42 CFR 412.25 - Excluded hospital units: Common requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... physical facility or because of catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, or tornadoes. (c... (ii) Because of catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, or tornadoes. (5) For cost...

29 CFR 15.23 - Restrictions on certain claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... coin collections) only when lost incident to fire, flood, hurricane, other natural disaster, or by... hardware and software only when lost or damaged incident to fire, flood, hurricane, other natural disaster...

Leakage of radioactive materials from particle accelerator facilities by non-radiation disasters like fire and flooding and its environmental impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, A.; Jung, N. S.; Mokhtari Oranj, L.; Lee, H. S.

2018-06-01

The leakage of radioactive materials generated at particle accelerator facilities is one of the important issues in the view of radiation safety. In this study, fire and flooding at particle accelerator facilities were considered as the non-radiation disasters which result in the leakage of radioactive materials. To analyse the expected effects at each disaster, the case study on fired and flooded particle accelerator facilities was carried out with the property investigation of interesting materials presented in the accelerator tunnel and the activity estimation. Five major materials in the tunnel were investigated: dust, insulators, concrete, metals and paints. The activation levels on the concerned materials were calculated using several Monte Carlo codes (MCNPX 2.7+SP-FISPACT 2007, FLUKA 2011.4c and PHITS 2.64+DCHAIN-SP 2001). The impact weight to environment was estimated for the different beam particles (electron, proton, carbon and uranium) and the different beam energies (100, 430, 600 and 1000 MeV/nucleon). With the consideration of the leakage path of radioactive materials due to fire and flooding, the activation level of selected materials, and the impacts to the environment were evaluated. In the case of flooding, dust, concrete and metal were found as a considerable object. In the case of fire event, dust, insulator and paint were the major concerns. As expected, the influence of normal fire and flooding at electron accelerator facilities would be relatively low for both cases.

Developing a post-fire flood chronology and recurrence probability from alluvial stratigraphy in the Buffalo Creek watershed, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliott, J.G.; Parker, R.S.

2001-01-01

Stratigraphic and geomorphic evidence indicate floods that occur soon after forest fires have been intermittent but common events in many mountainous areas during the past several thousand years. The magnitude and recurrence of these post-fire flood events reflects the joint probability between the recurrence of fires and the recurrence of subsequent rainfall events of varying magnitude and intensity. Following the May 1996 Buffalo Creek, Colorado, forest fire, precipitation amounts and intensities that generated very little surface runoff outside of the burned area resulted in severe hillslope erosion, floods, and streambed sediment entrainment in the rugged, severely burned, 48 km2 area. These floods added sediment to many existing alluvial fans, while simultaneously incising other fans and alluvial deposits. Incision of older fans revealed multiple sequences of fluvially transported sandy gravel that grade upward into charcoal-rich, loamy horizons. We interpret these sequences to represent periods of high sediment transport and aggradation during floods, followed by intervals of quiescence and relative stability in the watershed until a subsequent fire occurred. An alluvial sequence near the mouth of a tributary draining a 0??82 km2 area indicated several previous post-fire flood cycles in the watershed. Dendrochronologic and radiocarbon ages of material in this deposit span approximately 2900 years, and define three aggradational periods. The three general aggradational periods are separated by intervals of approximately nine to ten centuries and reflect a 'millennium-scale' geomorphic response to a closely timed sequence of events: severe and intense, watershed-scale, stand-replacing fires and subsequent rainstorms and flooding. Millennium-scale aggradational units at the study site may have resulted from a scenario in which the initial runoff from the burned watershed transported and deposited large volumes of sediment on downstream alluvial surfaces and tributary fans. Subsequent storm runoff may have produced localized incision and channelization, preventing additional vertical aggradation on the sampled alluvial deposit for several centuries. Two of the millennium-scale aggradational periods at the study site consist of multiple gravel and loam sequences with similar radiocarbon ages. These closely dated sequences may reflect a 'multidecade-scale' geomorphic response to more frequent, but aerially limited and less severe fires, followed by rainstorms of relatively common recurrence. Published in 2001 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Hydrological modelling for flood forecasting: Calibrating the post-fire initial conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papathanasiou, C.; Makropoulos, C.; Mimikou, M.

2015-10-01

Floods and forest fires are two of the most devastating natural hazards with severe socioeconomic, environmental as well as aesthetic impacts on the affected areas. Traditionally, these hazards are examined from different perspectives and are thus investigated through different, independent systems, overlooking the fact that they are tightly interrelated phenomena. In fact, the same flood event is more severe, i.e. associated with increased runoff discharge and peak flow and decreased time to peak, if it occurs over a burnt area than that occurring over a land not affected by fire. Mediterranean periurban areas, where forests covered with flammable vegetation coexist with agricultural land and urban zones, are typical areas particularly prone to the combined impact of floods and forest fires. Hence, the accurate assessment and effective management of post-fire flood risk becomes an issue of priority. The research presented in this paper aims to develop a robust methodological framework, using state of art tools and modern technologies to support the estimation of the change in time of five representative hydrological parameters for post-fire conditions. The proposed methodology considers both longer- and short-term initial conditions in order to assess the dynamic evolution of the selected parameters. The research focuses on typical Mediterranean periurban areas that are subjected to both hazards and concludes with a set of equations that associate post-fire and pre-fire conditions for five Fire Severity (FS) classes and three soil moisture states. The methodology has been tested for several flood events on the Rafina catchment, a periurban catchment in Eastern Attica (Greece). In order to validate the methodology, simulated hydrographs were produced and compared against available observed data. Results indicate a close convergence of observed and simulated flows. The proposed methodology is particularly flexible and thus easily adaptable to catchments with similar hydrometeorological and geomorphological features.

FGC Webinar: From Fires to Floods and Everything In Between

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Federal Green Challenge presentations from the April 2018 'Billion Dollar Weather Events' webinar From Fires to Floods and Everything in Between: How Federal Facilities Can Thrive in an Era of Billion Dollar Weather Events.

A low-cost method to measure the timing of post-fire flash floods and debris flows relative to rainfall

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kean, Jason W.; Staley, Dennis M.; Leeper, Robert J.; Schmidt, Kevin Michael; Gartner, Joseph E.

2012-01-01

Data on the specific timing of post-fire flash floods and debris flows are very limited. We describe a method to measure the response times of small burned watersheds to rainfall using a low-cost pressure transducer, which can be installed quickly after a fire. Although the pressure transducer is not designed for sustained sampling at the fast rates ({less than or equal to}2 sec) used at more advanced debris-flow monitoring sites, comparisons with high-data rate stage data show that measured spikes in pressure sampled at 1-min intervals are sufficient to detect the passage of most debris flows and floods. Post-event site visits are used to measure the peak stage and identify flow type based on deposit characteristics. The basin response timescale (tb) to generate flow at each site was determined from an analysis of the cross correlation between time series of flow pressure and 5-min rainfall intensity. This timescale was found to be less than 30 minutes for 40 post-fire floods and 11 post-fire debris flows recorded in 15 southern California watersheds ({less than or equal to} 1.4 km2). Including data from 24 other debris flows recorded at 5 more instrumentally advanced monitoring stations, we find there is not a substantial difference in the median tb for floods and debris flows (11 and 9 minutes, respectively); however, there are slight, statistically significant differences in the trends of flood and debris-flow tb with basin area, which are presumably related to differences in flow speed between floods and debris flows.

Studies of images of short-lived events using ERTS data. [forest fires, oil spills, vegetation damage, volcanoes, storm ridges, earthquakes, and floods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deutschman, W. A. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Detection of short-lived events has continued. Forest fires, oil spills, vegetation damage, volcanoes, storm ridges, earthquakes, and floods have been detected and analyzed.

Fires, Floods, and Hurricanes: Is ENSO to Blame?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mjelde, James W.; Litzenberg, Kerry K.; Hoyle, Julie E.; Holochwost, Sharon R.; Funkhouser, Sarah

2007-01-01

Scientists have associated the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon with extreme climate events such as flooding in California, droughts in Australia, fires in Indonesia, and increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean. The popular media is constantly attributing individual storms to the ENSO phenomenon. The reality is that a…

Observational evidence on the effects of mega-fires on the frequency of hydrogeomorphic hazards. The case of the Peloponnese fires of 2007 in Greece.

PubMed

Diakakis, M; Nikolopoulos, E I; Mavroulis, S; Vassilakis, E; Korakaki, E

2017-08-15

Even though rare, mega-fires raging during very dry and windy conditions, record catastrophic impacts on infrastructure, the environment and human life, as well as extremely high suppression and rehabilitation costs. Apart from the direct consequences, mega-fires induce long-term effects in the geomorphological and hydrological processes, influencing environmental factors that in turn can affect the occurrence of other natural hazards, such as floods and mass movement phenomena. This work focuses on the forest fire of 2007 in Peloponnese, Greece that to date corresponds to the largest fire in the country's record that burnt 1773km 2 , causing 78 fatalities and very significant damages in property and infrastructure. Specifically, this work examines the occurrence of flood and mass movement phenomena, before and after this mega-fire and analyses different influencing factors to investigate the degree to which the 2007 fire and/or other parameters have affected their frequency. Observational evidence based on several data sources collected during the period 1989-2016 show that the 2007 fire has contributed to an increase of average flood and mass movement events frequency by approximately 3.3 and 5.6 times respectively. Fire affected areas record a substantial increase in the occurrence of both phenomena, presenting a noticeably stronger increase compared to neighbouring areas that have not been affected. Examination of the monthly occurrence of events showed an increase even in months of the year were rainfall intensity presented decreasing trends. Although no major land use changes has been identified and chlorophyll is shown to recover 2years after the fire incident, differences on the type of vegetation as tall forest has been substituted with lower vegetation are considered significant drivers for the observed increase in flood and mass movement frequency in the fire affected areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flood and Fire Monitoring and Forecasting Within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Los, Victor

2001-03-01

Taking into consideration that radioactivity from the contaminating elements of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) amounts to a huge number, one of the most urgent tasks, at present, is the resolution of problems related to secondary radioactive contamination caused by floods and fires. These factors may lead to critical consequences. For instance, if radioactive contaminants migrate into the water system, namely into the Dnipro River, a threat arises to more than 20 million inhabitants of Ukraine. Additionally, fires in the CEZ potentially could cause contaminants to be dispersed into the air and to migrate in the atmosphere for long distances. The elements of information support system for administrative decision-making to respond to the appearances and consequences of forest fires and floods in contaminated areas of the CEZ have been developed. The system proposes: using Earth Remote Sensing (R/S) data for timely detection of forest fires; integration by Geographic Information System (GIS) of mathematical models for radionuclide migration by air in order to forecast radiological consequences of forest fires; forecasting and assessing flood consequences by means of spatial analysis of GIS and R/S; and development of a system for dissemination of information. This project was performed within the framework of USAID Cooperative Agreement #121-A-00-98-00615-00, dedicated to the establishment of the Ukrainian Land and Resource Management Center.

Objective definition of rainfall intensity-duration thresholds for post-fire flash floods and debris flows in the area burned by the Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staley, Dennis M.; Gartner, Joseph E.; Kean, Jason W.

2015-01-01

We present an objectively defined rainfall intensity-duration (I-D) threshold for the initiation of flash floods and debris flows for basins recently burned in the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. Our results are based on 453 rainfall records which include 8 instances of hazardous flooding and debris flow from 10 July 2012 to 14 August 2013. We objectively defined the thresholds by maximizing the number of correct predictions of debris flow or flood occurrence while minimizing the rate of both Type I (false positive) and Type II (false negative) errors. The equation I = 11.6D−0.7 represents the I-D threshold (I, in mm/h) for durations (D, in hours) ranging from 0.083 h (5 min) to 1 h for basins burned by the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire. As periods of high-intensity rainfall over short durations (less than 1 h) produced all of the debris flow and flood events, real-time monitoring of rainfall conditions will result in very short lead times for early-warning. Our results highlight the need for improved forecasting of the rainfall rates during short-duration, high-intensity convective rainfall events.

Review of Portable, Manually Operated, and Non-Total Flooding Fire Extinguishing Technologies for Use on Naval Vessels

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Corrosion problems arising from the use of perfluoro-or hydrofluorocarbon agents have been investigated and are of concern. The concern centers on the...which was formerly known as Powdered Aerosol B, can be used on Class A, Class B, and Class C fires. These agents are a blend of several halocarbons...Canada Review of Portable, Manually Operated, and Non-Total Flooding Fire Extinguishing Technologies for Use on Naval Vessels Contract Project Manager

26 CFR 1.821-4 - Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood, or marine insurance companies, subject to tax... THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies...

26 CFR 1.821-4 - Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood, or marine insurance companies, subject to tax... THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies...

26 CFR 1.821-4 - Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood, or marine insurance companies, subject to tax... THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies...

26 CFR 1.821-4 - Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood, or marine insurance companies, subject to tax... THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than...

26 CFR 1.821-4 - Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Tax on mutual insurance companies other than life insurance companies and other than fire, flood, or marine insurance companies, subject to tax... THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies...

A rapid response database in support of post-fire hydrological modeling

Treesearch

Mary Ellen Miller; William J. Elliot

2016-01-01

Being prepared for an emergency is important. Every year wildfires threaten homes and lives, but danger persists even after the flames are extinguished. Post-fire flooding and erosion (Figure 1) can threaten lives, property, and natural resources. To respond to this threat, interdisciplinary Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams assess potential erosion and flood...

NWS Turn Around Don't Drown Program, Signs and Resources

Science.gov Websites

Temperatures Records Astronomical Data WEATHER SAFETY Safety Campaigns Air Quality Cold Drought Floods Fog Heat Wind Safety Wildland Fires Winter Weather INFORMATION CENTER Weather-Ready Nation StormReady Centers Products and Services Contact Us Glossary flood navigation bar-top Flood Safety Flood Safety Flood

Engineering Software for Interoperability through Use of Enterprise Architecture Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

Response Home/ Business Security . To detect flood conditions (i.e. excess water levels) within the monitored area and alert authorities, as necessary...Response; Fire Detection & Response; and Flood Detection & Response. Functional Area Description Intruder Detection & Response Home/ Business ... Security . To monitor and detect unauthorized entry into the secured area and sound alarms/alert authorities, as necessary. Fire Detection

The 2010 Pakistan Flood and the Russia Heat Wave: Teleconnection of Extremes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, William K.; Kim, K. M.

2010-01-01

The Pakistan flood and the Russia heat wave/Vvild fires of the summer of2010 were two of the most extreme, and catastrophic events in the histories of the two countries occurring at about the same time. To a casual observer, the timing may just be a random coincidence of nature, because the two events were separated by long distances, and represented opposite forces of nature, i.e., flood vs. drought, and water vs. fire. In this paper, using NASA satellite and NOAA reanalysis data, we presented observation evidences that that the two events were indeed physically connected.

Suspended sediment transport in an ephemeral stream following wildfire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Malmon, D.V.; Reneau, Steven L.; Katzman, D.; Lavine, A.; Lyman, J.

2007-01-01

We examine the impacts of a stand-clearing wildfire on the characteristics and magnitude of suspended sediment transport in ephemeral streams draining the burn area. We report the results of a monitoring program that includes 2 years of data prior to the Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico, and 3 years of postfire data. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) increased by about 2 orders of magnitude following the fire, and the proportion of silt and clay increased from 50% to 80%. For a given flow event, SSC is highest at the flood bore and decreases monotonically with time, a pattern evident in every flood sampled both before and after the fire. We propose that the accumulation of flow and wash load at the flow front is an inherent characteristic of ephemeral stream flows, due to amplified momentum losses at the flood bore. We present a new model for computing suspended sediment transport in ephemeral streams (in the presence or absence of wildfire) by relating SSC to the time following the arrival of the flood bore, rather than to instantaneous discharge. Using this model and a rainfall history, we estimate that in the 3 years following the fire, floods transported in suspension a mass equivalent to about 3 mm of landscape lowering across the burn area, 20% of this following a single rainstorm. We test the model by computing fine sediment delivery to a small reservoir in an adjacent watershed, where we have a detailed record of postfire sedimentation based on repeat surveys. Systematic discrepancies between modeled and measured sedimentation rates in the reservoir suggest rapid reductions in suspended sediment delivery in the first several years after the fire.

National Weather Service

MedlinePlus

... Data SAFETY Floods Tsunami Beach Hazards Wildfire Cold Tornadoes Fog Air Quality Heat Hurricanes Lightning Safe Boating ... Winter Weather Forecasts River Flooding Latest Warnings Thunderstorm/Tornado Outlook Hurricanes Fire Weather Outlooks UV Alerts Drought ...

44 CFR 295.21 - Allowable compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... measures that will reduce the property's vulnerability to the future risk of wildfire, flood or other... wildfire, flood or other natural disaster resulting from the Cerro Grande Fire that are consistent with a...

44 CFR 295.21 - Allowable compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... measures that will reduce the property's vulnerability to the future risk of wildfire, flood or other... wildfire, flood or other natural disaster resulting from the Cerro Grande Fire that are consistent with a...

44 CFR 295.21 - Allowable compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... measures that will reduce the property's vulnerability to the future risk of wildfire, flood or other... wildfire, flood or other natural disaster resulting from the Cerro Grande Fire that are consistent with a...

44 CFR 295.21 - Allowable compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... measures that will reduce the property's vulnerability to the future risk of wildfire, flood or other... wildfire, flood or other natural disaster resulting from the Cerro Grande Fire that are consistent with a...

Prescribed fire effects on runoff, erosion, and soil water repellency on steeply-sloped sagebrush rangeland over a five year period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fire is an inherent component of sagebrush steppe rangelands in western North America and can dramatically affect runoff and erosion processes. Post-fire flooding and erosion events pose substantial threats to proximal resources, property, and human life. Yet, prescribed fire can serve as a tool to ...

Depositional characteristics of post-fire flooding following the Schultz Fire, San Francisco Peaks, Arizona

Treesearch

Karen A. Koestner; Mike D. Carroll; Daniel G. Neary; Peter E. Koestner; Ann Youberg

2011-01-01

During the summer of 2010 the northern Arizona mountain town of Flagstaff experienced three fires all blazing the same week in late-June, the height of the fire season for this region. By July 1st, all three were extinguished, but that was only the first phase of disturbance. The largest and most detrimental of these fires was the Schultz Fire. From June 20th to July...

Muddy floods in Saxony: occurrence, damages and costs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arévalo, S. A.; Reichel, S.; Schindewolf, M.; Schmidt, J.

2012-04-01

A muddy flood is a natural hazard with small impact area. Usually a single event covers only a part of a street and some properties, in some cases it might affect up to a whole neighbourhood. Due to this small spatial extend the public awareness is generally low. On the other hand we know from random reports that in some areas, like the Saxon loess belt region, muddy floods do occur repeatedly. The damages caused by muddy floods range from mud covered streets to flooded cellars and houses. Although the awareness of muddy floods in Europe has increased during the last decade, there is still very few information about frequency, spatial extend and the related costs. There have been investigations of muddy flood occurrence in some European countries like England, France, Belgium, Poland and Slovakia, but there is no information available about the muddy flood occurrence in Germany. That is because German state departments do not usually register muddy floods and neither do insurance companies. The only institution that is almost always informed when muddy floods occur are local fire brigades. That is why in this investigation an enquiry of all fire brigades in the study area of the Saxon hilly loess region was performed. The aim was to gain first information about the general dimension of the problem, a temporal and spatial distribution as well as a first appraisal of costs. The obtained database of muddy floods will also serve for further investigation of the problem.

Light, Compact Pumper for Harbor Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, R. A.

1983-01-01

Report describes development of new transportable water-pumping unit for fire-fighting. Compact, self-contained unit provides fire protection at coastal and inland ports and is lighter than standard firetruck pumper of same capacity. Used to fight fires in harbors, cities, forests, refineries, chemical plants, and offshore drilling platforms. Other possible applications include cleaning up oilspills, pumping out ships, and flood control pumping.

Summary of Natural Hazard Statistics for 2017 in the United States

MedlinePlus

... Damage Costs Weather Event Convection Lightning Tornado Thunderstorm Wind Hail Extreme Temperatures Cold Heat Flood Flash Flood ... Drought Dust Storm Dust Devil Rain Fog High Wind Waterspout Fire Weather Mud Slide Volcanic Ash Miscellaneous ...

Summary of Natural Hazard Statistics for 2015 in the United States

MedlinePlus

... Damage Costs Weather Event Convection Lightning Tornado Thunderstorm Wind Hail Extreme Temperatures Cold Heat Flood Flash Flood ... Drought Dust Storm Dust Devil Rain Fog High Wind Waterspout Fire Weather Mud Slide Volcanic Ash Miscellaneous ...

Flooding of the Ob and Irtysh Rivers, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This pair of true- and false-color images shows flooding along the Ob' (large east-west running river) and Irtysh (southern tributary of the Ob') on July 7, 2002. In the false-color image, land surfaces are orange-gold and flood waters are black or dark blue. Fires are marked with red dots in both images. Rivers

Post-disturbance sediment recovery: Implications for watershed resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathburn, Sara L.; Shahverdian, Scott M.; Ryan, Sandra E.

2018-03-01

Sediment recovery following disturbances is a measure of the time required to attain pre-disturbance sediment fluxes. Insight into the controls on recovery processes and pathways builds understanding of geomorphic resilience. We assess post-disturbance sediment recovery in three small (1.5-100 km2), largely unaltered watersheds within the northern Colorado Rocky Mountains affected by wildfires, floods, and debris flows. Disturbance regimes span 102 (floods, debris flows) to 103 years (wildfires). For all case studies, event sediment recovery followed a nonlinear pattern: initial high sediment flux during single precipitation events or high annual snowmelt runoff followed by decreasing sediment fluxes over time. Disturbance interactions were evaluated after a high-severity fire within the South Fork Cache la Poudre basin was followed by an extreme flood one year post-fire. This compound disturbance hastened suspended sediment recovery to pre-fire concentrations 3 years after the fire. Wildfires over the last 1900 YBP in the South Fork basin indicate fire recurrence intervals of 600 years. Debris flows within the upper Colorado River basin over the last two centuries have shifted the baseline of sediment recovery caused by anthropogenic activities that increased debris flow frequency. An extreme flood on North St. Vrain Creek with an impounding reservoir resulted in extreme sedimentation that led to a physical state change. We introduce an index of resilience as sediment recovery/disturbance recurrence interval, providing a relative comparison between sites. Sediment recovery and channel form resilience may be inversely related because of high or low physical complexity in streams. We propose management guidelines to enhance geomorphic resilience by promoting natural processes that maintain physical complexity. Finally, sediment connectivity within watersheds is an additional factor to consider when establishing restoration treatment priorities.

Rock gabion, rip-rap, and culvert treatments: Successes and failures in post-fire erosion mitigation, Schultz Fire 2010

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; Karen A. Koestner

2011-01-01

Following the Schultz Fire in June of 2010, several erosion mitigation efforts were undertaken to reduce the impacts of post-fire flooding expected during the 2010 monsoon. One treatment consisted of the placement of large rock rip-rap on targeted fill slopes of a high elevation forest road that contains a buried pipeline supplying water to the city of Flagstaff....

Rapid response tools and datasets for post-fire modeling: Linking Earth Observations and process-based hydrological models to support post-fire remediation

Treesearch

M. E. Miller; M. Billmire; W. J. Elliot; K. A. Endsley; P. R. Robichaud

2015-01-01

Preparation is key to utilizing Earth Observations and process-based models to support post-wildfire mitigation. Post-fire flooding and erosion can pose a serious threat to life, property and municipal water supplies. Increased runoff and sediment delivery due to the loss of surface cover and fire-induced changes in soil properties are of great concern. Remediation...

Modeling erosion on steep sagebrush rangeland before and after prescribed fire

Treesearch

Corey A. Moffet; Frederick B. Pierson; Kenneth E. Spaeth

2007-01-01

Fire in sagebrush rangelands significantly alters canopy cover, ground cover, and soil properties that influence runoff and erosion processes. Runoff is generated more quickly and a larger volume of runoff is produced following prescribed fire. The result is increased risk of severe erosion and downstream flooding. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP), developed...

Empirical models for predicting volumes of sediment deposited by debris flows and sediment-laden floods in the transverse ranges of southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gartner, Joseph E.; Cannon, Susan H.; Santi, Paul M

2014-01-01

Debris flows and sediment-laden floods in the Transverse Ranges of southern California pose severe hazards to nearby communities and infrastructure. Frequent wildfires denude hillslopes and increase the likelihood of these hazardous events. Debris-retention basins protect communities and infrastructure from the impacts of debris flows and sediment-laden floods and also provide critical data for volumes of sediment deposited at watershed outlets. In this study, we supplement existing data for the volumes of sediment deposited at watershed outlets with newly acquired data to develop new empirical models for predicting volumes of sediment produced by watersheds located in the Transverse Ranges of southern California. The sediment volume data represent a broad sample of conditions found in Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, California. The measured volumes of sediment, watershed morphology, distributions of burn severity within each watershed, the time since the most recent fire, triggering storm rainfall conditions, and engineering soil properties were analyzed using multiple linear regressions to develop two models. A “long-term model” was developed for predicting volumes of sediment deposited by both debris flows and floods at various times since the most recent fire from a database of volumes of sediment deposited by a combination of debris flows and sediment-laden floods with no time limit since the most recent fire (n = 344). A subset of this database was used to develop an “emergency assessment model” for predicting volumes of sediment deposited by debris flows within two years of a fire (n = 92). Prior to developing the models, 32 volumes of sediment, and related parameters for watershed morphology, burn severity and rainfall conditions were retained to independently validate the long-term model. Ten of these volumes of sediment were deposited by debris flows within two years of a fire and were used to validate the emergency assessment model. The models were validated by comparing predicted and measured volumes of sediment. These validations were also performed for previously developed models and identify that the models developed here best predict volumes of sediment for burned watersheds in comparison to previously developed models.

Spatial-Temporal dynamics of surface water flooding and consequences for emergency services accessibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattison, Ian; Green, Daniel; Yu, Dapeng; Bosher, Lee; Wilby, Rob; Yang, Lili; Ryley, Tim

2016-04-01

Urban areas are increasingly susceptible to surface water flooding, with more intense precipitation and intensification of land development. Flooding has both direct impacts i.e. locations inundated with water, and indirect impacts i.e. transport networks, utility e.g. electricity/water services etc. The direct areas flooded evolve in space through the event, and are predicted by standard inundation models. However, the wider indirect impacts and the spatial-temporal patterns are less constrained and it is these that are needed to manage the impacts in real-time. This paper focusses on the Category One responders of the Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services in the City of Leicester, East Midlands, UK. Leicester is ranked 16th out of 4215 settlements at risk of surface water flooding in the UK based upon the population at risk (15,200 people) (DEFRA, 2009). The analysis undertaken involved overlaying the flood extent with the Integrated Transport Network (ITN) data within a GIS framework. Then a simple transport routing algorithm was used to predict the travel time from specific nodes representing ambulance or fire stations to different parts of the city. Flood magnitudes with 1:20, 1:100 and 1:1000 return periods have been investigated. Under a scenario of no flooding, 100% of the city is accessible by the six fire stations in the city. However, in the 1 in 20 year surface water flood event the peak inundation results in 66.5% being accessible in the 10 minute permitted time and 6% is totally inaccessible. This falls to 40% and 13% respectively for the 1 in 100 year event. Maps show the area of the city that are accessible by two or more stations within the permitted response time, which shows these areas are the most resilient to surface water flooding. However, it isn't just the peak water depths at every location which impacts accessibility within the city but the spatial-temporal patterns of the inundation. The areas within the 10 minute response time expand and contract through the event as the inundated area makes roads in different parts of the city inaccessible through the event. These maps also allow key access roads to be identified. Key stakeholders, within the City of Leicester, have highlighted the potential benefit of such dynamic accessibility maps for their multi-agency planning and response for surface water flooding.

Flooding of the Ob and Irtysh Rivers, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This pair of true- and false-color images shows flooding along the Ob' (large east-west running river) and Irtysh (southern tributary of the Ob') on July 7, 2002. In the false-color image, land surfaces are orange-gold and flood waters are black or dark blue. Fires are marked with red dots in both images. Rivers Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Bulletin of Forest Fire risk in Albania- The experience of the Albania National Centre for forecast and Monitoring of Natural Risks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdufi, I.; Jaupaj, O.; Marku, M.; Deda, M.; Fiori, E.; D'Andrea, M.; Biondi, G.; Fioruci, P.; Massabò, M.; Zorba, P.; Gjonaj, M.

2012-04-01

In the territory of Albania usually every year around 1000 ha are affected by forest fires, from which about 500 ha are completely destroyed. The number of forest fires (nf), with the burning surface (bs) in years has been like this: during the years 1988-1998: nf / bs = 2.19, 1998-2001: nf / bs = 5.66, year 2002 -2005: nf / bs = 8.2, and during the years 2005-2006: nf / bs = 11.9, while economic losses in a year by forest fires is about 2 million of Euro. The increase in years of these figures and the last floods which happened in the last two years in Shkoder, led to an international cooperation, that between the Italian Civil Protection Department and the Albania General Directorate of Civil Emergency. The focus of this cooperation was the building capacity of the Albanian National System of Civil Protection in forecasting, monitoring and prevention forest fires and floods risks. As a result of this collaboration the "National Center for the Forecast and Monitoring of Natural Risks", was set up at the Institute of Geosciences, Energy, Water and Environment. The Center is the first of its kind in Albania. The mission of the Center is the prediction and monitoring of the forest fire and flood risk in the Albanian territory, as a tools for risk reduction and mitigation. The first step to achieve this strategy was the implementation of the forest fires risk forecast model "RISICO". RISICO was adapted for whole Albania territory by CIMA Research Foundation. The Center, in the summer season, issues a daily bulletin. The bulletin reports the potential risk scenarios related with the ignition and propagation of fires in Albania. The bulletin is broadcasted through email or fax within 12.00 AM of each working day. It highlights where and when severe risk conditions may occur within the next 48 hours

Geomorphic aspects of post-fire soil erosion - Schultz Fire 2010

Treesearch

Ann Youberg; Karen A. Koestner; Daniel G. Neary; Peter E. Koestner

2011-01-01

The summer of 2010 brought wildfires and near record monsoon rains to northern Arizona, USA, which generated debris flows and floods that caused extensive damage. The human-caused Schultz Fire on the Coconino National Forest northeast of Flagstaff was the largest wildfire in Arizona during 2010, burning 6,100 ha between June 20th and 30th. Ignited by an abandoned...

Do You Know Whats In Your Community A Strategic Risk Management Approach to Better Prepare for Chemical Emergencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

existing, or out-of-service process equipment • Track historical data concerning natural disasters such as tornados , hurricanes, floods, fires, or...hydrological, and meteorological (wildfire, flood, hurricane, tornado , earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc.) • Identification of other

Disaster Relief: Colorado Floods

Science.gov Websites

Northcom National Guard FEMA Ready.gov: Preparedness FEMA Facebook FEMA Twitter Photo Essays Photo Essay Residents From Flooded Areas More Photo Essays Troops, Civilian Workers Fill Sandbags at Fire Protection ) Contracts Casualty Releases News Articles Special Reports Photos/Videos Lead Photo Archive Photo Essays News

Fire helps restore natural disturbance regime to benefit rare and endangered marsh birds endemic to the Colorado River.

PubMed

Conway, Courtney J; Nadeau, Christopher P; Piest, Linden

2010-10-01

Large flood events were part of the historical disturbance regime within the lower basin of most large river systems around the world. Large flood events are now rare in the lower basins of most large river systems due to flood control structures. Endemic organisms that are adapted to this historical disturbance regime have become less abundant due to these dramatic changes in the hydrology and the resultant changes in vegetation structure. The Yuma Clapper Rail is a federally endangered bird that breeds in emergent marshes within the lower Colorado River basin in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. We evaluated whether prescribed fire could be used as a surrogate disturbance event to help restore historical conditions for the benefit of Yuma Clapper Rails and four sympatric marsh-dependent birds. We conducted call-broadcast surveys for marsh birds within burned and unburned (control) plots both pre- and post-burn. Fire increased the numbers of Yuma Clapper Rails and Virginia Rails, and did not affect the numbers of Black Rails, Soras, and Least Bitterns. We found no evidence that detection probability of any of the five species differed between burn and control plots. Our results suggest that prescribed fire can be used to set back succession of emergent marshlands and help mimic the natural disturbance regime in the lower Colorado River basin. Hence, prescribed fire can be used to help increase Yuma Clapper Rail populations without adversely affecting sympatric species. Implementing a coordinated long-term fire management plan within marshes of the lower Colorado River may allow regulatory agencies to remove the Yuma Clapper Rail from the endangered species list.

Fire helps restore natural disturbance regime to benefit rare and endangered marsh birds endemic to the Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conway, C.J.; Nadeau, C.P.; Piest, L.

2010-01-01

Large flood events were part of the historical disturbance regime within the lower basin of most large river systems around the world. Large flood events are now rare in the lower basins of most large river systems due to flood control structures. Endemic organisms that are adapted to this historical disturbance regime have become less abundant due to these dramatic changes in the hydrology and the resultant changes in vegetation structure. The Yuma Clapper Rail is a federally endangered bird that breeds in emergent marshes within the lower Colorado River basin in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. We evaluated whether prescribed fire could be used as a surrogate disturbance event to help restore historical conditions for the benefit of Yuma Clapper Rails and four sympatric marsh-dependent birds. We conducted call-broadcast surveys for marsh birds within burned and unburned (control) plots both pre-and post-burn. Fire increased the numbers of Yuma Clapper Rails and Virginia Rails, and did not affect the numbers of Black Rails, Soras, and Least Bitterns. We found no evidence that detection probability of any of the five species differed between burn and control plots. Our results suggest that prescribed fire can be used to set back succession of emergent marshlands and help mimic the natural disturbance regime in the lower Colorado River basin. Hence, prescribed fire can be used to help increase Yuma Clapper Rail populations without adversely affecting sympatric species. Implementing a coordinated long-term fire management plan within marshes of the lower Colorado River may allow regulatory agencies to remove the Yuma Clapper Rail from the endangered species list. ?? 2010 by the Ecological Society of America.

