ISSUE 9
APRIL
Brought to you by
2021
FEBRU ARY 7 & 8 2 0 2 2 / M IA M I BE A CH C O N V EN T I O N C EN T ER
Welcome to the April 2021 Edition of The Lookout Post! We have tons of informative content for all those following the current state of affairs in natural disaster management and emergency response. We aim for the continual distribution of this newsletter to help inform professionals in the industry about the latest happenings and innovations that are transforming how communities prepare and respond to natural disasters. Check out what’s been coming over the horizon since our last edition!
ISSUE 9 / April 2021
SITUATION OF THE MONTH
Mauna Loa, World’s Largest Active Volcano, Struck By 34 Earthquakes
All 34 of the earthquakes were small and
volcanic hazards that affect your community
there is no threat of a tsunami, however, the
and developing a natural hazards emergency
frequency of earthquakes hitting the area
plan with your family are significant steps that
in recent months is what experts cite as the
will help keep residents safe. Further information
cause for concern. Hawaii’s Big Island has
on what to expect during the eventual Mauna
experienced over 744 earthquakes of at least
Loa eruption can be found on the USGS
1.5 magnitude within the last 30 days.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website.
volcano having erupted 33 times since its
While the eruption of Mauna Loa is not an
See Full Article
discovery in 1843. Now, after being hit by
imminent threat, its gradual awakening has
34 small earthquakes on Sunday, April 11th,
experts urging residents to revisit their personal
experts are warning that another eruption
evacuation and emergency plans. The US
could be possible in the near future.
Geological Survey notes that learning about the
With a summit 55,700 feet above its base and covering about half of the island of Hawaii, Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active
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ISSUE 9 / April 2021
Sonoma County Selects Alchera for AI-Based Wildfire Detection Company’s visual AI technology able provide early warning and alerts of wildfire events SEOUL, Korea—March 18, 2021—Korea’s leading visual recognition AI firm, Alchera Inc.
(Kosdaq:347860), today announced that it has been
In October of 2017, a series of destructive wildfires
formally selected by California’s Sonoma County to provide
blazed through Northern California, including the Tubbs
early warning alerts of pending wildfire events. Alchera
fire which burned 36,807 acres from Eastern Napa
will offer consulting services to develop and deliver
County to Santa Rosa, in which Sonoma County lost 6,000
products utilizing state-of-the-art fire detection technologies
structures and 21 lives. Sonoma County opened RFP to
based on machine learning with Artificial Intelligence
the public primarily in response to this event, as the fire
(AI). The firm’s visual anomaly detection solution can
was not detected until it was already too late. In January
detect the start of a wildfire from a simple video.
2021, Sonoma Country officially selected Alchera as the
Notably, Alchera’s solution is the world’s first commercialized Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering for wildfire detection.
contract winner after reviewing the submitted proposals. See Full Article
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ISSUE 9 / April 2021
SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY “SPACE HURRICANE” ABOVE EARTH A team of international scientists have identified
The phenomenon occurred in 2014, documented
what they have named a “Space Hurricane” in
by US Defense Meteorological Satellites, but it
Earth’s atmosphere for the first time. Recorded
was only this year that research and analysis
above the North Pole, this so-called Space
revealed its nature. National Geographic
Hurricane manifested similar to the auroral lights
explained it as “an unusual aurora that appeared
several hundred kilometers up, complete with
in 2014 over the North Pole had a calm center, or
electric precipitation. Hurricanes on Earth form
“eye,” with strong “winds” of plasma - electrically
when warm air rises above the ocean leaving
excited gas - zipping around it in a vortex-like
a low-pressure area below where other warm
manner. Lasting for around eight hours, it was
air swirls in to take its place. Instead of air, the
more than 620 miles across and stretched from its
Space Hurricane consists of swirling plasma.
