role influencing how sea level rise can be incorporated into the CIP process. We will be joined by planners in two different jurisdictions representing these two different approaches along with a planner from APA who prepared a Planning Advisory Service report (PAS 596) on Planning for Infrastructure Resilience. This is the fourth in our four-part webinar series exploring how local planners can understand and incorporate sea level rise projections into the planning process.

Friday, December 11, 2020 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET

Webinar: Flood Risk Management Policy- Preview of Post-Election/2021 (Nat Flood Assoc) Join the National Flood Association as it continues its series of informative online sessions on topics that matter to our members and to the industry at large. We often hear the phrase “elections have consequences”. More than most, flood stakeholders appreciate how elections and regulatory changes can impact public policy relating to flood risk management. Join us for a 75-minute webcast to hear federal and state government relations experts discuss the potential impact of the 2020 election on flood risk management policy. Topics will include NFIP reform and reauthorization, relevant state legislative and regulatory developments and the increasing nexus between the housing finance market and issues relating to flood risk and climate change.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020 3:00-4:15pm ET

COVID-19 Vaccine Logistics – Understanding the Distribution, Storage & Regulatory Requirements of Maintaining a Successful Medical Stockpile (NEMA) The response to COVID-19 is ongoing and will be complicated by the upcoming acquisition, storage, and distribution of a vaccine. To help work through some of these issues while states continue managing spikes in cases nationwide, this webinar will bring together federal, state, and private sector experts to explore areas of consideration. Among the topics will include the efficacy of medical countermeasures, ensuring compliance with FDA regulations, understanding the unique needs of the coming vaccine, and maintaining a successful medical stockpile. Hear form experts on the planning and logistics issues to ensure states are where they need to be early in 2021 including how CARES Act funding can still be utilized to assist in these efforts.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 2:00 PM EST.

Resources

New Manual Issued on COVID-19 Testing and Cross Border Risk (HS Today) The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has issued its new Testing and Cross-border Risk Management Measures Manual, developed by members of the CAPSCA group it established in 2009 for ‎the prevention and management ‎of public health events in civil ‎aviation. The new publication is available free of charge on ICAO’s COVID-19 online portal. “This new risk management manual is designed to help countries assess and include personal tests as part of their overall air transport public health responses to COVID-19,” commented ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu.

CISA releases new Insider Threat Mitigation Guide (DHS/CISA) Organizations have a duty to protect themselves and their employees from unnecessary physical and cyber risks. Managing, detecting and preventing insider risk is everyone’s responsibility, and it is critical that efforts to manage this responsibility are tailored to each organization’s environment and its mission’s unique nature. CISA’s Insider Threat Mitigation webpage also offers an Insider Threat 101 fact sheet; Pathway to Violence video and fact sheet; and information for human resources departments on their role in identifying and preventing insider threats.

Articles

All-Hazards:

U.S. Lands Lost In Severe Wildfires Rising Over Decades (Reuters)

Harassment and Discrimination in the FEMA Workplace: Topline Results from the Workplace Survey Support Study (RAND)

California’s ‘Trillion Dollar’ Mega Disaster–aka: ArkStorm–No One Is Talking About (ABC)

Plan Released To Reduce Massive Wildfires in US West (AP)

State Gets $1.3B in Wildfire Relief While Victims Get Nothing (Governing)

Here Are All 30 — Yes, 30 — Hurricanes and Tropical Storms That Hit the Atlantic In 2020 (Buzz Feed)

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2020-12/2/21/asset/b518433bea33/sub-buzz-12598-1606943300-9.png?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto&downsize=360:*

Once in a Lifetime Floods To Become Regular Occurrences By End Of Century (Phys.org)

‘Giant Volcano’ May Be Hidden Beneath Waters Off Alaska’s Southern Coast, Experts Say (SunHerald)

Climate Change Causes Landfalling Hurricanes to Stay Stronger for Longer (HS Newswire)

Resilience:

NIST “Playbook” Helps Communities with Resilience Planning (Dom Prep)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

GAO: Urgent Pandemic Response Actions Needed (HS Today)

Johns Hopkins Report Details Lessons Learned From New York City Hospitals’ COVID-19 Patient Surge (Homeland Prep News)

