
The New York Times has created a mesmerizing and troubling (and clever) webpage that allows you to virtually drive down two streets in New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. The animation stops at various properties along the way, so you can see how certain buildings have fared (some gone, some repaired, some still sitting much as,
»read more
Tags: case study, funding & assistance, insurance

The Red Cross has released the results of a survey of just over 1,000 respondents on how people use and expect to use social media during a disaster. The results are pretty striking.
A couple of highlights:
Nearly 3-in-4 respondents use at least one online community or social network. Facebook was by far the most popular (58%). And MySpace still has a,
»read more
Tags: case study, emergency services, technology, training & outreach

After Hurricane Ike bashed a hole in their roof and left their first floor uninhabitable, FEMA experts recommended that Galveston (TX) residents Matt and Lauren Johnson elevate their home 3' above the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program.
The Johnsons went for 12' instead.
“Even if it costs us more now, whatever costs us less,
»read more
Tags: adaptation & mitigation, building, case study, funding & assistance, planning

A Florida county has released new storm surge maps, and they're giving locals a more precise idea of their risks of being hit by the storm surge associated with a hurricane. Tampa Bay Online has the whole story.
As the article reports, Hillsborough County has based the maps on revised models from the National Hurricane Center. The old maps were based on,
»read more
Tags: case study, emergency services, Florida, hazard identification, training & outreach

Emergency Management has published an interesting story on using so-called "Messaging Systems" as a means of quickly reaching residents during emergency events. These messaging systems can contact people through various means including phone or email depending on how they're set up.
While these are generally proprietary systems and aren't free, the,
»read more
Tags: case study, emergency services, technology

The City Council of Galveston, Texas recently approved new beach-front construction regulations. The new rules push new development 75 feet back from the north toe of dunes, or 350 feet from the mean high-water line, whichever line is farther landward. They are seen locally as a compromise with some wanting stricter regulations while others did not want,
»read more
Tags: adaptation & mitigation, building, case study, infrastructure, planning, regulations

Good case study on a county using FEMA Public Assistance (PA) 406 Mitigation funds to pay for post-storm recovery using a relatively innovative technique:
When technical advice from a Public Assistance Specialist recommended using a geo-textile to stabilize the embankment and make the road more resilient once repairs were completed, Lafayette County’s,
»read more
Tags: building, case study, funding & assistance, infrastructure, technology