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Vulnerability Assessment Techniques and Applications (VATA)
Glossary
Terms and Definitions| A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | AAcceptable Risk: That level of risk that is sufficiently low that society is comfortable with it. Society does not generally consider expenditure in further reducing such risks justifiable. (Australian National 1994) Acceptable Risk: Degree of humans and material loss that is perceived as tolerable in actions to minimize disaster risk. (Nimpuno 1998) Acceptable Risk: Risk tolerance. Given that the provision of absolute safety is impossible, there is great sense in trying to determine the level of risk which is acceptable for any activity or situation. Thus, when a hazard is being managed, the financial and other resources allocated to the task should theoretically match the degree of threat posed by the hazard, as indicated by the rank of the risk. . . . One must always specify acceptable to whom and that implies a conscious decision based on all the available information. . .. The 1993 floods in the upper Mississippi river basin had an estimated return period of more than one in 200 years, yet some people who were flooded asserted that this event should now be regarded as an unacceptable risk. Such arguments ignore both the economic and social benefits derived by those communities from their floodplain location over the previous 100 years or so, when few flood losses occurred, and the cost to the taxpayer implied in protecting floodplain basins against a flood of the 1993 magnitude. (Smith 1996, 57) Acceptable Risk: Degree of human and material loss that is perceived by the community or relevant authorities as tolerable in actions to minimize disaster risk. (U.N. 1992, 3) Accident: "The word 'accidental' carries with it the connotations of both something that occurs by chance and something non-essential or incidental" (Allinson 1993, 15). "The thesis that 'accidents will happen' and that therefore nothing can be done to prevent their occurrence reaches its logical fulfillment in the thesis of Charles Perrow that accidents are so inevitable and therefore non-preventable that we are even justified in calling them 'normal'" (Allinson, p.16). Accident: "Unintended damaging event, industrial mishap" (Disaster and Emergency Reference Center 1998). Accident: "An unexpected or undesirable event, especially one causing injury to a small number of individuals and/or modest damage to physical structures. Examples would be automotive accidents or damage from lightning striking a house." (Drabek 1996, Session 2, p. 3) Accident: ". . .situations in which an occasion can be handled by. . .emergency organizations. The demands that are made on the community are within the scope of domain responsibility of the usual emergency organizations such as police, fire, medical and health personnel. Such accidents create needs (and damage) which are limited to the accident scene and so few other community facilities are damaged. Thus, the emergency response is delimited in both location and to the range of emergency activities. The primary burden of emergency response falls on those organizations that incorporate clearly deferred emergency responsibility into their domains. When the emergency tasks are completed, there are few vestiges of the accident or lasting effects on the community structure" (Dynes 1998, 117). Accident: "The very language used to describe the [TMI] accident revealed the very diverse perceptions that enter such interpretations. Was it an accident or an incident? A catastrophe or a mishap? A disaster or an event? A technical failure or a simple mechanical breakdown?" (Nelkin 1981, 135). Accident: An event which only requires the response of established organizations - expansion or actions such as going to extra shifts is not called for. (Quarantelli 1987, 25) Accident: "The evidence. . .suggests that accidents are not the product of divine caprice, nor of a set of random chance events which are not likely to recur, but that they are incidents, created by people, which can be analyzed, and that the lessons learned from that analysis, if implemented, will help to prevent similar events from taking place again." (Toft 1992, 58) Accident, Technological: "Technological accidents. . .are almost never understood as the way the world of chance sorts itself out. They provoke outrage rather than acceptance or resignation. They generate a feeling that the thing ought not have happened, that someone is at fault, that victims deserve not only compassion and compensation but something akin to what lawyers call punitive damages." (Erikson, 1989, 143) Acts of God: Natural disasters or freak accidents. (Birkland 1997, 2.) "When society seems to have formed a consensus that the event was an 'act of God,' such as a natural disaster or freak accident, our attention turns to what we can do to help the victims. But when the disaster is the result of human failings - poor design, operator error, 'corporate greed,' or 'government neglect' - our attention turns to the voluntary acceptance of responsibility for an event or to the more coercive process of fixing blame. Boards of inquiry are formed, legislatures hold hearings, and reports are issued, all in hopes of 'learning something from this incident' to ensure that something similar does not happen again or in the case of 'unavoidable' disasters, in hopes of improving our preparation for and response to disasters" (Birkland 1997, 2). Acts of God: A fatalistic "syndrome whereby individuals feel no personal responsibility for hazard response and wish to avoid expenditure on risk reduction" (Smith 1996, 70). Alert: Advisory that hazard is approaching but is less imminent than implied by warning message. See also "warning". (U.N. 1992, 3) Assessment: Survey of a real or potential disaster to estimate the actual or expected damages and to make recommendations for prevention, preparedness and response. (U.N. 1992, 15) Assessment: Survey of a real or potential disaster to estimate the actual or expected damages and to make recommendations for preparedness, mitigation and relief action. (Reference Center 1998) Avalanche: Mass of snow and ice falling suddenly down a mountain slope and often taking with it earth, rocks and rubble of every description. (WMO 1992, 66) | A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | BBase Flood: A term used in the National Flood Insurance Program to indicate the minimum size flood to be used by a community as a basis for its floodplain management regulations; presently required by regulation to be "that flood which has a one-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year." Also known as a 100-year flood or one-percent chance flood. Beaufort Scale: Numerical scale from
0 to 12, indicating wind force. (Reference Center 1998) Blizzard: Violent winter storm, lasting at least 3 hours, which combines below freezing temperatures and very strong wind laden with blowing snow that reduces visibility to less than 1 km. (WMO 1992, 86) | A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | CCalamity: "A massive or extreme catastrophic disaster that extends over time and space." Notes the Black Death of the 14th century as an example. (Drabek 1996, Session 2, p.4) Catastrophe: "An event in which a society incurs, or is threatened to incur, such losses to persons and/or property that the entire society is affected and extraordinary resources and skills are required, some of which must come from other nations. An example would be the 1985 Earthquakes in Mexico City and other Mexican cities. Thousands of people-estimates vary markedly-died and tens of thousands were injured. At least 100,000 building units were damaged; reconstruction costs exceeded five billion dollars (with some estimates running as high as $10 billion). Over sixty donor nations contributed to the recovery through programs coordinated by the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies." (Drabek1996, Session 2, p. 4; citing Russell R. Dynes, E.L. Quarantelli, and Dennis Wenger. 1990. Individual and Organizational Response to the 1985 Earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico. Newark, Delaware: Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware) Catastrophe: ". . .an event that causes $25 million or more in insured property losses and affects a significant number of property-casualty policyholders and insurers." (Insurance Services Office 2000, 2) Catastrophe: An event of such impact upon a community that new organizations must be created in order to deal with the situation. (Quarantelli 1987, 25) Catastrophe: ". . .for a given society might be defined as an event leading to 500 deaths or $10 million in damages. These figures, however, are arbitrary since levels of impact mean different things to different people in different situations. Furthermore, we cannot ignore the element of scale. It would be a catastrophe for a small community if every building were totally destroyed by flooding (as occurred in 1993 in Valmeyer, Illinois), but at the global scale, it would be an insignificant event if only 350 houses were involved. . .Similarly, $10 million in damage to some communities would be devastating. . ., especially in less wealthy societies, but others would be able to cope relatively easily" (Tobin and Montz 1997, 7). ". . .a catastrophe not only disrupts society, but may cause a total breakdown in day-to-day functioning. One aspect of catastrophes, is that most community functions disappear; there is no immediate leadership, hospitals may be damaged or destroyed, and the damage may be so great and so extensive that survivors have nowhere to turn for help (Quarantelli, 1994). In disaster situations, it is not unusual for survivors to seek help from friends and neighbors, but this cannot happen in catastrophes. In a disaster, society continues to operate and it is common to see scheduled events continue. . ." Tobin and Montz 1997, 31). Catastrophic Disaster: An event that results in large numbers of deaths and injuries; causes extensive damage or destruction of facilities that provide and sustain human needs; produces an overwhelming demand on State and local response resources and mechanisms; causes a severe long-term effect on general economic activity; and severely affects State, local, and private-sector capabilities to begin and sustain response activities. Note: the Stafford Act provides no definition for this term. (FEMA 1992, FRP Appendix B) Category 1 hurricane: The lowest of five levels of relative hurricane intensity on the Saffir/Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 1 hurricane is defined by winds of 74 to 95 MPH, or a storm surge of 4 to 5 feet above normal. This category normally does not cause real damage to permanent structures, although damage to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees can be expected. Also some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage. (Notification Manual) Category 2 hurricane: The second of five levels of relative hurricane intensity on the Saffir/Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 2 hurricane is defined by winds of 96 to 110 MPH, or a storm surge of 6 to 8 feet above normal. This category normally causes some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers can be expected. Coastal and low lying escape routes can be expected to flood 2 to 4 hours before arrival of storm center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages will bread mooring. (Notification Manual) Category 3 hurricane: The third of five levels of relative hurricane intensity on the Saffir/Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 3 hurricane is defined by winds of 111 to 130 MPH, or a storm surge of 9 to 12 feet above normal. This category normally does some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings, with a minor amount of curtain wall failures. Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding near the coast can be expected to destroy smaller structures, with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 feet above sea level may be flooded inland as far as 6 miles. (Notification Manual) Category 4 hurricane: The fourth of five levels of relative hurricane intensity on the Saffir/Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 4 hurricane is defined by winds of 131 to 155 MPH, or a storm surge of 13 to 18 feet above normal. This category normally causes more extensive curtain wall failures, with some complete roof structure failure on small residences. Major erosion will occur at beach areas. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore can be expected. Terrain continuously lower than 10 feet above sea level may be flooded, requiring massive evacuation of residential areas inland as far as 6 miles. (Notification Manual) Category 5 hurricane: The severest of five levels of relative hurricane intensity on the Saffir/Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 5 hurricane is defined by winds greater than 155 MPH, or a storm surge greater than 18 feet above normal. This category normally causes complete roof failure on many residential and industrial buildings; some are blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline can be expected. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of the shoreline may be required. (Notification Manual) CHEMTREC: The Chemical Transportation Emergency Center, 24-hour contact number 1-800-424-9300 in CONUS, 202-483-7616 outside the continental United States. A service, sponsored by the chemical industry, which provides two stages of assistance to responders dealing with potentially hazardous materials. First, on receipt of a call providing the name of a chemical judged by the responder to be a potentially hazardous material, CHEMTREC provides immediate advice on the nature of the chemical product and the steps to be taken in handling it. Second, CHEMTREC promptly contacts the shipper of the material involved for more detailed information and on-scene assistance when feasible. (DOT 1993) Civil Defense (CD): All activities and measures designed or undertaken for the following reasons: (a) to minimize the effects upon the civilian population caused by, or which would be caused by, an attach upon the United States or by a natural disaster; (b) to deal with the immediate emergency conditions which would be created by any such attack or natural disaster; and (c) to effectuate emergency repairs to, or the emergency restoration of, vital utilities and facilities destroyed or damaged by any such attack or natural disaster. (FEMA 1990) Civil Defense: The system of measures, usually run by a governmental agency, to protect the civilian population in wartime, to respond to disasters, and to prevent and mitigate the consequences of major emergencies in peacetime. The term "civil defense" is now used increasingly. (UN 1992, 17) Civil Disturbances: Group acts of violence and disorders prejudicial to public law and order within the 50 States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. possessions and territories, or any political subdivision thereof. As more specifically defined in DoD Directive 3025.12 (Military Support to Civil Authorities), "civil disturbance" includes all domestic conditions requiring the use of Federal Armed Forces. (Title 32 CFR 185) Civil Emergency: Any natural or manmade disaster or emergency that causes or could cause substantial harm to the population or infrastructure. This term can include a "major disaster" or "emergency" as those terms are defined in the Stafford Act, as amended, as well as consequences of an attack or a national security emergency. Under 42 U.S.C. 5121, the terms "major disaster" and "emergency" are defined substantially by action of the President in declaring that extant circumstances and risks justify his implementation of the legal powers provided by those statutes. (Title 32 CFR 185) Civil Protection: "The phrase 'civil protection' has gradually come into use around the world as a term that describes activities which protect civil populations against incidents and disasters (Mauro, 1996). . ..Civil protection has gradually and rather haltingly emerged from the preceding philosophy of civil defense." (Alexander, 2002, 4) Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER): A program developed by the Chemical Manufacturers Association providing guidance for chemical plant managers to assist them in taking the initiative in cooperating with local communities to develop integrated (community/industry) hazardous materials emergency plans. (FEMA 1990) Comprehensive Emergency Management: "Comprehensive Emergency Management means integrating all actors, in all phases of emergency activity, for all types of disasters." (NGA 1978, 111) Comprehensive Emergency Management: "CEM refers to a state's responsibility and unique capability to manage all types of disasters by coordinating wide-ranging actions of numerous agencies. The 'comprehensive' aspect of CEM includes all four phases of disaster activity: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for all risks -- attack, man-made, and natural -- in a federal-state-local operating partnership." (NGA 1978, 203) Comprehensive Emergency Management: An integrated approach to the management of emergency programs and activities for all four emergency phases (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery), for all types of emergencies and disasters and for all levels of government and the private sector. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA): Public Law 96-510, as amended. More popularly known as "Superfund," CERCLA provides authority for Federal and State governments to respond directly to hazardous substances incidents. (FEMA 1992, Appendix C) Conflict Hazards: War, acts of terrorism, civil unrest, riots, and revolutions. Consequence: The outcome of an event or situation expressed qualitatively or quantitatively, being a loss, injury, disadvantage or gain. (Standards 1995) Consequence Analysis: The estimation of the effect of potential hazardous events. (New South Wales 1989). Consequence Management (COM): Involves measures to alleviate the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused by emergencies. It includes measures to restore essential government services, protect public health and safety, and provide emergency relief to affected governments, businesses, and individuals. (FEMA, Weapons of Mass Destruction-Nuclear Scenario) Consequence Management: "Relative to terrorism incident operations, measures to protect public health and safety, restore essential government services, and provide emergency relief to governments, businesses and individuals affected by the consequences of terrorism." (FEMA Disaster Dictionary 2001, 22; cites Federal Response Plan, "Terrorism Incident Annex.") Contingency Planning: "Asking about all the 'what if's that might occur in the activities of an organization and the dangers faced in the external environment." (Lerbinger 1997, 267) Continuity of Government: All measures that may be taken to ensure the continuity of essential functions of governments in the event of emergency conditions, including line-of-succession for key decision-makers. Crisis: ". . .a decisive or critical moment or turning point when things can take a dramatic turn, normally for the worse. . ." (Allinson 1993, 93; based upon Webster's New International Dictionary, Unabridged, 2nd ed.) Crisis: Short period of extreme danger, acute emergency. (D&E Reference Center 1998) Crisis: "Crises involve events and processes that carry severe threat, uncertainty, an unknown outcome, and urgency. . .Most crises have trigger points so critical as to leave historical marks on nations, groups, and individual lives. Crises are historical points of reference, distinguishing between the past and the present. . ..Crises come in a variety of forms, such as terrorism (New York World Trade Center and Oklahoma bombings), natural disasters (Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew in Florida, the Holland and Bangladesh flood disasters), nuclear plant accidents (Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl), riots (Los Angeles riot and the Paris riot of 1968, or periodic prison riots), business crises, and organizational crises facing life-or-death situations in a time of rapid environmental change. . ..Crises consist of a 'short chain of events that destroy or drastically weaken' a condition of equilibrium and the effectiveness of a system or regime within a period of days, weeks, or hours rather than years. . ..Surprises characterize the dynamics of crisis situations. . .Some crises are processes of events leading to a level of criticality or degree of intensity generally out of control. Crises often have past origins, and diagnosing their original sources can help to understand and manage a particular crisis or lead it to alternative state of condition" (Farazmand 2001, 3-4) Crisis: ". . .an event and/or a situation which endangers the established system, the health, life, and property of its members. . ..the term 'crisis' is treated as being