Showing papers on "Natural disaster published in 1998"

Natural Hazard Mitigation: Recasting Disaster Policy And Planning

Abstract: Mitigating natural hazards - a national challenge evolving mitigation policy directions Florida after Hurricane Andrew Missouri after the mid-West floods of 1993 California after the Loma Prieta and Northridge earthquakes Massachusetts after Hurricane Bob and other storms Tennessee after a series of floods and storms state hazard mitigation plans - falling short of their potential the hazard mitigation grant programme - scattered spending state implementation of natural disaster mitigation policy ethical guidelines for hazard mitigation natural hazard mitigation - planning for sustainable communities.

The Effect of a Natural Disaster on Social Cohesion: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract: On January 8, 1998, a severe ice storm devastated electrical power grids and caused extensive environmental damage in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. This study examines the effect this natural disaster had on perceptions of social relations in the village of Potsdam, a rural community in northern New York State. Residents (N=88) were surveyed on their perceptions of their community one month following the disaster. These data are compared with a surveyed (N=127) of community perceptions conducted three years prior to the disaster. These two surveys provide a rare opportunity to perform a longitudinal study of the effects of the disaster on social cohesion. Findings indicate that social cohesion increases in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. However, one month after the disaster, perceptions of the community return to predisaster levels. This study indicates that there are few lasting effects on social cohesion resulting from a natural disaster.

Why the United States is becoming more vulnerable to natural disasters

Abstract: The United States is becoming more vulnerable to natural hazards mostly because of changes in population and national wealth density—more people and more societal infrastructure have become concentrated in disaster-prone areas For most of the 20th century, the United States has been largely spared the expense of a catastrophic natural disaster A great earthquake (magnitude 8 or larger) has not struck a major metropolitan area since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake An extreme or catastrophic hurricane (Class 4 or 5) has not struck directly a major urban area since the one that hit Miami, Florida, in 1926 Yet even without such disasters, which might create losses well over $100 billion, the overall costs of natural hazards, such as extreme weather, drought, and wildfires, are estimated at $54 billion per year for the past 5 years, or approximately $1 billion per week [National Science and Technology Council, 1997]

The Pacific Northwest Coast: Living with the Shores of Oregon and Washington

Abstract: By PAUL D. KOMAR. xv and 195 pp.; maps, diagrs., ills., bibliog., index. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1997. $54.95 (cloth), ISBN 082232010X; $18.95 (paper), ISBN 0822320207. Coasts attract human settlements. For many of us, the lure is almost primal. For others, the attraction is convenience. The juxtaposition of land and water provides a salubrious melange of economic, cultural, recreational, and amenity opportunities that spur development. In many instances, however, coastal development occurs in locales that are subject to substantial natural hazards, including hurricanes, storm surges and flooding, tsunamis, landslides, and erosion. These hazards present a profound threat to coastal residents. Our nation's deadliest natural disaster was the hurricane and storm surge that hit Galveston in 1900, killing more than 8,000 people. Recent hurricanes--Iniki, Andrew, and Hugo, for example--have been among the nation's costliest natural disasters. Coastal erosion is a chronic threat along most of our shores, resulting in loss of property and displacement of populations. One response to this suite of threats has been a growing effort to reduce losses associated with coastal hazards by implementing better public policy, especially at state and federal levels, improving management practices, and increasing public awareness of risk. As one element of that effort, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has funded the "Living with the Shore" series, edited by Orrin Pilkey and William Neal. The intent is to provide an educated readership with an introduction to the fundamentals of coastal geomorphology and management, illustrated with regional case studies of management issues. The Pacific Northwest Coast: Living with the Shores of Oregon and Washington is a part of that series. Although the overall quality of the volumes in the series is uneven, this book accomplishes the intended goals admirably. The coasts of Oregon and Washington face minimal threat from hurricanes, but tsunamis, rogue waves, beach erosion, and landslides do pose substantial risks. Paul Komar addresses these hazards, successfully translating the complex languages of coastal geomorphology and integrated coastal-zone management into an accessible vernacular. The Pacific Northwest Coast comprises ten chapters. Most of the first three chapters introduce the regional setting and the basic science of coastal geomorphology. The later chapters are more concerned with case studies and coastal-management issues. After a brief review of the region's geography (chapter 1), there is a historical geological survey (chapter 2), followed by an overview of nearshore processes and coastal hazards (chapter 3). These chapters in particular are valuable for the interested novice. The descriptions of the geology that establishes the magnificent cliffed coasts and that also poses the threat of subduction-zone earthquakes and associated tsunamis remind us that sometimes even houses built on rock may have shaky foundations. Komar's clear, concise writing, coupled with well-chosen illustrations, makes this a first-rate primer. …

