IN THE NEWS

IRE and NICAR offer data, stories and tipsheets to help cover the latest
Other resources for covering the news

Mt. Saint Helens
Data from the IRE and NICAR Database Library Information from IRE publications
Stories available from the IRE Resource Center Tipsheets available from the IRE Resource Center
Internet Resources How to contact IRE and NICAR


Databases
To order data, call the Database Library at 573-884-7711 or download an order form.

Federal assistance
After every disaster, the federal government provides assistance money. In a given fiscal year, that amounts to millions. With this database you will be able to track federal assistance -- grants, loans or insurance -- and see where and how much money the government is obligating to organizations and projects.

SBA disaster loans
The Small Business Administration is a big player in assisting the owners of homes and businesses after a declared disaster. The data include loans since 1980 and are current through October 2003. The database includes such information as the individuals' name or company name, the mailing address, a code for the type of disaster that occurred, the date the disaster loan was approved for an SBA guarantee, the amount of the loan, and, for businesses, whether the loan was fully paid or charged off (went bad). The main table contains more than 750,000 records.

Stories
Search for stories in IRE's Resource Center.
To order stories from the IRE Resource Center, send e-mail to rescntr@ire.org or call us at 573-882-3364.

Story #18967
The Tacoma News Tribune results of a drill conducted at FEMA's base at Mount Weather revealed flaws in the evacuation plan for communities near Mount Rainier (Orting, Fife, Puyallup). The volcano eruption could trigger a mudflow (lahar) that could obliterate the river valley communities. Another local problem is the constant grow of population in the area (average of 38 percent over the last years) that can pose serious problems of evacuation in case of a natural disaster. As a result of the drill, new evacuation plans and procedures are developed to ensure a maximum rate of survival for the inhabitants.

Story #556
The Oregonian's special report on the Mount St. Helens eruption -- its prediction and its impact on the region's environment and people. (October 1980)

Related: Stories dealing with earthquakes and similar disasters
Story #7038
The San Francisco Bay Guardian examines the Federal Emergency Management Act and finds that FEMA's preoccupation with preparing for nuclear war and thwarting civil insurrection hinder its ability to respond to emergencies like San Francisco's 1989 earthquake.

Story #10416
American Prospect describes how spending to rebuild after disasters has exactly the same economic effect as economic stimulus packages meant to jump-start the economy; shows how politicians who decried the latter as pork barrel politics and unworkable later took credit when the former had exactly the same results that they denied would follow; focuses on the L.A. earthquake in 1994 but mentions other disasters as well.

Story #16808
Dianna Hunt and Jennifer Autrey of the Fort Worth Star Telegram found out who got federal assistance and how much they received when President Clinton issued a disaster declaration after tornadoes struck Fort Worth and destroyed many properties.

Story #18555
Gil Davis, of the Center for Investigative Reporting, reveals that "thousands of steel-framed buildings ... could collapse in a major earthquake." The findings are based on what "building officials and structural engineers discovered ... as they inspected hundreds of steel framed structures following the January 1994 earthquake that took place in Northridge, California. Eight years later, still very few buildings in earthquake-prone areas have been strengthened to resists massive seismic events in the future, the story reports.

Story #12775
KQED-FM investigates how dangerous common types of buildings in the San Francisco Bay area may be in the statistically likely event of a major earthquake on a fault underlying a densely populated urban area. KQED found that unremedied building deficiencies pose serious risks both to human life and economic investment.

Story #19930
An investigation by KGO-San Francisco revealed that "the emergency water supply for San Francisco's fire hydrants was in critical condition. If the water stopped flowing to the hydrants during a disaster such as an earthquake or firestorm, the engines that power the back-up system would blow up. There are two pumping stations in the city that, in an emergency, would draw water out of San Francisco Bay to send to the fire crews. But, the engineer in charge of the stations was failing to maintain the engines. He hadn't changed the oil in more than ten years on the job..."

Story #13505
The Sciences investigates Japan's billion-dollar earthquake prediction system. While the system is one of the most high-tech and expensive one's in the world, it may be a disaster in the making. The earthquake prediction system does not cover many areas with active faults beneath them and instead lulls people in unprotected areas into a false sense of security.