separated from. . .other concepts based on the intensity and scope of influence. The terms disaster, hazard, accident, etc., refer to only one event and/or situation, while crisis includes the concepts of natural disasters, man-made/technological disasters, and social disasters." (Kim and Lee 2001, 502) Crisis: "Crises act as focusing events, demanding public attention to a policy failure or problem. . .A great war, a major depression, or an epidemic may set into motion a number of important changes in public policies." (Nice and Grosse 2001, 55) Crisis: ". . .a hard and complicated situation. . .or a turning point-a decisive crucial time/event, or a time of great danger or trouble with the possibilities of both good and bad outcomes" (Porfiriev 1995, 291-292). Crisis: "A collective crisis can be conceptualized as having three interrelated features: (1) a threat of some kind, involving something that the group values; (2) when the occasion occurs it is relatively unexpected, being abrupt, at least in social time; and (3) the need to collectively react for otherwise the effects are seen as likely to be even more negative if nothing is done sooner or later..." (Quarantelli 1998, 257). Crisis: ". . .a situation that, left unaddressed, will jeopardize the organization's ability to do business." (Ziaukas 2001, 246; citing other sources) Crisis Management: In the literature that exists so far, the term "crisis management" has been widely employed. But this terminology is ambiguous. "Crisis management" can be taken to refer either to managing a crisis after it has arisen-that is, intervening in a crisis situation-or managing in such a way that a crisis does not arise in the first place. The blanket term "crisis management" is thus a conceptual blanket that covers a multitude of sins. It is best to avoid the usage of such a label, since the inclusion of the word "management" in such a label implies that the process so labeled is envisioned as a solution to the problem of crises in general. This, however, is not really the case. At best, so-called crisis management addresses only crises that have already arisen and usually only when such crises have become either imminent or already actualized disasters. (Allinson 1993, 92) Since "crisis management" is used in the literature to refer for the most part to either how one responds to an existent crisis or how one might anticipate crises and therefore be able to respond to them, crisis management most often connotes crisis intervention management whether after the onset of the disaster or in anticipation of a disaster. In either of these two modes, it is nevertheless a "band-aid" approach since it either comes into effect after the wound or primarily addresses itself to having a band-aid ready to cover the wound immediately so that the wound does not bleed overly much. (Allinson 1993, 93) Crisis Management: Coordination of actions during acute emergency. (D&E Reference Center 1998) Crisis Management: "Key to crisis management is an accurate and timely diagnosis of the criticality of the problems and the dynamics of events that ensue. This requires knowledge, skills, courageous leadership full of risk-taking ability; and vigilance. Successful crisis management also requires motivation, a sense of urgency, commitment, and creative thinking with a long-term strategic vision. In managing crises, established organizational norms, culture, rules and procedures become major obstacles: administrators and bureaucrats tend to protect themselves by playing a bureaucratic game and hiding behind organizational and legal shelters. A sense of urgency gives way to inertia and organizational sheltering and self-protection by managers and staff alike. . ..Successful crisis management requires: (1) sensing the urgency of the matter; (2) thinking creatively and strategically to solving the crisis; (3) taking bold actions and acting courageously and sincerely; (4) breaking away from the self-protective organizational culture by taking risks and actions that may produce optimum solutions in which there would be no significant losers; and (5) maintaining a continuous presence in the rapidly changing situation with unfolding dramatic events. (Farazmand 2001, 4) Crisis Management(CRM): Involves measures to resolve the hostile situation, investigate, and prepare a criminal case for prosecution under federal law. (FEMA 1998) Crisis Management: "Measures to identify, acquire, and plan the use of resources needed to anticipate, prevent, and/or resolve a threat or act of terrorism." (FEMA Disaster Dictionary, 2001, 26; citing FEMA FRP, "Terrorism Incident Annex") | A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | DDamage Assessment: The process utilized to determine the magnitude of damage and the unmet needs of individuals, businesses, the public sector, and the community caused by a disaster or emergency event. Damage Classification: Evaluation and recording of damage to structures, facilities, or objects according to three (or more) categories: 1. "Severe Damage" - which precludes further use of
the structure, facility, or abject for its intended purpose. Declaration: The formal action by the President to make a State eligible for major disaster or emergency assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended. Defense Emergency Response Fund: Established by Public Law 101-165 (1989). That law provides that, "The Fund shall be available for providing reimbursement to currently applicable appropriations of the Department of Defense for supplies and services provided in anticipation of requests from other Federal departments and agencies and from State and local governments for assistance on a reimbursable basis to respond to natural or manmade disasters. The Fund may be used upon a determination by the Secretary of Defense that immediate action is necessary before a formal request for assistance on a reimbursable basis is received." The Fund is applicable to military support to civil authorities (MSCA) under DoD Directive 3025.1 and to foreign disaster assistance under DoD Directive 5100.46. (32 CFR 185) Disaster: An event that requires resources beyond the capability of a community and requires a multiple agency response. (Unknown source) Disaster: The result of a hazard impacting a community. (Unknown source) Disaster: "For insurance purposes a disaster is defined internationally as an event that causes at least US$5 million in reimbursable losses." (Alexander, no date, 4) Disaster: "The distinction between natural hazards or disasters and their manmade (or technological) counterparts is often difficult to sustain. . .we are dealing with a physical event which makes an impact on human beings and their environment. . .a natural disaster can be defined as some rapid, instantaneous or profound impact of the natural environment upon the socio-economic system" (Alexander 1993, 4). Disaster: "The label 'disaster' rather than 'accident' carries with it not only the implication that. . .an event. . .was of extraordinary misfortune. . .but also the implication that it could (unlike most accidents) have been prevented. . .disasters are events which fall within our scope of concern to prevent and in principle are events which may be prevented, and that we have a consequent obligation to attempt to prevent them" (Allinson 1993, 168-169). Disaster: ". . .Allen Barton characterized disaster as a type of collective stress situation in which 'many members of a social system fail to receive expected conditions of life from the system' (1969: 38). For Barton, what distinguishes disasters from other types of collective stress, such as war, is that the sources of disasters are external rather than internal." (Tierney, Lindell and Perry 2001, 9) Disaster: "Disasters are fundamentally social phenomena; they involve the intersection of the physical processes of a hazard agent with the local characteristics of everyday life in a place and larger social and economic forces that structure that realm" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 27). "Disasters are easily characterized as unfortunate things that happen from time to time to people and their cities. What is missing in this view is any understanding of the ways that political and economic forces create conditions that result in an earthquake having disastrous impacts for some people and communities. . . "The disruptions of a disaster can unmask social inequalities and the injustices that accompany them. . .Too often. . .disasters become the basis for rebuilding social inequalities and perhaps deepening them, thus setting the stage for the next disaster" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 2). "Disasters, from a vulnerability perspective, are understood as bound up in the specific histories and socio-cultural practices of the affected people taken in the context of their political and economic systems" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 8). "The value of a vulnerability approach [to the study of hazards and disasters] lies in its openness to cultural specificity, social variability, diversity, contingency, and local agency" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 20).
"It is the local struggles and strategies that can provide lessons for dealing with disaster across a range of societal contexts. . ..Too often disaster research proceeds with the 'view from above'" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 20). "Disasters and other environmental problems are too often treated, not as symptoms of more basic political and economic processes, but rather as accidents whose effects can be remedied by sufficient application of technical skill and knowledge" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 231). Disaster: "A disaster is. . .an event associated with the impact of a natural hazard, which leads to increased mortality, illness and/or injury, and destroys or disrupts livelihoods, affecting the people or an area such that they (and/or outsiders) perceive it as being exceptional and requiring external assistance for recovery" (Cannon 1994, 29, fn.2). "Many people now accept that human activity itself has created the conditions for disaster events. This is partly because of growing awareness that through negligence or inappropriate response, the workings of social systems have made a disaster out of a situation which otherwise might not have been so serious. There has also been a growth in understanding that it is hazards that are natural, but that for a hazard to become a disaster it has to affect vulnerable people" (Cannon 1994, 16).
