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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social issues > Social impact of disasters
On May 22, 2011, a massive multi-vortex EF5 tornado ripped through
the heart of America, leaving the city of Joplin, Missouri in
ruins. As a result of the tornado's devastation, more than one
hundred sixty people lost their lives, with the injured numbering
more than a thousand. More than eighteen thousand vehicles were
destroyed and nearly seven thousand homes lost, with nearly a
thousand more damaged. There were nearly five hundred businesses
leveled or damaged, many of them medical facilities, affecting more
than five thousand jobs. The high school was decimated along with
five other school buildings and seven more damaged. One of the two
main hospitals in the four-state area took a direct hit along with
a nearby nursing home, destroying both. Several churches along the
path of the tornado were also destroyed. Because of the staggering
array of tragic statistics, it would be easy to see the events of
that fateful Sunday as a tale of destruction, disparity, and death.
Even though these statistics and tragedy are certainly a part of
the events, I am convinced that the story that will be forever told
will be one of the extreme outpouring and manifestation of faith,
hope, and love. In the wake of the storm, a sea of volunteers from
all over the country (and many parts of the world) descended upon
the city, restoring life and vitality to the community. Hundreds of
thousands of men, women, and children rushed to share the burdens
of its citizens, easing their pain and suffering. The people who
were monitoring and following the storm activity that day will tell
you that the conditions were perfect for a devastating tornado. I
am convinced that the conditions following the storm were perfect
for a miracle. Not just one miracle, but countless miracles, the
likes of which we have never before witnessed or experienced. The
real story has less to do with damage, disparity, destruction, and
death, and more to do with preservation, rebuilding, and healing.
It's about renewed hope and faith, healed hearts and lives,
spiritual and emotional growth, perseverance and determination,
charity and compassion. It is the power of love, a story of
triumph, and the miracle of the human spirit... the very heart of
America One house that was hit hardest stood defiantly resilient to
the storm, becoming an oasis of hope for the community and the
people who came to serve. Thousands of volunteers wrote personal
messages of hope, love, and encouragement on the remaining
structure, transforming it into what the New York Times described
as a love letter to Joplin. The house of hope withstood the
ravaging storm and the deconstructive forces of the rebuilding
efforts. After every house around it had been leveled to the
ground, it remained standing as an ensign of faith, hope, love, and
perseverance. The house was later rescued from the elements and
saved as a historical artifact. Its placement into a museum will
forever preserve the heart and soul of those who sacrificed so
freely and gave so abundantly. Come and share in the lives of the
family who lived in the house of hope. Feel the horror of the
destruction and devastation as the family rides out the storm in
their basement, taking a direct hit from the tornado. Meet some of
the volunteers and hear their personal, life changing stories of
triumph. Witness the transformation of the house from tornado
debris to historic treasure. Learn the miraculous stories of angels
and butterfly people. Experience the miracle of the human spirit
through the eyes and hearts of those who were there
Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast with incredible power and
fury, wreaking havoc in communities across the region. Entire
neighbourhoods were flooded. Families lost their homes. Businesses
were destroyed. Infrastructure was torn apart. After all the damage
was done, it was clear that the region faced a long, hard road
back. That is why President Obama pledged to work with local
partners every step of the way to help affected communities rebuild
and recover. On August 19, 2013, the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding
Task Force released its Rebuilding Strategy for the Sandy impacted
region. The Rebuilding Strategy included a long-term plan for
rebuilding that guides Sandy supplemental spending to drive
regional co-ordination and make communities more resilient to
future disasters. The Rebuilding Strategy also aligns federal,
state and local policies to achieve goals that are important to the
long-term rebuilding of the region in the most economically
efficient, ecologically robust and innovative ways possible. This
book discusses the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy in detail.
The Great Irish Famine was one of the most devastating humanitarian
disasters of the nineteenth century. In a period of only five
years, Ireland lost approximately 25% of its population through a
combination of death and emigration. How could such a tragedy have
occurred at the heart of the vast, and resource-rich, British
Empire? Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland explores this
question by focusing on a particular, and lesser-known, aspect of
the Famine: that being the extent to which people throughout the
world mobilized to provide money, food and clothing to assist the
starving Irish. This book considers how, helped by developments in
transport and communications, newspapers throughout the world
reported on the suffering in Ireland, prompting funds to be raised
globally on an unprecedented scale. Donations came from as far away
as Australia, China, India and South America and contributors
emerged from across the various religious, ethnic, social and
gender divides. Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland traces the
story of this international aid effort and uses it to reveal
previously unconsidered elements in the history of the Famine in
Ireland.
A disaster is unexpected and causes destruction. It strikes at any
time and any place. A disaster may be natural or man-made.