City-scale accessibility of emergency responders operating during flood events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Daniel; Yu, Dapeng; Pattison, Ian; Wilby, Robert; Bosher, Lee; Patel, Ramila; Thompson, Philip; Trowell, Keith; Draycon, Julia; Halse, Martin; Yang, Lili; Ryley, Tim

2017-01-01

Emergency responders often have to operate and respond to emergency situations during dynamic weather conditions, including floods. This paper demonstrates a novel method using existing tools and datasets to evaluate emergency responder accessibility during flood events within the city of Leicester, UK. Accessibility was quantified using the 8 and 10 min legislative targets for emergency provision for the ambulance and fire and rescue services respectively under "normal" no-flood conditions, as well as flood scenarios of various magnitudes (1 in 20-year, 1 in 100-year and 1 in 1000-year recurrence intervals), with both surface water and fluvial flood conditions considered. Flood restrictions were processed based on previous hydrodynamic inundation modelling undertaken and inputted into a Network Analysis framework as restrictions for surface water and fluvial flood events. Surface water flooding was shown to cause more disruption to emergency responders operating within the city due to its widespread and spatially distributed footprint when compared to fluvial flood events of comparable magnitude. Fire and rescue 10 min accessibility was shown to decrease from 100, 66.5, 39.8 and 26.2 % under the no-flood, 1 in 20-year, 1 in 100-year and 1 in 1000-year surface water flood scenarios respectively. Furthermore, total inaccessibility was shown to increase with flood magnitude from 6.0 % under the 1 in 20-year scenario to 31.0 % under the 1 in 100-year flood scenario. Additionally, the evolution of emergency service accessibility throughout a surface water flood event is outlined, demonstrating the rapid impact on emergency service accessibility within the first 15 min of the surface water flood event, with a reduction in service coverage and overlap being observed for the ambulance service during a 1 in 100-year flood event. The study provides evidence to guide strategic planning for decision makers prior to and during emergency response to flood events at the city scale. It also provides a readily transferable method for exploring the impacts of natural hazards or disruptions in other cities or regions based on historic, scenario-based events or real-time forecasting, if such data are available.

Fire and Flood - Extending NOAA Resources to the Classroom and the Citizen Science for Resilient and Informed Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, M. A.; Schranz, S.

2017-12-01

The Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado is a region particularly susceptable to both wildfire and flash flooding. As the population of Colorado continues to boom, it is critical to enhance the familiarity of resources that are available to the general public to understand, predict, and react to these dangers. At the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), a NOAA Cooperative Institute in partnership with Colorado State University, several research products related fire and precipitation processes have been evaluated and developed for public use. As part of a pilot program under development at CIRA, extensive use of CIRA public-facing products are now being used as part of teacher professional development programs available to educators on an ad-hoc basis along the Front Range. These PD programs address state standards in weather prediction, hazard mitigation, and natural disaster awareness, and are designed to incorporate NOAA resources into the classroom, including use of satellite imagery products such as the Satellite Loop Interactive Data Explorer in Real-Time (SLIDER) package, fire weather products developed at the Earth Systems Research Laboratory, and others. Resilience-focused efforts are drawn from fire weather training resources developed for and used by NWS IMET teams, and state suggestions for fire and flood mitigation efforts, tying in these concepts to the basic science made observable using NOAA products. Teachers become proficient in using products as teaching elements in the classroom, with the end goal of improving both awareness and resiliency while improving the awareness of NOAA products. Citizen science programs also incorporate these elements in ad-hoc presentations to museum groups and through partnerships with citizen science networks along the Front Range. Subject-matter expert presentations to community members of local organizations such as the Soaring Eagle Ecology Center and the Anythink Library Network stimulates interest and helps build community connections to increase awareness about the dangers of fire flood and drought. Examples and lessons learned from both programs will be presented.

Climate change impacts on urban wildfire and flooding policy in Idaho: a comparative policy network perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindquist, E.; Pierce, J. L.

2013-12-01

Numerous frameworks and models exist for understanding the dynamics of the public policy process. A policy network approach considers how and why stakeholders and interests pay attention to and engage in policy problems, such as flood control or developing resilient and fire resistant landscapes. Variables considered in this approach include what the relationships are between these stakeholders, how they influence the process and outcomes, communication patterns within and between policy networks, and how networks change as a result of new information, science, or public interest and involvement with the problem. This approach is useful in understanding the creation of natural hazards policy as new information or situations, such as projected climate change impacts, influence and disrupt the policy process and networks. Two significant natural hazard policy networks exist in the semi-arid Treasure Valley region of Southwest Idaho, which includes the capitol city of Boise and the surrounding metropolitan area. Boise is situated along the Boise River and adjacent to steep foothills; this physiographic setting makes Boise vulnerable to both wildfires at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and flooding. Both of these natural hazards have devastated the community in the past and floods and fires are projected to occur with more frequency in the future as a result of projected climate change impacts in the region. While both hazards are fairly well defined problems, there are stark differences lending themselves to comparisons across their respective networks. The WUI wildfire network is large and well developed, includes stakeholders from all levels of government, the private sector and property owner organizations, has well defined objectives, and conducts promotional and educational activities as part of its interaction with the public in order to increase awareness and garner support for its policies. The flood control policy network, however, is less defined, dominated by a few historically strong interests and is constrained (and supported) by the complex legal and management foundations of Western water rights, as well as federal and state regulatory practices for flood control and water provision. Overlap between these networks does occur as many of the stakeholders are the same, adding another dimension to the comparative approach presented here. It is the physical and natural sciences that bind these two networks, however, and create opportunities for convergence as hydrological inputs (snowmelt and rain) and summer drought simultaneously inform and impact efforts to increase resilience and reduce vulnerability and risk from both fire and flood. For example, early spring snowmelt can both increase risks of flooding and contribute to later severe fire conditions, and fires greatly increase the risk of catastrophic floods and debris flows in burned basins. Contributing to both of these potential hazards are changes in the climate in the region. This paper will present findings from a comparative study of these two policy networks and discuss the implications from how climate change is defined, understood, accepted, and integrated in both networks and the policy processes associated with these urban hazards.

RAPID POST-FIRE HYDROLOGIC WATERSHED ASSESSMENT USING THE AGWA GIS-BASED HYDROLOGIC MODELING TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

Rapid post-fire watershed assessment to identify potential trouble spots for erosion and flooding can potentially aid land managers and Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) teams in deploying mitigation and rehabilitation resources.

These decisions are inherently co...

Depositional characteristics and sediment availability resulting from the post-Schultz Fire floods of 2010

Treesearch

Karen A. Koestner; Mike D. Carroll; Daniel G. Neary; Peter E. Koestner; Ann Youberg

2011-01-01

Wildfire is a major land management concern due to direct impacts of fire on forest resources, and potentially negative effects on landscape processes by increasing rates of runoff, erosion, downstream sedimentation, and overall site degradation (DeBano et al. 1998, Neary et al. 2005, Robichaud et al. 2010). In the United States the number of fires has been increasing...

Rapid-response tools and datasets for post-fire remediation: Linking remote sensing and process-based hydrological models

Treesearch

M. E. Miller; William Elliot; M. Billmire; Pete Robichaud; K. A. Endsley

2016-01-01

Post-wildfire flooding and erosion can threaten lives, property and natural resources. Increased peak flows and sediment delivery due to the loss of surface vegetation cover and fire-induced changes in soil properties are of great concern to public safety. Burn severity maps derived from remote sensing data reflect fire-induced changes in vegetative cover and soil...

Conditions for generation of fire-related debris flows, Capulin Canyon, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, S.H.; Reneau, Steven L.

2000-01-01

Comparison of the responses of three drainage basins burned by the Dome fire of 1996 in New Mexico is used to identify the hillslope, channel and fire characteristics that indicate a susceptibility specifically to wildfire-related debris flow. Summer thunderstorms generated three distinct erosive responses from each of three basins. The Capulin Canyon basin showed widespread erosive sheetwash and rilling from hillslopes, and severe flooding occurred in the channel; the North Tributary basin exhibited extensive erosion of the mineral soil to a depth of 5 cm and downslope movement of up to boulder-sized material, and at least one debris flow occurred in the channel; negligible surface runoff was observed in the South Tributary basin. The negligible surface runoff observed in the South Tributary basin is attributed to the limited extent and severity of the fire in that basin. The factors that best distinguish between debris-flow producing and flood-producing drainages are drainage basin morphology and lithology. A rugged drainage basin morphology, an average 12 per cent channel gradient, and steep, rough hillslopes coupled with colluvium and soil weathered from volcaniclastic and volcanic rocks promoted the generation of debris flows. A less rugged basin morphology, an average gradient of 5 per cent, and long, smooth slopes mantled with pumice promoted flooding. Flood and debris-flow responses were produced without the presence of water-repellent soils. The continuity and severity of the burn mosaic, the condition of the riparian vegetation, the condition of the fibrous root mat, accumulations of dry ravel and colluvial material in the channel and on hillslopes, and past debris-flow activity, appeared to have little bearing on the distinctive responses of the basins. Published in 2000 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Biophysical Interactions within Step-Pool Mountain Streams Following Wildfire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, A.; Chin, A.; O'Dowd, A. P.

2014-12-01

Recovery of riverine ecosystems following disturbance is driven by a variety of interacting processes. Wildfires pose increasing disturbances to riverine landscapes, with rising frequencies and magnitudes owing to warming climates and increased fuel loads. The effects of wildfire include loss of vegetation, elevated runoff and flash floods, erosion and deposition, and changing biological habitats and communities. Understanding process interactions in post-fire landscapes is increasingly urgent for successful management and restoration of affected ecosystems. In steep channels, steps and pools provide prominent habitats for organisms and structural integrity in high energy environments. Step-pools are typically stable, responding to extreme events with recurrence intervals often exceeding 50 years. Once wildfire occurs, however, intensification of post-fire flood events can potentially overpower the inherent stability of these systems, with significant consequences for aquatic life and human well-being downstream. This study examined the short-term response of step-pool streams following the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado. We explored interacting feedbacks among geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology in the post-fire environment. At selected sites with varying burn severity, we established baseline conditions immediately after the fire with channel surveys, biological assessment using benthic macroinvertebrates, sediment analysis including pebble counts, and precipitation gauging. Repeat measurements after major storm events over several years enabled analysis of the interacting feedbacks among post-fire processes. We found that channels able to retain the step-pool structure changed less and facilitated recovery more readily. Step habitats maintained higher percentages of sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa compared to pools through post-fire floods. Sites burned with high severity experienced greater reduction in the percentage of sensitive taxa. The decimation of macroinvertebrates closely coincides with the physical destruction of the step-pool morphology. The role that step-pools play in enhancing the ecological quality of fluvial systems, therefore, provides a key focus for effective management and restoration of aquatic resources following wildfires.

26 CFR 1.823-2 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-5 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-2 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-2 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-2 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-5 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-2 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-5 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-5 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

26 CFR 1.823-5 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... premium deposits returned to policyholders by factory mutual fire insurance companies. The term “paid or...

Fire Protection for Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fortson-James, Judith

1981-01-01

This overview of preventive measures that can be taken to help minimize damage to library materials from fire discusses the advantages, disadvantages, dangers, and comparative costs of several types of sprinkler systems, including high-expansion foam, total-flooding, dry- and wet-pipe systems, and on-off sprinkler heads. Five references are…

Wildfires and Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2009

2009-01-01

This publication discusses conditions that feed wildfires, how a building catches fire, determining the school's risk, creating a survivable space for the school, the importance of maintenance, the fire-resistant school, meeting code requirements, and related flood and mudslide risks. Much of this publication has been adapted for schools from the…

Afforestation, subsequent forest fires and provision of hydrological services: a model-based analysis for a Mediterranean mountainous catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunes, João Pedro; Naranjo Quintanilla, Paula; Santos, Juliana; Serpa, Dalila; Carvalho-Santos, Cláudia; Rocha, João; Keizer, Jan Jacob; Keesstra, Saskia

2017-04-01

Mediterranean landscapes have experienced extensive abandonment and reforestation in recent decades, which should have improved the provision of hydrological services, such as flood mitigation, soil erosion protection and water quality regulation. However, these forests are fire-prone, and the post-fire increase in runoff, erosion and sediment exports could negatively affect service provision. This issue was assessed using the SWAT model for a small mountain agroforestry catchment, which was monitored between 2010 and 2014 and where some eucalypt stands burned in 2011 and were subsequently plowed for replanting. The model was calibrated and validated for streamflow, sediment yield and erosion in agricultural fields and the burnt hillslopes, showing that it can be adapted for post-fire simulation. It was then used to perform a decadal assessment of surface runoff, erosion, and sediment exports between 2004 and 2014. Results show that the fire did not noticeably affect flood mitigation but that it increased erosion by 3 orders of magnitude, which subsequently increased sediment yield. Erosion in the burnt forest during this decade was one order of magnitude above that in agricultural fields. SWAT was also used to assess different fire and land-use scenarios during the same period. Results indicate that the impacts of fire were lower without post-fire soil management, and when the fire occurred in pine forests (i.e. before the 1990s) or in shrublands (i.e. before afforestation in the 1930s). These impacts were robust to changes in post-fire weather conditions and to a lower fire frequency (20-year intervals). The results suggest that, in the long term, fire-prone forests might not provide the anticipated soil protection and water quality regulation services in wet Mediterranean regions.

Beyond 'flood hotspots': Modelling emergency service accessibility during flooding in York, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coles, Daniel; Yu, Dapeng; Wilby, Robert L.; Green, Daniel; Herring, Zara

2017-03-01

This paper describes the development of a method that couples flood modelling with network analysis to evaluate the accessibility of city districts by emergency responders during flood events. We integrate numerical modelling of flood inundation with geographical analysis of service areas for the Ambulance Service and the Fire & Rescue Service. The method was demonstrated for two flood events in the City of York, UK to assess the vulnerability of care homes and sheltered accommodation. We determine the feasibility of emergency services gaining access within the statutory 8- and 10-min targets for high-priority, life-threatening incidents 75% of the time, during flood episodes. A hydrodynamic flood inundation model (FloodMap) simulates the 2014 pluvial and 2015 fluvial flood events. Predicted floods (with depth >25 cm and areas >100 m2) were overlain on the road network to identify sites with potentially restricted access. Accessibility of the city to emergency responders during flooding was quantified and mapped using; (i) spatial coverage from individual emergency nodes within the legislated timeframes, and; (ii) response times from individual emergency service nodes to vulnerable care homes and sheltered accommodation under flood and non-flood conditions. Results show that, during the 2015 fluvial flood, the area covered by two of the three Fire & Rescue Service stations reduced by 14% and 39% respectively, while the remaining station needed to increase its coverage by 39%. This amounts to an overall reduction of 6% and 20% for modelled and observed floods respectively. During the 2014 surface water flood, 7 out of 22 care homes (32%) and 15 out of 43 sheltered accommodation nodes (35%) had modelled response times above the 8-min threshold from any Ambulance station. Overall, modelled surface water flooding has a larger spatial footprint than fluvial flood events. Hence, accessibility of emergency services may be impacted differently depending on flood mechanism. Moreover, we expect emergency services to face greater challenges under a changing climate with a growing, more vulnerable population. The methodology developed in this study could be applied to other cities, as well as for scenario-based evaluation of emergency preparedness to support strategic decision making, and in real-time forecasting to guide operational decisions where heavy rainfall lead-time and spatial resolution are sufficient.

Monitoring floods and fires during the summer of 2011--The value of the Landsat satellite 40-year archives

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jonescheit, Linda

2012-01-01

The summer of 2011 proved to be a season of extreme events. Heavy snowfall in the western mountains and excessive spring rains caused flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers; whereas extended dry conditions enabled fires to rage out of control from Alaska and Canada, south to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Georgia, and Mexico. The Landsat archive holds nearly 40 years of continuous global earth observation data. Landsat data are used by emergency responders to monitor change and damage caused by natural and man-made disasters. Decision makers rely on Landsat as they create plans for future environmental concerns.

Frequency of floods from a burned chaparral watershed

Treesearch

Iraj Nasseri

1989-01-01

Effects of brush fire on hydrologic characteristics of chaparral watersheds were analyzed. An unburned chaparral produces moderate surface runoff. The vegetation promotes infiltration by retarding the runoff and providing temporary storage during intense rainfall. The hydrologic characteristics of chaparral watershed, however, are drastically changed by fires. The high...

30 CFR 75.1107-12 - Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited. 75.1107-12 Section 75.1107-12 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... atmosphere prohibited. No fire suppression device designed to control fire by total flooding shall be...

30 CFR 75.1107-12 - Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited. 75.1107-12 Section 75.1107-12 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... atmosphere prohibited. No fire suppression device designed to control fire by total flooding shall be...

30 CFR 75.1107-12 - Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited. 75.1107-12 Section 75.1107-12 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... atmosphere prohibited. No fire suppression device designed to control fire by total flooding shall be...

30 CFR 75.1107-12 - Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited. 75.1107-12 Section 75.1107-12 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... atmosphere prohibited. No fire suppression device designed to control fire by total flooding shall be...

30 CFR 75.1107-12 - Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Inerting of mine atmosphere prohibited. 75.1107-12 Section 75.1107-12 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... atmosphere prohibited. No fire suppression device designed to control fire by total flooding shall be...

Spore trap analysis and MSQPCR in evaluating mold burden: a flooded gymnasium case study

EPA Science Inventory

A school gymnasium was accidentally flooded by the fire-suppression sprinkler system. The surface water was removed but after 25 days, the school decided to evaluate whether there was any mold growth in the gymnasium. Thirty, five-minute air samples (75 m3 air) were collected w...

Rock gabion, rock armoring, and culvert treatments contributing to and reducing erosion during post-wildfire flooding - Schultz Fire 2010

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; Karen A. Koestner; Ann Youberg

2011-01-01

The Schultz Fire burned 6,100 ha on the eastern slopes of the San Francisco Peaks of the Coconino National Forest in north-central Arizona. The fire burned between June 20th and 30th, 2010, across moderate to very steep ponderosa pine and mixed conifer watersheds. One of the Burned Area Emergency Response treatments on Coconino National Forest lands consisted of the...

CHANGES IN TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY RELATED TO A COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT: WISCONSIN POWER PLANT IMPACT STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

This report summarizes the effects of a coal-fired power plant on terrestrial plants and animals. Research was conducted from 1971 through 1977 at the Columbia Generating Station in the eastern flood-plain of the Wisconsin River in south-central Wisconsin. Initial studies were la...

They've Seen Fire and They've Seen Rain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Kurt

1998-01-01

Recounts what school district facilities managers learned from the flood and fire disaster in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Examines the clean-up effort, such as locating sufficient architectural and construction crews to meet repair demands, and unforeseen problems, such as toxic biological growth. Also describes the damage and repair expenses. (RJM)

33 CFR 208.10 - Local flood protection works; maintenance and operation of structures and facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the levee and to repair the damaged section. (c) Flood walls—(1) Maintenance. Periodic inspections... accelerated seepage paths; (iv) The concrete has not undergone cracking, chipping, or breaking to an extent... that no fires are being built near them; (vii) No bank caving conditions exist riverward of the wall...

33 CFR 208.10 - Local flood protection works; maintenance and operation of structures and facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the levee and to repair the damaged section. (c) Flood walls—(1) Maintenance. Periodic inspections... accelerated seepage paths; (iv) The concrete has not undergone cracking, chipping, or breaking to an extent... that no fires are being built near them; (vii) No bank caving conditions exist riverward of the wall...

33 CFR 208.10 - Local flood protection works; maintenance and operation of structures and facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the levee and to repair the damaged section. (c) Flood walls—(1) Maintenance. Periodic inspections... accelerated seepage paths; (iv) The concrete has not undergone cracking, chipping, or breaking to an extent... that no fires are being built near them; (vii) No bank caving conditions exist riverward of the wall...

Fire Safety Analysis of the Polar Icebreaker Replacement Design. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-01

report. ; iote : At t tne -3f incident only five or sx men were aboard: therefore, they could not atterrot to attack a fire of this intensmtp t hemse I...fire extinguisher (PKP) AUTOMATIC: A1301 Halon 1301 total flooding system - remotely actuated AF AFFF (3%) sprinkler system - remotely actuated AFM...simulate wind effects, we have found that its judicious use along with the vent and shaft routines allows for the modelling of simple HVAC systems

26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

26 CFR 1.832-4 - Gross income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Other Insurance Companies § 1.832-4 Gross income. (a)(1) Gross income as defined in... under section 61, except that in the case of a mutual fire insurance company described in section 831(a... gross income. Section 832(b)(1)(D) provides that in the case of a mutual fire or flood insurance company...

26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

26 CFR 1.832-4 - Gross income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Other Insurance Companies § 1.832-4 Gross income. (a)(1) Gross income as defined in... under section 61, except that in the case of a mutual fire insurance company described in section 831(a... gross income. Section 832(b)(1)(D) provides that in the case of a mutual fire or flood insurance company...

26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual fire insurance companies issuing perpetual policies, and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years...

26 CFR 1.832-4 - Gross income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Other Insurance Companies § 1.832-4 Gross income. (a)(1) Gross income as defined in... under section 61, except that in the case of a mutual fire insurance company described in section 831(a... gross income. Section 832(b)(1)(D) provides that in the case of a mutual fire or flood insurance company...

26 CFR 1.832-4 - Gross income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Other Insurance Companies § 1.832-4 Gross income. (a)(1) Gross income as defined in... under section 61, except that in the case of a mutual fire insurance company described in section 831(a... gross income. Section 832(b)(1)(D) provides that in the case of a mutual fire or flood insurance company...

Field guide for mapping post-fire soil burn severity

Treesearch

Annette Parson; Peter R. Robichaud; Sarah A. Lewis; Carolyn Napper; Jess T. Clark

2010-01-01

Following wildfires in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior mobilize Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams to assess immediate post-fire watershed conditions. BAER teams must determine threats from flooding, soil erosion, and instability. Developing a postfire soil burn severity map is an important first step...

Probable peak discharges and erosion rates from southern California watersheds as influenced by fire

Treesearch

P.B. Rowe; C.M. Countryman; H.C. Storey

1949-01-01

Damages from floods and erosion have been a serious problem in southern California since early pioneer days. The problem is becoming even more serious as the rapidly increasing population and expanding industrial and agricultural development encroach upon the flood plains and extend up the steep slopes and into canyons of the nearby mountains. Protection of forest...

33 CFR 155.5020 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR VESSELS Nontank Vessel Response Plans..., hull damage, fires, explosions, loss of propulsion, floodings, on-deck spills, or other similar...

Emergency assessment of post-fire debris-flow hazards for the 2013 Powerhouse fire, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staley, Dennis M.; Smoczyk, Gregory M.; Reeves, Ryan R.

2013-01-01

Wildfire dramatically alters the hydrologic response of a watershed such that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. Existing empirical models were used to predict the probability and magnitude of debris-flow occurrence in response to a 10-year recurrence interval rainstorm for the 2013 Powerhouse fire near Lancaster, California. Overall, the models predict a relatively low probability for debris-flow occurrence in response to the design storm. However, volumetric predictions suggest that debris flows that occur may entrain a significant volume of material, with 44 of the 73 basins identified as having potential debris-flow volumes between 10,000 and 100,000 cubic meters. These results suggest that even though the likelihood of debris flow is relatively low, the consequences of post-fire debris-flow initiation within the burn area may be significant for downstream populations, infrastructure, and wildlife and water resources. Given these findings, we recommend that residents, emergency managers, and public works departments pay close attention to weather forecasts and National-Weather-Service-issued Debris Flow and Flash Flood Outlooks, Watches, and Warnings and that residents adhere to any evacuation orders.

Hydrologic Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Associated With the Increased Role of Fire on Western Landscapes, Great Basin, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, C. J.; Pierson, F. B.; Robichaud, P. R.; Spaeth, K. E.; Hardegree, S. P.; Clark, P. E.; Moffet, C. A.; Al-Hamdan, O. Z.; Boll, J.

2010-12-01

Landscape-scale plant community transitions and altered fire regimes across Great Basin, USA, rangelands have increased the likelihood of post-fire flooding and erosion events. These hazards are particularly concerning for western urban centers along the rangeland urban-wildland interface where natural resources, property, and human life are at risk. Extensive conversion of 4-7 million hectares of Great Basin shrub-steppe to cheatgrass-dominated (Bromus tectorum) grasslands has increased the frequency and size of wildland fires within these ecosystems. Fire frequencies have increased by more than an order of magnitude and occur on 3-10 year intervals across much of the cheatgrass-dominated landscape. Extensive tree (Pinus spp. and Juniperus spp.) encroachment into wooded shrub-steppe has increased heavy fuel loads. Ladder fuels in these ecosystems promote rapidly spreading, high-intensity and severe ground-surface-crown fires. These altered fuel structures across much of the historical Great Basin shrub-steppe have initiated an upsurge in large rangeland wildfires and have increased the spatial and temporal vulnerability of these landscapes to amplified runoff and erosion. Resource and infrastructure damages, and loss of life have been reported due to flooding following recent large-scale burning of western rangelands and dry forests. We present a decade of post-fire rangeland hydrologic research that provides a foundation for conceptual modeling of the hydrologic impacts associated with an increased role of rangeland wildfires. We highlight advancements in predictive tools to address this large-scale phenomenon and discuss vital research voids requiring attention. Our geographic emphasis is the Great Basin Region, however, these concepts likely extend elsewhere given the increased role of fire in many geographic regions and across rangeland-to-forest ecotones in the western United States.

24 CFR 791.407 - Headquarters Reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... needs resulting from natural and other disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, high water..., snowstorms, drought, fires, floods, or explosions, which in the determination of the Secretary cause damage...

24 CFR 791.407 - Headquarters Reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... needs resulting from natural and other disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, high water..., snowstorms, drought, fires, floods, or explosions, which in the determination of the Secretary cause damage...

24 CFR 791.407 - Headquarters Reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... needs resulting from natural and other disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, high water..., snowstorms, drought, fires, floods, or explosions, which in the determination of the Secretary cause damage...

24 CFR 791.407 - Headquarters Reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... needs resulting from natural and other disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, high water..., snowstorms, drought, fires, floods, or explosions, which in the determination of the Secretary cause damage...

Changes in marsh soils for six months after a fire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmalzer, Paul A.; Hinkle, C. R.; Koller, Albert M., Jr.

1991-01-01

An examination is conducted of changes in soil-nutrient levels in marsh systems after a fire, in conjunction with studies of particulates and gases generated by such biomass combustion. Attention is given to data covering six months after the fire. It is noted that changes in soil property occur at different times after the fire, and persist for different intervals; this implies a need for long-term postfire observations. The marshes studied were representative of a variety of graminoid wetlands in the southeastern U.S. which periodically burn either naturally or upon prescription. Nitrogen transformations in flooded soils differ from those in well-drained ones.

Leading Preparedness for Local Fire Agencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

tsunami that raced across coastal cities including Fukushima where the Fukushima - Daiichi nuclear power station was flooded. The disaster killed more than...emergency preparedness related governmental agencies and increased support at the federal level with a focus on natural disasters .13 The FEMA was...participation has led to increased safety and situational awareness through directed information sharing for all fire response personnel. The core capability of

Inundation and Fire Shape the Structure of Riparian Forests in the Pantanal, Brazil

PubMed Central

Arruda, Wellinton de Sá; Oldeland, Jens; Paranhos Filho, Antonio Conceição; Pott, Arnildo; Cunha, Nicolay L.; Ishii, Iria Hiromi; Damasceno-Junior, Geraldo Alves

2016-01-01

Inundation and fire can affect the structure of riparian vegetation in wetlands. Our aim was to verify if there are differences in richness, abundance, basal area, composition and topographic preference of woody species in riparian forests related to the fire history, flooding duration, or the interaction between both. The study was conducted in the riparian forests of the Paraguay River some of which were burned three times between 2001 and 2011. We sampled trees with a girth of at least 5 cm at breast height in 150 5 × 10 m plots (79 burned and 71 unburned). We also measured height of the flood mark and estimated the flooding duration of each plot. We performed Generalized Linear Mixed Models to verify differences in richness, basal area, and abundance of individuals associated to interaction of fire and inundation. We used an analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) and indicator species analysis to identify differences in composition of species and the association with burned and unburned area according to different levels of inundation. Finally, we used a hierarchical set of Generalized Linear Models (GLM), the so-called HOF models, to analyse each species’ specific response to inundation based on topography and to determine their preferred optimal topographic position for both burned as well as unburned areas. Richness was positively associated with elevation only in burned areas while abundance was negatively influenced by inundation only in burned areas. Basal area was negatively associated with time of inundation independent of fire history. There were 15 species which were significant indicators for at least one combination of the studied factors. We found nine species in burned areas and 15 in unburned areas, with response curves in HOF models along the inundation gradient. From these, five species shifted their optimal position along the inundation gradient in burned areas. The interaction of fire and inundation did not appear to affect the basal area, but it did affect the richness, number of individuals, success of some species, and seemed to shape the boundary of these forests as shown by the difference in the positioning of these species along the inundation gradient. PMID:27280879

Inundation and Fire Shape the Structure of Riparian Forests in the Pantanal, Brazil.

PubMed

Arruda, Wellinton de Sá; Oldeland, Jens; Paranhos Filho, Antonio Conceição; Pott, Arnildo; Cunha, Nicolay L; Ishii, Iria Hiromi; Damasceno-Junior, Geraldo Alves

2016-01-01

Inundation and fire can affect the structure of riparian vegetation in wetlands. Our aim was to verify if there are differences in richness, abundance, basal area, composition and topographic preference of woody species in riparian forests related to the fire history, flooding duration, or the interaction between both. The study was conducted in the riparian forests of the Paraguay River some of which were burned three times between 2001 and 2011. We sampled trees with a girth of at least 5 cm at breast height in 150 5 × 10 m plots (79 burned and 71 unburned). We also measured height of the flood mark and estimated the flooding duration of each plot. We performed Generalized Linear Mixed Models to verify differences in richness, basal area, and abundance of individuals associated to interaction of fire and inundation. We used an analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) and indicator species analysis to identify differences in composition of species and the association with burned and unburned area according to different levels of inundation. Finally, we used a hierarchical set of Generalized Linear Models (GLM), the so-called HOF models, to analyse each species' specific response to inundation based on topography and to determine their preferred optimal topographic position for both burned as well as unburned areas. Richness was positively associated with elevation only in burned areas while abundance was negatively influenced by inundation only in burned areas. Basal area was negatively associated with time of inundation independent of fire history. There were 15 species which were significant indicators for at least one combination of the studied factors. We found nine species in burned areas and 15 in unburned areas, with response curves in HOF models along the inundation gradient. From these, five species shifted their optimal position along the inundation gradient in burned areas. The interaction of fire and inundation did not appear to affect the basal area, but it did affect the richness, number of individuals, success of some species, and seemed to shape the boundary of these forests as shown by the difference in the positioning of these species along the inundation gradient.

Report on the costs of domestic and international emergencies and on the threats posed by the Kuwaiti oil fires as required by P. L. 102-55

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-06-01

The report fulfills the requirements of Public Law 12-55, the FY 1992 dire emergency supplemental appropriations bill, signed by the President on June 13, 1991. This law required the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on: unfunded costs of dire emergencies because of floods, droughts, tornadoes, unemployment, and other disasters in the United States; unfunded costs, including food assistance, of international disaster emergencies existing because of floods, droughts, tornadoes, and other disasters; and the threats to oil supply, human health, and the environment that the Kuwaitimore » oil fires might pose.« less

Late Holocene flood probabilities in the Black Hills, South Dakota with emphasis on the Medieval Climate Anomaly

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, Tessa M.; O'Connor, James E.; Driscoll, Daniel G.

2015-01-01

A stratigraphic record of 35 large paleofloods and four large historical floods during the last 2000 years for four basins in the Black Hills of South Dakota reveals three long-term flooding episodes, identified using probability distributions, at A.D.: 120–395, 900–1290, and 1410 to present. During the Medieval Climate Anomaly (~ A.D. 900–1300) the four basins collectively experienced 13 large floods compared to nine large floods in the previous 800 years, including the largest floods of the last 2000 years for two of the four basins. This high concentration of extreme floods is likely caused by one or more of the following: 1) instability of air masses caused by stronger than normal westerlies; 2) larger or more frequent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean; and/or 3) reduced land covering vegetation or increased forest fires caused by persistent regional drought.

Effects of Wildfire on the Hydrology of Capulin and Rito de los Frijoles canyons, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Veenhuis, Jack E.

