bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
News Frames of Mitigation and Responsibility after Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Vultee Fred
Published: January 2023

A content analysis of national news coverage of Hurricane Katrina's impact and aftermath examines how responsibility is apportioned between local and national actors, when stories are told from personal or institutional perspectives, and how the important topic of disaster mitigation is covered relative to disaster impact and recovery. Results of this case study suggest the importance of storytelling frames to perceptions of disasters and governmental performance.
Location Matters? A Comparison of Placement Conditions for Hurricane Evacuees in Houston and Louisiana
Authors: Lu Alexander , Singelmann Joachim
Published: January 2023

In the late summer of 2005, hurricanes Katrina and Rita inflicted overwhelming destruction causing residents in affected areas to evacuate and relocate to Houston and various parts of Louisiana. The purpose of this study is to examine how the residential environment and FEMA intervention have affected stress levels experienced by evacuees. Our research questions are: Are there socioeconomic and demographic differences between evacuees sent to Houston and those housed in FEMA trailer parks? How have hurricane evacuees experienced stress differently in Houston and Louisiana? And what factors affect levels of stress? The analysis uses survey data collected from 682 evacuees residing in Houston and various FEMA parks in Louisiana. Our findings highlight the importance of proper planning for evacuations after natural disasters such as hurricanes, including a better understanding of the environment at the place of destination for the evacuees. While evacuation from one's home causes unavoidable stress, the manner by which evacuations are executed have much to do with the magnitude of stress.
The Impact of Gender on Humanitarian Logistics
Authors: Tatham Peter , Kovács Gyöngyi
Published: January 2023

Logistics performance in the humanitarian context has been linked to gender issues in several ways. From the perspective of the beneficiary, gender-based disaster vulnerabilities and gender disparities in accessing aid have been highlighted. However, the gender of humanitarian staff in contact with beneficiaries, making purchasing decisions, and responsible for last-mile deliveries, i.e., humanitarian logisticians, also impacts on the way in which the needs of female and male beneficiaries are met. This conceptual article focuses, therefore, on the links between gender, logistics performance, and logistics skills—discussing the implications of these three areas in the humanitarian context. From this, an agenda for further research is proposed.
Gender-Aware Disaster Care: Issues and Interventions in Supplies, Services, Triage and Treatment
Authors: Richter Roxane , Flowers Thomas
Published: January 2023

Many non-medical policy makers, planners and response teams have in the past assumed the mass post-disaster population to be homogenous, and have staged disaster shelters and services that overlooked the specific needs of women. This has led to unnecessary suffering, discomfort and slower recoveries for female disaster victims. This research seeks to not only identify gender disparities in disasters, but also socially constructed and biological differences in health and behavior, and to emphasize interventions that could significantly reduce long-term care costs and recoveries. It is the authors’ contention that proactive “Gender-Aware Disaster Care”—coupled with supplies, services, triage and treatment—would facilitate more efficient interventions in mitigation, needs assessment, care and recovery for women and their families. Thus this work can make significant contributions to gender-aware disaster care and policies, especially among first responders, emergency managers, EMS crews and volunteer organizations that stage and provide shelter and services to evacuees.
New Frames on Crisis: Citizen Journalism Changing the Dynamics of Crisis Communication
Authors: Novak Julie M. , Vidoloff Kathleen G.
Published: January 2023

On October 20, 2007, wildfires began in Malibu, California, and over the next 19 days, more than 20 blazes ignited throughout the region from Santa Barbara County to San Diego County. Cumulatively, the 2007 Southern California wildfires destroyed nearly 2,250 homes, burned more than 500,000 acres of land, and caused massive evacuations (Sutton, Palen, and Shklovski, 2008). In this study, our objective is to illustrate the role employed by RimoftheWorld.net as a first communicator and citizen journalism website, the role and patterns of information seeking by community members experiencing the wildfires, and the possible impact of citizen journalism on the understanding and framing of crisis. The findings may also improve crisis and disaster planning and response by providing heretofore underexamined and underutilized information about citizen journalism and new media platforms.
What we Tweet about when we Tweet about Disasters: The Nature and Sources of Microblog Comments during Emergencies
Authors: Vultee Fred , Vultee Denise M.
Published: January 2023

This study examines messages sent by users of the microblog service Twitter during natural and technological disasters. A constant comparison model is used to generate categories of content in an attempt to build an inductive picture of the kinds of messages microblog users seek and send during disasters. Results offer insights for communicators, planners, responders, and other professionals about how messages differ depending on disaster type, disaster size, and whether users are communication professionals or “citizen journalists.”
Citizenship Rights and Voluntary Decision Making in Post-Disaster U.S. Floodplain Buyout Mitigation Programs
Authors: de Vries Daniel H. , Fraser James C.
Published: January 2023