NACCHO Releases Public Health Priorities for the Biden-Harris Transition Team and 117th Congress (Dom Prep)

Human Nature Thwarts Widespread Use of Apps Tracking Coronavirus Exposure (Ins Journal)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

Bright Lights And Greener Pastures Ahead For Puerto Rico If Microgrids Keep Popping Up (Forbes)

Lawmakers Want Data to Decide the Future of America’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (Rt. Fifty)

New Cyberattack Tricks Scientists into Making Dangerous Toxins, Synthetic Viruses (HS Newswire)

To Expand Broadband, States Should Figure Out Where It Isn’t Available (Rt. Fifty)

Innovations & Interconnections:

How to Fairly Use Algorithms to Make Tough Decisions (Rt. Fifty)

Articles and Resources: 12/1/20

Training & Events

Public Health 101 – How US Public Health Works (S&S Forum) What you need to know about the US public health systems in normal times and in times of crises. This webinar explores the federal, state, and local public health infrastructure in the United States and explains the roles and responsibilities of public health agencies and their interactions with the hospital system and emergency medical services. Speakers will also discuss the 10 essential services of public health that all communities should undertake.

Wednesday, Dec 16, 2020 1:15 PM – 2:45 PM EST

Re-Writing Development Rules for Prosperity, Sustainability & Equity (GWU) Participants will learn innovative and effective policy solutions that can promote economic recovery without additional public spending or loss of revenue. This class addresses the market forces responsible for sprawl, poor housing options and economic decline. Attendees will learn that HOW we collect public revenue is just as important as HOW MUCH revenue we collect.

Tuesday, January 12, 2020 10 am to 4 PM EDT
Cost: $150 – Receive a GWU School of Engineering and Applied Science Professional Education Certificate

Resources

How You Can Make the Air in Your Home Safer From SARS-CoV-2 (Johns Hopkins) Infograph

One Person In The Room With You Has COVID-19. Here’s How Long It Takes to Get Infected (Fast Company) MIT researchers have built a simple tool to give clear guidelines on indoor safety in the midst of a pandemic.

Major Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS OIG-21-07) The Office of Inspector General (OIG) says the Department of Homeland Security is facing several serious management and performance challenges. In its annual Major Management and Performance Challenges report, OIG underscores the need for consistent leadership. Many of the Department’s senior leadership positions still do not have permanent, Presidentially Appointed and Senate confirmed officials.

How Localities Continually Adapt Enterprise Strategies to Manage Natural Disasters (IBM: Business of Gov) This report delve into city-level surveys of hundreds of communities, conducted by the International City/County Managers Association, to learn firsthand what challenges face local leaders and how they prepare in advance to blunt the effects of natural disasters. This paper develops a local leadership framework includes two key strategic steps for local governments to adopt: (1) create a long-term, enterprise-wide approach to building resiliency in advance of any disaster in order to mitigate damage and speed recovery, and (2) grow a steady network of partners, horizontally and vertically, to manage as successfully as possible through disaster. Horizontal partners include community groups, private businesses, nonprofits, neighboring jurisdictions, and regional pacts. Vertical partners include their state and its agencies, and the federal government.

Articles

All-Hazards:

Of Course It Did: 2020 Officially Breaks Record for Wildest Hurricane Season (Intertia.com)

Migration to Wildfire-Prone Areas Continues Despite Risk: Study (Smart Cities Dive)

Texas is Changing How It Plans for Floods. What Does That Mean for Dallas-Fort Worth? (Star-Telegram)

OIG on the Six Biggest Challenges Facing DHS (HS Today)

Riskiest Spot for Rising Seas Is 50 Miles from the Ocean (Sci. American)

Canada: Ottawa Inches Toward Flood Insurance Program (Star)

Disasters Are Inevitable; Government’s Inadequate Response Is Not (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

Resilience:

NASA Has A Mind-Blowing Plan to Map Rising Sea Levels from Space (Fast Company) and House Bill Would Create NOAA-Led National Database to Help Coastal Communities Confront Rising Seas (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

Climate Patterns Shape Forest Wildfire Recovery: Alternating north–south drought cycle in the western US restricts seedlings’ ability to regenerate after fires. (Physics Today)

