The scourge of wildfires yet again in California has the hallmarks of recurrent disaster nightmare for America’s most populous state. Last year’s fire season — in which the Camp Fire took more than 80 lives in the devastated town of Paradise alone — may have been the first glimpse into a future of almost dystopian threats to communities throughout the state, and the nation. However, from understanding the complexity of the causes of these events, there is an opportunity to re-write the way California approaches wildfires. In doing so, they can also provide a much needed roadmap for resilience for the rest of the nation.
OC Disaster Alert System Lags
California blackouts are a planned disaster
Loss of economic activity because businesses can’t open, schools closed, perishable foods going bad, mobile phones can’t be charged and people with medical dependencies unable to plug in life sustaining equipment. These are all things that are commonly seen in the aftermath of a disaster that can hinder a community’s recovery and even lead to additional injuries and deaths. In the case of California’s blackouts, these effects are occurring in the name of preventing disasters.
The other existential threat candidates must confront
It now seems within the realm of possibility that over the next few years, the most important nuclear arms control treaties -- negotiated among the world's nuclear powers over nearly four decades of painstaking diplomacy -- will have expired or been eliminated. This would open the floodgates to a 21st century arms race that could be far more chaotic and dangerous than what threatened the world following World War II.
How Florida is Preparing for Hurricane Dorian
Health screenings help kids succeed in the classroom
Mass shootings: Reassuring Children After a Traumatic Event
America is reckoning with two new mass shootings, one in Dayton, Ohio and the other in El Paso, Texas – believed to be the eighth deadliest in modern U.S. history.
While processing the constant stream of disturbing media, parents must also anticipate the needs of their children by helping them process the upsetting news.
Our planet is in crisis. But until we call it a crisis, no one will listen.
When Senator Kamala Harris was asked about climate change during the Democratic debate in June, she did not mince words. “I don’t even call it climate change,” she said. “It’s a climate crisis.”
She’s right – and we, at Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness, wish more people would call this crisis what it is.
Is New York Ready for the Next Big Hurricane?
Sanctuary Magazine Special Issue: Celebrating the Men in Our Lives
A 16-year-old boy died in CBP custody. Blame immigration policy.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday the death of a 16-year-old boy from Guatemala who had just days earlier crossed the southern border illegally as a so-designated “unaccompanied minor.” While only minimal details were released, the young man was likely headed to relatives waiting for him somewhere in the United States.
How Today's Measles Outbreak Compares To Another In NYC In The Early '90s
‘Shockingly Inadequate’ Response: How US Government Has Failed Puerto Rico
In the fall of 2017, Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria. The storm wreaked havoc on the island’s infrastructure and electrical grid, damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, and ultimately left nearly 3,000 people dead.
The deadly cost of failing infrastructure in historic Midwest floods
So far, historic floods in America’s Midwest have already claimed three lives with others still missing — although the worst may be yet to come.
In Nebraska alone, over 2,000 homes and 340 businesses have been destroyed, leading to over $1 billion in damages. In Iowa, more than 1,200 homes have been extensively damaged or destroyed, with more than $480 million estimated in damage to homes, $300 million to businesses and $214 million to agriculture.
What lessons can be salvaged from Alabama's deadly tornado
A recent devastating tornado in rural Lee County, Alabama, had a familiar narrative for people who live in one of the nation’s growing number of tornado prevalence zones.
Predictive advisories began some 72 hours prior to the disaster informing the public that weather conditions were ripe for the development of potentially powerful storms accompanied by tornados.
The Trump Administration Is the Worst for Children in the Country’s History
From the immoral border policy to the environment to the effects of the shutdown and more, the Trump administration has all but declared war on vulnerable children.
It was already clear that Donald Trump’s policies, actions, and words have put millions of children at risk. But although the longest government shutdown in American history is coming to an end, this nearly 40 day financial crisis added a whole new dimension to the challenges facing children living in poor, working poor, and even many middle-class families.