American Red Cross Responds to Deadly Midwest Tornadoes - MarketWatch

PRESS RELEASE

American Red Cross Responds to Deadly Midwest Tornadoes - MarketWatch: WASHINGTON, April 15, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The American Red Cross is responding across the Midwest where dozens of tornadoes ripped through communities overnight, destroying buildings and downing power lines. Red Cross workers are already operating shelters and providing meals, and more help is on the way.

100 Tornadoes in 24 Hours, but Plenty of Notice - NYTimes.com

100 Tornadoes in 24 Hours, but Plenty of Notice - NYTimes.com: WOODWARD, Okla. — The tornadoes were unrelenting — more than 100 in 24 hours over a stretch of the Plains states. They tossed vehicles and ripped through homes. They drove families to their basements and whipped debris across small towns throughout the Midwest. In some areas, baseball-size hail rained from the sky.

U.S. News - At least five dead as tornadoes hit Midwest and Plains

U.S. News - At least five dead as tornadoes hit Midwest and Plains: Updated at 7:06 a.m. Sunday ET: At least five people have been killed in Oklahoma and a disaster emergency has been declared in Kansas after a severe storm system moving through the Midwest spawned a number of strong tornadoes.

Oklahoma Dept. of Emergency Management information officer Keli Cain confirmed there were five deaths in the Woodward area of north-west Oklahoma.

Tsunami alert for Indian Ocean nations after 8.6-magnitude quake strikes off Indonesia - CBS News

Tsunami alert for Indian Ocean nations after 8.6-magnitude quake strikes off Indonesia - CBS News: Updated at 8:10 a.m. ET

(CBS/AP) BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - A massive earthquake off Indonesia's western coast triggered tsunami fears across the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, sending residents in coastal cities fleeing to high ground in cars and on the backs of motorcycles.

A strong aftershock nearly three hours later sparked a new wave of panic. Indonesia's government responded by issuing a fresh tsunami warning.

BikePortland.org � Blog Archive � The next frontier for cargo bikes: Disaster response

BikePortland.org � Blog Archive � The next frontier for cargo bikes: Disaster response: From the citizen-led Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET), to an embrace of bikes as disaster response vehicles by City of Portland officials, there's a growing effort in Portland to ensure that bikes play a key role in the response effort when a major earthquake or other disaster strikes. There's even a cargo bike/disaster-themed Pedalpalooza ride in the works

A very long basketball game, played for a cause

A very long basketball game, played for a cause: Chuck Williams of Wildwood, one of the organizers of a 110-hour basketball game intended to break a Guinness record and raise $250,000 for Joplin tornado victims, said some of the 24 players who started their game at 5 a.m. Wednesday had only found an hour here and there to doze off, sometimes while lying on a medical table overlooking the court.

Metro - Harper visits tsunami-devastated area in Japan

Metro - Harper visits tsunami-devastated area in Japan: URIAGE, Japan - Stephen Harper got a first-hand look at the devastation caused by last year's powerful earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

The prime minister made a stop Monday in the small town of Yuriage, outside of Sendai.

‘Bo Bikes Bama’ charity ride to benefit relief fund | TuscaloosaNews.com

‘Bo Bikes Bama’ charity ride to benefit relief fund | TuscaloosaNews.com: On April 24, a year after deadly tornadoes devastated the state of Alabama, sports legend Bo Jackson will begin a five-day charity bike ride with a goal of raising $1 million for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund.

The Northerner : Campus works together to help after tornadoes

The Northerner : Campus works together to help after tornadoes: We as a campus want to respond in the most powerful way,” said Collette Thompson, Scripps Howard Center coordinator.
One of those responses is a special section of the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project.

Mexico earthquake rattles buildings, residents - BlogPost - The Washington Post

Mexico earthquake rattles buildings, residents - BlogPost - The Washington Post

FEMA Corps forms for disaster response - The Federal Eye - The Washington Post

FEMA Corps forms for disaster response - The Federal Eye - The Washington Post: Called FEMA Corps, the organization will form a new division in AmeriCorps’s National Civilian Community Corps. The five-year agreement provides for a 1,600-member disaster relief organization that will receive work orders from FEMA. It will more than double the NCCC’s ranks.

Japanese earthquake and tsunami first anniversary: PM statement - Number 10

Japanese earthquake and tsunami first anniversary: PM statement - Number 10: Twelve months on and the Japanese people continue to sustain that courage and determination as they rebuild their communities, their homes and their lives. And I greatly admire and respect the way they have overcome the enormous challenges of recovery.