Flood response and crisis management in Western Europe : a comparative analysis

Abstract: 1 Flood response and disaster management: a comparative perspective.- 1 The 1993 and 1995 floods in Western Europe.- 2 Risk communication and warning.- 3 The organization of disaster response.- 4 Recovery and damage compensation.- 5 Study design.- Notes.- 2 Flood management in France.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Warning process and risk information.- 3 Disaster response.- 4 Recovery and damage compensation.- 5 Concluding observations.- Notes.- 3 Flood management in Belgium.- 1 Introduction.- 2 The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events.- 3 Disaster management in Belgium.- 4 Risk communication.- 5 Disaster response.- 6 Recovery and damage compensation.- Notes.- 4 Flood management in the Netherlands.- 1 Introduction.- 2 The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events.- 3 Risk communication.- 4 Disaster response.- 5 Damage compensation.- Notes.- 5 Flood management in Germany.- 1 Introduction.- 2 The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events.- 3 Water management and disaster response in Germany.- 4 Risk communication.- 5 Disaster response.- 6 Recovery and compensation.- Notes.- 6 Flood response dynamics: Local resilience and administrative flexibility.- 1 Introduction: a constrained comparison.- 2 Risk communication: flood forecasting and warning.- 3 The organization and implementation of disaster response.- 4 Managing evacuations.- 5 The politics of damage compensation.- 6 Organizational learning.- Notes.- Appendix 1 Sources.- Appendix 2 Floods in Western Europe.- List of contributors.

Lessons from the Kobe earthquake

Abstract: The Kobe earthquake is considered to be one of the most devastating and costly natural disasters in recent history considering the number of buildings destroyed, the number of people killed and injured, the size of the affected area, and the extent and severity of damage to a wide range of structural types. As a result, important questions have been raised about earthquake preparedness, disaster response, seismic design and codes of practice, and upgrading of earthquake-resistant structures. This paper presents an overview of this earthquake, investigates the extent and types of damage caused, studies the factors behind each type of damage, and highlights important lessons learnt from this earthquake. Protective measures and future research that should be undertaken in Japan, and all countries that are at seismic risk, are recommended in order to reduce damage and casualties in future seismic events.

Chapter 4: Urban Metabolism and Disaster Vulnerability in an Era

Abstract: Research on the human dimensions of global change typically examines the vulnerability of sociotechnical systems to anticipated environmental stresses, most often in non-urban settings. This paper takes a somewhat different track; first it argues that urban areas should receive high priority in global change re­ search and second, it highlights an expanded view of "urban metabolism" as a neglected set of variables that mediate between environmental hazards and human responses. Other researchers have defined "urban metabolism" as the production and consumption of natural resources and physical environments by cities (Stren, White, and Whitney, 1992 (16, p. 9)). In the brief overview that is presented here the term has broader connotations; it includes various means - social as well as biophysical - by which cities acquire or lose the capacity for sustainability in the face of diverse and competing problems. Chief among these is the process by which opportunities for reducing natural disasters are increased or decreased as a result of interactions among different urban issues. 1 Introduction: Global Change hazards and disasters If global climate changes in the ways projected by most General Circulation Models (GeMs). the earliest and most discernible effects are likely to include increased storms, floods, droughts, and other short-term weather extremes (Mitchell and Ericksen, 1992 (15, p. 142)). These hazards will add further burdens to the rising global potential for disaster that is mainly fueled by increasing exposure and vulnerability of human populations as well as lack of investment in improved disaster management. Risks of potential climate change are not spread evenly across the Earth's surface. Low-lying coasts are believed to be particularly susceptible to flood­ ing associated with sea level rise; polar regions are thought to be dispropor­ tionately at risk to small shifts in mean temperatures; tropical islands might feel the effects of precipitation changes more than adjacent mainland areas; high mountains could witness significant altitudinal shifts in vegetation zones and the limits of agriculture and pastoralism would probably fluctuate most along the margins of hot deserts and other semi-arid areas. As research on the ecological implications of climate change continues, it will doubtless be possible to refine these generalizations and to identify local ecosystems and specific places that are most at risk. However, information on the susceptibility of natural environments to atmospheric perturbations provides only limited guidance about the likely

Flood disaster preparedness: a retrospect from Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Abstract: Natural disasters often come without warning. The clinical, financial, and business risks can be enormous. Grand Forks' (ND) healthcare systems experienced a flooding disaster of unprecedented proportions in April of 1997. Planned and practiced disaster and evacuation procedures can significantly reduce a healthcare facilities' risk to life, health, and safety. This article retrospectively analyzes disaster preparation and the complete evacuation of the facilities' patients.

