National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers successfully demonstrated a prototype approach to maintain two-way communications with first responders as they make their way in building fires, and mine and tunnel collapses.

In an unprecedented initiative, US and Canadian experts have developed a comprehensive framework to optimize and manage critical care resources during times of pandemic outbreaks or other mass critical care disasters.

China is building up a national natural disaster evaluation mechanism to strengthen its prevention and reduction capacity in the aftermath of recent blizzards, a senior official said.

At least eight people were killed and hundreds more were forced to leave their snowbound villages. Avalanches brought tonnes of snow in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.

Caterpillar Inc. reported that plant in Oxford, Mississippi, was damaged and collapsed as a result of severe weather. Tornadoes swept through the South on Tuesday.

U.S. law enforcement officials say at least 11 people have been killed and dozens injured as tornadoes and thunderstorms tore through parts of the U.S. south.

China's transportation system, which has been paralyzed by the worst snowy weather in half a century, glimpsed an encouraging sign on Sunday with the reports of less cancelled flights and more resumed trains and buses.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing on Monday that China is confident and capable in achieving the final victory in combating disasters incurred by low temperature, ice and heavy snow.

Amid China's worst snow disaster in decades, the Chinese leaders have shown the public a hands-on approach by visiting people working on the front lines of the weather crisis.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed 251,000 soldiers to battle the chaos caused by the unusually heavy snow around the southern part of the country by 1 a.m. on Friday, according to a military source.

A new, high-tech identification system developed in Japan will improve accuracy and significantly reduce the time it takes to identify victims of mass disasters, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

A young Canberra scientist has been awarded a scholarship to travel to the United States to study disaster contingency planning. David Newth has today received a CSIRO award for excellence in young scientists.