Preparing for Future Disasters
IV. Social and Economic Antecedents
Many areas that are prone to natural disasters are inhabited by people who are poorer than the national average population. These areas tend to be rural and to lack robust infrastructure. Because some of these areas are scenic and the land values are low, there has been recent development of communities of affluent people who can provide for themselves the services that the community lacks. These socioeconomic disparities complicate disaster preparedness in numerous ways and were displayed during hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Failure to address these disparities is not only a problem for the affected disadvantaged populations, but also dilutes the entire response, either by reducing resources available to everyone else or by significantly raising the overall cost.
Health inequality influenced by poverty and race has persisted despite important health gains and economic growth in the United States. This article proposes policy changes of government and private agencies to improve health inequality through lessons from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
This very readable article highlights the social science of risk management in relation to disasters. The response of businesses such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart are compared with government response, and applications from engineering levees in Holland are described. "If the cost of a flooded New Orleans is $100 billion dollars, and the annual chance of that flood is one in 200, then it would pay to spend up to $500 million a year (one-200th of $100 billion) to keep such a flood from happening." The authors conclude that "what works in the face of disaster is a combination of knowledge, humility, and willingness to change gears."