Disaster: "A disaster is an emergency considered severe enough by local government to warrant the response and dedication of resources beyond the normal scope of a single jurisdiction or branch of local government." (Carroll 2001, 467) Disaster: "An event, natural or man-made, sudden or progressive, which impacts with such severity that the affected community has to respond by taking exceptional measures." (Carter 1991) Disaster: ". . .a disaster is a singular event that results in widespread losses to people, infrastructure, or the environment. Disasters originate from many sources, just as hazards do (natural systems, social systems, technology failures). (Cutter 2001, 3) Disaster: Calamity beyond the coping capacity of the effected population, triggered by natural or technological hazards or by human action. (D&E Reference Center 1998) Disaster: "Disasters do not cause effects. The effects are what we call a disaster" (Dombrowsky 1998, 21). Disaster: "An event in which a community undergoes severe danger and incurs, or is threatened to incur, such losses to persons and/or property that the resources available within the community are exceeded. In disasters, resources from beyond the local jurisdiction, that is State or Federal level, are required to meet the disaster demands." (Drabek 1996, 2-4)
Disaster: "A disaster is a normatively defined occasion in a community when extraordinary efforts are taken to protect and benefit some social resource whose existence is perceived as threatened" (Dynes 1998, 113). Disaster: Differentiating a disaster from an accident "is the extensiveness of the involvement of organizations and other segments within the community. . .In a community disaster, the pattern of damage may extend to several different places in the community rather than being focalized as it is within a community accident. Also, a number of community structures, perhaps including those that might house the traditional emergency organizations, might be damaged or destroyed. . ..The increased involvement of other nonemergency organizations then creates the need for coordination of activity and for new patterns of communication among parts of the community that previously had no reason to communicate" (Dynes 1998, 119). Disaster: "What is a disaster anyway? In social science usage as well as in everyday speech. . .it is a sharp and furious eruption of some kind that splinters the silence for one terrible moment and then goes away. A Disaster is an 'event' with a distinct beginning and a distinct end, and it is by definition extraordinary - a freak of nature, a perversion of the natural processes of life. . .the two distinguishing properties of a disaster are, first, that it does a good deal of harm, and, second, that it is sudden, unexpected, acute." (Erikson 1976, 253) ". . .instead of classifying a condition as a trauma because it was induced by a disaster, we would classify an event as disaster if it had the property of bringing about traumatic reactions. According to the terms of this rule, any event or condition that could be shown to produce trauma on a large scale would have earned a place on the current roster of 'disasters'." (Erikson 1976, 254) Disaster: An occurrence that has resulted in property damage, deaths, and /or injuries to a community. (FEMA 1990, Definitions and Terms, Instruction 5000.2) Disaster: Any event "concentrated in time and space, in which a society of a relatively self-sufficient subdivision of society, undergoes severe danger and incurs such losses to its members and physical appurtenances that the social structure is disrupted and the fulfillment of all or some of the essential functions of the society is prevented" (Fritz 1961, 655) Disaster: ". . .a situation involving damage and/or loss of lives beyond one million German marks and/or 1,000 person killed." (German insurance industry. Dombrosky's words (1998, 20)) Disaster: ". . .such severe interference of the public order and safety that in intervention of the centralized, coordinated disaster protection units is necessary." (German law. Dombrowsky 1998, 20 citing Seeck 1980, 1) Disaster: An "extraordinary situation in which the everyday lives of people are suddenly interrupted and thus protection, nutrition, clothing, housing, medical and social aid or other vital necessities are requested." (German Red Cross. Dombrowsky 1998, 20, citing Katastrophen-Vorschrift 1988, 2) Disaster: The result of (1) the impact of external forces, (2) social vulnerability, or (3) uncertainty. (Gilbert, 1991) Disaster: "the loss of key standpoints in common sense, and difficulty of understanding reality through ordinary mental frameworks" (Gilbert 1995, 238). Disaster: "Disasters are subjective phenomena. They arise from the behavior of complex systems, are perceived and take place in a specific socio-economic, historical, cultural and chronological context." (Horlick-Jones and Peters 1991a, 147) Disaster: ". . .disasters arise from the exposure of vulnerable populations to hostile environments generated by the failure of complex systems. . .such systems are made vulnerable to failure by the complex interplay of factors including elements of the political economy environment in which the system is embedded." (Horlick-Jones and Peters 1991b, 41) Disaster: Events that ". . .release repressed anxiety [and constitute a] loss of control of social order" (Horlick-Jones 1995, 305). Disaster: A disaster is an event concentrated in time and space, in which a society or one of its subdivisions undergoes physical harm and social disruption, such that all or some essential functions of the society or subdivision are impaired (Kreps 1995, 256). Disaster: "Disasters are non-routine events in societies or their larger subdivisions (e.g. regions, communities) that involve social disruption and physical harm. Among the key defining properties of such events are (1) length of forewarning, (2) magnitude of impact, (3) scope of impact, and (4) duration of impact" (Kreps 1998, 34). Disasters:". . .disasters are conjunctions of historical happenings and social definitions of physical harm and social disruption" (Kreps 1998, 34). Disaster:". . .consensus-type social crisis occasions wherein demands are exceeding resources and emergent responses may generate social change. . ..the idea of social change is introduced to correct what is identified as a predisposition to focus on disasters as necessarily dysfunctional" [when there are "winners" as well]. (Summary of "the generic perspective" by Kroll-Smith and Couch 1991, 357.) Disaster:"When viewed from an ecological-symbolic perspective, the real issue is not the quality of the disaster agent per se, but whether or not it significantly alters the relationship between a community, its built, modified or biophysical environments, and how people interpret and experience the changes in those environments" (Kroll-Smith and Couch 1991, 361). Disaster:". . .disaster must not be seen like the meteorite that falls out of the sky on an innocent world; the disaster, most often, is anticipated, and on multiple occasions." (Lagadec 1982, 495) Disaster:"An occurrence or threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of property resulting from a natural or human-made cause, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, snowstorm, ice storm, tornado, windstorm, wave action, oil spill, water contamination, utility failure, hazardous peacetime radiological incident, major transportation accident, hazardous materials incident, epidemic, air contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, or hostile military action, or paramilitary action, or similar occurrences resulting from terrorist activities, riots, or civil disorders." (Michigan EMD 1998, 5) Disaster:"Disasters, in contrast to risks and hazards, are singular or interactive hazard events. . .that have a profound impact on local people or places either in terms of injuries, property damages, loss of life, or environmental impacts" (Mitchell and Cutter 1997, 10). Disaster:"Disasters are the interface between an extreme physical event and a vulnerable population." (Okeefe et al 1976, 566) Disaster:"In graphic ways, disasters signal the failure of a society to adapt successfully to certain features of its natural and socially constructed environments in a sustainable fashion" (Oliver-Smith 1996, 303). Disaster:". . .a process involving the combination of a potentially destructive agent(s) from the natural, modified and/or constructed environment and a population in a socially and economically produced condition of vulnerability, resulting in a perceived disruption of the customary relative satisfactions of individual and social needs for physical survival, social order and meaning" (Oliver-Smith 1998, 186) "A disaster is made inevitable by the historically produced pattern of vulnerability, evidenced in the location, infrastructure, sociopolitical structure, production patterns, and ideology, that characterize a society. The society's pattern of vulnerability is an essential element of a disaster. (Oliver-Smith 1998, 187). ". . .a disaster is at some basic level a social construction, its essence to be found in the organization of communities, rather than in an environmental phenomenon with destructive or disruptive effects for a society" (Oliver-Smith 1998, 181). Disaster:"A major natural disaster, in the sociological sense, can be thought of as a failure of the social systems constituting a community to adapt to an environmental event. . .It should also be viewed as the failure to develop and distribute, among other things, technology in the form of housing and community infrastructure capable of withstanding such an event" (Peacock/Ragsdale 1997, 24). Disaster: The result of negative social and environmental impacts, state (condition) of collective stress in a community, or a contradiction between the capacity to cope with destructive agents and their negative impacts. (C. Pelanda, 1982 according to Porfiriev 1995, 287-288.) Disaster:"A disaster is a non-routine event that exceeds the capacity of the affected area to respond to it in such a way as to save lives; to preserve property; and to maintain the social, ecological, economic, and political stability of the affected region." (Pearce 2000, Chapter 2, 5) Disaster:". . .a state/condition destabilizing the social system that manifests itself in a malfunctioning or disruption of connections and communications between its elements or social units (communities, social groups and individuals); partial or total destruction/demolition; physical and psychological overloads suffered by some of these elements; thus making it necessary to take extraordinary or emergency countermeasures to reestablish stability" (Porfiriev 1995, 291) Disaster:"Disasters occur when the demands for action exceed the capabilities for response in a crisis situation" (Quarantelli 1985, 50). Disaster:An event in which emergency organizations need to expand and extend themselves (such as going to extra shifts) in order to cope. (Quarantelli 1987, 25) Disaster:"Apparently the word etymologically entered the English language from a work in French (desastre), which in turn was a derivation from two Latin words (dis, astro), which combined meant, roughly, formed on a star. So, in its early usage, the word disaster had reference to unfavorable or negative effects, usually of a personal nature, resulting from a star or a planet. . ..In time, the word disaster was applied more to major physical disturbances such as earthquakes and floods, or what came to be traditionally known as Acts of God. With the spread of more secular and non-religious ideologies, nature was increasingly substituted for the supernatural and the tern natural disaster came to the fore" (Quarantelli 1987, 8). Disaster: ". . .earthquakes are quite harmless until you decide to put millions of people and two trillion dollars in real estate atop scissile fault zones" (Riesner 1993, 501). Disaster:"A situation created by natural and or man-made events, other than war or internal strife which demands total integration and co-ordination, by those responsible for administration of the affected region including: 1. all rescue, relief and life support systems required to meet the needs of the victims, essential transportation and communication systems. 