Earthquake, Hazards, and Disaster News
The MCEER Information Service is a comprehensive source for information on earthquake engineering, hazards mitigation, disaster preparedness, and related topics. IS posts new content frequently, covering a wide range of news and research topics.
As an added service, IS reviews published materials, maintains a database for conferences & continuing education opportunities, a portal to noteworthy Web sites, and other topics of interest.
Current News
Dutch Build More Dunes Against Rising Seas
(November 20, 2009) On the beach at Monster, bulldozers painstakingly turn sand dredged from the bottom of the North Sea bed into dunes in an ambitious effort to safeguard the Netherlands from flooding… AFP
Earthquake Test to Shake Down Shipping Cranes
(November 20, 2009) To get a better understanding of how container cranes respond during an earthquake, engineers have designed a one tenth scale model of a container crane and will be testing it on the NSF NEES shake table at the University at Buffalo, one of 14 facilities for large-scale testing that are part of NSF's NEES network… LiveScience
- Seismic Risk Management for Port Systems at SEESL
- Project Overview Georgia Tech
- NEES's Seismic Performance of Cranes
How Storms Can Trigger Earthquakes
(November 20, 2009) Scientists are increasingly pointing to storms as a trigger for earthquakes and mudslides. That's raising questions about the effects that climate change might have on one of the world's deadliest natural catastrophes, and to what extent, if any, insurers and governments could be adapting to the interplay between atmosphere and earth… NY Times
Northern England Hit by Floods After Heavy Rain
(November 20, 2009) Military helicopters winched dozens of people to safety and emergency workers in inflatable boats rescued scores more as floods swamped northern England's picturesque Lake District… NY Times
US Army Blamed for Katrina Floods
(November 19, 2009) A US judge has ruled that negligence by army engineers led to massive flooding in an area of New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005… BBC
- Hurricane Katrina victims win damages over flooding Guardian
Did 2008 Wenchuan Quake Strike Because China Filled a Reservoir?
(November 19, 2009) Scientists have seen this one before: Fill a reservoir behind a new dam, and, oops, you trigger an earthquake nearby not long after the lake is topped off. Now, a team of researchers led by the University of Colorado’s Shemin Ge suggest that this could well be what happened with the devastating Wenchuan earthquake… CS Monitor
California's Tsunami Threat
(November 19, 2009) Scientists now say the worst case tsunami scenario for northern California will come from a multiple-fault rupture off the Alaska coast… CBS13
How Tech Is Helping to Build Better Buildings
(November 18, 2009) Advances in sensors, concrete, nanotech are making structures – from bridges to office towers – safer, stronger and better looking… Globe and Mail
Could Weather Trigger Earthquakes or Landslides?
(November 18, 2009) Research published recently in the journal Nature Geosciences says the atmospheric pressure changes associated with some weather systems could help trigger earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and even the movement of glaciers… USA Today
Little Damage Reported after 6.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits B.C.
(November 17, 2009) A strong earthquake occurred early Tuesday in the Queen Charlotte Islands region off of B.C.'s central west coast… Calgary Herald
- 6.6 report from USGS
After Quake in Italy, Seeking Greener Pastures
(November 17, 2009) On a recent autumn afternoon, half a year after a devastating earthquake struck here, a small flock of sheep and goats made its way through the ghostly, ravaged center of this ancient hilltop city… NY Times
Earthquake Data Prepares Vulnerable Communities
(November 17, 2009) A team of UK engineers is heading to Sumatra in the wake of the recent earthquakes to investigate how new technology could be used to better prepare vulnerable communities for such events… Engineer Online
What the Future May Hold
(November 17, 2009) What will the United States be like in 20 years? The answer will depend to a great extent on decisions we make now about the American infrastructure… NY Times
If Oregon Sees Another Big One, Bridge & Road Failures Will Lock Region Up
(November 17, 2009) An earthquake such as the big one that hit the Pacific Northwest in 1700 would wipe out many of Oregon's bridges, cause billions of dollars of damage, make much of U.S. 101 and Interstate 5 impassable and sever all road connections between the coast and the Willamette Valley… Oregon Live
Massive China Landslide Kills 23
(November 17, 2009) A landslide in northern China has killed 23 people, all migrant workers at a nearby coal mine or members of their families … BBC
Landslide Kills 20 in Tanzania
(November 16, 2009) Four days of heavy rains triggered a landslide that killed 12 children and eight adults near Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania… CNN
Bridge Beyond Saving
(November 12, 2009) The 80-year-old Champlain Bridge, closed suddenly last month after the state found the concrete piers were rotting, is on the verge of collapse and too far gone to be saved… Times Union
