U.S. Army Spc. Pam Anderson applies first-aid medical attention to an elderly man during flood relief operations just outside of Winona, Minnesota, August 20, 2007.
Staff Sgt. Daniel Ewer, U.S. Army
New research shows that older people are especially at risk during and after natural disasters, and may need medical help or other support well after relief operations end.
In an emergency, responders’ telecommunications could get delayed by overloaded networks.
City of Hampton, Virginia
Irrespective of whether climate change contributed to the thunderstorm in Melbourne last week, we can be sure Australia’s climate projections herald new risks to health that cannot be ignored.
Why didn’t we learn the lessons from earlier thunderstorm asthma events?
from www.shutterstock.com
Melbourne’s recent thunderstorm asthma event caught services by surprise. So, is it time for a national health protection agency to coordinate our public health response?
Post-Matthew flooding in eastern North Carolina.
U.S. Army National Guard/Flickr
Why do some people evacuate ahead of disasters while others stay put? The rising death toll from Hurricane Matthew shows that often the poor and vulnerable are least able to move.
Houses are destroyed by tsunami floods following the magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011.
Reuters/EPA
We can’t predict or prevent tsunamis you can improve your chances of staying safe by understanding the risk, being prepared and acting quickly when disaster strikes.
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
As Atlantic hurricane season opens on June 1, eastern U.S. cities can prepare by updating laws, codes and ordinances that hamper rebuilding after storms.
116 houses were lost at Wye River in Victoria, but nobody was killed.
AAP Image/Julian Smith
Why do people still die in bushfires? Recent fires have triggered a debate about emergency warnings.
While firefighters battled widespread fires in New South Wales in October 2013, hundreds of thousands of people turned to social media and smartphone apps for vital updates.
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
Terry Flew, Queensland University of Technology and Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology
When disaster strikes, more people than ever are turning to social media to find out if they’re in danger. But Australian emergency services need to work together more to learn what works to save lives.
Children from a village in Papua New Guinea’s Western Highlands Province stand in one of countless sweet potato gardens destroyed by frost across the country, August 2015.
Kud Sitango
Papua New Guinea is now facing a drought and frosts that look set to be worse than 1997, when hundreds of people died. So how can memories of 1997 save lives over the next few months?
Mathematical models can help allocate medical resources.
UNMEER/flickr
You may think your social media friends are only good for keeping you up with all the latest gossip and trends but research published today has found they can also help save you in the event of any natural…
On November 22, the national police non-emergency 101 and the NHS 111 services suffered disruption as a result of a technical fault in the Vodafone national network. This meant that people wishing to report…
Emergencies can happen at the zoo. Staff train to be prepared.
Yuriko Nakao/Reuters
You need only look at the papers or television news to see the reports. Infectious disease outbreaks, weather emergencies and disasters both natural and man-made. They’re all not just threats to human…
Can social media keep you safe from disasters?
Flickr/Jim
Given the popularity of Facebook and Twitter, it’s not surprising so many people use social media in crises such as floods, fires and earthquakes. Facebook has introduced Safety Check, a new tool for users…
What’s left of homes after bushfires swept through Warrandyte, in Victoria, in January.
AAP Image/Joe Castro
When disaster strikes – such as January’s bushfire in Victoria or the recent cold spell that froze much of north America – it’s vital for emergency services to get the latest information. They need to…
Boots on the ground, but who’s talking into their earpieces?
Sean Dempsey/PA
Forecasters predict a wetter than normal start to March that will no doubt hamper efforts to bring an end to the misery of those whose homes are underwater. These extended floods and bad weather reveal…