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Articles on Disaster planning

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A storm caused flooding in the CBD as it swept through Hobart. Patrick Gee/The Mercury. Used with permission

Lessons in resilience: what city planners can learn from Hobart’s floods

Managing flood risk is not just ‘good planning’; it requires commitment to resilient cities by land developers, politicians and communities. Effective response means learning from mistakes.
Fallen trees and power lines are two of the main hazards that could have been reduced with better planning for cyclones. Geoff Whalan/Flickr

Lessons not learned: Darwin’s paying the price after Cyclone Marcus

After Cyclone Tracy, you’d expect Darwin of all cities to be ready for the next one. But as the clean-up after Cyclone Marcus continues, it’s clear more must be done to increase the city’s resilience.
If more people live in the Adelaide Hills, they are more likely to be exposed to bushfires. David Mariuz/AAP

Natural hazard risk: is it just going to get worse or can we do something about it?

What decisions can we make today to reduce the future risk of hazards like floods and fire? Particularly in a time of climate change, modelling various plausible futures helps us plan for uncertainty.
Mass evacuations in response to natural disasters like Hurricane Maria are a logistical challenge, but also face psychological barriers to residents being willing and able to leave. EPA

Psychology holds key to getting people out before disaster strikes

Promoting individual resilience will contribute to reductions in disaster threats for at-risk communities globally.
Damage from Irma can be seen in this photo of Kelly McClenthen in Bonita Springs, Florida, as she returned to her home Sept. 11, 2017. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

What do hospitals do in a hurricane? Use their own emergency plans

Even in areas predicted to take direct hits from hurricanes and other storms, hospitals must do all they can to stay open. It isn’t an easy task, but preparation and practice help.
Poorly resourced small towns like Marysville often struggle to recover from disasters like the Black Saturday bushfires. Andrew Brownbill/AAP

We can learn a lot from disasters, and we now know some areas don’t recover

Rebuilding small communities on the same site in the same way seldom works. It’s not about getting back to where you were, but rather grasping the opportunity to create a more resilient place.
The scene in Nice the morning after the July 14 terror attack – during which an emergency-warning app failed to give timely notice. Michel Abada

When disaster-response apps fail

The solution to emergency communications: redundancy, redundancy, redundancy.
Throw another one on. Researchers tested plant flammability using a blow torch and barbecue. Sarah Wyse

Low flammability plants could help our homes survive bushfires

You might think having trees around your home is the worst idea during a bushfire, but some plants can actually help repel fire.

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