Since the 1990s, the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has promoted voluntary “buyout” programs to relocate property owners out of floodplains. In this paper we evaluate perceived voluntariness of these initiatives. We use local mitigation official interviews and property owner surveys conducted in four post-disaster buyout program sites. We show that there is considerable variability in property-owner's experience of buyout programs and their sense of voluntariness, despite high buyout acceptance rates. We find that the paradox facing program managers is that buyout participants perceive the process to be less voluntary compared to those who did not accept the offer. Because local mitigation officials simultaneously act in the interest of the government while working with flooded property owners, voluntariness is not guaranteed. Low social capital of flood victims tends to lead to situations where buyouts are successfully expedited during post-crisis, temporal “windows of opportunity” and local perceptions of voluntariness are compromised.
Coping with Hazards: A Comparison of Farmers’ Responses to Drought and Flood in the Manawatu, New Zealand
Authors: Smith Willie , Kelly Steven , Owen Susan
Published: January 2023

Research on natural disasters has generally focused on specific hazard agents, often related to the disciplinary basis of those researchers concerned. Equally, social impacts have frequently been related to the composition and structure of the specific population involved. There have been few attempts to synthesise findings and few comparative studies. This paper explores the social impact of flood and drought on an agricultural region in New Zealand. It highlights the differential impact of floods and drought on farms as both businesses and family homes. The paper uses a range of published and unpublished sources as well as the findings drawn from interviews with 23 farm households that experienced prolonged drought in the summer of 2008. Eleven households had been interviewed previously as part of a larger study of 44 households that experienced severe flooding in February 2004. The remaining 12 households provide a comparison group that while having experienced the drought was not directly impacted by the earlier flood. Six officials, including community leaders and others involved in drought and flood relief were also interviewed. The interviews were conducted in the period June-October, 2008. The results confirm the importance of the characteristics of the hazard in explaining its impact but also highlight the need to better understand the contextual factors involve when interpreting its social impact.
Differences in Information Needs for Wildfire Evacuees and Non-Evacuees
Authors: McCaffrey Sarah M. , Velez Anne-Lise Knox , Briefel Jason Alexander
Published: January 2023

This paper examines whether evacuees from two wildfires displayed different information seeking behavior than non-evacuees. Findings are the results of a mail survey sent to residents affected by wildfires outside Flagstaff, Arizona and Boulder, Colorado in 2010. We found evacuees sought information more actively than non-evacuees and placed a greater emphasis on use of interactive information sources, which they also tended to see as more useful and trustworthy. Evacuees also expressed lower satisfaction levels for receipt of information items that were more important to them including evacuation and road closure information. Finally, evacuees differed significantly in their assessments of pre-fire information suggesting that experiences during a fire may retroactively influence views of pre-fire information needs. Overall, findings support that of previous work and highlight the importance of disseminating information in as timely a manner as possible and through sources that allow as much interaction as possible with information providers.
Simulation Evacuation Modeling of A Commercial Shopping District to Safe Zones
Authors: Ni Qingbiao , Rossetti Manuel D.
Published: January 2023

Commercial shopping districts offer challenges for emergency planners to plan for the evacuation of short-notice emergency events. This paper illustrates a simulation analysis of the evacuation a large commercial shopping district, which focuses on street and parking lot vehicle traffic. Microscopic simulation is used to track the behaviors of vehicles evacuating from parking lots to safe zones. Evacuation scenarios investigate evacuation strategies by varying factors involving the occupancy rate of parking lots, inbound traffic control, and destination assignment policy. The performance of the evacuating vehicles is measured by an evacuation risk profile including the most problematic parking lots in terms of evacuation time. A trade-off analysis illustrates the effectiveness of the evacuation strategies in terms of costs, time, and risk. The simulation results indicate that an optimized destination assignment policy can alleviate traffic congestion and reduce total evacuation time.
Residential Household Knowledge and Receipt of Potassium Iodide within the 10-Mile Emergency Planning Zone of a Nuclear Power Plant in North Carolina, 2010
Authors: Rosselli Richard , Bevc Christine A. , Simon Matthew C. , Casani Julie , Horney Jennifer A. , MacDonald Pia D.M.
Published: January 2023

