Sinelab

Prediction

From orbiting satellites to sensors on the ocean floor, the technology of disaster detection is growing vastly more accurate. By issuing warnings hours rather than minutes before a disaster strikes, these systems can save lives.

Enhanced GPS

GPS alone is a solid early-detection tool; when paired with sensors, its lifesaving potential skyrockets. In July 2013 a team led by Yehuda Bock, a disaster-mitigation specialist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, combined water-vapor sensors with GPS to predict the onset of flash flooding. And by retrofitting 17 GPS and meteorological stations with accelerometers, Bock's team was able to predict where, when, and how intensely earthquake waves would strike. Now deployed on California's San Andreas Fault, the enhanced GPS network could provide up to several minutes' warning before a quake.

Volcano Sensors

Silicon carbide sensors that withstand 1650 F may one day be dropped inside volcanoes to monitor changes in carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide levels, which can signal an impending eruption. Wireless radio transmitters would provide real-time feedback to scientists—and the chance to broadcast an early alarm.

Surge Monitors

The wall of water pushed ashore by a hurricane can do more damage than the storm's wind. In the 48 hours before a hurricane makes landfall, U.S. Geological Survey volunteers affix water-level and barometric pressure sensors to coastal bridges, piers, and light poles to help forecast the timing and magnitude of the surge.

Tornado Drones

Because tornadoes are difficult to detect by radar, it's necessary to fly directly into the developing storm to take a measure of it, says Oklahoma State's Jamey Jacobs, whose lab builds tornado-chasing UAVs. The craft are loaded with cameras and sensors that collect temperature, pressure, and humidity data. A new model being built this summer will also distribute dropsondes, small sensors on parachutes that will provide info on the vertical profile of a storm. By helping meteorologists understand how thunderstorms turn into tornadoes, the drones could increase warning times, on average, from 14 minutes to an hour.

Tsunami Network

Japan's DONET array consists of 20 undersea observatories that use seismometers and accelerometers to measure crustal movements, while pressure gauges observe tsunamis. Compared with land-based observatories, the system detects earthquakes up to 8 seconds earlier, and tsunamis 10 to 20 minutes earlier. Eleven more observatories will be added by 2015.

Ocean Gliders

Battery-powered Slocum Gliders bring a new undersea perspective to hurricane prediction. Designed by Teledyne Webb Research, the drones sweep through the water in wide arcs, diving as deep as 3280 feet to gather data on ocean temperatures and currents, and then surfacing to transmit the findings to researchers on shore.

B612 Sentinel

This asteroid-hunting telescope will circle the sun in an orbit similar to that of Venus, giving its infrared scope a wider angle to detect asteroids that could threaten Earth.

Architecture Research Office and dlandstudio

Protection

Massive devices, responsive infrastructure, and ingenious new materials are helping to diminish the impact of storms, enabling hard-hit areas to recover faster—and keeping more and more people out of harm's way.

Absorptive Streets

Instead of diverting floodwater into overwhelmed storm drains, streets could absorb water and gradually release it later. Porous asphalt or paving stones would be underlaid by layers of sand and various sizes of crushed rock.

Flexible Concrete

Strength, not pliability, is concrete's calling card. But when mixed with polyvinyl alcohol fibers, concrete can be 400 times more ductile. The material has been used in buildings and dams in Japan and New Zealand to withstand earthquakes.

Tornado-Proof Windows

After a 2011 tornado tore through St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., the hospital rebuilt using windows that can withstand 250-mph winds and flying 2 x 4s. The windows, designed by Architectural Wall Systems, are thicker and more flexible than average windows, and a special glaze makes them shatterproof.

De-Icing

Dartmouth engineer Victor Petrenko has found a way to prevent power outages caused by ice storms using off-the-shelf parts such as metal foil and car batteries. With switches installed at the ends of a power line, the technology periodically increases the wire's electrical resistance, generating heat that melts away snow and ice while consuming just 1 percent of electricity running through the wire. "And that 1 percent is needed only for about a minute," says Petrenko, who successfully tested the system in Russia.

Wind Turbines

Large offshore wind farms can reduce a hurricane's intensity by chopping up wind circulation and sapping the storm's energy, according to computer simulations. Researchers estimate that an array of 78,000 turbines could have cut Hurricane Katrina's wind speeds by up to 92 mph while reducing storm surge by nearly 79 percent.

Water Gate

Sandbagging has long been the go-to method to block floodwaters. A tarpaulin Water-Gate barrier can replace hundreds of sandbags, retaining water more than 6 feet deep and stretching up to 500 feet long. One flap is fastened to the ground, while another one rises as water flows in.

Tsunami Barrier

The Twin-Wing Tsunami Barrier, from Dutch engineering firm Van den Noort Innovations, has steel walls (30 and 43 feet tall) that lie flat until a tsunami arrives. One wall slows the rush of coastal waters out to sea while the other impedes the wave heading to shore. The design, targeted for installation in Tokyo Bay, has been tested successfully in lab and computer simulations.

Tunnel Plug

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has tested a giant pill-shaped device that prevents water from flowing into transit tunnels. The 32-foot-long, 16-foot-wide cylinder packs into a recessed wall panel and can be inflated in minutes.

Philip Friedman

Response

First responders are better equipped than ever to track a disaster and move in after one, thanks to an impressive array of new devices.

Fire Fliers

Wildfires can be unpredictable. Flying drones and UAVs can help track blazes in real time, providing lifesaving information to firefighters and evacuees.

