Fact Sheets| Maps | Government Agencies | Research, Data and Tools | Current Legislation

Hazards Caucus Alliance Fact Sheets

Drought (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file; 187 KB)
Earthquakes (2011) (Adobe Acrbat 9 PDF file; 322 KB)
Floods (2011) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file)
Flood Map Modernization (2002) (Adobe Acrobat  4.0 PDF file; 340 KB)
Heat Wave (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file)
Hurricanes (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file; 202 KB)
Landslides (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file)
Levees (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file)
Tornadoes (2011) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file; 183 KB)
Tsunamis (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file)
Volcanoes (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 6.0 PDF file)
Wildfires (2009) (Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF file; 160 KB)
Winter Storms (2009) (Adobe Acrobat  9 PDF file; 550 KB)

Maps

Presidential Disaster Declarations in the United States

Map of Presidential Disaster Declarations of all types 1964-2006

Map of Presidential Disaster Declarations of all types 1965-1998

FEMA map of Wildland Fire Declarations 1964-2003

Other Maps Showing Current Risks or Potential Risks in the United States and Around the Globe

The USGS Natural Hazards Support System - enables users to monitor and analyze natural hazards events as they are occurring using a web-based, integrated geospatial viewer that layers near real-time data from stream gauges, wind stations, seismic equipment, and more.

The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program - shows earthquakes which have been located by the USGS and contributing agencies within the past 7 days around the world with details about the location, magnitude and type of earthquake.

NOAA Ocean Race Adventure Website - provides current and forecast wind vector and water level conditions for sailors participating in an around-the-world sailing race, plus information on natural hazards occurring in the oceans and on land in near real-time.

NASA Earth Observatory Natural Hazards Data - shows up-to-date analysis of natural hazards currently visible from space anywhere in the world, using detailed descriptions of satellite imagery and a seamless web-based navigation system.

Humanitarian Early Warning Service - A Global Multi-Hazard Watch Service to Support Humanitarian Preparedness

U.S Drought Monitor - National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska in cooperation with NOAA, USGS and the USDA, shows current drought conditions and near-term forecasts.

National Weather Center West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports the most recent tsunami events and warnings in the Pacific and the Americas on this map.

Munich Re Global Risks Map - A world map of natural hazards.

Risk Management Solutions Catastrophe Maps - includes maps of risks in the United States, Floods in Europe, risks in Japan, natuaral hazards in Latin America and global terrorism threats.

Research, Data and Tools

All Hazards

International Disaster Database - the World Health Organization's Emergency Disasters Database

Center for Hazards and Risk Research - Columbia University

Disaster Research Center - the University of Delaware

Natural Hazards Center - the University of Colorado, Boulder, information, resources, policy recommendations.

Disasters Recovery Resources - the Public Entity Risk Institute, information and resources related to community recovery from major disasters.

Geo Risks - Munich Reinsurance Group, information about different geo risks and risks research. Munich Re has been researching geoscientific phenomena, their risks and their loss potentials, since 1974.

Risk Management Solutions - information about risks associated with natural hazards, terrorism, infectious diseases and weather.

FEMA Federal Disaster Declarations List

Disaster Roundtable - the National Academies

Billion Dollar Weather Disasters in the United States from 1980 to 2005 - NOAA's National Climatic Data Center

U.S. Vulnerability to Natural Disasters poster - the Intergrated Risk Information System (Adobe Acrobat 5.0 PDF file; 3.3 MB) (also available at 1 MB JPEG image)

Collection of Visualizations on Geoscience Topics - links to computer models, video footage, images and maps of hazards compiled by On the Cutting Edge: Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty, a project by the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College (2005).

Calendar of Natural Disaster "Seasons" - from American Red Cross, UCAR, and USAA (Powerpoint 97 document; 26 KB) (2000)

Emergency Management: The American Experience, 1900-2005, covers more than a century of catastrophic events including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, droughts, a pandemic, and an explosion. Discusses policy and administrative changes that have been implemented over the past century and provides historical context for the changes. Edited by Claire B. Rubin and published by the Public Entity Risk Institute (June 2007).