There has been renewed interest in radiological preparedness and countermeasures for nuclear power plant (NPP) emergencies in the United States as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011. One such countermeasure, potassium iodide (KI), was voluntarily pre-distributed to households in a central North Carolina community living within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of a NPP in 2010. The goal of this study was to evaluate household KI coverage among EPZ residents following this pre-distribution campaign, as well as to assess knowledge and beliefs about KI. A guided interview and self-administered questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 177 EPZ households. Findings indicate four months post-distribution that this program resulted in low household KI coverage rates (< 5%) and low KI knowledge levels. Results demonstrate the need for improved KI pre-distribution and education strategies targeting households within the designated 10-mile EPZ.
Social Capital and the Mental Health Impacts of Hurricane Katrina: Assessing Long-Term Patterns of Psychosocial Distress
Authors: Adeola Francis O. , Picou J. Steven
Published: January 2023

Hurricane Katrina was the most costly disaster in U.S. history, creating severe physical and mental health impacts among the population exposed along the Gulf Coast. The physical and economic assessments have been the focus of many previous studies with inadequate attention paid to the long-term emotional and psychosocial toll on survivors. This study evaluates the socio-demographic and contextual variations in Katrina's depressive and psychosocial stress impacts among a random sample of survivors in the most devastated counties/parishes of Louisiana and Mississippi three years after the storm. Our primary objective was to assess the influence of social capital, or lack of it, for mental health outcomes. Using a comprehensive random digit dialing telephone survey data-set, descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques including differences of means, factor analysis, multivariate discriminant analysis, and Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis, were utilized to test hypotheses derived from social capital theory. Strong support was found for the hypothesized relationships; empirical evidence clearly shows that lack of social capital predicts both depression and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. The results further reveal that Katrina's mental health impacts are not evenly distributed. Depression, stress, and psychosocial impacts are skewed toward African Americans, older adults, women, unmarried adults, less educated, and people with weak social networks. Theoretical and applied policy implications of these findings are discussed for understanding lingering mental health problems three years post-Katrina.
The County Emergency Manager's Role in Recovery
Authors: Jensen Jessica , Bundy Sarah , Thomas Brian , Yakubu Mariama
Published: January 2023

For decades emergency management has presented itself as an emerging profession devoted to coordinating activities related to mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. However, there has been little research to assess the extent to which it is, in fact, engaged in the coordination of activities in all of these areas. This study addresses this research gap by reporting the results of interviews with 54 county level emergency managers from eleven states regarding their role in disaster recovery. The results suggest that recovery is subordinate to other functional areas (e.g., preparedness, response, mitigation) within the work lives of the county emergency managers who participated in this research.
Societal Influences on Earthquake Information Meaning-Making and Household Preparedness1
Authors: Becker Julia , Paton Douglas , Johnston David , Ronan Kevin
Published: January 2023

Previous research has identified a diversity of personal and individual factors that influence household preparedness for earthquakes. However, societal influences on the preparedness process are less well studied. In particular, there is limited understanding of the impact that wider society has on people's interpretation of earthquake and preparedness information, and how this relates to people's decisions about getting prepared for earthquakes. To address this gap, a New Zealand-based project was initiated to investigate how social factors interact with individuals’ meaning-making of earthquake information and how this affects subsequent earthquake preparedness behaviour. A range of social factors were identified as being influential on the meaning-making and preparedness process, including community (community participation, sense of community); leadership; responsibility (responsibility for preparing, responsibility for others); social norms; trust; and societal requirements.
Determining Causal Factors of Community Recovery
Authors: Jordan Elizabeth , Javernick-Will Amy
Published: January 2023

As the number and economic impact of disasters rise annually, additional information is required to understand the recovery process. Clearly, any theory of disaster recovery will require the identification of factors that cause vulnerability and resilience, as these can enable or impede successful recovery. The authors performed a content analysis of journal articles from 2000 to 2010 in four disaster-focused journals to identify the factors posited to influence vulnerability and resilience from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Factors were identified in the areas of infrastructural, social, economic, institutional and post-disaster recovery strategy. A panel of experts then validated these factors through a multi-round Delphi survey by rating the level of importance of each factor and providing reasoning on their ratings. All causal factors identified received median ratings of at least important, but not all came to consensus. This paper synthesizes findings related to resilience and vulnerability from many researchers in a variety of fields. This multi-disciplinary perspective may help propel future research to consider the interactions between these multiple factors and empirically examine the link between these factors and community recovery.
How Volunteering Reduced the Impact of the Rena Oil Spill: Community Responses to an Environmental Disaster
Authors: Hamerton Heather , Sargisson Rebecca J. , Smith Kelly , Hunt Sonya
Published: January 2023

