Natural Hazards Center

Curious about contributing to the 51st annual Natural Hazards Workshop? Join us next week for a Workshop Q&A Session! Register today: bit.ly/48M8owy

Kai Erikson, Sociologist Who Probed Invisible Scars of Disasters, Dies at 94

Kai Erikson's groundbreaking work called attention to the social and cultural trauma disasters inflict. He wielded his compassionate voice in defense of communities, and made invaluable contributions to the hazards and disaster community. He will be deeply missed:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/o...

There's just one week left to apply for the 2026 Workshop Awards! This is a great opportunity to have your work recognized and to join us at the 2026 Natural Hazards Workshop. Learn more and apply by December 1, 2025: bit.ly/46TXPGM

The National Hazard Mitigation Association is calling on practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to share ideas the 2026 Practitioners Meeting, to be held following the Annual Natural Hazards Workshop. Click to learn more: bit.ly/4o3bJvH

"There’s a barrage of these kinds of catastrophic events, and getting the best available science and information to the folks who make critical decisions, especially in a way that they can easily use, is incredibly important for reducing human suffering and economic losses," Becker said.

Becker and his collaborators developed an early warning system to protect critical infrastructure from storms. His project’s funding was eliminated in April. Without it, coastal communities will be more vulnerable when damaging hurricanes and nor’easters make landfall.

He Helped Cities Anticipate Damage From Storms

Dr. Austin Becker of @urigso.bsky.social was recently featured in the "Lost Science" series from the New York Times, which shares accounts from scientists who have lost their jobs or funding after cuts by the Trump administration: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/c...

We are accepting submissions for Poster Abstracts and Research and Practice Highlights to showcase at the 2026 Natural Hazards Workshop! Learn more and share your work today: bit.ly/4hWjvWZ

Patchwork emergency alerting systems, a lack of standardized processes, and limited resources impede the delivery of life-saving information during disasters. This study calls attention to these barriers and suggests that funding and policy changes are needed make alerts accessible: bit.ly/448llOy

We're seeking ideas for the 2026 Researchers Meeting! Researchers from all disciplines are encouraged to submit abstracts focused on any topic related to hazards and disasters. The deadline for submission is January 14, 2026: bit.ly/47PmSdn

The Disability and Disaster Award supports scholars like Angela Frederick, whose work strives to reimagine the vulnerability and resilience of people with disabilities by centering their experiences in disaster research and emergency response. Learn more and apply by December 1, 2025: bit.ly/474Oqwv

The call for 2026 Workshop ideas is now open! We’re eager to hear what you want to share with the hazards and disaster community.

If you’re new to the Natural Hazards Workshop or want to learn about the theme and call for ideas, join us for virtual Q&A session on December 9, 2025: bit.ly/4hHUpuC

The call for 2026 Workshop ideas is now open! We’re eager to hear what you want to share with the hazards and disaster community.

If you’re new to the Workshop or would like to learn about the theme and call for ideas, please join us for a virtual Q&A session on December 9, 2025: bit.ly/4hHUpuC

Join us this Friday at 12:00 p.m. MST to learn more about funding opportunities through the Health and Extreme Weather Research Award Program. Register for the virtual webinar today: bit.ly/4hHTZ7L

Please join us for a Proposal Q&A session this Friday from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. MT learn more about the new Health and Extreme Weather Research Awards program! Register today: bit.ly/49iEe55

The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship has supported dozens of researchers and practitioners who have gone on to shape the hazards and disaster field in profound ways. Apply by December 1 to join us at the 2026 Natural Hazards Workshop and carry on the MFM legacy: bit.ly/3W5jYMg

We eager to celebrate work from the next generation of hazards and disaster researchers through our Annual Student Paper Competition. If you're a student, or you know a student doing excellent work, we're accepting paper submissions now through January 23, 2026: bit.ly/43xtgVo

We're excited to open our special call for the Health and Extreme Weather Research Award Program. We're seeking proposals for novel research to advance our understanding the complex threats to human health posed by extreme weather. Click to learn more: bit.ly/3WWSFnL

From moments of resilience among people with disabilities during a deadly winter storm to a feminist perspective on recovery after a major earthquake, our #NewReads page features a variety of hazard scholarship and stories of survival. Add these books to your shelf today: bit.ly/34XMBl7

The Disability and Disaster Award supports promising scholars and practitioners like Annika Doneghy to attend the Annual Natural Hazards Workshop. Applications for the 2026 award are open now through December 1, 2025. Learn more and apply today: bit.ly/474Oqwv

Natural Hazards Center research associates presented their forthcoming research to colleagues at the @cuboulderibs.bsky.social yesterday! Their findings will inform human-centered design for storm shelters and safe rooms in tornado and hurricane country.

What makes a community strong, aware, and prepared to cope with environmental change? This recent study looks at coastal Louisiana to examine some of the social foundations of community disaster resilience in one of the nation’s most rapidly changing regions: bit.ly/4qfRNZ2

What makes a community strong, aware, and prepared to cope with environmental change? This recent study looks at coastal Louisiana to examine some of the social foundations of community disaster resilience in one of the nation’s most rapidly changing regions: bit.ly/4qfRNZ2

Applications for the 2026 Mary Fran Myers Scholarship are now open! We're eager to recognize outstanding individuals in the hazards and disaster community and welcome them to next summer's Natural Hazards Workshop. Apply today: bit.ly/3W5jYMg

In California, earthquake scenarios have been used to inform infrastructure resilience and garner community and political support for risk mitigation across the state. Read this recent study to learn more about how scenarios have been effective to advance earthquake preparedness: bit.ly/48kroTh

We are now accepting submissions for poster presentations at the 2026 Natural Hazards Workshop. If you don't want to present, you can also share your work through our Research and Practice Highlights. Learn more and submit your abstracts today: bit.ly/4qhmKfo

If you're search of a good book, look no further! Check out these #newreads for a look at historical catastrophes, updated perspectives from disaster social science, and an exploration of wildfires in a hotter, more flammable world: bit.ly/34XMBl7

Are you a student who is interested in attending the upcoming Natural Hazards Center Workshop? We invite you to apply to our Student Volunteer Program by January 9th: bit.ly/4nEGSGr

Hazard planners and practitioners in California know that earthquakes are one of the most pressing possible disasters in their state. Earthquake “scenarios” can be a helpful imaginative tool to guide, motivate, and support risk mitigation before disaster strikes. This study looks at how scenarios are used to motivate hazard risk reduction and identifies characteristics to make them more effective.

Read this recent study to learn more about how "earthquake scenarios" help Californians to practice for a disaster before it happens. These imaginative exercises have the potential to spur improvements in earthquake risk reduction and public safety: bit.ly/477ml7y

Submissions for our annual Student Paper Competition are open now through January 23, 2026. We're eager to recognize your great hazards and disaster research! Follow the link to enter your paper today: bit.ly/46YcJvG