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The country trailblazing the fight against disasters

Catherine Davison

July 19, 2022 |

BBC |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Bangladesh

Bangladesh has developed a multi-layered early warning system for disasters that includes good weather monitoring equipment, communication systems to broadcast warnings, and importantly, a network of trusted volunteers – half of which are women – who go out into communities to share information and urge people to evacuate to shelters. The opportunity has also empowered women, both as volunteers and with the ability to make the decision to evacuate during a natural disaster.

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Fire Returned: Putting fire on the ground with the Butte Prescribed Burn Association

Sarah Bohannon

June 15, 2022 |

North State Public Radio |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Butte County, California

Volunteers from the Butte Prescribed Burn Association trains landowners to conduct controlled burns on their properties, which reduces vegetation that fuels intense wildfires and opens up space to bring back native plant species. The trainings have made residents in high fire-risk areas feel more secure and the association has also helped them with things like applying for grants to fund prescribed fires.

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How Hong Kong protects people from dangerous landslides

Matthew Keegan

February 28, 2022 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Hong Kong

After deadly landslides in the 1970s, Hong Kong has pioneered a successful landslide risk mitigation approach. Geotechnical engineers have cataloged over 60,000 slopes and upgraded those that needed it. The most successful aspect of the mitigation approach has been an early warning system that uses a combination of data sources to determine the risk of landslides and broadcasts warnings over TV, radio, and other public sources. Deaths from landslides have dropped substantially and it has inspired similar early warning systems around the world.

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They Said the Tornado Would Hit at 9:30. It Hit at 9:30.

Thomas Fuller Tariro Mzezewa

December 14, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Mayfield, Kentucky

Advances in meteorological technology have helped drive down the fatality rate from tornadoes in the U.S. to a fraction of what it was a century ago. Violent tornadoes rarely evade advance detection, thanks to weather satellites, advances in radar, and a communication system to announce warnings. The deadly tornadoes that struck Kentucky and other states in December 2021 illustrate the ways in which even this system – one scientist called it "one of the most incredible success stories in applied science" – can fail, including when people ignore warnings or buildings cannot withstand the high winds.

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Climate resilience hubs finding a foothold on Detroit's East Side, helping residents face disasters

David Sands

December 14, 2021 |

Model D |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In Detroit, a coalition of nonprofits and organizations are coming together to transform buildings into resilience centers. A resilience center is a hub that people can go to for help, especially in moments of a natural emergency. In Detroit, the hubs are part of a response to the effects of climate change, which can leave people displaced. Some of the things people can find in a hub include emergency services, internet access, and workforce development.

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How Bangladesh is beating the odds on climate disaster deaths

Léopold Salzenstein Rafiqul Islam Montu

December 02, 2021 |

The New Humanitarian (formerly IRIN) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Bangladesh

In 1970 Cyclone Bhola hit Bangladesh. It killed up to 500,000 people. Since then, the country has revamped its emergency disaster preparedness through a multipronged process, reducing its cyclone-related deaths by 100 fold. Now, the country collects weather data from more than 50 weather stations. The data is sent to mitigation committees which dispense the info to people through various methods: radio, text messages, and even doorknocking. The country also has a volunteer program with 76,000 volunteers and increased the number of multi-purpose shelters from 44 in 1970 to 512 in 1991.

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Technology gives critical assist to firefighting efforts

Victoria Franco

October 28, 2021 |

Local News Matters |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

In California, first responders have implemented technology to assist with wildfires and evacuations. The two tools are ALERTWildfire and Zonehaven. ALERTWildfire is a system of cameras that help firefighters locate, confirm, and detect the size of the wildfire before they even leave the station. There are 900 cameras installed throughout the state. Zonehaven is a tool that allows first responders to communicate evacuation plans to residents. The program has been used in multiple counties and jurisdictions.

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Haiti's citizen seismologists helped track its devastating quake in real time

Carolyn Gramling

August 18, 2021 |

Science News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Haiti

Volunteer citizen seismologists in Haiti are collecting data on earthquakes and aftershocks with equipment provided by researchers to better understand seismic hazards and fault locations in the country.

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When Disaster Strikes

Taylor Perse

August 05, 2021 |

Eugene Weekly |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

Disaster preparedness in the form of close inter-agency coordination and communication helped Cuyahoga County, Ohio, protect its unhoused population from COVID-19 to a greater extent than Lane County, Oregon. Although Cuyahoga (Cleveland) is larger, with more resources, its effective responses still offer a model to Lane County (Eugene), where a scattered approach and homeless-camp sweeps proved counterproductive. In Cleveland, hotels were quickly enlisted to house people, reducing crowding in shelters by half and street homelessness by 30%. Its largest men's shelter ended up with a low infection rate.

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When earthquake and storm unite: Sarapiquí's early alerts

Alfonso Gatgens

July 30, 2021 |

El Colectivo 506 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, Sarapiquí

Early warning systems in Sarapiquí have proven effective in the wake of natural disasters. After hurricanes in 2016 and 2017, “institutions were able to carry out and fulfill their tasks” in response to alerts. Funding for the systems has been approved by other communities that wish to replicate the results.

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