2. repairs to the infrastructure. 3. post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery." (Ritchie, et al. 2001, 2) Disaster:"In the traditional view of disasters, two categories of conditions appear to be dominant. Self-evidently, the scourge of God together with social or political negligence have traditionally served as the principle conditions of natural disasters. Gradually, negligence has given way to more specific conditions such as deficiencies in mitigatory policies and preparatory measures" (Rosenthal 1998, 148). ". . .a great many official investigations as well as public opinion still cling to technical failure or human error as the number one cause of man-made disaster. In determining the conditions of disaster, technical failures often take its place as an appropriate substitute for the act of God, whereas human error reflects the inherent weaknesses of mankind. . ." (Rosenthal 1998, 149). ". . .mediazation. . .[creates] a new category of disasters and crises which is characterized by extreme collective stress rather than fatal casualties or significant physical damage" (Rosenthal 1998, 157). Disaster: A Condition or situation of significant destruction, disruption and/or distress to a community. (Salter 1997-98, 27) Disaster: All events which cause at least 100 human deaths, 100 human injuries, or US $1 million economic damages. (Sheehan and Hewitt 1969, p. 20) Disaster: The occurrence of a sudden or major misfortune which disrupts the basic fabric and normal functioning of a society (or community). An event or series of events which gives rise to casualties and/or damage or loss of property, infrastructure, essential services or means of livelihood on a scale which is beyond the normal capacity of the affected communities to cope with unaided. Disaster is sometimes also used to describe a catastrophic situation in which the normal patterns of life (or eco-systems) have been disrupted and extraordinary, emergency interventions are required to save and preserve human lives and/or the environment. Disasters are frequently categorized according to their perceived causes and speed of impact. A disaster occurs when a disruption reaches such proportions that there are injuries, deaths, or property damage, and when a disruption affects many or all of the community's essential functions, such as water supply, electrical power, roads, and hospitals. Also, people affected by a disaster may need assistance to alleviate their suffering. (Simeon Institute) Disaster:". . .a disaster may be seen as 'the realization of hazard', although there is no universally agreed definition of the scale on which loss has to occur in order to qualify as a disaster" (Smith 1996, 5). "Natural disasters. . .result from the conflict of geophysical processes with people. This interpretation gives humans a central role. First, through location, because it is only when people, their possessions and what they value get in the way of natural processes that a risk of disaster exists. Second, through perception, because humans place subjective judgments on natural processes as part of a general environmental appraisal whenever they settle and use land" (Smith 1996, 10). ". . .a disaster generally results from the interaction, in time and space, between the physical exposure to a hazardous process and a vulnerable human population" (Smith 1996, 22). Disaster:". . .disasters are significant events. . .The disruption associated with disaster is, by customary standards, non-trivial. Disasters are neither confined to isolated subsystems (a single household) nor are they of fleeting duration. . ..Disasters involve the disruption of important societal routines. . ..If damage could be prevented or reduced through human protective action, then disaster-the physical consequence of the intersection of society and natural forces-would not exist. Disaster is a function of knowledge. . .When knowledge is adequate, no external force can produce disaster; ships ride out storms, buildings shake but do not collapse in earthquakes, flood levees hold, etc. . .When knowledge is inadequate, disaster results" (Stallings 1998, 128-129). "Disasters affect entire societies; they are neither trivial nor confined to localized social units. Disasters involve the disruption of everyday routines to the extent that stability is threatened without remedial action. Increasingly significant is the loss of certainty and the undermining of faith in orderliness. The state is a major institution for supplying counter-measures when routines are disrupted" (Stallings 1998, 131). ". . .in practice the definition [of disaster] will always have a physical component. The physical properties of events are triggers for disaster researchers. . ." (Stallings 1998, 132). Disaster:"Disasters are the interface between an extreme physical event and a vulnerable human population." (Susman et al, 1983) Disaster:"catastrophic events that (a) interfere severely with everyday life, disrupt communities, and often cause extensive loss of life and property, (b) overtax local resources, and (c) create problems that continue far longer than those that arise from the normal vicissitudes of life" (Taylor 1989, 10). Disaster:"Disasters originate in the fact that all societies regularly face geophysical, climatological, and technological events that reveal their physical and social vulnerabilities." (Tierney, Lindell and Perry 2001, 4) Disaster:"A disaster is usually defined as an event that has a large impact on society" (Tobin and Montz 1997, 6). Disaster: An event, concentrated in time and space which threatens a society or a relatively self-sufficient subdivision of a society with major unwanted consequences as a result of the collapse of precautions which had hitherto been accepted as adequate. (Turner) Disaster: A serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own resources. (U.N. Glossary, 1992) Disaster:"A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community/society to cope using its own resources." (U.N. ISDR 2002, 24) Disaster: A "sudden and extraordinary misfortune" to signify the actual onset of a calamity (Allinson 1993, 93; referring to Webster's New International Dictionary, Unabridged, 2nd edition). Disaster:". . .any happening that causes great harm or damage; serious or sudden misfortune; calamity. Disaster implies great or sudden misfortune that results in loss of life, property, etc. or that is ruinous to an undertaking; calamity suggests a grave misfortune that brings deep distress or sorrow to an individual or to the people at large" (Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language). Disaster Agent: "A class or category of phenomena that cause disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or explosions. Hurricane Andrew is a specific disaster event which reflected one of the classes of disaster agents, that is, hurricanes. Andrew is the disaster, hurricane is the disaster agent." (Drabek 1996, Session 2, p.6) Disaster, Ecological: Events "that are caused principally by human beings and that initially affect, in a major way, the earth, its atmosphere, and its flora and fauna." (Drabek and Hoetmer 1991, xxi) Disaster Epidemiology: The medical discipline that studies the influence of such factors as the life style, biological constitution and other personal or social determinants on the incidence and distribution of disease as it concerns disasters. (U.N. 1992, 22) Disaster Management: The entire process of planning and intervention to reduce disasters as well as the response and recovery measures. It is a neglected element of development planning. (D&E Reference Center 1998) Disaster Management: "Disaster management is the process of forming common objectives and common values in order to encourage participants to plan for and deal with potential and actual disasters." (Pearce, 2000, Chapter 2, 11) "A process that assists communities to respond, both pre- and post-disaster, in such a way as to save lives, to preserve property; and to maintain the ecological, economic, and political stability of the impacted region." (Pearce 2000, Chapter 5, p. 6) Disaster Management: The body of policy and administrative decisions and operational activities which pertain to the various stages of a disaster at all levels. (UN 1992, 22) Disaster, Natural: "'Natural' disasters have more to do with the social, political, and economic aspects of society than they do with the environmental hazards that trigger them. Disasters occur at the interface of vulnerable people and hazardous environments" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, Preface). Disaster, Natural:"While human actions generally cannot cause an earthquake in the sense of doing something to provoke fault movement, they are often critically involved in the disaster that can follow a seismic event. In that sense then, 'natural' is an inappropriate adjective to describe such disasters (Hewitt 1997) " (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 4). Disaster, Natural: Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, or other catastrophe in any part of the United States which causes, or which may cause, substantial damage or injury to civilian property or persons. (Robert