a safer place to live

Transcription

1 Major Accomplishments a safer place to live Ask people anywhere in the world what they truly want, what they truly need, and the answers are usually simple and universal. Enough food to eat. Clean water to drink. Adequate shelter. And a safer place to live for their friends and family. Since our founding in 1996, motivated by the aftermath of Hurricane Iniki, PDC has served as a bridge between the scientific community and the professionals who plan for and respond to disasters. Providing technology and tools to help communities plan for, minimize damage from and respond quickly to disasters. But beyond the scientists, computers, applications, sophisticated modeling, 3-D visualization and geospatial data, what we at the Pacific Disaster Center work to provide is a fundamental human need. To foster disaster-resilient communities for people in Hawaii, the Asia Pacific region, and around the world. To help ensure a safer place to live. Fostering disaster-resilient communities through information, science and technology

2 Major Accomplishments pdc in action PDC continues to help emergency managers better prepare for and respond to disaster events by providing information products and support services for events and intensive training exercises throughout the year. disaster events In Hawaii Wildfires on Maui (JANUARY 07) and Oahu (AUGUST 07) Hurricane Flossie (AUGUST 07) In the Region Recovery operations from Kiholo Bay Earthquake (OctOBER 06 DecEMBER 07) Earthquake on Kuril Islands (JANUARY 07) Earthquake and tsunami near Solomon Islands: One of four instances in 2007 when PDC was selected to serve as Project Manager for an activation of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. (AprIL 07) exercise support Ongoing drought: PDC provided imagery and map products for remote areas of the Island of Hawaii for damage assessments, water-delivery system reconstruction, etc. (June DecEMBER 07) Flooding in Vietnam, during which PDC was instrumental in activating the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, and performed the role of Project Manager for the incident at the request of the USGS, the U.S. representative to the Charter (AUGUST 07 and SepTEMBER 07) Typhoons and storms in the Western Pacific including Amang, Super Typhoon Bebang, Chedeng, Egay, George, Jacob, Utor, to name a few. Participated and/or supported over 21 major exercises involving over 19 nations and territories, including: Hawaii annual state tsunami and hurricane exercises Joint civil-military disaster events and pandemic outbreak exercises in the Pacific Islands: Guam, American Samoa, Chuuk, Majuro, Palau, Saipan, Kwajalein and Yap Major multi-national simulation disaster response, tsunami, and earthquake exercises in Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore (ASEAN s annual ARDEX) PDC stands as an embedded and valuable partner throughout the Joint Operating Area on all phases of emergency management. LTG John M. Brown III Commanding General U.S. Army

3 Major Accomplishments Pacific Disaster Center has been a great supporter of USARPAC and other agencies who work in the disaster management arena. MG Patrick D. Wilson, Army National Guard regional Online SE Asia Disaster Inventory (OSADI) In 2007, PDC released the first and only disaster inventory application for Southeast Asia. This application offers advanced risk- assessment tools to the disaster management organizations of the ten nations in the region (ASEAN). The final release of the database was announced in October impact: With access to critical disaster-related information, and the ability to share it, emergency managers in SE Asia can now better plan for disaster risk reduction. Hazard Atlas for our Global Village PDC released an interactive Global Hazard Atlas to provide vital information to the public, disaster managers, agencies and organizations all over the world, much as the current Atlases do for our local, national and regional partners. Already, PDC offers tropical cyclone, earthquake, volcanoes, and a host of other event coverage worldwide, and our global rainfall data solution is nearing completion. impact: Disasters don t happen just in Hawaii or in the Asia Pacific region. With the global atlas, communities all around the globe will have access to the early detection and warning data necessary for enhanced disaster-resiliency. Vietnam Disaster Risk Reduction Program PDC, along with Vietnamese authorities, set the groundwork for improved disaster management and response in Vietnam and even introduced the concept of a Vietnam Disaster Center. As part of the project, a prototype of a Vietnam Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas was created, and specially tuned to work in areas with limited-bandwidth Internet connections. national Homeland Security Hawaii Hawaii Regional Secure Server Developed by PDC, this system allows the various state and federal U.S. agencies to exchange information quickly and securely, whether during disaster planning or response. Plume Modeling for Weapons of Mass Destruction PDC reviewed several models created to predict how plumes caused by release of harmful material would spread. This capability is essential for the disaster responders in planning for emergency evacuations. PDC will further explore these models to determine which will work best in response situations. impact: In the event of a security threat, getting the right information distributed to the right people as quickly as possible could save lives. PDC s tools and expertise serve as a central source to put vital information in the hands of the people who need it, quickly and reliably. Homeland Security National Methodology for Human-Induced and Natural Hazard Risk Analysis Risk and vulnerability analysis is used to identify measures that can potentially lessen the risks posed by disasters. But the various analysis tools use different methods, which made it difficult to get a comprehensive picture of risks. To overcome this, PDC worked to develop a common way to estimate how human-caused disasters and the impacts of natural hazards would affect people s livelihood and property. impact: A standard risk assessment methodology can provide an all-hazards view of impacts and support planning for disaster mitigation. impact: Setting the stage for major improvement to disaster management capabilities and capacity in Vietnam to reduce loss of life and property in the country.

