About PDC


Reduce disaster risk.
Step into a safer world.

  • Flood - Pocatello, ID Region, United States

    12 minutes ago WARNING

  • Thunderstorm - SE of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada

    34 minutes ago WARNING

  • Wildfire - NW of Mystic Island, New Jersey, United States

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - SW of Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - W of Fort Chipewyan Airport, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - NW of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - E of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - SW of Fort Smith, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - W of Peace River Airport, British Columbia, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - SW of Fort Providence Airport, Northwest Territories, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - S of Hornepayne, Ontario, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - E of Buffalo Narrows Airport, Saskatchewan, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - , S of Côte, Nord, Quebec, Canada

    53 minutes ago ADVISORY

  • Wildfire - S of Canada, Northwest Territories, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - NW of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - SW of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - Pass Fire, New Mexico, United States

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - W of Buffalo Narrows Airport, Saskatchewan, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - E of Fort Liard Airport, Northwest Territories, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - NW of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - S of Jean Marie River Airport, Northwest Territories, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - N of Fort Chipewyan Airport, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago ADVISORY

  • Wildfire - W of Fort Chipewyan Airport, Alberta, Canada

    53 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Highwind - Advisory (Hawaiian Islands)

    55 minutes ago ADVISORY

  • Floods - Somalia

    59 minutes ago INFORMATION

  • Thunderstorm - Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

    59 minutes ago WATCH

  • Flood - Tahoka, TX Region, United States

    1 hour ago WARNING

  • Flood - Nile Basin, Eastern Africa, Middle Africa and Northern Africa

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Tropical Storm - Mawar

    4 hours ago WARNING

  • Air Quality - La Ronge, Saskatchewan, Canada

    1 hour ago ADVISORY

  • Flood - Battle Mountain, NV Region, United States

    2 hours ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Sabancaya, Peru

    2 hours ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Popocatepetl, Mexico

    2 hours ago WARNING

  • Wildfire - Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, Canada

    2 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Severe Weather - North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada

    3 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Volcano - Santa Maria, Guatemala

    3 hours ago WARNING

  • Air Quality - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    3 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Air Quality - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    4 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Air Quality - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

    4 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Wildfire - N of Camp Ridgeway, Queensland, Australia

    8 hours ago INFORMATION

  • Extreme Heat - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    9 hours ago WARNING

  • Air Quality - Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada

    9 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Flood - Nabire, Papua and Papua Barat, Indonesia

    11 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - SE of Wewak, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea

    11 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - E of Nasir, Upper Nile, South Sudan

    11 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - S of Nabire, Papua, Indonesia

    11 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Dnieper Basin, Ukraine

    11 hours ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Semeru, Indonesia

    11 hours ago WARNING

  • Air Quality - Sept-Iles, Québec, Canada

    12 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Volcano - Villarrica, Chile

    13 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Volcano - Ibu, Indonesia

    14 hours ago WATCH

  • Severe Weather - Sumatra, Indonesia

    15 hours ago INFORMATION

  • Severe Weather - Northwestern India

    15 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Ciudad Guayana, Monagas, Venezuela

    15 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - N of Campana, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos and Santa Fe, Argentina

    15 hours ago WARNING

  • Extreme Temperature - Vietnam

    15 hours ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Lewotolo, Indonesia

    15 hours ago WATCH

  • Wildfire - SE of Buffalo Narrows Airport, Saskatchewan, Canada

    16 hours ago INFORMATION

  • Wildfire - NW of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada

    16 hours ago INFORMATION

  • Severe Weather - Southeastern Greece

    17 hours ago WARNING

  • Severe Weather - Portugal

    17 hours ago WARNING

  • Severe Weather - Southern Greece

    17 hours ago WARNING

  • Extreme Heat - Central America

    17 hours ago WARNING

  • Earthquake - 5.3 - 166 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

    17 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Earthquake - 5.2 - Seram, Indonesia

    20 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Wildfires - Halifax, Nova Scotia

