**FEMA Higher Education Conference**

**Online Teaching Using Web-based Hazard and Disaster Research Tools**

**1^st^ Round of Tuesday, June 5^th^, Afternoon Breakout Session**

**Stacy Peerbolte, M.A. CEM**

**stacypeerbolte@hotmail.com**

**June 5, 2007**

**Online Teaching Using**

**Web-based Hazard and Disaster Research Tools**

[Presenters: 3](#presenters)

[Suggested Assignments/Course Structure
4](#suggested-assignmentscourse-structure)

[Application 5](#application)

[Hazard Weather Related Websites 6](#hazard-weather-related-websites)

[General 6](#general)

[Drought 6](#drought)

[Earthquake 6](#earthquake)

[Hurricane 7](#hurricane)

[Tsunam 7](#tsunam)

[Volcano 7](#volcano)

#  

**Online Teaching Using**

**Web-based Hazard and Disaster Research Tools**

# Presenters:

Fred May, Ph.D. Jacksonville State University, Institute for Emergency
Preparedness, Jacksonville, Alabama

Jennifer Davey, MHA, MSEM, Emergency Management Specialist, Children's
Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA

This breakout session explored the research process and several research
tools available to emergency managers enabling him//her to understand
hazards and their behaviors.

Emergency managers as generalist are responsible for a general body of
knowledge.

Existing hazard websites makes it easier to provide emergency management
agencies with professional data/information to answer critical needs
questions in a timely manner.

The objective of the session was to demonstrate how student assignments
can relate to using and implementing research tools.

While hazard based resources was previously challenging to find, today,
Web-based hazard resources are available for use by the general public.
The following are examples of resources available for use by emergency
managers and those teaching in the field:

-   SNOTEL

-   Interactive Weather Information Network

-   WaterWatch

-   National Geophysical Data Center

-   National Drought Mitigation Center

-   National Hurricane Center

-   ReliefWeb

Jsu.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=bin/common/course.pl?course_id=36586_i

## Suggested Assignments/Course Structure

The following session contains suggested assignments emergency
management educators can use in the classroom using hazard based web
resources. Ensure students are aware of the fact that although you are
presenting information to them and asking the to analyze data, subject
matter experts may be better versed to do this prior to and during an
event. Instruction is focused on awareness for the generalist.

1.  Have the students prepare a line graph showing the wind speed for
    the Hurricane Katrina reporting period, as shown at the National
    Hurricane Center [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/)

Hurricane Katrina Wind Speed Graph

<http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/.articles/20050921/TZWorksheet.asp>

2.  Rain events and river hydrographs/Flash flooding from severe rain
    events

-   Research tool-interactive weather information network (win)
    real-time weather advisories

-   Research tool-US geological survey-waterwatch-realtime information
    on stream flows.

-   Research tool-GOES satellites-real-time satellite imagery of the
    earth

3.  Create a basic scenario and using the resources below, ask the
    students to conduct a study of what is taking place in their state.

<http://140.90.6.254/iwinmain.html>

> <http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch>

4.  Using the resources below, have the students find five years of
    continuous data where there was a drought in the state. Have the
    students demonstrate their findings.

> [www.dought.unl.edu/dm](http://www.dought.unl.edu/dm)
>
> <http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/.comiate/.online>

5.  Semester Term Paper Suggestion

> Using the Bhujarat Earthquake (India), have the students pull together
> disaster relief agency data from Reliefweb. Using strictkly
> quantitative data, students can also graph the event. The first report
> will start out low until the search and rescue teams arrive. After
> teams arrive, students will see the casualty list will begin to rise.
> Have students keep the data daily.
>
> If the curve is going up steep, then it is a good disaster recovery
> operation. If the curve goes up gradually, then the response may not
> be as efficient.

## Application

Looking at the data enables emergency managers to identify risks and
predict the impact of a specific hazard on community. Living within the
hazard area of the most dangerous volcano in North American, Mt. Rainer,
Ms. Davy's community of 100,000 people live in lahar debris areas. A
lahar is a debris flow off the mountain caused by stream vents flowing
down from the mountain and hits the rivers\... Ms. Davey, an Emergency
Manager at a Seattle based hospital shared how she has used hazard
website in her emergency planning activities.

Ms. Davy uses the hazard website information to determine the risks to
staff, community, and the business as a whole. For example, while her
hospital is not directly impacted by the volcanic activity of Mt.
Rainer, many of her staff lives in areas that are likely to effected in
the event of volcanic activity. Ms. Davy monitors the Cascades Volcano
Observatory (<http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/framework.html>) to
determine whether there is volcanic activity that will influence the
staffing levels at her facility. This becomes particularly problematic
since volcanoes have the ability to put ash into the air. The volcanic
ash in the air may result in an increase in patients at her facility.
Ms. Davy uses the segment, Living with Volcanoes from the USGS to
educate her staff on how to prepare for volcanic emergencies
<http://vulcan.wr/.usgs.gov/LivingWith/frameworks.html>. Locally, Ms.
Davy uses the intranet to educate staff on volcano warning systems,
volcano alert levels, and eruption prediction levels.

# Hazard Weather Related Websites

## General

National Weather Service

<http://nws.noaa.gov/>

Relief Web

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc100?OpenForm

Weather Advisories

<http://nws.noaa.gov/>

Climate Data for precipitation

[www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html](http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html)

USGS Water Watch

<http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/>

National Resources Convention Center

<http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/>

NOAA Satellite and Information Center

<http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/>

## Drought

National Drought Mitigation Center

<http://drought.unl.edu/>

National Weather Center

Hydrologic Information Center

<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/current/drought/>

## Earthquake

Earthquake Information Network

<http://www.eqnet.org/>

Pacific Northwest Seismic Network

<http://www.pnsn.org/welcome.html>

USGS Earthquake Center

<http://earthquake.usgs.gov/>

## Hurricane

National Hurricane Center

<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>

## Tsunam

NOAA Center for Tsunami Research

<http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/>

NOAA Ocean Acoustics

<http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/acoustics.html>

## Volcano

Volcano World

<http://volcano.und.edu/>

Alaska Volcano Observatory

<http://www.avo.alaska.edu/>

Cascades Volcano Observatory

<http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/>