Mapping the nation : governments' coordinated responses to crises
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Mapping the Nation: Governments Coordinated Responses to Crises continues the pattern of annual national mapping books from Esri that highlight inspiring GIS work by the public sector. This year, this book focuses on the many ways GIS can help governments in times of crisis. These stories highlight how GIS was applied during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on how the public sector uses GIS to serve all people. Mapping the Nation: Governments Coordinated Responses to Crises details how GIS helps gather details about people and place to assist the vulnerable, rally responders, and lend clarity in times of crisis. These stories provide a sample of the work of thousands of public sector professionals around the world who are using GIS to navigate this new territory. They detail how governments at a local, national, and global scale turn to GIS for crisis management. Governments have applied GIS to all manner of challenges. Many states and localities used their understanding of their workers and businesses to forecast and address economic hardship, and to plan for contingencies and recovery. Cities across the country have used GIS to examine and understand who they serve--and who they leave out--to adjust budgets to address inequities. In this time of crisis, we have seen the value of a societal GIS with governments embracing it from the point of seeing details on a dashboard to the delivery of assistance.
The geography of risk : epic storms, rising seas, and the cost of America's coasts
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This century has seen the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history--but who bears the brunt of these monster storms? Consider this: Five of the most expensive hurricanes in history have made landfall since 2005: Katrina ($160 billion), Ike ($40 billion), Sandy ($72 billion), Harvey ($125 billion), and Maria ($90 billion). With more property than ever in harm's way, and the planet and oceans warming dangerously, it won't be long before we see a $250 billion hurricane. Why? Because Americans have built $3 trillion worth of property in some of the riskiest places on earth: barrier islands and coastal floodplains. And they have been encouraged to do so by what Gilbert M. Gaul reveals inThe Geography of Riskto be a confounding array of federal subsidies, tax breaks, low-interest loans, grants, and government flood insurance that shift the risk of life at the beach from private investors to public taxpayers, radically distorting common notions of risk. These federal incentives, Gaul argues, have resulted in one of the worst planning failures in American history, and the costs to taxpayers are reaching unsustainable levels. We have become responsible for a shocking array of coastal amenities: new roads, bridges, buildings, streetlights, tennis courts, marinas, gazebos, and even spoiled food after hurricanes.TheGeography of Risk will forever change the way you think about the coasts, from the clash between economic interests and nature, to the heated politics of regulators and developers.
Smarter government : how to govern for results in the information age
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This is the new way of governing. The time has come for the rise of the tech savvy executive: an individual who innately understands the need to help the use of technology rise at the same level across the entire organization. In Baltimore and in Maryland, Governor Martin O'Malley has done all of these things and more. Smarter Government: Governing for Results in the Information Age is about a more effective way to lead that is emerging, enabled by the Information Age. It provides real solutions to real problems using GIS technology and helps develop a management strategy using data that will profoundly change an organization. Browse galleries, exercises, and resources supporting this book's ideas and concepts: https://www.smartergovernment.com
Global flood hazard : applications in modeling, mapping, and forecasting
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Global Flood Hazard Subject Category Winner, PROSE Awards 2019, Earth Science Selected from more than 500 entries, demonstrating exceptional scholarship and making a significant contribution to the field of study. PROSE Award Finalist 2019 Association of American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence Flooding is a costly natural disaster in terms of damage to land, property and infrastructure. This volume describes the latest tools and technologies for modeling, mapping, and predicting large-scale flood risk. It also presents readers with a range of remote sensing data sets successfully used for predicting and mapping floods at different scales. These resources can enable policymakers, public planners, and developers to plan for, and respond to, flooding with greater accuracy and effectiveness. Describes the latest large-scale modeling approaches, including hydrological models, 2-D flood inundation models, and global flood forecasting models Showcases new tools and technologies such as Aqueduct, a new web-based tool used for global assessment and projection of future flood risk under climate change scenarios Features case studies describing best-practice uses of modeling techniques, tools, and technologies Global Flood Hazard is an indispensable resource for researchers, consultants, practitioners, and policy makers dealing with flood risk, flood disaster response, flood management, and flood mitigation.
Plate Boundaries and Natural Hazards
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The beginning of the new millennium has been particularly devastating in terms of natural disasters associated with tectonic plate boundaries, such as earthquakes in Sumatra, Chile, Japan, Tahiti, and Nepal; the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean tsunamis; and volcanoes in Indonesia, Chile, Iceland that have produced large quantities of ash causing major disruption to aviation. In total, half a million people were killed by such natural disasters. These recurring events have increased our awareness of the destructive power of natural hazards and the major risks associated with them. While we have come a long way in the search for understanding such natural phenomena, and although our knowledge of Earth dynamics and plate tectonics has improved enormously, there are still fundamental uncertainties in our understanding of natural hazards. Increased understanding is crucial to improve our capacity for hazard prediction and mitigation. Volume highlights include: Main concepts associated with tectonic plate boundaries Novel studies on boundary-related natural hazards Fundamental concepts that improve hazard prediction and mitigation Plate Boundaries and Natural Hazards will be a valuable resource for scientists and students in the fields of geophysics, geochemistry, plate tectonics, natural hazards, and climate science. Read an interview with the editors to find out more: https://eos.org/editors-vox/plate-boundaries-and-natural-hazards
GIS for Critical Infrastructure Protection
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GIS for Critical Infrastructure Protection highlights the GIS-based technologies that can be used to support critical infrastructure protection and emergency management. The book bridges the gap between theory and practice using real-world applications, real-world case studies, and the authors¿ real-world experience. Geared toward infrastructure owners and first responders and their agencies, it addresses gaps in the response, recovery, preparedness planning, and emergency management of large-scale disasters. It also explains the first principles of CIP, introduces the basic components of GIS, and focuses on the application of GIS analysis to identify and mitigate risk and facilitate remediation. In addition, it offers suggestions on how geospatial and emergency response communities can come together¿and with combined knowledge¿work toward viable solutions for future improvements. Provides a narrative of critical lessons learned through personal experience during the response to Hurricane Katrina Contains examples demonstrating how geospatial technologies may be applied to fire service Summarizes lessons learned from ten community collaboration studies GIS for Critical Infrastructure Protection serves as a reference for infrastructure owner¿s police, fire, paramedics, and other government agencies responsible for crisis and emergency response, and critical infrastructure protection. The book benefits first responders and infrastructure owners working to ensure the continued safety and operability of the nation¿s infrastructure.
