This game challenges you to stop a pandemic, and it can break your spirit https://flip.it/sAf559

Training & Events

Webinar: Building Community Resilience through Innovation and Partnerships (Council of State Governments) Historic amounts of grant funding will flow into states in 2021 to use for pre-disaster mitigation and large infrastructure projects from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The new BRIC program allows states and local communities to shift from reactive disaster spending and instead take forward-leaning and innovative approaches to building resilience, including public-private partnerships and nature-based solutions. Learn how this unprecedented opportunity can be leveraged to build climate and disaster resilience, reinforce equity and encourage stronger economies.  Note: No cost for CSG-associate members; $250 for non-members. If you have questions about registration, please contact CSG at registration@csg.org.  

• Friday, Nov 13, 2020 02:00 PM

FEMA National Advisory Council virtual meetings (FEMA) — on emergency management issues, pursuant to Homeland Security Department; Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.R. Page 68355)., Agenda includes: present recommendations to and receive feedback from leadership; and discuss strategic priorities with FEMA leadership and topical experts.  Note: RSVP required by 5 p.m. November 13. Contact: Jasper Cooke at 202-646-2700 FEMA-NAC@fema.dhs.gov  to register and receive dial-in information.

• November 17-18, starting @ 12:30pm ET.

Maximizing FEMA COVID-19 Funding and Reimbursements — The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ webinar “Maximizing FEMA Funding and Reimbursements Eight Months In,” is now available at no cost on-demand. Eight months into the pandemic, many cities are preparing and submitting reimbursement requests to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This webinar provides useful information to assist cities in using available federal aid to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on cities and their residents

Resources

State and Local Mitigation Planning Policy Update: Summary of Feedback Report (FEMA) The National Mitigation Planning Program is updating the state and local mitigation planning policies. These policies guide the review and approval of state and local hazard mitigation plans. The policies are also known as the Mitigation Plan Review Guides, and are FEMA’s official interpretation of the hazard mitigation planning requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR Part 201).  This effort included a broad call for ideas and feedback. Representatives from state, local, and territorial communities and the public could participate in one of three listening sessions held in mid-July as well as submit comments by email. Over 550 federal, state, local, academic, and non-governmental partners shared nearly 440 comments The National Mitigation Planning Program has summarized these comments in a report available online.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Creates Mobile Flood Tool (HS Newswire) – The U.S. Geological Survey announced Friday the completion of a new mobile tool that provides real-time information on water levels, weather and flood forecasts all in one place on a computer, smartphone or other mobile device. The new access anywhere interactive map helps minimize loss of life and property. the USGS National Water Dashboard will help inform forecasting, response and recovery efforts for agencies such as the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other federal, state and local agencies.

November is Infrastructure Security Month (DHS / CISA) Designed to focus on the vital role critical infrastructure – cyber and physical – plays in keeping the nation and our communities safe, secure and prosperous. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is promoting two sub-themes for Infrastructure Security Month 2020: In a Time of Transformation: Security and Response during a Global Pandemic and The Future of Securing Critical Infrastructure.

Securing Soft Targets and Crowded Places (DHS / CISA) CISA’s collection of resources covering the many facets of this topic. Securing Soft Targets and Crowded Places offers planning and response guidance on active shooters, vehicle ramming, chemical attacks and fire as a weapon.

Special Report: Public Health in State and Local Government (Pew: Rt. Fifty) Covid-19 exposed gaps in data use for state governments but it also revealed innovative practices that can be applied in the future. This Special Report looks at the latest trends in public health as agencies combat coronavirus and other problems.

Federal Register Updates (NEMA) The Federal Register was active in recent days, with a selection of relevant updates below: 

• FEMA: Comment Request on Information Collection for National Disaster Preparedness Survey
• FEMA: Comment Request on Information Collection for Emergency Notification System (ENS)
• CDC: Statement of Organizations, Functions, and Delegations of Authority
• FCC: Correction to Date Regarding Wireless 911 Location Accuracy Requirements   

CISA Graphic Novel: Real Fake (CISA) Real Fake, the first graphic novel in CISA’s Resilience Series, communicates the dangers and risks associated with dis- and misinformation through fictional stories that are inspired by real-world events. Readers follow protagonists Rachel and Andre as they discover that a command center in Russia is using a network of troll farms to spread false narratives about elections to American voters. With the elections coming up, Rachel and Andre follow the trail of synthetic media and stop the cyber assailants from causing chaos, confusion, and division.

