The news is disaster-heavy these days. Halfway through 2010, we’ve already weathered three major earthquakes (in Iran, China and Haiti), the West Virginia mine explosion, flooding in Tennessee, a volcanic eruption in Iceland that grounded air travel for a week – not to mention the BP oil leak, still ongoing, in the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s a look at products designed to meet the direst needs in disaster.

A 2009 INDEX:AIGA winner, the Bambulance offers quick emergency-medical transport in rural areas like Kenya. Consisting of a bamboo stretcher pulled by bicycle, the Bambulance is ideally suited for conditions where electrical power is minimal or more traditional ambulances can’t easily reach the patient.

Few things are as Japanese as extreme preparedness and space saving. The Tatamet earthquake helmet manages to be both at once. Reminiscent of the samurai Kabuto helmet made of interlocking circular metal plates, the Tatamet earthquake helmet folds into a thin triangle for compact storage...

...then pops out into helmet shape with a single action.

Almost by definition, a disaster levels homes and takes lives, so emergency shelter is typically one of the most pressing needs. Since 1985 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has adapting preexisting plastic sheeting into temporary housing. Stored in warehouses around the world, the UNHCR emergency-response service can deploy this housing within 72 hours of a crisis.

Made of 100% recyclable polypropylene, the Accordion ReCover Shelter prototype can house a family of four for a month. It transports folded for maximum efficiency and springs open within minutes. Its ridges can be used to collect drinking water, and the structure can be further insulated with ground cover or other materials on site to fend off harsh weather.

Lifestraw, once a fixture in design shows, is one of the rare disaster designs that's made a real-world impact: The first prototypes rolled out after a massive 2005 earthquake in Kashmir that killed more than 73,000 people and left more than 3 million homeless. Now the Lifestraw is used regularly in both disaster areas and the developing world.

The portable Lifestraw filters out virtually all waterborne viruses and bacteria from any water source. Users simply suck the water through the $5 straw to purify it.

A finalist in the 2009 Aspen Design Challenge by Index:AIGA, the Rescue Bottle uses reverse osmosis to purify contaminated floodwater for drinking. The product yields filtered pure water mixed with dioralyte and essential nutrients, not only quenching the thirst of flood-hit populations but also treating early symptoms of diarrhea.

The Alluvial Sponge Comb, designed by Anderson Anderson, combats flooding in a new way. Unlike hard concrete walls designed to hold water back, the Sponge Comb absorbs water, swelling into a temporary levee. Once high waters recede, the Sponge Comb dries and shrinks to its original size. Its active absorbent is most frequently used in diapers.

Some disasters, like landmines, are man-made. Sponsored by the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), this mask and vest protects workers disassembling landmines in former war zones. The mask is lighter than its predecessors, provides better protection against blasts, and allows air to circulate for better ventilation of the user’s breath.

Allen Vanguard’s demining outfit includes the “Spider Boot,” which elevates the foot so blast energy and fragments are deflected away from the feet. The shoe’s hull further absorbs residual blast energy and fragments.

Another view of the boots in action.

Created by Mexican designer Francisco Lindoro, the Childbirth Assistant makes giving birth outside of a hospital a sanitary, safer, and more comfortable experience. The kit comes in a container that keeps all the elements sealed and sterilized and includes a hospital gowns and gloves, a birthing mat, scissors, umbilical cord clamp, forceps, sutures, and a sling for carrying the baby after birth.

Frog Design recently developed the Reaction Housing System, which consists of two parts, a base and a top, which locks into place...

...once installed, four beds fold down from the walls. A team of four can install one shelter in two minutes, and a special connector system allows power to be routed to units from a single, central source.