Disaster Tourism

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As you will see from this article, there are those who see opportunity and those who resent efforts to cash in on damage, pain, and suffering after a major devastating disaster. See this article re Joplin, MO in the Chicago Tribune.

This is not a new phenomenon, since it has been going on for years in New Orleans.

Feel free to weigh in with your your views – would you welcome it as a business opportunity or despise the exploitation?

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Human Cognitive Performance Suffers After Natural Disasters

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In an article titled Natural Disasters Influence Mental Mistakes, the site PychCentral provides a short account of a sessiion on Human Cognitive Performance Suffers Following National Disasters, delivered at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society; February 2012.

The Society has provided an abstract: Human Factors article.  Note that the sample size is quite small, but perhaps more research will be done on this topic in the future. Some excerpts from the news article follow:

A new study finds that survivors of natural disasters may experience intellectual challenges in addition to stress and anxiety. This mental decline may cause survivors to make serious errors in their daily lives.

Experts say attention to these phenomena is important given the prevalence of hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.

The study on how cognitive performance can decline after earthquakes is published by New Zealand researchers in the journal Human Factors.

In the report, University of Canterbury’s William S. Helton and James Head discuss how prior studies have found that more traffic accidents and accident-related fatalities occur following human-made disasters such as the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Experts believe the mishaps are due to increased cognitive impairment that can lead to higher stress levels and an increase in intrusive thoughts. However, until this time, no research has been conducted on the effects of natural disasters on cognitive performance.

Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning- 2nd posting

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Los Angeles, CA
I just learned about this UASI -funded effort in LA. For details about their ongoing recovery planning efforts as well as other projects completed and underway via the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant project, go to the Feb. 2012 report on the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant program. [Thanks to All Hands Consulting for the link.] The report is 19 pages.
Fairfax County, VA:
Fairfax County just completed its pre-disaster recovery plan, which I was told is the first in the country to follow the format and recovery support functions of the National Disaster Recovery Framework.  With support from federal grant funding, and the help of a consulting firm, the county has just published its recovery plan. (Note the download is 368 pages.)

When I have had the chance to read and analyze it, I will add comments.

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Some Health Resources

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Coping With a Disaster or Traumatic Event; CDC website.

The effects of a disaster, terrorist attack, or other public health emergency can be long-lasting, and the resulting trauma can reverberate even with those not directly affected by the disaster. This page provides general strategies for promoting mental health and resilience. These strategies were developed by various organizations based on experiences in prior disasters. Site produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2011”

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This recently issued report may be of interest: Ready or Not; Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, 2011. (92 pp.) Sponsored by the Trust for America’s Health.

Thanks to Bill Cumming for pointing out this report.

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How not to do seismic safety

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Bird's eye View of Old Delhi.

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An AP news article provides details about an ominous threat: Delhi ignores own quake peril warnings; January 25, 2012, Here is the lead in:

The ramshackle neighborhoods of northeast Delhi are home to 2.2 million people packed along narrow alleys. Buildings are made from a single layer of brick. Extra floors are added to dilapidated buildings not meant to handle their weight. Tangles of electrical cables hang precariously everywhere.

If a major earthquake were to strike India’s seismically vulnerable capital, these neighborhoods – India’s most crowded – would collapse into an apocalyptic nightmare. Waters from the nearby Yamuna River would turn the water-soaked subsoil to jelly, which would intensify the shaking.

The Indian government knows this and has done almost nothing about it.

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