Following the Rena oil spill off the Bay of Plenty coast in New Zealand and subsequent volunteer clean-up programme, we interviewed 39 volunteers and 9 people involved in the volunteer organisation. We aimed to learn about people's responses to an environmental disaster, what factors motivate people to volunteer, and how volunteering after a disaster assists individuals and communities to adjust to changing circumstances. The oil spill had an emotional, physical, cultural, social and spiritual impact on both individuals and communities. People were motivated to volunteer from a sense of duty and history of volunteering, a concern and sense of collective responsibility for the environment for current and future generations, a desire to contribute to their community, and to connect with others and cope with their negative responses. There was a strong typical New Zealand “can do” response in that volunteers expressed they had time and capability to help so they just wanted to get on with it. After volunteering, most participants reported a sense of satisfaction, renewed social ties, and renewed optimism. The clean-up programme brought communities together, resulting in timely removal of oil from beaches and coastline and demonstrating that citizen volunteers can contribute to oil spill mitigation.
Time, Knowledge, and Risk: Decision making in the aftermath of storm disasters
Authors: Lidskog Rolf , Sjödin Daniel
Published: January 2023

Responses to disasters and crises are often characterized by decisions made in situations of urgency and uncertainty. Decisions are often made under time constraints and without full knowledge of the consequences of the available options. This paper investigates the role of time and knowledge in the practical governance of disasters and crises. It empirically examines the sense-making and risk governance practices developed in response to the consequences of two detrimental storms that affected a forest area in Sweden. The data were gathered in an interview study of forest advisors at a public agency, forest associations, and private companies. The analysis indicates that the actors’ adjustments to their perception of available time (time regime) and the accessibility of knowledge (desktop knowledge) explain how certain risk governing practices evolved. Thus, of greatest significance is not what is known and unknown but who knows what and when.
Citizens’ Emotional and Cognitive Responses to Focusing Events – An Experimental Study
Authors: Lindholm Jenny , Carlson Tom , Djupsund Göran , Högväg Joachim , Strandberg Kim
Published: January 2023

Focusing events, i.e. crises and catastrophes, provide an opportunity for political change, learning and evaluation of governmental performance. Likewise, it is essential that citizens trust that their society can provide credence towards managing these situations. This study tests, in a controlled laboratory experiment, in what manner the origin (man-made versus natural disasters) and strength of focusing events affect the emotional and cognitive reactions of citizens. We used a 2-x-2 basic factorial design with post-test-only between-groups comparisons testing self-reported emotions, psychophysiological and cognitive reactions among the test subjects ( N = 30) to four different focusing events. Our findings show that an event with a stronger degree of focus brings about more emotional and cognitive reactions than an event with a weaker degree of focus, although only among events originating from man. Also, events originating from man caused stronger reactions than those originating from nature, albeit only among events with a strong degree of focus.
Unpacking Long-term Disaster Recovery Processes: A Case Study of the Healthcare System in Montserrat, West Indies
Authors: Sword-Daniels V. L. , Twigg J. , Rossetto T. , Johnston D. M.
Published: January 2023

Long-term disaster recovery processes are poorly understood, yet there is a growing imperative to improve knowledge of their complexity and timeframes to inform policy and post-disaster decision-making. This empirical study explores post-disaster change and recovery processes for the healthcare system on the island of Montserrat, West Indies. Taking a systems approach, we adopt a qualitative case study methodology to explore post-disaster changes over an extended timeframe (1995–2012). We identify many different aspects of change, which lends a new perspective on post-disaster change types for complex systems, and an alternative classification for analysis of their recovery. Recovery of the healthcare system is ongoing. We find that recovery is not a uniform process. Different elements of the system show signs of recovery at different times. This exploratory study documents the complex and long-term nature of disaster recovery in this context, which brings new understanding of change and recovery processes and raises important considerations for future studies.
Studying the Usage of Social Media and Mobile Technology during Extreme Events and Their Implications for Evacuation Decisions: A Case Study of Hurricane Sandy
Authors: Ferris Thomas , Moreno-Centeno Erick , Yates Justin , Sung Kisuk , El-Sherif Mahmoud , Matarrita-Cascante David
Published: January 2023

Mobile technology, and the changing composition and purpose of social networks enabled by mobile devices have begun to noticeably impact the way self-evacuees prepare for and execute evacuations. We surveyed residents of New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy with results showing the ubiquity of mobile technology and its usage stability across social groups. During evacuation periods, increases in the use of microblogging sites were observed suggesting the importance of technology in evacuation contexts. Though traditional communication (e.g., in-person and t.v./radio) maintained high influence in decision planning, individuals exhibited a higher likelihood to accept and use information obtained through social media and mobile networks than has previously been documented. Using a k-means clustering analysis, we classified users based on their reported use of mobile technology during Sandy. Results show five distinct classification sets with varying degrees of mobile technology ownership and usage, further highlighting a changing paradigm in evacuation behaviour spurred by mobile technology.
My Community, My Preparedness: The Role of Sense of Place, Community, and Confidence in Government in Disaster Readiness
Authors: DeYoung Sarah E. , Peters Melissa
Published: January 2023

