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
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
- 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
Another Typhoon Heads For Manila
(October 30, 2009) Typhoon Mirinae, the fourth cyclone to wallop the Philippines in a month, was barreling toward the capital of Manila, where some districts are still submerged by recent massive flooding… Wall Street Journal
Study Finds Quake Risk at Los Alamos
(October 28, 2009) Seismic activity at the nuclear lab could result in deadly amounts of airborne plutonium, federal experts say… LA Times
Bay Bridge Closed after Repair Falls Apart
(October 28, 2009) Three pieces of an emergency repair to the Bay Bridge's cantilever section snapped and crashed onto the upper deck of the span forcing the indefinite closure of the region's busiest bridge… SF Chronicle
- BBC video
Tens of Thousands in Southern California without Power
(October 28, 2009) High winds are buffeting neighborhoods across Southern California tonight, knocking down trees and power lines, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity… LA Times
Geek Getaways
(October 27, 2009) For the truly curious traveler, here are eight one-of-a-kind research facilities guaranteed to impress and entertain like no ordinary tourist attraction can, inlcuding an earthquake simulator where you can watch a parking garage buckle… Popular Scienc
WA Will Put Seismic Sensors on Viaduct
(October 26, 2009) The state plans to equip the crumbling Alaskan Way Viaduct with sensors that will close the elevated roadway at the first sign of seismic activity… Seattle Times
Massive Quake Could Destroy 40% of NCR Buildings
(October 22, 2009) Some 38% to 40% of Metro Manila's residential and mid-rise buildings, as well as 14% of the area's high-rise buildings, could be destroyed in the event of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake… ABS-CBN
New Focus on Age-Old Ways of Surviving During Disaster
(October 21, 2009) To better prepare for typhoons, hurricanes and other natural disasters, planners aren't only turning to high-tech early-warning systems and computer-simulated paths of destruction - they also are going local… Wall Street Journal
Bridge Connecting Vermont to New York Closed
(October 20, 2009) Essex County declared a state of emergency Friday, when the bridge between NY and VT was barricaded due to structural damage … Press Republican
Creeping Hayward Fault Might Ease Quake Tension
(October 20, 2009) The Hayward Fault is creeping, and that could be a good sign… San Francisco Chronicle
Where Land Slides, Trying to Learn Why
(October 20, 2009) Landslide risk assessment and forecasting may be an inexact science, but the work by geological survey researchers is about as precise as it gets… NY Times
Quake Shakes Indonesian Capital
(October 16, 2009) A 6.1-magnitude earthquake has struck the Indonesian island of Java, causing buildings to sway in the capital, Jakarta … BBC
Blame Game Intensifies over Philippines Typhoon Response
(October 16, 2009) Floodwaters around the deluged Philippine capital Manila have yet to fully subside after the onslaught of two successive tropical storms - but the blame game over the response to the crisis, and the nation's lack of preparedness, is rippling outward… CS Monitor
K-Rail Barriers May Remain in Mudslide-Threatened Areas for Years to Come
(October 16, 2009) Officials say the barriers could stay on the streets up to five years -- the length of time the risk of mudslides is expected to last in LA County hillside areas… LA Times
Rainfall Records Fall in Epic Storm
(October 14, 2009) One-day rainfall records for the month were shattered Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people lost power, commutes lasted for hours, and car crashes numbered in the hundreds… SF Chronicle
Storm Puts Residents of L.A. County Fire Zones on the Defensive
(October 14, 2009) As a Pacific storm descended Tuesday night on Southern California, sandbags and concrete barriers were put into place as up to 4 inches of rain were expected in charred areas… LA Times
Dresden Bridge Has an Unexpectedly High Price
(October 14, 2009) The hulking span being built across a landscape of tree-shaded castles costs the Dresden Elbe Valley its spot on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list… LA Times
Bay Bridge Span Designed to Endure Major Quake
(October 14, 2009) "When the bridge is complete, it's going to be one of the most seismically advanced structures in the world"… SF Chronicle
Building a Bridge of (and to) the Future
(October 13, 2009) The bridge is the first of what its designers, about 50 miles up the road at the University of Maine in Orono, hope will be many of its type, combining composite materials with more conventional ones like concrete… NY Times
Bay Area Cities Lag in Making Housing Quake-Safe
(October 12, 2009) When it comes to housing - where people spend most of their time - many Bay Area cities have done little to prepare for a major temblor that scientists say has a 62 percent chance of striking the region in the next 30 years… San Francisco Chronicle
Police Investigate Prague Collapse
(October 9, 2009) The deadliest toll from a building collapse in Prague for more than 40 years could have resulted in a higher casualty figure … Prague Post
New Philippine Floods Kill Dozens
(October 9, 2009) At least 160 people have been killed by flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the northern Philippines… BBC
Powerful Quake Rocks South Pacific
(October 8, 2009) Three powerful earthquakes rocked the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago Thursday, generating a small tsunami… Wall Street Journal
After L.A. Wildfire, Danger of Mudslides
(October 8, 2009) The miles of trees and other hillside vegetation scorched away by the recent wildfire here has left the towns and homes in the area vulnerable to mud and debris slides in the coming rainy season… CS Monitor
Pacific Tsunami Warning Cancelled
(October 8, 2009) A Pacific tsunami warning issued following strong earthquakes off Vanuatu has been lifted… BBC
Typhoon Lashes Japan on Landfall
(October 8, 2009) A typhoon has struck Japan, killing two people and leaving a trail of damage across the centre of the country… BBC
In New Orleans, Home Floats To Withstand Floods
(October 7, 2009) Renowned architect, Thom Mayne, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, redesigned a house to float on vertical guideposts in case of flooding… NPR
Federal Report Cites Design Flaws in Dallas Practice Facility Collapse
(October 7, 2009) A federal agency Tuesday blamed the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility on a long series of design failures … Dallas News
Research & Professional News
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
Research at the Source of a Pennsylvania Flood
(October 27, 2009) While there were many witness accounts of the dam failure and the torrent of water that ensued, Dr. Davis Todd, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, was surprised to find that the beginnings of the Johnstown Flood of 1889 had never been rigorously assessed…NY Times
UK University to Study Carbon Reinforced Concrete
(October 22, 2009) Researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology have received $567,000 to explore how carbon fibres could improve the blast and impact resistance of conventional reinforced concrete…UK Engineer
New Way to Monitor Faults May Help Predict Earthquakes
(October 20, 2009) Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found a way to monitor the strength of geologic faults deep in the Earth - which could prove to be a boon for predicting earthquakes… Carnegie Institution for Science
Canadian Scientists Look for a Better Way to Build Bridges
(October 12, 2009) The National Research Council Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) has embarked on two new research projects designed to strengthen and enhance concrete bridge structures…Journal of Commerce
Recovery Act Funds Will Upgrade Earthquake Monitoring
(October 8, 2009) Grants totaling $5 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are being awarded to 13 universities nationwide to upgrade critical earthquake monitoring networks and increase public safety…USGS