Disaster Response and Recovery. David A. McEntire

scale A measurement of the registered shaking amplitudes of an earthquake. Resilience The ability to react effectively and efficiently in time of disaster. Response Activity in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to protect life and property. Response‐generated demands The needs that are made evident as individuals, organizations, and communities attempt to meet agent‐generated demands. Riots Large disturbances where people engage in antisocial behavior. Saffir–Simpson scale A descriptive tool to explain the magnitude of a hurricane in terms of wind and storm surge. Seismic hazards Hazard agents produced by the movement of tectonic plates that float on magma. straight‐line winds strong winds that travel down to the ground and then move horizontally along the earth’s surface. Structural collapse hazards Hazards that occur when gravity and poor engineering result in the failure of buildings, roads, or other construction projects. Technological hazards Hazard agents related to industry, structures, hazardous materials, computers, and transportation systems. Terrorism The threat or use of violence to intimidate someone or a government. Toxins Poisons created by plants and animals. Transportation hazards An accident that occurs in the air, on roads or railways, or at sea. Vulnerability Proneness to disasters or the inability of individuals, organizations, and communities to prevent them or deal with them effectively. Wildfire hazards Hazards that result from lightning strikes, which can quickly envelop hundreds of acres of forest and brush.

ASSESS YOUR UNDERSTANDING

      Posttest to evaluate your knowledge on hazards and disasters.

      Measure your learning by comparing pretest and posttest results.

Summary Questions

      1 A crisis is a much bigger problem than a catastrophe. True or false?

      2 A disaster occurs when a hazard interacts with human vulnerability. True or false?

      3 Emergency management is a profession that attempts to reduce the probability of disasters and prepare a community to respond and recover effectively if they cannot be prevented. True or false?

      4 There is no relation or overlap between response and recovery operations. True or false?

      5 Hurricanes may damage homes and other structures, but they do not impact animals on farms. True or false?

      6 The straight‐line winds that damaged crops in the Midwest was known as the “Derecho” storm. True or false?

      7 An earthquake is an example of a geological hazard. True or false?

      8 The “Camp Fire” illustrated problems associated with inadequate warnings. True or false?

      9 Mass shootings and riots are civil/conflict hazards. True or false?

      10 Disasters are not characterized by the disruption they cause to people’s daily, routine activities. True or false?

      11 “Community lifelines” are fundamental services in society that could be negatively affected by disasters. True or false?

      12 A normalcy‐generated demand is a desire to prevent the recurrence of a disaster. True or false?

      13 Resilience is concerned about the effectiveness of emergency management, but not the efficiency of response and recovery operations. True or false?

      14 A disaster is:Smaller than an accidentSmaller than a crisisLarger than an emergencyLarger than a calamityLarger than a catastrophe

      15 Tornadoes may be classified as:An atmospheric hazardA hydrologic hazardA biological hazardA civil/conflict hazardA geologic hazard

      16 A chemical release is an example of:A natural or atmospheric hazardA technological hazardA civil/conflict hazardAll of the aboveNone of the above

      17 The riots in 2020 and 2021 would fall under which category of hazard?A social hazardA civil/conflict hazardAn environmental hazardA technological hazardNone of the above

      18 Disasters are complex because:One hazard may trigger another hazard.A hazard interacts with human vulnerability.Low preparedness levels may exacerbate impact.Answers a and b.Answers a, b, and c.

      19 Uncertainty:Is defined as an urgent situation.Results from an expansion of the citizen role.Is associated with a lack of information.Is equated to a de‐emphasis of contractual relationships.Answers a and b.

Review Questions

      1 Explain the difference between an accident and a catastrophe.

      2 Define the term disaster and note its relation to hazards and vulnerability.

      3 What is an emergency manager and what does he or she do?

      4 What are the four phases or functional areas of emergency management? How do these relate to homeland security?

      5 List the major categories of hazards.

      6 Provide one or two examples of hazards under each category identified in question 5.

      7 Explain why Covid‐19 could be considered a complex disaster.

      8 What are the major changes an emergency manager can expect after a disaster?

      9 What are the goals of disaster response and recovery?

      10 What is an agent‐generated demand?

      11 What is a response‐generated demand?

      12 What is a normalcy‐generated demand?

      13 What is a mitigation‐generated demand?

      14 What is a preparedness‐generated demand?

      15 What is resilience?

Applying This Chapter

      1 After responding to a major apartment fire in Boise, Idaho, you become aware of the fact that a sprinkler system would have prevented much of the damage. How can you link recovery activities to the goals of mitigation?

      2 Suppose you are expecting the arrival of a hurricane in Charleston, South Carolina. What hazards