Articles

All-Hazards:

Alerts: Action-Led Alerts Effective in Natural Disasters (HS Newswire)

Wildfires Threaten West Coast’s Seismic Network (UN Prevention Web)

U.S. Department of Education Announces Rescission of and Replacement for the 2016 Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting (Dom Prep)

Volunteers Needed to Help With Hurricane Zeta Recovery (WLOX)

Can AI and Connected Tech Foster Better Disaster Decision-Making? (GCN)

What Creates Community Disaster Response Chaos (Nat. Interest)

Resilience:

How Better Building Codes Can Mitigate Wildfires’ Devastation (UN Prevention Web)

How New Modes of Storytelling Engage Australians in Disaster Preparedness and Long-Term Resilience (AUS)

Firebreak: Wildfire Resilience Strategies for Real Estate (ULI – Knowledge Finder)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

Moving Millions of County Dollars to Prepare for COVID (EM/GovTech)

Escaping the ‘Era of Pandemics’: Reducing Risks of Worse Crises to Come (HS Newswire)

Local Health Departments Find New Ways to Provide Flu Vaccines (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

Creating a National Network of Cybersecurity Institutes (HS Newswire)

New Cyber Technologies Protect Utility Energy Delivery Systems (HS Newswire)

Safeguarding the Nation’s Supercomputers (HS Newswire)

A Big 2020 Election Hack Never Came. Here’s Why. (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

Apple Will Require Apps to Add Privacy “Nutrition Labels” Staring December 8^th(The Verge)

Innovations & Interconnections:

The World’s Courtrooms Could Unleash the Next Wave of Green Investing (Bloomberg Green)

Poor U.S. Pandemic Response Will Reverberate in Health Care Politics for Years, Health Scholars Warn (HS Newswire)

ESG Data Explosion, Investors Demand Diversity, Policymakers Fight Climate Change (Financial Times)

The Denialist Playbook: On Vaccines, Evolution and More, Rejection of Science Has Followed a Familiar Pattern (Sci American)

Training & Events

• Thursday, November 05, 2 pm ET

Webinar: Ohio’s Secretary of State & More Discuss Cybersecurity Infrastructure (Pew Rt. Fifty / Nextgov) What can agencies do during this uniquely trying time to shore up cyber vulnerabilities and prevent threats? This webcast will explore what it would take to put the ransomware protections and cybersecurity infrastructure in place in order to have a secure, remote workforce. We’ll dive into newly released ransomware guidance across federal agencies and discuss what the guidance may hold for the future.

• Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 3:00 – 4:00 PM EDT

Resources

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, House of Representatives, Interim Staff Report on key findings during its first six months of the federal response to COVID-19. As a reminder, EM CoP shares these resources to share important perspectives, in this case, from our client. The EM CoP does not endorse any of the findings or messages, but shares this information for those whom it may be useful. See EM CoP Resources folder / COVID19 FY21_ALL_STAFF-#139890

Master Question List for COVID-19 [caused by SARS-CoV-2] (DHS S&T) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) developed the following “master question list” that quickly summarizes what is known, what additional information is needed, and who may be working to address such fundamental questions as, “What is the infectious dose?” and “How long does the virus persist in the environment?” The Master Question List (MQL) is intended to quickly present the current state of available information to government decision makers in the operational response to COVID-19 and allow structured and scientifically guided discussions across the federal government without burdening them with the need to review scientific reports, and to prevent duplication of efforts by highlighting and coordinating research.

Critical Drug Shortages Further Complicate Pandemic Response (CIDRAP) The report from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at found that 29 out of 40, or approximately 73 percent, of drug treatments for COVID-19 are experiencing shortages. On top of spikes in treatment in hotspots, multiple factors contribute to shortages such as manufacturing halts, supply chain disruptions and international export restrictions. CIDRAP discusses the overarching consequences of drug shortages, the need for better transparency, and reliance on foreign sources and how a series of events (intentional or natural) could put us at even higher risk. This is part six in a series on COVID-19. See the CIDRAP website for the other reports in the series.

2020 Wildfire Risk Report — CoreLogic released the 2020 Wildfire Risk report, which takes a look at some of the new wildfire challenges faced, new ways to examine risk, losses from the year to date and methods of reducing those losses.  According to the report, up to the end of September this year over 7 million acres have burned in the United States. Responding to wildfires in 2020 has been extremely challenging not only due to new challenges from COVID-19 but also because of the number and size of fire. Recovering from them may also be more challenging. The report also shares the 10 cities Core Logic found as having the highest rate of potential risk of loss from wildfire, including Denver; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Los Angeles, San Diego, Thousand Oaks, Truckee, Riverside, and Sacramento, Calif.

