Categories
Crisis Public Health

Severe Flooding in Yellowstone Park

Did you hear about the Major Disaster Declaration last week over the severe flooding in Yellowstone Park?

Last week, US President Biden approved Montana’s request for a major disaster declaration, which sets in motion federal aid for the three counties devastated by severe flooding in Yellowstone Park.

Per the Washington Post, the unprecedented destruction has left many people in the region uneasy about their futures. Extreme weather, from record-breaking heat waves to raging wildfires to more powerful hurricanes, is accelerating as global temperatures rise, destroying livelihoods and putting strain on all kinds of communities just like Yellowstone. Recent news are reporting many residents being stranded and lost their homes.

Photo Credit WP
Map of affected area – Credit: NWS

From one of my research studies on severe flooding (upcoming in-press publication coming soon) included interviews and focus groups of people who were flooded in the UK. From this research, many people reported feeling skeptical after a severe flood that change for the best will happen to them locally despite the news coverage and financial support (which tend to be limited amount and difficult to access). Some of this skeptical feeling was said to be connected to lack of awareness and support felt once the news coverage and financial support disappeared.

Categories
Crisis Global Health Research

What role does corruption play in worsening so-called ‘natural disasters’?

What role does corruption play in worsening so-called ‘natural disasters’? (Hint – there are no natural disasters!) With recent “bomb cyclone,” natural hazards could create disasters but in many cases, corruption in development and infrastructure exacerbate the situation with buildings and houses that collapse (which shouldn’t).

Colleagues and I from UNSW, UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, University of Sydney, Harvard Medical School, & SEEDS explored this question while systematically reviewing the academic literature concerning the degree to which corruption worsens naturally-triggered disasters in the built environment. The early view of our research is now published at Wiley ODI Disasters scientific journal (link).

Categories
Crisis Public Health

Climate change and Hurricane Ida

The situation with Hurricane Ida is very concerning especially with ongoing power outages and extreme weather conditions. Though recently downgraded to tropical depression yesterday, climate change helped make Hurricane Ida one of Louisiana’s worst storm.