A weekly round-up of news, articles and surveys to make your next emergency better. Have a suggestion for the round-up? Contact me at abetteremergency@gmail.com.

If you are following the topic of climate change, live near the coast or along a river impacted by the tides, you may want to read about how high will sea levels rise. I can think of a number of events which occurred in 2013 which were low points, but check out 9 Reasons Why 2013 Was Not The Best Year In Human History for climate change. The United Nations is also working to outline plans for a 2015 global disaster risk reduction deal.

I guess it’s “official” that Yolanda was the deadliest disaster in 2013. However, radiation releases from the Fukushima disaster could be the disaster gift that keeps on giving both relative to the food chain and health and medical issues.

As bad as the 2011 earthquake and tsunami were, reading about revised projections for an earthquake hitting Tokyo are sobering. It’s fair to suggest that the world expects such massive events impacting Japan, but how many people are aware that Hawaii is at risk of suffering from an even greater event?

We know disasters will strike somewhere across the globe in 2014 and that people will be forced from their homes. I found a couple of articles with potential housing solutions. One is for more emergent and short term use, and the second is aimed at providing a longer-term solution.

As a former paramedic, I administered my fair share of emergency medications. This article about drug shortages affecting hospitals and EMS caught my eye.

The trials and tribulations of the Sochi Olympic torch may be good for a chuckle. Though since the location of winter games were first announced, the unrest that has been pervasive in that region of the world has been a cause of concern. I hope the torch mishaps aren’t a portent of things to come.