State Public Health Authorities and COVID-19 Legal Challenges (ASTHO blog) The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) drafted an explainer of several legal challenges currently faced in states around the emergency powers invoked by governors and health officials to order physical distancing measures. Common issues faced include: challenges to the underlying legal authority of state executives to respond to public health crises; claims that “public health” falls outside state emergency powers; COVID-19 not qualifying as an emergency per state law; and judicial deference to landmark legal cases including Jacobson v. Massachusetts.

EESI Policy Recommendations for Coastal Community Resilience— The Environmental and Energy Study Institute published a report detailing policy recommendations for improving coastal community resilience in the face of natural hazards and climate change. The report is divided into six sections: community at the forefront; land use and development; cultural heritage; climate adaptation and resilience data; disaster preparedness; and financing adaptation and resilience. Including 30 specific coastal resilience policy recommendations, this document may be useful when developing BRIC applications.  View their coastal resilience briefing series and the full report here.

Confronting Urgent Threats to Human Health & Society: COVID-19 and Climate Change (NAM Annual Meeting) The recordings of the entire 2020 National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Annual Meeting are available above.

Articles

All-Hazards:

Shift Needed to Impact-Based Weather Forecasting (HS Today) and NOAA Partners with Google to Boost Weather Forecasts with AI (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

Resilience:

How Does the Environment Impact COVID-19? (DHS S&T)

Land Managers Can’t Burn the West Fast Enough (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

How the U.S. Could Be Smarter About Insuring Against Extreme Weather-Related Disasters (MarketWatch)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

State Department: Reducing Revisionist State Biological and Chemical Weapons Threats (Global Biodefense)

Who Will Get the COVID Vaccine First? A New Tool Aims to Help States Decide (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

Increased and Imminent Cyber Threat to Healthcare and Public Health (DHS/CISA)

A Flu Shot Might Reduce Coronavirus Infections, Early Research Suggests (Sci. American)

‘Storm Tracker’ Maps Shows How Hurricanes Spread Invasive Species (Smithsonian)

How Indigenous Communities in Canada Organized an Exemplary COVID Public Health Response (Sci. American)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure: NIST Releases Draft Cybersecurity Guidance, Develops GPS-Free Backup for Timing Systems (NIST)

Federal agencies warn hackers targeting U.S. hospitals with ransomware attacks (The Hill) CISA, FBI, and HHS have credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers,” the agencies wrote in a joint alert. These cyber-attacks have targeted healthcare networks in Vermont and New York, among other states.

Innovations & Interconnections:

Connecting People and Places: Exploring New Measures of Travel Behavior (Brookings)

What Should Crisis Leadership Look Like? (New Yorker)

Webinar: Visualizations and Datasets for Flood Loss Reduction (APA) The availability and visualization of datasets has evolved significantly. Whether looking at historical data or looking towards the future, datasets and visualizations can not only help inform practitioners’ plans, programs, and policies, but they can also be helpful in convincing elected officials and citizens to take action. This PIE webinar will focus on the Union of Concerned Scientists Underwater report and mapping tool, and NRDC’s Losing Ground flood visualization tool, and their applicability to community and hazard mitigation planning and floodplain management.

·         Tuesday, October 27, 2020 2 p.m. to 3:30pm ET

FEMA Tool Provides Comprehensive View of Hazard Risk (FEMA) The Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) was released earlier this year to help identify areas for building resilience, response, and recovery capabilities. Developed by FEMA and Argonne National Laboratory, RAPT is a geographic information system (GIS) webmap tool with clickable layers of community resilience indicators, infrastructure locations, and hazard data, and widgets to help with analysis. RAPT includes GIS layers of historic hazard data for tornados, tropical storms, and wildfire; risk assessments for seismic and flooding events; and real-time watch and warning notifications from the National Weather Service. Jurisdictions can click on multiple hazard layers at a time to see a more comprehensive view of hazard risk.

Severe Repetitive Flooding, Flood Data Visualization Tool (Natural Resources Defense Council) The federal government’s efforts to reduce repeated flooding are not keeping pace with current risk—let alone the increasing risk posed by sea level rise, increased severe weather, and other climate change impacts. This data dashboard illustrates the number of Severe Repetitive Loss Properties in each state and county, along with National Flood Insurance Program claims. Use the drop-down menus at the top of the map to filter by location, and check the graphs to view trends in repeatedly flooded properties.

