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Context:Many people living in the 5 inhabited US territories experience high rates of natural hazard exposure and social vulnerability to disaster impacts. Public health workforce development and evidence-based, culturally competent approaches to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery are needed in these regions. Program:In 2020, the Natural Hazards Center established thePublic Health Disaster Research Award Programwith funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The program’s goal is to advance public health disaster research and practice by funding, training, mentoring, and connecting researchers, students, and practitioners in historically underserved areas with high natural hazard risk. Between 2020 and 2022, 26 research teams received up to $50 000 each to investigate public health disasters in 1 or more US territories. The program also supported awardees by providing individual consultations, online trainings, feedback on report drafts, and a virtual group workshop on the public health implications of research. Awardees authored final reports and presented at a public webinar. Evaluation:In 2023, the Natural Hazards Center developed and distributed an online survey to all principal investigators. The survey evaluated how awardees advanced knowledge about public health disasters in the US territories; what skills, resources, and connections they acquired; and how they translated their research into public health applications and otherwise disseminated their findings. Discussion:Our evaluation showed that the program is advancing knowledge of understudied hazard contexts and socially vulnerable populations in the US territories and supports awardees in sharing their findings with academics, policymakers, and practitioners. Moreover, it expanded the public health disaster workforce by bringing professionals from a diverse range of disciplines and institutions into the field, and by investing in students, early career scholars, and investigators based in US territories. Researchers are working with local partners to apply their findings to practice. 

Abstract U.S. states, territories, and tribal areas develop State Hazard Mitigation Plans (SHMPs) to reduce the impact of disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approves SHMPs every five years as required for states to receive disaster relief grants and mitigation project funding. In 2023, FEMA’s updated policy guidance for SHMPs took effect, recommending more robust use of social vulnerability as an assessment of equity in multi-hazard risk assessments. Such approaches are necessary because social vulnerability emerges from systemic inequities that result in marginalized populations facing disproportionate exposure and impacts from natural hazards. We developed two novel datasets on the different population groups, definitions, and measures of social vulnerability included in SHMPs for all 50 U.S. states and the 5 inhabited U.S. territories. Our analysis shows that states differ in terms of how (and if) social vulnerability is defined and measured. All plans include at least one vulnerable population in their guidance – most often the elderly, children, or people with disabilities. Inclusion of other populations such as immigrants, LGBTQIA + persons, or unhoused persons is much more varied. The study concludes with recommendations for how SHMPs can advance equitable and inclusive planning processes that center robust definitions and measures of social vulnerability and socially vulnerable populations. 

Abstract What is interdisciplinary research? Why is it vital to the advancement of the field of hazards and disaster research? What theory, methods, and approaches are fundamental to interdisciplinary research projects and their applications? This article addresses these and other pressing questions by taking stock of recent advancements in interdisciplinary studies of hazards and disasters. It also introduces the special issue ofRisk Analysis, which includes this introductory article and 25 original perspectives papers meant to highlight new trends and applications in the field. The papers were written following two National Science Foundation‐supported workshops that were organized in response to the growing interest in interdisciplinary hazards and disaster research, the increasing number of interdisciplinary funding opportunities and collaborations in the field, and the need for more rigorous guidance for interdisciplinary researchers and research teams. This introductory article and the special collection are organized around the cross‐cutting themes of theory, methods, approaches, interdisciplinary research projects, and applications to advance interdisciplinarity in hazards and disaster research. 

There is growing recognition of the importance of reciprocity between researchers and those involved in or affected by research, especially in sensitive field contexts such as disaster settings. Minimal applied guidance exists for researchers about how to practice reciprocity, however, resulting in several questions that have yet to be explored: What are the key considerations for practicing reciprocity in research? What potential unintended consequences should researchers be aware of when engaging in reciprocity? What practical strategies can help prepare researchers to engage in reciprocity and address challenges as they arise? Based on a systematic literature review—reflecting the shift of recent conceptions of reciprocity from transactional to more relational approaches—we offer a new, unifying definition of reciprocity as “an ongoing practice of critical reflection, relationship building, and exchange in which researchers are obligated to strive to produce mutual benefits for the people involved in or affected by the research process.” To motivate the practice of reciprocity, we highlight three key benefits: cultivating trust, addressing power imbalances, and improving research relevance. Additionally, through qualitative analysis of 53 research reports, we develop a typology of reciprocity in hazards and disaster research that clarifies six specific forms reciprocity can take, including: (1) centering participants and communities; (2) being empathetic and mindful of participant diversity; (3) sharing research results; (4) improving research and research team processes; (5) supporting learning, career development, or institutions; and (6) offering compensation. Finally, we outline potential challenges to practicing reciprocity and conclude with practical strategies for enhanced ethical grounding and effectiveness. 

