Disasterology: February 2024
This newsletter is a compilation of recent disaster ~things~ that I think are cool, important, or otherwise of interest to people who are intrigued with disaster (broadly defined).
There’s a little something for everyone!
Happy Weekend!
I come to you today with an old-school newsletter with plenty of links to keep you busy. You may be aware that journalism is in a bit of a free fall at the moment so I’m feeling extra grateful for the folks who have been able to get these stories published. The media is a critical stakeholder in emergency management. I know we usually focus on their role in response (for obvious life-saving reasons) but their work is just as important across the other phases.
If you can find ways to support journalists right now — especially at the local level, please do! We really need them.
*Waves* From New England
Recent storms/ flooding seem to have New Englanders spooked. Climate change is showing itself more regularly around here and folks are taking notice. The lobster industry in Maine is in full recovery mode. New Haven, Connecticut seems to be on track to hire a full-time emergency management director (!!!). Vermont is expediting mitigation grants to municipalities across the state. In Massachusetts, the governor is playing catch up with most other states in suggesting the creation of a statewide “disaster fund”. There’s also a new documentary out, Inundation District, that takes on the issue of the city building Seaport knowing full well what climate change was to bring. It’s screening all over the city if you’re local.
Recovery
In general recovery news: a new study analyzed GoFundMe donations and found wealthier people are able to raise more money post-disaster using the site. Another way inequity in recovery manifests.
We just passed the six-month anniversary of the fire on Maui. This article talks about the increasing fire risk for Hawaii. The Maui Police Department released a preliminary AAR which provides a map of where exactly deaths occurred, information not before made public. It’s worth looking through as it provides insights into how exactly the response unfolded. The big news was this very blunt article about Maui Emergency Management. In short, the agency is in desperate need of some new hires.
We also passed the first anniversary of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment in East Palestine. Grist has a really comprehensive article on the question of “Is the town safe?” If you’d prefer a video version, Bloomberg, made a short documentary.
Stragglers
On the fire front, Texas is battling the biggest wildfire in state history and this article is a good primer on the volunteer firefighter shortage across the country.
Here’s a fun (not fun) little article about the Disaster Relief Fund. My favorite part is how there is no interrogation as to why FEMA needs more money. Context, babes!
The End Bits
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In case you signed up for this newsletter without knowing who I am (a bold choice!) you can read my book Disasterology: Dispatches From The Frontlines of The Climate Crisis to catch up! You can read a USA Today review here, order it here, or get it as an audiobook here. You can also find more from me on my blog, listen to this episode of Ologies, or follow me on Twitter and Instagram where I impulsively narrate my every thought.
Finally, this newsletter is ~FREE~. I plan on keeping it that way because eliminating barriers to disaster knowledge is important. However, I’ve created a “paid subscriber” option for $5 a month or whatever you’d like to give if you’re interested in supporting this work.