FEMA Adjusts Consumer Price Index for 2021 (FEMA) FEMA has provided financial guidance for all disasters declared on or after Oct. 1, 2020. This guidance reflects the 2021 Consumer Price Index adjustment of certain indicators for the Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs. The index adjusted annually for inflation by the U.S. Department of Labor—has increased 1.3% for Fiscal Year 2021. Therefore, the following FEMA program amounts have been changed and will remain in effect for the next 12 months.

New ‘Mitigate Your Risk’ feature on FEMA app (FEMA) New content is available on the FEMA app, which lists the types of disasters common for an area and provides do-it-yourself mitigation tips. The tips are low-cost or no-cost and help prevent future losses after a disaster. Users can enter a zip code or city name to view a list of common disasters in the area and get tips on how to prepare. The app also allows the user to sign up to receive severe weather, environmental and other public hazard alerts for up to five locations of interest. The FEMA app has been downloaded more than one million times on Google Play and is ranked 14 in the Weather category of the App Store. Using a mobile device, download the FEMA app for free from the App Store and Google Play

CMAT Program Offers Community Wildfire Mitigation Assistance (U.S. Forest Service) The nation is in the midst of another horrendous wildfire season. Communities are under siege. It’s too late to offer mitigation assistance for some communities but for many this is a chance to establish or strengthen local mitigation programs. The National Community Mitigation Assistance Team (CMAT), supported by the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, may be able to help.CMATs help support and position communities to do wildfire mitigation work themselves through effective, sustainable partnerships using the right methods and tools.

Articles

All-Hazards:

FEMA to Fly 642 Shelter Pets to Safety on Historic Rescue Flight (GreaterGood)

Search & Rescue: Rapid Rescue of Buried People (HS Newswire)

New Simulation Technology Helps Get the Jump on Wildfires (EM / Gov Tech)

Beyond 9/11: U.S. Security Needs in the 21st Century (HS Newswire) and Homeland Threat Assessment, October 2020 (HS Digital Library)

5 of California’s 6 Largest Fires on Record Are Burning Now: The Astonishing 2020 Wildfire Season in Context (Union of Concerned Scientists)

U.S. Hit By 16 Billion-Dollar Disasters This Year, So Far (NOAA)

Resilience:

Florida Braces for a Storm of Homeowners Insurance Rate Hikes (Bloomberg)

Hospital Resilience-Operational Perspectives from COVID-19 (Dom. Prep)

The unlikely birthplace of the most destructive hurricanes(BBC)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

When Disasters Strike, Nursing Homes Residents Face Considerable Risk (Medical Xpress)

State of the Nation: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey: Report #14: Misinformation and Vaccine Acceptance (HS Digital Library)

Bringing Calm to Chaos: The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) & the Coronavirus Pandemic (Dom. Prep)

U.S. COVID Deaths May Be Underestimated by 36 Percent (HS Newswire)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

Strengthening the Cyber Resilience of North American Energy Systems (HS Digital Library)

Alabama’s Power Grid Reimage After Hurricane Sally Includes Solar (EM / Gov Tech)

Geolocation Data Could Help Planners Design Communities that Require Less Driving (Route Fifty)

Innovations & Interconnections:

Essential Role of Satellites in Disaster and Pandemic Management (ROOM)

How Coronavirus Is Changing Claims, Risks, Work, Habits, Supply Chains and More (Ins Journal) and COVID-19 Business Adjustments Are Changing Fire Safety (EDM Digest)

Can You Pay Your Deductible? Survey Says 78% Can’t Afford to File an Insurance Claim (Bankrate)

Insider a Tech-Driven Rebuilding Shop for Wildfire Victims (LA Times)

Resources

See GAO: Disaster Recovery: COVID-19 Pandemic Intensifies Disaster Recovery Challenges for K-12 Schools GAO-21-62R   Since 2017, more than 260 major disasters were declared—many of which disrupted K-12 schools and students’ lives. Now, these challenges are compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Local education officials in disaster-affected areas said the pandemic exacerbated mental health issues, delayed recovery projects, and more. Officials said student mental health was a top priority but services needed to treat disaster-related issues were not readily available.  The U.S. Department of Education awarded nearly $1.4 billion to help schools recover from these disasters. Some local officials said the pandemic made it difficult to use these funds

Resources to Help You Protect Communities from Wildfire (US Fire Admin) The United States is seeing a very active wildfire season and it shows no signs of slacking off. Responders need all the tools they can to plan response and track incidents in their areas.

