Rather than offering protection, islands sometimes cause increased wave run-up on shorelines, experiments in a wave laboratory suggest.
disaster preparedness
New Model Predicts Lightning Strikes; Alert System to Follow
Data from thousands of past storms help guide a new forecast model that predicts where and when lightning may hit.
U.S. Weather Alert Systems Must Modernize, Say New Reports
To reduce risks, including loss of life, national weather alert systems must incorporate social and behavioral sciences and new technology, according to two federally sponsored reports.
Deciphering Deluges
New modeling approach reexamines two key assumptions about flooding.
Storm Model Foresaw Tornado Precursor Hours Before Twister Hit
The experimental Warn-on-Forecast project calculates probabilities of severe weather within at-risk areas smaller than those targeted by current forecasting models.
The Value of Disaster Damage Data
The editors of a new book describe the benefits of systematic collection, storage, analysis, and sharing of damage data after flood events.
Mapping Dengue Fever Hazard with Machine Learning
Researchers develop a predictive software system to identify city-specific, dengue fever risk areas amid a global increase in cases.
The Challenges Posed by Induced Seismicity
A recent paper in Reviews of Geophysics examined the increasing incidence of seismic events caused by industrial activities.
Tornado Casualties Depend More on Storm Energy Than Population
National Weather Service data from nearly 900 tornadoes and a principle of economics reveal the relationship between storm energy, population, and casualty count.
Reducing Uncertainty in Hazard Prediction
The editors of a new book describe how to characterize uncertainty in natural hazards, the incorporation of uncertainty into modeling, its contribution to better decision-making, and research needs.