Story #9912
The Los Angeles Times discloses that numerous segments of subway tunnels in earthquake-sensitive Los Angeles were built with concrete thinner than designed, raising serious questions about the quality of subway construction and inspection.

Story #6677
The San Francisco Bay Guardian reports that budget cuts left the city grossly unprepared for the October 1989 earthquake; found the fire department's response inadequate.

Story #1035
The Dallas Morning News investigates the collapse of a Mexico City apartment complex in the September 1985 earthquake; finds the government had ignored reports prior to the disaster that the foundations were crumbling and unstable.

Story #3168
A KQED-San Francisco report examines the Concord Naval Weapons Station, a wildlife preserve 35 miles east of the city that houses an extensive arsenal of nuclear weapons; report concludes that poor planning resulted in locating the site near an earthquake fault and airport without any evacuation plans for the nearby city's residents.



Tipsheets
Search for tipsheets in IRE's Resource Center.
To order tipsheets from the IRE Resource Center, send e-mail to rescntr@ire.org or call us at 573-882-3364.

Tipsheet #586
This handout provides reporters with some of Josh Meyer's (Los Angeles Times) experiences with covering disasters, and tips for improving disaster coverage. Also included is a memo on covering disasters.

Tipsheet #244
"Covering the Aftermath of a Disaster" makes suggestions for disaster-coverage, particularly focusing on preparedness; tips are listed under the following categories: Preparing for disaster -- the basics, a place to work, communications, other equipment, transportation, assignments and a final word.

Tipsheet #773
Nora Paul provides tips on how to find facts and cultivate sources on the Internet when covering a disaster.

Tipsheet #1232
Bob Williams, of The News & Observer, offers a top ten list of disaster Web sites.

Tipsheet #2235
In "After the storm: Using FEMA records to piece together winners & losers," Gilbert M. Gaul of The Washington Post outlines approaches to analyzing Federal Emergency Management Administration records. Tips include tracking how, where and to whom FEMA dollars are allocated following a disaster, whether National Flood Insurance Program premiums are covering expenses, and who receives Small Business Administration loans following a disaster. (2004 IRE Annual Conference)

Tipsheet #580
This handout lists several earthquake resources. The list provides both phone numbers and addresses as well as a short listing of some of the materials available from each organization. Also included is a list of earthquake publications.

IRE Publications
The July-August 2004 issue of The IRE Journal focused on "Investigations off Breaking News." Some relevant highlights from the issue:
  • Paul Edward Parker of The Providence Journal offered ideas on creating and using a database to track the people involved in a tragedy or disaster. He says such a database is "the perfect way to manage the torrent of information that will flow out of any disaster."
  • Using the 2003 shuttle tragedy as an example, John Kelly of Florida Today outlines the benefits of a newsroom disaster-coverage plan. He stresses the importance of planning early, keeping a vision, staying focused on the bigger picture, building a reporting team with diverse styles and skills, and mining and saving public records.
The Investigative Reporter's Handbook, Brant Houston's Computer-Assisted Reporting book and other helpful publications are available from IRE and NICAR.

IRE members can search the indexes of The IRE Journal and Uplink. Back issues of The IRE Journal and Uplink may be purchased for $10 each. There is an additional $10 user fee for nonmembers. Check with the Resource Center at 573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org for availability.

Web Links Reports from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (in PDF format)
  • Disaster Assistance: Federal, State, and Local Responses to Natural Disasters Need Improvement, March 1991
  • Federal Disaster Insurance: Goals are Good, ut Insurance Programs Would Expose the Federal Government to Large Potential Losses, May 1994
  • Disaster Assistance: Federal, State, and Local Responses to Natural Disasters Need Improvement, March 1991
  • Disaster Assistance: Information on Federal Disaster Mitigation Efforts, January 1998
    For more information, contact:
    Jeremy Milarsky
    Database Library Director
    IRE and NICAR
    E-mail: jeremy@ire.org
    Voice: 573-882-1982
    Fax: 573-884-5544     		Beth Kopine
    Research Director
    IRE Resource Center
    E-mail: beth@ire.org
    Voice: 573-882-6668
    Fax: 573-884-8151