Philanthropy Front and Center-San Francisco: One Year Later: Rebuilding After the Great Tōhoku Earthquake

Philanthropy Front and Center-San Francisco: One Year Later: Rebuilding After the Great Tōhoku Earthquake: One Year Later: Rebuilding After the Great Tōhoku Earthquake

James Gannon is executive director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), which works to strengthen U.S.-Japan cooperation across a range of fields. Laura Cronin, a regular contributor to PhilanTopic, chatted with Gannon recently about rebuilding efforts in quake- and tsunami-affected regions of the country.

7-hour show aids tornado victims | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com

7-hour show aids tornado victims | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com: The Southern Indiana Tornado Relief Concert raised money for American Red Cross Disaster Relief by charging everyone coming through the door $10 — band members, police officers and media representatives included.

Katherine Marshall: 3/11 Japanese Earthquake - The Untold Stories of Spiritual Response

Katherine Marshall: 3/11 Japanese Earthquake - The Untold Stories of Spiritual Response: The huge earthquake that struck northeast Japan on March 11, 2011 tested a nation and its faith. On this first anniversary we pause to remember that day, with prayer and reflection on what it means. Without warning, on a cold sunny day, an entire region was shaken by one of five most powerful earthquakes ever recorded; then the unimaginable power of a tsunami swept away everything in its path. The prolonged horror of the Fukushima nuclear disaster closed off vast areas and called reliance on nuclear power into question. 3/11 rammed home messages about human vulnerability.

Earthquake relief, one year later: "Shinsai: Theaters for Japan" | SF Arts

Earthquake relief, one year later: "Shinsai: Theaters for Japan" | SF Arts: One year later, with an estimated 300,000 people still homeless from the combined natural and unnatural disasters that shook the Fukushima prefecture, it appears that the crisis is far from being over. Inspired by an impromptu fundraising effort spearheaded by New York-based, Japanese-born actor James Yaegashi, a unique memorial will take place Sun/11 in theaters across the United States.

Entitled “Shinsai,” which means “great earthquake,” the structure of the performances is up to the individual participating theatres — a tactic utilized by the roving world premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks’ 365 Plays —

Japan Society Allocates Over Half of Earthquake Relief Fund with 4th Round of Grants: Press: About: Japan Society

Japan Society Allocates Over Half of Earthquake Relief Fund with 4th Round of Grants: Press: About: Japan Society: Japan Society Allocates Over Half of Earthquake Relief Fund with 4th Round of Grants
March 9, 2012

New York, NY – Japan Society announced today an additional eight grants totaling $1.6 million from its Japan Earthquake Relief Fund (JERF). This latest announcement brings total allocations from the $12.5 million fund to $7.2 million distributed to 19 organizations representing 25 projects that directly serve people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, we are pleased with the swift allocations and immediate use of the funds for people in need,” said Motoatsu Sakurai, President of Japan Society. “Over half of the money we’ve received has now been allocated. Moving forward, we will continue to look for opportunities to fund effective projects, including those that serve rebuilding and economic recovery in the region.”

Red Cross Launches Social Media Disaster Response Center

Red Cross Launches Social Media Disaster Response Center: The Red Cross and Dell have jointly launched a Digital Operations Center, the first social media-monitoring platform dedicated to humanitarian relief. The Digital Operations Center will equip the Red Cross to better share safety and preparedness tips during natural disasters.

Facebook helps tornado victims co-ordinate disaster relief � Internet � MyBroadband Tech and IT News

Facebook helps tornado victims co-ordinate disaster relief � Internet � MyBroadband Tech and IT News: Residents of the storm-ravaged communities in the Midwest are reaching out to each other, neighbor to neighbor, through social media sites to coordinate disaster relief and share information.

A chain of fast-moving tornadoes spawned by massive thunderstorms cut a swath of destruction from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, killing at least 39 people and leaving many residents homeless and seeking food, clothing, and shelter.

With phone connections spotty as emergency workers tried to repair downed power lines and clear debris, Facebook pages — accessible by cell phone, mobile device, or computer — have proven a go-to source for communities to assist one another.

Princeton system tracks drought to aid disaster relief

Princeton system tracks drought to aid disaster relief: he problem is that there is often no easy way to get data about water supplies in these areas — water monitoring stations don't exist, or they don't work, or they are simply too dangerous to operate. Groups such as AGRHYMET, an intergovernmental hydrology, agricultural and food security agency based in Niger, often have to rely on far-flung observers, often volunteers, to obtain the information manually.