CalHeatScore creates heat wave warnings for every zip code in California, using temperature data, socioeconomic indicators, and the history of emergency room visits, to predict heat-related health risk.
disaster preparedness
Safety Device Supplies Life-Saving Air in an Avalanche
An Alpine medical team buried 24 volunteers in a mountain pass. Their study confirmed the efficacy of the Safeback SBX, which uses snow’s natural porosity to supply air to buried avalanche victims.
Alaska Awaits Response from FEMA in the Aftermath of Major Floods
Major floods in Alaska have caused the death of at least one person and displaced thousands more over the course of the last two weeks. Many of the displaced may not be able to return home for 18 months or longer, according to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
When the Earth Moves: 25 Years of Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazards
Surface ruptures causing earthquakes pose risks to infrastructure and human lives, but advances in models and data in the last few decades have improved our ability to mitigate their effects.
Volcanic Eruptions in One Hemisphere Linked to Floods in the Opposite One
Asymmetric volcanic plumes may shift equatorial weather patterns and increase tropical stream flow, according to new simulations.
Extreme Heat in U.S. Cities Revealed at High Resolution
Data from personal weather stations power a novel way to detect urban heat islands.
FEMA Puts Dissenting Staff on Indefinite Leave
More than a dozen FEMA staff, all signatories of that Katrina Declaration, were placed on indefinite administrative leave.
Parts of New Orleans Are Sinking
Areas near the airport, along floodwalls, and in nearby wetlands are subsiding because of a combination of natural and anthropogenic forces.
Residents Know When Floods Happen, But Data Must Catch Up
Federal flood measurements often don’t match what people see in their communities. Scientists have created a hyperlocal solution.
California’s Getting an Earlier Start to Wildfire Season
Human-caused climate change has pushed the onset of fire season in the state to as much as 46 days earlier than it was 30 years ago.
