RIDER Center

The road to safety: Researchers work to improve access to special needs hurricane shelters

When Hurricane Michael made landfall in 2018 near Mexico Beach, it was the first time a Category 5 hurricane hit Florida since 1992. It posed a risk for all residents but especially for people whose physical or cognitive impairments required them to use the state’s special needs shelters. New research from the FAMU-FSU College of […]

FSU faculty available to comment on aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction in its wake, and communities in Florida and elsewhere are working to rebuild in the aftermath. Florida State University faculty are available to speak to media covering post-storm recovery efforts. COMMUNITY RESILIENCE Brad Schmidt, professor, Department of Psychology schmidt@psy.fsu.edu Schmidt researches the nature, causes, treatment and prevention of […]

Remote sensing research improves hurricane response

Safe and uninterrupted road travel is crucial in the aftermath of storms so that people can access medical treatment, downed power lines can be removed and communities can begin a return to normalcy. Researchers with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response (RIDER) Center are investigating better ways to predict where road-clogging […]

The garbage man: Professor develops methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills

Most people think about trash for 30 seconds a week — the amount of time it takes them to bring their garbage bin to the curb. Tarek Abichou has spent three decades focused on it. As executive director of the Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response (RIDER) Center and a professor of civil and environmental engineering […]

FSU researchers earn NSF grant to transform libraries into ‘Rural Resiliency Hubs’

The increasing frequency of natural catastrophes and their uneven impact on vulnerable populations calls for the development of disaster Resiliency Hubs. Now, through a grant from the National Science Foundation, a multidisciplinary team of Florida State University researchers is looking to utilize a commonly underrecognized space in disaster response: public libraries. Focusing on Calhoun County, […]

FSU expert available to comment on hurricane evacuations

For many people, choosing whether to evacuate in the face of an incoming hurricane or other natural disaster is not an easy decision. Hurricanes threaten people and property, but evacuation also carries risks and costs, especially if a would-be evacuee has difficulty moving or caring for themselves without help. Engineers with the Resilient Infrastructure and […]

RIDER Center helps communities plan for the threats from natural disasters

In some places in Florida and around the country, there is a time before the storm and a time after. Andrew in South Florida. Michael in the Panhandle. Maria in Puerto Rico. Katrina along the Gulf Coast. These hurricanes killed many and caused billions of dollars in damage. They challenged the resilience of the communities […]