Preparedness for disasters is low in most populations, despite evidence that preparedness can reduce loss of life in hazard events. To better understand this lack of preparedness, the present study investigates how sense of community, sense of place, confidence in government, preparedness self-efficacy, and risk perception relate to household disaster preparedness. Preparedness self-efficacy and sense of community were found to be positive and significant predictors of preparedness. Risk perception was also found to be a partial mediator on preparedness self-efficacy with preparedness as the outcome variable. Implications for this project include the possible benefit of harnessing community connectedness (i.e., sense of community) and preparedness efficacy to enhance preparedness initiatives among neighbourhoods and households. Clarifying the role of trust in government in disaster events remains important in understanding the complexities of predicting preparedness behaviours.
Trauma, Victims, Time, Changing Organizations and the Nepal 2015 Earthquake
Authors: Penta Samantha , DeYoung Sarah , Yoder-Bontrager Daryl , Suji Manoj
Published: January 2023

This paper summarizes findings from reconnaissance fieldwork conducted five weeks after the Nepal earthquake in 2015. Data were collected using an exploratory, qualitative, semi-inductive approach. Themes converged through classic disaster research theoretical ideas but were also evident through the unique convergence of globalization and development in Nepal. Findings from informal conversations, photographs, and observations of relief and recovery efforts revealed several key themes: the occurrence of organizational transitions in activities and tasks, psychosocial well-being of Nepalese individuals and communities, issues in qualifying the definition of an earthquake victim, and the importance of chronological and social time in recovery processes. Other findings gleaned from fieldwork included uncovering complexities of cultural and social systems such as caste structure in Nepal, issues related to humanitarian logistics, and the vulnerability of special populations such as new mothers and migrant Nepalese. The massive presence of international non-profit organizations created an interesting setting for relief and recovery, mostly described in the section on organization evolutions and transformation. Finally, we also encountered various perceptions about what it means to shift from “relief” to “recovery”- a notion which intersected with all of the four main themes from our findings.
Clinical Implications of Cultural Differences in Factors Influencing Resilience following Natural Disaster: A Narrative Review
Authors: Norris Kimberley , Anbarasu S.C.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

In the immediate aftermath of disasters, unaffected individuals and organisations attempt to help in whatever capacity may be available to them - including the provision of mental health interventions. It is therefore important to identify the mental health outcomes of such disaster in order for such help to target culturally appropriate interventions for these populations.

Objective

The objectives of this literature review were to identify and describe the mental health outcomes, interventions, and resilience or coping skills of survivors following natural disasters - namely earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and floods -across different cultural settings.

Methods

Due to the small number of studies identified, a narrative approach was employed to compile the data.

Results

Twelve studies were identified for this review and PTSD was the most common mental health outcome identified. Even though there were some differences in resilience and coping strategies of natural disaster survivors, on a micro-environmental level, social support appeared to be common. On a macro-systemic level, community factors, such as community services, cultural factors, spirituality and religion contributed to resilience across several cultures. However, mental health interventions adopted varied across different cultures.

Conclusion

Mental health professionals can increase the extent to which they are viewed by victims as a viable source of assistance following a disaster by being aware of the impacts of culture and social class on mental health outcomes. Furthermore, targeting diversity among group members in the planning of disaster mental health services can likewise increase the trust with which diverse ethnic groups view mental health professionals. In essence, mental health professionals have to be innovative and think outside the box to meet the needs of disaster victims.
Perceptions of Psychosocial Training on Behavioural Responses in Emergency Operations Centres
Authors: Thompson Alanna , Vaughan Adam , Pearce Laurie D. , Moran Ciara
Published: January 2023

When a disaster strikes, the well-being of Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) personnel is often not the first priority for emergency managers working to help provide support to their local community and the incident command site. Through the development and testing of an iterative series of simulation exercises with EOC personnel, this study identified adverse psychosocial outcomes that may emerge within an EOC during an emergency. Having identified a number of practices which led to less than desired psychosocial outcomes, researchers developed a training and awareness video to identify the practices and demonstrate strategies to overcome negative impacts. A comparative analysis was undertaken to compare EOC actions pre- and post-exposure to the video. The results indicated a change in behaviour following the viewing of the video and supported training initiatives that stress the importance of strong leadership in an EOC, encouraging staff to take breaks, respecting diversity, and providing psychosocial support.
Measuring Community Vulnerability to Natural Disasters in Korea Using the Entropy Method
Authors: Yoon D. K. , Kang Jung Eun , Kim Young Jun
Published: January 2023