• InciWeb is a great interactive mapping resource available from the U.S. Forest Service to show where wildfires are burning in areas close to your location, allowing you to better prepare your community for wildfire safety. It serves as both a trusted reporting tool for public affairs specialists and as a single source of incident-related information for the public. Official announcements include evacuations, road closures, news releases, maps, photographs, and basic information and current situation about the incident. 
• Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) The U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) webpage offers a collection of resources for you to learn more about wildfire response and management, whole-community involvement and training. This includes information on how to do all these things safely during the pandemic as well as links to other community risk reduction resource

Podcasts: Engineering With Nature (US Army Corps of Engineers) To mark the 10^th anniversary of Engineering with Nature, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a 10-episode podcast series to share stories of how communities are harnessing the power of nature to innovate, solve problems, and create sustainable solutions. A new episode is posted each Wednesday through Oct. 28, 2020.

Training: IAEM Certification Cohort Class (IAEM) IAEM is offering U.S. local, state/territory or tribal emergency managers the opportunity to apply to have their IAEM CEM^® fees waived. Eligible candidates will be selected through a random lottery. Follow the hyperlink to check your eligibility and apply.

Maintaining Healthcare Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic (HHS/ASPR) The Technical Resource, Assistance Center, Information Exchange (TRACIE) produced a series of videos to create the collection “Maintaining Healthcare Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” now available through its Speaker Series. Speakers share how their organizations are focusing on healthcare safety during the pandemic and the solutions to system-based issues and concerns. The presentations are for healthcare workers in all settings but focus on hospital-based providers. TRACIE is part of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). ASPR TRACIE maintains a large collection of information related to COVID-19 response, much of which are applicable to pre-hospital response.

Articles

voAll-Hazards:

Hope to Action: Special Children’s Needs Post-Disaster (Dom Prep)

Natural Disasters May Push Global Finances to the Brink (Scientific Am)

Hurricane Irma Caused 400 Senior Deaths in Florida (US News)

Shift Needed From ‘What the Weather Will Be’ To ‘What the Weather Will Do’ (UN News)

Slow Relief, Deep Divide in Hurricane Housing Recovery (Next City)

UN: “Staggering” Rise in Climate Emergencies in last 20 Years (HS Newswire)

Unveiling the Accuracy of Tsunami Predictions (Phys.org)

Bmore Responsive: Home-Grown Emergency Response Coordination (CGN)

Iowa Derecho This August Was Most Costly Thunderstorm Event In Modern U.S. History (NPR)

Resilience:

Is The Risk Of Sea Level Rise Affecting Florida Home Prices? A New Study Says Yes (NPR)

Insuring Public Buildings, Contents, Vehicles, and Equipment Against Disasters (RAND)

Detroit Aims To End Basement Flooding and Cut Water Pollution with Sponge-Like Medians (Det Free Press)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, 2020-2025 (HHS)

HHS Selects Third Pilot Site to Demonstrate Better Approach to Disaster Medical Care (Dom Prep)

Feds Have Cut Anti-COVID Workforce by More Than 60% (Defense One)

FDA Approves Immazeb as First Treatment for Ebola Virus (Homeland Prep News)

FDA Commissioner Maps Out Route to Request COVID-19 Vaccine Approval (Homeland Prep News)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

Boiling Point: Climate Change Is Wreaking Havoc on the Power Grid in Ways You Never Knew (LA Times)

Hydrology Data Tool Helps Manage Water Resources, Protect Infrastructure (HS Newswire)

Sharing with a tip of the hat to both NEMA and Jim Mullen:

Training & Events

Disaster Resilience Framework: Using It in GAO Engagements (GAO Notices) The Climate Change and Emergency Management Communities of Practice invite you to a seminar on the Disaster Resilience Framework.  The seminar will provide an overview of the framework as well as the tools for using it in GAO’s engagements. The framework is organized around three approaches or principles that managers and others who oversee disaster response efforts may find useful in strengthening national disaster resilience.

This has been approved for 2 CPEs for those analysts/auditors whose audit/engagement work will be enhanced by their participation. 

• Wednesday, October 7,  1:00 – 3:00 pm (ET)
• Location: Adobe Acrobat (link is coming soon) | Audiobridge: 866-575-6535; Participant Passcode: 542528.

Webinar: Becoming wildfire ready with Firewise USA®: Tips, Tools and Techniques(NFPA)More and more people are living where wildfires are a real risk, but that risk doesn’t have to go unchecked.  There are proactive steps that individuals and neighbors can take to help protect their homes and communities and improve their safety when faced with a wildfire. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will walk step by step through the process of organizing a Firewise USA site, using our online portal and web resources to help you learn about wildfire and take action to make homes more ignition-resistant.