Insurance and Climate Change: The Implications for Australia with Respect to Natural Hazards

Abstract: The reinsurance sector and the property sector of the insurance industry are already vulnerable to variability in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events (Dlugolecki et al. 1996), and are increasingly concerned about the financial implications of the effect of climate change on future trends in natural disaster losses. Internationally and in Australia, the insurance industry could respond to the threat of climate change reactively; or it could respond in a more pro-active manner, encouraging adaptation to climate change at the individual and governmental levels. The issues surrounding the potential impacts of climate change on the property insurance industry and the consequent implications are reviewed. A generalised economic framework is developed to establish the position and role of insurance in disaster relief in Australia. Analysis of four case studies of floods and bushfires in south and east Australia reveal the absolute and relative damage costs borne by insurance, government and char...

Recent Developments in Emergency Management

Abstract: A holistic approach to disaster management is considered from a public safety perspective and public administration in Queensland, due to increasing pressure for accountability in government and the realization of ever increasing exposure to disaster risk. Queensland is supportive to the need for change and is embracing the hazard mitigation concepts based on a risk management methodology due to its high exposure to natural disaster events.

Role of technology in managing vulnerability to natural disasters, with case studies of volcanic disasters on non-industrialized islands

Abstract: Technology is one tool used and misused for managing society’s vulnerability to natural disasters. Many of the difficulties encountered result from neither technical problems nor the specific natural disaster event, but manifest because society errs in applying technology or in assessing the natural hazard’s severity. This study examines, critiques, and suggests improvements in this area. One of the most challenging steps for an engineer is defining the design criteria which should be used to anticipate a system’s response during a natural disaster, because the design load input from a natural disaster is difficult to predict and select properly. An examination of non-technological influences, preventive engineering, and relevant boundaries and scales illustrates how to prevent vulnerability to natural disasters. The concepts and models developed are applied to case studies of volcanic hazards on non-industrialized islands. The eruptions of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines (initial eruption in 1991) and Soufrière Hills in Montserrat (initial eruption in 1995) are examined. iii Acknowledgements Bryan Karney (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto), who as this author’s supervisor, endured the trials and tribulations which traditionally befall his innocent graduate students. His intelligence, humour, and wisdom have irrevocably worked their way into this thesis, but are nonetheless surpassed by his advice one day to “follow your heart”. This author has done so, unquestionably to his benefit, but also hopefully to the benefit of those to whom this research is of interest. David Etkin (Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Environment Canada and the Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Toronto) who cheerfully agreed to the suffer the role of The Second Reader. Invaluable advice, sources, and direction also emanated from his office, enabling this author to complete far more than he had ever expected. The many people who kindly took the time to provide much-needed material and/or advice for this thesis, thereby enabling this author to broaden his perspective and ideas and to incorporate sources which would otherwise have been overlooked. Alphabetically, they are: Barry Adams (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto) Brad Bass (Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Environment Canada) Michael Brady (Transportation Department, City of Toronto) Phil Byer (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto) John Emery (John Emery Geotechnical Engineering Limited) Michael Kesterton (The Globe and Mail) Chris Newhall (United States Geological Survey) Gill Norton (Montserrat Volcano Observatory) Simon Young (Montserrat Volcano Observatory) Eric Miller, Jayne Leake, Linda Chow, Rosa Leo, Ampy Pural, and the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto for providing the necessary administrative support in an exemplary manner. Whenever a query was made, a document was needed, or advice was requested, the response was immediate, friendly, and accurate. Family and Friends for being there. And to the resident canine for daily (weekends, holidays, and sleepy days excepted) risking life, paw, and bone to protect this author from being savagely murdered by the evil, ruthless Canada Post agents who dared to set foot within barking distance while carrying a horrendously lethal mailbag. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the University of Toronto, Bryan Karney, and my parents for financial support. The many researchers who preceded me in this field and who paved the road upon which I travelled. iv Many of the ideas and examples in this thesis were developed and analyzed during other work completed during this author’s Master of Applied Science degree. The items which contributed the most material towards, and which are most reflected in, this thesis are: •A paper entitled “A Critical Analysis of the Reaction to the 1991 Eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines” written by this author for the course IES1202S (Environmental Issues in Developing Countries) at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Professor Rodney White and submitted on April 21, 1997. This paper particularly influenced Chapter 11 in this thesis. •A paper entitled “Natural Disasters and Human Activity”, a report for the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) by David Etkin (Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Environment Canada), María Teresa Vázquez (National Disaster Prevention Centre, Mexico City), and this author. This paper particularly influenced the tables and figures in Chapter 2, section 5.2.3, section 5.2.4, and Table 9-2 in this thesis. Any errors or misinterpretations in this thesis are solely the responsibility of this author and do not reflect the support provided by those listed above and on the previous page.