2002-01-01

In June of 1977, the La Mesa wildfire burned 15,270 acres in and around Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument and the adjacent Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico. The Dome wildfire in April of 1996 in Bandelier National Monument burned 16,516 acres in Capulin Canyon and the surrounding Dome Wilderness area. Both watersheds are characterized by abundant and extensive archeological sites that could be affected by increased runoff and accelerated rates of erosion, which typically occur after a wildfire. The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service monitored the wildfires' effects on streamflow in both canyons. The magnitude of large stormflows increased dramatically after these wildfires; peak flows at the most downstream streamflow-gaging station in Frijoles and Capulin Canyons increased to about 160 times the maximum recorded flood prior to the fire. Maximum peak flow was 3,030 cubic feet per second at the gaging station in Frijoles Canyon (drainage area equals 18.1 square miles) and 3,630 cubic feet per second at the most downstream crest-stage gage in Capulin Canyon (drainage area equals 14.1 square miles). The pre-fire maximum peak flow recorded in these two canyons was 19 and an estimated 25 cubic feet per second, respectively. As vegetation reestablished itself during the second year, the post-fire annual maximum peak flow decreased to about 10 to 15 times the pre-fire annual maximum peak flow. During the third year, maximum annual peak flows decreased to about three to five times the pre-fire maximum peak flow. In the 22 years since the La Mesa wildfire, flood magnitudes have not completely returned to pre-fire size. Post-fire flood magnitudes in Frijoles and Capulin Canyons do not exceed the maximum floods per drainage area for physiographic regions 5 and 6 in New Mexico. For a burned watershed, however, the peak flows that occur after a wildfire are several orders of magnitude larger than normal forested watershed peak flows. The frequency of larger stormflows also increased in response to the effects of the wildfires in both canyons. In Frijoles Canyon, the number of peak stormflows greater than the pre-fire maximum flow of 19 cubic feet per second was 15 in 1977, 9 in 1978, and 5 in 1979, which is about the magnitude of the maximum pre-fire peak flow in both canyons. Again the hydrologic effects of a wildfire seem to be more pronounced for the 3 years following the date of the fire. Likewise, larger peakflows occurred more frequently in Capulin Canyon for the first 3 years after the 1996 wildfire. Median suspended-sediment concentrations in samples collected in Frijoles Canyon in 1977 were 1,330 milligrams per liter; median concentrations were 16 milligrams per liter after the watershed stabilized in 1993-95. The annual load calculated from regression equations for load compared to flow for the first year after the wildfire was 220 times the annual load for the post-recovery period. To convey the increased frequency and magnitude of average flows in Capulin Canyon after the 1996 Dome wildfire, the stream channel in Capulin Canyon increased in flow capacity by widening and downcutting. As Capulin Canyon peak flows have decreased in both magnitude and frequency with vegetative recovery, the stream channel also has slowly begun to readjust. The channel at the most downstream crest-stage gage, which has the shallowest initial valley slope, is showing the first signs of aggradation.

26 CFR 1.823-1 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.823-4 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.822-11 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.823-1 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.822-11 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.822-11 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.823-4 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.823-1 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.823-4 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.823-4 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.823-1 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

26 CFR 1.822-11 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...

49 CFR 237.105 - Special inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Each bridge management program shall prescribe a procedure for protection of train operations and for... limited to a flood, fire, earthquake, derailment or vehicular or vessel impact. (b) Each bridge management...

49 CFR 237.105 - Special inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Each bridge management program shall prescribe a procedure for protection of train operations and for... limited to a flood, fire, earthquake, derailment or vehicular or vessel impact. (b) Each bridge management...

49 CFR 237.105 - Special inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Each bridge management program shall prescribe a procedure for protection of train operations and for... limited to a flood, fire, earthquake, derailment or vehicular or vessel impact. (b) Each bridge management...

49 CFR 237.105 - Special inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Each bridge management program shall prescribe a procedure for protection of train operations and for... limited to a flood, fire, earthquake, derailment or vehicular or vessel impact. (b) Each bridge management...

49 CFR 237.105 - Special inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Each bridge management program shall prescribe a procedure for protection of train operations and for... limited to a flood, fire, earthquake, derailment or vehicular or vessel impact. (b) Each bridge management...

Presettlement and modern disturbance regimes in coast redwood forests: Implications for the conservation of old-growth stands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lorimer, Craig G.; Porter, Daniel J.; Madej, Mary Ann; Stuart, John D.; Veirs, Stephen D.; Norman, Steven P.; O'Hara, Kevin L.; Libby, William J.

2009-01-01

Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), a western North American conifer of ancient lineage, has a paradoxical combination of late-successional characteristics and strong adaptations to disturbance. Despite its shade tolerance and heavy dominance of the canopy on many sites, redwood saplings are uncommon in upland old-growth stands. Information needed to ensure the conservation of old-growth redwood forests has been limited. In this review paper, we integrate evidence on redwood biology with data on the historic and modern disturbance regimes to help clarify the degree to which key attributes of redwood forests may have been dependent upon periodic disturbance. Available evidence suggests that episodes of fire, flooding, and slope failure prior to European settlement were frequent but predominantly of low to moderate severity and extent, resulting in broadly uneven-aged forests. The majority of fires prior to European settlement were apparently of human origin. Frequency and severity of the major disturbance agents have been radically changed in modern times. Fires have been largely excluded, and flooding has been altered in ways that have often been detrimental to old-growth redwoods on alluvial terraces. However, because of the apparent anthropogenic origin of most presettlement fires, the long-term evolutionary role of fire for coast redwood is ecologically ambiguous. With fire exclusion, redwood possibly could be displaced to some extent on upland sites by increasing abundance of fire-sensitive competitors. Alternatively, redwood may be able to maintain dominance by vegetative sprouting and new seedling establishment on root-wad mounds, fallen logs, and on soil exposed by slope failure. Future research priorities are suggested that will help resolve some of the current ambiguities.

An 11 000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history at Beaver Lake, Oregon, central Willamette Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walsh, Megan K.; Pearl, Christopher A.; Whitlock, Cathy; Bartlein, Patrick J.; Worona, Marc A.

2010-01-01

High-resolution macroscopic charcoal and pollen analysis were used to reconstruct an 11??000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history from Beaver Lake, Oregon, the first complete Holocene paleoecological record from the floor of the Willamette Valley. In the early Holocene (ca 11??000-7500 calendar years before present [cal??yr??BP]), warmer, drier summers than at present led to the establishment of xeric woodland of Quercus, Corylus, and Pseudotsuga near the site. Disturbances (i.e., floods, fires) were common at this time and as a result Alnus rubra grew nearby. High fire frequency occurred in the early Holocene from ca 11??200-9300??cal??yr??BP. Riparian forest and wet prairie developed in the middle Holocene (ca 7500??cal??yr??BP), likely the result of a decrease in the frequency of flooding and a shift to effectively cooler, wetter conditions than before. The vegetation at Beaver Lake remained generally unchanged into the late Holocene (from 4000??cal??yr??BP to present), with the exception of land clearance associated with Euro-American settlement of the valley (ca 160??cal??yr BP). Middle-to-late Holocene increases in fire frequency, coupled with abrupt shifts in fire-episode magnitude and charcoal composition, likely indicate the influence anthropogenic burning near the site. The paleoecological record from Beaver Lake, and in particular the general increase in fire frequency over the last 8500??years, differs significantly from other low-elevation sites in the Pacific Northwest, which suggests that local controls (e.g., shifts in vegetation structure, intensification of human land-use), rather than regional climatic controls, more strongly influenced its environmental history. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Development of a Minimum Performance Standard for Hand-Held Fire Extinguishers as a Replacement for Halon 1211 on Civilian Transport Category Aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, Harry

2002-08-01

One or more Halon 1211 hand-held fire extinguishers are specified in Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 25.851 as a requirement on transport category aircraft with 31 or more seats. Halon 1211 has been linked to the destruction of the ozone layer and production of new Halon 1211 has been halted per the Montreal Protocol in 1993. The phase out of Halon 1211, as the hand-held firefighting agent of choice, for civilian transport category aircraft has necessitated the development of a Minimum Performance Standard (MPS) to evaluate replacement agents. The purpose of the MPS is to insure that there is no reduction in safety, both in terms of effectiveness in fighting onboard fires and toxicity to the passengers and crew. The MPS specifies two new tests that replacement agents must pass in addition to requiring national certifications such as provided by Underwriters Laboratories. The first test evaluates the "flooding" characteristics of the agent against a hidden in-flight fire. This test determines the ability of a streaming agent to function as a flooding agent. The second test evaluates the performance of the agent in fighting a terrorist fire scenario and the associated toxicity hazard. This test measures the agent's ability to extinguish a triple-seat fire in an aircraft cabin under in-flight conditions and the toxicity characteristics of both the neat agent and the products of decomposition. This MPS will insure that the replacement agents will meet or exceed the performance of Halon 1211 both in fighting fires and maintaining a safe breathing environment in aircraft cabins.

Post-fire ecohydrological conditions at peatland margins in different hydrogeological settings of the Boreal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukenbach, M. C.; Hokanson, K. J.; Devito, K. J.; Kettridge, N.; Petrone, R. M.; Mendoza, C. A.; Granath, G.; Waddington, J. M.

2017-05-01

In the Boreal Plain of Canada, the margins of peatland ecosystems that regulate solute and nutrient fluxes between peatlands and adjacent mineral uplands are prone to deep peat burning. Whether post-fire carbon accumulation is able to offset large carbon losses associated with the deep burning at peatland margins is unknown. For this reason, we examined how post-fire hydrological conditions (i.e. water table depth and periodicity, soil tension, and surface moisture content) and depth of burn were associated with moss recolonization at the peatland margins of three sites. We then interpreted these findings using a hydrogeological systems approach, given the importance of groundwater in determining conditions in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum in peatlands. Peatland margins dominated by local groundwater flow from adjacent peatland middles were characterized by dynamic hydrological conditions that, when coupled with lowered peatland margin surface elevations due to deep burning, produced two common hydrological states: 1) flooding during wet periods and 2) rapid water table declines during dry periods. These dynamic hydrological states were unfavorable to peatland moss recolonization and bryophytes typical of post-fire recovery in mineral uplands became established. In contrast, at a peatland margin where post-fire hydrological conditions were moderated by larger-scale groundwater flow, flooding and rapid water table declines were infrequent and, subsequently, greater peatland-dwelling moss recolonization was observed. We argue that peatland margins poorly connected to larger-scale groundwater flow are not only prone to deep burning but also lags in post-fire moss recovery. Consequently, an associated reduction in post-fire peat accumulation may occur and negatively affect the net carbon sink status and ecohydrological and biogeochemical function of these peatlands.

26 CFR 1.826-4 - Allocation of expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-5 - Attribution of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-5 - Attribution of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-6 - Credit or refund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-6 - Credit or refund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-5 - Attribution of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-4 - Allocation of expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-5 - Attribution of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-4 - Allocation of expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-4 - Allocation of expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-6 - Credit or refund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.826-6 - Credit or refund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

38 CFR 36.4369 - Correction of structural defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) LOAN GUARANTY Guaranty or Insurance of Loans to Veterans With Electronic Reporting § 36.4369... fire, earthquake, flood, windstorm, or waste, which seriously affects the livability of the dwelling...

49 CFR 213.367 - Special inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.367 Special inspections. In the event of fire, flood, severe storm, temperature extremes or other occurrence...

48 CFR 14.402-3 - Postponement of openings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

....g., flood, fire, accident, weather conditions, strikes, or Government equipment blackout or... preclude amendment of the solicitation as prescribed in 14.208, the time specified for opening of bids will...

48 CFR 14.402-3 - Postponement of openings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

....g., flood, fire, accident, weather conditions, strikes, or Government equipment blackout or... preclude amendment of the solicitation as prescribed in 14.208, the time specified for opening of bids will...

Federal Emergency Management Agency

MedlinePlus

... Preparedness Goal National Preparedness System Blog Careers FEMA Earthquake Contacts Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships Grant ... hazard categories including riverine flood, hurricane surge, wind, earthquake, and Wildland-Urban Interface Fire. Skip footer content. ...

Monitoring Bird Populations in Relation to Fuel Loads and Fuel Treatments in Riparian Woodlands with Tamarisk and Russian Olive Understories

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch; June Galloway; David Hawksworth

2006-01-01

Over the past decade, wild fire events in riparian bosque (forested) areas along the Middle Rio Grande between Elephant Butte and Albuquerque have increased dramatically owing to flood suppression and accumulation of dead wood and exotic Tamarisk and Russian olive. This problem culminated in a large wild fire in July 1993 that resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of...

26 CFR 1.823-4 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits) § 1...

26 CFR 1.823-1 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits) § 1...

26 CFR 1.822-11 - Net premiums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits) § 1...

26 CFR 1.826-4 - Allocation of expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits...

24 CFR 203.24 - Application of payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... assessments, flood insurance premiums, if required, and fire and other hazard insurance premiums; (2) Interest... permitted under the terms of the mortgage and subject to such conditions as the Commissioner may prescribe...

24 CFR 203.24 - Application of payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... assessments, flood insurance premiums, if required, and fire and other hazard insurance premiums; (2) Interest... permitted under the terms of the mortgage and subject to such conditions as the Commissioner may prescribe...

Inerting and atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carhart, Homer W.

1987-01-01

It is argued that fires are dependent primarily on the concentration of oxygen, whereas life is dependent on the partial pressure of oxygen. It follows that in an inhabited capsule it should be possible to exercise a certain amount of willful control over fire and still maintain habitability by proper selection of the composition of the atmosphere. This leads to two concepts in the control of fires in confined spaces by controlling atmospheric composition: the first, to lower the overall potential hazard by maintaining the percent of oxygen in the capsule below that of air, and second, to provide for the emergency extinguishment of a fire by sudden flooding with nitrogen. Several relevant charts and graphs are presented.

26 CFR 1.826-3 - Attorney-in-fact of electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual...

26 CFR 1.826-3 - Attorney-in-fact of electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

26 CFR 1.826-3 - Attorney-in-fact of electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

26 CFR 1.826-3 - Attorney-in-fact of electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

26 CFR 1.826-3 - Attorney-in-fact of electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

Wildfires

MedlinePlus

... is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. Wildfires can: Often be caused by humans or lightning. Cause flooding or disrupt transportation, gas, power, and communications. Happen anywhere, anytime. Risk increases ...

105. DAMAGE CONTROL CENTRAL STARBOARD LOOKING TO PORT SHOWING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

105. DAMAGE CONTROL CENTRAL - STARBOARD LOOKING TO PORT SHOWING PLOTTING BOARD, FLOODING & FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS AND DRAGE GAUGE. - U.S.S. HORNET, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Sinclair Inlet, Bremerton, Kitsap County, WA

40 CFR 14.11 - Principal types of allowable claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... hurricane; (3) When the personal property was subjected to an extraordinary risk in the employee's... an emergency situation, to a natural disaster such as fire, flood, hurricane, or to a man-made...

7 CFR 457.141 - Rice crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) That is flood irrigated; and (d) That is not wild rice. 7. Insurable Acreage In addition to the... loss that occur during the insurance period: (1) Adverse weather conditions (except drought); (2) Fire...

7 CFR 457.141 - Rice crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) That is flood irrigated; and (d) That is not wild rice. 7. Insurable Acreage In addition to the... loss that occur during the insurance period: (1) Adverse weather conditions (except drought); (2) Fire...

7 CFR 457.141 - Rice crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) That is flood irrigated; and (d) That is not wild rice. 7. Insurable Acreage In addition to the... loss that occur during the insurance period: (1) Adverse weather conditions (except drought); (2) Fire...

7 CFR 457.141 - Rice crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) That is flood irrigated; and (d) That is not wild rice. 7. Insurable Acreage In addition to the... loss that occur during the insurance period: (1) Adverse weather conditions (except drought); (2) Fire...

40 CFR 14.11 - Principal types of allowable claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... hurricane; (3) When the personal property was subjected to an extraordinary risk in the employee's... an emergency situation, to a natural disaster such as fire, flood, hurricane, or to a man-made...

40 CFR 14.11 - Principal types of allowable claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... hurricane; (3) When the personal property was subjected to an extraordinary risk in the employee's... an emergency situation, to a natural disaster such as fire, flood, hurricane, or to a man-made...

40 CFR 14.11 - Principal types of allowable claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... hurricane; (3) When the personal property was subjected to an extraordinary risk in the employee's... an emergency situation, to a natural disaster such as fire, flood, hurricane, or to a man-made...

40 CFR 14.11 - Principal types of allowable claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... hurricane; (3) When the personal property was subjected to an extraordinary risk in the employee's... an emergency situation, to a natural disaster such as fire, flood, hurricane, or to a man-made...

Assessment and Prediction of Natural Hazards from Satellite Imagery

PubMed Central

Gillespie, Thomas W.; Chu, Jasmine; Frankenberg, Elizabeth; Thomas, Duncan

2013-01-01

Since 2000, there have been a number of spaceborne satellites that have changed the way we assess and predict natural hazards. These satellites are able to quantify physical geographic phenomena associated with the movements of the earth’s surface (earthquakes, mass movements), water (floods, tsunamis, storms), and fire (wildfires). Most of these satellites contain active or passive sensors that can be utilized by the scientific community for the remote sensing of natural hazards over a number of spatial and temporal scales. The most useful satellite imagery for the assessment of earthquake damage comes from high-resolution (0.6 m to 1 m pixel size) passive sensors and moderate resolution active sensors that can quantify the vertical and horizontal movement of the earth’s surface. High-resolution passive sensors have been used to successfully assess flood damage while predictive maps of flood vulnerability areas are possible based on physical variables collected from passive and active sensors. Recent moderate resolution sensors are able to provide near real time data on fires and provide quantitative data used in fire behavior models. Limitations currently exist due to atmospheric interference, pixel resolution, and revisit times. However, a number of new microsatellites and constellations of satellites will be launched in the next five years that contain increased resolution (0.5 m to 1 m pixel resolution for active sensors) and revisit times (daily ≤ 2.5 m resolution images from passive sensors) that will significantly improve our ability to assess and predict natural hazards from space. PMID:25170186

The flood pulse as the underlying driver of vegetation in the largest wetland and fishery of the Mekong Basin.

PubMed

Arias, Mauricio E; Cochrane, Thomas A; Norton, David; Killeen, Timothy J; Khon, Puthea

2013-11-01

The Tonle Sap is the largest wetland in Southeast Asia and one of the world's most productive inland fisheries. The Mekong River inundates the Tonle Sap every year, shaping a mosaic of natural and agricultural habitats. Ongoing hydropower development, however, will dampen the flood pulse that maintains the Tonle Sap. This study established the current underlying relationship among hydrology, vegetation, and human use. We found that vegetation is strongly influenced by flood duration; however, this relationship was heavily distorted by fire, grazing, and rice cultivation. The expected flood pulse alteration will result in higher water levels during the dry season, permanently inundating existing forests. The reduction of the maximum flood extent will facilitate agricultural expansion into natural habitats. This study is the most comprehensive field survey of the Tonle Sap to date, and it provides fundamental knowledge needed to understand the underlying processes that maintain this important wetland.

Fire flood method for recovering petroleum from oil reservoirs of low permeability and temperature

DOEpatents

Kamath, Krishna

1984-08-14

The present invention is directed to a method of enhanced oil recovery by fire flooding petroleum reservoirs characterized by a temperature of less than the critical temperature of carbon dioxide, a pore pressure greater than the saturated vapor pressure of carbon dioxide at said temperature (87.7.degree. F. at 1070 psia), and a permeability in the range of about 20 to 100 millidarcies. The in situ combustion of petroleum in the reservoir is provided by injecting into the reservoir a combustion supporting medium consisting essentially of oxygen, ozone, or a combination thereof. The heat of combustion and the products of this combustion which consist essentially of gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapor sufficiently decrease the viscosity of oil adjacent to fire front to form an oil bank which moves through the reservoir towards a recovery well ahead of the fire front. The gaseous carbon dioxide and the water vapor are driven into the reservoir ahead of the fire front by pressure at the injection well. As the gaseous carbon dioxide cools to less than about 88.degree. F. it is converted to liquid which is dissolved in the oil bank for further increasing the mobility thereof. By using essentially pure oxygen, ozone, or a combination thereof as the combustion supporting medium in these reservoirs the permeability requirements of the reservoirs are significantly decreased since the liquid carbon dioxide requires substantially less voidage volume than that required for gaseous combustion products.

Determination of Survivable Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dietrich, D. L.; Niehaus, J. E.; Ruff, G. A.; Urban, D. L.; Takahashi, F.; Easton, J. W.; Abbott, A. A.; Graf, J. C.

2012-01-01

At NASA, there exists no standardized design or testing protocol for spacecraft fire suppression systems (either handheld or total flooding designs). An extinguisher's efficacy in safely suppressing any reasonable or conceivable fire is the primary benchmark. That concept, however, leads to the question of what a reasonable or conceivable fire is. While there exists the temptation to over-size' the fire extinguisher, weight and volume considerations on spacecraft will always (justifiably) push for the minimum size extinguisher required. This paper attempts to address the question of extinguisher size by examining how large a fire a crew member could successfully survive and extinguish in the confines of a spacecraft. The hazards to the crew and equipment during an accidental fire include excessive pressure rise resulting in a catastrophic rupture of the vehicle skin, excessive temperatures that burn or incapacitate the crew (due to hyperthermia), carbon dioxide build-up or other accumulation of other combustion products (e.g. carbon monoxide). Estimates of these quantities are determined as a function of fire size and mass of material burned. This then becomes the basis for determining the maximum size of a target fire for future fire extinguisher testing.

Disturbance-driven Changes in Soil Exoenzyme Activity and Biogeochemistry of Colorado Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lybrand, R. A.; Gallery, R. E.; Trahan, N. A.; Dynes, E.; Moore, D. J.

2015-12-01

Forest disturbances alter rates of organic matter decomposition by microbes, which introduces uncertainty to the fate of soil carbon and aboveground carbon stocks. Quantifying soil microbial response to disturbance will reduce this uncertainty in dynamic, heterogeneous ecosystems. Here, we assessed how potential exoenzyme activities and biogeochemistry vary across Colorado landscapes disturbed by insect, fire, and flooding. We sampled 56 plots that spanned a burn severity gradient following the 2012 High Park Fire and a beetle kill chronosequence. Topsoil biogeochemistry, potential exoenzyme activity, and microbial biomass were quantified within each plot, and for a subset of 16 plots visited before and after a 2014 rainfall event. Terrain variables were generated from a LiDAR-derived DTM. Our results documented a shift in exoenzyme activity that corresponded to fire-driven changes in pH, which averaged 4.8 ± 0.2 in unburned plots to 6.3 ± 0.4 in severe burn plots. Stepwise multiple linear regressions were employed to predict exoenzyme activity using principal components derived from biogeochemical and terrain variables. The models explained up to 50% of the variance in exoenzyme activity, with the strongest relationships identified for phosphatase and the carbon degrading enzymes, β-Glucosidase and 4-MUB-β-D-cellobioside. The unexplained variance may result from the legacy of disturbance across sites. For example, burned and unburned plots presented contrasting geochemical responses to the 2014 rainfall event. Specifically, PO43- did not differ significantly between the burned and unburned plots in the pre-flood soils. Interestingly, PO43- was significantly different between the two groups in the post-flood soils due to a decrease in PO43- at the unburned plots and a slight increase at the burned plots. Similar trends were recognized for DIN and NH4+ in the burned and unburned sites yet the beetle kill plots exhibited little geochemical response pre- and post-flood. Our results demonstrate that exoenzyme activities are controlled, in part, by topography and disturbance-driven changes in biogeochemistry. Future work will examine how microclimate and disturbance history, such as undocumented flood events, contribute to soil ecological and geochemical variability across complex terrain.

Role of wildfire in controlling the source and flux of particulate organic carbon from a small, mountainous, semi-arid watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatten, J. A.; Goni, M. A.; Gray, A. B.; Pasternack, G. B.; Warrick, J. A.; Watson, E.; Wheatcroft, R. A.

2016-12-01

The delivery of particulate organic carbon (POC) from rivers to marine sediments is the major long-term sink of CO2 on Earth and a net source of oxygen over millennial time scales. Small mountainous river systems (SMRS) may be responsible for half of the POC delivery to global oceans. The flux of POC in semi-arid SMRS has been thought to be regulated by hydro-geomorphic factors, such as runoff, tectonic uplift rates, and bedrock geology. Fire has been shown to be very important for the flux of suspended sediment from chaparral dominated watersheds, therefore the same should be true for carbon associated with sediment. To date, the role of landscape disturbances such as fire has not been investigated. A large wildfire (2008) in the chaparral-dominated Arroyo Seco watershed, a smaller watershed within the Salinas River basin, provided a unique opportunity to examine the effects of fire on POC source and flux at the watershed-scale. Suspended sediments were collected from the Arroyo Seco for 2 years post fire, and 1 year pre- and 3 years post-fire in the Salinas River. We analyzed these sediments for C, N, 13C, 15N, ad CuO oxidation products (e.g. lignin, char). We found there was an increase in POC flux that is largely a function of elevated sediment flux, but elemental, stable isotope, and biomarker analyses show that both burned and unburned organic matter has contributed to the elevated carbon flux as a result of enhanced surface erosion processes. While these fire-flood events may be rare, sediment associated constituent yield will be greatly underestimated if these events are not considered. Fire-flood events may be especially important to consider in light of shifting fire regimes and more frequent extreme precipitation events predicted as a result of climate change.

40 CFR 141.5 - Siting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., avoid locating part or all of the new or expanded facility at a site which: (a) Is subject to a significant risk from earthquakes, floods, fires or other disasters which could cause a breakdown of the...

26 CFR 1.165-6 - Farming losses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Loss of prospective crop. The total loss by frost, storm, flood, or fire of a prospective crop being... by disease, exposure, or injury of any livestock purchased and used in the trade or business of...

46 CFR 10.229 - Replacement of lost merchant mariner credentials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... expiration date as the lost credential. The duplicate issued will be in the form of an MMC. Until April 15... collision, explosion, tornado, wreck, flooding, beaching, grounding, or fire; or personal loss associated...

49 CFR 379.5 - Protection and storage of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... to this part from fires, floods, and other hazards, and safeguard the records from unnecessary... notify the Secretary if prescribed records are substantially destroyed or damaged before the term of the prescribed retention periods. ...

49 CFR 379.5 - Protection and storage of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... to this part from fires, floods, and other hazards, and safeguard the records from unnecessary... notify the Secretary if prescribed records are substantially destroyed or damaged before the term of the prescribed retention periods. ...

49 CFR 379.5 - Protection and storage of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... to this part from fires, floods, and other hazards, and safeguard the records from unnecessary... notify the Secretary if prescribed records are substantially destroyed or damaged before the term of the prescribed retention periods. ...

49 CFR 379.5 - Protection and storage of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... to this part from fires, floods, and other hazards, and safeguard the records from unnecessary... notify the Secretary if prescribed records are substantially destroyed or damaged before the term of the prescribed retention periods. ...

49 CFR 379.5 - Protection and storage of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... to this part from fires, floods, and other hazards, and safeguard the records from unnecessary... notify the Secretary if prescribed records are substantially destroyed or damaged before the term of the prescribed retention periods. ...

Combined Hydrologic (AGWA-KINEROS2) and Hydraulic (HEC2) Modeling for Post-Fire Runoff and Inundation Risk Assessment through a Set of Python Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barlow, J. E.; Goodrich, D. C.; Guertin, D. P.; Burns, I. S.

2016-12-01

Wildfires in the Western United States can alter landscapes by removing vegetation and changing soil properties. These altered landscapes produce more runoff than pre-fire landscapes which can lead to post-fire flooding that can damage infrastructure and impair natural resources. Resources, structures, historical artifacts and others that could be impacted by increased runoff are considered values at risk. .The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment tool (AGWA) allows users to quickly set up and execute the Kinematic Runoff and Erosion model (KINEROS2 or K2) in the ESRI ArcMap environment. The AGWA-K2 workflow leverages the visualization capabilities of GIS to facilitate evaluation of rapid watershed assessments for post-fire planning efforts. High relative change in peak discharge, as simulated by K2, provides a visual and numeric indicator to investigate those channels in the watershed that should be evaluated for more detailed analysis, especially if values at risk are within or near that channel. Modeling inundation extent along a channel would provide more specific guidance about risk along a channel. HEC-2 and HEC-RAS can be used for hydraulic modeling efforts at the reach and river system scale. These models have been used to address flood boundaries and, accordingly, flood risk. However, data collection and organization for hydraulic models can be time consuming and therefore a combined hydrologic-hydraulic modeling approach is not often employed for rapid assessments. A simplified approach could streamline this process and provide managers with a simple workflow and tool to perform a quick risk assessment for a single reach. By focusing on a single reach highlighted by large relative change in peak discharge, data collection efforts can be minimized and the hydraulic computations can be performed to supplement risk analysis. The incorporation of hydraulic analysis through a suite of Python tools (as outlined by HEC-2) with AGWA-K2 will allow more rapid applications of combined hydrologic-hydraulic modeling. This combined modeling approach is built in the ESRI ArcGIS application to enable rapid model preparation, execution and result visualization for risk assessment in post-fire environments.

Climate Change Adaptation Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

evapotranspiration impacting reservoirs and soil moisture; increased risk of wild fires; alterations in material properties Increases in worker safety...Changes in evapotranspiration N: Navig ion F: Flood and Coastal Storm Damage Reduction R: cosystem Restoration H: Hydropower RG: Regulatory RC

Fires, storms, and water supplies: a case of compound extremes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheridan, G. J.; Nyman, P.; Langhans, C.; Jones, O.; Lane, P. N.

2013-12-01

Intense rainfall events following fire can wash sediment and ash into streams and reservoirs, contaminating water supplies for cities and towns. Post fire flooding and debris flows damage infrastructure and endanger life. These kinds of risks which are associated with a combination of two or more events (which may or may not be extreme when occurring independently) are an example of what the IPCC recently referred to as ';compound extremes'. Detailed models exist for modeling fire and erosion events separately, however there have been few attempts to integrate these models so as to estimate the water quality and infrastructure risks associated with combined fire and rainfall regimes. This presentation will articulate the issues associated with modeling the compound effects of fire and subsequent rainfall events on erosion, debris flows and water quality, and will describe and contrast several new approaches to modeling this problem developed and applied to SE Australian fire prone landscapes under the influence of climate change.

Modeling of natural risks in GIS, decision support in the Civil Protection and Emergency Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, M.; Martins, L.; Moreira, S.; Costa, A.; Matos, F.; Teixeira, M.; Bateira, C.

2012-04-01

The assessment of natural hazards in Civil Protection is essential in the prevention and mitigation of emergency situations. This paper presents the results of the development of mapping susceptibility to landslides, floods, forest fires and soil erosion, using GIS (Geographic Information System) tools in two municipalities - Santo Tirso and Trofa - in the district of Oporto, in the northwest of Portugal. The mapping of natural hazards fits in the legislative plan of the Municipal Civil Protection (Law No. 65/2007 of 12 November) and it provides the key elements to planning and preparing an appropriate response in case some of the processes / phenomena occur, thus optimizing the procedures for protection and relief provided by the Municipal Civil Protection Service. Susceptibility mapping to landslides, floods, forest fires and soil erosion was performed with GIS tools resources. The methodology used to compile the mapping of landslides, forest fires and soil erosion was based on the modeling of different conditioning factors and validated with field work and event log. The mapping of susceptibility to floods and flooding was developed through mathematical parameters (statistical, hydrologic and hydraulic), supported by field work and the recognition of individual characteristics of each sector analysis and subsequently analyzed in a GIS environment The mapping proposal was made in 1:5000 scale which allows not only the identification of large sets affected by the spatial dynamics of the processes / phenomena, but also a more detailed analysis, especially when combined with geographic information systems (GIS) thus allowing to study more specific situations that require a quick response. The maps developed in this study are fundamental to the understanding, prediction and prevention of susceptibility and risks present in the municipalities, being a valuable tool in the process of Emergency Planning, since it identifies priority areas of intervention for farther detail analysis, promote and safeguard mechanisms to prevent injury and it anticipates the possibility of potential interventions that can minimize the risk.

Rapid Shifts in Soil Nutrients and Decomposition Enzyme Activity in Early Succession Following Forest Fire

DOE PAGES

Knelman, Joseph E.; Graham, Emily B.; Ferrenberg, Scott; ...

2017-09-15

In post-disturbance landscapes nutrient availability has proven a major control on ecological succession. In this study, we examined variation in connections between soil nutrient availability and decomposition extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) across post fire secondary succession in forest soils as well as after a secondary flood disturbance. We also examined possible linkages between edaphic properties and bacterial communities based on 16S rRNA gene analysis. We found that with advancing succession in a post-fire landscape, the relationship between soil nutrients and EEA became stronger over time. In general, late successional soils showed stronger connections between EEA and soil nutrient status, whilemore » early successional soils were marked by a complete decoupling of nutrients and EEA. We also found that soil moisture and bacterial communities of post-fire disturbance soils were susceptible to change following the secondary flood disturbance, while undisturbed, reference forest soils were not. Our results demonstrate that nutrient pools correlating with EEA change over time. While past work has largely focused on ecosystem succession on decadal timescales, our work suggests that nutrients shift in their relative importance as a control of decomposition EEA in the earliest stages of secondary succession. Furthermore, this work emphasizes the relevance of successional stage, even on short timescales, in predicting rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling, especially as disturbances become more frequent in a rapidly changing world.« less

Rapid Shifts in Soil Nutrients and Decomposition Enzyme Activity in Early Succession Following Forest Fire

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knelman, Joseph E.; Graham, Emily B.; Ferrenberg, Scott

In post-disturbance landscapes nutrient availability has proven a major control on ecological succession. In this study, we examined variation in connections between soil nutrient availability and decomposition extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) across post fire secondary succession in forest soils as well as after a secondary flood disturbance. We also examined possible linkages between edaphic properties and bacterial communities based on 16S rRNA gene analysis. We found that with advancing succession in a post-fire landscape, the relationship between soil nutrients and EEA became stronger over time. In general, late successional soils showed stronger connections between EEA and soil nutrient status, whilemore » early successional soils were marked by a complete decoupling of nutrients and EEA. We also found that soil moisture and bacterial communities of post-fire disturbance soils were susceptible to change following the secondary flood disturbance, while undisturbed, reference forest soils were not. Our results demonstrate that nutrient pools correlating with EEA change over time. While past work has largely focused on ecosystem succession on decadal timescales, our work suggests that nutrients shift in their relative importance as a control of decomposition EEA in the earliest stages of secondary succession. Furthermore, this work emphasizes the relevance of successional stage, even on short timescales, in predicting rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling, especially as disturbances become more frequent in a rapidly changing world.« less

Environmental Perturbations Caused by the Impacts of Comets and Asteroids on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toon, Owen B.; Lawless, James G. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

The extinction mechanisms proposed at the Cretaceous-Tertiary geological boundary are reviewed and related to the impact of asteroids or comets in general. For impact energies below 10(exp 4) Megatons (less than 6 x 10(exp 4) years; asteroid diameter less than 650 m), blast, earthquake, and fire may destroy local areas up to 10(exp 5) square m. Tidal waves could flood a kilometer inland over entire ocean basins. The energy range from 105 to 106 Megatons (less than 2 x 10(exp 6) years; asteroid diameter less than 3 km) is transitional. Dust lifted, sulfur released from within impacting asteroids, and soot from fires started by comets can produce climatologically significant optical depths of 10. At energies beyond 10(exp 7) Megatons, blast and earthquake damage is regional (10(exp 6) square cm). Tsunami cresting to 100 m and flooding 20 km inland will sweep the coastal zones of the world's oceans. Fires will be set globally. Light levels may drop so low from the smoke, dust and sulfate that vision is not possible. At energies approaching 10(exp 9) Megatons the ocean surface waters may be acidified by sulfur. The combination of these effects would be devastating.