T. Stafford Act, 602) Disaster, Natural:"In a seeming inversion of what was 'obvious' about natural disasters, a view has been developed by such geographers as Hewitt that seeks explanations of disaster primarily in the sociocultural and economic features of the societies that are variously affected by natural forces. Their focus has been to develop an understanding of the social structures and material practices that made people more or less vulnerable to environmental hazards. In this approach, the underlying causes of disaster are to be found not in nature, but in the organization of human societies (Varley 1994 )" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 5). Disaster Preparedness Improvement Grant Program (DPIG): Authorized under Section 201 of the Stafford Act. Annual matching awards are provided to States to improve or update their disaster assistance plans and capabilities. Disaster Relief Act of 1974: A Federal statute designed to supplement the efforts of the affected States and local governments in expediting the rendering of assistance, emergency services, and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of devastated areas (PL 93-288), as amended. (FEMA Instruction 5000.2) Disaster Response: A sum of decisions and actions taken during and after disaster, including immediate relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. (U.N. 1992, 3) Disaster Risk Management: "Disaster risk management and reduction are about looking beyond hazards alone to considering prevailing conditions of vulnerability. It is the social, cultural, economic, and political setting in a country that makes people vulnerable to unfortunate events. The basis of this understanding is simple: the national character and chosen form of governance can be as much of a determinant in understanding the risks in a given country, as are the various social, economic and environmental determinants." (U.N. ISDR 2002, 27) Disaster Risk Reduction: "The systematic development and application of policies, strategies and practices to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) adverse impact of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development." (U.N. ISDR 2002, 25) Disaster, Technological: ". . .technological disasters - meaning everything that can go wrong when systems fail, humans err, designs prove faulty, engines misfire, and so on." (Erikson, 1989, 141) Disaster, Technological: "Miller and Fowlkes (1984) have argued that the term 'technological disaster' renders such events too impersonal in origin. They believe that such 'accidents' are due mainly to the excessive priority given to industrial profits and advocate the term 'man-made disaster' to indicate corporate responsibility" (Smith 1997, 14). Domestic Emergency: "Any natural disaster or other emergency that does not seriously endanger national security, but which is of such a catastrophic nature that it cannot be managed effectively without substantial Federal presence, or which arises within spheres of activity in which there is an established Federal role." (FEMA Disaster Dictionary 2001, 36; cites Domestic Emergencies Handbook, US Army Forces Command, March 15, 1999). Domestic Emergency Support Team (DEST): "Relative to terrorism incident operations, an organization formed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to provide expert advice and assistance to the FBI On-Scene Commander (OSC) related to the capabilities of the DEST agencies and to coordinate follow-on response assets. When deployed, the DEST merges into the existing Joint Operations Center (JOC) structure." (FEMA Disaster Dictionary 2001, 36; cites FEMA FRP, "Terrorism Incident Annex") Drought: (1) Prolonged absence or marked deficiency of precipitation. (2) period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged for the lack of precipitation to cause a serious hydrological imbalance. (WMO 1992, 198) | A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | EEcological Disaster: See, "Disaster, Ecological" El Niño: An anomalous warming of ocean water resulting from the oscillation of a current in the South Pacific, usually accompanied by heavy rain fall in the coastal region of Peru and Chile, and reduction of rainfall in equatorial Africa and Australia. (U.N. 1992, 26) Emergency: "An unexpected event which places life and/or property in danger and requires an immediate response through the use of routine community resources and procedures. Examples would be a multi-automobile wreck, especially involving injury or death, and a fire caused by lightning strike which spreads to other buildings." Emergencies can be handled with local resources. (Drabek 1996, Session 2, p. 3) Emergency: Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, highwater, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, explosion, nuclear accident, or other natural or manmade catastrophe in any part of the United States. Any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety or to lessen the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States. (FEMA 1990) Emergency: "Any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States. The Governor of a State, or the Acting Governor in his/her absence, may request that the President declare an emergency when an incident occurs or threatens to occur in a State which would not qualify under the definition of a major disaster. Assistance authorized by an emergency declaration is limited to immediate and short-term assistance, and may not exceed $5 million, except when authorized by the FEMA Associate Director for Response and Recovery under certain conditions." (FEMA Disaster Dictionary 2001, 39; cites Robert T Stafford Act 102; 44 CFR 206.2, 206.35; 206.63, 206.66, and 503) Emergency: "Any event requiring increased coordination or response beyond the routine in order to save lives, protect property, protect the public health and safety, or lessen or avert the threat of a disaster." (Michigan EMD 1998, 6) Emergency: A more serious situation than an incident, but less serious than a disaster. (Oxford Canadian Dictionary, 1998; noted by Pearce 2000, Chapter 2, 2) Emergency: ". . .an unexpected occurrence or sudden situation that requires immediate action. . .It may involve communities (as a disaster does) or individuals (which a disaster does not). . ." (Porfiriev 1995, 291). Emergency: An event in which established emergency organizations (such as the American Red Cross or utilities) need to expand their activities. (Quarantelli 1987, 25.) Emergency: An extraordinary situation in which people are unable to meet their basic survival needs, or there are serious and immediate threats to human life and well being. An emergency situation may arise as a result of a disaster, a cumulative process of neglect or environmental degradation, or when a disaster threatens and emergency measures have to be taken to prevent or at least limit the effects of the eventual impact. (Simeon Institute 1998) Emergency: ". . .a sudden critical juncture demanding immediate remedial action." (Terry 2001, 327) Emergency: A sudden and usually unforeseen event that calls for immediate measures to minimize its adverse consequences. (U.N. 1992, 26) Emergency Assistance: Assistance which may be made available under an emergency declaration. In general, Federal support to State and local efforts to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, and lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. Federal emergency assistance may take the form of coordinating all disaster relief assistance (including voluntary assistance) provided by Federal agencies, private organizations, and State and local governments. Or , the Federal government may provide technical and advisory assistance to affected State and local governments for: the performance of essential community services; issuance of warnings of risks or hazards; public health and safety information, including dissemination of such information; provision of health and safety measures; management, control, and reduction of immediate threats to public health and safety; debris removal; temporary housing; and distribution of medicine, food, and other consumable supplies. (Stafford Act ) Emergency Management: The entire process of planning and intervention for rescue and relief to reduce impact of emergencies as well as the response and recovery measures, to mitigate the significant social, economic and environmental consequences to communities and ultimately to the country, usually through an emergency operation center, EOC. (Disaster and Emergency Reference Center 1998) Emergency Management: The process by which the uncertainties that exist in potentially hazardous situations can be minimized and public safety maximized. The goal is to limit the costs of emergencies or disasters through the implementation of a series of strategies and tactics reflecting the full life cycle of disaster, i.e., preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. (Drabek1997) Emergency Management:"Emergency management is the discipline and profession of applying science, technology, planning, and management to deal with extreme events that can injure or kill large numbers of people, do extensive damage to property, and disrupt community life." (Drabek and Hoetmer 1991, xvii). Emergency Management: Organized analysis, planning, decision-making, and assignment of available resources to mitigate (lessen the effect of or prevent) prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of all hazards. The goal of emergency management is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property and the environment if an emergency occurs. (FEMA 1995, I-6). Emergency Management:"The process through which America prepares for emergencies and disasters, responds to them, recovers from them, rebuilds, and mitigates their future effects." (FEMA Disaster Dictionary 2001, 40, citing FEMA Strategic Plan) Emergency Management:"A Comprehensive system of policies, practices, and procedures designed to protect people and property from the effects of emergencies or disasters. It includes programs, resources, and capabilities to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from effects of all hazards." (Michigan DEM 1998, 6) Emergency Management: A range of measures to manage risks to communities and the environment. It involves the development and maintenance of arrangements to prevent the effect of, prepare for, respond to or recover from events causing significant community disruption or environmental damage. (Salter 1997-98, 28) Emergency Management: The organization and management of resources for dealing with all aspects of emergencies. Emergency management involves the plans, structures and arrangements which are established to bring together the normal