Emergency and Disaster Management Commons^™

Estimated Time Of Restoration (Etr) Guidance For Electric Distribution Networks, David Wanik, Emmanouil Anagnostou, Brian Hartman, Thomas Layton

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Electric distribution utilities have an obligation to inform the public and government regulators about when they expect to complete service restoration after a major storm. In this study, we explore methods for calculating the estimated time of restoration (ETR) from weather impacts, defined as the time it will take for 99.5% of customers to be restored. Actual data from Storm Irene (2011), the October Nor’easter (2011) and Hurricane Sandy (2012) within the Eversource Energy-Connecticut service territory were used to calibrate and test the methods; data used included predicted outages, the peak number of customers affected, a ratio of how many …

Local Residents’ Risk Perceptions In Response To Shale Gas Exploitation: Evidence From China, Chin-Hsien Yu, Shih-Kai Huang, Ping Qin, Xiaolan Chen

Research, Publications & Creative Work

In 2014, China became the world’s third country to accomplish shale gas commercial development, following the United States and Canada. China still however lacks a comprehensive analysis of its public’s concerns about potential environmental risks of shale gas exploration, particularly those of local residents near extraction sites. This paper specifically aims to explore risks perceived as associated with shale gas development in the Changning-Weiyuan area of Sichuan Basin, by conducting a face-to-face household survey with 730 participants interviewed. Some 86% of respondents reported their belief that shale gas exploitation causes more than three types of negative impacts, the most commonly …

Perceptions And Reactions To Tornado Warning Polygons: Would A Gradient Polygon Be Useful?, Ihnji Jon, Shih-Kai Huang, Michael K. Lindell

Research, Publications & Creative Work

To better understand interpretations of National Weather tornado warning polygons, 145 participants were shown 22 hypothetical scenarios in one of four displays deterministic polygon, deterministic polygon + radar image, gradient polygon, and gradient polygon + radar image. Participants judged each numerical strike probability (ps ) and reported the likelihood of taking seven different response actions. The deterministic polygon display produced ps that were highest at the centroid and declined in all directions from there. The deterministic polygon + radar display, the gradient polygon display, and the gradient polygon + radar display produced ps that were high at the centroid and …

Preparing For The Future: 2017–2018 Annual Report

University of Nebraska's National Strategic Research Institute: Publications

3 Letter from the Executive Director Robert Hinson

4 About NSRI-- Combatting WMD. Focusing on Deterrence.

6 Key Accomplishments/ Highlights of Business Operations Research Focus Areas

8 Nuclear Detection and Forensics

10 Active and Passive Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction

12 Detection of Chemical and Biological Weapons

14 Consequence Management

16 Mission-Related Research

18 Education & Training

20 Student & Faculty Engagement

22 NSRI/NU Key Journal Articles, 2017–2018

23 NSRI Board of Directors

Creation Of Micro/Nano Surface Structures On Silver Using Collinear Double Femtosecond Laser Pulses With Different Pulse Separation, Nicholas Roth, Craig Zuhlke, Edwin Peng, Scott Hansen, Jeffrey E. Shield, Dennis Alexander

University of Nebraska's National Strategic Research Institute: Publications

Self-organized mound-like micro/nanoscale structures are reported for the first time on silver using a dual-pulse femtosecond laser surface processing technique. The dual-pulse laser processing technique reported in this paper uses femtosecond laser pulse pairs with a controlled temporal delay between the leading and trailing pulses. Using dual pulses at higher fluence values, mound-like micro/nanostructures have been created on silver samples for the first time. Formation of the self-organized microstructures is shown to be dependent on the time delay between the leading and trailing pulses. Mound-like microstructures do not develop on silver for overlapped pulses or using single-pulse femtosecond laser surface …

Designing Effective Tsunami Messages: Examining The Role Of Short Messages And Fear In Warning Response, Jeannette Sutton, Sarah C. Vos, Michele M. Wood, Monique Turner

Communication Faculty Publications

Although tsunamis have the potential to be extremely destructive, relatively little research on tsunami messaging has taken place. Discovering whether tsunami warning messages can be written in a way that leads to increased protective response is crucial, particularly given the increased use of mobile message services and the role they play in notifying the public of imminent threats such as tsunami and other hazards. The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of designing warning messages for tsunamis that improve upon message style and content used by public alerting agencies to date and to gain insight that can …

Victim-Group Legitimacy: An Argument For Extending Our Understanding Of Legitimacy After Crisis, Cody Blake Wilson

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Organizational legitimacy has been useful approach to studying relationship management in crisis. This presentation suggests an expansion of organizational legitimacy theory: victim-group legitimacy. Multiple recent cases of crisis involving historically marginalized groups (HMGs) suggest that organizations may not be fully prepared to respond to crises involving HMGs. Recent cases also suggest that publics now routinely see modern crises as chapters within larger marginalization narratives. Victim-group legitimacy acts as a framework for evaluating, interpreting, and responding to not only the crisis at hand, but the historical crisis between an organization and HMGs.

