Dealing with Disaster

Dealing with Disaster PDF

Author: Saundra K. Schneider

Publisher: M.E. Sharpe

Published: 2011-08-30

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 0765631288

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Why does government sometimes do a superlative job handling natural disaster situations while at other times, as in the case of Hurricane Katrina, it performs extremely poorly? Updated with examples through 2010, this classic study examines the disruptive effects of disasters on patterns of human behavior and the routine operations of government, and the conditions under which even relatively minor crises can lead to system breakdown. Integrating case studies of emergency management with studies of collective behavior, the author identifies factors that contribute to successful government handling of disaster situations and distills insights that can be used to improve these capacities at all levels--federal, state, and local. The book includes numerous illustrations as well as expanded coverage of research on disaster management and greatly expanded reference lists.

Flirting with Disaster

Flirting with Disaster PDF

Author: Saundra K. Schneider

Publisher: M.E. Sharpe

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 9781563245701

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Flirting with Disaster is the first thorough examination of government successes and failures in responding to natural disaster situations. The author contrasts the bureaucratic principles that dominate governmental activity with the disruptive effects of disaster and the forms of human behavior that emerge during disaster situations. By comparing case studies of Hurricane Hugo, Hurricane Andrew, the Loma Prieta earthquake, and the 1990 floods in South Carolina, the author is able to identify the factors that contribute to effective response to disasters and the conditions under which relatively minor crises may lead to system breakdown. The book looks at an extremely important but previously unexamined area of public administration and public policy; presents a general theory of governmental performance in natural disaster situations; identifies factors contributing to government success or failure in coping with disasters; offers fresh insights into how the government can improve its response in disaster situations; and integrates insights from emergency management studies, agenda-building research, and the study of collective behavior.