endeavors of government, voluntary and private agencies in a comprehensive and coordinated way to deal with the whole spectrum of emergency needs including prevention, response and recovery. (Victorian Department of Justice 1997) Emergency Manager: The person who has the day-to-day responsibility for emergency management programs and activities. The role is one of coordinating all aspects of a jurisdiction's mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities. (The local emergency management position is referred to with different titles across the country, such as civil defense coordinator or director, civil preparedness coordinator or director, disaster services director, and emergency services director.) Emergency Manager: "Emergency managers are professionals who practice the discipline of emergency management by applying science, technology, planning and management techniques to coordinate the activities of a wide array of agencies and organizations dedicated to preventing and responding to extreme events that threaten, disrupt, or destroy lives or property." (Drabek 2002, Student Handout 1-2) Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): An all-hazards document that specifies actions to be taken in the event of an emergency or disaster event; identifies authorities, relationships, and the actions to be taken by whom, what, when, and where, based on predetermined assumptions, objectives, and existing capabilities. Emergency Preparedness: Activities and measures designed or undertaken to prepare for or minimize the effects of a hazard upon the civilian population, to deal with the immediate emergency conditions which would be created by the hazard, and to effectuate emergency repairs to, or the emergency restoration of, vital utilities and facilities destroyed or damaged by the hazard. (Stafford Act) Emergency Public Information: Information which is disseminated primarily in anticipation of an emergency or at the actual time of an emergency and in addition to providing information as such, frequently directs actions, instructs, and transmits direct orders. (Simeon Institute 1998) Emergency Risk Management: "Emergency risk management is a 'systematic process that produces a range of measures that contribute to the well-being of communities and the environment'. It includes: context definition; risk identification; risk analysis; risk evaluation; risk treatment; monitoring and reviewing; and, communicating and consulting." (Emergency Management Australia 2000, 1) Emergency Support Services: The departments of local government that have the capability to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day. They typically include law enforcement, fire, rescue, and public works. They may also be referred to as emergency response personnel or emergency operating forces. Exposure: "Exposure describes the number of people, and the value of structures and activities that will experience. . .hazards and may be adversely impacted by them." (Darlington and Lambert 2001, 135) Exposure: "People, property, systems, or functions at risk of loss exposed to hazards." (Multihazard Mitigation Council, 2002, 30) Extreme Events: An extreme event in the context of the natural world is an act of nature, "such as a lightning stroke or a flood [that] may be a productive resource and a hazard at the same time. Lightning may kill an animal but also start a fire essential to the preservation of a forest ecosystem. A flood may destroy a farmstead while fertilizing the fields" (Burton et al. 1993, 34). | A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | FFederal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP): The plan used by Federal agencies to respond to a radiological emergency, with or without a Stafford Act declaration. Without a Stafford Act declaration, Federal agencies respond to radiological emergencies using the FRERP, each agency in accordance with existing statutory authorities and funding resources. The Lead Federal Agency has responsibility for coordination of the overall Federal response to the emergency. FEMA is responsible for coordinating non-radiological support using the structure of the Federal Response Plan. When a major disaster or emergency is declared under the Stafford Act and an associated radiological emergency exists, the functions and responsibilities of the FRERP remain the same. The Lead Federal Agency coordinates the management of the radiological response with the Federal Coordinating Officer. Although the direction of the radiological response remains the same with the Lead Federal Agency, the FCO has the overall responsibility for coordination of Federal assistance in support of State and local governments using the Federal Response Plan. (FRERP) Federal Response Plan (FRP): 1) The plan designed to address the consequences of any disaster or emergency situation in which there is a need for Federal assistance under the authorities of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. 2) The FRP is the Federal government's plan of action for assisting affected States and local jurisdictions in the event of a major disaster or emergency. As the implementing document for the Stafford Act, the FRP organizes the Federal response by grouping potential response requirements into 12 functional categories, called Emergency Support Functions. The FRP was completed in April 1992, and 29 Federal departments and agencies are signatories to the plan. (FRERP) Five-Hundred Year Floodplain (or 0.2 percent chance floodplain): That area which includes the base floodplain which is subject to inundation from a flood having a 0.2 percent chance of being equalled or exceeded in any given year. Flash Flood: A flood that crests in a short period of time and is often characterized by high velocity flow-often the result of heavy rainfall in a localized area. Forecast: Statement or statistical estimate of the occurrence of a future event. This term is used with different meanings in different disciplines, as well as "prediction". (U.N. 1992, 4) The Four Phases: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Fujita-Pearson Scale (FPP Scale): A 3-digit scale for tornadoes devised by Fujita (F scale) and Pearson (PP scale) to indicate the tornado intensity (0-5), path length (0-5), and path width (0-7) (WMO 1992). Fujita Tornado Scale: A scale for expressing the relative intensity of tornadoes, consisting of six levels corresponding to increasing levels of damage - light, moderate, considerable, severe, devastating, incredible. (Notification Manual) | A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | GGale: Wind with a speed between 34 and 40 knots. (U.N. 1992) Geographic Information System (GIS): A computerised database for the capture, storage, analysis and display of locationally defined information. Commonly, a GIS portrays a portion of the earth's surface in the form of a map on which this information is overlaid. (EM Australia 1995) | A-C | D-F| G-I | J-M | N-P | R-T |U-W | References | HHazard: "A Hazard is a natural, technological or social phenomenon that poses a threat to people and their surroundings (in terms of both the natural and the built environment)." (Alexander, No Date, 1) Hazard: Some, including not just a few emergency managers, view hazards such as earthquakes as "technical problems suitable for a combination of engineering, planning, and specialized managerial solutions, and people, if they are mentioned at all, are seen largely as impediments to carrying out the technocratic solutions, because they fail to see the risks they face (e.g. Mileti and Fitzpatrick 1993). . ..However, by concentrating on the physical risks, projected extreme events, and worst case scenarios, much is ignored" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 20). Hazard:". . .natural and social systems interact to produce a hazard. . ." (Burton et al. 1993, 24). "Hazards always result from interaction of physical and human systems. To treat them as though they were wholly climatic or geologic or political or economic is to risk omission of components that must be taken into account if sound solutions for them are to be found" (Burton et al. 1993, 188). ". . .nature is neutral, and. . .the environment event becomes hazardous only when it intersects with man. The event leads to disaster when (1) it is extreme in magnitude, (2) the population is very great, or (3) the human-use system is particularly vulnerable" (Burton et al. 1993, 232). Hazard:"is a source of risk and refers to a substance or action that can cause harm."(Cohrssen & Covello 1989) Hazard: A broad concept "that incorporates the probability of the event happening, but also includes the impact or magnitude of the event on society and the environment, as well as the sociopolitical contexts within which these take place. Hazards are the threats to people and the things they value, whereas risks are measures of the threat of the hazards. . ." (Cutter 1993, 2). Hazard:"A hazard, in the broadest term, is a threat to people and the things they value. Hazards have a potentiality to them (they could happen), but they also include the actual impact of an event on people or places. Hazards arise from the interaction between social, technological, and natural systems." (Cutter 2001, 2) Hazard:"Hazard refers to an extreme