Victims of natural disaster and the right to humanitarian assistance: A practitioner's view

Abstract: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is one of the world's largest providers of humanitarian aid to the victims of natural disasters, both through the local work of the member Societies themselves and through the Federation's international support for that work. For the Federation, discussions about the need for and/or legality of an international right to assistance prompt reflection on a number of fundamental issues that lie at the heart of the way in which humanitarian assistance, apart from that provided in the maelstrom of the battlefield, is currently delivered.

Turning the Tide on Domestic Disaster Relief

Abstract: : An unintended consequence of current domestic disaster policy is the ever greater consumption of our national resources during times of severely constrained budgets. Our challenge is to responsibly reverse the trend in disaster resource consumption, while still accomplishing policy aims, so that scarce resources are available for competing foreign and domestic policy objectives. Fiscal responsibility demands that U.S. domestic disaster relief strategy be firmly focused on the deliberate reduction of local, state and territorial governmental reliance on avoidable, yet oft repeated and costly federal disaster relief. Wise preventive steps today achieved through the deliberate targeting of scarce resources will yield a more disaster resistant America, lessening the reactive burdens posed by future natural disasters.

Report calls for better information that could help with disaster efforts

Abstract: The U.S. federal government should continue laying plans for an integrated disaster information network that would link disaster managers with hundreds of government, university, and private databases, recommends a new report, “Reducing Disaster Losses Through Better Information,” issued by the National Research Council's Board on Natural Disasters in November. The report says the network could be an important tool in saving lives and minimizing losses in the United States, and that it could be expanded to include other countries once the effectiveness is tested.

Researches Related to Seismic Hazard Mitigation in Taiwan

Abstract: In view of the rapid development of economics and technology, perilous meteorological and geological conditions often cause natural disasters and result in severe loss of lives and properties in Taiwan To promote multi-hazard mitigation strategies in an integrated a, ppoach, the National Science Council established a National Science and Technology Program for Disaster Mitigation in January 1998 This program emphasizes on the implementation of research results in the National Disaster Management System This paper describes the earthquake loss estimation methodology that is currently developed in Taiwan Topics of potential earth science hazards (PESH) and building vulnerability analysis are described in detail

The NSF Earthquake Disaster Mitigation Research Program

Abstract: This paper presents several major developments and research initiatives of NSF's program in earthquake hazard mitigation. These activities include (1) establishment of three new earthquake engineering research centers in the U.S., (2) initiation of a major five‐year cooperative research program on urban earthquake disaster mitigation between the U.S. and Japan, (3) initiation of two joint center‐to‐center projects between the U.S. and Japan, and (4) planning for a high‐performance earthquake simulation facility network in the U.S. These activities highlight the ever‐increasing importance of research innovations for earthquake disaster mitigation and the continuing challenges for cooperation between the U.S. and Japan.

Modeling Considerations in the Analysis of Risk Management Strategies

Abstract: Worldwide data for the last fifty years or so show a rising trend in the annual frequency of natural disasters and the associated annual fatalities (Glickman and Golding, 1992). Population growth is one of the major reasons for this rise, because as more people inhabit vulnerable areas the storms, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural hazards that strike those areas will produce more deaths and property damage, notwithstanding improvements in early warning and emergency preparedness. In fact, the observation has been made that natural disasters are really man-made since the hazards that produce them only cause any deaths or property damage because human beings have chosen to develop and inhabit the affected areas. In the case of the Mississippi Valley, where floods have been recurrent in recent years, concerns have been raised as to whether the federal government should subsidize individual risk-taking behavior by repeatedly providing disaster relief to people who choose again and again to rebuild their homes in flood-prone areas.