Regional Disaster Resilience: A Guide for Developing an Action Plan, provides a much-needed strategy to develop the level of
preparedness necessary for communities to adequately deal with major disasters in today’s complex and interdependent
world. Prepared by the The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) in association with the American Society of Civil Engineers (2006)

Workshop on Climate Change and Disaster Losses: Understanding and Attributing Trends and Projections
Final Workshop Report, 2006, University of Colorado Center for Science and Technology Policy Research and sponsored by Munich Reinsurance (2006)

American Hazardscapes: The Regionalization of Hazards and Disasters, edited by Susan L. Cutter (2001)

Biological Hazards

Invasive Forest Pests, Government Accountability Office report on "Lessons Learned from Three Recent Infestations May Aid in Managing Future Efforts" (5.7 MB PDF file) (April 2006)

Biological Attack: Human Pathogens, Biotoxins, and Agricultural Threats, "News and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis" project fact sheet on biological terrorist attacks by the National Academies and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (162 KB PDF file) (2004)

Chemical Hazards

Chemical Attack: Warfare Agents, Industrial Chemicals and Toxins, "News and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis" project fact sheet on chemical terrorist attacks by the National Academies and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (92 KB PDF file) (2004)

Climate

Sea-Level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, and Future, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, National Research Council (June 2012)

Disaster Risk Management in an Age of Climate Change: A Summary of the April 3, 2008 Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable, from the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2009)

Workshop on Climate Change and Disaster Losses: Understanding and Attributing Trends and Projections
Final Workshop Report, 2006, University of Colorado Center for Science and Technology Policy Research and sponsored by Munich Reinsurance (2006)

Communicating Uncertainties in Weather and Climate Information: A Workshop Summary, the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (2003)

Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services, the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (2003)

Drought

National Drought Mitigation Center - the University of Nebraska, Lincoln Web Site

National Water Monitor - tracks water conditions in the United States in cooperation with the National Drought Center, NOAA, USGS and the USDA.

NOAA Drought Information

NOAA Climate Prediction Center

U.S. Department of Agriculture Drought Assistance

Managing Drought: A Roadmap for Change in the United States, conference proceedings, fact sheet and press releases about science and water policy solutions to managing drought, Geological Society of America (July 2007).

Earthquakes

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program - U.S. Geological Survey real-time information on earthquakes around the world and resources for learning about, preparing for and monitoring earthquakes

USGS ShakeMaps - ShakeMap sites provide near-real-time maps of ground motion and shaking intensity following significant earthquakes

Global Earthquake Model - a public-private partnership for developing and deploying open global databases, methdologies, tools and open-source software for earthquake risk assessment worldwide.

Seismic Rehabilitation Cost Estimator - a new on-line program from FEMA for calculating cost estimates for the seismic rehabilitation of buildings (February 2007)

The Next Great Quake Video - available from the 100th Anniversary 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Conference website (April 2006)

Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, National Research Council (2012)

National Earthquake Resilience: Research, Implementation, and Outreach, from the National Research Council (August 2011)

Grand Challenges in Earthquake Engineering Research: A Community Workshop Report, from the National Research Council (August 2011)

Roundtable Workshop: Using Lessons from Haiti and Chile to Reduce Global Risk, from the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies. (Webcast, PDFs, and summary) (March 2011)

Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research, from Congressional Research Service (1.17 MB PDF). An assessment of earthquake research, hazards, monitoring, detection, and warning systems in the U.S. and an overview of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) (February 2011)

NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Presents new knowledge, innovative concepts, and design methods to improve the national seismic standards and codes (January 2010)

The ShakeOut Scenario, by the U.S. Geological Survey. A hypothetical scenario describing how a 7.8 magnitude Southern California earthquake would affect the region (2008)

