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Hurricanes blew away Puerto Rico's power grid. Now solar power is rising to fill the void.

Daniella Cheslow

January 04, 2018 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Puerto Rico

Solar power is a great advancement for renewable energy, but traditionally relies on connecting to a grid in order to function correctly. So when hurricanes hit Puerto Rico, even those with solar panels lost access to electricity. A micro-grid offers an alternative solution, however, by relying on battery power.

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

Gregory Scruggs

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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Yachters Are Sailing to the Rescue of Hurricane-Ravaged Islands

Erica Cirino

November 16, 2017 |

News Deeply |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Anguilla

The 2017 hurricane season resulted in damage to the Caribbean. YachtAid and Superyacht Aid Coalition are comprised of people who volunteer their yachts to bring supplies and aid to these damaged regions.

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Meet the women combing through Puerto Rico, searching for veterans in need

Jasmine Garsd Andrea Crossan

October 12, 2017 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Puerto Rico

One group of women roams shelters searching for Puerto Rican vets after Hurricane Maria, where there are “around 75,000 US Army veterans living.” “This is Americans helping Americans. These veterans were stationed in the US, went to war with the US. I think that’s the thing that people forget.”

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What Harvey and Irma Taught Us About Using Social Media in Emergency Response

A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez

September 15, 2017 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Hurricanes Irma and Harvey showed the power of social media to share real-time alerts and information as well as get resources to people more quickly when official channels like crisis hotlines are clogged. Officials originally discouraged the use of social media fearing panic and misinformation, but those attitudes changed as they saw the immediate impact it had on getting people help. More local and national organizations shifted to using social platforms to guide their emergency response efforts.

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Amid Chaos of Storms, U.S. Shows It Has Improved Its Response

Richard Fausset

September 12, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Recently, a wave of hurricanes and tropical storms have ravaged various communities with floodwaters in the United States. This article highlights an upward trend in the U.S. government's hurricane preparedness and strategy as of recent.

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Amid persistent drought, a nation of herders plots a new course

Scott Peterson

July 27, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Somalia, Hargeisa

In the face of severe drought and one of the worst humanitarian crises since World War II, nations on the Horn of Africa are fighting to stave off famine and the spread of disease. Some places, like Somaliland, have been able to apply techniques learned in the severe famines of the 80s to increase their chances of survival. Many once-nomadic tribes are now settling into farming with some help of the government and a few non-profits, trading in livestock for more secure sources of fresh water, and learning new agricultural trades to keep their families - and hope - alive.

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Getting Help in Emergencies in Super-Quick Time

Gemma Newby Sahar Zand

May 09, 2017 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Dominican Republic, Guayubín, Monte Cristi

Jason Friesen, an American paramedic who had served in Haiti after the earthquake, realized that many poor communities in the Caribbean were lacking the equivalent of the United States’ 911 emergency medical services, and were facing increased death tolls as a consequence. Friesen realized he could help such communities set up emergency response systems through the use of volunteers and a simple text message exchange. Now, his organization Trek Medics simplifies and democratizes the emergency dispatch system, and, as a result, saves lives in rural communities.

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Between Opportunity and Frustration As a Refugee In Uganda

Anna Patton

November 16, 2016 |

Vice |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Kampala

Uganda's open policy allows refugees to start a new life – and even a new business. But not all of them thrive due to governmental restrictions and limited cash flow.

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Can Metro Detroit's municipalities cooperate?

Ellen Vial

November 14, 2016 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Faced with insufficient revenue to fund key services like fire departments thanks to state laws limiting tax rates, two communities in Southeast Michigan used another state law to form a regional services authority that levies a property tax to fully fund both cities' fire departments. The authority is looking to mentor other communities on how to do this. Similar regional cooperative agreements are in place at a larger scale in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Pittsburgh addressing things like transportation, regional planning and affordable housing.

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