The 2018 Hurricane Season starts in May this year!

Subtropical Storm Alberto is located 65 miles  N-NW of the western tip of Cuba and is moving to the north-north at 13 mph (20 km/h). This means the storm has wind speeds of at least 38 mph (58 km/h). For it to be a hurricane, the storm has to reach 74 mph (119 km/h). More good information in this new Live science article.

Alberto will threaten the Gulf Coast, from Florida to Louisiana, with flooding, storm surge, and strong winds. Watches and Warnings have been issued. We’ll keep an eye on it. For now, Florida and Mississippi have declared 'states of emergency' ahead of the storm.

The National Hurricane Center website is a great place to get the latest information. Their last path prediction is below.

end of S18- Disasters Declarations so far [in 2018]

As we wrap another semester studying natural hazards around the world, students are reflecting on the most damaging hazards in their blogs, and how we can mitigate them and protect the population.

As I write this post, FEMA’s disasters website shows that in 2018, the USA had already 20 ‘major disaster' declarations, below:

Hawaii Kilauea Volcanic Eruption And Earthquakes (DR-4366). Incident period: May 03, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on May 11, 2018

Hawaii Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (DR-4365). Incident period: April 13, 2018 to April 16, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on May 08, 2018

North Carolina Tornado And Severe Storms (DR-4364). Incident period: April 15, 2018.

Major Disaster Declaration declared on May 08, 2018

Indiana Severe Storms And Flooding (DR-4363).Incident period: February 14, 2018 to March 04, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on May 04, 2018

Texas McDannald Fire (FM-5237). Incident period: May 02, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on May 02, 2018

Arizona Tinder Fire (FM-5236). Incident period: April 27, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 29, 2018

Alabama Severe Storms And Tornadoes (DR-4362). Incident period: March 19, 2018 to March 20, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on April 26, 2018

Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (DR-4361). Incident period: February 21, 2018 to March 21, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on April 26, 2018

Texas Mcclellan Fire (FM-5235). Incident period: April 17, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 18, 2018

West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (DR-4359). Incident period: February 14, 2018 to February 20, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on April 17, 2018

Ohio Severe Storms, Landslides, And Mudslides (DR-4360). Incident period: February 14, 2018 to February 25, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on April 17, 2018

Texas 335 Fire (FM-5234). Incident period: April 14, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 14, 2018

Texas Harbor Bay Fire (FM-5233). Incident period: April 13, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 13, 2018

Oklahoma Rhea Fire Complex (FM-5232). Incident period: April 13, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 13, 2018

Oklahoma 34 Fire Complex (FM-5231). Incident period: April 12, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 13, 2018

Kentucky Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (DR-4358). Incident period: February 09, 2018 to February 14, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on April 12, 2018

Oklahoma Shumach Fire Complex (FM-5230). Incident period: March 16, 2018. Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on March 16, 2018

American Samoa Tropical Storm Gita (DR-4357). Incident period: February 07, 2018 to February 12, 2018. Major Disaster Declaration declared on March 02, 2018

American Samoa Tropical Storm Gita (EM-3397). Incident period: February 07, 2018. Emergency Declaration declared on February 11, 2018

Vermont Severe Storm And Flooding (DR-4356). Incident period: October 29, 2017 to October 30, 2017. Major Disaster Declaration declared on January 02, 2018

Almost all of these are fire or flooding related. It might be our new normal…this article exposes how underestimated the flooding risk is in the States. In California, the visualization FEMA website shows 281 disasters since 1953. In Monterey County, 22, most of them related to wildfires or winter storms/flooding/mudslides [see map below].

People in charge of planning and budgets should be very well informed of all the possible hazards, their frequency, location, and potential damage. Education is everything.

Stay informed and safe.