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General Security and Resilience

Americans Misperceive the Risk of Covid-19

Franklin Templeton Investments and Gallup have released initial findings from a joint research project investigating “the behavioral response to the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for the recovery” from the pandemic’s economic effects. The critical finding from the survey is that Americans still consistently misperceive the actual risk of death from COVID-19 for various age groups. Accounting for partisan bias, Americans believe that U.S. patients aged 55 and older make up a little over 50% of all COVID-19 deaths; however, the actual number is 92%.

Wildfires Expected to Continue Threatening California in the Near-Future

At least seven people have died from a series of wildfires in California sparked by a mid-August shift in weather that’s created dangerous conditions for the state, with no end in sight. California has experienced more than 13,000 lightning strikes since August 15, creating over 600 wildfires that have burned over 1875 square miles of land.

Potential Tropical Storm Forming in the Atlantic

Weather forecasters have observed multiple weather systems currently forming in the Atlantic Ocean that are expected to develop into tropical storms as they move towards Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. After forming Wednesday night, Tropical Depression 13 is the most likely system to do so. It is predicted to strengthen into a tropical storm sometime on Thursday and, according to most models, to reach Florida on the weekend or early next week.

Researchers Discover Solar Inverter Vulnerability

Researchers from the University of California have announced the discovery of a method to spoof solar inverters, which are a critical part of the solar electrical generation process. This technique depends on exploiting electromagnetic sensors that are based upon older, less secure technologies and that are often used in commercial solar inverters. The attack requires a device, smaller than a coffee cup, to be placed within range of the inverter, which then can be activated remotely to cause surges in the attached grid.

Using Disinformation To Weaken Power Grids

Researchers from New York University and the National University of Singapore have published a paper discussing the potential for disinformation campaigns to affect human behavior enough to cause blackouts in metropolitan electrical grids. Through surveys and modeling, the authors were able to demonstrate how creating false electronic communications from electrical companies could influence customer behavior, causing an increase in power consumption that could cause significant damage to a city’s power grid.

Hurricane Evacuees Expected to Cause Spike in Covid-19 Infections

In a study simulating the consequences of a Category 3 hurricane affecting four South Florida coronavirus hotspots, scientists from Columbia University have concluded that, if residents utilize similar hurricane evacuation routes followed during previous hurricane seasons, there would be a 20% increase in new coronavirus cases compared to not evacuating at all. While the authors acknowledge that human behavior after a hurricane cannot be perfectly predicted, they do warn that smarter evacuations procedures will be necessary to reduce the spread of disease.

Supporting Operations When a Hurricane Occurs During a Pandemic

BDO has released a risk-manager focused report discussing what considerations have to be kept in mind during a hurricane season when a pandemic is already occurring and actions to take to help prepare an organization for this threat. The current threat environment is an unusual one and the document lists four new variables that crisis teams will encounter compared to previous hurricane events: longer term storm impacts, difficulty supporting employees, remote work during a crisis, and already stressed supply chains.

California Heat Wave Continues to Produce Wildfires

Over a dozen major fires and multiple smaller fires have continued to erupt over the week as California struggles with the consequences of a heat wave that is expected to last through the weekend. These conditions combined with humid air has seen increasing temperatures and thunderstorms, both of which are exacerbating the risk of a wildfire starting. In Northern California, more than 250,000 acres were burning as of Wednesday evening, with multiple injuries and one death, a helicopter pilot who crashed while conducting water drops.

Advisory Released on the Application of Federal Laws to Drone Detection and Mitigation Technology

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have issued an advisory guidance document to assist non-government entities interested in procuring technology to detect and mitigate the risks of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in understanding how federal laws and regulations could apply to particular actions or systems.

California Orders Rolling Electricity Outages for the First Time in Nearly 20 Years

Rolling blackouts were ordered by California energy regulators over the weekend as a persistent heat wave continues to increase the demand for energy from the state’s electrical grid. A Stage 3 power emergency alert on Friday resulted in 410,000 homes and businesses being cut from power and the Independent System Operator, which oversees most of California’s electric grid, warned on Monday that demand is expected to outstrip supply until the forecasted end of the heatwave on Thursdays.

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