Emergency assessment of post-fire debris-flow hazards for the 2013 Mountain fire, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staley, Dennis M.; Gartner, Joseph E.; Smoczyk, Greg M.; Reeves, Ryan R.

2013-01-01

Wildfire dramatically alters the hydrologic response of a watershed such that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. We use empirical models to predict the probability and magnitude of debris flow occurrence in response to a 10-year rainstorm for the 2013 Mountain fire near Palm Springs, California. Overall, the models predict a relatively high probability (60–100 percent) of debris flow for six of the drainage basins in the burn area in response to a 10-year recurrence interval design storm. Volumetric predictions suggest that debris flows that occur may entrain a significant volume of material, with 8 of the 14 basins identified as having potential debris-flow volumes greater than 100,000 cubic meters. These results suggest there is a high likelihood of significant debris-flow hazard within and downstream of the burn area for nearby populations, infrastructure, and wildlife and water resources. Given these findings, we recommend that residents, emergency managers, and public works departments pay close attention to weather forecasts and National Weather Service–issued Debris Flow and Flash Flood Outlooks, Watches and Warnings and that residents adhere to any evacuation orders.

The Challenges from Extreme Climate Events for Sustainable Development in Amazonia: the Acre State Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araújo, M. D. N. M.

2015-12-01

In the past ten years Acre State, located in Brazil´s southwestern Amazonia, has confronted sequential and severe extreme events in the form of droughts and floods. In particular, the droughts and forest fires of 2005 and 2010, the 2012 flood within Acre, the 2014 flood of the Madeira River which isolated Acre for two months from southern Brazil, and the most severe flooding throughout the state in 2015 shook the resilience of Acrean society. The accumulated costs of these events since 2005 have exceeded 300 million dollars. For the last 17 years, successive state administrations have been implementing a socio-environmental model of development that strives to link sustainable economic production with environmental conservation, particularly for small communities. In this context, extreme climate events have interfered significantly with this model, increasing the risks of failure. The impacts caused by these events on development in the state have been exacerbated by: a) limitations in monitoring; b) extreme events outside of Acre territory (Madeira River Flood) affecting transportation systems; c) absence of reliable information for decision-making; and d) bureaucratic and judicial impediments. Our experience in these events have led to the following needs for scientific input to reduce the risk of disasters: 1) better monitoring and forecasting of deforestation, fires, and hydro-meteorological variables; 2) ways to increase risk perception in communities; 3) approaches to involve more effectively local and regional populations in the response to disasters; 4) more accurate measurements of the economic and social damages caused by these disasters. We must improve adaptation to and mitigation of current and future extreme climate events and implement a robust civil defense, adequate to these new challenges.

Functional Modelling, Scenario Development, and Options Analysis to Support Optimized Crewing for Damage Control. Phase 1: Functional Modelling

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-18

Minimize environmental impact. One of the chief ways in which the ship can harm the environment is by spilling untreated bilge water or fuel...containment): Fire suppression and fire containment can be performed in ways that minimize the amount of contaminated water that enters the bilges ...flood control can be performed to delay the need to return bilge water to the sea. Topological links: None. 3.18 – Resource allocation Description

AGWA DESIGN DOCUMENTATION: MIGRATING TO ARCGIS AND THE INTERNET

EPA Science Inventory

Rapid post-fire watershed assessment to identify potential trouble spots for erosion and flooding can potentially aid land managers and Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) teams in deploying mitigation and rehabilitation resources.

These decisions are inherently co...

After the Disaster: Restoring Library Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, J. W.

1983-01-01

Discusses precautions which can be taken to minimize loss or damage to library buildings and collections resulting from natural disasters (fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, storms). Preventive measures (alarm systems, interior protection), salvage efforts, restoration of collection and library facility, rebuilding collection and…

A Resilience Pattern in Village level: The Case Babalan Village, Pati, Central Java Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurwahyudi, Ragil; Maryono

2018-02-01

Based on the Indonesia Disaster Prone Index 2013, Pati Regency is a high risk area of disaster and is ranked 11th level Central Java province while nationally ranked 156. Babalan Village located on the edge of Juwana River has disaster history from 2006-2014 shows flood disaster Giving the greatest probability and impact followed by rat pest, tornado, drought, fire. The public recognizes the signs of a continuous flooding of heavy rains accompanied by clouds all over the edge, the continuous rise of the Juwana River surface to overflow, ants, isoptera, and animals out of its nest, "Yuyu Bule", earthworms out, clear water for "Rowo floods ", Brownish water for the flash floods. Most residents have boats and can make rafts from makeshift materials (jerry cans, bamboo, banana stems). Make "Ranggon" at home for those who do not evacuate for a place to stay during the flood. Citizens elevate the kitchen (to evacuate people and goods / household furniture). Breeding Tyto Alba owl for rats pest control post-flood and controllers in the fields. Develop vegetable crops in the yard with viticulture pattern (upstairs) if flood can be moved and can eat vegetables during flood. Have food reserves for stock before outside help comes. Citizens initiate "Water Bath honesty" to meet the water needs during the dry season.

Israel wildfires: future trends, impacts and mitigation strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittenberg, Lea

2017-04-01

Forest fires in the Euro-Mediterranean region burn about 450,000 ha each year. In Israel, the frequency and extent of wildfires have been steadily increasing over the past decades, culminating in several large and costly fires in 2010, 2012 and 2016. The extensive development of forest areas since the 1950's and the accumulation of fuel in the forests, has led to increased occurrences of high intensity fires. Land-use changes and human population growth are the most prevailing and common determinant of wildfire occurrence and impacts. Climate extremes, possibly already a sign of regional climate change, are another frequent determinant of increasing wildfire risk. Therefore, the combination of extreme dry spells, high fuel loads and increased anthropogenic pressure on the open spaces result in an overall amplified wildfire risk. These fires not only cause loss of life and damage to properties but also carry serious environmental repercussions. Combustion of standing vegetation and the leaf litter leave the soil bare and vulnerable to runoff and erosion, thereby increasing risks of flooding. Today, all of Israel's open spaces, forests, natural parks, major metropolitan centers, towns and villages are embedded within the wildland urban interface (WUI). Typically, wildfires near or in the WUI occur on uplands and runoff generated from the burned area poses flooding risks in urban and agricultural zones located downstream. Post-fire management aims at reducing associated hazards as collapsing trees and erosion risk. Often the time interval between a major fire and the definition of priority sites is in the order of days-to-weeks since administrative procedures, financial estimates and implementation of post-fire salvage logging operations require time. Defining the magnitude of the burn scar and estimating its potential impact on runoff and erosion must therefore be done quickly. A post-fire burn severity, runoff and erosion model is a useful tool in estimating potential risks and management strategic. Moreover, national agencies and local authorities must decide on a range of post-fire measures to mitigate risks quickly since most large fires occur late in summer shortly before the winter season. Possible climate changes, socio-economic trends, and intense land use pressures are contributing factors in a national challenge to deal with forest fires along the WUI. However, in order to support integrated fire preparedness, response, management and recovery at the national, regional and local scales, stronger research and planning effort are required. This includes long-term monitoring programs and a systematic, standardized data acquisition scheme, compiling fire history, landscape-fire spread, mitigation and assessment of the immediate fire effects, land use changes and weather data. Knowledge of both short and long-term impacts of wildfire is essential for effective risk assessment, policy formulation and wildfire management.

Preparing for Emergencies: A Checklist for People with Neuromuscular Diseases

MedlinePlus

TORNADO • FLASH FLOOD • EARTHQUAKE • WINTER STORM • HURRICANE • FIRE • HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPILL Preparing for Emergencies A Checklist for ... head for a basement when there is a tornado warning, but most basements aren’t wheelchair-accessible. ...

Modeling hydrologic and geomorphic hazards across post-fire landscapes using a self-organizing map approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedel, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Few studies attempt to model the range of possible post-fire hydrologic and geomorphic hazards because of the sparseness of data and the coupled, nonlinear, spatial, and temporal relationships among landscape variables. In this study, a type of unsupervised artificial neural network, called a self-organized map (SOM), is trained using data from 540 burned basins in the western United States. The sparsely populated data set includes variables from independent numerical landscape categories (climate, land surface form, geologic texture, and post-fire condition), independent landscape classes (bedrock geology and state), and dependent initiation processes (runoff, landslide, and runoff and landslide combination) and responses (debris flows, floods, and no events). Pattern analysis of the SOM-based component planes is used to identify and interpret relations among the variables. Application of the Davies-Bouldin criteria following k-means clustering of the SOM neurons identified eight conceptual regional models for focusing future research and empirical model development. A split-sample validation on 60 independent basins (not included in the training) indicates that simultaneous predictions of initiation process and response types are at least 78% accurate. As climate shifts from wet to dry conditions, forecasts across the burned landscape reveal a decreasing trend in the total number of debris flow, flood, and runoff events with considerable variability among individual basins. These findings suggest the SOM may be useful in forecasting real-time post-fire hazards, and long-term post-recovery processes and effects of climate change scenarios.

Predicting Fire Severity and Hydrogeomorphic Effects for Wildland Fire Decision Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyde, K.; Woods, S. W.; Calkin, D.; Ryan, K.; Keane, R.

2007-12-01

The Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) uses the Fire Spread Probability (FSPro) model to predict the spatial extent of fire, and to assess values-at-risk within probable spread zones. This information is used to support Appropriate Management Response (AMR), which involves decision making regarding fire-fighter deployment, fire suppression requirements, and identification of areas where fire may be safely permitted to take its course. Current WFDSS assessments are generally limited to a binary prediction of whether or not a fire will reach a given location and an assessment of the infrastructure which may be damaged or destroyed by fire. However, an emerging challenge is to expand the capabilities of WFDSS so that it also estimates the probable fire severity, and hence the effect on soil, vegetation and on hydrologic and geomorphic processes such as runoff and soil erosion. We present a conceptual framework within which derivatives of predictive fire modelling are used to predict impacts upon vegetation and soil, from which fire severity and probable post-fire watershed response can be inferred, before a fire actually occurs. Fire severity predictions are validated using Burned Area Reflectance Classification imagery. Recent tests indicate that satellite derived BARC images are a simple and effective means to predict post-fire erosion response based on relative vegetation disturbance. A fire severity prediction which reasonably approximates a BARC image may therefore be used to assess post-fire erosion and flood potential before fire reaches an area. This information may provide a new avenue of reliable support for fire management decisions.

A numerical modeling investigation of erosion and debris flows following the 2016 Fish Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, H.; McGuire, L.; Rengers, F. K.; Kean, J. W.; Staley, D. M.

2017-12-01

Wildfire significantly changes the hydrological characteristics of soil for a period of several years and increases the likelihood of flooding and debris flows during high-intensity rainfall in steep watersheds. Hazards related to post-fire flooding and debris flows increase as populations expand into mountainous areas that are susceptible to wildfire, post-wildfire flooding, and debris flows. However, our understanding of post-wildfire debris flows is limited due to a paucity of direct observations and measurements, partially due to the remote locations where debris flows tend to initiate. In these situations, numerical modeling becomes a very useful tool for studying post-wildfire debris flows. Research based on numerical modeling improves our understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for the increase in erosion and consequent formation of debris flows in burned areas. In this contribution, we study changes in sediment transport efficiency with time since burning by combining terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys of a hillslope burned during the 2016 Fish Fire with numerical modeling of overland flow and sediment transport. We also combine the numerical model with measurements of debris flow timing to explore relationships between post-wildfire rainfall characteristics, soil infiltration capacity, hillslope erosion, and debris flow initiation at the drainage basin scale. Field data show that an initial rill network developed on the hillslope, and became more efficient over time as the overall rill density decreased. Preliminary model results suggest that this can be achieved when flow driven detachment mechanisms dominate and raindrop-driven detachment is minimized. Results also provide insight into the hydrologic and geomorphic conditions that lead to debris flow initiation within recently burned areas.

Coastal bathymetry data collected in June 2014 from Fire Island, New York—The wilderness breach and shoreface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Timothy R.; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Wilson, Kathleen E.; Henderson, Rachel E.; Brenner, Owen T.; Reynolds, Billy J.; Hansen, Mark E.

2016-08-02

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, collected bathymetric data along the upper shoreface and within the wilderness breach at Fire Island, New York, in June 2014. The U.S. Geological Survey is involved in a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to map and monitor the morphologic evolution of the shoreface along Fire Island and model the evolution of the wilderness breach as a part of the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. During this study, bathymetry was collected with single-beam echo sounders and global positioning systems, mounted to personal watercraft, along the Fire Island shoreface and within the wilderness breach. Additional bathymetry was collected using backpack global positioning systems along the flood shoals and shallow channels within the wilderness breach.

26 CFR 1.826-7 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium... deduction 4 Underwriting gain 0 Mutual insurance company taxable income 0 Unused loss 22 Credit or refund...

26 CFR 1.826-7 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium... deduction 4 Underwriting gain 0 Mutual insurance company taxable income 0 Unused loss 22 Credit or refund...

26 CFR 1.826-7 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium... deduction 4 Underwriting gain 0 Mutual insurance company taxable income 0 Unused loss 22 Credit or refund...

26 CFR 1.822-12 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... insurance company, and such method shall be consistently followed with respect to all deductions (including...

26 CFR 1.826-7 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium... deduction 4 Underwriting gain 0 Mutual insurance company taxable income 0 Unused loss 22 Credit or refund...

Operational Management of Area Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sprague, George W.

Three phases leading to the automation of the mechanical building systems on the Harvard campus are described. The systems allow a single operator to monitor and control all the mechanical systems, plus fire, flood, and security alarms, for all buildings in a large area of the campus. (JT)

Natural disturbance production functions

Treesearch

Jeffrey P. Prestemon; D. Evan Mercer; John M. Pye

2008-01-01

Natural disturbances in forests are driven by physical and biological processes. Large, landscape scale disturbances derive primarily from weather (droughts, winds, ice storms, and floods), geophysical activities (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), fires, insects, and diseases. Humans have invented ways to minimize their negative impacts and reduce their rates of...

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grams, Theodore C. W.

Intended to be used in conjunction with the Portland State University handbook entitled "Safety Guidelines and Emergency Procedures," this manual provides guidelines to be followed in the event of library emergencies involving fire, flood, fumes, smoke, and water leakage, with special attention given to the processes required for the…

Firefighter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Pam

2011-01-01

The responsibilities of a firefighter extend far beyond simply responding to fire emergencies. At many departments, responding to medical calls or car accidents is the most frequent activity, and a routine shift might also entail dealing with hazardous materials, gas leaks, structural collapses, floods, ice storms, wild animals, or the myriad…

Recommendations for Emergency Management Planning for School Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin.

Numerous events, such as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, constitute a natural disaster for public schools. Human-caused disasters include hazardous-material emergencies, civil riots, fires, and nuclear accidents. This document contains emergency-management planning guidelines, developed by the Texas Education Agency, to help local school…

Perceptions of Post-Wildfire Landscape Change and Recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kooistra, C. M.; Hall, T. E.; Paveglio, T.; Carroll, M.; Smith, A. M.

2013-12-01

Considering the dynamic nature of the earth and climate systems and the increasing potential for widespread forest disturbances, it is important to understand the implications of landscape changes, and perceptions of changes, on people's responses to forest disturbances. Understanding how people perceive landscape change over time following forest disturbances helps researchers, land managers, and community leaders identify important biophysical and social characteristics that influence the vulnerability of people who experience forest disturbances, as well as their responses to those disturbances. This poster describes people's perceptions of landscape change following a significant wildfire. The lightning ignited Dahl fire burned 12 miles southeast of Roundup, MT mostly on private land in the summer of June 2012. The fire burned approximately 22,000 acres and destroyed 73 residences. We conducted interviews in the summer of 2013 with more than 40 residents, land managers, emergency personnel, and other stakeholders. While interviews covered several topics, this poster focuses on responses to questions regarding perceptions of short- and long-term landscape change after the fire, including both social and biophysical perspectives. Interviews revealed that people's understanding of the role of wildfires as a natural ecosystem process, as well as their connections with the landscape (i.e., sense of place), were important factors that influenced their perceptions of landscape change after the fire. Many respondents discussed the landscape ';recovering' to pre-fire conditions in longer-term timeframes, such as ';multiple generations.' They often referenced previous wildfires, the Hawk Creek fire (1984) and the Majeras fire (2006), by explaining how parts of the landscape affected by the Dahl fire might compare to certain areas of the previous fires. Variations in recovery expectations were often based on perceptions of the severity of the fire (especially temperature), post-fire restoration/seeding efforts, and what the landscape was ';supposed to look like.' Participants with a stronger understanding of the ecological role of fire seemed less concerned about the long-term negative impacts of the fire on the ecological and aesthetic aspects of the changed landscape. Others seemed to focus on the negative aspects, namely that the landscape would never return to ';normal' within their lifetime. Several residents (not interviewed) reportedly moved away because the changes to the landscape were so severe. Of course, most residents stayed, though many mentioned how important the trees in the landscape were to them and that areas burnt by the fire had lost something special. Many respondents also discussed a severe flood shortly after the fire, as well as continued erosion problems due largely to the fire's impacts on the soil and vegetation. These insights about perceptions of changes in the landscape from the fire, floods, and erosion, in terms of expected recovery over spatial and temporal scales will be explored in more detail. We also discuss the implications of these insights for understanding people's attitudes about wildfire management and for communicating about wildfire issues with the public.

Postwildfire debris flows hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Track Fire, northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillery, Anne C.; Darr, Michael J.; Cannon, Susan H.; Michael, John A.

2011-01-01

In June 2011, the Track Fire burned 113 square kilometers in Colfax County, northeastern New Mexico, and Las Animas County, southeastern Colorado, including the upper watersheds of Chicorica and Raton Creeks. The burned landscape is now at risk of damage from postwildfire erosion, such as that caused by debris flows and flash floods. This report presents a preliminary hazard assessment of the debris-flow potential from basins burned by the Track Fire. A pair of empirical hazard-assessment models developed using data from recently burned basins throughout the intermountain western United States were used to estimate the probability of debris-flow occurrence and volume of debris flows at the outlets of selected drainage basins within the burned area. The models incorporate measures of burn severity, topography, soils, and storm rainfall to estimate the probability and volume of post-fire debris flows following the fire. In response to a design storm of 38 millimeters of rain in 30 minutes (10-year recurrence-interval), the probability of debris flow estimated for basins burned by the Track fire ranged between 2 and 97 percent, with probabilities greater than 80 percent identified for the majority of the tributary basins to Raton Creek in Railroad Canyon; six basins that flow into Lake Maloya, including the Segerstrom Creek and Swachheim Creek basins; two tributary basins to Sugarite Canyon, and an unnamed basin on the eastern flank of the burned area. Estimated debris-flow volumes ranged from 30 cubic meters to greater than 100,000 cubic meters. The largest volumes (greater than 100,000 cubic meters) were estimated for Segerstrom Creek and Swachheim Creek basins, which drain into Lake Maloya. The Combined Relative Debris-Flow Hazard Ranking identifies the Segerstrom Creek and Swachheim Creek basins as having the highest probability of producing the largest debris flows. This finding indicates the greatest post-fire debris-flow impacts may be expected to Lake Maloya. In addition, Interstate Highway 25, Raton Creek and the rail line in Railroad Canyon, County road A-27, and State Highway 526 in Sugarite Canyon may also be affected where they cross drainages downstream from recently burned basins. Although this assessment indicates that a rather large debris flow (approximately 42,000 cubic meters) may be generated from the basin above the City of Raton (basin 9) in response to the design storm, the probability of such an event is relatively low (approximately 10 percent). Additional assessment is necessary to determine if the estimated volume of material is sufficient to travel into the City of Raton. In addition, even small debris flows may affect structures at or downstream from basin outlets and increase the threat of flooding downstream by damaging or blocking flood mitigation structures. The maps presented here may be used to prioritize areas where erosion mitigation or other protective measures may be necessary within a 2- to 3-year window of vulnerability following the Track Fire.

Managing wetlands for disaster risk reduction: A case study of the eastern Free State, South Africa

PubMed Central

Collins, Nacelle

2018-01-01

This article investigated the knowledge and practice of a nature-based solution to reduce disaster risks of drought, veld fires and floods using wetlands in the eastern Free State, South Africa. A mixed research method approach was used to collect primary data using three data collection tools, namely questionnaires, interviews and field observations. Ninety-five wetlands under communal and private ownership as well as a few in protected areas were sampled, with their users completing questionnaires. The study showed that communal wetlands were more degraded, while wetlands in protected areas and in private commercial farms were in a good ecological state. An extensive literature review reveals that healthy wetlands are effective buffers in reducing disaster risks such as drought, veld fires and floods which are recurrent in the study area. Therefore, through better land-use and management practices, backed by education and awareness, wetlands could be good instruments to mitigate recurrent natural hazards in the agriculturally dominated eastern Free State in South Africa.

Emergency assessment of post-fire debris-flow hazards for the 2013 Springs Fire, Ventura County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staley, Dennis M.

2014-01-01

Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. In this report, empirical models are used to predict the probability and magnitude of debris-flow occurrence in response to a 10-year rainstorm for the 2013 Springs fire in Ventura County, California. Overall, the models predict a relatively high probability (60–80 percent) of debris flow for 9 of the 99 drainage basins in the burn area in response to a 10-year recurrence interval design storm. Predictions of debris-flow volume suggest that debris flows may entrain a significant volume of material, with 28 of the 99 basins identified as having potential debris-flow volumes greater than 10,000 cubic meters. These results of the relative combined hazard analysis suggest there is a moderate likelihood of significant debris-flow hazard within and downstream of the burn area for nearby populations, infrastructure, wildlife, and water resources. Given these findings, we recommend that residents, emergency managers, and public works departments pay close attention to weather forecasts and National Weather Service-issued Debris Flow and Flash Flood Outlooks, Watches, and Warnings, and that residents adhere to any evacuation orders.

Predicting fire impact from plant traits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoof, Cathelijne; Ottink, Roos; Zylstra, Philip; Cornelissen, Hans; Fernandes, Paulo

2017-04-01

Fire can considerably increase the landscape's vulnerability to flooding and erosion, which is in part caused by fire-induced soil heating, vegetation removal and resulting hydrological changes. While the magnitude of these fire effects and ecosystem responses is frequently studied, there is still little attention for the fundamental mechanisms that drive these changes. One example is on the effect of plants: while it is known that plants can alter the fire environment, there is a major knowledge gap regarding the fundamental mechanisms by which vegetation mediates fire impact on soil and hydrology. Essential to identifying these mechanisms is consideration of the effects of vegetation on flammability and fire behaviour, which are studied both in ecology and traditional fire science. Here we discuss the challenges of integrating these very distinct fields and the potential benefits of this integration for improved understanding of fire effects on soil and hydrology. We furthermore present results of a study in which we assessed the spatial drivers controlling the proportion of live and dead fuel in a natural park in northern Portugal, and evaluated the impacts on the spatial variability of fire behaviour and potential soil heating using BehavePlus modeling. Better understanding of the role of (spatial variability in) plant traits on fire impact can facilitate the development of risk maps to ultimately help predict and mitigate fire risk and impact across landscapes.

Identifying streamflow shifts induced by wildfires in mountain basins under summer precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spade, D. M.; Moreno, H. A.; Gourley, J. J.

2016-12-01

High severity wildfires drastically alter the hydrologic response in headwater catchments, as a consequence of reductions in vegetation cover and modifications of soil hydraulic properties. These changes lead to an increased probability of flash-floods in steep-slope mountain watersheds. This study investigates the changes in hydrologic response for post-fire conditions at two burned basins in Colorado as observed from time series of streamflow, precipitation and remotely sensed vegetation density. We examine the event and seasonal hydrologic shifts as a function of vegetation cover which is measured by the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). First, we compare flow duration curves of 15-min streamflows pre and post fire. Subsequently, we study the event scale changes induced by wildfire as measured by the runoff coefficient (RC), response time (RT) and peak flow (Qpk). At the seasonal scale we explore the yearly evolution of runoff coefficient and peak flow and their relationship with a normalized EVI (NEVI) to identify a recovery hysteresis pathway. Our findings support the idea that for similar burned areas relative to total basin surface, forested watersheds evidence the largest streamflow changes. Flow duration curves depict significant post-fire increases in the high-range streamflows (low probability of exceedence) on the order of 1900% in forested and 500% in shrubland dominated basins with respect to pre-fire conditions. For a similar-precipitation and antecedent soil moisture, burned watersheds significantly showed a decrease in response time and increase in runoff coefficient relative to pre-fire for two isolated hydrologic events. At the seasonal scale, the expected increase in NEVI translates into increases in RC and Qpk with a hysteresis effect driven by vegetation recovery, precipitation volumes and antecedent soil moisture. This study provides new insights to understand the physical processes triggered by fire that influence watershed responses and increase flash-flooding risks.

Large-Scale Forest Fires and Resulting Alterations to the Hydrologic Cycle in the Western U.S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, J.; White, A. B.; Thomson, B.

2012-12-01

Recent changes in climate have resulted in a decrease in precipitation and snowpack amounts and increased temperatures in the western United States. Drier and warmer conditions coupled with forest management issues have led to an increase in the frequency and size of forest fires. The 2000 Cerro Grande fire in Los Alamos, New Mexico burned over 43,000 acres and 200 structures. Eleven years later, the Las Conchas fire burned over 156,000 acres and 100 structures, including areas previously burned in 2000, and was considered the largest fire in New Mexico's history. Both fires burned ponderosa, juniper, piñon and mixed conifer forests, resulting in dramatic decreases in vegetation, changes to surface soils, and alterations to the hydrologic cycle (decreased evapotranspiration, decreased infiltration, increased runoff volume and peak discharge, and decreased time to peak discharge) in surrounding watersheds. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams need to determine the flash-flood danger quickly in order to protect residents, fire-fighters, BAER-team field personnel, and property at risk. The USGS developed an analytical method for predicting post-fire peak discharges using data collected from eight different fires throughout the western United States. We use this method to predict peak discharge in Los Alamos watersheds post-Cerro Grande and post-Las Conchas, then compare predicted to measured peak discharge. We will evaluate the effectiveness of the three methodology levels presented by the USGS, which include varying levels of data input and processing. We expect the peak discharges to be similar in magnitude; however, we will also investigate different influential factors such as burn severity, soil type, vegetation type and density, ecological connectivity, topography, pre- and post-fire weather conditions, etc., as they relate to the fires and the results seen from the measured versus the analytical method. Determining the relative influence of these factors may be important in establishing the comprehensive nature of the methodology. The frequency of large, intense "mega-fires" are predicted to increase, thus there is a potential for more post-fire flood damage and more surface water resources to be altered due to water quality issues. For example, the Whitewater-Baldy Complex fire became the largest fire in New Mexico's history one year after the Las Conchas fire by burning almost 300,000 acres in the Gila National Forest in southern New Mexico, the Little Bear fire in 2012 forced the closure of Alto Reservoir for the foreseeable future due to ash and debris, and the Las Conchas fire forced several surface water treatment facilities serving Santa Fe and Albuquerque to shut down. As these fires become more frequent, there is a potential that less surface water will be available and more groundwater will be pumped for human and agricultural use in the western U.S., where water scarcity is already a pressing problem. Understanding how these fires alter the hydrologic cycle is critical to water policy and planning and this research will help advance that understanding.

Heavy Precipitation impacts and emergency planning - developing applicable strategies for a metropolitan area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutschker, Thomas; Glade, Thomas

2016-04-01

Heavy rainfall in central Europe is one of the assumed effects of climate change, which occurs with large seasonal and regional differences in its magnitude. The extent of loss depends on natural parameters (e.g. topography and vegetation) as well as on socio-economic factors like urbanized and industrialized areas and population density. Dangerous cascade effects appear, if critical infrastructure like the electrical power supply is affected. In some cases mudflows and flash floods cause inundated or undercut roads and cause a high demand for fast and effective assistance of the authorities. The civil protection in Germany is based on a federal system with a bottom-up command-structure and responsibility to the local community. Commonly this responsibility is taken by the fire brigades and civil protection units of the community or district. After heavy rainfall in an urban area, numerous incidents and emergency calls appearing at a time are overstressing the human and technical resources of the fire brigades within the local authority frequently. In this study, a method of comprehensive evaluation of meteorological data and the operation data from local fire brigades shall be developed for the Rhine-Main-Area in order to identify particular affected spots of heavy rain and bundle resources of the fire brigades. It is to be found out if the study area contains regions with a particularly high exposure to heavy rain and high application numbers of the fire department and whether there is a relationship of rainfall and frequency of use. To evaluate particular local effects on the fire brigades capability, a brief analysis of the meteorological data provided by the German Meteorological Service (DWD) as well as the evaluation of the incident data of the affected fire brigades, is used to frame a realistic approach. In particular fire brigade operation data can be used accordingly to describe the intensity of the aftermath when heavy precipitation strikes a certain area. It shows that most of the damage is caused by spilled sewage drains flooding basements and streets. Besides less fire brigade operations are observed in rural areas with constant amount of rainfall. The occurrence of heavy rain events is spatially limited, hot-spot areas with higher probability can be detected. Based on this finding, a resource management strategy for the fire brigade can be developed. Keywords: emergency planning strategy, critical infrastructure, heavy rainfall, fire-brigade resource management

Decision Support for Emergency Operations Centers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, Craig; Lawhead, Joel; Watts, Zack

2005-01-01

The Flood Disaster Mitigation Decision Support System (DSS) is a computerized information system that allows regional emergency-operations government officials to make decisions regarding the dispatch of resources in response to flooding. The DSS implements a real-time model of inundation utilizing recently acquired lidar elevation data as well as real-time data from flood gauges, and other instruments within and upstream of an area that is or could become flooded. The DSS information is updated as new data become available. The model generates realtime maps of flooded areas and predicts flood crests at specified locations. The inundation maps are overlaid with information on population densities, property values, hazardous materials, evacuation routes, official contact information, and other information needed for emergency response. The program maintains a database and a Web portal through which real-time data from instrumentation are gathered into the database. Also included in the database is a geographic information system, from which the program obtains the overlay data for areas of interest as needed. The portal makes some portions of the database accessible to the public. Access to other portions of the database is restricted to government officials according to various levels of authorization. The Flood Disaster Mitigation DSS has been integrated into a larger DSS named REACT (Real-time Emergency Action Coordination Tool), which also provides emergency operations managers with data for any type of impact area such as floods, fires, bomb

26 CFR 1.822-12 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... insurance company, and such method shall be consistently followed with respect to all deductions (including...

26 CFR 1.822-12 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... insurance company, and such method shall be consistently followed with respect to all deductions (including...

26 CFR 1.825-3 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...: Example 1. For the taxable year 1967, F, a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-12 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... insurance company, and such method shall be consistently followed with respect to all deductions (including...

26 CFR 1.825-3 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...: Example 1. For the taxable year 1967, F, a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.825-3 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...: Example 1. For the taxable year 1967, F, a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.825-3 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium...: Example 1. For the taxable year 1967, F, a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-12 - Dividends to policyholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... insurance company, and such method shall be consistently followed with respect to all deductions (including...

Disaster Preparedness in YOUR School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin. Div. of Adult and Continuing Education.

A look at what to do in time of natural and man-made disasters is presented. Disasters covered include tornados, hurricanes, floods, fires, blizzards, and nuclear disaster. The responsibilities of the Board of Education, school superintendent, school principal, teachers, school nurse, custodian, students, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers are…

Conservation, Preservation and Restoration in Nigerian Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojo-Igbinoba, M. E.

1991-01-01

Addresses problems involved with the conservation, preservation, and restoration of library materials in Nigeria. Topics discussed include insect pests; light, heat, and humidity; atmospheric pollution and dust; natural disasters including fire and floods; theft and vandalism; acidity of paper; binding and mending; and trained personnel. (15…

Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMiT)

Treesearch

Peter R. Robichaud

2008-01-01

Federal land management agencies have spent tens of millions of dollars on post-fire emergency watershed stabilization measures intended to minimize flood runoff, peakflows, onsite erosion, offsite sedimentation, and other hydrologic damage to natural habitats, roads, bridges, reservoirs, and irrigation systems (General Accounting Office 2003). The decision to apply...

REAL-TIME high-resolution urban surface water flood mapping to support flood emergency management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, M.; Yu, D.; Wilby, R.

2016-12-01

Strong evidence has shown that urban flood risks will substantially increase because of urbanisation, economic growth, and more frequent weather extremes. To effectively manage these risks require not only traditional grey engineering solutions, but also a green management solution. Surface water flood risk maps based on return period are useful for planning purposes, but are limited for application in flood emergencies, because of the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of rainfall and complex urban topography. Therefore, a REAL-TIME urban surface water mapping system is highly beneficial to increasing urban resilience to surface water flooding. This study integrated numerical weather forecast and high-resolution urban surface water modelling into a real-time multi-level surface water mapping system for Leicester City in the UK. For rainfall forecast, the 1km composite rain radar from the Met Office was used, and we used the advanced rainfall-runoff model - FloodMap to predict urban surface water at both city-level (10m-20m) and street-level (2m-5m). The system is capable of projecting 3-hour urban surface water flood, driven by rainfall derived from UK Met Office radar. Moreover, this system includes real-time accessibility mapping to assist the decision-making of emergency responders. This will allow accessibility (e.g. time to travel) from individual emergency service stations (e.g. Fire & Rescue; Ambulance) to vulnerable places to be evaluated. The mapping results will support contingency planning by emergency responders ahead of potential flood events.

