disaster preparedness News

FEMA Urged to Adopt Parametric Insurance and Blockchain to Address Coverage Gap

Blockchain technology and parametric insurance should be included in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s toolbox as it strives to close the nation’s flood insurance coverage gap, according to a draft report by an advisory committee that makes recommendations to the …

Businesses Learn Hard Lessons When not Prepared for Disaster

NEW YORK — When Hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, Carlos Melendez couldn’t contact the staffers or customers of his San Juan-based technology firm, Wovenware. Melendez learned a lesson that would help his business during the next storm, …

Hardware Stores Critical Before and After Hurricanes

Before and after a hurricane, Ace is the place. And Home Depot and Lowe’s. And many other hardware and building supply outlets. Not surprisingly, these companies plan for storms such as Hurricane Florence all year. Much like the Federal Emergency …

$1 Spent on Hurricane Protection Equals $105 in Business Property Loss Savings

Take it to the bank: Every $1 a business spends on hurricane protection in the U.S. reduces loss exposure by an average of $105. That’s based on a new analysis by FM Global, a global commercial and industrial property insurer. …

Poll: Few American Commit to Disaster Preparedness

Following hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is encouraging Americans to increase their commitment to natural disaster preparation. A poll taken prior to the storms found that fewer than one quarter of Americans have …

Researchers Finds Room for Improvement in Global Flood Preparedness

A new study across Austria, England, and Romania finds room for improvement in both public and private schemes that could help encourage risk reduction behaviors and reduce losses in future disasters. “Currently neither insurance nor governments successfully encourage risk reduction. …

College Disaster Prep Officials Prepare for the Unexpected

When Jefferson Community College was making plans to build its first residence hall, there was one must-have for President Carole McCoy: generators for backup if the power went out. With her campus in Watertown, New York in the bulls-eye of …

Japan Official Says Country Needs to Implement Disaster Framework Ideas

A prominent Japanese political figure appealed to U.N. member states Tuesday to implement guidelines approved in Japan last year aimed at saving lives and minimizing the economic impact of tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural and man-made disasters. Toshihiro Nikai, chairman …

Alaska Tsunami Researcher Urges Education and Preparedness

If you’re enjoying a lovely day on the beach, there’s something you should do if the ground shakes, the water retreats or the ocean make a strange noise. “Run,” said Elena Suleimani, because those are signs that a tsunami is …

Large U.S. Cities Prep for Oil Train Disaster

They rumble past schools, homes and businesses in dozens of cities around the country – 100-car trains loaded with crude oil from the Upper Midwest. While railroads have long carried hazardous materials through congested urban areas, cities are now scrambling …