Earthquake Risk Reduction: Addressing the Unmet Challenges -- The Need for an Interdisciplinary Research Approach, by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (2.3 MB PDF) (January 2008)

Techniques for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings, by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Describes common seismic rehabilitation techniques used for buildings represented in the set of standard building types in FEMA seismic publications (February 2007)

Improved Seismic Monitoring - Improved Decision-Making: Assessing the Value of Reduced Uncertainty, from the National Academy of Science Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (2005)

Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country, Your Handbook for the San Francisco Bay Region, General Information Product 15 from the United States Geological Survey (2005)

Emergency Preparedness

Disaster Recovery: Selected Themes for Effective Long-Term Recovery, Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Committees (June 2012)

Emergency Preparedness for the Disabled - The Center for Disease Control's guide to disabled citizens who need extra attention during natural hazards.

Roundtable Workshop 23: Making the World Safer from Disasters: The U.S. Role, summary of a workshop of the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2008)

Coast Guard: Observations on the Preparation, Response and Recovery Missions Related to Hurricane Katrina, Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Committees (2.27 PDF file) (July 2006)

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Coordination between FEMA and the Red Cross Should be Improved (595 KB PDF file) (June 2006)

Facing Hazards and Disasters: Understanding Human Dimensions, Committee on Disaster Research in the Social Sciences: Future Challenges and Opportunities, National Research Council (June 2006)

Community Disaster Resilience, a summary of a workshop of the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (March 2006)

Guide for an Action Plan to Develop Regional Disaster Resilience, The Infrastructure Security Partnership (1.20 MB PDF File) (February 2006)

Emergency Preparedness and Response: Some Issues and Challenges Associated with Major Emergency Incidents (151 KB PDF file) (February 2006)

Creating a Disaster Resilient America: Grand Challenges in Science and Technology: Summary of a Workshop, from the Disasters Roundtable (2005)

Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction, National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (403 KB PDF file) (June 2005)

Lifelines, report on protecting America's critical lifeline infrastructure from the American Lifeline Alliance (390 KB PDF) (2005)

Public Health Risks of Disasters: Communication, Infrastructure, and Preparedness -- Workshop Summary, from the Board on Health Sciences Policy (HSP) and the Disasters Roundtable (2005)

FEMA Design Guide for School Safety Against Earthquakes, Floods, and High Winds (16.9 MB PDF file) (January 2004)

NSTC Statement in Support of International Day for Disaster Reduction, National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (114 KB PDF) (October 2004)

Hazards Watch: Reducing the Impacts of Disasters Through Improved Earth Observations -- Summary of a Workshop, October 22, 2003, Washington, DC from the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2004)

Talking About Disaster: A Guide for Standard Messages, National Disaster Education Coalition compilation of historical and scientific information from more than 450 professionals, scientists, and researchers to assist providers of disaster safety information for the general public (3.1 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file) (2004)

Reducing Disaster Vulnerability Through Science and Technology, report released by the National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (880 KB PDF file) (July 2003)

Alerting America: Effective Risk Communication - Summary of a Forum, October 31, 2002 from the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2003)

A National Priority: Building Resilience to Natural Hazards, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) (transition document prepared for the new administration) (1.74 MB PDF) (2001)

Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States, from the National Academies (2001)

Living With Earth's Extremes, report released by the National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (2.5 MB PDF file) (September 2001)

Effective Disaster Warnings, report released by the National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (324 KB PDF file) (November 2000)

Floods

Flood Visualizations - collection of links to computer models, video footage, images and maps of floods compiled by Teaching Geoscience Through Visualizations, Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College (2005)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Flood Site - frequently asked questions about preparing for major flooding events

Citizens Corps: Community Preparedness Webinars for Flood Awareness - A webinar dedicated to informing participating Citizen Corps members of flooding preparedness and response procedures for their individual communities.

National Flood Risk Policy Symposium - website for a December 2006 meeting that includes a series of documents on safety, planning, communications and other aspects of flood mitigation. Also includes documents related to Hurricane Katrina. Symposium was coordinated with the US Army Corp of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA).

