Hurricane Katrina was the most catastrophic disaster to strike the United States since the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. The nation has fortunately experienced very few catastrophic disaster events, but more such events can be expected in the future, including highly destructive hurricanes and major earthquakes in California. Drawing on the Katrina experience, and also taking into account the current state of U. S. disaster preparedness efforts, this presentation focuses on where the nation currently stands with respect to preparedness for future catastrophes and other anticipated extreme events. Special emphasis will be given to the extent to which current preparedness efforts are based on realistic assumptions about the challenges associated with managing very large-scale events.
Kathleen Tierney is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The Hazards Center is housed in the Institute of Behavioral Science, where Prof. Tierney holds a joint appointment. Dr. Tierney's research focuses on the social dimensions of hazards and disasters, including natural, technological, and human-induced extreme events. With collaborators Michael Lindell and Ronald Perry, she recently published Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States (Joseph Henry Press, 2001). This influential compilation presents a wealth of information derived from theory and research on disasters over the past 25 years. Among Dr. Tierney's current and recent research projects are studies on the organizational response to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center disaster, risk perception and risk communication, the use of new technologies in disaster management, and the impacts of disasters on businesses.
This is the seventh lecture in series sponsored by Stanford University's Quake '06 Alliance and University of California, Berkeley commemorating the 1906 Earthquake that cause massive destruction at Stanford University. The series will focus both on the historical and social perspectives of the 1906 Earthquake as well as the earth science, earthquake engineering, preparedness and disaster relief in order to prepare us for future earthquakes.