FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHERI Newsbrief: CONVERGE Releases Newest Training Module: Older Adults and Disasters
The latest CONVERGE Training Module highlights how older adults experience disasters, contribute to community resilience
Boulder, Colo, July 2, 2026 — The Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) CONVERGE facility is excited to announce the release of its latest training module: Older Adults and Disasters. This module examines how social systems influence the vulnerability of older adults in disasters. It also highlights older adults’ strengths, experiences, and social connections, emphasizing the vital roles that they can and do play in bolstering community resilience. Made possible with funding from the National Science Foundation, this free online course is part of a series of foundational and advanced training modules designed to enhance valuable knowledge and skills among students and other emerging researchers and practitioners.
Please join us on July 9, 2026, from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. MT for a demonstration webinar of the Older Adults and Disasters module. REGISTER HERE.
Now available online, the CONVERGE Older Adults and Disasters Training Module explores how aging-related factors and structural inequalities shape older adults’ experiences in earthquakes, floods, and other disasters. It also shows how engaging older adults in research, planning, and emergency management can enhance progress with disaster risk reduction.
“Older adults are often disproportionately impacted in disasters, not simply because of age, but because of the social, economic, and political conditions that shape how people age,” said Haorui Wu, Canada Research Chair in Resilience and associate professor at Dalhousie University and one of the lead developers of the module. “At the same time, older adults bring critical strengths—including life experience, community knowledge, and social connections—that are essential to building resilience. Recognizing both vulnerability and capacity is key to more inclusive and effective disaster planning.”
The module highlights the multifaceted roles older adults play in building resilience to disasters. Case studies illustrate how older adults contribute as caregivers, volunteers, knowledge holders, and community leaders—demonstrating that engaging this population is not only an ethical imperative, but also a practical strategy for strengthening disaster risk reduction. The module concludes by discussing guiding principles to consider when engaging older adults in hazards and disaster research, with a specific focus on the role of transparency, flexibility, and reciprocity.
CASE STUDY
2013 Colorado Floods
Following the 2013 floods in Boulder County, Colorado, researchers conducted interviews with flood survivors over 60 years old to better understand their recovery. They found that older adults bolstered their own resilience and that of others through their volunteering and civic engagement. Networks of senior-serving organizations also played an integral role in circumventing barriers to elders' recovery. Social and organizational networks provided tangible resources, such as lodging, labor, and information, as well as social support, with older adults helping each other to mentally cope with the recovery.
This module grew out of work published in a special issue of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science focused on promoting older adults’ engagement in disaster settings. Kyle Breen, Assistant Professor at Texas A&M International University and a module co-developer, explained, “The special issue aimed to elevate older adults’ leadership in disasters, and through that process, we identified opportunities to improve age-friendly services and strengthen resilience.” The special issue author team was eager to partner with CONVERGE to broaden the module’s reach to students and those new to hazards and disaster research. Breen said, “This module was designed to help users understand how older adults experience and navigate disasters, while also highlighting ethical and participatory approaches to working in partnership with these communities.”
Upon completion of the module, users who successfully pass a 10-question quiz will receive a certificate worth one contact hour of general management training through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) certification program. Users can visit the CONVERGE website to access supplementary materials, including the CONVERGE Assignment Bank, Annotated Bibliographies, and Additional Resources.
The next training modules to be released in the series include:
- People Experiencing Homelessness and Disasters
- Interdisciplinary Hazards and Disaster Research
To receive updates and information on new NHERI CONVERGE training modules and other resources, please subscribe here.
Media Contact
Lori Peek, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator, NHERI CONVERGE and Social Science Extreme Events Research Network
Professor, Department of Sociology
Director, Natural Hazards Center
University of Colorado Boulder
lori.peek@colorado.edu
About the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure, NHERI
Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, NHERI is a national network of university-centered experimental facilities and resources. NHERI facilities are dedicated to reducing damage and loss-of-life due to natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, windstorms, wildfires, tsunamis and storm surge. A vital resource, NHERI provides researchers in the natural hazards engineering and social science communities with state-of-the-art laboratories, data, cyberinfrastructure, equipment, and training needed to meet the research challenges of the 21st century. NHERI is supported by multiple grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Learn more.