Dam and Levee Safety and Community Resilience: A Vision for Future Practice, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, National Research Council (2012)

Double Trouble: More Midwestern Extreme Storms, from the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and the Natural Resources Defense Council (2012)

Flash Flood Forecasting Over Complex Terrain: With an Assessment of the Sulphur Mountain NEXRAD in Southern California, from the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (2005)

Tropical Cyclone Flooding: A Deadly Inland Danger, from the National Weather Service (529 KB PDF file) (2005)

Floods: The Awesome Power, from the National Weather Service (3.1 MB PDF file) (2004)

Risk Analysis and Uncertainty in Flood Damage Reduction Studies, from the Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources (2000)

Hurricanes

Community Hurricane Preparedness and Hurricane Strike!- two computer-based training courses from Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) available at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research web site. The first module provides emergency managers and policy makers with information about hurricane prediction and hazards plus a decision-making exercise in which you, as the emergency manager, must decide when and if to call for an evacuation as a hurricane moves toward your city. The second module provides similar educational tools for middle school children.

Hurricane Visualizations - collection of links to computer models, video footage, images and maps of hurricanes compiled by Teaching Geoscience Through Visualizations, Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College (2005)

Environmental Protection Agency General Hurricane Information - a thorough compilation centered on educating residents on preparing, responding, and recovering from hurricanes.

Atlantic Hurricane Tracking Chart, from the American Red Cross (1.7 MB PDF file, 1995)

Hurricane Ike Impact Report - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) report on the impact of the hurricane on communities. Intended to be a living document and to spur more effective collaboration. (PDF file, January 2009)

Disaster Recovery: FEMA's Public Assistance Program Experiences Challenges with Gulf Coast Rebuilding - Government Accountability Office report (PDF file, December 2008).

Disaster Recovery: Past Experiences Offer Insights for Recovering from Hurricanes Ike and Gustave and Other Recent Natural Disasters - Government Accountability Office report (PDF file, September 2008).

National Flood Risk Policy Symposium - website for a December 2006 meeting that includes a series of documents on safety, planning, communications and other aspects of flood mitigation. Also includes documents related to Hurricane Katrina. Symposium was coordinated with the US Army Corp of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

HURRICANE KATRINA: ONE YEAR LATER What Must We Do Next? - a 13-page statement by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Hurricane Katrina External Review Panel- American Society of Civil Engineers (PDF 1.5MB) (2006)

Performance Evaluation of the New Orleans and Southeast Lousiana Hurricane Protection System - the draft Final Report of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Taskforce (IPET) is now available in the following folder: Post-Katrina/(IPET) Interagency Performance Evaluation Taskforce/Reports/IPET Draft Final Report. The report is provided in nine volumes. The Army Corp of Engineers (June 2006)

Performance of Physical Structures in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita: A Reconnaissance Report (NIST TN 1476) - prepared by the National Institute for Standards and Technology's (NIST) Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL). (7.5MB PDF file) (June 2006)

The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Louisiana: America's Coasts Under Siege - white paper prepared by The Geological Society of America and the University of New Orleans (43.8 KB PDF file) (February 2006)

A New Framework for Planning the Future of Coastal Louisiana after the Hurricanes of 2005 - Working Group for Post-Hurricane Planning for the Louisiana Coast (1.8 MB PDF file) (January 2006)

Hurricane Warning: The Critical Need for a National Hurricane Research Initiative - a draft report issued by the National Science Board on the nation's research priorities for preventing hurricane damage and supporting legislative action entitled a National Hurricane Research Initiative to fund hurricane research and prevention and mitigation efforts. The draft is available for public comment. (291 KB PDF file) (2006)

Hurricanes and the U.S. Gulf Coast: Science and Sustainable Rebuilding - White paper prepared by the American Geophysical Union (152 KB PDF file or HTML version) (2006)

Hurricane Prepardness Kit - prepared by the International Code Council (5.5 MB PDF file) (2005)

Landslides and Avalanches

USGS Landslide Hazards Program - the U.S. Geological Survey program with information on landslide research and monitoring, educational resources and state and local emergency contacts

FEMA Landslide and Debris Flow - the Federal Emergency Management Agency site on actions to take before, during and after landslides

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Avalanche Overview - an overview of avalanches, how to avoid getting caught in one, and what steps to take in an avalanche should happen around you.

