Disasters

"Communities at Risk, But Coal Ash Sites Secret"

"Dozens of communities nationwide are at risk from a coal ash spill like the one that blanketed a Tennessee neighborhood last year, but the Obama administration has decided not to tell the public about it because of the danger of a terrorist attack."

Disasters

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: AP, 06/15/2009

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Troubling Predictions Come True For Reporter And Friends

By KATINA GAUDET

"We have a different fear of hurricanes."

My friend Yasmin was trying to rationalize her fearlessness in the face of an imposing Hurricane Katrina, expected to make landfall near New Orleans the next day, from her first-floor Uptown apartment.

But I was having difficulty, although safe in a hotel room near Memphis. I was frantic, yelling into the phone at Yasmin, "You cannot stay there."

Topics on the Beat:

Disasters

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SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN)

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Public

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Projects in 12 States Share Wildfire Funding

$15 million of Stimulus funding for 55 projects, designed to help reduce wildfire hazards and reclaim burned lands, could be of substantial interest in the receiving communities.

SEJ Publication Types:

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Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY)

Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI)

Southwest (AZ NM OK TX)

California

Alaska and Hawaii

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Public

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"GAO Cites FEMA Preparedness Gaps"

"Almost four years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has failed to clarify the responsibilities of different agencies that would respond to such disasters, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office."

Disasters

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: WashPost, 06/09/2009

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Book Shelf, Book 2- The Winds Of Change: Climate, Weather, And The Destruction Of Civilization

Climate change scientist paints a stark and vivid picture

THE WINDS OF CHANGE: CLIMATE, WEATHER AND THE DESTRUCTION OF CIVILIZATIONS By Eugene Linden
Simon & Schuster, $26

Topics on the Beat:

Environmental Studies

Environmental Politics

Journalism & Media

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National (U.S.)

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Public

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Media Hype's Impacts On Disaster Victims And Endangered Species

By JAN KNIGHT

After a disaster, news coverage can amplify risk, create new health syndromes, study shows.

Disasters and their aftermaths can have repercussions that reach beyond the days or weeks that follow, and news reports can strongly impact public reaction to related risks, even contributing to increased reports of health-related problems that may not be linked to the disaster, a recent study shows.

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"Hurricane Forecast Predicts Slightly Milder Season"

"Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say they are expecting an average Atlantic hurricane season this year, with four to seven hurricanes."

Disasters

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: NPR, 05/22/2009

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Toolbox: RMP*Comp Projects Chemical Disaster Scenarios

Use this free software tool, downloadable from EPA, to calculate how much injury a chemical spill could cause.

SEJ Publication Types:

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Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV)

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Public

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June 22, 2009 to June 25, 2009

AMA Conference on Broadcast Meteorology

Topics include regional challenges in forecasting, including tropical, severe weather, lake effect, mountain and winter weather. Also planned: a day trip to the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, WA.

Professional Meetings

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Colorado Hurricane Guru May Lower Forecast

"Colorado State University hurricane forecaster Bill Gray said on Wednesday he may reduce his next Atlantic season forecast because sea temperatures are cooling and a weak El Nino may appear by late summer."

Disasters

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: Reuters, 05/14/2009