The U.S. Geological Survey-managed ShakeAlert® earthquake early warning system is the first public alerting system in the United States to provide rapid mass notification when an earthquake is detected. Although public alert delivery via mobile phones began in California in 2019 followed by Oregon and Washington in 2021, little is known about what might drive widespread implementation in at-risk institutional settings such as schools. For example, there has been limited research on how to best integrate earthquake early warning into existing emergency plans, alert systems, and drills to keep school children and personnel safe in an earthquake. To address this gap, in the spring of 2022, every school district superintendent in Alaska, California, Oregon, and Washington was sent a 15-min online survey. The survey assessed superintendent knowledge of ShakeAlert, preferences for alert messaging, and perceived opportunities and barriers to incorporating the system in schools. The results showed that superintendents had low awareness of ShakeAlert but held positive perceptions of the system's potential to enable life-saving protective actions. A major barrier to adoption included the perceived financial cost of implementing and maintaining the system. There were some statistically significant differences in state responses, and future research could investigate the specific needs of each state based on school district size and composition, hazard exposure, and earthquake experience. Together these findings can help inform targeted strategies to increase ShakeAlert adoption in schools and ultimately improve the safety of school children and staff during earthquakes. 

U.S. state, territorial, and tribal government officials develop State Hazard Mitigation Plans (SHMPs) to assist in reducing the risk of disaster impacts on people, physical infrastructure, and the natural environment. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approves SHMPs every five years as a requirement to be eligible to receive funding for FEMA disaster relief grants and disaster mitigation projects. As of April 2023, updated FEMA policy guidance for SHMPs is in effect that calls for greater community engagement in the planning process and stipulates that plans consider equity and climate change. In response to these changes, this project takes the position that more robust conceptualizations of socially vulnerable populations and inclusive use of social vulnerability data can help states in the development of multi-hazard risk assessments. Social vulnerability emerges from systemic inequities, resulting in populations facing disproportionate impacts in disasters. It is a helpful framework for identifying underserved and marginalized populations. Given the crucial importance of considering social vulnerability in mitigation planning, our research team developed two novel datasets with descriptive data of the populations, definitions, and different measures of social vulnerability included in SHMPs for all 50 states and 5 inhabited U.S. territories. Specifically, this project includes two datasets: (1) a quantitative dataset where mentions of socially vulnerable populations and concepts are marked with a binary indicator of inclusion or exclusion in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan and (2) a qualitative dataset that contains quotes and locations of populations and concepts throughout each SHMP. The corresponding mission for each dataset includes: (1) the State Hazard Mitigation Plan dataset; (2) a data dictionary with description of each variable output; (3) variable definitions for the population groups included in State Hazard Mitigation Plans; and (4) a READ ME file with important information. These datasets and associated materials can help State Hazard Mitigation Officers and their technical partners identify gaps in addressing social vulnerability as they update the SHMPs for the areas they serve. These resources are available to researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and others who are interested in addressing social vulnerability in hazard mitigation planning. 