Sometimes a disaster requires one to flee immediately from a
disaster ground to a safer site. If a disaster should strike your
area and necessitates an evacuation, are you prepared to flee
immediately? Do you know which items to pack and are vital for your
survival? What if you don't have the time to pack? Wouldn't it be
better if you have a bag you can readily grabbed if you need to
evacuate? Having a prepared BOB or a bug-out bag helps you be
prepared to escape any disaster. It is a basic bag that contains
all the things you need to survive and will help you to get you
from a site of a disaster to safety. "Bug Out Bag Book: A Quick BOB
Guide on How to Make the Ultimate Bug out Bag" contains all the
information you need in order to prepare your bug-out-bag, what
things to bring and survival tips crucial for your safety. This
book will help you know about: How to Make the Ultimate Bug-Out Bag
The key attributes of a bug-out bag? The basics of a personal
survival kit Choosing an Emergency Gear Bag Water and Hydration
Metal and plastic canteens Food and Food Preparation Protecting
your food supply Fishing kits What to eat if you run out of food
Clothing Shelter and Protection Making a Fire First Aid Hygiene and
Sanitation Important BOB Tools Lighting options Communications
Money and Documents Surviving with Pets Self-defense Camouflage and
secure sleeping Organizing and Maintaining Your BOB How to pack
your bug-out bag Returning to your home after an evacuation.
Survival training Practicing your skills Physical preparedness
Mental preparedness Although a disaster is unpredictable, it does
not mean that we cannot prepare for it. Preparing your bug-out-bag
is one of the first steps you can take to be prepared for any
catastrophe. Get a copy of this book and be emergency prepared
today
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a federal program
that allows property owners to purchase insurance protection
against losses from flooding. This insurance is designed to provide
an alternative to costly, taxpayer-funded disaster assistance.
Congress established the NFIP with the passage of the National
Flood Insurance Act of 1968 that provides the NFIP authority and
guidelines. All changes since 1968 have been made as amendments to
this act. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
administers the NFIP. Participation in the NFIP is based on an
agreement between local participating communities and the federal
government. The community agrees to implement and enforce
floodplain measures (ordinances and laws) to reduce future flood
damage to new construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas; the
federal government will make flood insurance available within the
community as financial protection against future flood losses. In
1981, FEMA initiated efforts to once again involve the
private-sector insurance industry in the NFIP. A cooperative effort
between FEMA and insurance company representatives led to the
creation of the Write Your Own (WYO) Program in July 1983. The WYO
Companies issue and service federally backed Standard Flood
Insurance Policies under their own names, collect premiums, and
handle and pay claims. FEMA pays the WYO Companies a fee for these
services. In August 1983, FEMA extended an invitation to all
licensed property and casualty companies to participate in the WYO
Program for fiscal year 1984. The NFIP now has two programs-the
NFIP Direct Program and the WYO Program. 1) NFIP Direct Program The
program that deals with the issuing and servicing of flood
insurance policies, and the handling of resultant claims, directly
by the federal government is known as the NFIP Direct Program. The
NFIP Servicing Agent assists and advises agents and adjusters who
handle Direct Program policies. The NFIP Servicing Agent also
manages the Group Flood Insurance Policy Program and the policies
for buildings that are identified as Severe Repetitive Loss
Properties. 2) WYO Program The WYO Program now accounts for
approximately 90 percent of all flood policies. The NFIP Bureau and
Statistical Agent assist and advise the WYO Companies. However,
this does not diminish the authority of the WYO Company or relieve
the company of its obligations. The WYO Company still collects the
premium, issues the policy, and provides adjustment and payment for
claims. In addition to providing flood insurance for property, the
NFIP is actively engaged in the evaluation of existing and
potential flood hazards and their long-term reduction. Accordingly,
various zones of flooding probability and severity have been
established. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are produced to show
the projected elevation to which flooding is likely to occur in a
Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Community officials are
responsible for issuing building permits and must keep the FIRM and
make the information available. In some instances, the local agent
may have the maps available.
This Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Handbook is designed to teach
communities how to develop an effective juvenile firesetter
intervention program. The chapters of this Handbook can be viewed
as the six building blocks essential to construct a successful
program. The cornerstone of the blueprint is understanding the
personality profiles of juvenile firesetters and their families.
The next step is identifying at-risk youth and assessing the
likelihood that they will become involved in future firesetting
incidents. The identification of the three levels of firesetting
risk-little, definite, and extreme-leads to specific types of
intervention, including evaluation, education, referral, and follow
up. These are the critical components of a juvenile firesetter
program To provide a complete complement of services to juvenile
firesetters and their families, the juvenile firesetter program
must be part of a community network. This network consists of a
continuum of care designed to provide a range of intervention
services, including prevention, immediate treatment, and graduated
sanctions to juvenile firesetters and their families. Finally,
there is a specific set of programmatic tasks that will ensure the
delivery of swift and effective intervention to at-risk youth and
their families. A planned an coordinated effort on the part of the
fire service and human service organizations is the best way to
reduce juvenile involvement in firesetting and arson and to protect
and preserve lives and property in our communities.
This manual, part of the new Building Infrastructure Protection
Series published by the United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T)
Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division (IDD),
serves to advance high performance and integrated design for
buildings and infrastructure. This manual was prepared as a
component of the S&T program for infrastructure protection and
disaster management; the overall goal of this program is to enhance
the blast and chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR)
resistance of our Nation's buildings and infrastructure to meet
specific performance requirements at the highest possible level.
