Natural Disasters

News about UB’s research and advocacy in extreme events and disaster response. (see all topics)

Meet an Expert
  • Survivors May Suffer from Acute Stress Disorder
    9/1/05
    A large percentage of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and its catastrophic aftermath will suffer from Acute Stress Disorder, according to Nancy J. Smyth, Ph.D., LCSW, a Â鶹´«Ã½o expert on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Nasty Social Behavior Common after a Disaster
    9/1/05
    "Nasty social behavior" is very common following the first 48 hours of a disaster, according to Â鶹´«Ã½o professor Charles Ebert, Ph.D., who teaches the course, "Disasters: analysis of natural and human-induced hazards."
  • Looting an Act of Desperation, Not Crime
    9/1/05
    Reports of widespread looting in New Orleans following the tragic flooding of the historic city sound less like actual criminal activity than desperation, according to a forensic psychologist at the Â鶹´«Ã½o.
  • Ancient Statue of Hermes Fitted for Earthquake Protection
    2/1/05
    The world-renowned statue Hermes with the Infant Dionysos has been equipped with innovative seismic protective devices that will help the 7-foot-high marble statue of the Greek god withstand powerful earthquakes. The protective devices were custom made for the statue based on analysis and tests conducted at the Â鶹´«Ã½o's earthquake engineering laboratory.
  • Information Fusion Research Simulates Disasters to Manage Emergency Response
    1/11/05
    Improving how decision-makers respond in the minutes and hours that follow the first reports of a natural disaster like the recent tsunami or a manmade incident, such as a chemical accident or a terrorist attack, is the focus of a research project at the Â鶹´«Ã½o's Center for Multisource Information Fusion.
  • UB Librarians Offer One-Stop Web Site for Information on Tsunami Disaster in Southeast Asia
    12/30/04
    Librarians at the Â鶹´«Ã½o have put together a one-stop Web site to help the public keep abreast of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.
  • UB Opens $21.2 Million Earthquake Engineering Simulation Facility
    9/24/04
    A new era in earthquake-engineering research was ushered in today with the grand opening of the National Science Foundation's George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Facility within the Â鶹´«Ã½o Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering.
  • Ready to Shake: UB to Open New Earthquake-Engineering Simulation Facility
    9/23/04
    A grand opening ceremony for the new National Science Foundation George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Facility at the Â鶹´«Ã½o will be held 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, September 24, 2004) in Ketter Hall on the Â鶹´«Ã½o's North (Amherst) Campus.
  • Andre Filiatrault Named Deputy Director of Earthquake Engineering Research Center at UB
    9/12/03
    Andre Filiatrault, Ph.D. -- a leading expert on shake-table testing of structural and nonstructural building components, including electrical substation equipment -- has been named deputy director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) headquartered at the Â鶹´«Ã½o. MCEER is a National Science Foundation "Center of Excellence" in earthquake engineering.
  • Michel Bruneau Named Director of Earthquake Engineering Research Center at UB
    7/24/03
    Michel Bruneau, Ph.D., a leading expert on earthquake-resistant design and retrofit of buildings and infrastructure, has been named director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) headquartered at the Â鶹´«Ã½o. MCEER is a National Science Foundation "Center of Excellence" in earthquake engineering.