• Wednesday, Oct 7, 2020 04:00 PM ET

Examining Housing and Shelter Systems in Disasters During COVID-19 (Center for Homeland Defense and Security – CHDS) Sheltering during disasters took a turn this year as jurisdictions need to manage a pandemic on top of whatever may be going on. This requires a reexamination of current disaster housing plans and capacities. This webinar series, held in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, CHDS Alumni Association, International Association of Emergency Managers and National Emergency Management Association

• Friday, October 9, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET

COVID-19 Road to Recovery (R2R) Autumn 2020 (Disaster Recovery Journal) The 2-day global event will focus on how to resume operations and successfully navigate the new landscape for a safe return to work in the new normal of the pandemic.  Additional topics will include leadership lessons and the global challenges we’re facing in the 21st century.

• Wednesday, October 14th 2020 | 11 AM to 3:30 PM ET
• Thursday, October 15TH 2020 | 9 AM to 1 PM ET

Webinar (Part 1:) Climate Displacement & Anti-Displacement Strategies (Nat. Adaptation Forum) Climate Displacement Forum is a 5-part webinar series that will take an interconnected look at climate displacement pressures along with approaches to prevent displacement or adapt by exploring migration, current managed retreat and relocation strategies, equity implications, and policy considerations. Register for the series and attend any or all of the sessions: In order to ensure open access to this information, the series is offered for free. However, we recommend a donation of $20 per webinar or $100 for the series so that the Forum team can offer future webinars and events for the adaptation field.

• Thursday, October 15  2 pm ET

Resources

DISASTER ASSISTANCE: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (GAO-20-503), and two supplemental materials presenting our analysis of FEMA’s IHP applicant data for calendar years 2016 through 2018 and select disasters (GAO-20-674SP and GAO-20-675SP). From 2016 through 2018, 5.6 million people applied for disaster assistance from FEMA, and 4.4 million were referred to the IHP for assistance. We found that FEMA provided roughly $6 billion in IHP financial assistance and about 13,000 temporary housing units to almost 2 million disaster survivors.  On average, FEMA awarded about $4,200 to homeowners and $1,700 to renters during 2016 through 2018.  We found that the amount of assistance provided to applicants and other program outcomes—such as approval rates, most common reasons for denial, and time between key events in the process—varied across different survivor groups.

2020 National Household Survey (FEMA) Since 2007, FEMA has conducted the National Household Survey (NHS) to assess the development of a culture of personal disaster preparedness and resilience in the American public. Specifically, the NHS measures individual preparedness attitudes and behaviors and investigates what factors influence individuals to begin preparing for a future hazard.  To learn more about research at FEMA, please visit: https://www.ready.gov/preparedness-research .

Articles

All-Hazards:

FEMA: Americans Are Becoming Better Prepared (HS Today)

Homes in Flood-Prone Areas Have Billions In Uninsured Damage Exposure (Core Logic)

How Google Forecasts Where and When Flooding May Happen (The Hindu)

Guiding Communities through Alerts and Warnings for COVID-19, Other Emergencies (DHS S&T)

Tackling Flood and Landslide Hazards (HS Newswire) and What You Need to Know About Landslides and Sinkholes (HS Today)

Preparing (Nat. Capital Region) Responders for High-Threat Incidents with One-Stop Information Sharing (HS Today)

Resilience:

Rising Waters Threaten Great Lakes Communities (Pew / Rt. Fifty) and As Atmospheric Carbon Rises, So Do Rivers, Exacerbating Flooding (HS Newswire)

Group Kicks Off Program Bringing Clean Energy to Communities Affected By Natural Disasters (Business Insider)

MR-GO Closure Improving Environment, But More Wetlands, Swamp Restoration Needed: Report (NOLA.com)

How Natural Disasters Impact Impoverished Communities (Borgen Magazine)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

The Biothreat After COVID-19: Engineered Pathogens, More Zoonotic Outbreaks (HS Today)

Building Pandemic Preparedness and Resilience to Confront Future Pandemics (HS Newswire)

NTI Releases Report with Recommendations on Responding To Biological Events (Homeland Prep News)

The U.S. Needs a National Covid-19 Testing Strategy, Not a State-by-state Patchwork (STAT News)

This Overlooked Variable Is the Key to the Pandemic (The Atlantic)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