One of the objectives of this manual is to provide the tools and
guidance to reduce physical damage to structural and nonstructural
components of buildings and related infrastructure and to reduce
resulting casualties caused by conventional bomb attacks and
attacks using CBR agents. Although the material and the risk
assessment methodology in this manual can be applied to most
building types, it is intended to assist with the design and
management of facilities in eight designated sectors outlined in
the DHS 2009 National Infrastructure Protection Plan (the NIPP):
Banking and Finance, Commercial Facilities, Communications,
Critical Manufacturing, Government Facilities, Healthcare and
Public Health, Information Technology, and Postal and Shipping. The
purpose of this manual is to provide guidance to designers and
decision makers in these sectors, to building professionals working
for public and private institutions, and to first responder
communities. It presents tools to help assess the performance of
buildings and infrastructure against terrorist threats and to rank
recommended protective measures. A primary objective of this manual
is the establishment of a common framework of terminology to
facilitate the transfer of this information. For example, a basis
for design is established by identifying the threat or hazard to
which a building may be vulnerable. Within the military,
intelligence, and law enforcement communities, the term "threat" is
typically used to describe the potential threat elements
(personnel) and their tactics for creating terrorism or manmade
disasters. Within FEMA and other civil agencies, the term "hazard"
is used in several different contexts. "Natural" hazard typically
refers to a natural event, such as a flood, wind, or seismic event.
"Human-caused" (or manmade) hazards are "technological" hazards and
"terrorism." These are distinct from natural hazards, primarily, in
that they originate from human activity. Furthermore,
"technological" hazards are generally assumed to be accidental, in
that their consequences are unintended. For the sake of simplicity,
this manual uses the terms "threat" to describe terrorism or
intentional attacks and "hazard" to describe accidental manmade or
technological hazards. Another objective of this manual is the
transfer of design concepts that have been in use by DHS these
include concepts of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC)
Standards and Best Practices, the General Services Administration
(GSA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the U.S.
Department of State (DOS), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD),
Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC), and the military services] to
commercial practice. Several valuable risk assessment methodologies
are used by both the public and private sectors; however, this
manual focuses on the methodology described in FEMA 452, Risk
Assessment: A How-To Guide to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks
(2005), which has been used extensively by Federal agencies, along
with State and local governments and the private sector. This
manual presents techniques that can be implemented incrementally
over time to increase resiliency as well as decrease the
vulnerability of a building to hazards and terrorist threats.
Citizen Corps is FEMA's grassroots strategy to build a nationwide
culture of emergency and disaster preparedness to support national
and community resilience. Citizen Corps Councils bring together
government and community leaders to engage individual members of
the public and organizations from all sectors to collaborate on
preparedness planning, emergency response, and disaster mitigation
and recovery. Engaging the public is a critical part of Citizen
Corps' mission. Well-trained volunteers supplement governmental
resources in all phases of emergency management. Identifying and
supporting policy and practice that promote and strengthen public
participation is, therefore, an important element of Citizen Corps'
implementation. FEMA has learned from Citizen Corps Councils,
volunteer program managers, and volunteers that liability is a
significant concern and a potential barrier to volunteer
involvement in emergency services. Liability-legal responsibility
for one's acts or omissions-includes diverse concerns: legally
imposed payment of damages for personal injury or property damage;
penalties for practicing a profession or trade without the required
license or permit; compensation for lost income and medical
expenses of an injured volunteer; and damages for breach of
contract. To offer guidance in this area, FEMA funded the nonprofit
Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) to develop the Citizen Corps
Volunteer Liability Guide (CCVLG) to provide an overview of
liability and to suggest some approaches to addressing these
concerns.
This Wildfire Prevention Guide is a project of the National
Wildfire Coordinating Group. This guide is one in a series designed
to provide information and guidance for personnel who have
interests and/or responsibilities in fire prevention. Each guide in
the series addresses an individual component of a fire prevention
program. In addition to providing insight and useful information,
each guide suggests implementation strategies and examples for
utilizing this information. Each Wildfire Prevention Guide has been
developed by Fire Prevention Specialists and subject matter experts
in the appropriate area. The goal of this series is to improve and
enhance wildfire prevention programs and to facilitate the
achievement of NWCG program goals. Special mention to the National
Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Program and members of the
Pacific Northwest Fire Prevention Cooperatives in providing
information to this guide. NWCG Wildfire Prevention Guide
development: Conducting School Programs (1996); Event Management
(1996); Wildfire Prevention Marketing (1996); Wildfire Prevention
and the Media (1998); Wildfire Prevention Strategies (1998);
Effective Wildfire Prevention Patrol (1998); Recreation Area Fire
Prevention (1999); Fire Communication and Education (1999); Fire
Education Exhibits and Displays (1999); Industrial Operations Fire
Prevention Guide (1999); Establishing Fire Prevention Education
Cooperative; Programs and Partnerships (1999).
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