The tornado in Joplin, Missouri, the H1N1 pandemic, the tsunami in Japan, and the earthquake in New Zealand have proved that even prepared communities can be overwhelmed in a state of state of emergency. This collection of reports provides guidelines and targeted resources for all stakeholders in a disaster response, including state and local governments, emergency medical services and health care centers. These reports also examine the improvement of emergency services in rural communities and recommends post-disaster public engagement practices.
244 pagesDisaster Resilience: A National Imperative (2012)
No person or place is immune from disasters or disaster-related losses. Infectious disease outbreaks, acts of terrorism, social unrest, or financial disasters in addition to natural hazards can all lead to large-scale consequences for the nation and its communities. Communities ...[more]
516 pagesCrisis Standards of Care: A Systems Framework for Catastrophic Disaster Response (2012)
Catastrophic disasters occurring in 2011 in the United States and worldwide--from the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, to the earthquake in New Zealand--have demonstrated that even prepared communities can be overwhelmed. In 2009, at ...[more]
244 pagesNational Earthquake Resilience: Research, Implementation, and Outreach (2011)
The United States will certainly be subject to damaging earthquakes in the future. Some of these earthquakes will occur in highly populated and vulnerable areas. Coping with moderate earthquakes is not a reliable indicator of preparedness for a major earthquake ...[more]
142 pagesBuilding Community Disaster Resilience Through Private-Public Collaboration (2011)
Natural disasters--including hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods--caused more than 220,000 deaths worldwide in the first half of 2010 and wreaked havoc on homes, buildings, and the environment. To withstand and recover from natural and human-caused disasters, it is essential ...[more]
296 pagesMany coastal areas of the United States are at risk for tsunamis. After the catastrophic 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, legislation was passed to expand U.S. tsunami warning capabilities. Since then, the nation has made progress in several related ...[more]
150 pagesNatural disasters are having an increasing effect on the lives of people in the United States and throughout the world. Every decade, property damage caused by natural disasters and hazards doubles or triples in the United States. More than half ...[more]
144 pagesPreparedness and Response to a Rural Mass Casualty Incident:Workshop Summary (2011)
Problems contacting emergency services and delayed assistance are not unusual when incidents occur in rural areas, and the consequences can be devastating, particularly with mass casualty incidents. The IOM's Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events held ...[more]
102 pagesGrand Challenges in Earthquake Engineering Research: A Community Workshop Report (2011)
As geological threats become more imminent, society must make a major commitment to increase the resilience of its communities, infrastructure, and citizens. Recent earthquakes in Japan, New Zealand, Haiti, and Chile provide stark reminders of the devastating impact major earthquakes ...[more]
192 pagesImproving Disaster Management: The Role of IT in Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (2007)
Information technology (IT) has the potential to play a critical role in managing natural and human-made disasters. Damage to communications infrastructure, along with other communications problems exacerbated the difficulties in carrying out response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina. ...[more]
408 pagesFacing Hazards and Disasters: Understanding Human Dimensions (2006)
Social science research conducted since the late 1970's has contributed greatly to society's ability to mitigate and adapt to natural, technological, and willful disasters. However, as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean tsunami, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks ...[more]
376 pagesDisasters by Design: A Reassessment of Natural Hazards in the United States (1999)
Disasters by Design provides an alternative and sustainable way to view, study, and manage hazards in the United States that would result in disaster-resilient communities, higher environmental quality, inter- and intragenerational equity, economic sustainability, and improved quality of life. This ...[more]