State of Colorado Avalanche Preparedness Guide - Colorado leads the nation in percentage of avalanche fatalities.

Partnerships for Reducing Landslide Risk: Assessment of the National Landslide Hazards Mitigation Strategy - from the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (2004)

Landslide Hazards and Planning: Integrating Hazards Mitigation and Environmental Planning - by Sanjay Jeer, American Planning Association (1.8 MB PDF) (2003)

Preliminary Assessment of Landslide-Iinduced Wave Hazards: Tidal Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska - by GF Wieczorek, M Jakob, RJ Motyka, SL Zirnheld, and P Craw, USGS (2003)

Preliminary Evalution of Precipitation Threshold for Anticipating the Occurance of Landslides in the Seattle, Washington Area - by Alan F. Chleborad, USGS (2003)

Assessment of Proposed Partnerships to Implement a National Landslide Hazards Mitigation Strategy: Interim Report - from the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (2002)

A Fortran Program for Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-Based Regional Slope-Stability Analysis - by Rex L. Baum, William Z. Savage, and Jonathan W. Godt, USGS (2002)

Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of Landslides in the Western Hemisphere - by RL Schuster and LM Highland, USGS (2001)

Nuclear Hazards

MIT Nuclear Information Hub – the Nuclear Information Hub is a blog written by students in Nuclear Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with posts on nuclear energy written for the general public 

DOE Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program – U.S. Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program (OCRWM) key documents on the project to develop a repository for high level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain

Nuclear Attack - "News and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis" project fact sheet on nuclear terrorist attacks by the National Academies and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (112 KB PDF file) (2004)

Radiological Attack: Dirty Bombs and Other Devices - "News and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis" project fact sheet on radiological terrorist attacks by the National Academies and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (94 KB PDF file) (2004)

Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes - from the National Academies Division of Earth and Life Studies and the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (2006) 

Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage: Public Report - from the National Academies Division of Earth and Life Studies and the Board on Radioactive Waste Management (2006)

Radiological Hazards

EPA Radiation Protection – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site with basic information on radiation and its health effects, sources of radiation, ways to prevent exposure, and on EPA emergency preparedness and response, waste management and clean up programs.

NRC Radiation Protection – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) information on radiation sources and uses, tools to calculate exposure, and ways to avoid contamination.

Radiological Assistance Program – The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) is the country’s premier first-response team following a radiological incident.

Radiation Source Use and Replacement: Abbreviated Version, the National Academies Division on Earth and Life Studies and the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (2008)

Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation: BEIR VII Phase 2, the National Academies Division on Earth and Life Studies and the Board on Radiation Effects Research (BRER) (2006)

Review of the Worker and Public Health Activities Program Administered by the Department of Energy and the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Academies Division on Earth and Life Studies, the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology and the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (2006)

Severe Weather

Training modules on weather-related hazards - from fire weather to aviation weather to space weather. Provided in four languages by COMET (Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training), at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Look under "topics." (2006)

National Weather Service Forecast Office Safety Guide to Winter Storms and Blizzards - A basic necessities guide to protect families during harsh winter weather and blizzards.

State of Washington Guide to Winter Storm Preparedness - A handbook offering suggestions to prepare and safely survive winter storms and blizzards.

