Addressing Challenges to Building Resilience Through Interdisciplinary Research and Engagement.

Resilient communities are less affected by, and recover faster from, natural disasters. To be resilient in rapidly changing contemporary environments subject to the effects of complex factors such as climate change and urbanization, communities must effectively and efficiently adapt to new conditions to minimize future risks. To develop resilience, the hazards to which the community is exposed and vulnerable (i.e., future hurricanes, subsidence, salt water intrusion) must be accurately assessed, the systems (i.e., natural, built, and social) must be well understood, and the community must be engaged in the proactive planning and priority setting process. An approach to building resilience that utilizes the adaptive capacity of planning highlights opportunities to work collaboratively across disciplines to incorporate models and data from different disciplines to reduce uncertainty. We present one interdisciplinary group's approach to addressing challenges to building resilience through proactive planning, including: (1) characterizing hazards more accurately; (2) improving understanding of the vulnerability of natural (e.g., climate and infrastructure) systems subject to hazards; and (3) capturing potential synergies from interactions between planning and policies that govern decisions about the design of human settlements in hazardous areas.

Individual actual or perceived property flood risk: did it predict evacuation from Hurricane Isabel in North Carolina, 2003?

Individual perception of risk has consistently been considered an important determinant of hurricane evacuation in published studies and reviews. Adequate risk assessment is informed by environmental and social cues, as well as evacuation intentions and past disaster experience. This cross-sectional study measured perceived flood risk of 570 residents of three coastal North Carolina counties, compared their perception with actual risk determined by updated flood plain maps, and determined if either was associated with evacuation from Hurricane Isabel in 2003. Census blocks were stratified by flood zone and 30 census blocks were randomly selected from each flood zone. Seven interviews were conducted at random locations within selected blocks. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to produce crude and adjusted risk differences. Neither the designated flood zone of the parcel where the home was located nor the residents' perceived flood risk was associated with evacuation from Hurricane Isabel in the bivariate analysis. In the multivariable analysis, intention to evacuate and home type were important confounders of the association between actual risk and evacuation. The belief that one is at high risk of property damage or injury is important in evacuation decision making. However, in this study, while coastal residents' perceived risk of flooding was correlated with their actual flood risk, neither was associated with evacuation. These findings provide important opportunities for education and intervention by policymakers and authorities to improve hurricane evacuation rates and raise flood risk awareness.

Public participation in local government review of development proposals in hazardous locations: does it matter, and what do local government planners have to do with it?

Natural hazard investigators recommend that local governments adopt mitigation plans to help reduce hazard losses. However, such plans are unlikely to be effective unless a wide range of public stakeholders is involved in their creation. Previous research shows that stakeholder participation levels in hazard mitigation planning tend to be low, though there may be particular choices that local government planners can make to foster participation. We examine the importance of planners' choices and role orientations (i.e., beliefs regarding appropriate behavior in the workplace) for participation levels in site plan review, wherein local governments review site plans for proposed development projects to ensure compliance between project design and applicable plans and policies. Using a national sample of 65 development projects located in areas subject to natural hazards, and bivariate and multivariate analyses, we examine whether participation levels during site plan review depend upon planners' choices and role orientations, and whether participation levels are correlated with the incorporation of hazard mitigation techniques into development projects. We find significant correlations between participation levels and planners' choices, between participation levels and planner's role orientations, and between participation levels and the incorporation of hazard-mitigation techniques. We encourage local government planners to revisit their beliefs, choices, and behaviors regarding public participation in site plan review.

Recovery after disaster : Achieving sustainable development, mitigation and equity

This papaer reviews key findings and raises issues that are not fully addressed by the predominant disaster recovery literature. Achievement of equity, mitigation and sustainable development, particularly through local participation in redevelopment planning and institutional cooperation, is the central issue of the review. Previous research and past assumptions about the process by which communities rebuild after a disaster are reviewed. A conceptual model for understanding local disaster recovery efforts is then presented. The conceptual and practical significance of this model is then demonstrated by presenting case studies of local recovery experiences. Finally, conclusions on the current understanding of disaster redevelopment planning, as well as implications for public policy and future research are offered (AU)

Chapter 8 : Recovery after disasters : Achieving sustainable development, mitigation, and equity

Key considerations and critical issues that are not fully addressesd by the current disaster recovery literature are reviewed in this chapter. The focus is on achievement of equity, mitigation, and sustainable development, particularly through local participation in redevelopment planning and institutional cooperation. The process by which communities rebuild after a natural disaster are reviewed to provide a framework for a conceptual model for understanding local disaster recovery efforts. The conceptual and practical significance of this model are demonstrated by case studies. Conclusions are offered to advance current understanding as well as to define the implications for public policy in the Central United States.(AU)

The feasibility of vertical evacuation : Behavioral, legal, political, and structural considerations

The risk posed by hurricanes striking the coastal of the United States is significant and rising. Because of rapid population growth and insufficient new road construction along coastal areas, there exists a great potential for enormous loss of life. For some coastal areas it is already possible for the evacuation time to exceed accurate warning times. For example, in Galveston, Texas, the impending landfall of a Category 4 or 5 hurricane (131 mph or greater) would require total evacuation of the area, which is estimate to take 26 hours, while state-of-the-art forecasting techniques are capable of giving reliable predictions of strike location 12 hours before landfall.(AU)