Improving the extraction of crisis information in the context of flood, fire, and landslide rapid mapping using SAR and optical remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinis, Sandro; Clandillon, Stephen; Twele, André; Huber, Claire; Plank, Simon; Maxant, Jérôme; Cao, Wenxi; Caspard, Mathilde; May, Stéphane

2016-04-01

Optical and radar satellite remote sensing have proven to provide essential crisis information in case of natural disasters, humanitarian relief activities and civil security issues in a growing number of cases through mechanisms such as the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) of the European Commission or the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters'. The aforementioned programs and initiatives make use of satellite-based rapid mapping services aimed at delivering reliable and accurate crisis information after natural hazards. Although these services are increasingly operational, they need to be continuously updated and improved through research and development (R&D) activities. The principal objective of ASAPTERRA (Advancing SAR and Optical Methods for Rapid Mapping), the ESA-funded R&D project being described here, is to improve, automate and, hence, speed-up geo-information extraction procedures in the context of natural hazards response. This is performed through the development, implementation, testing and validation of novel image processing methods using optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. The methods are mainly developed based on data of the German radar satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X, the French satellite missions Pléiades-1A/1B as well as the ESA missions Sentinel-1/2 with the aim to better characterize the potential and limitations of these sensors and their synergy. The resulting algorithms and techniques are evaluated in real case applications during rapid mapping activities. The project is focussed on three types of natural hazards: floods, landslides and fires. Within this presentation an overview of the main methodological developments in each topic is given and demonstrated in selected test areas. The following developments are presented in the context of flood mapping: a fully automated Sentinel-1 based processing chain for detecting open flood surfaces, a method for the improved detection of flooded vegetation in Sentinel-1data using Entropy/Alpha decomposition, unsupervised Wishart Classification, and object-based post-classification as well as semi-automatic approaches for extracting inundated areas and flood traces in rural and urban areas from VHR and HR optical imagery using machine learning techniques. Methodological developments related to fires are the implementation of fast and robust methods for mapping burnt scars using change detection procedures using SAR (Sentinel-1, TerraSAR-X) and HR optical (e.g. SPOT, Sentinel-2) data as well as the extraction of 3D surface and volume change information from Pléiades stereo-pairs. In the context of landslides, fast and transferable change detection procedures based on SAR (TerraSAR-X) and optical (SPOT) data as well methods for extracting the extent of landslides only based on polarimetric VHR SAR (TerraSAR-X) data are presented.

Storm rainfall conditions for floods and debris flows from recently burned areas in southwestern Colorado and southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, S.H.; Gartner, J.E.; Wilson, R.C.; Bowers, J.C.; Laber, J.L.

2008-01-01

Debris flows generated during rain storms on recently burned areas have destroyed lives and property throughout the Western U.S. Field evidence indicate that unlike landslide-triggered debris flows, these events have no identifiable initiation source and can occur with little or no antecedent moisture. Using rain gage and response data from five fires in Colorado and southern California, we document the rainfall conditions that have triggered post-fire debris flows and develop empirical rainfall intensity-duration thresholds for the occurrence of debris flows and floods following wildfires in these settings. This information can provide guidance for warning systems and planning for emergency response in similar settings. Debris flows were produced from 25 recently burned basins in Colorado in response to 13 short-duration, high-intensity convective storms. Debris flows were triggered after as little as six to 10??min of storm rainfall. About 80% of the storms that generated debris flows lasted less than 3??h, with most of the rain falling in less than 1??h. The storms triggering debris flows ranged in average intensity between 1.0 and 32.0??mm/h, and had recurrence intervals of two years or less. Threshold rainfall conditions for floods and debris flows sufficiently large to pose threats to life and property from recently burned areas in south-central, and southwestern, Colorado are defined by: I = 6.5D-??0.7 and I = 9.5D-??0.7, respectively, where I = rainfall intensity (in mm/h) and D = duration (in hours). Debris flows were generated from 68 recently burned areas in southern California in response to long-duration frontal storms. The flows occurred after as little as two hours, and up to 16??h, of low-intensity (2-10??mm/h) rainfall. The storms lasted between 5.5 and 33??h, with average intensities between 1.3 and 20.4??mm/h, and had recurrence intervals of two years or less. Threshold rainfall conditions for life- and property-threatening floods and debris flows during the first winter season following fires in Ventura County, and in the San Bernardino, San Gabriel and San Jacinto Mountains of southern California are defined by I = 12.5D-0.4, and I = 7.2D-0.4, respectively. A threshold defined for flood and debris-flow conditions following a year of vegetative recovery and sediment removal for the San Bernardino, San Gabriel and San Jacinto Mountains of I = 14.0D-0.5 is approximately 25??mm/h higher than that developed for the first year following fires. The thresholds defined here are significantly lower than most identified for unburned settings, perhaps because of the difference between extremely rapid, runoff-dominated processes acting in burned areas and longer-term, infiltration-dominated processes on unburned hillslopes. Crown Copyright ?? 2007.

26 CFR 1.826-1 - Election by reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... interinsurers. (a) In general. Except as otherwise provided in section 826(c), any mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.825-1 - Unused loss deduction; in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...) provides that the unused loss deduction of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.826-1 - Election by reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...) In general. Except as otherwise provided in section 826(c), any mutual insurance company which is an...

26 CFR 1.825-1 - Unused loss deduction; in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of.... Section 825(a) provides that the unused loss deduction of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax...

26 CFR 1.822-1 - Taxable income and deductions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... income of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 is its gross investment...

26 CFR 1.822-6 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-8 - Determination of taxable investment income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... the limitations on deductions relating to real estate owned and occupied by a mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.826-2 - Special rules applicable to electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... upon any increase in the mutual insurance company taxable income of a reciprocal which is attributable...

26 CFR 1.822-5 - Mutual insurance company taxable income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Mutual insurance company taxable income. 1.822-5... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

26 CFR 1.825-2 - Unused loss carryovers and carrybacks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... insurance company taxable under section 821(a) must first determine the part of any unused losses for any...

26 CFR 1.826-2 - Special rules applicable to electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... upon any increase in the mutual insurance company taxable income of a reciprocal which is attributable...

26 CFR 1.825-1 - Unused loss deduction; in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of.... Section 825(a) provides that the unused loss deduction of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax...

26 CFR 1.826-2 - Special rules applicable to electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... upon any increase in the mutual insurance company taxable income of a reciprocal which is attributable...

26 CFR 1.822-7 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.823-7 - Subscribers of reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... had in fact been credited on the last day of the company's taxable year. The subscriber shall take...

26 CFR 1.823-6 - Determination of statutory underwriting income or loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which... determining statutory underwriting income or loss for the taxable year, a mutual insurance company subject to...

26 CFR 1.825-2 - Unused loss carryovers and carrybacks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... year, a mutual insurance company taxable under section 821(a) must first determine the part of any...

26 CFR 1.821-2 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., chapter 1 of the Code are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended by the Life Insurance Company...

26 CFR 1.826-1 - Election by reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... interinsurers. (a) In general. Except as otherwise provided in section 826(c), any mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.825-2 - Unused loss carryovers and carrybacks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... year, a mutual insurance company taxable under section 821(a) must first determine the part of any...

26 CFR 1.822-7 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.822-4 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits... the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.822-8 through 1.822-12 are...

26 CFR 1.823-7 - Subscribers of reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... had in fact been credited on the last day of the company's taxable year. The subscriber shall take...

26 CFR 1.822-9 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.821-2 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits... Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36...

26 CFR 1.822-7 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization and...

26 CFR 1.822-8 - Determination of taxable investment income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... the limitations on deductions relating to real estate owned and occupied by a mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.822-5 - Mutual insurance company taxable income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Mutual insurance company taxable income. 1.822-5... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

26 CFR 1.822-4 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., as amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.822-8 through 1...

26 CFR 1.823-7 - Subscribers of reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... had in fact been credited on the last day of the company's taxable year. The subscriber shall take...

26 CFR 1.822-5 - Mutual insurance company taxable income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Mutual insurance company taxable income. 1.822-5... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

26 CFR 1.825-2 - Unused loss carryovers and carrybacks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... year, a mutual insurance company taxable under section 821(a) must first determine the part of any...

26 CFR 1.822-4 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., as amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.822-8 through 1...

26 CFR 1.822-3 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.825-2 - Unused loss carryovers and carrybacks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... year, a mutual insurance company taxable under section 821(a) must first determine the part of any...

26 CFR 1.822-5 - Mutual insurance company taxable income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mutual insurance company taxable income. 1.822-5... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of...

26 CFR 1.822-7 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.826-2 - Special rules applicable to electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... upon any increase in the mutual insurance company taxable income of a reciprocal which is attributable...

26 CFR 1.826-1 - Election by reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... interinsurers. (a) In general. Except as otherwise provided in section 826(c), any mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.822-1 - Taxable income and deductions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... income of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 is its gross investment...

26 CFR 1.823-7 - Subscribers of reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... had in fact been credited on the last day of the company's taxable year. The subscriber shall take...

26 CFR 1.822-3 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.822-8 - Determination of taxable investment income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... the limitations on deductions relating to real estate owned and occupied by a mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.822-8 - Determination of taxable investment income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... the limitations on deductions relating to real estate owned and occupied by a mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.821-2 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., chapter 1 of the Code are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended by the Life Insurance Company...

26 CFR 1.822-1 - Taxable income and deductions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... income of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 is its gross investment...

26 CFR 1.823-6 - Determination of statutory underwriting income or loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which... determining statutory underwriting income or loss for the taxable year, a mutual insurance company subject to...

26 CFR 1.823-6 - Determination of statutory underwriting income or loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... statutory underwriting income or loss for the taxable year, a mutual insurance company subject to the tax...

26 CFR 1.825-1 - Unused loss deduction; in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of.... Section 825(a) provides that the unused loss deduction of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax...

26 CFR 1.822-7 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.822-4 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., as amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.822-8 through 1...

26 CFR 1.823-7 - Subscribers of reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... last day of the company's taxable year. The subscriber shall take savings credited to his account into...

26 CFR 1.822-8 - Determination of taxable investment income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual... deductions relating to real estate owned and occupied by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax...

26 CFR 1.826-2 - Special rules applicable to electing reciprocals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... upon any increase in the mutual insurance company taxable income of a reciprocal which is attributable...

26 CFR 1.822-3 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.822-4 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., as amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.822-8 through 1...

26 CFR 1.822-3 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization and...

26 CFR 1.823-6 - Determination of statutory underwriting income or loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which... determining statutory underwriting income or loss for the taxable year, a mutual insurance company subject to...

26 CFR 1.822-3 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821. Such amortization...

26 CFR 1.822-1 - Taxable income and deductions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... income of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 is its gross investment...

26 CFR 1.826-1 - Election by reciprocal underwriters and interinsurers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... interinsurers. (a) In general. Except as otherwise provided in section 826(c), any mutual insurance company...

26 CFR 1.825-1 - Unused loss deduction; in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of.... Section 825(a) provides that the unused loss deduction of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax...

26 CFR 1.822-1 - Taxable income and deductions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... income of a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 is its gross investment...

26 CFR 1.823-6 - Determination of statutory underwriting income or loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which... determining statutory underwriting income or loss for the taxable year, a mutual insurance company subject to...

26 CFR 1.821-2 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., chapter 1 of the Code are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended by the Life Insurance Company...

26 CFR 1.825-3 - Examples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits) § 1.... For the taxable year 1967, F, a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821(a...

26 CFR 1.821-2 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or..., chapter 1 of the Code are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended by the Life Insurance Company...

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

Rebounding from Tragedy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2009-01-01

Some regions are prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or earthquakes. Other tragedies, such as fires or acts of violence, can occur just about anywhere. Regardless of the specific type of disaster, schools and universities must be prepared to cope with crises that can disrupt operations, destroy facilities, and displace students and staff.…

10 CFR 50.55 - Conditions of construction permits, early site permits, combined licenses, and manufacturing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., combined licenses, and manufacturing licenses. 50.55 Section 50.55 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION... experimental nature of the facility or fire, flood, explosion, strike, sabotage, domestic violence, enemy... submitted to the Document Control Desk, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, by an appropriate method listed...

10 CFR 50.55 - Conditions of construction permits, early site permits, combined licenses, and manufacturing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., combined licenses, and manufacturing licenses. 50.55 Section 50.55 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION... experimental nature of the facility or fire, flood, explosion, strike, sabotage, domestic violence, enemy... submitted to the Document Control Desk, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, by an appropriate method listed...

10 CFR 50.55 - Conditions of construction permits, early site permits, combined licenses, and manufacturing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., combined licenses, and manufacturing licenses. 50.55 Section 50.55 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION... experimental nature of the facility or fire, flood, explosion, strike, sabotage, domestic violence, enemy... submitted to the Document Control Desk, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, by an appropriate method listed...

47 CFR 80.179 - Unattended operation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... DSC in accordance with ITU-R M.493-13 and ITU-R M.541-9 (both incorporated by reference, see § 80.7), as modified by this section. (2) Sensors must automatically activate the transmitter only under one or more of the following conditions: (i) Fire, explosion; (ii) Flooding; (iii) Collision; (iv...

47 CFR 80.179 - Unattended operation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... DSC in accordance with ITU-R M.493-13 and ITU-R M.541-9 (both incorporated by reference, see § 80.7), as modified by this section. (2) Sensors must automatically activate the transmitter only under one or more of the following conditions: (i) Fire, explosion; (ii) Flooding; (iii) Collision; (iv...

46 CFR 62.25-30 - Environmental design standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) MARINE ENGINEERING VITAL SYSTEM AUTOMATION General Requirements for All Automated Vital Systems § 62.25-30 Environmental design standards. (a... inclination requirements for fire and flooding safety systems are described in 46 CFR 112.05-5(c). (2) Ambient...

Fires, Earthquakes and Floods: How to Prepare Your Library and Staff.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Miriam

1994-01-01

Discusses emergency plans for dealing with disasters in information centers and describes four information centers' responses to various disasters. Topics addressed include authority and leadership; money and insurance; information resources, including computers and software; alternate locations and forms of communication; and testing. A list of…

24 CFR 203.26 - Mortgagor's payments when mortgage is executed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... rents, if any, the estimated taxes, special assessments, flood insurance premiums, if required, and fire and other hazard insurance premiums for the period beginning on the last date on which each such... installment payment under the mortgage, plus an amount sufficient to pay the mortgage insurance premium from...

24 CFR 203.26 - Mortgagor's payments when mortgage is executed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... rents, if any, the estimated taxes, special assessments, flood insurance premiums, if required, and fire and other hazard insurance premiums for the period beginning on the last date on which each such... installment payment under the mortgage, plus an amount sufficient to pay the mortgage insurance premium from...

49 CFR 1220.2 - Protection and storage of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... § 1220.2 Protection and storage of records. (a) The company shall protect records subject to this part from fires, floods, and other hazards, and safeguard the records from unnecessary exposure to deterioration from excessive humidity, dryness, or lack of ventilation. (b) The company shall notify the Board...

How Can Conventional Drinking Water Treatment Facilities Build Resilience to Climate and Weather Induced Water Supply Variability?

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract: Water supplies are vulnerable to a host of climate- and weather-related stressors such as droughts, intense storms/flooding, snowpack depletion, sea level changes, and consequences from fires, landslides, and excessive heat or cold. Surface water resources (lakes, reser...

A probabilistic approach to modeling postfire erosion after the 2009 australian brushfires

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Major concerns after bushfires and wildfires include increased flooding, erosion and debris flows due to loss of the protective forest floor layer, loss of water storage, and creation of water repellent soil conditions. To assist postfire assessment teams in their efforts to evaluate fire effects an...

Exploring local perceptions and attributions of 'extreme' wildfire impacts in Rural Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, M.; Paveglio, T.; Kallman, D.

2013-12-01

To date there have been few systematic efforts to uncover the criteria that local stakeholders use to perceive of and make judgments about the severity of wildfire impacts to the social-ecological systems they are a part of. The study presented here sought to uncover expanded understandings of perceived social and ecological impacts from a wildfire in rural Montana and the underlying causes for those perceived impacts. Such efforts could lead to more comprehensive social impact assessment concerning wildfires or other hazards and help better understand how local perceptions might influence residents' ongoing attitudes toward fire risk or mitigation efforts. The study presented here explored local perceptions of impact from the 2012 Dahl fire near Roundup, MT. The Dahl Fire burned 73 permanent structures, 150 outbuilding and 22,000 acres of predominantly private lands in the rural Bull Mountains. Members of the project team interviewed approximately 50 stakeholders impacted by or involved in the management for the Dahl Fire. Interviews took place in the summer of 2013 and included a variety of residents, emergency personnel, firefighters, local community officials and land management professionals. Results suggest that residents considered the Dahl fire especially impactful given the number of private residences and structures that were burned and the number of people displaced or disrupted by the event (either directly, through efforts to help those affected, or through indirect impacts to community function). The extremity of the firefighting conditions (e.g. wind, relative humidity, terrain), the rapidity of fire spread through populated areas and the damages sustained given previous fires in the area all surprised stakeholders and contributed to their perceptions of impact severity. Conflicts over access to properties during and immediately following the fire, and the variable perception that personal wildfire mitigations did little to reduce damages from the fire also contributed to perceptions about the level of wildfire impact. Many respondents felt that impacts from the Dahl Fire were the result of historic development patterns that allowed for mid-sized, rural subdivisions in heavily forested draws and along rough roads. Residents in these areas often moved to the Bull Mountains for privacy and to exercise significant property rights. Other residents felt the fire was not attacked quickly enough. Resident response to the impacts was almost universally perceived as well organized and effective. It was predicated on the collaborative capacity of local groups, community ties and experience with historic floods the year prior to the fire. Unexpected longer-term impacts such as high levels of erosion and flash-flooding have kept the fire in the minds of residents and contributed to their perceptions of impact. Respondents (including those with homes that burned) indicated that a significant portion of those whose property was damaged did not intend to return or rebuild. This is somewhat unique in response to wildfires and should be explored in future fires perceived by locals as extreme in order to test for emerging trends.

The potential of crowdsourcing and mobile technology to support flood disaster risk reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

See, Linda; McCallum, Ian; Liu, Wei; Mechler, Reinhard; Keating, Adriana; Hochrainer-Stigler, Stefan; Mochizuki, Junko; Fritz, Steffen; Dugar, Sumit; Arestegui, Michael; Szoenyi, Michael; Laso-Bayas, Juan-Carlos; Burek, Peter; French, Adam; Moorthy, Inian

2016-04-01

The last decade has seen a rise in citizen science and crowdsourcing for carrying out a variety of tasks across a number of different fields, most notably the collection of data such as the identification of species (e.g. eBird and iNaturalist) and the classification of images (e.g. Galaxy Zoo and Geo-Wiki). Combining human computing with the proliferation of mobile technology has resulted in vast amounts of geo-located data that have considerable value across multiple domains including flood disaster risk reduction. Crowdsourcing technologies, in the form of online mapping, are now being utilized to great effect in post-disaster mapping and relief efforts, e.g. the activities of Humanitarian OpenStreetMap, complementing official channels of relief (e.g. Haiti, Nepal and New York). Disaster event monitoring efforts have been further complemented with the use of social media (e.g. twitter for earthquakes, flood monitoring, and fire detection). Much of the activity in this area has focused on ex-post emergency management while there is considerable potential for utilizing crowdsourcing and mobile technology for vulnerability assessment, early warning and to bolster resilience to flood events. This paper examines the use of crowdsourcing and mobile technology for measuring and monitoring flood hazards, exposure to floods, and vulnerability, drawing upon examples from the literature and ongoing projects on flooding and food security at IIASA.

Emergency assessment of post-fire debris-flow hazards for the 2013 Rim Fire, Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staley, Dennis M.

2013-01-01

Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. In this report, empirical models are used to predict the probability and magnitude of debris-flow occurrence in response to a 10-year rainstorm for the 2013 Rim fire in Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest, California. Overall, the models predict a relatively high probability (60–80 percent) of debris flow for 28 of the 1,238 drainage basins in the burn area in response to a 10-year recurrence interval design storm. Predictions of debris-flow volume suggest that debris flows may entrain a significant volume of material, with 901 of the 1,238 basins identified as having potential debris-flow volumes greater than 10,000 cubic meters. These results of the relative combined hazard analysis suggest there is a moderate likelihood of significant debris-flow hazard within and downstream of the burn area for nearby populations, infrastructure, wildlife, and water resources. Given these findings, we recommend that residents, emergency managers, and public works departments pay close attention to weather forecasts and National-Weather-Service-issued Debris Flow and Flash Flood Outlooks, Watches and Warnings and that residents adhere to any evacuation orders.

Evaluating the cascading impacts of sea level rise and coastal flooding on emergency response spatial accessibility in Lower Manhattan, New York City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Jie; Yu, Dapeng; Lin, Ning; Wilby, Robert L.

2017-12-01

This paper describes a scenario-based approach for evaluating the cascading impacts of sea level rise (SLR) and coastal flooding on emergency responses. The analysis is applied to Lower Manhattan, New York City, considering FEMA's 100- and 500-year flood scenarios and New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC2)'s high-end SLR projections for the 2050s and 2080s, using the current situation as the baseline scenario. Service areas for different response timeframes (3-, 5- and 8-min) and various traffic conditions are simulated for three major emergency responders (i.e. New York Police Department (NYPD), Fire Department, New York (FDNY) and Emergency Medical Service (EMS)) under normal and flood scenarios. The modelling suggests that coastal flooding together with SLR could result in proportionate but non-linear impacts on emergency services at the city scale, and the performance of operational responses is largely determined by the positioning of emergency facilities and the functioning of traffic networks. Overall, emergency service accessibility to the city is primarily determined by traffic flow speed. However, the situation is expected to be further aggravated during coastal flooding, with is set to increase in frequency and magnitude due to SLR.

Coastal bathymetry data collected in May 2015 from Fire Island, New York—Wilderness breach and shoreface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Timothy R.; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Brenner, Owen T.; Henderson, Rachel E.; Reynolds, Billy J.; Wilson, Kathleen E.

2017-05-12

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, conducted a bathymetric survey of Fire Island from May 6-20, 2015. The USGS is involved in a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to map and monitor the morphologic evolution of the wilderness breach as a part of the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. During this study, bathymetry data were collected with single-beam echo sounders and Global Positioning Systems, which were mounted to personal watercraft, along the Fire Island shoreface and within the wilderness breach. Additional bathymetry and elevation data were collected using backpack Global Positioning Systems on flood shoals and in shallow channels within the wilderness breach.

Assessing post-fire values-at-risk with a new calculation tool

Treesearch

David E. Calkin; Kevin D. Hyde; Peter R. Robichaud; J. Greg Jones; Louise E. Ashmun; Loeffler Dan

2007-01-01

Wildfire effects include loss of vegetative cover and changes to soil properties that may lead to secondary effects of increased runoff, erosion, flooding, sedimentation, and vulnerability to invasive weeds. These secondary effects may threaten human life and safety, cultural and ecological resources, land use, and existing infrastructure. Current Burned Area Emergency...

46 CFR 10.229 - Issuance of duplicate merchant mariner credentials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... charge. The term “other casualty” includes any damage to a ship caused by collision, explosion, tornado, wreck, flooding, beaching, grounding, or fire; or personal loss associated with a federally declared natural disaster. (d) If a person loses a credential by means other than those noted in paragraph (c) of...

46 CFR 10.229 - Issuance of duplicate merchant mariner credentials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... charge. The term “other casualty” includes any damage to a ship caused by collision, explosion, tornado, wreck, flooding, beaching, grounding, or fire; or personal loss associated with a federally declared natural disaster. (d) If a person loses a credential by means other than those noted in paragraph (c) of...

26 CFR 1.822-9 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-2 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by...

26 CFR 1.822-10 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 (a) or (c). However...

26 CFR 1.823-8 - Special transitional underwriting loss; cross reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... 821(f) provides, for any company subject to the tax imposed by section 821(a), a special reduction in...

26 CFR 1.822-2 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by...

26 CFR 1.823-8 - Special transitional underwriting loss; cross reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis..., section 821(f) provides, for any company subject to the tax imposed by section 821(a), a special reduction...

26 CFR 1.822-9 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.821-5 - Special transitional underwriting loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.823-6) of any company taxable under section 821(a) which was taxable under section...

26 CFR 1.822-2 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by...

26 CFR 1.822-10 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 (a) or (c). However...

26 CFR 1.823-3 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.823-6 through 1.823-8 are...

26 CFR 1.823-8 - Special transitional underwriting loss; cross reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis..., section 821(f) provides, for any company subject to the tax imposed by section 821(a), a special reduction...

26 CFR 1.823-8 - Special transitional underwriting loss; cross reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis..., section 821(f) provides, for any company subject to the tax imposed by section 821(a), a special reduction...

26 CFR 1.821-5 - Special transitional underwriting loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... 823(a)(1) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.823-6) of any company taxable under section 821(a) which was...

26 CFR 1.823-3 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or Premium Deposits... Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.823-6 through 1.823-8 are applicable only to...

26 CFR 1.823-3 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.823-6 through 1.823-8 are...

26 CFR 1.823-3 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.823-6 through 1.823-8 are...

26 CFR 1.822-6 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-6 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-6 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-9 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.823-3 - Taxable years affected.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... amended by the Life Insurance Company Tax Act for 1955 (70 Stat. 36). Sections 1.823-6 through 1.823-8 are...

26 CFR 1.822-9 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-2 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by...

26 CFR 1.822-10 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 (a) or (c). However, only the accrual...

26 CFR 1.822-10 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 (a) or (c). However...

26 CFR 1.822-6 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-5 - Mutual insurance company taxable income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mutual insurance company taxable income. 1.822-5... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or...

26 CFR 1.822-10 - Amortization of premium and accrual of discount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis... indebtedness held by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 821 (a) or (c). However...

26 CFR 1.821-5 - Special transitional underwriting loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... 823(a)(1) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.823-6) of any company taxable under section 821(a) which was...

26 CFR 1.821-5 - Special transitional underwriting loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... 823(a)(1) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.823-6) of any company taxable under section 821(a) which was...

26 CFR 1.821-5 - Special transitional underwriting loss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of... 823(a)(1) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.823-6) of any company taxable under section 821(a) which was...

26 CFR 1.823-8 - Special transitional underwriting loss; cross reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis..., section 821(f) provides, for any company subject to the tax imposed by section 821(a), a special reduction...

26 CFR 1.822-2 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by...

Ecosystem processes at the watershed scale: mapping and modeling ecohydrological controls

Treesearch

Lawrence E. Band; T. Hwang; T.C. Hales; James Vose; Chelcy Ford

2012-01-01

Mountain watersheds are sources of a set of valuable ecosystem services as well as potential hazards. The former include high quality freshwater, carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, and biodiversity, whereas the latter include flash floods, landslides and forest fires. Each of these ecosystem services and hazards represents different elements of the integrated...

Computer Cache. Natural Disasters: Earth, Wind, and Fire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodie, Carolyn S.; Byerly, Greg

2005-01-01

Natural disasters come in all shapes and sizes and affect all areas of the earth, and studying natural disasters may make children more aware of their physical environment and their place in it. This column provides a list of websites on different types of natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanoes, floods,…

40 CFR 60.4420 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... combustion turbine which recovers heat from the exhaust gases to heat water or another medium, generate steam... turbines used to pump water in the case of fire or flood, etc. Emergency stationary combustion turbines do... mechanical output from the turbine/generator set. For combined heat and power units, the gross useful work...

40 CFR 60.4420 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... combustion turbine which recovers heat from the exhaust gases to heat water or another medium, generate steam... turbines used to pump water in the case of fire or flood, etc. Emergency stationary combustion turbines do... mechanical output from the turbine/generator set. For combined heat and power units, the gross useful work...

An Assessment of Policies Guiding School Emergency Disaster Management for Students with Disabilities in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boon, Helen Joanna; Pagliano, Paul; Brown, Lawrence; Tsey, Komla

2012-01-01

Recent weather-related disasters (i.e., floods, fires) impacting Australia may potentially increase in frequency and severity as a result of predicted climate variability. The dearth of literature pertaining to school emergency response planning for vulnerable students with disabilities (including those with intellectual disabilities) when such…

Effects of prescribed fire on recruitment of Juniperus and Opuntia in a semiarid grassland watershed

Treesearch

Burton K. Pendleton; Rosemary L. Pendleton; Carleton S. White

2008-01-01

The Bernalillo Watershed Protection Project was begun in 1953 following catastrophic erosion and flooding of small communities below. Although erosion control features and protection from grazing successfully increased grass cover and stabilized watershed soils, the expansion of juniper woodland (Juniperus monosperma) into the grassland watershed...

36 CFR 28.12 - Development standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... significant harm to the natural resources of the Seashore. (c) Minimum lot size is 4,000 square feet. A.../FEMA shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Fire Island communities. (g) A swimming pool is an... hazards and/or detract from the natural or cultural scene. (j) A zoning authority shall have in place...

LOW OZONE-DEPLETING HALOCARBONS AS TOTAL-FLOOD AGENTS: VOLUME 2. LABORATORY-SCALE FIRE SUPPRESSION AND EXPLOSION PREVENTION TESTING

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results from (1) flame suppression testing of potential Halon-1301 (CF3Br) replacement chemicals in a laboratory cup burner using n-heptane fuel and (2) explosion prevention (inertion) testing in a small-scale explosion sphere using propane and methane as fuels. ...

Impacts of fire on hydrology and erosion in steep mountain big sagebrush communities

Treesearch

Frederick B. Pierson; Peter R. Robichaud; Kenneth E. Spaeth; Corey A. Moffet

2003-01-01

Wildfire is an important ecological process and management issue on western rangelands. Major unknowns associated with wildfire are its affects on vegetation and soil conditions that influence hydrologic processes including infiltration, surface runoff, erosion, sediment transport, and flooding. Post wildfire hydrologic response was studied in big sagebrush plant...

30 CFR 220.011 - Schedule of allowable direct and allocable joint costs and credits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... household applicances, and purchases of insurance against damages to or loss of personal property are... approval. (h) Damages and losses to NPSL property. All costs necessary for the repair or replacement of NPSL property made necessary because of damages or losses incurred by fire, flood, storm, theft...

24 CFR 17.44 - Restrictions on certain claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... are only allowable subject to the restrictions noted: (a) Money or currency. Claims may be allowed for loss of money or currency only when lost incident to fire, flood, hurricane, other natural disaster, or... for loss of money or currency is limited to an amount which is determined to have been reasonable for...

14 CFR 1261.105 - Unallowable claims.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... were not assigned to claimant or provided in kind by the United States. (b) Money or currency. Claims may not be allowed for loss of money or currency, except when lost incident to fire, flood, hurricane... of money or currency is limited to an amount which is determined reasonable to have been in the...

Assimilation of SMOS (and SMAP) Retrieved Soil Moisture into the Land Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Clay; Zavodsky, Bradley; Case, Jonathan; Stano, Geoffrey

2016-01-01

Goal: Accurate, high-resolution (approx.3 km) soil moisture in near-real time. Situational awareness (drought assessment, flood and fire threat). Local modeling applications (to improve sfc-PBL exchanges) Method: Assimilate satellite soil moisture retrievals into a land surface model. Combines high-resolution geophysical model data with latest satellite observations.

Remote Sensing of Saltcedar Biological Control Effectiveness

Treesearch

Ray Carruthers; Gerald Anderson; Jack DeLoach; Jeff Knight; Shaokui Ge; Peng Gong

2006-01-01

Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) is a major invasive weed found throughout the Western United States and Mexico. Introduced into North America in the 1800s, this shrub to small tree, now infests many riparian areas where it displaces native vegetation, increases fire hazards, uses extensive amounts of water, increases flooding during high water events and...

Gotcha! Nonfiction Booktalks To Get Kids Excited about Reading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baxter, Kathleen A.; Kochel, Marcia Agness

This book presents ideas for more than 350 booktalks to use with children in grades 1-8. It is written in a conversational style and is divided thematically into the following seven high-interest chapters: (1) "Great Disasters," including shipwrecks and disasters at sea, fires, floods, diseases and other natural disasters; (2) "Fun…

29 CFR 1910.160 - Fixed extinguishing systems, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... sprinkler systems which are covered by § 1910.159. (2) This section also applies to fixed systems not... flooding systems by means of an approved fire detection device installed and interconnected with a pre... 29 Labor 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Fixed extinguishing systems, general. 1910.160 Section 1910...

29 CFR 1910.160 - Fixed extinguishing systems, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sprinkler systems which are covered by § 1910.159. (2) This section also applies to fixed systems not... flooding systems by means of an approved fire detection device installed and interconnected with a pre... 29 Labor 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fixed extinguishing systems, general. 1910.160 Section 1910...

29 CFR 1910.160 - Fixed extinguishing systems, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... sprinkler systems which are covered by § 1910.159. (2) This section also applies to fixed systems not... flooding systems by means of an approved fire detection device installed and interconnected with a pre... 29 Labor 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Fixed extinguishing systems, general. 1910.160 Section 1910...

29 CFR 1910.160 - Fixed extinguishing systems, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... sprinkler systems which are covered by § 1910.159. (2) This section also applies to fixed systems not... flooding systems by means of an approved fire detection device installed and interconnected with a pre... 29 Labor 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fixed extinguishing systems, general. 1910.160 Section 1910...

Vulnerability Assessment of Dust Storms in the United States under a Changing Climate Scenario

EPA Science Inventory

Severe weather events, such as flooding, drought, forest fires, and dust storms can have a serious impact on human health. Dust storm events are not well predicted in the United States, however they are expected to become more frequent as global climate warms through the 21st cen...

