• Haitian woman carrying supplies amid the destruction from the January 2010 Haiti earthquake.

September is National Preparedness Month, a time to highlight the threats posed by natural hazards and the importance for individuals and communities to be prepared.

Hurricane Isaac recently swept through the Gulf Coast, wildfires continue to ravage the west, and drought grips more than three quarters of the contiguous United States facing abnormally dry conditions. Natural hazards like these threaten lives and cause billions of dollars in damage every year throughout the nation. Sound science is essential for preparedness to natural hazards, guiding the best decisions to minimize their impacts.

USGS: Start with Science

The U.S. Geological Survey works with many partners to monitor, assess and conduct research on a wide range of natural hazards, providing policymakers and the public a needed understanding to enhance preparedness, response and resilience. USGS research includes earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, wildfires, floods, droughts and extreme storms.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes pose a risk to more than 165 million people in 37 states. The USGS has created and provides information tools to support earthquake loss reduction, including hazard assessments, scenarios, comprehensive real-time earthquake monitoring and public preparedness handbooks.

Imagine if doctors had time to stop delicate procedures before an earthquake. And if emergency responders had a few extra moments to gear-up, airplane landings could be postponed, trains slowed, and people could move to safer locations. The USGS and its partners are helping to provide critical seconds of notification by developing a prototype Earthquake Early Warning System in the United States.

You can sign up to receive earthquake notices through the USGS Earthquake Notification System as well as USGS social media channels. Tips and suggestions for earthquake preparedness can be found on the Earthquake Country Alliance website and the USGS Prepare website. When you feel an earthquake, you can report your experience on the USGS “Did You Feel It?” website.

The Next Earthquake: Are You Ready?

Numerous states and countries will be participating in the next ShakeOut earthquake drill on Oct. 18, 2012. At 10:18 a.m., participants will “drop, cover and hold on.” This event offers citizens a chance to learn how to get better prepared and practice what to do when an earthquake happens in their community.

Shishaldin Volcano on Unimak Island, part of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

This is the first year an official drill is being coordinated in the Southeast United States, and you can see a full list of participating locations at the ShakeOut website. Mark your calendar and sign up your family, school, business, or organization to join as well.

Volcanoes

When the violent energy of a volcano is unleashed, the results can be catastrophic. Lava flows, debris avalanches and explosive blasts have devastated communities. Noxious volcanic gas emissions have caused widespread lung problems. Airborne ash clouds from explosive eruptions have caused millions of dollars of aircraft damage and nearly brought down passenger flights.

Fortunately, volcanoes show signs of unrest hours, weeks and months before they erupt, and the USGS National Volcano Early Warning System is designed to detect these precursors. The USGS issues warnings and alerts of potential volcanic hazards – including ash fall forecasts – to responsible emergency-management authorities and those potentially affected. See current alerts and status for volcanoes in the United States.

Preparedness is increasingly important for the growing number of people that live, work, play and travel in volcanic regions. Learn more by visiting the USGS Volcano Hazards Program website and watching a video on USGS volcano science.

Landslides

Landslides occur in all 50 states and pose a risk to every citizen. Falling rocks, mudslides and debris flows can be deadly hazards, and we are still learning more about them. To protect communities from landslide hazards, USGS science is helping answer questions such as where, when and how often landslides occur, and how fast and far they might move.

For example, USGS scientists produce maps of areas susceptible to landslides and identify what sort of rainfall conditions will lead to such events. The USGS is working with the National Weather Service on a Debris Flow Warning System to help provide forecasts and warnings to inform community and emergency managers about what areas are at imminent risk of having a debris flow or mudslide.

For more information, watch a video about USGS landslide science, and visit the USGS Landslide Hazards Program website. Scientists at the USGS are also asking the public to help them track landslides and collect a more complete catalog of events. Report your landslide experiences and sightings at the new USGS “Did You See It?” website.

Wildfires

This landslide occurred in 2005 in La Conchita, California.

The USGS plays an integral role in preparing for and responding to wildfires. The USGS provides tools and information before, during and after fire disasters to identify wildfire risks and reduce subsequent hazards, while providing real-time geospatial support for firefighters during the events. For example, the USGS provides fire managers with up-to-the minute maps and satellite imagery about current wildfire extent and behavior throughout the nation.

The wildfire itself is a hazard, but once the smoke clears, the danger is not over. Secondary effects of wildfires, including erosion, landslides, invasive species and changes in water quality, are often more disastrous than the fire itself. As fires are contained, USGS scientists help to assess their aftermath to guide the re-building of more resilient communities and restoration of ecosystems.

Flooding, Storms and Drought

The USGS conducts real-time monitoring of the nation’s rivers and streams, providing officials with critical information for flood warnings and drought mitigation. If you want to know whether river levels are higher or lower than normal, visit USGS WaterWatch. You can also use USGS WaterAlert to receive texts or emails when water levels at a specific streamgage exceed certain thresholds.

During floods, USGS scientists measure water levels, river velocities and high water marks. The USGS and the National Weather Service work together to make flood inundation maps that show you exactly where the water will be – what yards, roads and buildings will be covered – and when a river or stream reaches a certain water level.

