National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University

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.

08/27/2026

🌎 Join us during Climate Week NYC for the Disaster Readiness Summit!

As climate-related hazards become more frequent and severe, strengthening disaster readiness is more important than ever.

Join the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), Teachers College, Columbia University, GeSI and Twilio for three days of learning and discussion on disaster readiness.

📅 Sept. 22 | 1 p.m. | Milbank Chapel, Teachers College
📅 Sept. 23 | 9 a.m. | Milbank Chapel, Teachers College
📅 Sept. 24 | 2:30 p.m. | Schwarz Room, 3rd Floor Gottesman Libraries, Teachers College

Columbia affiliates: Bring ID.
Non-Columbia affiliates: Sign up by Sept. 18.

🔗 Register: ncdptraining.org/3SGk0vW



Google AT&T

08/26/2026

NCDP’s Jeff Schlegelmilch joined ABC News Live to discuss Europe’s heat waves and why the challenge goes beyond infrastructure.

As Jeff explains, the world is facing a climate crisis. The pace of climate change is moving faster than the timelines we typically use for legislation, procurement, capital planning and permitting.

And it’s not just physical infrastructure under strain. Cooling centers, clinics, home health aides and community organizations are also critical to protecting people during extreme heat—and these social systems are often stretched thin.

Watch Jeff’s conversation: https://abcnews.com/video/135624374/

Meteorologist Leslie Lopez and Columbia University professor Jeff Schlegelmilch break down Europe's fifth heat wave and whether it's infrastructure can handle the rising temperatures.

08/20/2026

✨ New paper: “Employment Sectoral Differences of Public Service Disruptions and Psychological Distress among U.S. Workers after Disasters: A Cross-Sectional Study” in Safety and Health at Work, co-authored by NCDP's Jeff Schlegelmilch.

The study examines how disruptions to public services following disasters are associated with psychological distress among U.S. workers, with findings highlighting important differences across employment sectors.

The findings point to an important consideration for disaster recovery: how quickly services come back may matter as much for recovery as how much was damaged in the first place.

Read the study: https://ow.ly/9HOh50ZBBmn

08/19/2026

A global partnership between Columbia Climate School and UNICEF leaders is building climate knowledge and capacity to help protect more than a billion children worldwide facing multiple climate hazards, writes Miren Gil-Vernet.

The Climate School team—Lisa Dale, Jeff Schlegelmilch, and Gil-Vernet with support from the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University—has partnered with UNICEF leadership to deliver a series of trainings around the world and online.

The results: staff walk in without deep climate knowledge and walk out understanding how to start building climate into the projects they lead.

"The children exposed to climate hazards cannot wait for perfect knowledge or endless training. They need the people closest to them—the health workers, educators, engineers and policymakers—to act now with the understanding and tools to do it," writes Gil-Vernet.

"This is how the Columbia Climate School reaches beyond academia to share knowledge and learn from inspirational practitioners," says Dale.

Learn more via State of the Planet:
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2026/08/13/when-knowledge-travels-translating-climate-awareness-into-action/

📷 The Climate Leadership Capacity Strengthening Programme in Panama. Photo courtesy of Miren Gil-Vernet Pagonabarraga

08/19/2026

What can a major sporting event teach us about preparing for extreme heat?

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Columbia Climate School students analyzed extreme heat risks for players, fans and staff at MetLife Stadium, examining conditions including intense wet-bulb globe temperatures and poor air quality.

Their work highlights an important lesson for the future of summer events: as climate risks evolve, emergency preparedness and mitigation plans must evolve with them.

The team’s final report, “Extreme Heat Risk & Mitigation at New York New Jersey (MetLife) Stadium Review,” will be released by NCDP this fall.

Read more: https://ow.ly/IR5450ZAWWf

A Columbia Climate School student team examined extreme heat, poor air quality and emergency management at MetLife Stadium during the FIFA World Cup in New York/New Jersey.

08/18/2026

NCDP's Jonathan Sury recommends preparing supplies to sustain your household for up to two weeks as response and recovery times can extend beyond the traditional 72-hour recommendation.

And when an evacuation order is issued, take it seriously.

“The decisions that go into making mandatory evacuation orders are not light.”

Sury notes that these decisions are made with one goal in mind: protecting human life and reducing injury and loss.

Read more from U.S. News and World Report: https://ow.ly/4zKI50ZATzv

From building the perfect 72-hour go-kit to navigating threat-specific emergencies, learn how to protect your family from extreme weather and geological hazards with this expert-backed guide.

06/29/2026

The equatorial Pacific Ocean now reflects El Niño conditions. Unlike the hazards that arrive with little notice, a developing El Niño announces itself months ahead. The video briefing below by Jeff Schlegelmilch and Andrew Kruczkiewicz explains what we are worried about and what we can do about it.

This is "El Niño Briefing: 2026-2027" by NCDP on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

04/22/2026

ICYMI: NCDP's Andrew Kruczkiewicz was recently quoted in a Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre blog on the potential development of El Niño later this year.

The article highlights evolving climate signals, potential global impacts, and the importance of preparedness and anticipatory action.

For dialogue on the topic, listen to a recent podcast of Outrage + Optimism, The Climate Podcast featuring Andrew. Link to the podcast in story.

Read more here:

The Climate Centre supports the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its partners in reducing the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on vulnerable people.