natural event that poses risks to human settlements" Hazard: Dangerous natural or man made phenomenon that expose a vulnerable location to disastrous events. Vulnerability reduction aims at neutralizing the dangers posed by the hazard. (D&E Reference Center 1998) Hazard:A condition with the potential for harm to the community or environment. Many use the terms "hazard" and "disaster agent" interchangeably. Hence, they will refer to "the hurricane hazard" or even more broadly to "natural hazards" which includes hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural phenomena that have the potential for harm. The hazard is the potential, the disaster is the actual event. (Drabek 1997) Hazard:"Hazard means an event or physical condition that has the potential to cause fatalities, injuries, property damage, infrastructure damage, agricultural loss, damage to the environment, interruption of business, or other types of harm or loss" (FEMA 1997, xxi). Hazard:"Relevant to emergency preparedness, a hazard is an emergency or disaster resulting from a natural disaster, or an accidental or man-caused event." (FEMA Disaster Dictionary 2001, 58, citing Robert T. Stafford Act, 602) Hazard: Hazards "are threats to humans and what they value: life, well-being, material goods, and environment." (Harriss et al, 1978) Hazard: Hazard is the probability that in a given period in a given area, an extreme potentially damaging natural phenomena occurs that induces air, earth or water movements, which affect a given zone. The magnitude of the phenomenon, the probability of its occurrence and the extent of its magnitude can vary and, in some cases, be determined. (Maskrey 1989, 1) Hazard:"A dangerous event or circumstance that has the potential to lead to an emergency or disaster. Any physical phenomenon that has the potential to produce harm or other undesirable consequences to some person or thing." (May, p. 5) Hazard:"Hazard. . .reflects a potential threat to humans as well as the impact of an event on society and the environment. . ..hazards are. . .in part socially constructed by people's perceptions and their experiences. Moreover, people contribute to, exacerbate, and modify hazards. Thus, hazards can vary by culture, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and political structure as well" (Mitchell and Cutter 1997, 9-10). Hazard:"A hazard can be defined as: 'some aspect of the physical environment that threatens the well-being on individuals and their society.'" (Nigg 1996, 4) Hazard:"In disaster management, a hazard refers to the potential for a disaster." (Pearce 2000, Chapter 2, 12) Hazard: A rare or extreme event in the natural or man-made environment that adversely affects human life, property or activity to the extent of causing disaster. A hazard is a natural or man-made phenomenon which may cause physical damage, economic losses, or threaten human life and well-being if it occurs in an area of human settlement, agricultural, or industrial activity. Note, however, that in engineering, the term is used in a more specific, mathematical sense to mean the probability of the occurrence, within a specified period of time and a given area, of a particular, potentially damaging phenomenon of a given severity/intensity. (Simeon Institute 1998) Hazard: Hazard is best viewed as a naturally occurring or human-induced process or event with the potential to create loss, i.e. a general source of danger. Risk is the actual exposure of something of human value to a hazard and is often regarded as the combination of probability and loss. Thus, we may define hazard (or cause) as 'a potential threat to humans and their welfare' and risk (or consequence) as 'the probability of a specific hazard occurrence'. The distinction was illustrated by Okrent (1980) who considered two people crossing an ocean, one in a liner and the other in a rowing boat. The main hazard (deep water and large waves) is the same in both cases but the risk (probability of drowing) is very much greater for the person in the rowing boat. Thus while an earthquake hazard can exist in an uninhabited region, an earthquake risk can occur only in an area where people and their possessions exist. People, and what they value, are the essential point of reference for all risk assessment and for all disasters" (Smith 1996, 5). Hazard: A threatening event, or the probability of occurrence of a potentially damaging phenomenon within a given time period and area. (U.N. 1992, 4) Hazard:"A potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon or human activity, which may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation." (U.N. ISDR 2002, 24) Hazard: Involves identifying all of the hazards that potentially threaten a jurisdiction and analyzing them in the context of the jurisdiction to determine the degree of threat that is posed by each. (FEMA 1997) Hazard:"A hazards analysis consists of two parts. The first involves knowledge of the kinds of hazards that might threaten the community. This knowledge includes the probability of the event occurring at varying levels of intensity and at varying locations throughout the community. Determinations of probability, intensity, and location can be made on the basis of historical evidence, empirical research, or community perception." (McLoughlin 1985, 168) Hazard Analysis: "The identification and evaluation of all hazards that potentially threaten a jurisdiction to determine the degree of threat that is posed by each." (Michigan DEM 1998, 6) Hazard Analysis: That part of the overall planning process which identifies and describes hazards and their effects upon the community. (NDO 1992) Hazard Assessment: Identification of hazards in given location. (D&E Reference Center 1998) Hazard Assessment: (Sometimes Hazard Analysis/Evaluation) The process of estimating, for defined areas, the probabilities of the occurrence of potentially-damaging phenomenon of given magnitudes within a specified period of time. Hazard assessment involves analysis of formal and informal historical records, and skilled interpretation of existing topographical graphical, geological geomorphological, hydrological, and land-use maps. (Simeon Institute 1998) Hazard, Environmental: ". . .the threat potential posed to man or nature by events originating in, or transmitted by, the natural or built environment" (Kates 1978, 14). Keith Smith's (1997, 14-15) commentary on this definition: "This definition can include both long-term environmental deterioration (acidification of soils, build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide) and all the social hazards, both involuntary and communal (crime, terrorism, warfare), as well as voluntary and personal hazards (drug abuse, mountain climbing). These hazards have such different origins and impacts that a more focused definition is required." Hazard, Environmental: "events which directly threaten human life and property by means of acute physical or chemical trauma. . .Any manageable definition of environmental hazards will be both arbitrary and contentious. But, despite their diverse sources, most disasters have a number of common features: 1. The origin of the damaging process or event is clear and produces
characteristic threats to human life or well-being, e.g. a flood
causes death by drowning. Hazard, Environmental: ". . .extreme geophysical events, biological processes and major technological accidents, characterized by concentrated releases of energy or materials, which pose a largely unexpected threat to human life and can cause significant damage to goods and the environment" (Smith 1996, 16). Hazard, Global: ". . .changes to regional ecosystems which in turn effect global systems, are termed 'global hazards'. Climate change, soil degradation, and deforestation are examples of global hazards that are directly and indirectly related to the manipulation of technology. Global hazards can be distinguished from the more traditional ones because of their diffused or dispersed effects at the planetary scale-they threaten the long-term survival of t he planet. . ..They are not rare, discrete events but develop over a long period of time. Global hazards are cumulative in nature and are the end result of centuries or decades of human manipulation of technology to control nature and exploit its resources" (Cutter 1993, 5). Hazard Identification: A structured approach for identifying those hazards judged by local officials to pose a significant threat to their jurisdiction. Hazard Identification:. . .defines the magnitudes (intensities) and associated probabilities (likelihoods) of natural hazard that may pose threats to human interests in specific geographic areas. (Deyle, French, Olshansky and Patterson 1998, 121). Hazard Identification:". . .the process of defining and describing a hazard, including its physical characteristics, magnitude and severity, probability and frequency, causative factors, and locations/areas affected" (FEMA 1997, Multi Hazard. . .Assessment, xxi). Hazard Identification: Hazard Identification locates hazardous areas, often estimates the probability of hazardous events of various magnitudes, and sometimes assesses the separate characteristics of the hazards (e.g., for hurricanes: wind, high water, and wave action). (Godschalk, Kaiser, and Berke, 1998, 98) Hazard Identification: The process of recognizing that a hazard exists and defining its characteristics (Standards 1995). Hazard Management: ". . .utilizes individual and collective strategies to reduce and mitigate the impacts of hazards on people and places" (Cutter 1993, 2). Hazard Mitigation: Any measure that will reduce the potential for damage from a disaster event. Hazard Mitigation: Measures taken in advance of a disaster aimed at decreasing or eliminating its impact on society and environment (U.N. 1992, 41). Hazard, Natural: ". . .a naturally occurring or man-made geologic condition of phenomenon that presents a risk or is a potential danger to life or property" (American Geological Institute 1984). (Quoted in Tobin and Montz 1997, 9). Hazard, Natural:"The concept of natural hazards is somewhat paradoxical; the elements of a natural geophysical event (e.g., wind and storm surge of a hurricane) are hazardous only when they prove detrimental to human activity systems" (Baker 1976, 1). Hazard, Natural:"While some hazards, such as earthquakes and volcanoes, are the product of natural processes unmodified by human interventions, other ostensibly natural hazards are less and less 'natural'. The impacts of human activities on global climatic systems, with attendant changes in rainfall patters, storm frequency, and storm severity suggest that meteorological hazards themselves could be influenced by (unintended) human factors (e.g. Southwick 1996 ; Flavin 1997 ). Flavin (1997) cites evidence that both the frequency and severity of meteorological hazards may be increasing as a result of human-induced climatic change. Similarly human modifications of riverine systems, from deforesting and paving watersheds to elaborate levee systems, have taken the 'natural' out of many flood hazards (e.g. Smith 1996)" (Bolin with Stanford 1998, 25 fn. 3). Hazard, Natural:"In reality, the environment is neither benign nor hostile. In is 'neutral' and it is only human location, actions and perceptions which identify resources and hazards within the range of natural events (Burton et al. 1993)" (Smith 1996, 12). Hazard, Natural:". . .those elements of the physical environment harmful to man and caused by forces extraneous to him" (Smith 1996, 9: quoting I. Burton and R.W. Kates. "The Perception of Natural Hazards in Resource Management." Natural Resources Journal, Vol.3, 1964, pp. 412-441). Hazard, Natural:"Natural hazards exist with or without the presence of human populations and development" (Schwab, et al. 1998, 12). Hazard, Natural:"A natural hazard represents the potential interaction between humans and extreme natural events. . .It represents the potential or likelihood of an event (it is not the event itself)" (Tobin & Montz 1997, 5). "Natural hazards constitute a complex web of physical and environmental factors interacting with the social, economic, and political realities of society" (Tobin and Montz 1997, 11). |