Читать книгу Disaster Response and Recovery - David A. McEntire - Страница 62

As mentioned earlier, when a hazard or multiple hazards interact with humans and the vulnerability they create, disasters occur. The consequences may be staggering. People may be injured or killed as a result of these destructive events, and the impact is often significant. From 2001 to 2012, natural disasters killed 1.9 million people worldwide and affected another 2.9 billion (UNISDR, 2013). Deaths have also been significant in the United States. For instance, an admittedly dated study “estimated that natural hazards killed over 24,000 people between January 1, 1975 and December 31, 1994” (Mileti, 1999, p. 66). These statistics were collected from fires, flooding or other hazards, and these numbers do not include the toll of disease outbreaks, which are also substantial. The number of injuries from disasters should not be overlooked either, as it averages about 100 per week in the United States (Mileti, 1999, p. 66). Such injuries may include superficial cuts from flying glass in a tornado or serious internal wounds due to the collapse of a building after an earthquake.

Property is likewise damaged or destroyed in disasters, costing billions of dollars each year. Homes and belongings are decimated by landslides, fishing vessels are sunk in hurricanes, and businesses are flattened by strong winds. Furniture, clothing, televisions and cars are ruined in disasters. Losses average about $1 billion per week in the United States, and these figures are rising exponentially each decade (Mileti, 1999, p. 66). Hazardous materials spills, nuclear accidents, and other events can likewise degrade the natural environment, thereby affecting the health and well‐being of people beyond the current generation.

Disasters also disrupt individuals and society as a whole. Routine activities such as cooking, sleeping, and bathing may be hindered due to the damages of one’s appliances, bed, or home. Jobs are also lost, business transactions are prohibited, and traffic is snarled when hazards impact corporations and transportation systems. Disasters are also accompanied by building collapses, road closures, and downed power and phone lines. The infrastructure is often severely impacted. Simple tasks such as mailing a letter or having your trash hauled away cannot be performed because the government is also adversely affected by the event(s). Disasters, including terrorist attacks, cause economic decline and can sometimes jeopardize mental health. Disasters of all types have even led to political turmoil at times and have changed the direction of policy in the United States (e.g., the creation of the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11). There is no doubt that disasters have a bearing upon taxes, insurance rates, and many other aspects of our lives.

Figure 1‐8 This picture of boats impacting infrastructure illustrates why Hurricane Katrina was one of the most complex disasters to in U.S. history. Robert Kaufmann/FEMA. http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/images/47341