Seven new quick response reports now on-line

Citation

(2002), "Seven new quick response reports now on-line", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 11 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2002.07311cab.001

Seven new quick response reports now on-line

Seven new quick response reports are now available on the Natural Hazards Center's Web site. The reports analyze diverse disaster aspects, including recent tornadoes, the events of 11 September, Hurricane Floyd, and earthquakes in El Salvador. Each report presents a distinct perspective of disaster recovery. The Natural Hazards Center sponsors "Quick Response" investigations that allow researchers to visit the site of a disaster immediately after impact in order to assess response and recovery. In turn, the researchers publish summaries of their findings on the Hazards Center Web site. The newest reports are:

Quick response report no. 137:Examining a "near-miss" experience: awareness, behavior and post-disaster response among residents on the periphery of a tornado-damage pathhttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr137/qr137.html John P. Tiefenbacher, William Monfredo, Michelle Shuey, and Reno J. Cecora, James and Marilyn LovellCenter for Environmental Geography and Hazards Research, Department of Geography, Southwest Texas State University20 pp.

This study was conducted one week after a damaging tornado in Wisconsin to understand the nature of local warnings and the responses people had to being on the periphery of the tornado damage path. It also evaluates the effect a nearby disaster has on pledges to improve disaster preparation, awareness, and mitigation.

Quick response report no. 138:Effects of written disclosure on post-disaster psychological adjustment and symptomatologyhttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr138/qr138.htmlH. Katherine O'Neill, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, and Joshua SmythDepartment of Psychology, Syracuse University11 pp.

Stress management intervention applied immediately after a traumatic experience may be effective in facilitating adjustment and in preventing the development of significant post-traumatic stress disorder. This report describes an evaluation of the psychological effectiveness of a brief structured writing task in helping victims cope with disaster trauma.

Quick response report no. 139:Field observations of Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the World Trade Center disasterhttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr139/qr139.htmlJames K. Mitchell, Peter Kabachnik, Robert Donovan, Junko Noguchi, and Tom MitchellDepartment of Geography, Rutgers University30 September 200110 pp.

This report examines the types of posters that were created and displayed in Lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. The report discusses the main types of displays, including those that express grief, describe missing persons, contain religious displays, present political commentaries, provide community announcements such as recovery meetings, and distribute government safety information.

Quick response report no. 140:The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001: immediate impacts and their ramifications for federal emergency managementhttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr140/qr140.html Claire B. Rubin and Irmak Renda-TanaliInstitute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management, George Washington University17 pp.

No past terrorist disaster in the USA has required both civilian recovery and military responses. This report discusses the defining characteristics of the attacks, the role of the media, the role of the US Environmental Protection Agency, the initial response of the US Coast Guard in New York City, economic and financial impacts, damage to infrastructure, equipment losses, business interruption, human productivity, airline losses, insurance payouts, decreases in tourism, revenue losses, impacts on the stock exchanges, and donations and charities. The authors also evaluate the effects on public attitudes toward government, the new national public awareness of terrorism, public awareness of emergency management, and changes in public sector focus and workload. The authors describe anticipated changes in federal policy to better deal with such events in the future.

Quick response report no. 141:Digital disaster assistance: how and why selected information technology firms contributed to recovery immediately after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attackshttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr141/qr141.htmlSarah MichaelsSchool of Planning, University of Waterloo13 pp.

This report examines how the information technology sector combined previous disaster experience, disaster response, plans, and post-event ingenuity to deliver previously contracted services, to provide new services, and to donate humanitarian aid.

Quick response report no. 142:Disaster and development: El Salvadorhttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr142/qr142.html Ben WisnerDevelopment Studies Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science200116 pp.

The author of this report visited El Salvador, a country plagued with earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic eruptions, to study the degree of citizen involvement in the planning of recovery and the degree to which recovery was incorporating mitigation of future impacts.

Quick response report no. 143:Multi-organizational coordination during the response to the 28 March 2000, Fort Worth Tornado: an assessment of constraining and contributing factors http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr143/qr143.html David A. McEntireEmergency Administration and Planning, Department of Public Administration, University of North Texas14 pp.

This report examines the factors that inhibit and facilitate coordination among disaster response organizations. The author used the tornado that struck Fort Worth Texas, in March 2000 to evaluate various aspects of response, including warning and evacuation, medical response, search and rescue, damage assessment, debris removal, sheltering, utility provision, public information, and business resumption. He also outlines factors that both constrain and contribute to effective response.

Quick response report no. 144:Community response in a terrorist disasterhttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr144/qr144.html Seana LoweDepartment of Sociology, University of Colorado5 pp.

This exploratory research focuses on the motivations, observations, behaviors, and exchanges experienced by spontaneous volunteers responding to the World Trade Center attacks.

Quick response report no. 145:Risk factors for death in the 8 April 1998 Alabama tornadoeshttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr145/qr145.html Yuichi OnoDepartment of Geography, Kent State University13 pp.

Noting that tornado deaths do not occur randomly, the author sought to understand factors that increase vulnerability to these storms by conducting a field survey of the deadly tornadoes that killed 34 people in Alabama. In this report, he presents information on the persons who died, their housing structure, their location during the tornado, the F-scale determined from the damage caused by the cyclone, and a discussion of potential survival strategies (Natural Hazards Observer, Vol. XXV1 No. 4, March 2002).