Supplemental General Security & Resilience Highlights – October 5, 2023

The following posts are useful for general awareness of current physical security threats, natural disaster resilience, preparedness resources, mitigation guidance, and other security-related news or updates. These resources have been curated by the WaterISAC analyst team as items of broad relevance and benefit that do not need supplemental analysis at this time.

Natural Hazards/Climate Change

• Atlantic hurricane season has slowed, but beware of October – The Washington Post
• From summer to fall in a snap: Chilliest weather of season on the way in Great Lakes, Northeast – Accu Weather
• Australia state swings from bush fires to flash floods in 24 hours – Reuters
• Canadian wildfire smoke invades Florida choking skies with smoke, unhealthy air quality – Fox Weather
• September shattered global heat record — and by a record margin – The Washington Post
• Study finds more people are moving into high flood zones, increasing risk of water disasters – AP
• US adds another option for fall COVID vaccination with updated Novavax shots – AP

Operational Resilience

• Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water – MIT News
• U.S. Races to Fortify Power Grid Against Extreme Weather – The Wall Street Journal
• ‘Miracle’ water year in California: Rain, snow put state’s reservoirs at 128% of historical average – AP
• Saltwater is ‘winning’: Why low water levels have grown into a huge problem for the New Orleans area – CNN
• Biden-Harris Administration announces $80 million through Investing in America Agenda to improve flood prediction capabilities – NOAA
• Biotechnology and AI Advances, Disinformation Campaigns Compound Increased Risk of WMD Attacks – Homeland Security Today

Extremism/Terrorism

• Man planning ‘revenge’ attacks built armoury at Somerset home, court told – The Guardian
• Tankies: A Data-driven Understanding of Left-Wing Extremists on Social Media – Global Network on Extremism and Technology
• Extremist Content Online: Pro-ISIS Instagram Accounts Using ‘Stories’ Feature To Facilitate Spread Of Propaganda – Counter Extremism Project