Energy security The Promise of California Offshore Wind Energy (HS Newswire)

Curbing Earthquakes-Induced Economic Losses to Power Plants (HS Newswire)

Innovations & Interconnections:

Symptoms of a Broken System: the Gender Gaps in COVID-19 Decision-making (BMJ Global Health)

How Should the FDA Regulate Adaptive AI, Software That Designs Itself? (STAT News)

Tracking a Pandemic—Through Words (HS Newswire)

Training & Events

Webinar: Who Pays for Disasters, and Who Recovers Fastest (ABA) Disasters are costly, and even though money spent on mitigation can significantly reduce the money spent on response and recovery, disaster response in the United States seems to focus on the latter, creating a financial strain on the federal government. Many individuals lack adequate insurance, and governments can stand behind immunity laws, leaving a hefty price tag, which begs the question—who ultimately pays for disasters? This program will focus on who pays—and who should pay for natural disasters, as well as look into non-financial elements of recovery. The program will conclude with a preview of the ABA’s published Community Resilience Handbook (listed below).

• Tuesday, September 29, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET

Webinar: Hospital Resilience, Operational Perspectives from COVID-19 (Dom Prep) Notwithstanding 20 years of epidemiological predictions, the worldwide response to COVID-19 appeared to be panic. Not so, say four experts that share their perspectives on the response to COVID-19. Topics include  ▪    Complexity of the supply chain  ▪    Caring for the caregivers    ▪    High-impact threats to critical infrastructure  ▪    A path forward — adopting a sustainable doctrine

• Wed, September 30, 2020  10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT

FEMA Independent Study, Distance Learning (FEMA) The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment.  As our contribution to National Preparedness Month, the Editorial Board would like to suggest the following 2 courses may be of interest to all of us, whether you are in Headquarters or in the Region. Both are eligible for 1 CPE.

To get a complete listing of FEMA independent study courses, view the list of active courses.

Army Installation Resilience – Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Mission Readiness (SSF) Secure and reliable access to energy and water on Army installations is essential to its ability to deploy, fight, and win in a complex world. Current multi-domain operations require Army installations to have secure and reliable access to energy and water to achieve mission objectives. The Army installation objectives of maintaining world class training facilities, the ability to project power or surge the industrial base, and command and control are not achievable without secure and resilient access to energy and water. However, with rare exception, installations rely on commercial utilities outside the gate for energy and water. This webinar is hosted by Security and Sustainability Forum and you can register here.

• Friday, October 2, 2020 1:15 am ET

Resources

Governance Preparedness: Initial Lessons From COVID-19 Initial Lessons From COVID-19 (Dom Prep) In a new report commissioned by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, Georgetown University global health experts say the success of any effort to redress pandemic preparedness failures demonstrated by COVID-19 requires a re-centering of governance that would include greater accountability, transparency, equity, participation, and the rule of law.

New IPAWS Program Planning Toolkit  (FEMA) The new Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Program Planning Toolkit will help new and existing state, local, tribal and territorial alerting authorities create and support an effective program for alerts, warnings and notifications, a cornerstone of good emergency and disaster response.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) worked to identify gaps in existing IPAWS messaging. The resulting toolkit consists of three documents: the IPAWS Lab Fact Sheet, IPAWS Frequently Asked Questions, and the IPAWS Train the Trainer Guide.

Community Resilience Handbook (ABA)  This comprehensive guide draws together the contributions of acknowledged experts from the legal community and from across the spectrum of professional disciplines, including architecture, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, engineering, social science, insurance, finance, and economics, building sciences, and facility management to demonstrate that improved community resilience is practical, achievable and in the best interests of Attorneys, their clients.

Articles

All-Hazards:

For the First Time in Weeks, the Tropics Are Calm; Hurricane Center Not Tracking Any Storms (NOLA.com)

DHS Public Action Plan to Implement Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence /CTTV Framework (Dom Prep)

NOAA is Changing the Way It Talks about Hurricanes (Pop Sci)

Insights Into Behavior During Chimney Tops 2 Fire Could Improve Evacuation Planning (NIST)

Abundant Off-Fault Seismicity and Orthogonal Structures in the San Jacinto Fault Zone (AAAS)

8 of the Most Destructive Storms in Houston’s History (2Houston.com)

Resilience:

As Wildfires, Flooding, and Hurricanes Grow More Frequent, Climate Migration Begins (Yale Climate Connections)

Can Technology Predict Wildfires? New Systems Attempt To Better Forecast Their Spread (LA Times)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:  

More Than 1,000 Californians May Have Died from Wildfire Smoke (EM / Gov Tech) 

Janssen Seeks Up To 60,000 Adult Volunteers For Phase Three COVID-19 Vaccine Trial (Homeland Prep News)

Nearly Two-Thirds of World’s Population Stand to Benefit from COVAX Facility Commitments (Homeland Prep News)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:  

The Weakest Link of Global Supply Chains (HS Newswire)

Innovations & Interconnections:

There’s a New Weapon Against COVID-19. And It’s Dogs (Fast Co.) 