Crew Earth Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Runco, Susan

2009-01-01

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) takes advantage of the crew in space to observe and photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. The photographs record the Earth's surface changes over time, along with dynamic events such as storms, floods, fires and volcanic eruptions. These images provide researchers on Earth with key data to better understand the planet.

"First aid" for burned watersheds

Treesearch

J. S. Krammes; L. W. Hill

1963-01-01

Most of the vegetative cover on the San Dimas Experimental Forest was destroyed by a wildfire in 1960. Following the fire an emergency research program was initiated to test several "first -aid" treatments aimed at reducing flood and erosion damage from burned watersheds. This paper summarizes first - and second-year results of the research program.

40 CFR 60.4420 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... combustion turbine which recovers heat from the exhaust gases to heat water or another medium, generate steam... turbines used to pump water in the case of fire or flood, etc. Emergency stationary combustion turbines do... Stationary Combustion Turbines Definitions § 60.4420 What definitions apply to this subpart? As used in this...

40 CFR 60.4420 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... combustion turbine which recovers heat from the exhaust gases to heat water or another medium, generate steam... turbines used to pump water in the case of fire or flood, etc. Emergency stationary combustion turbines do... Stationary Combustion Turbines Definitions § 60.4420 What definitions apply to this subpart? As used in this...

40 CFR 60.4420 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... combustion turbine which recovers heat from the exhaust gases to heat water or another medium, generate steam... turbines used to pump water in the case of fire or flood, etc. Emergency stationary combustion turbines do... Stationary Combustion Turbines Definitions § 60.4420 What definitions apply to this subpart? As used in this...

Population dynamics of the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curnutt, J.L.; Mayer, A.L.; Brooks, T.M.; Manne, L.; Bass, O.L.; Fleming, D.M.; Philip, Nott M.; Pimm, S.L.

1998-01-01

The Cape Sable seaside-sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) has disappeared from its only known breeding areas episodically since its discovery early this century. Systematic surveys across its range in the southern Everglades find the sparrow's range to be fragmented into six subpopulations. The sparrow population decreased by 58% between 1992 and 1995, with the near extinction of the western half of the population and the temporary local extinction of some eastern populations. Other similar grassland sparrows have populations that vary considerably from year to year. Yet the decline in the western subpopulation and the local extinction of some of the peripheral populations cannot be explained by natural variability alone. Hurricane Andrew passed over several subpopulations prior to the particularly poor year of 1993. However, the geographical and temporal patterns of subpopulation decline are not consistent with what would be expected following a hurricane. Frequent fires prevent successful breeding as does flooding during the breeding season. Better management can prevent frequent fires and episodic flooding. However, the long-term survival of the sparrow depends on managing the unanticipated risks that attend its small, fragmented population.

Workshop held on natural disasters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rundle, John; Klein, W.; Turcotte, D.

Natural hazards such as earthquakes and floods are a menace to the population worldwide. The United Nations focused attention on this global problem by declaring the 1990s the Decade of Natural Hazard Reduction. In addition to threatening human life, natural hazards can cause severe economic hardship locally and, in an ever more complex and interactive world economy, dislocations that are felt in areas far beyond the site of a disaster.Recent catastrophic earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and fires have called into question the ability of private insurers to cover economic losses. Unlimited liability is a necessity for confidence in insurance coverage, but these events have stretched the resources of even the largest insurers.

Relating Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) occupancy to habitat and landscape features in the context of fire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Austin, Jane E.; Buhl, Deborah A.

2013-01-01

The Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) is a focal species of concern associated with shallowly flooded emergent wetlands, most commonly sedge (Carex spp.) meadows. Their populations are believed to be limited by loss or degradation of wetland habitat due to drainage, altered hydrology, and fire suppression, factors that have often resulted in encroachment of shrubs into sedge meadows and change in vegetative cover. Nocturnal call-playback surveys for Yellow Rails were conducted over 3 years at Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Effects of habitat structure and landscape variables on the probability of use by Yellow Rails were assessed at two scales, representing a range of home range sizes, using generalized linear mixed models. At the 163-m (8-ha) scale, year with quadratic models of maximum and mean water depths best explained the data. At the 300-m (28-ha) scale, the best model contained year and time since last fire (≤ 1, 2–5, and > 10 years). The probability of use by Yellow Rails was 0.285 ± 0.132 (SE) for points burned 2-5 years ago, 0.253 ± 0.097 for points burned ≤ 1 year ago, and 0.028 ± 0.019 for points burned > 10 years ago. Habitat differences relative to fire history and comparisons between sites with and without Yellow Rails indicated that Yellow Rails used areas with the deepest litter and highest ground cover, and relatively low shrub cover and heights, as well as landscapes having greater sedge-grass cover and less lowland woody or upland cover types. Burning every 2-5 years appears to provide the litter, ground-level cover, and woody conditions attractive to Yellow Rails. Managers seeking to restore and sustain these wetland systems would benefit from further investigations into how flooding and fire create habitat conditions attractive to breeding Yellow Rails

Post-Wildfire Peak Discharge Prediction Methods in Northern New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ronstadt, Jackie A.

Recent changes in climate have resulted in a decrease in precipitation and snowpack amounts and increased temperatures in the western United States. As the climate warms, there are also changes to runoff amounts and water availability. Drier and warmer conditions coupled with forest management practices have led to an increase in the frequency and size of forest fires. The 2000 Cerro Grande fire in Los Alamos, New Mexico burned over 43,000 acres and 200 structures. Eleven years later, the Las Conchas fire burned over 156,000 acres and 100 structures, including areas previously burned in 2000, and was considered the largestmore » fire in New Mexico’s history. Both fires burned ponderosa, juniper, piñon and mixed conifer forests, resulting in dramatic decreases in vegetation, changes to surface soils, and alterations to the hydrologic cycle (decreased evapotranspiration, decreased infiltration, increased runoff volume and peak discharge, and decreased time to peak discharge) in surrounding watersheds. The frequency of large, intense “mega-fires” are predicted to increase, thus there is a potential for more post-fire flood damage and more surface water resources to be altered due to water quality issues.« less

Methods for enhancing mapping of thermal fronts in oil recovery

DOEpatents

Lee, David O.; Montoya, Paul C.; Wayland, Jr., James R.

1987-01-01

A method for enhancing the resistivity contrasts of a thermal front in an oil recovery production field as measured by the CSAMT technique is disclosed. This method includes the steps of: (a) preparing a CSAMT-determined topological resistivity map of the production field; (b) introducing a solution of a dopant material into the production field at a concentration effective to alter the resistivity associated with the thermal front; said dopant material having a high cation exchange capacity which might be selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, illite, and chlorite clays; said material being soluble in the connate water of the production field; (c) preparing a CSAMT-determined topological resistivity map of the production field while said dopant material is moving therethrough; and (d) mathematically comparing the maps from step (a) and step (c) to determine the location of the thermal front. This method is effective with the steam flood, fire flood and water flood techniques.

Bathymetry data collected in October 2014 from Fire Island, New York—The wilderness breach, shoreface, and bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Timothy R.; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Brenner, Owen T.; Henderson, Rachel E.; Reynolds, Billy J.; Wilson, Kathleen E.

2017-03-24

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, conducted a bathymetric survey of Fire Island, New York, from October 5 to 10, 2014. The U.S. Geological Survey is involved in a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to map and monitor the morphologic evolution of the wilderness breach, which formed in October 2012 during Hurricane Sandy, as part of the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. During this study, bathymetry data were collected, using single-beam echo sounders and global positioning systems mounted to personal watercraft, along the Fire Island shoreface and within the wilderness breach, Fire Island Inlet, Narrow Bay, and Great South Bay east of Nicoll Bay. Additional bathymetry and elevation data were collected using backpack and wheel-mounted global positioning systems along the subaerial beach (foreshore and backshore), flood shoals, and shallow channels within the wilderness breach and adjacent shoreface.

Piloting a real-time surface water flood nowcasting system for enhancing operational resilience of emergency responders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Dapeng; Guan, Mingfu; Wilby, Robert; Bruce, Wright; Szegner, Mark

2017-04-01

Emergency services (such as Fire & Rescue, and Ambulance) can face the challenging tasks of having to respond to or operate under extreme and fast changing weather conditions, including surface water flooding. UK-wide, return period based surface water flood risk mapping undertaken by the Environment Agency provides useful information about areas at risks. Although these maps are useful for planning purposes for emergency responders, their utility to operational response during flood emergencies can be limited. A street-level, high resolution, real-time, surface water flood nowcasting system, has been piloted in the City of Leicester, UK to assess emergency response resilience to surface water flooding. Precipitation nowcasting over 7- and 48-hour horizons are obtained from the UK Met Office and used as inputs to the system. A hydro-inundation model is used to simulate urban surface water flood depths/areas at both the city and basin scale, with a 20 m and 3 m spatial resolution respectively, and a 15-minute temporal resolution, 7-hour and 48-hour in advance. Based on this, we evaluate both the direct and indirect impacts of potential surface water flood events on emergency responses, including: (i) identifying vulnerable populations (e.g. care homes and schools) at risk; and (ii) generating novel metrics of accessibility (e.g. travel time from service stations to vulnerable sites; spatial coverage with certain legislative timeframes) in real-time. In doing so, real-time information on potential risks and impacts of emerging flood incidents arising from intense rainfall can be communicated via a dedicated web-based platform to emergency responders thereby improving response times and operational resilience.

Updated logistic regression equations for the calculation of post-fire debris-flow likelihood in the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staley, Dennis M.; Negri, Jacquelyn A.; Kean, Jason W.; Laber, Jayme L.; Tillery, Anne C.; Youberg, Ann M.

2016-06-30

Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can generate dangerous flash floods and debris flows. To reduce public exposure to hazard, the U.S. Geological Survey produces post-fire debris-flow hazard assessments for select fires in the western United States. We use publicly available geospatial data describing basin morphology, burn severity, soil properties, and rainfall characteristics to estimate the statistical likelihood that debris flows will occur in response to a storm of a given rainfall intensity. Using an empirical database and refined geospatial analysis methods, we defined new equations for the prediction of debris-flow likelihood using logistic regression methods. We showed that the new logistic regression model outperformed previous models used to predict debris-flow likelihood.

Fire ants self-assemble into waterproof rafts to survive floods

PubMed Central

Mlot, Nathan J.; Tovey, Craig A.; Hu, David L.

2011-01-01

Why does a single fire ant Solenopsis invicta struggle in water, whereas a group can float effortlessly for days? We use time-lapse photography to investigate how fire ants S. invicta link their bodies together to build waterproof rafts. Although water repellency in nature has been previously viewed as a static material property of plant leaves and insect cuticles, we here demonstrate a self-assembled hydrophobic surface. We find that ants can considerably enhance their water repellency by linking their bodies together, a process analogous to the weaving of a waterproof fabric. We present a model for the rate of raft construction based on observations of ant trajectories atop the raft. Central to the construction process is the trapping of ants at the raft edge by their neighbors, suggesting that some “cooperative” behaviors may rely upon coercion. PMID:21518911

Options for managing early-successional forest and shrubland bird habitats in the northeastern United States

Treesearch

Richard M. DeGraaf; Mariko Yamasaki

2003-01-01

Historically, forests in the northeastern United States were disturbed by fire, wind, Native American agriculture, flooding, and beavers (Castor canadensis). Of these, wind and beavers are now the only sources of natural disturbance. Most disturbance-dependent species, especially birds, are declining throughout the region whereas species affiliated with mature forests...

Campus Security under the Microscope

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelletier, Stephen

2008-01-01

A university president's worst nightmare can take any number of forms. The lone shooter run amok on campus. The freight-train sound of a tornado bearing down on a dormitory. A river cresting its banks, about to flood a college town. From robberies and assaults to fires and chemical spills, the list goes on and on. Campus security and safety…

Emergencies and Problems: A Procedures Manual for Trinity University Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pettit, Katherine D.

The first of six sections in this manual outlines a series of steps to be followed when an emergency or problem occurs. These procedures are divided into four categories: (1) behavioral emergencies, i.e., bomb threats, building takeover, problem patrons, or thefts; (2) building emergencies, i.e., elevator failure, fire, flooding of building/water…

GSD Update: The West in transition: Costs and unexpected benefits of disrupting ecosystems

Treesearch

Dan Ferber

2012-01-01

For centuries, the resilience of western ecosystems kept pace with changes in climate, native species and peoples, and other natural stressors. Droughts, winds, floods, insect outbreaks, bison, and wild fires periodically disrupted the ecosystem dynamics of America's grasslands, shrublands and deserts, and the changes would sometimes last a few years. Native...

Dynamic landscape management

Treesearch

Valerie Rapp

2002-01-01

Pacific Northwest forests and all their species evolved with fires, floods, windstorms, landslides, and other disturbances. The dynamics of disturbance were basic to how forests changed and renewed. Disturbance regimes, as scientists call the long-term patterns of these events—what kind of event, how often, how large, and how severe—created the landscape patterns seen...

Use of the historic range of variability to evaluate ecosystem sustainability [Chapter 24

Treesearch

Carolyn B. Meyer; Dennis H. Knight; Greg K. Dillon

2010-01-01

Ecosystems are not static, having evolved with disturbances such as fire, windstorms, floods, disease, and animal activity. The natural variability imposed by such disturbances must be included when defining sustainability goals. One approach is to target the historic range of variability (HRV), determining if current management maintains the ecosystem within its HRV....

25 CFR 166.608 - What types of insurance may be required?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Bonding and Insurance Requirements § 166.608 What types of insurance may be required? We may require liability or casualty insurance (such as for fire, hazard, or flood), depending upon the activity conducted... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What types of insurance may be required? 166.608 Section...

Dynamic landscape management.

Treesearch

Valerie Rapp

2003-01-01

Pacific Northwest forests and all their species evolved with fires, floods, windstorms, landslides, and other disturbances. The dynamics of disturbance were basic to how forests changed and renewed. Disturbance regimes, as scientists call the long-term patterns of these events—what kind of event, how often, how large, and how severe—created the landscape patterns seen...

Butte Digital Image Project: Shifting Focus from Collection to Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierson, Patricia

2010-01-01

The Butte Free Public Library was established in 1894. At that time, head librarian J. Davies published a catalog of the opening collection. Two fires and one flood later, many of the monographs from that original collection list have, remarkably, survived. Because of this, in part, the library, now known as the Butte-Silver Bow Public Library…

A probabilistic approach to modeling postfire erosion after the 2009 Australian bushfires

Treesearch

P. R. Robichaud; W. J. Elliot; F. B. Pierson; D. E. Hall; C. A. Moffet

2009-01-01

Major concerns after bushfires and wildfires include increased flooding, erosion and debris flows due to loss of the protective forest floor layer, loss of water storage, and creation of water repellent soil conditions. To assist postfire assessment teams in their efforts to evaluate fire effects and make postfire treatment decisions, a web-based Erosion Risk...

From the Rio to the Sierra: An environmental history of the Middle Rio Grande Basin

Treesearch

Dan Scurlock

1998-01-01

Various human groups have greatly affected the processes and evolution of Middle Rio Grande Basin ecosystems, especially riparian zones, from A.D. 1540 to the present. Overgrazing, clear-cutting, irrigation farming, fire suppression, intensive hunting, and introduction of exotic plants have combined with droughts and floods to bring about environmental and associated...

26 CFR 1.831-3 - Tax on insurance companies (other than life or mutual), mutual marine insurance companies, mutual...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... premium deposits not required for losses, expenses or reserves is returned or credited to the policyholder..., and mutual fire or flood insurance companies operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years... operating on the basis of premium deposits; taxable years beginning after December 31, 1962. (a) All...

Preventing Catastrophes from Data Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsborough, Reid

2004-01-01

What's the worst thing that can happen to your computer? Worse than a hard disk crash, virus infection, spam assault, denial-of-service attack, hacker take-over, fire, flood, or other human, mechanical or natural disaster is a faulty backup when you really need it. If the computer blows up, as long as your data is backed up securely, you can…

Myth and catastrophic reality: using cosmogonic mythology to identify cosmic impacts and massive plinian eruptions in holocene South America.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Masse, W. B.

Major natural catastrophes (e.g., 'universal' floods, fire, darkness, and sky falling down) are prominently reflected in traditional South American creation myths, cosmology, religion, and worldview. We are now beginning to recognize that cosmogonic myths represent a rich and largely untapped data set concerning the most dramatic natural events and processes experienced by each cultural group during the past several thousand years. Observational details regarding specific catastrophes are encoded in myth storylines, typically cast in terms of supernatural characters and actions. Not only are the myths amenable to scientific analysis, but also some sets of myths encode multiple catastrophes in meaningfulmore » relative chronological order. The present study considers more than 4200 myths, including more than 260 'universal' catastrophe myths from cultural groups throughout South America. These myths are examined in light of available geological, paleoenvironmental, archeological, and documentary evidence. Our analysis reveals three possible ultra-plinian volcanic eruptions, two in Columbia and the other in the Gran Chaco, the latter likely associated with a poorly dated late Holocene eruption of Nuevo Mundo in central Bolivia. Our analysis also identifies a set of traditions likely linked with the well-known Campo del Cielo iron meteorite impact in northern Argentina originally hypothesized to have occurred around 4000 years ago. Intriguingly, these traditions strongly suggest that the Campo del Cielo impact triggered widespread mass fires in the Gran Chaco region and possibly in the Brazilian Highlands. Several other potential cosmic impacts, distinct from Campo del Cielo, are hinted at in the mythology of other locations in South America. The numerous catastrophe myths in the Gran Chaco region exhibit the most coherent chronological sequence of any South American region. The sequence begins with a 'Great Flood,' by far the most widespread catastrophe myth in South America, typically represented as the beginning of our modern world. The great flood is followed 'many generations' later by the 'Great Fire' (hypothesized as the Campo del Cielo impact) with the 'Great Darkness' and 'sky falling down' (hypothesized as the Nuevo Mundo eruption) being the most recent catastrophe, occurring 'many generations' after the great fire. We draw upon the physical record to suggest rough calendrical dates for these witnessed catastrophic events.« less

Coastal flooding as a parameter in multi-criteria analysis for industrial site selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christina, C.; Memos, C.; Diakoulaki, D.

2014-12-01

Natural hazards can trigger major industrial accidents, which apart from affecting industrial installations may cause a series of accidents with serious impacts on human health and the environment far beyond the site boundary. Such accidents, also called Na-Tech (natural - technical) accidents, deserve particular attention since they can cause release of hazardous substances possibly resulting in severe environmental pollution, explosions and/or fires. There are different kinds of natural events or, in general terms, of natural causes of industrial accidents, such as landslides, hurricanes, high winds, tsunamis, lightning, cold/hot temperature, floods, heavy rains etc that have caused accidents. The scope of this paper is to examine the coastal flooding as a parameter in causing an industrial accident, such as the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, and the critical role of this parameter in industrial site selection. Land use planning is a complex procedure that requires multi-criteria decision analysis involving economic, environmental and social parameters. In this context the parameter of a natural hazard occurrence, such as coastal flooding, for industrial site selection should be set by the decision makers. In this paper it is evaluated the influence that has in the outcome of a multi-criteria decision analysis for industrial spatial planning the parameter of an accident risk triggered by coastal flooding. The latter is analyzed in the context of both sea-and-inland induced flooding.

Web service tools in the era of forest fire management and elimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poursanidis, Dimitris; Kochilakis, Giorgos; Chrysoulakis, Nektarios; Varella, Vasiliki; Kotroni, Vassiliki; Eftychidis, Giorgos; Lagouvardos, Kostas

2014-10-01

Wildfires in forests and forested areas in South Europe, North America, Central Asia and Australia are a diachronic threat with crucial ecological, economic and social impacts. Last decade the frequency, the magnitude and the intensity of fires have increased even more because of the climate change. An efficient response to such disasters requires an effective planning, with an early detection system of the ignition area and an accurate prediction of fire propagation to support the rapid response mechanisms. For this reason, information systems able to predict and visualize the behavior of fires, are valuable tools for fire fighting. Such systems, able also to perform simulations that evaluate the fire development scenarios, based on weather conditions, become valuable Decision Support Tools for fire mitigation planning. A Web-based Information System (WIS) developed in the framework of the FLIRE (Floods and fire risk assessment and management) project, a LIFE+ co-funded by the European Commission research, is presented in this study. The FLIRE WIS use forest fuel maps which have been developed by using generalized fuel maps, satellite data and in-situ observations. Furthermore, it leverages data from meteorological stations and weather forecast from numerical models to feed the fire propagation model with the necessary for the simulations inputs and to visualize the model's results for user defined time periods and steps. The user has real-time access to FLIRE WIS via any web browser from any platform (PC, Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone).

Passive fire protection in high density village (case study, Bustaman Semarang)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukawi, Sukawi; Wahyu Firmandhani, Satriya; Hardiman, Gagoek

2017-12-01

Fire hazard is the disaster that always has an unpredictable process of coming. When it comes, its level scope and the magnitude of the effects cannot be predicted. Dense settlements especially in big cities, among others Bustaman Kampong Semarang never escape from physical problems such as flooding and wildfire. If both are compared in dense settlements scope, so that, wild fire is the most potentially catastrophic. It is necessary to do a research on passive fire protection in a village of high density city such as Bustaman. Qualitative research was conducted using descriptive method to conduct observations and interviews in the Bustaman. Bustaman as a high density village, with narrow roads and dense rows of houses. The terraced buildings are also encountered, and found many buildings use combustible material. That environmental conditions can facilitate the propagation of flames in case of fire. To improve the established Bustaman's environment, in terms of the application of passive fire protection systems, it is recommended to utilize the road as the dividing buildings. Need to build the separation wall fireproof in every each series in several units of too long buildings and attempted open space procurement that separates rows of buildings that are too long, and also the replacement of combustible material with a material that is more incombustible.

Post-fire erosion and the effectiveness of emergency rehabilitation treatments over time

Treesearch

Lee H. MacDonald; Peter R. Robichaud

2008-01-01

High-severity wildfires can increase runoff and erosion rates by one or more orders of magnitude, and these increases can threaten life and property as well as severely degrading water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Each year millions of dollars are spent on emergency postfire rehabilitation treatments to minimize flood runoff and soil erosion. Few data have been...

Fermilab Today | Tip of the Week Archive

Science.gov Websites

flood safety tips June 15, 2015 Why are there so many species? June 8, 2015 Cybersecurity in the 11, 2015 May is Electrical Safety Month May 4, 2015 The last line of defense is you April 27, 2015 A ? Fire! April 6, 2015 What could possibly go wrong? March 30, 2015 Improving traffic safety at Fermilab

Signs of an Impending Hard Disk Crash

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldborough, Reid

2004-01-01

If you have worked with computers for any length of time, you have undoubtedly heard the warnings and the recommendations. Data stored on PCs can disappear in a nanosecond. You need to back up any crucial data you cannot risk losing. Ideally, you should store at least one set of crucial back-up data off-site in case of a fire, flood or other…

Joint Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Foreign Humanitarian Assistance

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-08-15

violence and nuclear, biological, or chemical (NBC) accidents). DOD policy permits military components to participate in FHA operations in response to...Acts of Man Flood, Drought, Fire, Hurricane, Earthquake Volcanic Eruption Civil Violence Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical Accidents FOREIGN DISASTERS I...Supply shortages developed, particularly of items not ordinarily required by a fighting unit — catheters for small children , for example. Finally

Are you ready. Your guide to disaster preparedness. Handbook

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-09-01

The handbook outlines basic steps to take in case of natural disasters (such as floods or tornadoes), man-made disasters (such as a nuclear power plant incident or industrial fire) and national security emergencies (such as an attack on the country). Each chapter ends with a list of publications one can get to find out more about disaster planning.

Major issues in miner health.

PubMed Central

Joyce, S

1998-01-01

As recently as the last few decades, thousands of miners died in explosions, roof collapses, fires, and floods each year, and lung disease caused by inhaling mineral dusts was ubiquitous. Miners worked virtually unprotected, and were often treated as expendable bodies fulfilling critical roles in this important industry, which in the United States comprises about 5% of the gross domestic product. PMID:9799195

Go with the flow by way of interdisciplinary collaboration: Sharing, integrating and opening access to data from various studies in the Cache la Poudre watershed following fire and flood

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network consists of 18 sites across the continental United States. LTAR scientists seek to determine ways to ensure sustainability and enhance food production and ecosystem services at ...

Preventing Catastrophes from Data Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsborough, Reid

2004-01-01

What's the worst thing that can happen to a computer? Worse than a hard disk crash, virus infection, spare assault, denial-of-service attack, hacker take-over, fire, flood or some other human, mechanical or natural disaster is a faulty backup when it is really needed. If the computer blows up, as long as the data is backed up securely, it can be…

Wildfire disturbance, erosion and sedimentation risks following the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flint, K.; Kinoshita, A. M.; Chin, A.; Florsheim, J. L.; Nourbakhshbeidokhti, S.

2016-12-01

Wildfire is a landscape-scale disturbance that causes abrupt changes to hydrological responses and sediment flux during subsequent storms. Burning hillslope vegetation during wildfires induces changes to sediment supply and stream flow magnitude. Altered post-fire processes such as channel erosion and sedimentation or flooding enhance downstream hazards that may threaten human populations and physical aquatic habitat over various time scales. Using data from a small drainage basin (Williams Canyon, 4.7 km2) in the Colorado front range burned by the 2012 Waldo Fire as a case study, we investigate post-fire recovery and assess changes in fire-related risks to downstream areas. Our local ground-based precipitation, field measurements, terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanning together with satellite-based remote sensing data (i.e. Landsat) provide a basis for time series analyses of reach-scale erosion and sedimentation response to rainfall patterns as vegetation patterns change following the wildfire. As a first step in quantifying the likelihood and consequences of specific risk scenarios, we examine changes in the combined probability of storm flows and post-fire erosion and sedimentation as vegetation recovers within the study watershed. We explore possible feedbacks and thresholds related to vegetation-hydrology-sediment interactions following wildfire under changing climate regimes. This information is needed to assist in post-fire management to promote sustainability of wildland fluvial systems.

A Study of Flood Evacuation Center Using GIS and Remote Sensing Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustaffa, A. A.; Rosli, M. F.; Abustan, M. S.; Adib, R.; Rosli, M. I.; Masiri, K.; Saifullizan, B.

2016-07-01

This research demonstrated the use of Remote Sensing technique and GIS to determine the suitability of an evacuation center. This study was conducted in Batu Pahat areas that always hit by a series of flood. The data of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was obtained by ASTER database that has been used to delineate extract contour line and elevation. Landsat 8 image was used for classification purposes such as land use map. Remote Sensing incorporate with GIS techniques was used to determined the suitability location of the evacuation center from contour map of flood affected areas in Batu Pahat. GIS will calculate the elevation of the area and information about the country of the area, the road access and percentage of the affected area. The flood affected area map may provide the suitability of the flood evacuation center during the several levels of flood. The suitability of evacuation centers can be determined based on several criteria and the existing data of the evacuation center will be analysed. From the analysis among 16 evacuation center listed, there are only 8 evacuation center suitable for the usage during emergency situation. The suitability analysis was based on the location and the road access of the evacuation center toward the flood affected area. There are 10 new locations with suitable criteria of evacuation center proposed on the study area to facilitate the process of rescue and evacuating flood victims to much safer and suitable locations. The results of this study will help in decision making processes and indirectly will help organization such as fire-fighter and the Department of Social Welfare in their work. Thus, this study can contribute more towards the society.

Megafires in Chile 2017: Monitoring multiscale environmental impacts of burned ecosystems.

PubMed

de la Barrera, Francisco; Barraza, Francisco; Favier, Philomène; Ruiz, Vannia; Quense, Jorge

2018-05-17

During the summer of 2017, several megafires in South-Central Chile burned down forest plantations, native forests, shrublands and human settlements. National authorities identified the relevant effects of the wildfires on infrastructure and ecosystems. However, other indirect effects such as the risk of flooding or, increased air pollution were not assessed. The present study assesses: i) the geographic characterization of wildfires, ii) amount of damage to ecosystems and the severity of wildfires, iii) the effects of megafires on air quality in nearby and distant urban areas, and iv) identification of cities potentially exposed to landslides and flooding. We ran remote sensing analyses based on the Normalized Burn Ratio taken from Landsat imagery, "active fires" from MODIS, and ASTER GDEM. The particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) levels measured on 34 Chilean's municipalities were correlated with the burning area/distance ratio by Spearman correlation. Socionatural hazards were evaluated using multi-criteria analyses combining proximity to burned areas, severity, potential flow of water and sediments as indicated by the Digital Elevation Model, drainage networks and the location of human settlements. 91 burned areas were identified, covering 529,794 ha. The most affected ecosystems were forest plantations and native shrublands. We found significant correlations between burned area/distance ratios and PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels, leading to increased levels over the Chilean air quality standard in the most populated cities. 37 human settlements were at increased risk of landslides and flooding hazards after fires and eleven could now be characterized as dangerously exposed. The 2017 wildfires in Chile have had an impact at both a small and large scale, with far-reaching air pollutants dispersing and affecting >74% of the Chilean population. The impact of the wildfires was also extended over time, creating future potential for landslides and flooding, with the risk increasing in rainy seasons. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Use of Earth Observing Satellites for Operational Hazard Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, H. M.; Lauritson, L.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) relies on Earth observing satellite data to carry out its operational mission to monitor, predict, and assess changes in the Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans. NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) uses satellite data to help lessen the impacts of natural and man-made disasters due to tropical cyclones, flash floods, heavy snowstorms, volcanic ash clouds (for aviation safety), sea ice (for shipping safety), and harmful algal blooms. Communications systems on NOAA satellites are used to support search and rescue and to relay data from data collection platforms to a variety of users. NOAA's Geostationary (GOES) and Polar (POES) Operational Environmental Satellites are used in conjunction with other satellites to support NOAA's operational mission. While NOAA's National Hurricane Center is responsible for predicting tropical cyclones affecting the U.S. mainland, NESDIS continuously monitors the tropics world wide, relaying valuable satellite interpretations of tropical systems strength and position to users throughout the world. Text messages are sent every six hours for tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Oceans. To support the monitoring, prediction, and assessment of flash floods and winter storms, NESDIS sends out text messages alerting U.S. weather forecast offices whenever NOAA satellite imagery indicates the occurrence of heavy rain or snow. NESDIS also produces a 24-hour rainfall composite graphic image covering those areas affected by heavy precipitation. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other aviation concerns recognized the need to keep aviators informed of volcanic hazards. To that end, nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC's) were created to monitor volcanic ash plumes within their assigned airspace. NESDIS hosts one of the VAAC's. Although the NESDIS VAAC's primary responsibility is the continental U.S., Carribean, and adjacent oceans, it also tracks volcanic eruptions throughout the world. Text messages are produced along with graphic interpretations. This information, along with volcanic ash forecasts produced by NOAA's National Weather Service, is made available to U.S. Government and international agencies concerned with aviation, seismology, and climate analysis. Earth observing satellites help NESDIS to ensure safe navigation of ships through sea ice by measuring the extent, thickness, and age of ice as well as sea surface winds over the polar regions of the globe, coastal areas, and inland waterways. These satellites also help NESDIS to monitor U.S. coastal areas for dangerous algal blooms or other toxic effects to fish and sea mammals as well as monitoring floods and fires. Experimental fire products can help in the monitoring of fires and fire weather, as well as determining fire risk. Experimental soil moisture products support flood and drought monitoring. Flood extent and damage assessment for a variety of hazards can be determined from several satellites at varying spatial resolutions. The Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system detects and locates persons in distress on land or water. NOAA satellites relay distress signals from emergency beacons through a network of ground stations to the U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC). The USMCC processes the data and alerts the appropriate search and rescue authorities. SARSAT is part of the international Cospas-Sarsat Program. NOAA's GOES Data Collection (DCS) and Argos (jointly with the French space agency) POES Data Collection and Locations Systems transmit data collected from remote land and water based platforms and distributes the data to researchers, governmental and environmental organizations worldwide. The GOES DCS system allows near real time and frequent transmissions, e.g. hourly, over the Americas and much of the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans. ARGOS transmissions are less frequent, but global and provide the location of moving platforms such as animals and drifting buoys.

Modeling post-fire hydro-geomorphic recovery in the Waldo Canyon Fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinoshita, Alicia; Nourbakhshbeidokhti, Samira; Chin, Anne

2016-04-01

Wildfire can have significant impacts on watershed hydrology and geomorphology by changing soil properties and removing vegetation, often increasing runoff and soil erosion and deposition, debris flows, and flooding. Watershed systems may take several years or longer to recover. During this time, post-fire channel changes have the potential to alter hydraulics that influence characteristics such as time of concentration and increase time to peak flow, flow capacity, and velocity. Using the case of the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado (USA), this research will leverage field-based surveys and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to parameterize KINEROS2 (KINematic runoff and EROSion), an event oriented, physically-based watershed runoff and erosion model. We will use the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool, which is a GIS-based hydrologic modeling tool that uses commonly available GIS data layers to parameterize, execute, and spatially visualize runoff and sediment yield for watersheds impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire. Specifically, two models are developed, an unburned (Bear Creek) and burned (Williams) watershed. The models will simulate burn severity and treatment conditions. Field data will be used to validate the burned watersheds for pre- and post-fire changes in infiltration, runoff, peak flow, sediment yield, and sediment discharge. Spatial modeling will provide insight into post-fire patterns for varying treatment, burn severity, and climate scenarios. Results will also provide post-fire managers with improved hydro-geomorphic modeling and prediction tools for water resources management and mitigation efforts.

Deep Learning of Post-Wildfire Vegetation Loss using Bitemporal Synthetic Aperture Radar Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Z.; Glasscoe, M. T.; Parker, J. W.