Weather Forecasting: National Weather Service Is Planning to Improve Service and Gain Efficiency, but Impacts of Potential Changes Are Not Yet Known (6.43 MB PDF file) (July 2006)

Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites: Cost Increases Trigger Review and Place Program's Direction on Hold (450 KB PDF file) (March 2006)

Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites: Technical Problems, Cost Increases, and Schedule Delays Trigger Need for Difficult Trade-off Decisions (649 MB PDF file) (November 2005)

Nature's Most Violent Storms - fact sheet and preparedness guide from the National Weather Service and the Red Cross (1.8 MB PDF file)

Tropical Cyclone Flooding: A Deadly Inland Danger - from the National Weather Service, Red Cross and FEMA (529 KB PDF file) (2005)

Where the Weather Meets the Road: A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services, the Transportation Research Board and the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (2004)

Communicating Uncertainties in Weather and Climate Information: A Workshop Summary, the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (2003)

Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services, the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (2003)

Winter Storms: The Deceptive Killers - from the National Weather Service and the American Red Cross (2.14 MB) (2001)

Sinkholes

USGS Groundwater Information: Land Subsidence - the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) overviews land subsidence issues, including sinkholes

Insurance Study of Sinkholes - Florida Insurance Council at the request of the State of Florida (PDF available for download) (2005)

Living with Karst, A Fragile Foundation - published by the American Geological Institute (PDF available for download) (2001)

Tornadoes

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center - information on tornado watches and warnings

FEMA's Advice on Tornadoes - information on how to prepare for tornadoes and what to do if a tornado comes through your area

NOAA's Tornadoes and Thunderstorms Page - summary of research, forecasting, storm data and educational resources about tornadoes and thunderstomrs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA's Severe Storm Laboratory - conducts advanced atmospheric research on tornadoes and other severe weather events

Tornado Alley - an educational film shot in IMAX that stars the Discovery Channel's Sean Casey and features the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's VORTEX2 project

NSSL's VORTEX2 Page - website for the largest tornado research project in history to study the formation of tornadoes

Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes in the United States - a 2010 Congressional Research Service report that includes policy recommendations to mitigate damages, injuries, and fatalities.

Windstorm Impact Reduction Implementation Plan, National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (PDF file) (2006)

Tsunamis

Tsunamis: An Interactive Guide That Could Save Your Life - a flashy, fact-filled offering from the researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to teach everything about tsunamis from how they’re studied to how to survive one. Interactive maps, firsthand accounts from survivors, and tsunami videos and computer generated simulations provides interesting, insight and useful information on tsunamis.

Living on Shaky Ground: How to Survive Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Northern California - Humboldt State University site provides information on preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis and an extensive list of links and web sites related to tsunami research, mitigation, preparedness, education and policy.

National Weather Service: TsunamiReady - program website includes brochures, presentations, safety advice and applications on how coastal communities can become TsunamiReady through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA: Tsunami - a comprehensive website on tsunamis prepared by NOAA, the nation's leading agency on tsunami observations and research

Alaska and West Coast Tsunami Warning Center - NOAA's National Weather Service warning center for tsunami warnings along the coastlines of Alaska, continental U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Canada.

Pacific Warning Center - NOAA's National Weather Service warning center for tsunami warnings along the coastlines of Hawaii, Pacific Ocean islands and other coastal nations (except Canada).

NOAA Center for Tsunami Research - the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory conducts research on tsunamis and provides information about their latest advances.

FEMA Tsunami Web page - information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on tsunamis and preparedness.

USGS Tsunami Web page - information from the U.S. Geological Survey on tsunami and earthquake research.

Tsunami Warning and Preparedness: An Assessment of the U.S. Tsunami Program and the Nation's Preparedness Efforts, by the National Academies Division on Earth and Life Studies and Ocean Studies Board. (2011)

Vertical Evacuation from Tsunamis: A Guide for Community Officials, by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Examines how communities can plan, fund, construct, operate, and maintain vertical evacuation refuges. (June 2009)

Tsunami Detections and Warnings for the United States , by Wayne A. Morrissey, Congressional Research Service, (429.97 KB PDF) (2008)