Predicting Coronavirus Outbreaks Using Google Searches for Gastrointestinal Problems (Pew- Rt. Fifty)

During Busy Wildfire Season (and Pandemic), S&T Focus on Sensors (DHS S&T)

Essay: Homes are Flooding Outside FEMA’s 100-Year Flood Zones, And Racial Inequality Is Showing Through (Houston Chronicle)

Training & Events

The National Press Club Panel Discussion –The National Press Club holds a virtual discussion  on “the state of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing threats caused by climate change.”  Information on the webcast is available at https://www.press.org/events/headliners/npc-virtual-newsmaker-dr-jane-goodall  Contact: Lindsay Underwood at 202-662-7561 lunderwood@press.org

Congressional Hearing: Climate Change, Part IV: Moving Toward a Sustainable Future — House Oversight and Reform / Subcommittee on Environment, “Climate Change, Part 4” Environment Subcommittee (Chairman Harley Rouda, D-Calif.) 2154 Rayburn Bldg.

• Thursday, Sept. 24, 2 p.m.

Webinar:  Ready, Set… Activate! Advanced Risk Analytics for Wildfire & Flood in the U.S. (Carrier Mgt.) The past several years have seen increasingly severe flooding and wildfires in the US – and it’s forced the industry to rethink their approach to managing these disasters. RMS– a leading risk modeler for the insurance industry — will explore how new data and advanced risk analytics can help you to understand how to actively manage your exposure to this new (ab)normal. Whether you’re looking for profitable (re)insurance opportunities or you’re interested in understanding just how interconnected these risks are to the rest of your portfolio, join this webinar to understand how you can actively prepare for the seasons ahead.

• Wed. Sept. 30, at 10 am PDT, 1pm EDT

Resources

Case Study – Hurricane Dorian (Mutualink) Hurricane Dorian was the fourth named storm of the 2019 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. As Dorian threatened Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas on its trajectory toward Florida, emergency managers swung into action. For many, a focus on communications and technology readiness was top of mind.

Countering False Information On Social Media In Disasters   (DHS) The internet is often a hotbed of false and inaccurate information. Agencies and organizations responsible for keeping the public safe have their work cut out for them when battling false information and, unfortunately, the problem has gotten more complex as new technologies, social media platforms and agendas emerge. The Department of Homeland Security’s Social Media Working Group for Emergency Services and Disaster Management white paper “Countering False Information on Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies” can help agencies with this issue. The white paper examines what motivates people to share bad or false information and discusses underlying issues causing false information. It looks at several real-world case studies to provide agencies several best practices to counter misinformation, rumors and false information.

Articles

All-Hazards:

Hurricane Sally’s Major Flooding Exposes Flaws in FEMA Maps (Sci. American)

IPAWS Program Planning Toolkit New Resources (Mutualink Em Mgt News)

California May Need More Fire to Fix its Wildfire Problem (Pew: Stateline)

New Guidebooks Help Urban Communities Install Low-Cost Sensors to Reduce Flood Risks (DHS S&T)

Insurance Markets Face Challenges in Higher Fire-Risk Areas  (HS Newswire)

How States Can Manage the Challenges of Paying for Natural Disasters (Pew) 

Resilience:

Does Experiencing Wildfires Create Political Consensus on Resilience Measures? (HS Newswire)

Public Health / Biosurveillance:

Evaluating Your Department’s COVID-19 Response (OH&S)

Federal Public Health Leaders Relay Timeline For U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan  (Homeland Prep News)

Michigan Residents Urged to Stay Indoors to Avoid Deadly Mosquito-Borne Illness  (Pew: Rt. Fifty)

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber:

What the Wildfires Tell Us about the Shortcomings of California’s Electric Grid (HS Newswire)

Innovations & Interconnections:

Close Encounters: How Near Misses Influence Disaster Decision Making (Nat. Hazards Ctr)

What Is a Tipping Point, and Why Should I Care? (HS Newswire)