Category: Spring 2023

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California is Improving Disaster Preparedness and Response Through Wildfire Modeling

Firefighters during the 2015 Valley Fire in Lake County, California. Photo courtesy of Reuters.

Increased incidences of natural disasters such as wildfires are an expected byproduct of climate change. Wetter winters, drier summers, and hotter temperatures are predicted for North America’s west coast in coming years, with recent atmospheric rivers putting California in even further danger of a worsened wildfire season. In preparation for a major fire disaster, California must leverage modern technologies such as wildfire spread models.

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Dunqing Li’s Mitigation Brief on the Great East Japan Earthquake

Survivors of the 2011 tsunami walk down a street recently cleared of debris. Photo courtesy of Direct Relief.

In this report, Dunqing Li analyzes different mitigation strategies that could be used to prevent the impact of natural disasters like the Great East Japan Earthquake that took place on March 11, 2011. The deaths and destruction caused by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor failure exemplify why mitigation strategies are needed to reduce the damage in the event of natural disasters.

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Syed Ali Husain’s Mitigation Strategies Brief on the Great East Japan Earthquake

House destroyed by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) is a devastating disaster that took place on March 11, 2011 off the coast of Honshu Island. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake was consequently followed by a series of other disastrous events, including a tsunami and a nuclear incident. In the aftermaths of the disaster, recovery in affected regions was negatively impacted by inadequate water supply. Local officials have made great efforts to improve the region’s water supply system since the disaster.

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Shatabdee Hawlader’s Mitigation Brief on the Great East Japan Earthquake

The east bank of Japan after floodwaters receded. Photo courtesy of Wiki Images.

The Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami are among the largest natural disasters in written history. In a mitigation brief, Swatabde Hawlader analyzed the disaster recovery and reconstruction process following the March 11, 2011 event.

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Himani Chhetri’s Mitigation Brief on the Great East Japan Earthquake

An emergency response worker searching through rubble after the tsunami. Courtesy of Wiki Images.

Known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, a magnitude 9.0 – 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Honshu, Japan produced a deadly tsunami on March 11, 2011. The earthquake is currently the strongest in Japan’s recorded history. Not only was the event destructive but many mitigation strategies implemented by the Japanese Government prior to the disaster failed when the tsunami made landfall.

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Olivia Ducharme’s Mitigation Brief on the Great East Japan Earthquake

An earthquake off the coast of Japan produced a fatal tsunami that made landfall on March 11, 2011. Known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the 9.0 – 9.1 magnitude quake produced a natural disaster that took 20,000 people’s lives. The tsunami devastated homes and infrastructure, causing an ensuing accident at a power plant.

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Yemima Prophète’s Mitigation Brief on the Montserrat Volcano

The previously dormant Montserrat Volcano located in the Soufrière Hills on the Caribbean island of Montserrat erupted in 1995. The explosion released ash for months, changing the island’s landscape. Nineteen lives were lost in the disaster, and communities in the vicinity of the volcanic eruption were forced to evacuate. The tragedy also laid bare existing economic and social issues in the region.

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Sophia Zuniga’s Case Study on the 2018 Parkland Shooting

Protesters hold signs at a rally protesting gun violence in 2018.

The Parkland Shooting Massacre was one of America’s top three deadliest mass shootings. The shooting took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. Using a semi-automatic AR-15, shooter Nikolas Cruz shot thirty-four people, killing seventeen. The shooting prompted discussions on gun control policies, policies in response to gun violence, and young people’s participation in politics.

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Nelia Ekeji’s Mitigation Brief on Mount St. Helens’ 1980s Eruption

The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 in Washington. Photo courtesy of Jasper Nance, Flickr.

Deemed one of the most deadly volcanic eruptions in history, Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. The eruption destroyed miles of land and infrastructure, killing fifty-seven people. Since the eruption, there had been many developments in volcano forecasting technology, as well as structural and non-structural mitigation strategies.

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