U.S. Floods

The ongoing oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico and the Times Square bomb square, both of which have rightly received significant attention, have also been somewhat overshadowing the Nashville floods, which have been dubbed a rare 500-year event and resulted in deaths and property damage of $1 billion or more.

Dealing with the consequences of natural disasters like flooding is a regular responsibility of the federal government. Here is report from the Congressional Research Service on the National Flood Insurance Program:

Despite investing significant resources to identify flood risk and shape floodplain and coastal development, flood costs have risen over the past recent decade. The unprecedented losses in 2005 from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2008 Midwest flood and Hurricanes Ike and Gustav have focused national attention on hurricane risk and the impact of storm surge on property, inland flooding on rivers, and the financial viability of the NFIP.

Here is another report that deals specifically with the implications of the 2008 Midwestern floods on the program.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a useful page with some basic information about flooding threats and preparedness. The U.S. Geological Survey also provides some detailed information and reports on flood-related natural hazards.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center has published an interesting chart (PDF) showing some of the most severe disaster emergencies from 1980-2009 (does not include the current year).

More Oil Spill Resources

We've posted two more useful resources on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Mason Libraries GIS blog, over here.

Oil Spills in U.S. Waters

The big news over the past several days has been the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which poses significant health risks for humans and wildlife alike.

For a little context, here is a Congressional Research Service report (PDF) from 2010 that discusses oil spills in U.S. waters. The report reviews history and trends of oil spills, discusses the relevant agencies with authority over prevention and response, and identifies future oil spill threats. From the report summary:

Considering that U.S. oil consumption and oil imports have steadily increased, the trend of declining spill incidents and volume in past years is noteworthy. Yet, recent annual data indicate that the overall decline of annual spill events may have stopped. Although Energy Information Administration projections indicate that oil imports are expected to decline in coming years, the United States is projected to continue importing a substantial percentage of the oil it consumes. The threat of oil spills raises the question of whether U.S. officials have the necessary resources at hand to respond to a major spill. There is some concern that the favorable U.S. spill record has resulted in a loss of experienced personnel, capable of responding quickly and effectively to a major oil spill.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies share responsibility for cleanup and prevention; the Coast Guard also administers a federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Some background on the current status of this report is available via this Government Accountability Office report. Fenwick Library Government Documents also possesses several resources on oil spills, such as this report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on spill response strategies. Additional information related to oil spills can be found through the National Response Center website.