Disaster Vulnerability, Hazards and Resilience: Perspectives from Florida PDF
Preview Disaster Vulnerability, Hazards and Resilience: Perspectives from Florida
Environmental Hazards Fernando I. Rivera Naim Kapucu Disaster Vulnerability, Hazards and Resilience Perspectives from Florida Environmental Hazards Series editor Thomas A. Birkland More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/8583 Fernando I. Rivera (cid:129) Naim Kapucu Disaster Vulnerability, Hazards and Resilience Perspectives from Florida Fernando I. Rivera Naim Kapucu Department of Sociology School of Public Administration University of Central Florida University of Central Florida Orlando , FL , USA Orlando , FL , USA Environmental Hazards ISBN 978-3-319-16452-6 ISBN 978-3-319-16453-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-16453-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015936283 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 T his work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. T he use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. T he publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www. springer.com) Dedicated to Fernando: wife Lymari, and children Ernesto, Mariana, and Daniela as they are my guiding light and inspiration. Special dedication also goes to my mother, who unexpectedly passed away while I was writing this book. Naim: wife Ayşegül and children Emre, Selim, and Yusuf We also want to dedicate this book to all emergency personnel who are at the forefront of building resilient communities. Finally, we dedicate this book to all underserved and vulnerable groups; we hope this book provides them with a voice and a place at the table as we strive to continue to build disaster-resilient communities. Foreword I ncreasing exposure to hazards and increasing social and economic vulnerability are raising the specter of catastrophic disaster in the United States. Florida is the perfect example as hurricanes and other forms of severe weather, drought and wildfi re, agricultural and human diseases, the threat of foreign and domestic terrorism, and other natural and unnatural hazards are increasing the risk to life, property, and the environment. When we think of natural hazards in the United States, our fi rst thoughts typically are of earthquake risks in California and hurricane risks in Florida. While other states are faced with those and other hazards, recent experience has demonstrated the certainty of those risks and high costs. The risk of catastrophic disaster is probable, and the risk of signifi cant losses is certain. Tropical cyclones have affected about half of the American states, but Florida has been the most frequent target of the storms, particularly the catastrophic storms. Indeed, Florida has a very long history of severe storms, and population growth and concentration is raising the ante in terms of potential losses. Growing social vulner- ability is exacerbating the risks, as well. The lessons learned from hurricanes in the last century may not be remembered as clearly as they should be, but lessons learned in the last several decades may still provide impetus for preparedness and mitigation programs. For example, the Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 which caught rail- road workers, many WWI veterans, exposed in the Florida Keys, demonstrated the importance of early warning. The science of cyclones was not well understood at the time, and little was done to prepare for the possibility of storms. Hurricane Betsy in 1965, Hurricane David in 1979, and Hurricane Andrew in 1992, as well as dozens of lesser storms, also focused attention on the needs for better warning sys- tems, building codes and standards, strategies for evacuation, and plans for long- term recovery. The value of vertical evacuation, the need to focus on populations with functional needs, and the necessity of improved logistics were not on the emer- gency managers’ radar at that time. The use of social media for warning and response operations was a topic more likely to appear in science fi ction books. Clearly, much of what we know about hurricanes, including the patterns of destruction wrought by wind and water, we gleaned from experiences in Florida with those early storms. vii viii Foreword Riverine fl ooding in the Midwest and West, coastal fl ooding on the East coast, tornadoes in the Midwest and elsewhere in the South, wildfi re in the Mountain states and West, terrorist attacks in New York City and Tulsa, and other disasters similarly provided lessons for Florida. Emergency managers, public health offi cials, private sector risk managers, and other professionals are increasingly applying the lessons learned all over the United States, as well as in the rest of the world, to pre- vent losses of life, property, and environmental quality. In perhaps lesser measure, communities are being forced to adopt appropriate and effective land use, zoning, and building regulation to reduce losses – or face legal liability for failures to act responsibly to protect their residents. Also slowly, states and local governments are having to consider their legal exposure when hazardous industries are not effec- tively regulated to prevent accidental disasters. Recent failures to deal with known hazards range from massive explosions to life-threatening air, ground, and