Leveraging technology in emergency management: An opportunity to improve compounding and cascading hazards linked to climate change

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate (IPCC) Sixth Assessment report concluded that we will see an increase in frequency of extreme environmental events around the world including, hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires.1 The report further describes cascading hazards when one hazard triggers another in a series such as extreme heat triggering a collapse of the power grid. The IPCC also discusses compounding hazards as multiple disasters occur at the same time for example a hurricane occurring at the same time as COVID-19 and a mass casualty event prompting a Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) response such as the Surfside and the Florida condo collapse.2 Studies suggest that there are gaps relating to Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMP) in addressing cascading events.3,4