A new article reiterates that seawalls may increase erosion rates of beaches, so while they (temporarily) protect what’s behind them, it’s at the expense of the beach in front of them. “We thought we could engineer and control nature by these techniques, but you’re fighting a losing battle,” [Rick Murray of Scituate, MA] said. “And […]
Author Archive | Wesley Shaw
New Funding Opportunity from Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant Programs
Posted on December 15, 2010
This notice on a new funding opportunity just in from our good friends at the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. The Gulf of Mexico regional Sea Grant programs and their partners (Ocean Research Priorities Plan, NOAA Coastal Storms Program, NOAA Coastal Services Center, and the EPA Gulf of Mexico Program) are pleased to announce a multi-disciplinary […]
Comprehensive (and Free!) Emergency Management Outreach Toolkit
Posted on December 10, 2010
. . . and when I say “comprehensive,” I mean “comprehensive.” Ready.gov has come out with an emergency preparedness outreach plan they’re calling Resolve to be Ready in 2011, and it includes everything from press releases, newsletters, and links to videos to (are you ready for this?) tweets that you can cut and paste to […]
[UPDATE: FULL] Coastal GIS Training Jan 11-16: Gautier, MS
Posted on December 8, 2010
NOTE: CLASS IS FULL Course announcement from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources: Introduction to Coastal GIS January 11-16, 2011 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Each Day Why You Should Attend GIS technology is quickly advancing and is now being used in an ever expanding variety of ways. One of the more popular uses is […]
UN Program Tries to Make Cities More Climate Ready
Posted on December 7, 2010
No targeting funding for communities, but the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction may help with coordination. For more info, see the United Nations Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready website.
Best Practices for Effective Hurricane Communication
Posted on December 6, 2010
Louisiana State University has released a great brochure on best practices for communicating about hurricane risks. It’s short, simple, and it makes sense. Here’s the meat of it, broken down by audience: GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS Be Proactive in Educating the Public: Gaining compliance during a hurricane requires year-round efforts. Waiting until the storms hit invites disaster. […]
New Climate Change Adaptation Tools
Posted on December 2, 2010
Last month, ICLEI (founded as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, but now going by “ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability”) released some new tools as part of their new climate adaptation program for local governments. While the program isn’t specifically targeting coastal communities, most of the resources they’re sharing will be useful for those working […]
While the Debate Continues, Sea Levels Keep Rising [CASE STUDY]
Posted on December 1, 2010
Interesting article on how one town (Norfolk, VA) is struggling with rising sea levels and shrinking budgets. If only this were a novel conundrum. . . . “Front-Line City in Virginia Tackles Rise in Sea“.
Why and How Businesses (and Municipalities) can Prepare for Disasters
Posted on November 17, 2010
The folks over at the Education Disaster Education Network (EDEN) have come up with a brief video explaining why it’s so critical that businesses develop a business continuity and disaster preparedness plan. Easy enough to translate most of it for municipal offices/departments, too. Worth a quick watch, and a good outreach tool you can use […]
FEMA Now Offering Live Chat with Map Specialists
Posted on November 9, 2010
This in the latest newsletter from FEMA: The FEMA Map Information eXchange (FMIX) is pleased to announce a new exciting service: Live Chat. Live Chat will allow FEMA stakeholders to interact with Map Specialists real-time via an online forum. Specialists can field inquiries pertaining to a wide variety of topics including Letters of Map Change, […]