Transforming Disaster Management: The Promise and Challenges of AI in Wildfire Damage Assessment

The aftermath of a major wildfire presents a grim landscape: communities devastated, homes reduced to ash, and recovery teams racing against time to assess the extent of the damage. In the U.S., a preliminary damage assessment supports a request for federal assistance through a Stafford Act Presidential Disaster Declaration. This often involves labor-intensive, on-the-ground fieldwork, …

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LA Fire Disaster: Protecting Children in Physical and Psychological Harm’s Way

The massive fire catastrophe in LA will be remembered as one of the most devastating disasters in modern U.S. history. Having worked on the prevention of, response to, and recovery from megadisasters for many years, I have watched how the devastation of such events impacts communities and people, especially people with important vulnerabilities like chronic …

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Columbia Climate School Showcase: Insights and Future Steps

A high school intern reflects on the Columbia Climate School Showcase and its key takeaways. Written by Michelle Rozenfeld, High School Intern at NCDP, Senior at Bergen County Academies As a society, it is evident that we are experiencing more exceptional extremes, both environmentally and socially, than we could have previously imagined for this time …

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Nearly two decades after Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast, what policies have changed?

A look at some key legislation since Hurricane Katrina. By Zayna Syed Streets that looked like canals, the Superdome surrounded by water, scores of displaced people on highway overpasses—these are some of the historic images that emerged from the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. As we approach the hurricane’s 19th anniversary, it is worth looking at how …

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Training Solutions: Enhancing Tribal Nations’ Readiness and Resilience

U.S. Tribal Nations have historically been disproportionately affected by disasters but without access to vital resources before, during, and after calamitous events. The risks to Tribal Nations only increase in the face of climate change, which will further exacerbate inequities and pose new challenges for Tribal communities. The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) of …

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NCDP 20th Anniversary Reflections and Impacts

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks and the anthrax exposures, centers throughout the United States were set up to prepare for and make our nation more resilient. In 2003, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), Columbia University, was founded to provide an academically based, interdisciplinary center focused on the capacity to prevent, respond to, and …

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