National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University

10/08/2026

📊 What does it mean to grow up in rural America?

A new national dashboard from Save the Children US is helping shed light on the opportunities and challenges facing children in rural communities. NCDP was proud to work on this project.

The Rural Child Well-Being Dashboards bring together data on poverty, education, food insecurity, childcare, housing and other factors shaping children's lives.

As part of this broader effort, NCDP has also released six topical reports on rural child-focused preparedness, providing background research to help inform understanding of the risks and challenges facing children in rural communities.

By making data more accessible, these resources help communities, researchers and decision-makers better understand rural children's needs and identify opportunities to strengthen their well-being and preparedness.

Explore the dashboards: https://www.rural-child-data.org/

Explore NCDP's rural child preparedness reports: https://bit.ly/rural-children

The impacts of disasters on children in rural settings have been studied extensively in international settings, but only limited rigorous research has been conducted within the U.S.

10/02/2026

🌍 Thank you for joining NCDP during Climate Week 2026!

We’re grateful to everyone who attended the Disaster Readiness Summit and took part in conversations on AI for resiliency, trauma and disasters, emergency communications, and building a lasting culture of preparedness.

Couldn’t make a session—or want to revisit the conversations? Check out resources from the sessions and learn more about the work shared during Climate Week.

Stay connected with NCDP for upcoming events, research and resources as we continue working to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience.

🔗: https://ow.ly/SC0T50ZU6Mh

Explore NCDP’s programming on disaster readiness, climate resilience, and the future of emergency preparedness for Climate Week.

09/21/2026

🌎 Join NCDP during Climate Week NYC!

The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), sponsored by the Global Mental Health Lab at Teachers College, is bringing together experts, researchers, students and partners for the Disaster Readiness Summit, with sessions exploring AI for resiliency, climate risk, trauma and mental health, emergency communications, and building a lasting culture of disaster preparedness.

📅 Sept. 22–23
📍 Milbank Chapel, Teachers College

🎓 Teachers College, Columbia University, and Barnard students can attend with a valid student ID. Registration is closed to the public.

Learn more and view the full agenda: https://ow.ly/3FBn50ZPSkm

09/17/2026

We’re excited to join the Columbia Climate School community for 2026 by hosting the Disaster Readiness Summit, taking place September 22–24.

The summit, featuring panelists and speakers from NCDP, GESI, Twilio, and the Global Mental Health Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University, will bring together researchers, practitioners, community leaders, and partners to explore new approaches to disaster readiness, climate resilience, AI, anticipatory action, mental health, and two-way communication. The summit is sponsored by the Global Mental Health Lab at Teachers College.

Registration closes September 18. Learn more and register: https://ncdp.columbia.edu/library/conferencesevents/climate-week-2026/

This , as Climate Group's education partner, we're bringing scientific expertise, policy insight, student engagement, and community-centered work at a moment when climate knowledge must be translated into decisions that improve lives.

“We are proud to contribute events that reflect the urgency of this moment and the work needed to meet it,” says Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson.

Learn more via State of the Planet: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2026/09/15/join-columbia-climate-school-at-climate-week-2026/

Some highlighted events (see all at climate.columbia.edu/climate-week):

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18
* The Immorality of Inaction: Voicing Truth on Climate

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21
* Columbia Fashion, Energy, and Climate Summit
* Mind the Gap: How States Can Advance Carbon Dioxide Removal

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22
* Envisioning the Future of the Environmental Justice Movement
* Columbia Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy Symposium: Sustainable Energy, Resource, and Environmental Solutions
* Innovation for Climate and Clean Air Progress in the Global South
* Sep 22 to Sep 24: Disaster Readiness Summit with National Center for Disaster Preparedness

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23
* Cities, Energy Affordability, and Climate Action
* Carbon Newbie Summit at Climate Week NYC 2026
* Popular Transport, Low-Cost Housing and Climate: Bringing Urban Informality and Affordability In for More Effective Climate Action

