# Presentation: 203816

## Why Define Disaster?

-   Because definitions:
- Can _define how we look at an event or a hazard_ and
- _what to do about it_, if anything.

## Defining Disaster Quantitatively

-   Disasters include all events that cause:
- At least 100 human deaths, or
- At least 100 human injuries, or
- At least US $1 million economic damages.
- (Sheehan and Hewitt in Smith, 1996)

## Bradford Disaster Scale

-  Fatality scale, starting at 10 deaths, then:
- 32 deaths = magnitude 1.5 disaster
- 95 deaths = magnitude 1.98
- 166 deaths = magnitude 2.22
- 1,000 deaths = magnitude 3.0
- 25,000 deaths = magnitude 4.38
- Destruction of the planet = magnitude 10
- (Horlick-Jones and Peters, 1991)

## Fatalities Only One Factor

- “It is clear. . . that _disasters are characterized by a _
- _range of factors of which fatalities is only one_. The
- Bradford Disaster Scale should, perhaps, be more
- accurately termed the ‘Bradford Fatality scale’.
- Multiple fatalities will almost certainly be regarded
- as ‘disasters’. However, _they are not a necessary _
- _condition for an event to be perceived as a disaster_.”
- (Horlick-Jones and Peters, 1991)

## Different Social Systems Matter

- “While this has the appeal of some
- standardization, _such thresholds are of _
- _little value for comparative studies in _
- _different social systems_, and economic
- thresholds quickly become eroded by
- inflation.”				(Dynes, 1998)

## Access to Resources Matters

- “. . . A train derailment that injures 15
- people may be overwhelming for a
- smaller city or county but easily handled
- by a larger city or county with greater
- access to resources.”
- (Carroll 2001, citing Crichlow, 1997)

## Overall Impact Matters

-  Even _if the threshold criteria are changed_, as
-  Glickman et al. did in their 1992 study when
- the fatality threshold was 25, _significant _
- _events can be dropped_:  In the case of
- _Hurricane Iniki_, the impact upon the island of
- Kauai on September 11, 1992 amounted to
- _$1.8 billion in estimated losses and 100 _
- _injuries, but “only” 7 deaths_.          (NOAA, 1992)

## Defining by Characteristics

- 1.  Length of forewarning
- 2.  Magnitude of impact
- 3.  Geographical scope of impact
- 4.  Duration of impact
- 5.  Speed of onset

## Social Crisis Occasions

- “Let us define disasters in terms of
- social characteristics of responses
- in crisis occasions that are part of
- social change.”
- (Quarantelli, 1987)

## The Interpretive Voice

- “Ordinary people will tell
- sociologists what disasters are if
- we listen to them.”
- (Kroll-Smith and Gunter
- in Quarantelli, 1998a)

## A FEMA Definition of Disaster

- “An occurrence that has resulted in
- _property damage, deaths, and/or _
- _injuries to a community_.
- (FEMA, 1990)

## From the Stafford Act

- “Major Disaster:  Any natural catastrophe. . . or,
- regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in
- any part of the United States, which, in the
- determination of the President, causes damage of
- sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major
- disaster assistance. . . to supplement the efforts and
- available resources of States, local governments, and
- disaster relief organizations in alleviating the
- damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.”

## A U.N. Definition of Disaster

- “A serious disruption of the
- functioning of society, causing
- widespread human, material, or
- environmental losses _which exceed_
- _the ability of affected society to _
- _cope using only its own resources_.”
- (U.N., 1992)

## A Modified Definition

- “A disaster is. . . _an event_ associated with the
- impact of a _natural hazard_, which leads to
- _increased mortality, illness and/or injury_, and
- _destroys or disrupts livelihoods_, affecting the
- people or an area such that they (and/or
- outsiders) _perceive it as being exceptional and_
- _requiring external assistance for recovery_.”
- (Cannon, 1994)

## Probability and Consequences

- “Disasters are, by their nature
- _low probability--high consequence_
- events. . .”

## A “Comprehensive” Definition

- “A disaster is a nonroutine event that
- exceeds the capacity of the affected area
- to respond to it in such a way as to save
- lives; to preserve property; and to
- maintain the social, ecological,
- economic, and political stability of the
- affected region.” 			(Pearce, 2000)

## Quarantelli (1995) on Need for Minimum Consensus

- “. . . To be concerned about what is meant
- by the term ‘disaster’ is not to engage in
- some useless or pointless academic exercise.
- It is instead to focus in a fundamental way
- on what should be considered important and
- significant . . .”

## Need Consensus on Key Terms

- As Emergency Management continues
- to evolve, part of its transformation
- from an avocation to a profession is
- the _formation of a consensus on key_
- _terms and definitions_.