water contamination. Pressure is also increasing for community and state action to address newly identifi ed hazards, including climate-related diseases affecting agriculture and human beings. Florida offi cials have already noted the increasing incidence of dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases. C ommunities have become much more vulnerable as population density has risen along the state’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in the Keys. The vulnerability of the population has increased as well with infl uxes of retirees, agricultural workers, international and domestic tourists, and part-time residents. The impacts on infra- structure, the health-care system, the educational system, and social services are one thing, but the additional stress on critical services during disasters is signifi cant. In a low-tax state, essential services are fi scally strained even in the best of circum- stances. What is changing is that the vulnerability of people, property, and the envi- ronment is increasing. The impacts of climate change and sea level rise are already being felt in terms of higher storm surges, even for relatively minor storms, and higher wind speeds. While scientists are being careful about attributing those increases to climate change, they have ample evidence that the increases are taking place. A s the annual estimates of tropical storms and hurricanes and the expected land- falls are made, attention often shifts to Florida. State and local emergency manage- ment agencies begin assessing capabilities and reviewing plans. They watch the tropical disturbances developing off the coast of Africa and hope that one or more of the disturbances will not become the next catastrophic disaster to strike along the coast. Such is life in Florida and elsewhere on the Gulf and up the East coast. Hurricane season is stressful, and it is a stress that emergency managers in Florida are accustomed to. Fortunately, the State of Florida has an exceptional emergency management sys- tem. A major factor in that success has been the level of state support for local agen- cies. State encouragement of locals to meet national standards and to seek Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) accreditation has also been a factor. The EMAP Standard focuses attention on the whole emergency management pro- gram, including all stakeholders involved in disaster planning and operations, and the development of a comprehensive program. Collaboration is critical. But, still, Foreword ix emergency management agencies in Florida and elsewhere in the United States have uneven capabilities. Some are very professional and as prepared to deal with hurri- canes and other hazards as they can be, while others are barely able to contend with the everyday minor disasters caused by fi re and fl ood. Volunteers, nonprofi t organi- zations, and private fi rms provide surge capacity and help fi ll in the gaps. I t should be noted that changes are taking place in emergency management at the policy level. The cavalry approach, relying on federal and state offi cials to provide essential resources, is quickly shifting to a more self-suffi cient approach, asking individuals, families, and communities to take more responsibility for their own health and safety. There are a lot of reasons for the shift in policy and program, including the expense of large-scale disaster operations and long-term recovery, but the most important reason is that catastrophic disasters tax the capabilities of the public, private, and nonprofi t sectors. As the Katrina and Sandy disasters demon- strated, help may be slow in coming. Indeed, there may be catastrophic disasters in which help may be weeks or months away and communities may have to take care of themselves for a signifi cant length of time. The response to Hurricane Katrina came together very slowly and overwhelmed state and local capabilities. Pandemics can overwhelm even national capabilities, as the current Ebola crisis in West Africa demonstrates. But major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and hurricanes can sorely test emergency management capabilities at all levels. This is why the emphasis in recent years has been on community resilience, making the community less vulnerable and less reliant upon outside resources and enabling it to recover quicker. The goal is to replace infrastructure and to make it less vulnerable to the next storm in order to help communities fi nd a new normal. While there is still no consensus on the defi nition of resilience, there is growing understanding of its key elements. I , too, keep an eye on the tropical disturbances as they form off the coast of Africa. I watch as the storms move close to my mother’s home in Largo and pay attention to the vulnerability of Largo and other communities around Tampa Bay. I pay attention to the quality of the professional emergency managers hired by the State of Florida and Pinellas County. I applaud the adoption of measures to reduce risks in and around Largo and to make the community more resilient. This is more than an intellectual exercise. It is a matter of preparedness for risks that might affect my family and require quick action on my part. Georgia State University William L. Waugh Jr. , Atlanta , GA , USA
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