Emergency shelter transformation for disability-inclusive disaster response
Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) in Edison, New Jersey, responded to the dismal truth that emergency shelters were often inaccessible to individuals with disabilities, resulting in fatal outcomes. Carole Tonks, ACI's executive Read More...
Tips for surviving unexpected disasters: What is a "go-bag" and how do you prepare one?
Sherri McKinney, the Red Cross' national spokesman, has firsthand experience with the unpredictability of natural disasters. McKinney, who escaped the tornadoes in Nashville in 2020, underlines that "emergencies are more common than people may think, and disasters happen anywhere and at any Read More...
Backpack-wearing rats are being trained to find earthquake survivors
DECEMBER 21ST, 2023 UPDATE: This solution is a Reader’s Choice selection of 2023! Thank you for nominating the solutions that left you feeling optimistic this year. After the terrible earthquake in Turkey and Syria last week—with thousands and thousands of casualties—rescuers have been Read More...
How to keep your furry friends safe in an emergency
Having a pet is a rewarding experience but comes with plenty of new and perhaps unfamiliar responsibilities. For instance, figuring out how to handle extreme weather and natural disasters (which are increasing in frequency) can be particularly challenging. Here are some tips to help you and your Read More...
How to prepare your home for a windstorm
Last weekend, Storm Eunice (also known as Storm Zeynep in Germany and Storm Nora in Denmark) devastated much of the UK and Western Europe, ranking as one of the three worst storms recorded since 1970, according to KNMI, a Dutch meteorological office. The storm’s high winds reached record Read More...
100 percent renewable energy could prevent natural disaster blackouts
With storms growing in intensity the world over, such as Storm Eunice in Europe, solutions for enduring extreme weather are greater than ever. Adapting energy grids is particularly important to avoid blackouts. Recent research shows, fortunately, that switching entirely to renewable energy Read More...
Could migratory birds provide early tsunami detection?
If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a tsunami, tornado, or major tropical storm, you may have noticed a curious trend: the lack of birds. Although not fully backed by scientific evidence yet, researchers are investigating the anecdotal evidence that birds seem to be able Read More...
Scientists use underwater cables to detect earthquakes and tsunamis
On top of the fact that earthquakes and tsunamis are some of the most destructive natural phenomenons humanity faces, they are impossible to predict. To make things easier, a team of scientists has recently come up with a technique that turns underwater telecommunications cables into earthquake Read More...
Puerto Rico planting 750,000 trees to defend land from natural disasters
It has been a year since one of the most devastating and deadly natural disasters of the U.S. struck Puerto Rico. This video shows how the island is taking steps to defend itself against future Read More...