A Weaker Storm Devastated El Salvador
(November 11, 2009) A devastating storm that struck El Salvador over the weekend was not the hurricane that roared through the region at the same time… NY Times
Landslide Kills 39 in Southern India
(November 11, 2009) A landslide triggered by torrential seasonal rains swept through a hilly region in southern India, killing at least 39 people… Wall Street Journal
Eyebar Just One of Bay Bridge's Many Problems
(November 9, 2009) The eyebar isn't the biggest danger on the eastern span of the Bay Bridge, though it closed the bridge for 5 1/2 days. The flaws considered most serious by engineers and geologists include the span's foundations, its network of steel supports, and the supports for the road deck, which were what failed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake … San Francisco Chronicle
Strong Earthquake Hits Indonesia
(November 9, 2009) At least one person has been killed and several others injured after a strong undersea earthquake hit the remote Indonesian island of Sumbawa… BBC
Scores Die in El Salvador Floods
(November 9, 2009) At least 124 people have been killed in El Salvador by flooding and landslides following days of heavy rain… BBC
- El Salvador flood pictures
Hurricane Ida Weakens, Nears Gulf Coast
(November 9, 2009) As Hurricane Ida chugged toward the Gulf Coast, authorities said it had weakened to a Category One storm, with 90 mph winds … Wall Street Journal
Senate Action to Extend SAFETEA-LU No Longer Imminent
(November 9, 2009) Senate leaders are delaying plans to take up a six-month extension of the surface transportation act and it doesn't appear such legislation will be taken up any time soon… AASHTO Journal
Hurricane Ida Lashes Nicaraguan Coast
(November 6, 2009) Hurricane Ida swept onto Nicaragua's Atlantic coast Thursday, destroying homes, damaging schools and downing bridges before losing steam and becoming a tropical depression as it moved inland… Wall Street Journal
Major Quakes Could Be Aftershocks
(November 5, 2009) Many recent earthquakes may have been the aftershocks of large quakes that occurred hundreds of years ago… BBC
Vietnam Floods Leave Dozens Dead
(November 5, 2009) The death toll from severe flooding in Vietnam triggered by a tropical storm has risen to about 90… BBC
- Photos of Mirinae's wrath Wall Street Journal
Earthquake Strikes Southern Iran
(November 4, 2009) An earthquake has struck southern Iran, with hundreds of people suffering injuries, a state news agency says… BBC
Disaster Response Body Inadequate
(November 4, 2009) The Canadian federal department charged with disaster planning is itself a disaster when it comes to preparing for emergencies as varied as the swine flu pandemic, floods and terrorist attacks, says Auditor General… National Post
New York Begins Vigilant Guard Exercise
(November 3, 2009) The New York National Guard along with local officials from Erie County and the cities of Tonawanda, Buffalo and Niagara Falls joined with other state, regional and federal officials to formally announce the launch of the largest emergency response exercise to have ever been conducted in Western New York… National Guard
- McKinley visits New York on fourth day of Vigilant Guard National Guard
- National Guard Conducting Disaster Drills in Tonawanda WBEN
- UB's Experts in Extreme Events Are Available for Media During Vigilant Guard Exercise UB News
- Simulated earthquake hits region WIVB
- First responders converge on area for week of disaster drills Niagara Gazette
- Quake at epicenter of disaster scenario Buffalo News
Storm Kills at Least 23 in Vietnam
(November 3, 2009) Tropical Storm Mirinae unleashed severe flooding in parts of central Vietnam, killing 23 people, leaving two missing and stranding families on rooftops… Wall Street Journal
- Typhoon Mirinae lashes Philippines BBC
Research & Professional News
Purdue Highlights Cloud Computing Tools at Supercomputing Conference
(November 17, 2009) A hub will be at the center of the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), a $105 Million National Science Foundation program announced in September, which is led by Purdue… Lafayette Online
Flood Warning Research Announced
(November 17, 2009) Research into protecting communities with better flood warnings has been announced by the Scottish government… BBC
Bridge Sensors Send Stress Data to Drexel Researchers
(November 16, 2009) When heavy trucks rumble across the Burlington-Bristol Bridge, new sensors detect the stresses they put on the 2,300-foot span and instantly transmit the information to computers in Philadelphia's Drexel University… Philadelphia Inquirer
In the Mediterranean, Killer Tsunamis from an Ancient Eruption
(November 3, 2009) The massive eruption of the Thera volcano in the Aegean Sea more than 3,000 years ago produced killer waves that raced across hundreds of miles of the Eastern Mediterranean…NY Times
Role of Air Pressure in Starting a Landslide
(November 3, 2009) Researchers have found strong evidence that atmospheric tides, slight changes in air pressure largely caused by the daily cycle of solar heating and cooling, can set off landslide movement…NY Times