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  • The Japanese Tsunami, 2011

    December 19, 2017 |

    BBC |

    Radio |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: Japan

    Two schools in Japan experienced the 2011 tsunami completely differently. After the earthquake, students in Kamaishi immediately took off running to get to higher ground, ahead of even their teachers. Meanwhile in Okawa, students evacuated to a playground and awaited further instructions. All but four people died at the Okawa school while everyone from the Kamaishi school survived. The contrast shows the importance of training people to take their own initiative when the unexpected strikes.

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  • Yes, Something Can Be Done About Wildfires

    December 19, 2017 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Bend, Oregon

    Ventura County, which has been covered in relentless wildfires, can learn a thing or two from its northernly neighbor Deschutes County, which hasn't lost a single house to regular wildfires since 2003. The reason? A comprehensive approach to removing and thinning out trees and other flammable materials around homes.

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  • How a custom Microsoft app is helping the Caribbean rebuild after hurricanes

    December 17, 2017 |

    GeekWire |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Antigua and Barbuda, Codrington

    Bringing data analysis technology into post-disaster scenarios can improve methods of allocating funding for disaster relief and reconstruction projects. The UN and Microsoft have partnered to develop the Building Damage Assessment app. Teams on the ground can use the software package to collect and analyze data, which can then be easily disseminated and shared with policymakers.

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  • Officials patched and prayed while pressure built on Houston's dams

    December 15, 2017 |

    Houston Chronicle |

    Multi-Media |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

    Following Hurricane Harvey, Houston officials are taking steps to better prepare the city for flooding. Two damns, Addicks and Barker, have long been in need of repairs to increase their capacity and resilience, and after decades of putting it off – and thousands of homes flooded – the city is hoping to invest in one of the large-scale remedies that have been recommended in the past.

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  • Harvey overwhelmed some levee systems. Future storms could do worse.

    December 14, 2017 |

    Houston Chronicle |

    Multi-Media |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

    The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey left many Houston residents questioning the efficacy of one of the city’s only protections, the Levee Improvement Districts (LID), responsible for providing flood protection. In neighborhoods prone to flooding, there has been much debate about the actual protection the current levees provide, leading many to call for solutions like the expansion of the LIDs through elections (rather than appointees) or raising the levees.

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  • Meet India's dam-building grandmother

    December 12, 2017 |

    BBC |

    Multi-Media |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: India, Rajasthan

    In Rajasthan, India, the Aakar Charitable Trust is building dams in previously drought-ridden areas using traditional practices that use the contours of the land to retain water. These check dams are cost-effective, partially owned by local communities, and do not displace residents; the trust builds an average of 30 dams each year, but they hope to ramp up construction in the future while cautioning that the method will not work for every topography.

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  • Ancestral Pueblo logging practices could save New Mexico pinelands

    December 11, 2017 |

    High Country News |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Santa Fe, New Mexico

    As wildfires become increasingly more prevalent and powerful, researchers in New Mexico are turning their attention to mitigation successes from ancestral generations. By implementing some of these methods such as selective logging, the hope is that intentional thinning of forests will lead to similar results.

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  • Build, flood, rebuild: flood insurance's expensive cycle

    December 09, 2017 |

    Houston Chronicle |

    Multi-Media |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

    What was originally conceived of to help protect homes from flooding has instead trapped homeowners in an endless cycle of filing claims and rebuilding their homes. The National Flood Insurance Program was supposed to discourage development in flooding zones and ease the costs after disasters. With lobbying money and power from developers, realtors associations, and others with vested interests, any opportunity to redesign the system through Congress have haven’t gone far.

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  • Georgia Initiative Brings Business To The Table To Save A Rare Animal

    December 06, 2017 |

    WABE |

    Multi-Media |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Georgia

    Gopher tortoises might be labelled as endangered under federal law, which brings strict guidelines that businesses want to avoid. Georgia Gopher Tortoise Initiative is dedicated to finding gophers in their natural habitat and protecting the areas they are found in, as well as other methods to help grow the population.

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  • Day care and mud guards: How health officials are building a firewall against deadly burns

    November 30, 2017 |

    Public Radio International (PRI) |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

    After studying where and how severe burns were happening to people in developing countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, it became clear what was needed for effective prevention. Inexpensive day care got children out of the home during the day when supervision could be lax, and mud walls around ground cooking fires provided additional household safety.

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