Communities with a high degree of vulnerability to disasters often experience greater impact from disasters. Understanding and identifying the extent of community vulnerability to natural disasters, would provide emergency managers and decision-makers with strategic direction in their efforts to improve local communities’ capacity to natural disasters while reducing the degree of vulnerability and the negative impacts of disasters. This study aims to develop a methodology for constructing a set of indicators for deriving a community vulnerability index (CVI) in terms of social, physical, and natural environmental factors. The degree of community vulnerability to natural disasters is measured at 229 local municipalities in Korea. Shannon's entropy method is employed to assess the weight of each vulnerability factor in the local communities of Korea. In order to verify the measured CVI, this study also examines the relationship between the aggregated CVI using the entropy method and disaster losses.
Strengthening Hazard Resilience: Building Capacity by Empowering Marginalized Women
Authors: Ersing Robin L. , Caruson Kiki
Published: January 2023

The empowerment of women to promote disaster risk reduction is a global concern. Poverty and gender inequality lead to a significant increase in a woman's vulnerability to a disaster event, with female loss of life significantly more likely. This article explores the experiences of women living in impoverished migrant settlements in Ghana, and their efforts to overcome natural hazards and man-made crises through the mobilization of local assets and social networks. Using a community-based participatory research approach, a series of focus groups were convened in Greater Accra and the Volta Basin region to gather a comprehensive reporting of the culturally situated strategies used by marginalized women to enhance disaster resiliency. An assessment of two community-based organizations serving this population provided a context to leverage local assets and resources. The women's experiences informed the development of a resiliency toolkit—the Global Hazard Resilience through Opportunities for Women (GHROW) toolkit—that contains methods for raising awareness, best practices, and capacity building strategies to support women as positive agents of change and leaders in disaster risk reduction.
Spatio-Temporal Modeling of Human Vulnerability in the Case of a Tsunami in Padang, Indonesia
Authors: Mayaguezz H. , Plumejeaud-Perreau C. , Leone F. , Pouget F.
Published: January 2023

Padang is known to be one of the most exposed cities in Indonesia to the threat of tsunamis. Some available models show that the urban area in the coastal zone would be inundated by a potential tsunami. Considering this threat, our objective is to estimate which areas of the city are the most endangered in order to plan an evacuation that is adapted to the daily influx of population at this local scale. To address this challenge, we propose a methodology based on a ground survey in Padang at a very fine scale. This survey is based on the hypothesis that inhabitants tend to have a common rhythm of life, which results in varying population distribution in time, according to the period and its activities. Furthermore, results of this survey are coupled with a submersion model, which provides an estimation of flood height and speed for every location, in order to propose a synthetic indicator of vulnerability, the human risk index, which combines both structural and human vulnerability. The variations in population density and potential casualties are then discussed through spatio-temporal maps that are used for designing evacuation scenarios. In particular, a measure of evacuation capability to existing vertical and topographic refuges is achieved for each of those scenarios, thus providing direction for authorities planning risk mitigation.
Paradise Found? the Emergence of Social Capital, Place Attachment, and Civic Engagement after Disaster
Authors: Haney Timothy J.
Published: January 2023

Social science research on disaster-affected communities uses social capital to explain a variety of post-disaster outcomes. A promising recent line of inquiry looks at how disasters generate new forms of social capital, and reinvigorate place-based social networks and place attachment. Using survey data collected from 407 Calgary residents affected by the catastrophic 2013 Southern Alberta Flood, as well as interview data from 40 residents, this article examines factors that contributed to residents’ expansion of their social networks during the disaster, and the impact of expanded social networks on residents’ post-disaster place attachment and civic engagement. Findings reveal that people most affected by the flood, i.e., those who experienced house flooding and longer evacuations, were most likely to make new contacts during the disaster and immediately after it. However, results also indicate that these new forms of social capital did not translate into greater place attachment, even though they did engender some post-flood civic engagement. Overall, inundation, evacuation, and displacement are predictive of lesser post-disaster place attachment. The article concludes by discussing the relevance of the findings for theory and disaster scholarship.
Trapped: Expanding Student Understanding of Multiorganizational Coordination through the Use of Fiction
Authors: Drabek Thomas E.
Published: January 2023