Tsunami, The Great Waves - an educational brochure prepared by NOAA, UNESCO/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, International Tsunami Information Center, and the Laboratoire de Geophysique, France (2008)

USGS Tsunami Sources Workshop 2006 - program overview and abstracts of topics from the U.S. Geological Survey workshop on tsunami sources (2006)

The Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster: Implications for U.S. and Global Disaster Reduction and Preparedness, summary of the June 21, 2005 Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2006)

Preliminary Assessment of Landslide-Induced Wave Hazards: Tidal Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, by GF Wieczorek, M Jakob, RJ Motyka, SL Zirnheld, and P Craw, USGS (2003)

Volcanoes

Global Volcanism Program: Worldwide Holocene Volcano and Eruption Information - Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program web site reports current eruptions around the world and builds databases and archival resources for Earth's active volcanoes and their eruptions.

USGS Volcano Hazards Program - U.S. Geological Survey web site with real-time information and monitoring and education resources

Recent, Online, Volcano-Related Reports and Maps - A complete list of volcano-related publications available online, compiled by the USGS

Preparing for Volcano Emergencies - A USGS guide to increase public awareness and help people prepare for volcanic eruptions.

An Assessment of Volcanic Threat and Monitoring Capabilities in the United States: Framework for a National Volcano Early Warning System, USGS report on implementing a fully integrated National Volcano Early Warning System, or NVEWS (2.8 MB PDF file available as HTML) (2005)

Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program, from the National Academies Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources (2000)

Wildfires

Federal Emergency Management Agency Wildfire Website - information about how to protect your home from wildfires

Rocky Mountain Center - website by Ned Nicolav with information from Rocky Mountain Reasearch Station, Forest Service and the Deparment of Agriculture including maps, interactive applications for fire prediction and prescribed burns and links to other fire resources

Firewise Communities - program website for the multi-agency effort to protect people, property, and natural resources from the risk of wildland fire.

National Fire Plan - website on the cooperative, long-term effort among various governmental agency partners including the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior.

Wildland Fire Research - the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) (2003)

Center for Disease Control Wildfire Site - information about how to protect yourself from wildfires and first aid information in the event of an accident.

Wildfire Visualizations - collection of links to computer models, video footage, images and maps of floods compiled by Teaching Geoscience Through Visualizations, Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College (2005)

Wildfire Preparedness Checklist, Texas A&M, a comprehensive wildfire checklist to apply within and around a house (PDF file)

Wildland Fire Rehabilitation and Restoration: Forest Service and BLM Could Benefit from Improved Information on Status of Needed Work, Government Accountability Office (1.47 MB PDF file) (June 2006)

Wildland Fire Suppression: Better Guidance Needed to Clarify Sharing of Costs between Federal and Nonfederal Entities, Government Accountability Office (441 KB PDF file) (June 2006)

Wildland Fire Suppression: Lack of Clear Guidance Raises Concerns about Cost Sharing between Federal and Nonfederal Entities, Government Accountability Office (1.10 MB PDF file) (May 2006)

Compilation of Post Wildfire Runoff-Event Data from the Western United States, by Joseph E. Gartner, Erica R. Bigio and Susan H. Cannon, USGS (2004)

To Burn or Not to Burn: Summary of the Forum on Urban/Wildland Fire, January 26, 2001, Washington, DC from the National Research Council (2001)

National Academies

Disaster Roundtable of the National Academies

Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative, Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy, National Research Council (2012)

Crisis Standards of Care: A Systems Framework for Catastrophic Disaster Response, Board on Health Sciences Policy, National Research Council (2012)

Sea-Level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, and Future, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, National Research Council (2012)

Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, National Research Council (2012)

Dam and Levee Safety and Community Resilience: A Vision for Future Practice, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, National Research Council (2012)

Barriers to Integrating Crisis Standards of Care Principles into International Disaster Response Plans: Workshop Summary, Board of Health Science Policy, National Acedemy of Science's Institute of Medicine (2012)

