disaster response Archives - State of the Planet

Flooding in California: What Went Wrong, and What Comes Next

Climate School experts help to explain this devastating weather and what it means in the broader conversation of climate change and disaster response.

by |January 12, 2023
map shows total enacted bills by state

New Climate School Report Details State Policy Trends in Disaster Resilience

As disasters become more expensive, state-level recovery measures are increasing in importance. A new report sheds light on state efforts to prioritize disaster resilience and recovery.

by Lucia Bragg, Gillian McBride, Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, and Lauren Esposito |December 13, 2022

Climate-Fueled Extreme Weather: Protection, Recovery, and Reconstruction

When a weather disaster happens every hundred years, it is an emergency. When it happens every year, it is a routine, periodic occurrence from which we need to protect ourselves.

by |October 3, 2022
jeff schlegelmilch in washington dc

Disaster Expert Testifies in Congress Regarding Future Pandemics

Columbia Climate School’s Jeffrey Schlegelmilch spoke to members of Congress about how better preparedness before disasters strike can save money and lives.

by |January 20, 2022

Disaster Relief and the Psychology of ‘Once in a Lifetime’ Events

It’s time to stop responding to frequent climate catastrophes and start preparing for them.

by Jacqueline Goodman |September 28, 2021

Irwin Redlener: On the Pandemic, Harnessing Celebrity Fame, and Public Health Activism

The pediatrician and founder of Columbia’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness also talks about childcare, climate change, and what’s next for him.

by |September 14, 2021

Coming Soon? A Brief Guide to 21st-Century Megadisasters

A Q&A with Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, author of a new book on potential future calamities, and how they may play off one another.

by |July 14, 2020

Greener on the Other Side: ESP Students’ Sustainability Podcast

Students from the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program at SIPA have produced a podcast called “Greener on the Other Side,” on sustainability, climate change, and the environment.

by |November 28, 2017
Hurricane Harvey, as seen from space

Earth Institute Experts Break Down the Causes and Impacts of Hurricane Harvey

As Texas reels in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, our scientists are helping to make sense of how this storm became so destructive, and what’s needed for recovery.

by |August 30, 2017
soldiers move through flooded street

Recovery from Hurricane Harvey Could Take 15 Years

The director of Columbia’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness weighs in on the heartbreaking devastation in Texas.

by |August 29, 2017