2017-12-01

Wildfire events followed by heavy precipitation have been proven causally related to breakouts of mudflow or debris flow, which, can demand rapid evacuation and threaten residential communities and civil infrastructure. For example, in the case of the city of Glendora, California, it was first afflicted by a severe wildfire in 1968 and then the flooding caused mudslides and debris flow in 1969 killed 34 people. Therefore, burn area or vegetation loss mapping due to wildfire is critical to agencies for preparing for secondary hazards, particularly flooding and flooding induced mudflow. However, rapid post-wildfire mapping of vegetation loss mapping is not readily obtained by regular remote sensing methods, e.g. various optical methods, due to the presence of smoke, haze, and rainy/cloudy conditions that often follow a wildfire event. In this paper, we will introduce and develop a deep learning-based framework that uses Synthetic Aperture Radar images collected prior to and after a wildfire event. A convolutional neural network (CNN) approach will be used that replaces traditional principle component analysis (PCA) based differencing for non-supervised change feature extraction. Using a small sample of human-labeled burned vegetation, normal vegetation, and urban built-up pixels, we will compare the performance of deep learning and PCA-based feature extraction. The 2014 Coby Fire event, which affected the downstream city of Glendora, was used to evaluate the proposed framework. The NASA's UAVSAR data (https://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/) will be utilized for mapping the vegetation damage due to the Coby Fire event.

Analyzing the occurrence of debris flows and floods in a small watershed two years after a wildfire, San Gabriel Mountains, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leeper, R. J.; Barth, N. C.; Gray, A. B.

2016-12-01

The frontal range of the San Gabriel Mountains immediately abuts the Los Angeles basin for approximately 110 km. Along this wildland-urban interface and throughout the mountain range multiple overlapping natural hazards can occur, the most frequent of which are postfire debris flows and floods triggered by intense rainfall events. Recent studies in southern California of burned basins with steep slopes show that the timing of postfire debris flows and floods during the first winter following a wildfire is closely tied to high-intensity rainfall events. Here, we explore short-term (seasonal/annual) controls on sediment production and flux after the 2014 Colby Fire, which burned 8 km2 of the southern San Gabriel front directly above the city of Glendora, CA. To understand how sediment flux changes as a basin recovers following a wildfire, we installed and monitored a dense network of rain gages and pressure transducers within the Englewild watershed ( 1 km2) during the second winter following the Colby Fire. Site visits were made following each rainstorm to download pressure transducer and rainfall data and analyze the geomorphic response within the channel network. Preliminary results indicate that rainfall intensity-duration thresholds (5-min) previously identified as postfire debris flow triggers were exceeded multiple times throughout the winter. However, we only one documented one debris flow. Understanding changes in the rainfall intensity thresholds relative to debris flow timing and occurrence with system rebound after wildfire is important to help reduce risk and increase hazard resilience.

Methods for enhancing mapping of thermal fronts in oil recovery

DOEpatents

Lee, D.O.; Montoya, P.C.; Wayland, J.R. Jr.

1984-03-30

A method for enhancing the resistivity contrasts of a thermal front in an oil recovery production field as measured by the controlled source audio frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) technique is disclosed. This method includes the steps of: (1) preparing a CSAMT-determined topological resistivity map of the production field; (2) introducing a solution of a dopant material into the production field at a concentration effective to alter the resistivity associated with the thermal front; said dopant material having a high cation exchange capacity which might be selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, illite, and chlorite clays; said material being soluble in the conate water of the production field; (3) preparing a CSAMT-determined topological resistivity map of the production field while said dopant material is moving therethrough; and (4) mathematically comparing the maps from step (1) and step (3) to determine the location of the thermal front. This method is effective with the steam flood, fire flood and water flood techniques.

Pre- and post-fire pollutant loads in an urban fringe watershed in Southern California.

PubMed

Burke, M P; Hogue, T S; Kinoshita, A M; Barco, J; Wessel, C; Stein, E D

2013-12-01

Post-fire runoff has the potential to be a large source of contaminants to downstream areas. However, the magnitude of this effect in urban fringe watersheds adjacent to large sources of airborne contaminants is not well documented. The current study investigates the impacts of wildfire on stormwater contaminant loading from the upper Arroyo Seco watershed, burned in 2009. This watershed is adjacent to the Greater Los Angeles, CA, USA area and has not burned in over 60 years. Consequently, it acts as a sink for regional urban pollutants and presents an opportunity to study the impacts of wildfire. Pre- and post-fire storm samples were collected and analyzed for basic cations, trace metals, and total suspended solids. The loss of vegetation and changes in soil properties from the fire greatly increased the magnitude of storm runoff, resulting in sediment-laden floods carrying high concentrations of particulate-bound constituents. Post-fire concentrations and loads were up to three orders of magnitude greater than pre-fire values for many trace metals, including lead and cadmium. A shift was also observed in the timing of chemical delivery, where maximum suspended sediment, trace metal, and cation concentrations coincided with, rather than preceded, peak discharge in the post-fire runoff, amplifying the fire's impacts on mass loading. The results emphasize the importance of sediment delivery as a primary mechanism for post-fire contaminant transport and suggest that traditional management practices that focus on treating only the early portion of storm runoff may be less effective following wildfire. We also advocate that watersheds impacted by regional urban pollutants have the potential to pose significant risk for downstream communities and ecosystems after fire.

Complex networks of functional connectivity in a wetland reconnected to its floodplain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larsen, Laurel G.; Newman, Susan; Saunders, Colin; Harvey, Judson

2017-01-01

Disturbances such as fire or flood, in addition to changing the local magnitude of ecological, hydrological, or biogeochemical processes, can also change their functional connectivity—how those processes interact in space. Complex networks offer promise for quantifying functional connectivity in watersheds. The approach resolves connections between nodes in space based on statistical similarities in perturbation signals (derived from solute time series) and is sensitive to a wider range of timescales than traditional mass-balance modeling. We use this approach to test hypotheses about how fire and flood impact ecological and biogeochemical dynamics in a wetland (Everglades, FL, USA) that was reconnected to its floodplain. Reintroduction of flow pulses after decades of separation by levees fundamentally reconfigured functional connectivity networks. The most pronounced expansion was that of the calcium network, which reflects periphyton dynamics and may represent an indirect influence of elevated nutrients, despite the comparatively smaller observed expansion of phosphorus networks. With respect to several solutes, periphyton acted as a “biotic filter,” shifting perturbations in water-quality signals to different timescales through slow but persistent transformations of the biotic community. The complex-networks approach also revealed portions of the landscape that operate in fundamentally different regimes with respect to dissolved oxygen, separated by a threshold in flow velocity of 1.2 cm/s, and suggested that complete removal of canals may be needed to restore connectivity with respect to biogeochemical processes. Fire reconfigured functional connectivity networks in a manner that reflected localized burn severity, but had a larger effect on the magnitude of solute concentrations.

Complex networks of functional connectivity in a wetland reconnected to its floodplain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Laurel G.; Newman, Susan; Saunders, Colin; Harvey, Judson W.

2017-07-01

Disturbances such as fire or flood, in addition to changing the local magnitude of ecological, hydrological, or biogeochemical processes, can also change their functional connectivity—how those processes interact in space. Complex networks offer promise for quantifying functional connectivity in watersheds. The approach resolves connections between nodes in space based on statistical similarities in perturbation signals (derived from solute time series) and is sensitive to a wider range of timescales than traditional mass-balance modeling. We use this approach to test hypotheses about how fire and flood impact ecological and biogeochemical dynamics in a wetland (Everglades, FL, USA) that was reconnected to its floodplain. Reintroduction of flow pulses after decades of separation by levees fundamentally reconfigured functional connectivity networks. The most pronounced expansion was that of the calcium network, which reflects periphyton dynamics and may represent an indirect influence of elevated nutrients, despite the comparatively smaller observed expansion of phosphorus networks. With respect to several solutes, periphyton acted as a "biotic filter," shifting perturbations in water-quality signals to different timescales through slow but persistent transformations of the biotic community. The complex-networks approach also revealed portions of the landscape that operate in fundamentally different regimes with respect to dissolved oxygen, separated by a threshold in flow velocity of 1.2 cm/s, and suggested that complete removal of canals may be needed to restore connectivity with respect to biogeochemical processes. Fire reconfigured functional connectivity networks in a manner that reflected localized burn severity, but had a larger effect on the magnitude of solute concentrations.

Upping The Emergency Management Ante: The Role Of Private Sector Collaboration In Emergency Management And Whether State Procurement And Emergency Management Laws Are Built To Collaborate

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

welfare, or safety such as may arise by reason of fires, floods, tornadoes , other natural or man-caused disasters, epidemics, riots, enemy attack...West, Westlaw through end of the 2015 First Regular and First Extraordinary Sessions of the 63rd Legislature). 267 Ibid. ( Texas law contains an

In Time of Emergency. A Citizen's Handbook on Nuclear Attack and Natural Disasters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Civil Defense (DOD), Washington, DC.

A major emergency affecting a large number of people may occur anytime and any place. Natural disasters such as a flood, tornado, fire, hurricane, blizzard or earthquake, or an enemy nuclear attack on the United States may all constitute a major emergency. In any type of general disaster, lives can be saved if people are prepared for the emergency…

What do cocktail parties and stressed trees have in common? Plenty of alcohol!

Treesearch

John Kirkland; Rick Kelsey

2015-01-01

Stress in trees is caused by disturbances such as fire, flood, disease, or insect infestations. A single stressor may not be enough to kill a tree, but a combination can be deadly.Tree tissues produce and accumulate ethanol in response to many stressors. Ethanol provides the stressed tissues with an emergency energy source when their normal source of energy...

Earth, Wind, Flu, Flood and Fire: Early Evolution of U.S. National Policy for Natural Disaster Response

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-11

Man-made disasters include engineering failures, transportation accidents, industrial accidents, or weapons of mass destruction. Historical...chemical, biological , radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosive incidents. Another exemption is Commander’s Emergency Authority, which authorizes...Pandemic.” In From Birth to Death and Bench to Clinic: The Hastings Center Bioethics Briefing Book for Journalists, Policymakers, and Campaigns. ed. Mary

Studying the Effects of Hardwood Stand Modifications, Periodic Flooding, and Fire on Insect and Disease Communities in the Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem.

Treesearch

E.T. Nebeker; Theodor D. Leininger; J.S. Meadows

1998-01-01

Abstract - The relationship between stand modification and pest organisms (insects and diseases) has been noted in general with few specific studies to evaluate this relationship in the southern hardwoods. As a prerequisite to making the best improvement cut prescription, it is essential to have a perspective on thinning impacts that at present can...

Onboard Science and Applications Algorithm for Hyperspectral Data Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve A.; Davies, Ashley G.; Silverman, Dorothy; Mandl, Daniel

2012-01-01

An onboard processing mission concept is under development for a possible Direct Broadcast capability for the HyspIRI mission, a Hyperspectral remote sensing mission under consideration for launch in the next decade. The concept would intelligently spectrally and spatially subsample the data as well as generate science products onboard to enable return of key rapid response science and applications information despite limited downlink bandwidth. This rapid data delivery concept focuses on wildfires and volcanoes as primary applications, but also has applications to vegetation, coastal flooding, dust, and snow/ice applications. Operationally, the HyspIRI team would define a set of spatial regions of interest where specific algorithms would be executed. For example, known coastal areas would have certain products or bands downlinked, ocean areas might have other bands downlinked, and during fire seasons other areas would be processed for active fire detections. Ground operations would automatically generate the mission plans specifying the highest priority tasks executable within onboard computation, setup, and data downlink constraints. The spectral bands of the TIR (thermal infrared) instrument can accurately detect the thermal signature of fires and send down alerts, as well as the thermal and VSWIR (visible to short-wave infrared) data corresponding to the active fires. Active volcanism also produces a distinctive thermal signature that can be detected onboard to enable spatial subsampling. Onboard algorithms and ground-based algorithms suitable for onboard deployment are mature. On HyspIRI, the algorithm would perform a table-driven temperature inversion from several spectral TIR bands, and then trigger downlink of the entire spectrum for each of the hot pixels identified. Ocean and coastal applications include sea surface temperature (using a small spectral subset of TIR data, but requiring considerable ancillary data), and ocean color applications to track biological activity such as harmful algal blooms. Measuring surface water extent to track flooding is another rapid response product leveraging VSWIR spectral information.

From science into practice: modelling hot spots for corporate flood risk and emergency management with high-resolution digital terrain data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfurtscheller, Clemens; Vetter, Michael; Werthmann, Markus

2010-05-01

In times of increasing scarcity of private or public resources and uncertain changes in natural environment caused by climate variations, prevention and risk management against floods and coherent processes in mountainous regions, like debris flows or log jams, should be faced as a main challenge for globalised enterprises whose production facilities are located in flood-prone areas. From an entrepreneurial perspective, vulnerability of production facilities which causes restrictions or a total termination of production processes has to be optimised by means of cost-benefit-principles. Modern production enterprises are subject to globalisation and accompanying aspects, like short order and delivery periods, interlinking production processes and just-in-time manufacturing, so a breakdown of production provokes substantial financial impacts, unemployment and a decline of gross regional product. The aim of the presented project is to identify weak and critical points of the corporate emergency planning ("hot spots") and to assess possible losses triggered by mountainous flood processes using high-resolution digital terrain models (DTM) from airborne LiDAR (ALS). We derive flood-hot spots and model critical locations where the risk of natural hazards is very high. To model those hot spots a flood simulation based on an ALS-DTM has to be calculated. Based on that flood simulation, the flood heights of the overflowed locations which are lower than a threshold are mapped as flood-hot-spots. Then the corporate critical infrastructure, e.g. production facilities or lifelines, which are affected by the flooding, can be figured out. After the identification of hot spots and possible damage potential, the implementation of the results into corporate risk and emergency management guarantees the transdisciplinary approach involving stakeholders, risk and safety management officers and corporate fire brigade. Thus, the interdisciplinary analysis, including remote sensing techniques, like LiDAR, and economic assessment of natural hazards, combining with corporate acting secures production, guarantees income and helps to stabilise region's wealth after major flood events. Beyond that, the assessment of hot spots could be raised as locational issue for greenfield strategy or company foundation.

Analyzing post-fire topography at the hillslope-channel interface with terrestrial LiDAR: contrasting geomorphic responses from the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire of Colorado and the 2013 Springs Fire of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storesund, R.; Chin, A.; Florsheim, J. L.; O'Hirok, L.; Williams, K.; Austin, K. E.

2014-12-01

Mountains areas are increasingly susceptible to wildfires because of warming climates. Although knowledge of the hydro-geomorphological impacts of wildfire has advanced in recent years, much is still unknown regarding how environmental fluxes move through burned watersheds. Because of the loss of vegetation and hydrophobic soils, flash floods often accompany elevated runoff events from burned watersheds, making direct process measurements challenging. Direct measurements are also only partly successful at capturing the spatial variations of post-fire effects. Coupled with short temporal windows for observing such responses, opportunities are often missed for collecting data needed for developing predictive models. Terrestrial LiDAR scanning (TLS) of burned areas allows detailed documentation of the post-fire topography to cm-level accuracy, providing pictures of geomorphic responses not previously possible. This paper reports a comparative study of hillslope-channel interactions, using repeat TLS, in two contrasting environments. Burned by the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire and 2013 Springs Fire, in Colorado and California respectively, the study sites share many similarities including steep erosive slopes, small drainage areas, and step-pool channel morphologies. TLS provided a tool to test the central hypothesis that, dry ravel, distinct in the California Mediterranean environment, would prompt a greater sedimentological response from the Springs Fire compared to the Waldo Canyon Fire. At selected sites in each area, TLS documented baseline conditions immediately following the fire. Repeat scanning after major storms allowed detection of changes in the landscape. Results show a tendency for sedimentation in river channels in the study sites interacting with dry ravel on hillslopes, whereas erosion dominated the response from the Waldo Canyon Fire with an absence of dry ravel. These data provide clues to developing generalizations for post-fire effects at regional scales, which could assist with managing hazards from wildfires. TLS provides a promising tool to expand the range of studies concerning environmental responses through burned landscapes.

Post-fire Water Quality in the Western United States: Understanding and Predicting Short and Long-term Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Rust, A.

2016-12-01

Fire frequency is increasing across mid-elevation forests, especially in the Northern Rockies, Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades, as well as the coastal ranges in California and southern Oregon. Numerous studies have noted increased discharge, floods and debris flows after wildfire. More recent work also shows increased water yield during dry seasons for up to ten years post-fire. However, few studies have evaluated long-term water quality response in fire-impacted watersheds. The current presentation will overview recent development of an extensive database on post-fire water quality response across the western U.S. A range of water quality parameters were gathered from 271 burned watersheds through local, state and federal agencies. Short and long-term response was evaluated for watersheds with at least 5 years of pre-fire data. Over 30 watersheds showed significant increases in NO3-, NO2-, NH3, and total nitrogen loading in the initial five years after fire and remained elevated ten years after fire. The burn severity influenced the degree of nitrogen response, where more severely burned watersheds showed higher nitrogen loading than less severely burned watersheds. Dissolved and total phosphorous showed significant increases in 32 watersheds for the first five years after fire. Dissolved ions such as calcium, magnesium, and chloride were also exported from over 32 watersheds, primarily during the first five years after fire, with the majority of impacted watersheds returning to pre-fire water quality conditions after ten years. Ongoing work includes evaluating key determinants that drive short and long-term response and developing predictive models for post-fire water quality. Watersheds impacted by wildfire are known to pose significant risks for downstream communities. Understanding short and long-term water quality change that can impact regional water supplies is critical for establishing potential treatment priorities and alternative source planning.

The effects of log erosion barriers on post-fire hydrologic response and sediment yield in small forested watersheds, southern Califonia

Treesearch

Peter M. Wohlgemuth; Ken R. Hubbert; Peter R. Robichaud

2001-01-01

Wildfire usually promotes flooding and accelerated erosion in upland watersheds. In the summer of 1999, a high-severity wildfire burned a series of mixed pine/oak headwater catchments in the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California. Log erosion barriers (LEBs) were constructed across much of the burned area as an erosion control measure. We built debris basins in...

26 CFR 1.170A-4A - Special rule for the deduction of certain charitable contributions of inventory and other property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., mental, or emotional well-being, as a result of poverty or temporary distress. Examples of needy persons... the victim of a natural disaster (such as fire or flood), a person who is the victim of a civil disaster (such as a civil disturbance), a person who is temporarily not self-sufficient as a result of a...

A Species Distribution Modeling Informed Conservation Assessment of Bog Spicebush

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-14

small populations, or establishing new popu- lations to increase the metapopulation structure within clusters of popula- tions. These outplanting data...fire suppression, and flooding (e.g., due to beaver activity) on vege- tation composition and structure . This effort used vegetation and disturb- ance...Suppression to Prescription. Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL, pp 70–81. Godefroid, S., C. Piazza, G. Rossi, S. Buord, A. D. Stevens, R

Trying to Learn Lessons for Response to Extreme Events: Paradigm Shifts Affecting Civil Defense in the Trinational Region of Southwestern Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, G. L. P.

2015-12-01

The last ten years have seen several extreme climate events in southwestern Amazonia with historic impacts. The City of Rio Branco, Capital of Acre, Brazil´s westernmost State, suffered its seventh consecutive annual flooding and its worst in March 2015. The city of Tarauacá, also in Acre, registered 12 flooding events between November 2014 and April 2015. The most recent flood of the trinational Acre River in 2015 set historic records for flood stage and number of displaced persons in Cobija, the Capital of Pando, Bolivia. From February to April 2014, floods of the Madeira River disrupted the one highway between Acre and southern Brazil. Puerto Maldonado, the capital in Madre de Dios Region of Peru had its worst flood in 50 years during 2014. In 2005 and 2010, prolonged droughts combined with ignition sources resulted in tens to hundreds of thousands of hectares of fire-damaged rainforests in the Madre de Dios, Acre and Pando (MAP) Region. The Civil Defenses in these three contiguous political units faced several abrupt paradigm shifts that affected their responses: 1) The drought of 2005 showed dramatically that regional rainforests do burn; 2) The recent flooding history, particularly in 2012 and 2015, demolished the cultural icon of a nine-year recurrence interval; 3) What happens outside your territory can be devastating. The Madeira River flood impeded an estimated 200 million dollars from circulating in Acre; 4) The past can be a terrible guide. For Cobija and Rio Branco, the 2015 flood was on the order of a meter higher than any other. Many home dwellers did not evacuate in time because they used past floods as a guide; 5) A collapse in communication - cell phones, land lines, and Internet - can get worse. In 2012, such a collapse occurred in two border towns for 5 days, yet in 2015 it lasted more than 11 days. Research is needed to address how institutions linked to Civil Defense can shift paradigms in time to be more effective.

Storm tide monitoring during the blizzard of January 26-28, 2015, in eastern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Massey, Andrew J.; Verdi, Richard J.

2015-01-01

The Blizzard of January 2015 was a powerful and destructive storm that threatened public safety and led to widespread cancellations and delays at transportation hubs, schools, and businesses in Massachusetts, including, for example, the closure of General Edward Lawrence Logan (Boston-Logan) International Airport and cancellation of all flights on January 27 and a statewide travel ban issued for January 28. A total of 24.6 inches of snowfall and winds up to 45 miles per hour (mi/hr) were recorded at the airport. Several coastal communities were affected and experienced flooding, overwash, and damage to seawalls, dwellings, and other infrastructure. In Scituate, the National Guard was sent to rescue people from flooding, and power was cut to some areas of the town to prevent electrical fires.

Black swans, power laws, and dragon-kings: Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, wildfires, floods, and SOC models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sachs, M. K.; Yoder, M. R.; Turcotte, D. L.; Rundle, J. B.; Malamud, B. D.

2012-05-01

Extreme events that change global society have been characterized as black swans. The frequency-size distributions of many natural phenomena are often well approximated by power-law (fractal) distributions. An important question is whether the probability of extreme events can be estimated by extrapolating the power-law distributions. Events that exceed these extrapolations have been characterized as dragon-kings. In this paper we consider extreme events for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, landslides and floods. We also consider the extreme event behavior of three models that exhibit self-organized criticality (SOC): the slider-block, forest-fire, and sand-pile models. Since extrapolations using power-laws are widely used in probabilistic hazard assessment, the occurrence of dragon-king events have important practical implications.

Scientific relevance of Swiss property insurance data on flood risks and losses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Röthlisberger, Veronika; Bernet, Daniel; Keiler, Margreth

2015-04-01

The databases of Swiss flood insurance companies build a valuable but to date rarely used source of information for flood risk research. Detailed insights into the Swiss flood insurance system are crucial to evaluate the potential of the different databases for scientific analysis. Even though the flood insurance system modalities are mainly regulated on cantonal level there are some common principles that apply throughout Switzerland. First of all coverage against floods (and other particular natural hazards) is an integral part of every fire insurance policy for buildings or contents in Switzerland. This coupling of insurance as well as the statutory obligation to insure buildings in most of the cantons and movables in some of the cantons lead to a very high penetration. Second, in case of damage, the reinstatement costs (value as new) are compensated and third there are no (or little) deductible and co-pay. Thus the different datasets of the flood insurance companies would allow a very comprehensive data analysis. Moreover, insurance companies not only store electronically data about losses (typically date, amount of claims payment, cause of damage, identity of the insured object or policyholder) but also about insured objects. For insured objects the (insured) value and the details on the policy and its holder are the main feature to record. On buildings the insurance companies usually computerize additional information such as location, volume, year of construction or purpose of use. For the 19 (of total 26) cantons with a cantonal monopoly insurer the data of these insurance establishments have the additional value to represent (almost) the entire building stock of the respective canton. However, scientists face a wide range of the opportunities and challenges when using insurance data for flood research. The origin of flood insurance data implies that they are not generated for research but for business management. The presentation will highlighted pro and cons as well as challenges of different aspects such as data compilation and geocoding, spatial and temporal coverage of data, data generation regarding the purpose of efficient and correct management of policies and claims, data protection regulations, differences in the use of technical key terms between risk research and insurance business to answer the questions how relevant and useful are the flood insurance data for flood risk analysis. An outlook will be provided how to encourage the (data) exchange between flood risk business and research.

External events analysis for the Savannah River Site K reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brandyberry, M.D.; Wingo, H.E.

1990-01-01

The probabilistic external events analysis performed for the Savannah River Site K-reactor PRA considered many different events which are generally perceived to be external'' to the reactor and its systems, such as fires, floods, seismic events, and transportation accidents (as well as many others). Events which have been shown to be significant contributors to risk include seismic events, tornados, a crane failure scenario, fires and dam failures. The total contribution to the core melt frequency from external initiators has been found to be 2.2 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} per year, from which seismic events are the major contributor (1.2 {times} 10{supmore » {minus}4} per year). Fire initiated events contribute 1.4 {times} 10{sup {minus}7} per year, tornados 5.8 {times} 10{sup {minus}7} per year, dam failures 1.5 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} per year and the crane failure scenario less than 10{sup {minus}4} per year to the core melt frequency. 8 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Tangible Results and Progress in Flood Risks Management with the PACTES Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costes, Murielle; Abadie, Jean-Paul; Ducuing, Jean-Louis; Denier, Jean-Paul; Stéphane

The PACTES project (Prévention et Anticipation des Crues au moyen des Techniques Spatiales), initiated by CNES and the French Ministry of Research, aims at improving flood risk management, over the following three main phases : - Prevention : support and facilitate the analysis of flood risks and socio-economic impacts (risk - Forecasting and alert : improve the capability to predict and anticipate the flooding event - Crisis management : allow better situation awareness, communication and sharing of In order to achieve its ambitious objectives, PACTES: - integrates state-of-the-art techniques and systems (integration of the overall processing chains, - takes advantage of integrating recent model developments in wheather forecasting, rainfall, In this approach, space technology is thus used in three main ways : - radar and optical earth observation data are used to produce Digital Elevation Maps, land use - earth observation data are also an input to wheather forecasting, together with ground sensors; - satellite-based telecommunication and mobile positioning. Started in December 2000, the approach taken in PACTES is to work closely with users such as civil security and civil protection organisms, fire fighter brigades and city councils for requirements gathering and during the validation phase. It has lead to the development and experimentation of an integrated pre-operational demonstrator, delivered to different types of operational users. Experimentation has taken place in three watersheds representative of different types of floods (flash and plain floods). After a breaf reminder of what the PACTES project organization and aims are, the PACTES integrated pre-operational demonstrator is presented. The main scientific inputs to flood risk management are summarized. Validation studies for the three watersheds covered by PACTES (Moselle, Hérault and Thoré) are detailed. Feedback on the PACTES tangible results on flood risk management from an user point of view are given. Costs of what an operational PACTES demonstrator could be, are discussed.

Smokey Bear is Dead: A New Era of Wildfires in the Western U.S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, J. L.; Duffin, J.; Lindquist, E.; Wuerzer, T.; Pellant, M.

2013-12-01

High fuel densities, combined with increasingly severe drought, make the western US highly susceptible to changes in the timing of snowmelt and increases in the length of the fire season. The forests and rangelands of Idaho are especially prone to wildfire; in 2012, over 1.7 million acres burned across Idaho, more acres than in any other state. Climate change is projected to increase summer temperatures and decrease summer precipitation in Idaho, and a drier, warmer, and more variable climate will increase the risk of stand-replacing fires. While infrastructure and alert systems are in place to warn residents about threats from hurricanes, floods and tornados, there is limited protection for communities in the ';fire-plain.' Part of this lack of preparation may stem from the belief that fires can be prevented or stopped; a perception that has been perpetuated by ';Smokey Bear,' and the generally successful interval of fire suppression during the 1960's-1980's. However, in the mid-1980's, severe drought, rising temperatures, and early snowmelt have brought an era of ';mega-fires' to the American West. Periods of recurring high wildfire activity across the western US are not unprecedented in the paleo-record, but the frequency of large fires (> 400 ha) and the annual area burned have increased in the modern. For example, in the past 10 years in Idaho, 17 fires burned over 100,000 acres each: six of those fires occurred in 2012. Likewise, the size and severity of rangeland fires in the Western U.S. has increased by almost an order of magnitude in recent decades; in the early 1980's, range fire extents over 100,000 acres was unheard of, but has become increasingly common in recent years (Pellant, 2013). Boise State University's departments of Geoscience, Community and Regional Planning, and the Public Policy Center are examining the risks and impacts of fire along the Boise WUI. The research integrates the perspectives of the geosciences and social sciences by combining physically-based fire hazards, effective fire management policies, and Planning in the West.

Feedbacks in human-landscape systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Anne

2015-04-01

As human interactions with Earth systems intensify in the "Anthropocene", understanding the complex relationships among human activity, landscape change, and societal responses to those changes is increasingly important. Interdisciplinary research centered on the theme of "feedbacks" in human-landscape systems serves as a promising focus for unraveling these interactions. Deciphering interacting human-landscape feedbacks extends our traditional approach of considering humans as unidirectional drivers of change. Enormous challenges exist, however, in quantifying impact-feedback loops in landscapes with significant human alterations. This paper illustrates an example of human-landscape interactions following a wildfire in Colorado (USA) that elicited feedback responses. After the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire, concerns for heightened flood potential and debris flows associated with post-fire hydrologic changes prompted local landowners to construct tall fences at the base of a burned watershed. These actions changed the sediment transport regime and promoted further landscape change and human responses in a positive feedback cycle. The interactions ultimately increase flood and sediment hazards, rather than dampening the effects of fire. A simple agent-based model, capable of integrating social and hydro-geomorphological data, demonstrates how such interacting impacts and feedbacks could be simulated. Challenges for fully capturing human-landscape feedback interactions include the identification of diffuse and subtle feedbacks at a range of scales, the availability of data linking impact with response, the identification of multiple thresholds that trigger feedback mechanisms, and the varied metrics and data needed to represent both the physical and human systems. By collaborating with social scientists with expertise in the human causes of landscape change, as well as the human responses to those changes, geoscientists could more fully recognize and anticipate the coupled human-landscape interactions that will drive the evolution of Earth systems into the future.

Finding simplicity in complexity: modelling post-fire hydrogeomorphic processes and risks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheridan, Gary; Langhans, Christoph; Lane, Patrick; Nyman, Petter

2017-04-01

Post-fire runoff and erosion can shape landscapes, destroy infrastructure, and result in the loss of human life. However even within seemingly similar geographic regions post-fire hydro-geomorphic responses vary from almost no response through to catastrophic flash floods and debris flows. Why is there so much variability, and how can we predict areas at risk? This presentation describes the research journey taken by the post-fire research group at The University of Melbourne to answer this question for the se Australian uplands. Key steps along the way have included identifying the dominant erosion processes (and their forcings), and the key system properties controlling the rates of these dominant processes. The high degree of complexity in the interactions between the forcings, the system properties, and the erosion processes, necessitated the development of a simplified conceptual representation of post-fire hydrogeomorphic system that was conducive to modelling and simulation. Spatially mappable metrics (and proxies) for key system forcings and properties were then required to parameterize and drive the model. Each step in this journey has depended on new research, as well as ongoing feedback from land and water management agencies tasked with implementing these risk models and interpreting the results. These models are now imbedded within agencies and used for strategic risk assessments, for tactical response during fires, and for post-fire remediation and risk planning. Reflecting on the successes and failures along the way provides for some more general insights into the process of developing research-based models for operational use by land and water management agencies.

Soil Dynamics Following Fire in Juncus and Spartina Marshes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmalzer, Paul A.; Hinkle, C. Ross

1992-01-01

We examined soil changes in the O-5 and 5-15 cm layers for one year after a fire in burned Juncus roemerianus and Spartina bakeri marshes and an unburned Juncus marsh. Each marsh was sampled (N = 25) preburn, immediately postburn, and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postburn. All marshes were flooded at the time of the fire; water levels declined below the surface by 6 months but reflooded at 12 months after the fire. Soil samples were analyzed for pH, conductivity, organic matter, exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K, available PO4-P, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), exchangeable NO3-N, NO2-N, and NH4-N. Changes due to burning were most pronounced in the surface (0-5 cm) layer. Soil pH increased 0.16-0.28 units immediately postburn but returned to preburn levels in 1 month. Organic matter increased by 1 month and remained elevated through 9 months after the fire. Calcium, Mg, K, and PO4-P all increased by 1 month after burning, and the increases persisted for 6 to 12 months. Conductivity increased in association with these cations. Burning released ions from organic matter as indicated by the increase in pH, conductivity, Ca, Mg, K, and PO4-P. NH4-N in burned marshes was elevated 6 months and NO3-N 12 months after burning. TKN showed seasonal variations but no clear fire-related changes. Nitrogen species were affected by the seasonally varying water levels as well as fire; these changes differed from those observed in many upland systems.

Assessing eruption column height in ancient flood basalt eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaze, Lori S.; Self, Stephen; Schmidt, Anja; Hunter, Stephen J.

2017-01-01

A buoyant plume model is used to explore the ability of flood basalt eruptions to inject climate-relevant gases into the stratosphere. An example from the 1986 Izu-Oshima basaltic fissure eruption validates the model's ability to reproduce the observed maximum plume heights of 12-16 km above sea level, sustained above fire-fountains. The model predicts maximum plume heights of 13-17 km for source widths of between 4-16 m when 32% (by mass) of the erupted magma is fragmented and involved in the buoyant plume (effective volatile content of 6 wt%). Assuming that the Miocene-age Roza eruption (part of the Columbia River Basalt Group) sustained fire-fountains of similar height to Izu-Oshima (1.6 km above the vent), we show that the Roza eruption could have sustained buoyant ash and gas plumes that extended into the stratosphere at ∼ 45 ° N. Assuming 5 km long active fissure segments and 9000 Mt of SO2 released during explosive phases over a 10-15 year duration, the ∼ 180km of known Roza fissure length could have supported ∼36 explosive events/phases, each with a duration of 3-4 days. Each 5 km fissure segment could have emitted 62 Mt of SO2 per day into the stratosphere while actively fountaining, the equivalent of about three 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruptions per day. Each fissure segment could have had one to several vents, which subsequently produced lava without significant fountaining for a longer period within the decades-long eruption. Sensitivity of plume rise height to ancient atmospheric conditions is explored. Although eruptions in the Deccan Traps (∼ 66Ma) may have generated buoyant plumes that rose to altitudes in excess of 18 km, they may not have reached the stratosphere because the tropopause was substantially higher in the late Cretaceous. Our results indicate that some flood basalt eruptions, such as Roza, were capable of repeatedly injecting large masses of SO2 into the stratosphere. Thus sustained flood basalt eruptions could have influenced climate on time scales of decades to centuries but the location (i.e., latitude) of the province and relevant paleoclimate is important and must be considered.

