Good Morning…

 Welcome back to Disaster Discourse Monthly! In this issue, we discuss the Big One, presidential alert spoofing and flooding in New Orleans.

Not quite the “Big One”…

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in southern California, which left a scar that’s visible from space, has awoken many to the real possibility of the “Big One” and made projects like the “HayWired scenario” even more relevant. As Hagerty’s Executive Chairman, Brock Long, writes, at least for the first 24-72 hours after an earthquake, communities will have to rely on their own preparedness efforts.

On disaster funded denied…

Biloxi, MS sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the agency denied the city’s claims for $15.5 million in disaster relief, claiming the city did not consider cost when hiring contractors. This issue underlines once again the importance of due diligence in the disaster relief funding process.

When it rains…

Coastal scientist Alexander Kolker shares his experiences from Hurricane Barry and how the threat of flooding affects preparedness in New Orleans.

The dark side of the blackouts…

The former Director of Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management Robert Lewin sheds light on the unforeseen, potential consequences of California’s new Public Safety Power Shutdowns (PSPS), especially for vulnerable populations.

In public/private partnerships…

Since 2017, the Disaster Relief by Amazon team has used the company’s extensive supply chain to support communities affected by disasters.

Presidential fakes…

Researchers have recently revealed that the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system the government uses for presidential alerts could easily be the target of a spoofing attack.