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Natural Hazards

Global Climate Change
essay
Civilians and Military Collaborate to Address Climate Change
May 13, 2020
The Hampton Roads area in Virginia is home to more than 1.7 million people, a major port, and more military installations than anywhere else in the United States. Its rising sea levels and floods brought together civilian and military officials on a project to mitigate damage and foster resiliency.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Preparing for a COVID-19 Election, Hurricane Response, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
Aug 7, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on preparing for a COVID-19 election, how the pandemic is affecting artists, North Korea's deadly artillery, and more.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
commentary
Planning for the Upcoming Hurricane Season in Light of COVID-19
Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, Gary Cecchine @GaryCecchine, Craig Fugate, Craig A. Bond
May 4, 2020
Vox
What if Hurricane Katrina had hit during a pandemic? Emergency planners can prepare for this scenario by evaluating current response system capacity, evacuation and sheltering procedures, food and supply issues, and more.
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Firearms
blog
U.S. Gun Policy, Reopening Schools, Prepping for a Hurricane: RAND Weekly Recap
Apr 24, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on what scientific evidence says about the effects of U.S. gun laws, how schools may have to change when they reopen, preparing for a COVID-19 hurricane, and more.
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Community Resilience
commentary
What Can FEMA Learn from the Historic 2017 Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons?
Jason Thomas Barnosky, Patrick Roberts @RamblingRoberts, Joie D. Acosta
Feb 3, 2020
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
When a hurricane comes ashore or a wildfire ignites, most of a community's vulnerability to disaster is already set. Emergency managers including FEMA, states, and localities could do much more to identify statewide risks and build community resilience before an event makes headlines.
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Wildfires
blog
Australia's Fires, Artificial Intelligence, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap
Jan 24, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on Australia's devastating fires, how artificial intelligence could manipulate the masses, the fentanyl crisis, and more.
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Wildfires
commentary
Australia's Fires: Respond Now, but Also Measure Toll on People for the Future
Melissa L. Finucane @MelissaFinucane
Jan 20, 2020
The RAND Blog
As an Australian, Melissa Finucane has watched with anguish as massive bushfires devastated wide swaths of her home country. As a researcher who studies community resilience, she can't help but think of how much blood, sweat, tears, and money will be required to recover.
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Artificial Intelligence
blog
Artificial Intelligence, Refugees, Global Health Security: RAND Weekly Recap
Dec 20, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on the Pentagon's artificial intelligence strategy, technology's role in the refugee crisis, threats to global health security, and more.
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Wildfires
commentary
A Climate Scientist's Brush with Wildfire
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert
Dec 18, 2019
CalMatters
RAND researcher Robert Lempert was evacuated from the path of a wildfire. This experience emphasized for him the challenges of adapting to climate change, not merely because it is hard, but because it makes the familiar become unfamiliar in unexpected ways.
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Domestic Terrorism
blog
White Supremacist Terrorism, Wildfires, the Dark Web: RAND Weekly Recap
Nov 1, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on violent white supremacy, power outages to prevent wildfires, how to catch criminals on the dark web, and more.
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Wildfires
commentary
Turning Off Power to Combat Wildfires Could Harm the Very People Who Need Protection
Joie D. Acosta, Regina A. Shih @ReginaShih
Oct 28, 2019
CalMatters
While intentionally shutting off power may be a practical way to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires, is it worth the risks? Until more thoughtful and comprehensive decisions are made, planned power outages need to be planned better.
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Wildfires
commentary
Uncovering the Links Between Fires and Public Health in Equatorial Asia
Miriam E. Marlier
Oct 25, 2019
Google Earth and Earth Engine on Medium
Fires in Indonesia, if left unchecked, could cause an average of 36,000 premature deaths annually across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Researchers built a tool that models the effect of the fires on public health.
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Hurricanes
blog
Hurricane Dorian, Al Qaeda, Veterans' Health: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 13, 2019
This weekly recap looks at Hurricane Dorian recovery, al Qaeda 18 years after 9/11, veterans' mental health care, and more.
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Environmental Pollution
commentary
We Built an App to Detect Areas Most Vulnerable to Life-Threatening Haze
Tianjia Liu, Miriam E. Marlier, Jonathan J. Buonocore, Loretta J. Mickley, Ruth S. DeFries
Sep 10, 2019
The Conversation
Forest and land-use fires are ravaging Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan islands. Haze from these fires is life-threatening; inhaling smoke can cause heart and respiratory diseases, leading to premature deaths. We developed a new tool to provide decisionmakers with information to protect people who live downwind.
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Disaster Recovery Operations
commentary
Hurricane Recovery in the Bahamas: Turning Good Intentions into Good Decisions
Melissa L. Finucane @MelissaFinucane, Joie D. Acosta
Sep 6, 2019
The RAND Blog
Recovery in the Bahamas will have to be a balancing act. Plans will need to allow for transition toward long-term strategic goals for the nation, but also be mindful of not perpetuating inequities.
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Catastrophic Liability Risk Management
commentary
Allocating Costs for California Wildfires
Lloyd Dixon
Jul 24, 2019
The RAND Blog
Wildfires in California have caused and will likely continue to cause substantial losses for residents, businesses, and government agencies. It is important to distribute these losses in a manner that provides incentives to reduce their magnitude over time.
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