Social Media Use During Natural Disasters: An Analysis Of Social Media Usage During Hurricanes Harvey And Irma, Larry J. King

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

This paper examines the use of social media in two recent national disasters and provides conclusions about the use of social media in these types of events.

A Case Study Of Veteran And Civilian Student Academic Performance At The University Of Central Florida, Floyd C. Diehl Jr

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study seeks to provide a brief overview of academic standards and performance of veterans of the United States military and civilians who attend the University of Central Florida. Whether a student is a veteran or a civilian, he or she must learn how to adapt to the requirements of an academic community in order to be successful in that environment. It may be difficult for some. In able for society to discern the importance of the academic performance of both veterans and civilians alike, research is vital. There are various assumptions about veterans. For example, it can be assumed …

Agenda Setting, Localization And The Third-Person Effect: An Experimental Study Of When News Content Will Directly Influence Public Policy Demands, Thomas Jamieson, Douglas A. Van Belle

Emergency Services Faculty Publications

Building from the third-person effect model of DRR policy adoption and mediated policy learning, this study provides an experimental examination of how specific elements of news media’s localisation of distant events directly influence public opinion. Controlling for salience effects, the construction of affinities between the distant, stricken community and the newspaper’s audience is argued to create a sense of shared vulnerability to the reported disasters. This is correlated within an increase in the respondent’s intention to act directly and an increase in their willingness to punish elected officials who do not act accordingly. The construction of difference between the communities, …

“When One Shingle Sends Up Smoke”: The Summit Beacon Advises Akron About The Epidemic Cholera, 1849, Elizabeth Hall

Nineteenth-Century Ohio Literature

Elizabeth Hall explains the American cholera epidemic of 1849, with special attention to how cholera afflicted Akron, a booming canal town in Northeast Ohio. The article presents the full text of 1849 Akron newspaper articles on cholera and explains how their mix of good and bad information was published right before scientific breakthroughs in cholera research.

The Economic Impact Of The Oso Landslide: A Hedonic Approach, Sarah Pratt

All Master's Theses

Mass wasting, or landslides, commonly occurs in Washington State, posing risk to individuals residing in the area. The 2014 Oso landslide, the deadliest mass-wasting event in United States history, increased awareness for mass-wasting hazards in western Washington. Studying single-family homes from 2004-2017, this research uses a hedonic property model to measure consumer willingness to pay for a home in a mass-wasting hazard area after the Oso landslide and finds that home values in Snohomish County decreased by 11% after the Oso disaster.

Participatory Gis As A Tool For Stakeholder Engagement In Building Resilience To Sea Level Rise: A Demonstration Project, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Pragati Rawat, Carol Considine, Michelle Covi, Burton St. John Iii, J. Gail Nicula, Khairul A. Anuar

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

This article describes a participatory geographical information system (PGIS) demonstration project used as part of the stakeholder engagement efforts undertaken by the Citizen Engagement Working Group of the Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness and Resilience Intergovernmental Planning Pilot Project. The PGIS demonstration project was conducted in the Little Creek/Pretty Lake case study area in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern coastal Virginia. PGIS served as a deliberative and participatory mechanism to obtain local knowledge from residents about the location of valued assets within the community and locations challenged by increased flooding and sea level rise. The PGIS application, using …

Toward Better Management Of Flood Losses: Flood Insurance In A Wetter World, Michael K. Mcshane, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf

Finance Faculty Publications

Flood is the most frequent and costly of U.S. natural disasters with losses expected to increase due to climate change. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) mandates flood insurance purchase for properties with federally backed mortgages in the 100-year floodplain. We propose that mandatory flood insurance purchase be extended to all property in the 500-year floodplain. Following flood events, payments would be directly provided for more properties that suffer flood loss, reducing federal disaster aid spending. The mandate could put more pressure on local governments to increase their Community Rating System score, such as through infrastructure investments and management practices …

Oregon Nonprofit Disaster Preparedness: Finding From The 2018 Survey, Grace L. Chikoto-Schultz, Andrew Russo, Paul Manson, Jim White

The Nonprofit Institute Research

This report summarizes results from a survey administered in spring 2018 to 501(c)(3) charitable benefit nonprofit organizations across Oregon. The survey was developed by Portland State University in collaboration with the City Club of Portland’s Earthquake Report Advocacy Committee (CCERAC) and the Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO), following Sutton & Tierney’s (2006) and Ritchie, Tierney, & Gilbert’s (2010) classification and previous survey. Based on the survey distribution process, primarily through NAO, PSU’s Nonprofit Institute, and other nonprofit and public agencies’ networks, these survey results are based on a convenience sample of nonprofits that responded to the survey. As such, the …