Assessing Eruption Column Height in Ancient Flood Basalt Eruptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaze, Lori S.; Self, Stephen; Schmidt, Anja; Hunter, Stephen J.

2015-01-01

A buoyant plume model is used to explore the ability of flood basalt eruptions to inject climate-relevant gases into the stratosphere. An example from the 1986 Izu-Oshima basaltic fissure eruption validates the model's ability to reproduce the observed maximum plume heights of 12-16 km above sea level, sustained above fire-fountains. The model predicts maximum plume heights of 13-17 km for source widths of between 4-16 m when 32% (by mass) of the erupted magma is fragmented and involved in the buoyant plume (effective volatile content of 6 wt%). Assuming that the Miocene-age Roza eruption (part of the Columbia River Basalt Group) sustained fire-fountains of similar height to Izu-Oshima (1.6 km above the vent), we show that the Roza eruption could have sustained buoyant ash and gas plumes that extended into the stratosphere at approximately 45 deg N. Assuming 5 km long active fissure segments and 9000 Mt of SO2 released during explosive phases over a 10-15 year duration, the approximately 180 km of known Roza fissure length could have supported approximately 36 explosive events/phases, each with a duration of 3-4 days. Each 5 km fissure segment could have emitted 62 Mt of SO2 per day into the stratosphere while actively fountaining, the equivalent of about three 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruptions per day. Each fissure segment could have had one to several vents, which subsequently produced lava without significant fountaining for a longer period within the decades-long eruption. Sensitivity of plume rise height to ancient atmospheric conditions is explored. Although eruptions in the Deccan Traps (approximately 66 Ma) may have generated buoyant plumes that rose to altitudes in excess of 18 km, they may not have reached the stratosphere because the tropopause was substantially higher in the late Cretaceous. Our results indicate that some flood basalt eruptions, such as Roza, were capable of repeatedly injecting large masses of SO2 into the stratosphere. Thus sustained flood basalt eruptions could have influenced climate on time scales of decades to centuries but the location (i.e., latitude) of the province and relevant paleoclimate is important and must be considered.

The evolution of a colluvial hollow to a fluvial channel with periodic steps following two transformational disturbances: A wildfire and a historic flood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rengers, F. K.; McGuire, L. A.; Ebel, B. A.; Tucker, G. E.

2018-05-01

The transition of a colluvial hollow to a fluvial channel with discrete steps was observed after two landscape-scale disturbances. The first disturbance, a high-severity wildfire, changed the catchment hydrology to favor overland flow, which incised a colluvial hollow, creating a channel in the same location. This incised channel became armored with cobbles and boulders following repeated post-wildfire overland flow events. Three years after the fire, a record rainstorm produced regional flooding and generated sufficient fluvial erosion and sorting to produce a fluvial channel with periodically spaced steps. An analysis of the step spacing shows that after the flood, newly formed steps retained a similar spacing to the topographic roughness spacing in the original colluvial hollow (prior to channelization). This suggests that despite a distinct change in channel form roughness and bedform morphology, the endogenous roughness periodicity was conserved. Variations in sediment erodibility helped to create the emergent steps as the largest particles (>D84) remained immobile, becoming step features, and downstream soil was easily winnowed away.

The evolution of a colluvial hollow to a fluvial channel with periodic steps following two transformational disturbances: A wildfire and a historic flood

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rengers, Francis K.; McGuire, Luke; Ebel, Brian A.; Tucker, G. E.

2018-01-01

The transition of a colluvial hollow to a fluvial channel with discrete steps was observed after two landscape-scale disturbances. The first disturbance, a high-severity wildfire, changed the catchment hydrology to favor overland flow, which incised a colluvial hollow, creating a channel in the same location. This incised channel became armored with cobbles and boulders following repeated post-wildfire overland flow events. Three years after the fire, a record rainstorm produced regional flooding and generated sufficient fluvial erosion and sorting to produce a fluvial channel with periodically spaced steps. An analysis of the step spacing shows that after the flood, newly formed steps retained a similar spacing to the topographic roughness spacing in the original colluvial hollow (prior to channelization). This suggests that despite a distinct change in channel form roughness and bedform morphology, the endogenous roughness periodicity was conserved. Variations in sediment erodibility helped to create the emergent steps as the largest particles ( >D84) remained immobile, becoming step features, and downstream soil was easily winnowed away.

Climate change, flooding, urbanisation and leptospirosis: fuelling the fire?

PubMed

Lau, Colleen L; Smythe, Lee D; Craig, Scott B; Weinstein, Philip

2010-10-01

Flooding and heavy rainfall have been associated with numerous outbreaks of leptospirosis around the world. With global climate change, extreme weather events such as cyclones and floods are expected to occur with increasing frequency and greater intensity and may potentially result in an upsurge in the disease incidence as well as the magnitude of leptospirosis outbreaks. In this paper, we examine mechanisms by which climate change can affect various ecological factors that are likely to drive an increase in the overall incidence as well as the frequency of outbreaks of leptospirosis. We will discuss the geographical areas that are most likely to be at risk of an increase in leptospirosis disease burden owing to the coexistence of climate change hazard risk, environmental drivers of leptospirosis outbreaks, local socioeconomic circumstances, and social and demographic trends. To reduce this disease burden, enhanced surveillance and further research is required to understand the environmental drivers of infection, to build capacity in emergency response and to promote community adaptation to a changing climate. Copyright © 2010 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Annual Historical Summary Fiscal Year 1982

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-12

for a natural disaster /eaiergency situation. 3 5 Forces Command replaced the Command Evaluation (CE) of Reserve Component Nuclear Capable Units with... disasters or catastrophes occurring within its area. Illustrative of many such public "calls for aid in which Sixth ’IM AM rasponded were t.1e Columbia...34ational Forest. fire and flood disaster in the state of Washington; the damaging4 threatening blazes in the Santa Cruz Mountains and on the Hunter

Lessons from DoD Disaster Relief Efforts in the Asia-Pacific Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Indonesia, Malaysia , Thailand, and Bangladesh, whose militaries have shown a willingness to engage in HA/DR. • Encourage greater contributions from...Forces Command USG U.S. government USMC U.S. Marine Corps USN U.S. Navy USNS U.S. Naval Ship USTRANSCOM U.S. Transportation Command WFP World Food ...natural disaster types, including earthquakes, fires, tsunamis, floods, volcanoes, landslides, and food shortages. Such involvement is only likely

Heavy precipitation and the responses within emergency management - a new approach for emergency planning and disaster prevention by utilizing fire brigade operation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutschker, Thomas; Glade, Thomas

2015-04-01

An increase of intense rainfall events in the center regions of Europe is one of the assumed effects of climate change. Climate scenarios indicate also large seasonal and regional differences concerning the magnitude. Structural damages and financial loss resulting from heavy precipitation depend on natural parameters such as topography and vegetation cover of the specific area, but also on socio-economic parameters such as urbanized and industrialized areas, population density and the presence of critical infrastructure. In particular mudflows and floods cause damages such as flooded basements and streets, undercutting of roads or spilled sewage drains. The emergency management has to consider these effects appropriately. Commonly, this is the responsibilities is taken by the fire brigades and civil protection units. Within their daily routines, numerous data is collected, but commonly not utilized for scientific purposes. In particular fire brigade operation data can be used accordingly to describe the intensity of the aftermath when heavy precipitation strikes a certain area. One application is described in this study based on a example in Offenbach, Germany. The civil protection in Germany is based on a federal system with a bottom-up command-structure and responsibility to the local community. Therefore it is not easy to collect the overall incident data for a widespread affected area. To examine particular local effects of heavy precipitation events it is necessary to match the meteorological data provided by the German Meteorological Service (DWD) with the incident data of all effected fire brigades, which sometimes is impeded by the usual resolution of meteorological data. In this study, a method of comprehensive evaluation of meteorological data and the operation data from local fire brigades has been developed for the Rhine-Main-Area. This area is one of the largest metropolitan regions in Germany with a very high density in population as well as industrial and traffic infrastructure. This new concept might support a sophisticated emergency planning and also better disaster prevention efforts for the authorities. Especially municipal civil protection authorities are liable to prepare new strategies and emergency plans for their particular field of responsibility, regarding their neighbor communities and to cope the "German national adaption strategy to the climate change" as a future goal. Keywords: municipal emergency planning, critical infrastructure, heavy-precipitation

Risk analysis procedure for post-wildfire natural hazards in British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Peter

2010-05-01

Following a severe wildfire season in 2003, and several subsequent damaging debris flow and flood events, the British Columbia Forest Service developed a procedure for analysing risks to public safety and infrastructure from such events. At the same time, the Forest Service undertook a research program to determine the extent of post-wildfire hazards, and examine the hydrologic and geomorphic processes contributing to the hazards. The risk analysis procedure follows the Canadian Standards Association decision-making framework for risk management (which in turn is based on international standards). This has several steps: identification of risk, risk analysis and estimation, evaluation of risk tolerability, developing control or mitigation strategies, and acting on these strategies. The Forest Service procedure deals only with the first two steps. The results are passed on to authorities such as the Provincial Emergency Program and local government, who are responsible for evaluating risks, warning residents, and applying mitigation strategies if appropriate. The objective of the procedure is to identify and analyse risks to public safety and infrastructure. The procedure is loosely based on the BAER (burned area emergency response) program in the USA, with some important differences. Our procedure focuses on identifying risks and warning affected parties, not on mitigation activities such as broadcast erosion control measures. Partly this is due to limited staff and financial resources. Also, our procedure is not multi-agency, but is limited to wildfires on provincial forest land; in British Columbia about 95% of forest land is in the publicly-owned provincial forest. Each fire season, wildfires are screened by size and proximity to values at risk such as populated areas. For selected fires, when the fire is largely contained, the procedure begins with an aerial reconnaissance of the fire, and photography with a hand-held camera, which can be used to make a preliminary map of vegetation burn severity if desired. The next steps include mapping catchment boundaries, field traverses to collect data on soil burn severity and water repellency, identification of unstable hillslopes and channels, and inspection of values at risk from hazards such as debris flows or flooding. BARC (burned area reflectance classification) maps based on satellite imagery are prepared for some fires, although these are typically not available for several weeks. Our objective is to make a preliminary risk analysis report available about two weeks after the fire is contained. If high risks to public safety or infrastructure are identified, the risk analysis reports may make recommendations for mitigation measures to be considered; however, acting on these recommendations is the responsibility of local land managers, local government, or landowners. Mitigation measures for some fires have included engineering treatments to reduce the hydrologic impact of logging roads, protective structures such as dykes or berms, and straw mulching to reduce runoff and erosion on severely burned areas. The Terrace Mountain Fire, with burned 9000 hectares in the Okanagan Valley in 2009, is used as an example of the application of the procedure.

How useful are Swiss flood insurance data for flood vulnerability assessments?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Röthlisberger, Veronika; Bernet, Daniel; Zischg, Andreas; Keiler, Margreth

2015-04-01

The databases of Swiss flood insurance companies build a valuable but to date rarely used source of information on physical flood vulnerability. Detailed insights into the Swiss flood insurance system are crucial for using the full potential of the different databases for research on flood vulnerability. Insurance against floods in Switzerland is a federal system, the modalities are manly regulated on cantonal level. However there are some common principles that apply throughout Switzerland. First of all coverage against floods (and other particular natural hazards) is an integral part of every fire insurance policy for buildings or contents. This coupling of insurance as well as the statutory obligation to insure buildings in most of the cantons and movables in some of the cantons lead to a very high penetration. Second, in case of damage, the reinstatement costs (value as new) are compensated and third there are no (or little) deductible and co-pay. High penetration and the fact that the compensations represent a large share of the direct, tangible losses of the individual policy holders make the databases of the flood insurance companies a comprehensive and therefore valuable data source for flood vulnerability research. Insurance companies not only store electronically data about losses (typically date, amount of claims payment, cause of damage, identity of the insured object or policyholder) but also about insured objects. For insured objects the (insured) value and the details on the policy and its holder are the main feature to record. On buildings the insurance companies usually computerize additional information such as location, volume, year of construction or purpose of use. For the 19 (of total 26) cantons with a cantonal monopoly insurer the data of these insurance establishments have the additional value to represent (almost) the entire building stock of the respective canton. Spatial referenced insurance data can be used for many aspects of vulnerability and resilience assessments. For instance, the collation of insurance loss data with event documentations containing information on flood intensity allows to develop damage curves. Flood damage curves are fundamental for many risk analysis methodologies but to date only few are published and the spatial and temporal scope of their applicability is subject of discussion. Another possibility of using insurance data lies in the field of assessment exposure, where the analysis of comprehensive insurance portfolio data can improve the understanding of the physical but also the socio-economical vulnerability of a society. The poster spotlights key opportunities and challenges scientists are facing when using insurance data for flood vulnerability assessments.

Analysis of postfire hydrology, water quality, and sediment transport for selected streams in areas of the 2002 Hayman and Hinman fires, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Michael R.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a 5-year study in 2003 that focused on postfire stream-water quality and postfire sediment load in streams within the Hayman and Hinman fire study areas. This report compares water quality of selected streams receiving runoff from unburned areas and burned areas using concentrations and loads, and trend analysis, from seasonal data (approximately April–November) collected 2003–2007 at the Hayman fire study area, and data collected from 1999–2000 (prefire) and 2003 (postfire) at the Hinman fire study area. The water-quality data collected during this study include onsite measurements of streamflow, specific conductance, and turbidity, laboratory-determined pH, and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, organic carbon, trace elements, and suspended sediment. Postfire floods and effects on water quality of streams, lakes and reservoirs, drinking-water treatment, and the comparison of measured concentrations to applicable water quality standards also are discussed. Exceedances of Colorado water-quality standards in streams of both the Hayman and Hinman fire study areas only occurred for concentrations of five trace elements (not all trace-element exceedances occurred in every stream). Selected samples analyzed for total recoverable arsenic (fixed), dissolved copper (acute and chronic), total recoverable iron (chronic), dissolved manganese (acute, chronic, and fixed) and total recoverable mercury (chronic) exceeded Colorado aquatic-life standards.

Modern Approaches to Wildfire Mitigation by Air and by Ground: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffin, J.; Lindquist, E.; Pierce, J. L.; Wuerzer, T.; Lawless, B.; McCoy, J.

2013-12-01

In 2012, 1.7 million acres of land burned in Idaho--more than any other state. Boise, Idaho, is situated at the base of the Boise Foothills; this physiographic setting places the area at risk of not only fires along on the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), but also at risk for post-fire floods and debris flows in the lower lying neighborhoods adjacent to steep hillslopes. In 1959 and 1994, fires and post-fire debris flows devastated areas of the foothills, and inundated residences with water and mud. Anthropogenically-induced climate change is projected to increased summer temperatures and decrease summer precipitation; the associated increase in fire risk necessitates enhanced wildfire planning in Boise's WUI. Temporal uncertainty with varying weather and vegetation conditions poses problems in defining wildfire risk and requires new methods to address the WUI challenges. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) could identify and characterize fire hazards to be mapped and used as a management tool. This technology would allow for repeat flights to update risk analysis as the hazards change both annually and multiple times within each fire season. With aerial photography obtained from flights, Structure from Motion software can be used to compile the images and render a 3D model to help quantify biomass. Aerial photographs would also allow for the ability to track seasonal changes in fire risk from vegetation height and inferred moisture content. Boise State University's departments of Geoscience, Community and Regional Planning, and the Public Policy Center are examining the risks and impacts of fire along the Boise WUI. The research integrates the perspectives of the geosciences and social sciences by combining physically-based fire hazards, effective fire management policies, and urban/regional planning in the WUI to provide better spatially-appropriate data and resources to the community and a common reference to assist in unifying the local efforts for fire mitigation. This presentation will introduce findings from a homeowner's survey of potentially at-risk residents regarding their perceptions of risk and uncertainty and their receptiveness to local mitigation, adaptation policies, and alternatives.

Geomorphic Implications of Fire and Slope Aspect in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitch, E. P.; Meyer, G. A.

2011-12-01

Following a fire, extensive erosion may occur on hillslopes due to reduced infiltration and increased runoff as well as a decrease in vegetative anchoring and surface roughness. This increased erosion and subsequent sedimentation on alluvial fans at the base of the hillslope may be the primary process of geomorphic change in fire-prone mountains in the Western US. Insolation differences on north and south facing slopes may also be another potential influence on geomorphic change due to soil moisture and vegetation differences, which may affect the spatial distribution of erosion as well as sediment transport processes. Due to the long recovery period of forest stands in fire-prone areas, it is important to understand the natural variability of erosion for the purposes of forest and river ecology and management as well as mass movement-flooding hazard. The 2002 Lakes Fire area in the Jemez Mountains, NM, provides a natural study area with incision of alluvial fans after the Lakes Fire exposing the internal structure of these fans. The study area displays steeper, drier ponderosa pine dominated south-facing slopes and less steep, moister Douglas-fir dominated north-facing slopes, which suggests that slope aspect may influence fire regime and post-fire erosion in the Jemez Mountains. In order to determine the importance of fire and aspect on erosion and sedimentation, over 15 sections within alluvial fans with both north and south aspect were studied. Debris flow, hyperconcentrated flow and stream flow make up the majority of sediment transport processes in this area. Therefore, deposits formed by these processes were described, and evidence for fire-related sedimentation was assessed. Additionally, the relative importance of sediment transport types in relation to north versus south slope aspects was examined. Finally, charcoal fragments within deposits from north and south aspects were analyzed in terms of their abundance and angularity in order to aid in estimating the severity of the fire event associated with the deposit. In this way, the importance of fire and aspect in influencing erosion and sediment transport was assessed for the study area.

USSR Report, Political and Sociological Affairs, No. 1469.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-25

publish reports about floods and airplane crashes, fires, and robberies. They call all this " general interest" news. But it seems to us that what we are...contacts, the Americans, in my view, have some idea, albeit in general features, of the Soviet proposals. And those proposals are finding a...document. It reflects the general mood of Americans. [Answer] D. Lindner: On the other hand, the impression is being formed that people in the Soviet

Cultural Resource Inventory of Lands in and Adjacent to the City of Rochester, Minnesota Flood Control Project on the South Fork Zumbro River,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-14

the area directly east of present- day Rochester contained fire-maintained oak openings and barrens . This area consisted of oak groves or single trees...Archaeological Survey of Lands Adjacent to the Pine River Reservoir; University of Minnesota and St. Paul District Corps of Engineers; Archaeological Field...Archaeological Field Services, Inc.; Principal Investigator. 1980 An Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of the Harrison Hills Project, Plymouth , Hennepin

Evaluation of Modern Navies’ Damage Control and Firefighting Training using Simulator Platforms

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

Figure 18 below is a two-story concrete structure including holes in bulkheads, ruptured pipelines, and almost all situations that can cause flooding...the four simulators address Class A, B, and C fires. The first one—the “Basic Firefighting Trainer”—is a single-story concrete structure with four...Figure 19—is a three-story concrete structure that houses berthing facilities, engine rooms, storage compartments and electrical and engine room mock

Flood Plain Information Bushkill Creek, Vicinity of Easton, Pennsylvania.

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-01-01

is a cement plant and numerous railroad sidings in the Borough of Stockertown. Further down- stream, in the Borough of Tatamy , development includes...several production and storage facirities and the local fire department. Below Tatamy , development again consists of scat- tered residential and...23,000 Bridge Bushkill St. Bridge 7.1 7,200 17,000 ( Tatamy , Pa.) Lehigh Valley R.R. 8.2 7,200 17,000 Bridge (Stockertown, Pa.) 8th Street Bridge 8.5

Risk perception, experience, and objective risk: a cross-national study with European emergency survivors.

PubMed

Knuth, Daniela; Kehl, Doris; Hulse, Lynn; Schmidt, Silke

2014-07-01

Understanding public risk perceptions and their underlying processes is important in order to learn more about the way people interpret and respond to hazardous emergency events. Direct experience with an involuntary hazard has been found to heighten the perceived risk of experiencing the same hazard and its consequences in the future, but it remains unclear if cross-over effects are possible (i.e., experience with one hazard influencing perceived risk for other hazards also). Furthermore, the impact of objective risk and country of residence on perceived risk is not well understood. As part of the BeSeCu (Behavior, Security, and Culture) Project, a sample of 1,045 survivors of emergencies from seven European countries (i.e., Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, and Italy) was drawn. Results revealed heightened perceived risk for emergency events (i.e., domestic and public fires, earthquakes, floods, and terrorist attacks) when the event had been experienced previously plus some evidence of cross-over effects, although these effects were not so strong. The largest country differences in perceived risk were observed for earthquakes, but this effect was significantly reduced by taking into account the objective earthquake risk. For fires, floods, terrorist attacks, and traffic accidents, only small country differences in perceived risk were found. Further studies including a larger number of countries are welcomed. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

RAPID Assessment of Extreme Reservoir Sedimentation Resulting from the September 2013 Flood, North St. Vrain Creek, CO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathburn, S. L.; McElroy, B. J.; Wohl, E.; Sutfin, N. A.; Huson, K.

2014-12-01

During mid-September 2013, approximately 360 mm of precipitation fell in the headwaters of the North St. Vrain drainage basin, Front Range, CO. Debris flows on steep hillslopes and extensive flooding along North St. Vrain Creek resulted in extreme sedimentation within Ralph Price Reservoir, municipal water supply for the City of Longmont. The event allows comparison of historical sedimentation with that of an unusually large flood because 1) no reservoir flushing has been conducted since dam construction, 2) reservoir stratigraphy chronicles uninterrupted delta deposition, and 3) this is the only on-channel reservoir with unimpeded, natural sediment flux from the Continental Divide to the mountain front in a basin with no significant historic flow modifications and land use impacts. Assessing the flood-related sedimentation prior to any dredging activities included coring the reservoir delta, a bathymetric survey of the delta, resistivity and ground penetrating radar surveys of the subaerial inlet deposit, and surveying tributary deposits. Over the 44-year life of the reservoir, two-thirds of the delta sedimentation is attributed to extreme discharges from the September 2013 storm. Total storm-derived reservoir sedimentation is approximately 275,000 m3, with 81% of that within the gravel-dominated inlet and 17% in the delta. Volumes of deposition within reservoir tributary inlets is negatively correlated with contributing area, possibly due to a lack of storage in these small basins (1-5 km2). Flood-related reservoir sedimentation will be compared to other research quantifying volumes from slope failures evident on post-storm lidar. Analysis of delta core samples will quantify organic carbon flux associated with the extreme discharge and develop a chronology of flood and fire disturbances for North St. Vrain basin. Applications of similar techniques are planned for two older Front Range reservoirs affected by the September flooding to fill knowledge gaps about event-based sedimentation and to expand these rates to annual and decadal scales.

Predicting watershed sediment yields after wildland fire with the InVEST sediment retention model at large geographic extent in the western USA: accuracy and uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankey, J. B.; Kreitler, J.; McVay, J.; Hawbaker, T. J.; Vaillant, N.; Lowe, S. E.

2014-12-01

Wildland fire is a primary threat to watersheds that can impact water supply through increased sedimentation, water quality decline, and change the timing and amount of runoff leading to increased risk from flood and sediment natural hazards. It is of great societal importance in the western USA and throughout the world to improve understanding of how changing fire frequency, extent, and location, in conjunction with fuel treatments will affect watersheds and the ecosystem services they supply to communities. In this work we assess the utility of the InVEST Sediment Retention Model to accurately characterize vulnerability of burned watersheds to erosion and sedimentation. The InVEST tools are GIS-based implementations of common process models, engineered for high-end computing to allow the faster simulation of larger landscapes and incorporation into decision-making. The InVEST Sediment Retention Model is based on common soil erosion models (e.g., RUSLE -Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) and determines which areas of the landscape contribute the greatest sediment loads to a hydrological network and conversely evaluate the ecosystem service of sediment retention on a watershed basis. We evaluate the accuracy and uncertainties for InVEST predictions of increased sedimentation after fire, using measured post-fire sedimentation rates available for many watersheds in different rainfall regimes throughout the western USA from an existing, large USGS database of post-fire sediment yield [synthesized in Moody J, Martin D (2009) Synthesis of sediment yields after wildland fire in different rainfall regimes in the western United States. International Journal of Wildland Fire 18: 96-115]. The ultimate goal of this work is to calibrate and implement the model to accurately predict variability in post-fire sediment yield as a function of future landscape heterogeneity predicted by wildfire simulations, and future landscape fuel treatment scenarios, within watersheds.

Post-fire, rainfall intensity-peak discharge relations for three mountainous watersheds in the Western USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, J.A.; Martin, D.A.

2001-01-01

Wildfire alters the hydrologic response of watersheds, including the peak discharges resulting from subsequent rainfall. Improving predictions of the magnitude of flooding that follows wildfire is needed because of the increase in human population at risk in the wildland-urban interface. Because this wildland-urban interface is typically in mountainous terrain, we investigated rainfall-runoff relations by measuring the maximum 30 min rainfall intensity and the unit-area peak discharge (peak discharge divided by the area burned) in three mountainous watersheds (17-26.8 km2) after a wildfire. We found rainfall-runoff relations that relate the unit-area peak discharges to the maximum 30 min rainfall intensities by a power law. These rainfall-runoff relations appear to have a threshold value for the maximum 30 min rainfall intensity (around 10 mm h-1) such that, above this threshold, the magnitude of the flood peaks increases more rapidly with increases in intensity. This rainfall intensity could be used to set threshold limits in rain gauges that are part of an early-warning flood system after wildfire. The maximum unit-area peak discharges from these three burned watersheds ranged from 3.2 to 50 m3 s-1 km-2. These values could provide initial estimates of the upper limits of runoff that can be used to predict floods after wildfires in mountainous terrain. Published in 2001 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Predicting hydrological and erosional risks in fire-affected watersheds: recent advances and research gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunes, João Pedro; Keizer, Jan Jacob

2017-04-01

Models can be invaluable tools to assess and manage the impacts of forest fires on hydrological and erosion processes. Immediately after fires, models can be used to identify priority areas for post-fire interventions or assess the risks of flooding and downstream contamination. In the long term, models can be used to evaluate the long-term implications of a fire regime for soil protection, surface water quality and potential management risks, or determine how changes to fire regimes, caused e.g. by climate change, can impact soil and water quality. However, several challenges make post-fire modelling particularly difficult: • Fires change vegetation cover and properties, such as by changing soil water repellency or by adding an ash layer over the soil; these processes, however are not described in currently used models, so that existing models need to be modified and tested. • Vegetation and soils recover with time since fire, changing important model parameters, so that the recovery processes themselves also need to be simulated, including the role of post-fire interventions. • During the window of vegetation and soil disturbance, particular weather conditions, such as the occurrence of severe droughts or extreme rainfall events, can have a large impact on the amount of runoff and erosion produced in burnt areas, so that models that smooth out these peak responses and rather simulate "long-term" average processes are less useful. • While existing models can simulate reasonable well slope-scale runoff generation and associated sediment losses and their catchment-scale routing, few models can accommodate the role of the ash layer or its transport by overland flow, in spite of its importance for soil fertility losses and downstream contamination. This presentation will provide an overview of the importance of post-fire hydrological and erosion modelling as well as of the challenges it faces and of recent efforts made to overcome these challenges. It will illustrate these challenges with two examples: probabilistic approaches to simulate the impact of different vegetation regrowth and post-fire climate combinations on runoff and erosion; and model developments for post-fire soil water repellency with different levels of complexity. It will also present an inventory of the current state-of-the-art and propose future research directions, both on post-fire models themselves and on their integration with other models in large-scale water resource assessment management.

Can post-wildfire Burned Area Emergency Response treatments mitigate watershed degradation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neary, D.; Ffolliott, P.; Bautista, S.; Wittenberg, L.

2009-04-01

Wildfire is a natural phenomenon that began with the development of terrestrial vegetation in a lightning-filled atmosphere 350 million years ago. As human populations developed in the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, mankind transformed fire into one of its oldest tools. A negative impact of prime concern in the 21st Century is desertification. This term refers to land degradation, not the immediate creation of classical deserts. It is about the loss of the land's proper hydrologic function and biological productivity as a result of human activities and climate change. It affects 33% of the earth's surface and over a billion people. Fire-related desertification has a number of environmental, social, and economic consequences. The two key environmental consequences are soil erosion and exotic plant invasions. Wildfires typically have exotic plant species abundances ten times that of undisturbed forests (Neary et al. 2003). Seeding has been used for many years in the USA as a prime Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) treatment. Until recently, this seeding contributed to exotic plant invasions since fast-growing, but non native plants seeds were used. The use of native plant seeds and sterile hybrids has reduced this problem somewhat. Erosion after wildfires documented in the USA can be in the range of <1 to 370 Mg/ha, depending on fire severity, degree of water repellency, slope, and post-fire rainfall events. Soil losses in the high end of that range definitely exceed soil loss tolerances and contribute to desertification. Soil disturbance and degradation after wildfires is a function of fire severity, and the impacts can range from the minimal to catastrophic and long-lasting. The most obvious impact is the loss of organic matter from combustion of the forest floor. Changes in soil physical and chemical properties with high-severity wildfire can produce water repellency, aggravating rainfall runoff and erosion. Since soils take long times to form (50 to 75,000 years), degradation as a result of wildfire-related erosion or soil property changes can result in severe and rapid desertification. Soil degradation is a "one-way street" not easily reversed. Although trees can be replanted on burned sites, soil lost in erosion is rarely replaced, just rehabilitated. There are techniques to rehabilitate these degraded soils but they are quite expensive. Disruptions to soil micro-fauna and micro-flora can also reduce post-fire site vegetation productivity. An environmental consequence of wildfire related to soil disturbance, is the loss of hydrologic function. Again, the level of hydrologic function loss is related to fire severity. Although this ecosystem function tends to recover within 5 - 10 years after wildfire as vegetation cover returns, the immediate impacts can be considerable. The removal of the protective layer of the forest floor by combustion, and the development of water repellent layers in the soil combine to aggrevate flood potentials. Flood peak flows after wildfires with high percentages of high severity wildfire (>30%) commonly have increases of 10-fold. Higher increases (20 to 2,000 fold) have been measured as the percentage of high-severity soil damage approaches 100%. The other side of high flood runoff is the reduction in baseflow that sustains stream flow due to the reduction in rainfall infiltration. This has water supply implications for forested watersheds that are sources for municipal water supplies. In addition, post-wildfire ash slurry flows can substantially degrade the quality of municipal water sources. Although this phenomenon is relatively short lived (<2 years), it can have serious supply impacts. This paper examines the capabilities of BAER treatments in dealing with this problem.

High-Resolution Spatially Gridded Biomass Burning Emissions Inventory In Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadrevu, K. P.; Lau, W. K.; da Silva, A.; Justice, C. O.

2012-12-01

Biomass burning is long recognized an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CO2, CO, CH4, H2, CH3Cl, NO, HCN, CH3CN, COS, etc) and aerosols. In the Asian region, the current estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and aerosols from biomass burning are severely constrained by the lack of reliable statistics on fire distribution and frequency, and the lack of accurate estimates of area burned, fuel load, etc. As a part of NASA funded interdisciplinary research project entitled "Effects of biomass burning on water cycle and climate in the monsoon Asia", we initially developed a high resolution spatially gridded emissions inventory from the biomass burning for Indo-Ganges region and then extended the inventory to the entire Asia. Active fires from MODIS as well as high resolution LANDSAT data have been used to fine-tune the MODIS burnt area products for estimating the emissions. Locally based emission factors were used to refine the gaseous emissions. The resulting emissions data has been gridded at 5-minute intervals. We also compared our emission estimates with the other emission products such as Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS), Quick fire emissions database (QFED) and Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED). Our results revealed significant vegetation fires from Myanmar, India, Indonesia, China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. These seven countries accounted for 92.4% of all vegetation fires in the Asian region. Satellite-based vegetation fire analysis showed the highest fire occurrence in the closed to open shrub land category, (19%) followed by closed to open, broadleaved evergreen-semi deciduous forest (16%), rain fed croplands (17%), post flooded or irrigated croplands (12%), mosaic cropland vegetation (11%), mosaic vegetation/cropland (10%). Emission contribution from agricultural fires was significant, however, showed discrepancies due to low confidence in burnt areas and lack of crop specific emission factors. Further, our results suggest that FRP products underestimate emissions from agriculture fires compared to burnt area products. Details on uncertainties in emission estimates from biomass burning in Asia will also be presented.

40-years of fires in a touristic area from South of Spain.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Murillo, Juan F.; Aranda-Gómez, Francisco; Damián Ruiz-Sinoga, José

2014-05-01

Costa del Sol in the Province of Malaga is one of the major touristic region in Spain. Its develop started in the 1960s of the XXth century at the same time as other regions in Mediterranean Europe. Since then, this area has become a holiday touristic centre for different countries and regions from Europe (United Kingdom, Escandinavia, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, etc.). Likewise, Costa del Sol has been characterised by a constant grow of the residence tourism rendering in an extreme increment of urban areas, especially in those municipalities located in the coast. This expansión of urban áreas was carried out against rural and natural vegetated areas. The region is characterised by very montanious topography, predominant impermeable rocks (shales, schists and peridotites) and abundant rainfalls from October to May, especially, in the western area (where a climatic gradient is observed from humid to dry conditions). All of these features, joined a very spread and intense occupation by urban, infrastructures and touristic land uses, renders in a very high vulnerability to fires and their consequences. As fire removes vegetation cover and accelerate water erosion, local relief and climatic conditions induce to extreme high risk of soil loss and floodings. During the last 40 years, in the study area, the number of fires increased as weell as the affected area, following the similar trend for the rest of Spain and other Mediterranean countries. This situation increases the exposition to fire risk for more than one-million of people, which become at least two-millions during the summer months when fire conditions are expected.