While professors in other sub-fields of sociology occasionally have incorporated fictional works into their courses, rarely, if at all, has this been attempted in disaster and hazard studies. This paper is a summary of one such effort including both the rationale and approach. Following discussion of context, a case example of an original fictional story is described including its origins and method of analysis. The story is rooted in an actual disaster and based on data obtained shortly afterwards. This approach provides both links to the humanities and greater depth of student understanding of core concepts, like multiorganizational coordination which is used in this case example. Through this strategy students enhance their ability to empathize with disaster responders and victims who too often are trapped in social structures that result in failure.
The ‘Culture of Disaster’ Student Immersion Project: First-Hand Research to Learn about Disaster Recovery after a Colorado Flood
Authors: Browne Katherine E. , Even Trevor
Published: January 2023

Wherever disaster occurs, there are opportunities for student learning. This case presents one such replicable project, with impacts on students’ lifelong learning and potentially transformative in shaping career choices to enter the disaster field. Specifically, it details the collaborative efforts of disaster anthropologist Kate Browne and anthropology graduate student and researcher Trevor Even to create a student learning opportunity about disaster recovery following a Fall 2013 flooding disaster in northern Colorado. Here, we attempt to tell the story of the project, including the unusually robust learning outcomes achieved by students, the content of student research, group analyses and findings, and the final collaborative student presentation of this work to city authorities and the Long Term Recovery Group heading up the recovery efforts.
Teaching with Cases in Disaster and Emergency Management Programs: Instructional Design Guidance
Authors: Slick Jean
Published: January 2023

There is a long history of the use of cases in teaching in post-secondary programs and some fields (e.g., law, medicine, business) have their own distinctive approach to the use of case-based learning methods. Within disaster and emergency management (DEM), which is a relatively new field of post-secondary study, there are as of yet no formally recognized approaches to the use of cases in teaching, and further there is limited research on the disciplinary characteristics of teaching practices in the DEM field. This article presents findings from a study that explored how and why cases are used in post-secondary DEM programs. The methodological approach to the study supported the development of a domain-based outcome theory that explains three different approaches for using case-based learning methods in DEM programs and the functions of cases relative to each of the different types of learning outcomes. This novel conceptual framework for teaching with cases was found to address deficiencies in existing schema for conceptualizing the use of cases in teaching.
Focus Group Administration in Disaster Research: Methodological Transparency when Dealing with Challenges
Authors: Rivera Jason D.
Published: January 2023

Focus groups are a cost effective and efficient methodological approach to generating data on disaster victims’ experiences. However, their administration is fraught with a number of challenges. Although the challenges faced by researchers are known to those that practice this data acquisition technique, the obstacles and the strategies for overcoming them are not well documented in the literature. This lack of transparency leaves focus group studies, as rigorous as they maybe, open to questions of validity and replication. Therefore, this paper seeks to provide an overview of how disaster scholars are discussing their focus group methods and processes. Examples from the disaster literature are provided from a sample of articles published in Disasters and Natural Hazards between 2005 and 2018. By being more transparent about the challenges of conducting focus groups, disaster researchers using this technique can produce higher quality studies that are more rigorous and replicable.
K.A.P.S.: A Disaster Training Approach for High-Risk Communities
Authors: Semien Joy , Nance Earthea
Published: January 2023

Communities along the US Gulf Coast are at high risk of natural and human-caused hazards. We developed a disaster training designed to increase Knowledge, Attitude, Preparedness, and Skills (K.A.P.S). We held a series of six identical training sessions in Geismar, Louisiana, a community that faces multiple hazards. Residents (n = 34) were trained using a community-tailored approach that combined constructivist (hands-on) and traditional (lecture) methods of instruction. Pre-test and post-test surveys demonstrated that the instructional content was effective (p < .01), and that individual preparedness knowledge increased significantly because of the constructivist teaching approach (p < .05). The results indicate that this high-hazard setting called for more extensive instructional content, constructivist teaching methods, and the inclusion of residents at all education levels.
Science or Fiction: The Persistence of Disaster Myths in Hollywood Films
Authors: Haney Jennifer J. , Havice Claire , Mitchell Jerry T.
Published: January 2023

Hollywood continues to be both profitable and successful in attracting audiences to witness displays of death and destruction on the silver screen. Tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunami hazards, and climate change are among the most recent hazards portrayed in disaster films. The purpose of our research was to systematically collect and analyze physical, social, and temporal data from twelve disaster films to build upon past studies examining the portrayal of disaster. Our findings indicate a clear shift from those identified in earlier studies, with disaster myths (e.g. the importance of death tolls; technology as the only solution) appearing more than previously. Further, current trends in the disaster film genre indicate a shift toward unpredictable, widespread events and a defenseless humanity.
Personal and Institutional Timelines for Hurricane Preparedness, Recovery and Mitigation
Authors: Jerolleman Alessandra , Graves Jerry
Published: January 2023