Leaving The Shore: What Drives Decision-Making After Coastal Disasters (UN Prevention Web)

New Tree Equity Score Drives Home the Important Role of Trees in Creating Social Equity (UN Prevention Web)

Along the Crumbling Sonoma Coast, an Ambitious Project Paves the Way for ‘Managed Retreat’ (LA Times)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

FDA authorization of COVID-19 vaccines would set off a scramble (CQ)

Biopharma Industry Works To Build Confidence In Covid-19 Vaccines (Stat)

New Global Group will Lead Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance (CIDRAP)

The Math Behind Epidemics (Physics Today)

Preventing COVID-19 from Causing an Antibiotic Resistance Catastrophe (UN Prevention Web)

We Need ‘Horizontal’ Trust to Overcome Vaccine Skepticism (Wired)

Article: The Case for ‘Universal Property’

The Case for ‘Universal Property’ https://flip.it/qnww1b

Events /Resources – 11/23/20

As the holidays approach, many across the country are beginning to plan for holiday celebrations and small gatherings. To help minimize risk and prevent the spread of COVID-19, CDC has released considerations for Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings. The considerations were updated to reflect small and informal gatherings of family and friends from across multiple households that often occur during the holiday season. The Thanksgiving tip sheet is a resource to help people take steps to make their Thanksgivings safer.

Training & Events

Disaster Resilience Framework — The seminar is now posted to GAOTV (GAO) The Disaster Resilience Framework seminar provides an overview of the framework as well as the tools for using it in GAO’s engagements. In October 2019, GAO issued the Disaster Resilience Framework (GAO-20-100SP) to serve as a guide for analyzing federal actions to facilitate and promote resilience to natural disasters. The framework is intended to help managers across government explore opportunities to promote disaster resilience and reduce the mounting costs associated with the federal response to climate and weather disasters.

Webinar: Large Area Flood, Steep Creek, and Landslide-Dam Flood Risk Prioritization — Association of GeoHazard Professionals (Canada) – Mountainous regions are frequently subject to geohazards that cause property damage, loss of life, and the interruption of transportation arteries. Of the many thousands of hazard areas, only a tiny fraction receive a full risk management cycle from hazard identification to risk control. Since development exists within these geohazard susceptible expanses, communities require support to make risk-informed decisions about regulation, mitigation, and emergency management. This webinar will present approaches to prioritize geohazard risk across large and typically data-scarce regions like British Columbia and discuss how their results support development planning, regulation, and emergency management.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020 | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET

Considerations for a Post COVID World: An Interview with Brock Long (DRJ) Brock Long, the former Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will provide his insights, recommendations, and predictions about what 2021 and beyond will look like, along with his advice on how your company can properly prepare.

Thursday, December 3, 2020 @ 12:00 PM ET

COVID-19 Scientific Quarterly: Contact Tracing (GAO) The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of contact tracing. As a disease control strategy, contact tracing is most useful when there are sufficient tests, resources, and a low number of individuals with the disease. Additionally, effective listening and interviewing skills are key to successful contact tracing. This presentation is intended to enhance the understanding of contact tracing for GAO staff members

Thursday, December 3, 1:30 – 3:00 pm (ET)

Hurricane Season 2020 and Adaptation Lessons Learned (Bipartisan Policy Center) This hurricane season has been extraordinarily active with 30 named storms, including 13 hurricanes, ensuring that 2020 is just the latest in a handful of recent, record-setting seasons. Climate change has been increasing Atlantic hurricane activity for years, producing storms that are collectively stronger, wetter, and slower-moving over populated coastlines. To bring down costs, speed up recovery efforts, and ultimately improve the lives of those impacted by natural disasters, we must be smarter about how communities plan and rebuild. Join BPC as we look back at the 2020 hurricane season and assess lessons learned to make us more prepared for a stormy future.

Thursday, December 3, 2020 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Working with Indigenous Communities After a Disaster: Focus on South Dakota (CDI) In this webinar, three Indigenous leaders – all grantees of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Midwest Early Recovery Fund Tribal Communities Disaster Recovery Program – will share their experiences in disaster recovery, explain how needs differ in their communities and share best practices for working together respectfully in ways that honor culture and land.