This project explores how children and youth below the age of 18 sought to help others during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used the data included in this publication to answer research questions such as “How did children in the U.S. help others and themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic?” and “What issues were children in the U.S. concerned about during the COVID-19 pandemic?” This project includes a data dictionary and a dataset that summarizes a unique collection of 115 news articles focused on the helping behaviors and key concerns of children in the U.S. during the pandemic. The articles appeared in print or online news sources between 2020 and 2023. We searched for media coverage using terms such as “kids,” “help,” “volunteer,” “actions,” “pandemic,” and “COVID-19.” Over time we refined and added additional search terms based on emergent themes such as “raising money,” “making personal protective equipment,” and “helping with homework.” We limited our searches by language (English), geography (the United States), and time (an article had to be published between January 2020, when the virus was first detected in the U.S., and November 2023, when we ended our searches for the dataset). When we identified news coverage that fit our definition of helping behaviors, we saved a PDF of the article (all PDFs are available upon request from the PI). Information included in this dataset is summarized as follows: (1) article citation and link; (2) article synopsis; (3) information on the child or children featured in the article; (4) summary of key helping behaviors or other actions taken by children during the pandemic; (5) information on who children were trying to help or what type of change they were attempting to influence; (6) quotes from children or youth; and (7) notations of photos, videos, or links to additional resources. The envisioned audience for this data includes social science and public health researchers, journalists, and policy makers with an interest in children and the pandemic, specifically, or disasters and altruism, more broadly. 

This mission includes research materials developed by the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder in accordance with Colorado House Bill 23-1237 (see related work). For this mission, we collected information using a statewide survey of emergency response personnel (222 responses) and meetings with key partners (37 people). Included here are the survey recruitment materials, survey instrument, raw survey data. We also include a partner meeting question bank that we used to conduct partner meetings. Lastly, we include two annotated bibliographies as documents. We anticipate these materials may be useful in developing future surveys on alerts and warnings and developing interview questions for emergency alert officials. This data could also be reproduced to compare alert and warning services across other states.Included here are data and research materials that supported the investigation of emergency alert and warning systems in Colorado developed in accordance with Colorado House Bill 23-1237 (https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1237). The aim of the project was to identify how to improve emergency alerting for people who speak non-English languages and have auditory or visual disabilities. First, we include two annotated bibliographies with over 60 publications on topics related to alert and warning systems, disability access, and language access published in the last 20 years. Second, we include a dataset of survey questions, along with the 222 responses from emergency response personnel in Colorado involved in alert and warning activities. Lastly, we also include a data dictionary, partner meeting questionnaire, recruitment materials, and a sample letter of support from a key partner. These data and materials could be used to review relevant publications on this topic and to aid in developing future surveys focused on alert and warning systems. For final report and additional project context, see project webpage: https://hazards.colorado.edu/research-projects/colorado-inclusive-language-and-access-in-emergency-alerts. 

A primary objective of this larger evaluation project was to develop a baseline understanding of the existing connections across Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) member and partner organizations in Arkansas and Nebraska, including identification of opportunities for additional or more extensive collaboration. To address this objective, the evaluation team constructed an interorganizational social network analysis (SNA) survey to measure the degree to which VOAD member organizations in Arkansas and Nebraska: (1) engage in various levels of collaboration, (2) contact one another, (3) exchange essential resources, and (4) perceive the benefits and challenges associated with collaboration. In addition to measuring VOAD collaboration and exchanges, we assessed the extent to which child-serving organizations were represented within Arkansas and Nebraska VOAD networks and whether they were sought after for child-focused resources. To do this, we developed two survey instruments that were identical other than one survey included VOAD, emergency management, and child-serving organizations in Nebraska, and the other included such organizations in Arkansas. We also updated the introductory text in each survey to represent the names of the focal states and organizational partners. In total, 34 participants from Arkansas VOAD and their partners and 43 participants from Nebraska VOAD and their partners completed the SNA survey. The intended audience for this survey instrument includes researchers as well as practitioners and policy makers interested in the use of social network analysis in disaster research. As indicated by the highlighted text in the instruments, future users of this survey will need to update organizational names in the text and network question rosters. Please see the highlighted instructions in the survey for further guidance on replicating the instrument.Between 2018 and 2020, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder conducted an evaluation entitled: Building State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs) Capacities to Protect Children in Emergencies. This project was designed to assess the capacity of state-level VOADs to address children’s needs before, during, and after disasters. This project involved multi-method research in the focal states of Arkansas and Nebraska and in collaboration with members of VOADs, emergency management, Save the Children, and other child-serving organizations in both states. The evaluation team conducted participatory engagement exercises, survey research, secondary data analysis and GIS mapping, and an interorganizational network analysis survey. This project includes research instruments and the final reports produced as part of this project. The envisioned audience for these materials includes researchers, emergency managers, and professionals who work for child-serving organizations.