Institutional and personal timelines are constantly placed in tension by hurricanes, from decisions regarding preparedness and evacuation, to recovery and hazard mitigation decisions. Government timelines for evacuation, for example, must allow sufficient time for the large scale movement of a population; but, individually, evacuation timelines are impacted by a myriad of personal decisions including caregiving concerns and employment concerns, both of which tend to push the decision making window further out. Another example is in recovery, where institutional timelines for recovery assistance, spread out across several agencies and timescales, do not readily align with personal and family decision-making timelines in which returning to a sense of normalcy is prioritized highest. These varying timelines result in complications with the marrying of various sources of assistance and lead to both unnecessary confusion and also missed opportunities to maximize recovery assistance. In hazard mitigation, the fact that the majority of funds are available after damages have occurred already creates an inverted timeline in which preventative actions are taken after the fact, but the delays inherent to the management of the programs also create extensive delays to family recovery timelines.
Interpreting Catastrophe: An Examination of Houston's Many Voices in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
Authors: Barrios Roberto E. , Vargas Grace , Swamy Raja , Tran Thomas , Martinez Irene , Sierra Mayra
Published: January 2023

For more than four decades now, social scientists have understood disasters as temporally prolonged processes in which human practices enhance the socially disruptive and materially destructive capacities of geophysical phenomena, technological “accidents,” and epidemics. This approach has come to be known as vulnerability theory in the realm of disaster risk management and it is closely related to the political-ecological analytical approach in the social sciences. Because of the analytical power of vulnerability theory and political ecology, some social scientists have gone so far as to call disasters “revelatory crises” that illuminate the political economic conditions that give catastrophes their form and magnitude. Although vulnerability theory and political ecology are certainly powerful analytical vantage points, they are not necessarily the perspectives through which the various social actors interpellated by catastrophes interpret calamity. This article explores the question “what does Hurricane Harvey reveal for whom?” in Houston Texas, and examines the implications the various responses to this question on the part of Houstonians of various socio-economic backgrounds and political positioning have for disaster risk reduction in the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Changed Communities and Sources of Information: A Qualitative Study about Recovery in Post-nuclear Fukushima, Japan
Authors: Kwesell Allison , Jung Joo-Young
Published: January 2023

Japan's 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster are still in the recovery process. Though buildings and infrastructure have been reconstructed, socio-psychological recoveries have been ongoing and indefinite. Residents from coastal villages along Fukushima Prefecture have dealt with mass deaths, loss of land, high exposure to radioactive nuclides, and forced evacuations, while communities across the entire prefecture have been altered by global perceptions and demographically with an influx of evacuees. This qualitative study examines long-form survey answers from 123 respondents from eight different areas of Fukushima. Findings suggest that in post-nuclear Fukushima, connection to individuals in the changed community environment, community support, and the ability to confide in neighbors about experiences has been hindered. In addition, a presence of internal stigma, tensions concerning unfair compensation, uneasiness about a lack of information from media, a hesitation to talk about the disaster, and continued indicators of PTSD remain. Though past research has examined a global Fukushima stigma and the effects it has on residents, until now none has examined the internal stigmas residents have toward each other and the effects they have on the community. Through examining the social situation in post-nuclear Fukushima, this research stands as an important contribution to better understanding the social and socio-psychological strains that may be hindering a full recovery from disaster.
Giving and Receiving Aid
Authors: Perry Joseph B. , Hawkins Randolph , Neal David M.
Published: January 2023

Most research devoted to the problem of giving aid in disaster has focused on the post impact period. In such situations there is usually altruism, but people tend to help family members, other relatives and friends before strangers.

This research focuses on the impact period rather than the post impact period. Data were collected, with a mailed questionnaire, after the blizzard of January 1978 in the midwest of the U.S.A. during which people were immobilized for as much as five days. Several measures of giving and receiving help were obtained. The question considered here is do the findings on helping patterns toward victims in a post impact period apply also to a situation of prolonged impact.

Respondents gave and received more help from relatives and friends than from strangers. However, friends rather than relatives both gave and received more help. The usual patterns of the importance of the primary group; family, relatives and friends seem to have prevailed. One of the main problems during blizzard impact may be the difficulties of persons who are physically and socially isolated.