    20 hours ago INFORMATION

  • Flood - Yerington, NV Region, United States

    20 hours ago WARNING

  • Forest Fire - Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada

    21 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Flood - Congo Basin, Middle Africa and Eastern Africa

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - W of Trois Rivieres, Ontario and Québec, Canada

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - NE of Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Paraiso, Tabasco, Mexico

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - SE of Tecuala, Nayarit, Mexico

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - W of Geraldton, Ontario, Canada

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Dryden, Manitoba and Ontario, Canada

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Parana Basin, South America

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Suchiate Basin, Coatan and Suchiate Rivers, Guatemala and Mexico

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - NE of Dolores, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - N of Pedro Luro, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - SE of Mahakam Basin, Indonesia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - SE of Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Raba, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Indonesia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - W of Griffith, New South Wales and Victoria, Australia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Bengawan Solo Basin, Indonesia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Langsa, Aceh and Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Bulungan Basin, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Indus Basin, India and Pakistan

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Wildfire - S of Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada

    21 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Flood - Ganges Basin, India and Bangladesh

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Ca Mau, Cà Mau, Vietnam

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Aral Sea Basin, Eastern Asia, Southern Asia and Central Asia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - N of Pakchan Basin, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Brahmaputra Basin, Eastern Asia, Southern Asia and South-eastern Asia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - N of Karachi, Baluchistan and Sind, Pakistan

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Golmud, Qinghai, China

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - N of Burylbaytal, Almaty, Qaraghandy and Zhambyl, Kazakhstan

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - NE of Stoeng Treng, Stœng Trêng, Cambodia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Irrawaddy Basin, Bangladesh and Myanmar

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Yangtze Basin, China and Taiwan

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Har Us Nuur Basin, China, Russia and Mongolia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - E of Izmayil, Odessa, Ukraine

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Lake Turkana Basin, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Shatt Al Arab Basin, NW of Karun River, Iran and Iraq

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Chad Basin, Middle Africa and Western Africa

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Bolama, Bolama, Guinea-Bissau

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Orange Basin, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Bandama Basin, Côte dIvoire, Guinea and Liberia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Congo Basin, Dem Rep of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Senegal Basin, Mauritania

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Zambezi Basin, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Antsiranana, Antsiranana, Mahajanga and Toamasina, Madagascar

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Nile Basin, Egypt

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - NE of Adigrat, Tigray, Ethiopia

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Buizhou, Shandong, China

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - NW of Chattogram, Chittagong, Bangladesh

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Baraka Basin, E of Baraka River, Eritrea and Sudan

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Flood - Ma Basin, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Sangay, Ecuador

    22 hours ago ADVISORY

  • Volcano - Cotopaxi, Ecuador

    22 hours ago WARNING

  • Earthquake - 5.8 - 125 km WSW of Myitkyina, Myanmar

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Severe Weather - Jordan

    23 hours ago INFORMATION

  • Landslides - Bulambuli District, Uganda

    1 day ago INFORMATION

  • Flood - Hailey, ID Region, United States

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Earthquake - 6.3 - Auckland Islands, New Zealand region

    1 day ago WATCH

  • Earthquake - 5.5 - off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

    1 day ago WATCH

  • Flood - W of Douala, Littoral, Cameroon

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Flood - Zhu Basin, Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Flood - La Paz, Baja California, Baja California Sur and Sonora, Mexico

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Flood - S of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Flood - Amazon Basin, Ecuador and Peru

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Flood - SW of Remanso, Northeast Brazil

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Flood - Indore, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, India

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Flood - SW of Balikpapan, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah and Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Severe Weather - Southern Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Severe Weather - Central and Southern Vietnam

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Severe Weather - Serbia

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Extreme Temperature - Hong Kong

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Severe Weather - Southwest Germany