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24
* LA Times Studios Presents: Boiling Point Live
* Beyond the Forecast: What El Niño Reveals About Science, Society, and Action
* From Antalya to Addis Ababa: Making COP32 Deliver
* The Rise of Agentic AI: What It Means for Climate Innovation

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26
* 6th Annual BIPOC Climate Justice Summit: Climate Democracy Frontiers

09/16/2026

In the global North, climate change plans are multi-year timelines of gradual changes. But for communities in arid and tropical regions, climate risk is experienced and managed on a shorter timescale through tools, technologies, and systems developed over millennia. What can a better understanding of these climate ‘riskscapes’ teach us about climate resilience everywhere?

09/15/2026

📝 It's National Preparedness Month - Is your emergency preparedness plan up to date? With a particularly strong El Niño this year, now is a good time to brush up on preparedness and make a plan for you and your loved ones.

Check out NCDP’s Preparedness Wizard, now featuring an updated fillable preparedness plan template to help you get ready before emergencies strike.

🔗 https://bit.ly/prepwizv2

09/11/2026

🕊️ Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the lessons of that day continue to shape how we prepare for disasters.

In a new reflection, NCDP’s Thomas Chandler looks at how New York City’s approach to disaster preparedness has evolved since 9/11—from investments in interoperable communications, GIS and regional planning to a greater focus on collaboration, relationships and adaptability.

One lesson stands out: no plan can anticipate every scenario. Effective preparedness means building the relationships, systems and trust that allow organizations to share information, adapt and work together when the unexpected happens.

Read this reflection on 25 years of lessons from September 11 and the continued work of preparing for what comes next: https://ow.ly/cnV150ZMpRi

Twenty-five years after September 11th, 2001, it is still difficult to contemplate what happened without first thinking about the people. The firefighters and police officers who ran toward the World Trade Center, the emergency managers and health professionals trying to make sense of an unconceivab...

09/10/2026

🚨 How can Earth observation data be assessed for potential value within humanitarian decision-making? New paper out in Climate Risk Management 🌍🛰️🌧️

Satellite data and AI-enabled tools are creating new opportunities for early warning, anticipatory action and disaster risk management. But access to more data does not automatically lead to better decisions.

A new paper, “Assessing the value of Earth observations in the humanitarian sector: A framework to analyze the influence of EO within decision making,” introduces a framework for examining how Earth observation data can shape humanitarian decisions—and whether that influence is positive, neutral or negative.

The authors, including lead author NCDPs Andrew Kruczkiewicz, drawing on experiences assessing and managing flash flood risk in Ecuador, highlight the importance of understanding organizational mandates, decision-making constraints and potential unintended consequences when introducing new data and technologies.

The framework offers a practical way to think more critically about the role—and value—of Earth observation in humanitarian action.

Read the paper: https://ow.ly/Z8aB50ZLJNZ

09/01/2026

🌊 What Does It Take to Survive Trapped Underground?

As rescue crews work to reach workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels following catastrophic flooding in Nepal, NCDP's Thomas Chandler spoke with the Associated Press about the conditions that could affect their chances of survival—including access to water, oxygen and other essential supplies.

The situation highlights the critical role of sustaining access to basic needs during prolonged rescue operations.

Read the full story from AP: https://ow.ly/amM150ZHWul

For those stranded by a flood, disaster experts say survival depends on access to oxygen, food and water.

08/28/2026

The catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border is a devastating reminder of how quickly hazards in high-mountain environments can cascade into humanitarian disasters.

For the disaster preparedness community, this event highlights that communities downstream need timely, actionable information when conditions change rapidly. Monitoring glaciers, rivers and mountain slopes must be connected to two way communication systems capable of reaching people before a cascading disaster occurs.

At the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families and communities impacted by this tragedy. We also recognize the extraordinary efforts of the first responders, local authorities and humanitarian organizations working to locate survivors and provide assistance.