The USGS also studies coastal vulnerability and change from hurricanes and extreme storms, helping inform flood forecasts and evacuation warnings. Before, during and after major hurricanes or tropical storms affecting the United States, the USGS assesses the likelihood of beach erosion, overwash or inundation. Scientists also measure storm surge and monitor water levels of inland rivers and streams.

Unlike flooding, droughts often take a long time to begin to impact an area, sometimes festering for months or even years. USGS science contributes to the national Drought Monitor, which is the official report detailing drought conditions, as well as the National Weather Service’s Drought Outlook, which forecasts future drought.

More Information

Flooding hit record highs in in North Dakota and many other areas of the U.S. in 2011. For more on the floods of 2011: http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/439

To learn more about National Preparedness Month, visit www.fema.gov/ or www.ready.gov.

2012 is the worst fire season on record for many areas of the U.S. The USGS plays an integral role in preparing for and responding to wildfires by providing tools and information before, during and after to identify wildfire risks and reduce hazards, while often providing real-time firefighting support. When the fires are contained, USGS scientists assess the aftermath of wildfires in order to build more resilient communities and ecosystems. This shot shows fires burning in Waldo Canyon in Colorado.

This year has been one of the most destructive fire seasons on record. Smoke from fires currently burning in the foothills and mountains of Colorado is visible as far away as Nebraska and Kansas. The Whitewater Baldy Fire in New Mexico, which has been contained, set a new state record with 298,000 acres burned.

Over 30,000 people have been evacuated from around Colorado Springs and more than 300 homes have burned due to the 16,000-acre Waldo Canyon Fire. Elsewhere in Colorado, more than 250 homes have burned in the 87,500-acre High Park Fire near Fort Collins, and another wildfire is burning in the foothills west of Boulder. Other people are being evacuated from areas in Utah and Montana. Communities across the West are scrambling to ensure people and property are protected, as Idaho and Wyoming also anticipate wildfires.

Wildland fires pose a threat to life and property in many parts of the United States. Over $1 billion was spent last year in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas alone, a cost that is spread between federal agencies, states, rural fire departments, and local municipalities.

The secondary effects of wildfires – erosion, debris flows, changes in water quality, and the introduction of invasive species – can also be dangerous and costly.

Start with Science

The USGS plays an integral role in preparing for and responding to wildfires by providing tools and information before, during, and after the disasters to identify wildfire risks and reduce subsequent hazards, while providing real-time firefighting support during the events.

2012 is the worst fire season on record for many areas of the U.S. The USGS plays an integral role in preparing for and responding to wildfires by providing tools and information before, during and after to identify wildfire risks and reduce hazards, while often providing real-time firefighting support. When the fires are contained, USGS scientists assess the aftermath of wildfires in order to build more resilient communities and ecosystems. This shot shows fires burning in Waldo Canyon in Colorado.

Fire managers and support staff require high-quality, timely GIS maps to guide firefighting. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center and Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center provide up-to-the minute map information and satellite imagery about the current wildfire extent and behavior throughout the nation.

“Useful and timely geospatial data provided by the USGS are critical in helping the Department of the Interior make decisions that support wildland fire management across the nation,” said Kirk Rowdabaugh, Director of the Department’s Office of Wildland Fire Coordination. “Having access to this scientifically valid information is key to helping us successfully respond to fires that threaten the public’s well-being and practice adaptive management during fires to protect resources and enhance landscape resilience.”

Landsat Images of Western Wildfires.

As the fires are contained, USGS scientists are assessing the aftermath of wildfires in order to build more resilient communities and ecosystems. Meanwhile, USGS scientists are preparing for flooding as monsoon season begins later in the summer.

Because fires remove vegetation and the burned soil is less able to absorb rainwater, communities downstream from burned watersheds are at risk of flash flooding and debris flows. To help in National Weather Service flood warnings, USGS scientists in Arizona and New Mexico will install an early warning network of gages, including four stand-alone rain gages and two streamflow gages. The data provided by the new gages will alert downstream communities and emergency management officials and can provide up to an hour of advance warning. The USGS Colorado Water Science Center is working with local agencies to produce a debris flow hazards assessment using a USGS-developed methodology to identify those areas with the highest susceptibility for debris flows when heavy rains hit the fire-stripped slopes.

After the wildfires and other hazards subside, USGS scientists will work with partners to characterize the severity of individual fires and their effects on water quality and supply, hillslope stability, invasive species potential, and impact to other ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat and treasured landscapes.

Wildfires of the Future

The effects of climate change, such as hotter and dryer conditions, are expected to significantly increase wildfire frequency and severity in many parts of the country and world. Wildfires also produce greenhouse gasses that can contribute to and accelerate climate change. USGS scientists are actively involved in studying the connections between climate change and wildfires to help improve our understanding of the future and enhance community preparedness.

2012 is the worst fire season on record for many areas of the U.S. The USGS plays an integral role in preparing for and responding to wildfires by providing tools and information before, during and after to identify wildfire risks and reduce hazards, while often providing real-time firefighting support. When the fires are contained, USGS scientists assess the aftermath of wildfires in order to build more resilient communities and ecosystems. This shot shows fires burning in Waldo Canyon in Colorado.