Good Morning…

Happy 2020, and welcome back to Disaster Discourse Monthly! We’re beginning this year (and decade) by looking at the state of Puerto Rico, back at 2019’s climate, and forward to emerging technologies in emergency management.

2019 in Review…

Unfortunately, last year was record-breaking. The extreme weather incidents across the US broke over 120,000 daily records. These events have caused communities around the US and the world to declare “climate emergencies.”

It’s in the Air…

Microsoft just announced its plans to remove its carbon footprint, and another tech company has created an innovative accessory as a personal solution to air pollution. Air pollution is nothing new, and recent research shows how our DNA has evolved to combat it.

Innovation in the Industry…

Evolving technology and new insights could help the emergency management community better address disasters. Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate sheds light on how machine learning tools could help stakeholders better test and prepare for multiple scenarios. While a new report by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine suggests that FEMA should shift from supplying aid materials to rebuilding local supply chains.

The Race for a Better Screening System…

A new AI program from Google Health has proven more effective at recognizing breast cancer than leading radiologists, which could lead to reduced anxiety and fewer false results and invasive biopsies for patients.

The Importance of the Whole Community Support

Volunteers are an integral part of response efforts following a disaster, especially in rural areas where fire and EMS volunteers are essential and slowly declining. A recent example comes from the Camp and Paradise Fires, where volunteers helped rescue over 4,000 animals.

Disaster After Disaster…

Just this month, Puerto Rico has been shaken by over 1,000 earthquakes, including a magnitude 5.9. The federal government has approved billions of dollars of aid for the island, with some restrictions.