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Extreme Heat - Mexico

    1 day ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Reventador, Ecuador

    1 day ago ADVISORY

  • Volcano - Aira, Japan

    4 days ago WARNING

  • Volcano - Rincon de la Vieja, Costa Rica

    4 days ago ADVISORY

  • Drinking Water - NW of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

    6 days ago ADVISORY

  • High Water Level - SE of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

    6 days ago ADVISORY

  • Extreme Heat - Dominican Republic

    6 days ago WARNING

  • Drought - Northwestern United States

    6 days ago WARNING

  • Drought - High Plains United States

    6 days ago WARNING

  • Drought - Southeastern United States

    6 days ago WARNING

  • Drought - US Virgin Islands, United States of America

    6 days ago WARNING

  • Drought - Puerto Rico, United States of America

    6 days ago WARNING

  • Drought - Central Asia

    1 week ago WARNING

  • Heavy Snow - Central Asia

    1 week ago WARNING

  • Drought - Tuvalu

    1 week ago WARNING

  • Drought - Uruguay

    1 week ago WARNING

  • Marburg Virus Disease - Tanzania

    3 weeks ago WARNING

  • Measles - American Samoa

    1 month ago WARNING

  • Cholera - Haiti

    6 months ago WARNING

  • Drought - Djibouti

    2 months ago WARNING

  • Cholera - Mozambique

    3 months ago WARNING

  • Ebola Virus - Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

    9 months ago WARNING

Working together to create a Safer World

Pacific Disaster Center (PDC Global) is an applied research center managed by the University of Hawaii that supports the most demanding governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide in helping to create a safer, more disaster resilient world. For more than 25 years, we’ve helped our partners enhance disaster management capacity, save lives, and reduce disaster losses through the application of our advanced tools and technologies, evidence-based research, and analytical information.

 

The Center’s DisasterAWARE platform is used by tens of thousands of disaster management professionals—from the senior-level decision maker to the operational practitioner. It provides global multi-hazard early warning, hazard monitoring, and risk intelligence to support rapid and effective disaster response, preparedness, recovery, and mitigation. DisasterAWARE includes the highest resolution all-hazards impact models, advanced analytical reports, and augmented information through artificial intelligence. The system features the largest, scientifically-vetted big data catalog for disaster management decision making in the world—derived in part from PDC’s unique National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment as well as its Global Risk and Vulnerability data.

 

DisasterAWARE provides near real-time analytics about impacts to population, capital, and key infrastructure for multiple hazards, calculating likely humanitarian needs down to a scale of 30 x 30 meters. DisasterAWARE is free to disaster management practitioners and the humanitarian assistance community at https://disasteraware.pdc.org.

 

 Customized versions of DisasterAWARE have been deployed by PDC in locations around the world and are used operationally by national and regional disaster management agencies for all aspects of disaster management.

 

PDC’s mobile app, Disaster Alert, is also free and designed for use by the public as well as disaster managers on-the-go. It offers customizable early warning alerts for any type of natural hazard in any location around the globe. Visit https://disasteralert.pdc.org.

 

In addition to offering advanced decision support technology, PDC is pioneering the scientific application of artificial intelligence for disaster risk reduction through its AI for Humanity™ program. Learn more about these innovations at www.pdc.org/aiforhumanity.
The Center also provides specialized research on a range of topics ranging such as national fragility, national disaster preparedness, women, peace and security, and climate change. PDC also supports disaster preparedness training and exercises.

A brief history of PDC

Following the devastating effects of Hurricane Iniki to the Hawaiian Islands in 1992, Pacific Disaster Center was conceived as a center to improve systems of communication and technology for disaster prevention at home and beyond. PDC now serves a global audience, helping to increase disaster management capacity and embolden more effective decisions, policies, and actions for a safer world.