Thursday, December 3 at 2 p.m. ET

GAO Cyber COP Newsletter – November 2020 (GAO) WELCOME to the first edition of the Cyber COP Newsletter! This newsletter will help you stay top of COP events and learning, as well as external training opportunities in the following sections: COP Events and News, Cyber Information Sharing Group meetings, and Training Opportunities. Newsletters are sent out to the Outlook group #CyberCOP_Members@gao.gov

Also see the Cybersecurity COP wiki for an often-updated (and sortable) list of GAO’s cybersecurity-related reports since 2016, as well as the ITC team’s current list of cybersecurity-related engagements.

Reminder: FEMA Releases National Risk Index (FEMA) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) releases an online mapping application to analyze risk factors from 18 natural hazards in addition to expected annual losses, social vulnerability and community resilience. The tool is free and easy to use, and data from the site is available for download. FEMA is developing a comprehensive National Risk Index application to release later in 2021. Visit FEMA’s National Risk Index webpage to learn more about the data and the natural hazards that can affect your community.

Updated COVID-19 Medical Staffing Requests Advisory: FEMA has updated its medical staffing requests advisory with 12 actions items for State, local, and territorial governments to address. As a reminder, all requests to the Federal government must be formally communicated by your state emergency manager to your FEMA Regional Administrator. This is the same process as natural disasters (e.g., hurricane recovery, flood recovery, tornado recovery, etc.). If you have specific needs, please reach out to your State or local emergency manager.

Disasters and Religion App Helps Emergency Managers (NDIN) The Disasters & Religion App helps disaster responders better serve America’s diverse religious communities and build partnerships with religious leaders, with easily accessible religious literacy and competency information on 27 unique religions. It also offers Tip Sheets on Mass Care considerations for different faith communities; 16 Tip Sheets on partnering with faith communities in disasters; and 26 Tip Sheets on equipping religious leaders about disaster preparedness through the Be a Ready Congregation program It was created by the National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN), New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS), and the University of Southern California Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC).

Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study (FEMA) Using big data, FEMA’s modeling of the 18.1M buildings constructed in the United States since 2000 has found that the nation has benefited to the tune of $1.6 billion in savings each year. These savings represent the cumulative losses avoided from property damage associated with using the International Codes or similar building codes during floods, hurricane, and earthquakes. FEMA projects that, by the year 2040, the nation will save around $3.2 billion in savings per year. This adds up to almost $133 billion in total losses avoided from 2000 to 2040.

Articles

All-Hazards:

After Camp Fire, Paradise, CA, Works on Long-Term Recovery (EM /Gov Tech)

Rule of Law During Pandemics (Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute)

Building a Data-Driven Culture in Emergency Management (Dom Prep)

A Provocative Idea for Naming Atlantic Hurricanes That Just Might Work (Forbes)

The Alaska Tsunami That Can’t Be Stopped (The Atlantic)

Flood Sensors Drive Predictive City Management in North Carolina (GCN)

Report: The Disaster Relief Fund: Overview and Issues (CRS)

Resilience:

Systems Thinking Helps Build Resilience in Post-COVID Food Supply Chains(FoodSafety)

How the ABC Produced the Mt Resilience Augmented Reality Experience to Explore a World of Living with Big Weather and Climate Change (ABC)

Equitable Retreat: The Need for Fairness in Relocating Coastal Communities (Yale Environment)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

States That Imposed Few Restrictions Now Have the Worst Outbreaks (NY Times)

State of the Nation: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey Report #23: Depression Among Young Adults (HSDL)

Questions Persist over Face Mask Efficacy (HS Newswire)

‘They’ve Been Following the Science’: How the Covid-19 Pandemic Has Been Curtailed in Cherokee Nation (STAT)

Some Places Were Short on Nurses Before the Virus. The Pandemic is Making it Much Worse. (Washington Post)

Mauritania Rift Valley Fever Outbreak Update and Chapare Virus in Bolivia 2019: New Evidence Shows Human-to-human Transmission (Outbreak News Today)

Risk Perception Studies Could Improve Pandemic Response (Governing)

Frequent, Rapid Testing Could Turn National COVID-19 Tide within Weeks (Harvard)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

‘Catastrophic Problem’ Looms In 110-Year-Old Hudson River Rail Tunnel If Fixes Aren’t Made (NBC NY)

ACI World Calls for Airport Recovery Plans to Include Climate Change Efforts (International Airport Review)

Innovations & Interconnections:

The Growth Equation of Cities (Nature)

National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide Final Report (IACP) and Disasters Leave a Rise in Suicides in Their Wake: Study (US News) and The Human Costs Of The Pandemic: Is It Time To Prioritize Well-Being? (Brookings)

Articles and resources as of 11/17

Have a Safe and Healthy Holidays!!