Building Community Disaster Resilience Through Private-Public Collaboration, Geographical Science Committee, National Research Council (2011)

Increasing National Resilience to Hazards and Disasters: The Perspective from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi: Summary of a Workshop, National Research Council (2011)

How Communities Can Use Risk-Assessment Results: Making Ends Meet: Summary of the June 3, 2010, Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable, from the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2011)

Disaster Risk Management in an Age of Climate Change: A Summary of the April 3, 2008 Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable, from the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2009)

Roundtable Workshop 23: Making the World Safer from Disasters: The U.S. Role, summary of a workshop of the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2008)

Improved Seismic Monitoring - Improved Decision-Making: Assessing the Value of Reduced Uncertainty, from the National Academy of Science Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (2005)

Creating a Disaster Resilient America: Grand Challenges in Science and Technology: Summary of a Workshop, October 28, 2004 forum, Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2005)

Public Health Risks of Disasters: Communication, Infrastructure, and Preparedness -- Workshop Summary, from the Board on Health Sciences Policy (HSP) and the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2005)

Hazards Watch: Reducing the Impacts of Disasters Through Improved Earth Observations -- Summary of a Workshop, October 22, 2003 forum, Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies (2004)

Partnerships for Reducing Landslide Risk: Assessment of the National Landslide Hazards Mitigation Strategy, from the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (2004)

Where the Weather Meets the Road: A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services, from the Transportation Research Board and the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (2004)

Alerting America: Effective Risk Communication - Summary of a Forum, October 31, 2002 from the Natural Disasters Roundtable (2003)

Communicating Uncertainties in Weather and Climate Information: A Workshop Summary, from the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (2003)

Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services, from the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (2003)

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program at Twenty-Five Years: Accomplishments and Challenges -- Summary of a Workshop, February 20, 2003, Washington, DC from the Natural Disasters Roundtable (2003)

Assessment of Proposed Partnerships to Implement a National Landslide Hazards Mitigation Strategy: Interim Report, from the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (2002)

American Hazardscapes: The Regionalization of Hazards and Disasters, edited by Susan L. Cutter (2001)

Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States, from the National Academies Press (2001)

To Burn or Not to Burn: Summary of the Forum on Urban/Wildland Fire, January 26, 2001, Washington, DC from the National Research Council (2001)

Risk Analysis and Uncertainty in Flood Damage Reduction Studies, from the Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources (2000)

National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction

Windstorm Impact Reduction Implementation Plan, National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (PDF file) (2006)

Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction, National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (403 KB PDF file) (June 2005)

NSTC Statement in Support of International Day for Disaster Reduction, National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (114 KB PDF file) (2004)

Reducing Disaster Vulnerability Through Science and Technology, report released by the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (880 KB PDF file) (July 2003)

Living With Earth's Extremes, report released by the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (2.5 MB PDF file) (September 2001)

Effective Disaster Warnings, report released by the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (324 KB PDF file) (November 2000)

Multihazard Mitigation Council of the National Institutes for Building Safety

Natural Hazards Mitigation Saves: An Independent Study to Assess the Future Savings from Mitigation Activities
Volume 1: Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations (Executive summary available as html or 249 KB PDF file)
Volume 2: Study Documentation (multiple chapters that can be downloaded as separate pdf files)

Contributed by Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Katie Ackerly, Wilson Bonner and Linda Rowan, AGI Geoscience Policy Staff; Peter Douglas, 2005 AGI/AAPG Fall Intern; Jenny Fisher, 2006 AGI/AAPG Spring Intern; Jessica Rowland, 2006 AGI/AIPG Summer Intern; Carrie Donnelly, 2006 AGI/AIPG Summer Intern; Rachel Bleshman, 2006 AGI/AAPG Fall Intern; Erin Gleeson, 2007 AGI/AAPG Spring Intern; and Dana Thomas, 2011 AGI/AAPG Spring Intern.

Posted: June 11, 2000; Last updated May 17, 2012

Please send any comments or questions about this web site to Linda Rowan.