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
First Test of Seismic Invisibility Cloak
(February 6, 2013) The ability to steer electromagnetic waves around regions of space has revolutionised optics and sparked a global interest in Harry Potter-style invisibility cloaks. But it isn't only photons that are the target of these devices… MIT Technology Review
Earthquake-Safety Upgrades of Vulnerable Buildings in SF Laid Out
(February 6, 2013) After years of debate and study, San Francisco on Tuesday laid out a plan to make "soft-story" buildings more resilient during the next big earthquake … San Francisco Examiner
Are Scientists Underestimating 'Superquakes'?
(February 6, 2013) Over the past half-century, three 9.0 or higher 'superquakes' have hit the Pacific's Ring of Fire, pushing scientists to rethink their models of earthquake formation… Christian Science Monitor
Quake off Solomon Islands Triggers Deadly Tsunami
(February 6, 2013) Homes were damaged and at least five people have been reported dead after a tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake… BBC
Cascadia Earthquake, Tsunami Could Cost Oregon Economy $32 Billion
(February 6, 2013) The next great Cascadia subduction-zone earthquake will kill thousands in Oregon and cause at least $32 billion in economic losses unless … The Oregonian
DOT Releases $2B for Storm-Damaged Transit Systems
(February 6, 2013) The federal Department of Transportation is releasing $2 billion in emergency aid for transit systems affected by Superstorm Sandy… Wall Street Journal
Debate Over Rebuilding Beaches Post-Sandy Creates Waves
(January 30, 2013) Federal disaster aid for Superstorm Sandy could provide billions more for beach nourishment, and that's revived an old debate: Is this an effective way to protect against storms, or a counterproductive waste of tax dollars?… NPR
Congress Approves $51 Billion in Aid for Hurricane Victims
(January 29, 2013) Congress gave final approval on Monday to an emergency aid package of nearly $51 billion to help millions of victims of Hurricane Sandy, ending the legislation's long and complicated odyssey… New York Times
California Lawmaker Wants $80 Million for Earthquake Warning System
(January 29, 2013) State Sen. Alex Padilla is proposing a bill that would search for funding to pay for the installation and upgrade of underground sensors and other equipment to create what would be the nation's first earthquake early warning system… Los Angeles Times
Preparing the Foreign Community for Japan's Next Natural Disaster
(January 28, 2013) The annual disaster drill for foreign residents that was organized by the metropolitan government on Jan. 23 at the Edo-Tokyo Museum was aimed at offering information and raising participants' awareness about disaster response efforts… Japan Times
Natural Disasters? Let's Deal With Them
(January 28, 2013) No one else will say it, so here goes: New York City, Staten Island and the Jersey Shore should just give up and rebuild somewhere else… San Francisco Chronicle
Italy: Earthquake hits near Bologna
(January 25, 2013) An earthquake has shaken parts of northern Italy, forcing some residents onto the streets… BBC
Hurricane Sandy, Drought Cost U.S. $100 Billion
(January 25, 2013) The U.S. had the world's top two costliest natural disasters in 2012, according to a report released Thursday by global reinsurance firm Aon Benfield, based in London… USA Today
Massive Earthquakes Came as Surprise
(January 25, 2013) Scientists say some recent massive earthquakes surprised them because the Pacific locations weren't thought capable of producing earthquakes of their magnitude… UPI
How Indian Companies Are Tackling Natural Disasters
(January 25, 2013) Natural disasters and international political risk and instability have become key risks that cannot go unheeded… Economic Times
Northcom, FEMA Build on Hurricane Sandy Response Lessons
(January 24, 2013) The challenge now is to take lessons learned from the response to fix areas that need improvement and improve processes that went well… U.S. Department of Defense
Recovery Remains Spotty 3 Months After Hurricane
(January 23, 2013) Hurricane Sandy slammed into New York and New Jersey nearly three months ago but there is ample evidence that many people are still struggling in the aftermath of one of the most vicious storms to hit the region… New York Times
PennDesign to Combat Natural Disaster with Innovation
(January 23, 2013) This semester, Penn's School of Design is concentrating on tackling a multitude of urban problems that arose from Hurricane Sandy's destruction in Red Hook, New York and Pennsylvania Station in New York City… Daily Pennsylvanian
Seismic Activity Rose, Then Dropped After Sinkhole 'Burp'
(January 23, 2013) Scientists have noticed a recent increase in seismic activity near the 8.5-acre sinkhole at Bayou Corne, Louisiana, and worry that it might grow again, Assumption Parish officials say… Insurance Journal
Judge in L'Aquila Earthquake Trial Explains His Verdict
(January 22, 2013) Following his conviction of the seven commission members on 22 October, Judge Marco Billi had 90 days to make public his reasoning, and in the event did so with just three days to spare… Science
Is it Possible to Spot Earthquakes Before They Strike?
