Government Information

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/

Reports there were 11 weather or climate-related disaster events in 2012 in the U.S. with losses exceeding $1 billion.  From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41746.pdf

Discusses risks to highways, especially bridge structures, from earthquakes and actions to reduce risk, based on models used by Japan, regarded as having the most earthquake resilient infrastructure.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40097.pdf

Discusses the rising amounts of damage done by tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, what might be causing the increasing damage, and what Congress can do to mitigate the problem.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

http://markey.house.gov/sites/markey.house.gov/files/documents/Markey%20Grid%20Report_05.21.13.pdf

Report authored by two Democratic Congressmen on the cyber threat to the U.S. electrical grid.  Calls for the government to create an entity with authority to protect the grid against cyber attack or geomagnetic storms.  From the U.S. House of Representatives

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130523_hurricaneoutlook_atlantic.html

Predicts a 70% chance there will be 13 to 20 named storms of which 3 to 6 could become major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher.  From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/765/pubs765/index.html

Contains dune elevations and mean-high-water shoreline position datasets for most sandy beaches from Cape Lookout, North Carolina to Fire Island, New York.  From the U.S. Geological Survey

http://www.fema.gov/library/file;jsessionid=2FDF638CC9A015707D3D3B22CBCB4606.WorkerPublic2?type=publishedFile&file=final_national_response_framework_20130501.pdf&fileid=caae7ee0-b35d-11e2-a3a3-001cc456982e

2^nd edition of plan for responding to disasters, natural or manmade.  From the Department of Homeland Security

http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/documents/WMO_1108_EN_web_000.pdf

Covers key findings, regional climate features and tropical cyclones.  2012 joined the ten previous years as one of the warmest on record.  From the World Meterological Organization