4 hawaii Homeland Defense Avian Influenza and Pandemic PDC extended efforts to track the spread of avian influenza by working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to link various websites that track dead birds in Hawaii. We have also been working to secure funding to create models of how avian influenza might spread among people and animals. impact: Tracking the spread of avian flu can help communities plan for prevention and forecast where medical resources may be required. U.S. Army Pacific JTF-HD PDC offered Geographic Information System support for disaster management exercises conducted by the Joint Task Force Homeland Defense. Our contribution was found so important that we received funded support for all remaining JTF-HD missions in PDC is now recognized as an integral part of the original Mobile Training Teams who ran these exercises, and new teams that focus on airport disasters. impact: PDC s GIS support helps the decision makers gain situational awareness regarding an event and reduces time to respond with informed decisions. More Interactive Maps for Emergency Managers PDC s flagship Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas (Hawaii Edition), was loaded with powerful new weather tools, including software to better predict wind damage. Other map viewers based on the Atlas technology included: A new map service which incorporates the locations of farms and livestock which can be used to track animal disease outbreaks; Flood modeling A new Flood Map Viewer containing locations of all dams and waterways, which helps emergency managers understand the ways floods may affect people, property and infrastructure; A Dam Condition Status Map Viewer containing the latest information on the status and condition of all dams statewide. impact: These geospatial products were especially useful in support of the annual state hurricane exercise (known as Makani Pahili) in May 2007, as well as in anticipation of Hurricane Flossie in August Contributions to the State Hazard Mitigation Plan PDC made a major contribution to the Hawaii State Disaster Mitigation Plan by providing an entirely new reference section, listing tools and resources that federal, state and local agencies can use in planning for and responding to disaster events. Included in the document are the Hawaii Atlas, Hawaii HAZUS Atlas for earthquakes, Statewide Dam Condition Status map viewer for dam safety, and various fire hazard related viewers, fuel maps, and danger rating system. impact: This contribution helps communities better plan for disaster mitigation.

5 institutional development Flood Risk Assessment (Dam Break Modeling) In 2007, PDC took on a project to assess the risks for all dams in the state of Hawaii. To do this, we created new models and acquired new technology to help determine damage that might occur in the event of stream flooding and dam breaks. impact: Help decision makers take preventative action to reduce flood risk, and identify faster, more accurate response to save lives and property. Socio-Economic Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that disadvantaged populations (such as elderly, sick, poor, etc.) are more at-risk than others during a disaster. In 2007, PDC augmented its expertise and partnerships to scientifically measure how socio-economic factors influence risks and vulnerabilities of a community. impact: Understanding socio-economic factors that compound risks can help identify non- hazardrelated mitigation measures. 3-D Visualization Software that converts data into 3-dimensional images has become essential to communicating risks to non-experts and general public. PDC has been vigilant in investigating and implementing the newest and best tools available. For instance, we developed a program to visualize how people evacuate tall buildings in the event of a tsunami. Another program shows how floods would progress after a dam break. impact: Better technology increases public communication of risks, which can result in building safer, more disaster-resilient communities. Internship Programs We have a responsibility not just to the communities of today, but the communities of tomorrow. To help develop the next generation of technologists, we supported internships from Maui Community College, two interns from the Akamai summer program, and a new Ke ala Hele intern. We also created a new program for high-graduate interns to replace the former ECO internship program. The imagery and resources made available to disaster managers in this country have been invaluable in protecting lives, infrastructure and property by supporting sound, timely and well informed decision making. Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control, Vietnam

6 key conferences and workshops Avian Influenza Tabletop Exercise (Oahu) January U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (US IOTWS) Program Coordination Workshop (Washington DC) February Ninth meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (Vientiane, Laos) March Global Asia 2007 Security Conference (Singapore) March U.S. Pacific Command Operational Science and Technology Conference (Oahu) April 2-5 PACOM conference on International Law and MILOPS (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) April Third meeting of ASEAN s subcommittee on the Online Southeast Asia Disaster Inventory (OSADI) (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) April 23 Disaster Management Exchange (DME) hosted by the Government of Indonesia and TNI with support of United States Army Pacific and United States Air Force Pacific, (Indonesia) June Tempest Express 12 (TE-12), a multinational disaster-response tabletop exercise co-hosted by the Indonesian Armed Forces and U.S. Pacific Command Multinational Planning Augmentation Team, (Indonesia) June National Disaster Warning Center, Thailand conducted a twoday tabletop exercise, (Bangkok, Thailand) July Pacific Economic Cooperation Pact (APEC) Taskforce for Emergency Preparedness (Cairns, Australia) August EMI Americas Cluster Conference (Mexico City, Mexico) September China International Forum on Workplace Emergency Management & Rescue (Beijing, China) September Asia Pacific Homeland Security Summit & Exposition (Oahu) October 9-11 partnerships Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE-DMHA) Central Committee on Flood and Storm Control, Vietnam Department of Dyke Management and Flood and Storm Control, Vietnam Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii) (DLNR) Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI) Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) Hawaii State Civil Defense (HSCD and County Civil Defense Agencies) Hawaii Technology Development Venture Lockheed Martin Information Technology / MS2 Maui Community College National Disaster Warning Center, Thailand (NDWC) National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Biodiversity Information Forum Pacific Risk Management Ohana (PRiMO) South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and disaster managers representing 17 Pacific Island Nations and States Sun Microsystems United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) U.S. Department of Defense: Army National Guard Joint Task Force Homeland Defense (JTF-HD) Office of Naval Research (ONR) U.S. Army in the Pacific (USARPAC) U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) University of Hawaii (UH) Managing Partner: University of Hawaii Office of Research Services 2530 Dole Street, Sakamaki D-200 Honolulu, Hawaii N. Holopono Street, Suite 2 Kihei, Hawaii Phone (808) Fax (808) info@pdc.org Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) develops and applies information and technology solutions to foster disaster-resilient communities. PDC was established by the U.S. Government and is managed by the University of Hawaii. The content of this document does not reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Government.