Our Team

Executive Management

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Ray Shirkhodai is responsible for PDC’s strategic development, market and partnership expansion, and all aspects of the enterprise operation. Serving in information management and senior leadership roles since 1991, Ray first joined PDC in 2002 as the Chief Information Officer before his selection for Executive Director in 2007. During his tenure at PDC, Ray architected PDC’s flagship DisasterAWARE® risk intelligence platform and mobile applications, developed and oversaw strategies for PDC’s expansion into the global hazard and risk reduction markets, and increased the Center’s competitive project revenues, augmenting PDC’s base research and operating budgets. Ray has led the Center’s support of major international disaster relief operations. He has served as a chief technology advisor to regional and national disaster management offices around the world. Ray has written for numerous United Nations publications on analytical software design for risk reduction. He has been an invited keynote speaker, lecturer and participant at many international events focused on technologies for risk reduction and resilience. Ray is on the advisory board of the University of Hawaii Maui College Applied Business and Information Technology (ABIT) program. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from George Mason University followed by graduate studies in Artificial Intelligence at George Mason University.

Ray Shirkhodai

Executive Director

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Chris Chiesa has more than 30 years of experience developing and leading enterprise applications of geospatial information technologies and has been actively involved in disaster management activities for the past two decades. He directs international deployments of PDC’s disaster management decision support DisasterAWARE® platform. Chris has extensive programmatic and institutional experience in the Asia Pacific region. His work has also taken him to Europe, Central and South America, and Africa. In 2005, Chris received Esri’s prestigious Special Achievements in GIS Award in recognition of the Center’s support to the Indian Ocean tsunami response. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BSME, MSNR) and the University of Arizona (MBA).

Chris Chiesa, MS, MBA

Deputy Executive Director

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Dr. Joseph Green is an expert in the practical application of risk information for humanitarian assistance and resilience-building initiatives worldwide. His analytical work spans more than two decades, with specialized focus on the examination of the intersection between social vulnerability, health outcomes, and disaster resilience. Joseph earned his PhD in epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Prior to earning his PhD, Joseph earned a master’s degree in medical geography from the University of South Florida and worked as a research fellow at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Joseph Green, PhD

Director of Applied Science

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Dr. Erin Hughey is the Director of Global Operation for the Pacific Disaster Center. A recognized leader in global disaster management and disaster risk reduction, Dr. Hughey developed the only operationalized approach to the United Nations Sendai Framework for Action. Known as the National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment (NDPBA), this program has been implemented by more than 20 countries worldwide and aids national, regional and international disaster risk reduction initiatives. With a PhD in geography, Dr. Hughey has dedicated her life’s work to the innovation and the application of new science and technology for disaster management—empowering practitioners and senior leadership alike with the tools and information needed to support data-driven decision making.

Erin Hughey, PhD

Director of Global Operations

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Cassie Stelow brings with her more than 10 years of experience in the development and execution of enterprise-wide IT solutions and strategies. She oversees PDC’s data management solutions and was the key architect for transforming the organization’s data services into a single source. Cassie is responsible for the implementation of data governance, adherence to IT standards and the institutionalization of enterprise tools. She holds a Master of Science in Geospatial Information Science and Technology from North Carolina State University.

Cassie Stelow, MS

Acting Director of Information Technology

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Scott Okada is responsible for PDC’s fiscal planning and management in all areas of budgeting, financial analysis, procurement, and business information technology applications. He has experience and training as a financial forecaster, auditor, tax-compliance officer, and report compiler for national and governmental organizations. His experience also includes high-level oversight of human resources management and loss prevention, as well as cash management and cost control functions. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Scott Okada, BBA, MBA

Director of Finance & Administration

Other Staff

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Bear (Bernd) McConnell

Senior Advisor

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Steve Recca has held several security policy positions with the State Department, Department of Defense, and in academia. He was Director of the University of Colorado Springs Center for Homeland Security where he managed research programs in civil security, defense-related topics, as well as institutional and government agency collaborative relationships. He is on the Editorial Review Board of four peer-reviewed journals and is a frequent guest lecturer on civil security topics for academic institutions across the United States. Steve holds a Master’s in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Steve Recca

Humanitarian Assistance Programs Senior Advisor

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