• Researchers at the University of Queensland have developed disposable micro-UAVs designed to be air-dropped into a fire. The inexpensive, sensor-equipped devices can be scattered over large areas to monitor temperature, moisture, and other factors that influence the spread of wildfire. The paper Polyplane uses an onboard system to steer itself, while the maple-seed-inspired Samara helicopters to the ground.

• In 2012 the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, burned several thousand acres of grassland to test the Aeryon Scout quadcopter. Equipped with cameras, infrared imaging equipment, and other sensors, the Scout collected data on flame dynamics and smoke movements to help firefighters predict the fire's behavior.

• Smoke can make it difficult for firefighters to locate the heart of a wildfire. A prototype sensor, developed by researchers in Germany, spots a blaze via the microwave radiation it gives off. Mounted to a remotely piloted blimp, the sensor scans through foliage and smoke to spot pockets of fire 16 feet wide and larger.

Network in a Backpack

After Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the Philippines last November, the Vodafone Foundation deployed a 220-pound mobile network that helped victims place more than 400,000 phone calls and send 1.4 million texts to loved ones. Now the company has shrunk the equipment into the Instant Network Mini, a 24-pound device that fits inside a first responder's backpack. A satellite connection enables five concurrent calls within a 330-foot radius, and thousands of text messages.

Solar Traffic Lights

Lumi Solair's off-grid traffic light will ensure the safe flow of cars without posting a cop on every corner when the power goes out. The New York–based company is testing its system in Monmouth County, N.J. The lights run on solar energy and provide as much as five days of backup power.

Wound Care

Severe puncture wounds can be life-threatening if first aid is delayed. Oregon-based company RevMedx has developed a new medical product that can staunch bleeding, and is particularly useful for wounds to the shoulder and pelvis, where tourniquets are ineffective. The XStat injects compressed sponges that have been treated with blood clotting and antimicrobial agents. The pellets expand to 10 times their original size and exert pressure to stop the bleeding. In animal studies, the XSTAT reduced blood loss and increased survival rates. The company hopes the device will become FDA-approved this year for military and medical applications.

Seeing Through Smoke

While fighting a blaze in June 2013, a change in wind direction trapped 19 Arizona firefighters. Some say their deaths could have been prevented through better communication. The tragedy prompted the Florida Forest Service to start using radio trackers to keep tabs on equipment. Displayed on an aerial map, the location information helps supervisors coordinate tactics and keep crews safe.

Heartbeat Detector

Technology developed by NASA and the Department of Homeland Security can locate survivors beneath 30 feet of rubble. The Finder device uses microwave radar to detect heartbeats and is sensitive enough to distinguish a human's from an animal's. Already tested in 65 simulations, it will be available to first responders this year.

Stirling Elmendorf

Personal

When the flood comes in or the grid goes down, new tech provides short-term necessities like heat, clean water, and wireless connectivity so you can find help. If all else fails, two words: tsunami capsule.

Surge Protection

After the March 2011 tsunami in Japan, former Boeing aerospace engineer Julian Sharpe discovered that 135 nations, including the United States, are at risk for a catastrophic wave. When there's not enough time to move to higher ground, an aluminum escape pod designed by Sharpe's company, Survival Capsule, could save lives. Complete with locator beacons, GPS, ventilation, and storage space for food and water, the capsule has withstood crushing, heating, and piercing tests. The first two-person production model was delivered to Japan in July 2013. The company expects to go into full-scale production this year.

Emergency Radio

The Eton ZoneGuard AM/FM clock radio provides hyper-local weather information so you can seek shelter or evacuate as needed. Enter your Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.) county code and the radio flashes green, orange, or red lights, indicating danger levels in your area.

Signal Anywhere

When Internet connections go down, Iridium Go converts satellite signals into Wi-Fi. While you won't be able to go on Facebook (the device delivers 2.8 kilobits per second, about as fast as dial-up), you'll have enough bandwidth for an emergency call from almost anywhere in the world.

Water Purifier

The Grayl uses three layers of ion-charged mesh to filter 99.99 percent of bacteria, protozoa, and viruses—and even heavy metals and chemicals—out of 16 ounces of water in 15 seconds.

Backup Phone

With battery life of up to 15 years, the is a good backup phone during a disaster. It also has an SOS signal that alerts designated contacts as to your whereabouts.

Solar-Powered Generator

When the power goes out, nothing beats a diesel-powered generator. For those times when the fuel runs out as well, Goal Zero's 1250-watt Yeti Solar Generator is a super-powerful portable photovoltaic generator. Although it takes up to 18 hours for two 21 x 18 x 1–inch solar panels to fully charge, a full battery will power your refrigerator for up to 24 hours, or your home alarm system for more than 10 days.

Stove, Heater, Charger

The BioLite CampStove burns leaves, twigs, and other biomass to convert heat into electricity to charge your phone or other electronics. It's an ingenious little device.

Data Defender

The ioSafe Solo G3 external hard drive keeps your data safe from fire and flooding. It withstands temperatures up to 1550 F with an inner shield that reflects 98 percent of heat; a proprietary material releases cooling water vapor when internal temperatures top 160 F. A HydroSafe barrier blocks water even when the device is under 10 feet of water for 72 hours.

Apps for Survival

LIFE360 Instantly locate your loved ones with this private, interactive map. A single tap informs the group that you're okay, and, when disaster strikes, the alert button sends an SOS to your contacts by text message, email, and voicemail.

UBALERT This software posts citizen-reported hazards in real time, and prioritizes each tip by credibility and severity. An onboard interactive map also lets you search and avoid local emergencies.

FLOODWATCH FloodWatch crunches data from the National Weather Service to present real-time river heights and rainfall totals. With interactive maps, graphs, and tables you can search for flood risks in your area and monitor rising water levels.

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