base 60 miles above sea level to 500 miles high.” See Full Article
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ISSUE 9 / April 2021
Innovative Tech of The Month Room Alert by AVTECH: Proactive Environment Monitoring You never know when environmental issues will cause unexpected downtime for your organization. High heat in your data center or server room due to a broken HVAC, causing irreparable hard drive crashes and data loss… water leaks in your warehouse due to extreme weather or construction accidents… high humidity and heat index causing fatigue and illness in your employees… all factors you may not be monitoring that can cause disaster. Organizations constantly monitor their networks and data to prevent downtime and data loss… but how many monitor their environment for the same reasons? Proactive environment monitoring should be a part of every organization’s business continuity plan. Nearly 30% of all downtime episodes are caused by environmental factors, and many of those episodes can be prevented by installing Room Alert monitors and sensors in your facilities. See Full Article
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ISSUE 9 / April 2021
MEET THE HEROES
Check out this edition’s highlights for the heroes of The Lookout Post! These proud people and organizations are at the forefront of providing crucial industry advancements for disaster professionals.
Meet the Speaker: Robert Molleda - National Weather Service We are excited to announce that Robert Molleda, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Forecast
Hurricane Andrew in 1992 to Hurricane Irma
Office in Miami, will be speaking at the Flood
in 2017 along with every tropical cyclone in
Expo next year! The National Weather Service
between, Molleda has encountered with a well-
is an agency of the United States government
rounded skill set. Prior to his current position, he
tasked with providing critical information
spent nearly a decade working as a Hurricane
such as hazardous weather warnings and
Support Meteorologist and marine forecaster at
weather forecasts to the general public.
the National Hurricane Center. His knowledge
Molleda has worked extensively for the National Weather Service since 1991 and primarily has spent his career based in South Florida. From
and experience within the natural disaster industry has led Molleda throughout his career. See Full Article
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ISSUE 9 / April 2021
MEET THE HEROES Katie Yeutter: President - Florida Chamber Safety Council A true safety champion, Katie Yeutter serves as President of the Florida Chamber Safety Council, a first of its kind organization serving as the Florida chapter of the National Safety Council and a resource for fostering safety, health and sustainability among Florida businesses. Katie was instrumental in developing the Safety Council Advisory Board, bringing together top safety professionals from companies such as Disney, Coca-Cola, Ryder, FP&L, Florida Blue, Advent Health and more, creating a statewide culture prioritizing on-the-job-safety. As part of the vision for the Safety Council, Katie is managing a comprehensive study of Florida’s current safety status, spearheading safety training programs, and launching the Southeastern Leadership Conference on Safety, Health + Sustainability. Katie’s Keynote session “Resiliency: The Person, The Company, The Environment”, at The Natural Disaster Expo is a can’t miss opportunity for all natural disaster experts!
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ISSUE 9 / April 2021
MEET THE HEROES Robert McSwain: Aerospace Engineer - NASA Robert serves as the Co-Principal Investigator
technical work in support of an integrated
for the Scalable Traffic Management for
Nano-ElectroFuel (NEF) flow battery and a Rim
Emergency Response Operations (STEReO)
Driven Motor (RDM)/Rim Driven Fan (RDF);
project. This project is a part of the Convergent
Design and development of an experimental
Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) project within the
VTOL Uninhabited Aerial System (UAS) testbed
NASA Aeronautics Research Missions Directorate
designated Langley Aerodrome 8 (LA-8);
(ARMD) Transformative Aeronautics Concepts
Managing and executing performance flight
Program (TACP). Working out of NASA Langley
testing of the NASA 50% Scale Greased Lightning
Research Center (LaRC) he supports the multi-
(GL-10) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAS).
center STEReO project by interfacing with Ames Research Center (ARC) and Glenn Research Center (GRC) to coordinate LaRC project tasks, schedules and resources. Prior NASA work includes: Managing and coordinating LaRC
Robert’s Keynote session “Exploring Opportunities Between Autonomy Research and Emergency Response Operations” is a fantastic opportunity to hear from one of the brains behind the leading agency in aeronautics and space research.
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ISSUE 9 / April 2021
PARTNER SHOUTOUT Our Partners to The Natural Disaster Expo, the organizations leading the way for stronger communities against natural disasters and for a more sustainable future.
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Looking to be included in an upcoming edition of The Lookout Post? Contact Eddy Lawrance at Eddy.Lawrance@prysmgroup.co.uk for more information. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE!