Preparing for the Worst: Science to Improve Disaster Resiliency

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association reports that the United States set a record in 2011 with 12 separate billion dollar weather/climate disasters. Our nation is particularly vulnerable due to its large populations living and working in high-risk areas: seismic zones, coastal and river flood plains, and dense urban population centers. Catastrophic events can and will happen. Are we resilient enough to ensure that our nation and society can recover and thrive after these events?

The National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine produced a number of reports on the subject of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. These books further additional discussion on hazard science policy and provide insight on the nation’s future research and applications needs. All are available to read online at no charge.

	Building Community Disaster Resilience through Private-Public Collaboration 142 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $31.27 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… [more]
	Increasing National Resilience to Hazards and Disasters: The Perspective from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi: Summary of a Workshop 150 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $32.40 Natural 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 of the U.S…. [more]
	National Earthquake Resilience: Research, Implementation, and Outreach 244 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $36.00 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… [more]
	Crisis Standards of Care: Summary of a Workshop Series 174 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $36.22 During a wide-reaching catastrophic public health emergency or disaster, existing surge capacity plans may not be sufficient to enable healthcare providers to continue to adhere to normal treatment procedures and follow usual standards of care. This is a… [more]
	Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations: A Letter Report 160 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $31.50 The influenza pandemic caused by the 2009 H1N1 virus underscores the immediate and critical need to prepare for a public health emergency in which thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people suddenly seek and require medical care in… [more]
	Tsunami Warning and Preparedness: An Assessment of the U.S. Tsunami Program and the Nation’s Preparedness Efforts 296 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $57.60 Many 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 areas on… [more]
	How Communities Can Use Risk Assessment Results: Making Ends Meet: A Summary of the June 3, 2010, Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable 10 pages \| Not for Sale During and after a disaster, text messages, tweets, Smartphone apps, and social networks, along with 24-hour cable news and other media, deliver relevant information to emergency responders, decision makers, and the general public. Participants in the… [more]
	Private-Public Sector Collaboration to Enhance Community Disaster Resilience: A Workshop Report 83 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $18.90 The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11) on the United States prompted a rethinking of how the United States prepares for disasters. Federal policy documents written since 9/11 have stressed that the private and public sectors share equal… [more]
	Applications of Social Network Analysis for Building Community Disaster Resilience: Workshop Summary 82 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $23.40 Social Network Analysis (SNA) is the identification of the relationships and attributes of members, key actors, and groups that social networks comprise. The National Research Council, at the request of the Department of Homeland Security, held a two-day… [more]
	Recovering from Disaster: A Summary of the October 17, 2007, Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable 15 pages \| Not for Sale Disaster recovery is a complex and challenging process that involves all sectors of a community as well as outside interests. In many cases, it is not even clear if and when recovery has been achieved because of varying stakeholder goals for the community, for… [more]
	Improving Disaster Management: The Role of IT in Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery 192 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $38.92 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… [more]
	Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters: Hurricane Katrina, Workshop Summary 100 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $18.90 Public health officials have the traditional responsibilities of protecting the food supply, safeguarding against communicable disease, and ensuring safe and healthful conditions for the population. Beyond this, public health today is challenged in a way that… [more]

	Building Community Disaster Resilience through Private-Public Collaboration 142 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $31.27 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… [more]
	Increasing National Resilience to Hazards and Disasters: The Perspective from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi: Summary of a Workshop 150 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $32.40 Natural 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 of the U.S…. [more]
	National Earthquake Resilience: Research, Implementation, and Outreach 244 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $36.00 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… [more]
	Crisis Standards of Care: Summary of a Workshop Series 174 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $36.22 During a wide-reaching catastrophic public health emergency or disaster, existing surge capacity plans may not be sufficient to enable healthcare providers to continue to adhere to normal treatment procedures and follow usual standards of care. This is a… [more]
	Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations: A Letter Report 160 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $31.50 The influenza pandemic caused by the 2009 H1N1 virus underscores the immediate and critical need to prepare for a public health emergency in which thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people suddenly seek and require medical care in… [more]
	Tsunami Warning and Preparedness: An Assessment of the U.S. Tsunami Program and the Nation’s Preparedness Efforts 296 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $57.60 Many 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 areas on… [more]
	How Communities Can Use Risk Assessment Results: Making Ends Meet: A Summary of the June 3, 2010, Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable 10 pages \| Not for Sale During and after a disaster, text messages, tweets, Smartphone apps, and social networks, along with 24-hour cable news and other media, deliver relevant information to emergency responders, decision makers, and the general public. Participants in the… [more]
	Private-Public Sector Collaboration to Enhance Community Disaster Resilience: A Workshop Report 83 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $18.90 The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11) on the United States prompted a rethinking of how the United States prepares for disasters. Federal policy documents written since 9/11 have stressed that the private and public sectors share equal… [more]
	Applications of Social Network Analysis for Building Community Disaster Resilience: Workshop Summary 82 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $23.40 Social Network Analysis (SNA) is the identification of the relationships and attributes of members, key actors, and groups that social networks comprise. The National Research Council, at the request of the Department of Homeland Security, held a two-day… [more]
	Recovering from Disaster: A Summary of the October 17, 2007, Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable 15 pages \| Not for Sale Disaster recovery is a complex and challenging process that involves all sectors of a community as well as outside interests. In many cases, it is not even clear if and when recovery has been achieved because of varying stakeholder goals for the community, for… [more]
	Improving Disaster Management: The Role of IT in Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery 192 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $38.92 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… [more]
	Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters: Hurricane Katrina, Workshop Summary 100 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $18.90 Public health officials have the traditional responsibilities of protecting the food supply, safeguarding against communicable disease, and ensuring safe and healthful conditions for the population. Beyond this, public health today is challenged in a way that… [more]