CDC and the CDC Foundation have also provided resources to address stress and coping, and for parents and caregivers to help protect children and young people’s social, emotional, and mental health.

Finally, if you or loved ones are traveling, please check the state you are going to for any updates to that state’s COVID restrictions.

Training & Events

“Mitigation Misery – Practical Tools for Floodplain Managers” (NHMA) The Natural Hazard Mitigation Association and FEMA Region 6 is holding a brownbag to discuss flood mitigation with Edward Thomas Esq.–Fellow of the American Bar Association (ABA) Foundation, member of the ABA Disaster Response and Preparedness Committee and Vice-Chair of the ABA State and Local Government Law Section’s Resilience Task Force. During his career in HUD and FEMA, Ed worked closely with individuals, companies, non-profit organizations local communities developing safe and affordable housing, and results oriented Floodplain Management and Hazard Mitigation. He worked closely with disaster survivors on about two hundred disasters and emergencies, serving as the President’s representative, the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO), dozens of times.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020, 1 – 2pm ET

COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Development, Approval, Allocation and Distribution in the U.S.—(National Academy of Medicine) The fifteenth COVID-19 Conversations webinar, scheduled for November 18, 2020 at 5pm ET, will discuss the path to a COVID-19 vaccine, including steps forward in development, approval, allocation and distribution in the U.S. The webinar will begin with an introduction from the session’s moderator, Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg, former FDA commissioner, and then feature a conversation with a panel of experts, including: Larry Corey, President and Director Emeritus, Fred Hutch; James Hildreth, President & CEO, Meharry Medical College; Marion Gruber, Director, Office of Vaccines Research & Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and Jay Butler, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with the webinar audience.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 5-6:30pm ET (requires pre-registration)

A Nation Unprepared: Incomplete Implementation of the National Blueprint for Biodefense— Virtual Meeting of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense — The Commission will assess the national response to COVID-19 as those activities relate to the recommendations of their 2015 Blueprint, and better understand federal efforts to enhance national biodefense.

Monday, November 30, 2020 10:00am – 3:30pm ET

FEMA releases draft ‘Building Private-Public Partnerships Guide’ for public comment (IAEM)FEMA is seeking content input from community partners on the “Building Private-Public Partnerships Guide” draft document. The agency will host a series of 60-minute engagement webinars to discuss the Guide and answer stakeholders’ questions. The purpose of the review is to provide an opportunity for the public to provide substantive content recommendations and refinement of the draft. The webinars will be open to the whole community and advance registration is required. To register, click on the preferred webinar session below.

Webinar 1: 2:00 p.m. EST on Dec. 1.
Webinar 2: 3:00 p.m. EST on Dec. 3.

Webinar: Urban Flood Hazards: Challenges and Opportunities (NHMA) The Georgia Association of Floodplain Management (GAFM) No Adverse Impact (NAI) Committee, in conjunction with the ASFPM NAI Committee, and hosted by Michael Baker, International Inc.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 @ 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EDT

Webinar: Federal Alliance for Safe Homes 2020 Review – 2021 Outlook (FLASH) Hear from FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson and Executive Vice President Eric Vaughn about recent events and milestones in the disaster safety and resilience movement and how current and future partners can drive meaningful change through new collaboration opportunities. FLASH had planned to offer the 2020 National Disaster Resilience Conference (NDRC) in a traditional, in-person format. However, we have postponed it until December 2021 due to current conditions.

Thursday, December 3 at 2:00 p.m

Webinar: 5G is Here! How Will This Impact Emergency Communications? (CISA) The rapid rate of technology advancement continues to outpace the public safety community acquisition cycle. The arrival of 5G – the fifth-generation technology standard for cellular networks – is one example. It is envisioned that 5G will have the potential to enhance operations, support information-sharing, improve efficiency and response time, augment security, and increase capacity for more connected devices. This webinar will identify actions organizations can take to prepare for the implementation of new solutions like 5G.

