Disaster Prevention

Natural disasters have punctuated most years of their high school life, but this year's Heywire winners only have tales of resilience to share. 

North Queensland publican Paul Goodrick took about three days to get his beer taps up and running for locals after Queensland's flood peaked. That quick action could be key for the community's recovery.

Cyclone Jasper intensifies to a category four system, continuing its gradual march towards the north Queensland coast. 

New digital fire rating signs are being installed on roadsides across the country but some people say they are hard to read in certain circumstances. 

Mustafa Chiahad's son was buried beneath the rubble of his parents' home in Talat N'Yaaqoub. The town, near the epicentre of Morocco's earthquake, has turned in to ground zero for destruction.

Rangers say a bushfire that caused significant environmental damage at the major NT national park was not fuelled by gamba grass. But the local tourism body fears the weed's spread could cause more dangerous bushfires.

Why some AI experts are beginning to worry about the apocalypse.

The federal government has reached a $22 million settlement over PFAS contamination relating to the community's ability to live on or conduct cultural activities on its land.

At the 2022 election, Labor promised to spend up to $200 million per year via the Disaster Ready Fund on disaster prevention and resilience. Here's how that promise is tracking.

Widespread failures in preparedness, response and recovery were exposed in the aftermath of a catastrophic and unprecedented flood that had thousands of people fighting for their lives in and around Lismore. A year on — has anything changed?

The frequency of tropical cyclones in Queensland is likely to decrease but the weather events may become more severe, according to two new government reports.

After recovering from one disaster, and witnessing the devastation of others, SES first responder Eddie Cowie is doing everything he can to make his home more resilient.

The Philippines' national disaster agency is reporting that eight people have died, five from drowning, as the search goes on for 19 people who remain missing.

Outback residents of this town say a drop-in information session has left them "scratching their heads". But authorities say they are doing the best they can.

The CSIRO unveils a new $2.1 million research facility in Canberra aimed at helping firefighters and other authorities better understand and predict bushfire behaviour.

Defence says it is ready and willing to help during and after crises like floods or bushfires, but some experts are wondering if constantly calling upon the ADF is the best answer to disasters at home.

The club will undertake its second clean-up effort this year in a desperate attempt to be up and running for the start of the season.

There are six candidates running for Mayor in the Shoalhaven, but no matter who gets the top job disaster management will be a key priority. 

Farmer and volunteer bush firefighter Peter Kirchner spends more than $50,000 from his own pocket upgrading the 1.5-kilometre airstrip near Esperance, which he believes could save lives this summer.

Japan's government approves plans to release more than 1 million tonnes of treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.

A brand new, $300,000 early warning system for flood and fire emergencies was installed and tested in 2020 — but as an emergency flood unfolded on Wednesday morning, no alarm sounded.

Since bushfires burned through World Heritage forests in 2019 there have been fears for the already threatened animals that may have perished in the flames.

Tahlia was only four when the Black Saturday fires destroyed her family home, but memories of that day linger. Research suggests children exposed to bushfires can be dealing with the trauma after the blaze is extinguished.

Authorities in Chile blame a technical error for mistaken messages warning people to evacuate coastal areas following an earthquake in Antarctica.

While natural disasters are inevitable in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, experts and environmentalists say the fatal fallout from floods is preventable if deforestation is discontinued.