(January 22, 2013) Before the earthquake in L'Aquila, the bulk of scientific research into earthquake prediction focused on calculating the chance that a quake would strike a given region over the span of several years… Businessweek
Experts Urge Caution as $50 Billion in Sandy Aid Passes House
(January 18, 2013) The delay outraged politicians and residents from the Northeast, who blamed Washington for playing politics with desperately needed aid. But some scientists and engineers say there's danger in rushing ahead to rebuild a coastline that's sure to get hit again… NPR
UB Professors Help Prepare NY for Future Natural Disasters
(January 18, 2013) Chris Renschler and Adel Sadek were appointed to commissions New York Governor Andrew Cuomo created in response to the devastation left by the storm in October… The Spectrum
2010's Earthquake Detector
(January 17, 2013) If you ever find yourself moved to safe ground before a tsunami strikes, remember to thank your lucky stars and then IBM US Patent No.7,693,663 … Huffington Post
House Approves Hurricane Sandy Relief Package
(January 16, 2013) The House approved about $50 billion in relief for victims of Hurricane Sandy, a package designed to speed aid to devastated communities in New York and New Jersey… Washington Post
Potentially Earthquake-Unsafe Residential Buildings
(January 15, 2013) San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection has kept a preliminary list of potentially dangerous "soft-story" buildings since 2009, but inspectors say it has not been verified by actual building inspections, and was never intended for public consumption… San Francisco Public Press
Perfect Storm of Earthquake and Poor Governance Could Cripple Nepal
(January 14, 2013) Unregulated development in earthquake-prone Kathmandu means a repeat of the 1934 quake would be catastrophic… The Guardian
'Lack of National Plan' Heightens Struggle to Rebuild Unstable Haiti
(January 10, 2013) Political instability, natural disasters and a cholera epidemic, plus a confused aid effort, mean there is still work for Haiti to do… The Guardian
Why Earthquake off Sumatra Did Not Trigger a Devastating Tsunami
(January 10, 2013) Main shock was magnitude 8.6 but horizontal seafloor movement meant warning buoys only measured small waves… The Guardian
Scientists Trace How Deadly Earthquakes Can Creep Up On Us
(January 10, 2013) Some of the largest and deadliest earthquakes in recent years hit where earthquake hazard estimates didn't predict massive quakes; a detailed computer model of large earthquakes in Japan and Taiwan helps explain why… NBC News
Earthquake Engineering: Damage Avoidance Design
(January 9, 2013) Whilst the focus and priority must always be to reduce loss of life (through design codes), more can be done to reduce the economic impact and engineers can make a difference by looking beyond code towards damage avoidance design… The Engineer
Seismic Fabric Coming on the Market
(January 7, 2013) A glass fiber plastic composite material stabilizing building walls and reducing the consequences of earthquakes will soon be available commercially … Karlsruhe Institute of Technology News
Could Static Electricity Hold the Key to Predicting Earthquakes?
(January 7, 2013) Scientists are to launch an experiment which could allow them to predict earthquakes before they happen and potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives … The Daily Mail
Do Natural Disasters Breed Health Epidemics?
(January 7, 2013) Few post-disaster myths have a stronger hold on our imaginations than the specter of a follow-on epidemic… Popular Science