Wednesday, December 8 at 1:00 p.m.

Resources

New Report Details Approach for Rapid Development of Innovative Diagnostic Tests for COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases In a new special focus report released today, Diagnostics for Biodefense – Flying Blind with No Plan to Land, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense provides an approach that would ensure the United States can rapidly develop innovative point-of-care and point-of-need diagnostic tests for COVID-19 and other novel, emerging, and reemerging infectious diseases when they occur. The report contains recommendations for both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the government. In accordance with Recommendation 30 of the Commission’s baseline 2015 A National Blueprint for Biodefense, the report calls for the development of a national plan for testing, recommending that Congress amend the CARES Act of 2020 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to establish a new task force to develop innovative rapid diagnostic solutions and scale up testing dramatically across the Nation, eliminate supply chain disruptions, and pursue advances in diagnostic technology.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) released the following COVID-19-related reports:

Homelessness and COVID-19 (CRS) People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of contracting and spreading Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have also been concerns that the number of people experiencing homelessness could increase. Unemployment rates grew as some industries, including restaurants, retail, and hospitality, essentially shut down for varying periods of time. The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been greater for low-income workers, renters, and minority households.
Vaccine Safety in the United States: Overview and Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccines (CRS) In light of reported concerns from the public surrounding the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines developed on an expedited timeline, FDA officials have sought to clarify that any vaccine candidate “will be reviewed according to the established legal and regulatory standards for medical products.” If made available within the next several months, available safety and effectiveness data would be based on months of data collection rather than on years of data collection typically used in vaccine development. In addition, efforts are underway with regard to (1) clinical guidance and prioritization of individuals to receive the likely limited initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines; (2) strengthening safety monitoring systems to collect ongoing safety surveillance data on vaccines administered to the population; and (3) preparing for safety controls in vaccine distribution and patient administration, in addition to other activities.
COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment—Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress (CRS) Observers who argue the COVID-19 pandemic could be world-changing for the international security environment and the US role in the world have focused on several areas of potential change, including the following, which are listed here separately but overlap in some cases and can interact with one another. Issues for Congress may include whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic could change the international security environment, whether the Trump Administration’s actions for responding to such change are appropriate and sufficient, and what implications such change could have for the role of Congress in setting and overseeing the execution of US foreign and defense policy.

Guiding Principles for Emergency Management on Cyber Security (NEMA) The cascading impacts of a cybersecurity incident during the COVID-19 response have reinforced the need to ensure state government enterprises are secure and resilient in the face of cyber threats. To that end NEMA, the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS CISA), and Auburn University’s McCrary Institute partnered to develop a document that outlines guiding principles for emergency management executives around cybersecurity. The Guiding Principles for Emergency Management on Cyber Security addresses the three essential elements to an effective cybersecurity posture: leadership, culture, and strategy.

“Attacks Tracker” of Jihadist Motivated Terrorist Attacks (GWU) The George Washington University Program on Extremism (PoE) released a tracker monitoring jihadist motivated terrorist attacks in Europe and North America. The tracker is based on a database maintained by the PoE and includes data since 2014. Initial findings include that 75 percent of attacks were perpetrated in Europe, and 71 percent of attackers were known to authorities prior to the attack taking place. The year with the most terrorist attacks recorded was 2017, but 2020 has had more than double the number of incidents as 2019.

Articles

All-Hazards:

First Responders: Cloud-Based Framework Improves Efficiency in Disaster-Area Management (HS Newswire)

Climate Change Intensifies Tsunami Threat in Alaska (Hi Country News)

USFA Logs Lowest Annual Count in 2019 Firefighter Fatalities Report (FEMA / USFA)

Study Projects More Rainfall in Florida During Flooding Season (Phys.org)

Obstacles to Timely Emergency Messaging For Acute Incidents (Journal of EM)

As the Oceans Warm, Hurricanes Stay Stronger Longer (Sci. American)

This Relentless Atlantic Hurricane Season Has Put Nearly Every Mile of Coastline from Texas to Maine On Alert (CNN)