Disasters
According to the Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, a disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. Resources available in this sub-theme include guidance on strengthening institutional arrangements, examples of public awareness programs, and others that support disaster risk mitigation and response.
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Disasters Resources
National Flood Insurance Program: Flood Hazard Mapping
Published:
September 19, 2016National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Through FEMA's flood hazard mapping program, Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (MAP), FEMA identifies flood hazards, assesses flood risks and partners with states and communities to provide accurate flood hazard and risk data to guide them to mitigation actions.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaFEMA Flood Mapping Products
Published:
July 20, 2016National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This page provides an overview of the Flood Map Service Center, points to some of the flood mapping products, and provides a link to the full list of mapping products.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaFEMA Flood Map Service Center
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Use the MSC to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better...Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaFEMA High Water Mark Initiative
Published:
September 12, 2016National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The High Water Mark (HWM) Initiative is a community-based awareness program that increases local communities’ awareness of flood risk and encourages action to mitigate that risk.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaFEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance
Published:
June 29, 2016National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This page provides general information on hazard mitigation and the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaFEMA Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities
Published:
August 15, 2016National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This page provides information on Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities as related to the Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaUSACE Flood Risk Management Program
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The USACE Flood Risk Management Program (FRMP) works across the agency to focus the policies, programs and expertise of USACE toward reducing overall flood risk. This includes the appropriate use and resiliency of structures such as levees and floodwalls, as well as promoting alternatives when...Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaInternational Center for Integrated Water Resouces, ICIWaRM's Regional Analysis of Frequency Tool (ICI-RAFT)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The purpose of ICI-RAFT is to estimate the frequency/intensity of a rainfall event of a particular duration using rainfall observations on the ground. The goal is to be able to answer such questions as: what is the probability that the current drought will end in X months? How long of a drought...Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaAfter the Storm: The Importance of Acknowledging Environmental Justice in Sustainable Development and Disaster Preparedness
Published:
July 2, 2021The past decade has brought on some of the worst cases of flooding due to natural disasters and the resulting leaching of some of the most hazardous environmental contaminants back into nearby, often low income, communities. Natural disasters are not “great equalizers” when it comes to recovery...Read more
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United StatesEnvironmental Injustice in the Disaster Cycle: Hurricane Harvey and the Texas Gulf Coast
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July 2, 2021This article applies an environmental justice lens to synthesize knowledge of disparities experienced by Hurricane Harvey survivors based on race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). It focuses on Texas’ Gulf Coast, which hosts the largest petrochemical industrial complex in the United States...Read more
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