Hazards Analysis: Reducing the Impact of Disasters
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The impacts of natural and man-made disasters have increased exponentially over the past few decades. Moreover, with our global interconnectedness and the growing scale of disasters, today's catastrophic disasters can have regional, national, and even global economic consequences. Following in the tradition of the successful first edition, Hazards Analysis: Reducing the Impact of Disasters, Second Edition provides a structure and process for understanding the nature of natural and human-caused disasters. Stressing the role of hazard risk management for public, private, and nonprofit organizations, the author and expert contributors cover problem solving, risk analysis, and risk communications to ensure readers are in a position to identify key problems associated with hazards and the risks that they present. The book details a systematic process of hazards identification, vulnerability determination, and consequence assessment for the natural, built, and human environment. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, this book effectively demonstrates how to use the results of vulnerability assessment, spatial analysis, and community planning to reduce adverse disaster outcomes and foster social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Throughout, the book stresses that hazards analysis is not an isolated process but one that must engage the local community. Complete with clearly set objectives, key terms, discussion questions, satellite images and maps, and ancillary websites for further study, this authoritative guide covers every element of the hazard analysis process in a step-by-step format. Hazards Analysis presents time-proven strategies for building sustainable communities, identifying and prioritizing risks, and establishing successful disaster prevention and relief strategies prior to a disaster.
Enabling Comprehensive Situational Awareness
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Enabling Comprehensive Situational Awareness explains how and why an integrated emergency management common operating platform can help save lives and mitigate loss during crises and disasters. A geographic information system (GIS) embedded in this platform is the key tool used by emergency management professionals to analyze extensive spatial data collections, as well as immediate field-level data. This book explains how this platform gives decision makers the overview necessary to coordinate efforts across agencies and jurisdictions and develop collaborative mitigation and recovery plans. An implementation guide for building a GIS in a common operating platform is included.
Tennessee Tragedies: Natural, Technological, and Societal Disasters in the Volunteer State
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A one-of-a-kind reference book, Tennessee Tragedies examines a wide variety of disasters that have occurred in the Volunteer State over the past several centuries. Intended for both general readers and emergency management professionals, it covers natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes; technological events such as explosions, transportation wrecks, and structure fires; and societal incidents including labor strikes, political violence, lynchings, and other hate crimes. At the center of the book are descriptive accounts of 150 of the state's most severe events. These range from smallpox epidemics in the eighteenth century to the epic floods of 1936-37, from the Sultana riverboat disaster of 1865 (the worst inland marine accident in U.S. history) to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Included as well are stories of plane crashes, train wrecks, droughts, economic panics, and race riots. An extensive chronology provides further details on more than 900 incidents, the most complete listing ever compiled for a single state. The book's introduction examines topics that include our fascination with such tragedies; major causes of death, injury, and destruction; and the daunting problems of producing accurate accountings of a disaster's effects, whether in numbers of dead and injured or of economic impact. Among the other features are a comprehensive glossary that defines various technical terms and concepts and tables illustrating earthquake, drought, disease, and tornado intensity scales. A work of great historical interest that brings together for the first time an impressive array of information,Tennessee Tragedies will prove exceptionally useful for those who must respond to inevitable future disasters.
GIS Tutorial for Humanitarian Assistance
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Developed for members of the humanitarian relief community, GIS Tutorial for Humanitarian Assistance moves you from the role of casual observer to involved investigator as you learn to apply analysis skills in GIS to real-world problems around the globe. Following the standard tutorial format, exercises in this book demonstrate the GIS knowledge you need to effectively manage the provision of humanitarian assistance before, during, and after a disaster. A fully functioning 180-day trial version of ArcEditor 9.3.1 software on DVD and a CD of data for working through the exercises are included.
Mapping hazardous terrain using remote sensing
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The dangers that we face from geohazards appear to be getting worse, especially with the impact of increasing population and global climate change. This collection of papers illustrates how remote sensing technologies - measuring, mapping and monitoring the Earths surface from aircraft or satellites - can help us to rapidly detect and better manage geohazards. The hazardous terrains examined include areas of landslides, flooding, erosion, contaminated land, shrink-swell clays, subsidence, seismic activity and volcanic landforms. Key aspects of remote sensing are introduced, making this a book that can easily be read by those who are unfamiliar with remote sensing. The featured remote sensing systems include aerial photography and photogrammetry, thermal scanning, hyperspectral sensors, airborne laser altimetry (LiDAR), radar interferometry and multispectral satellites (Landsat, ASTER). Related technologies and methodologies, such as the processing of Digital Elevation Models and data analysis using Geographical Information Systems, are also discussed.
Elevation Data for Floodplain Mapping
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Floodplain maps serve as the basis for determining whether homes or buildings require flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Approximately $650 billion in insured assets are now covered under the program. FEMA is modernizing floodplain maps to better serve the program. However, concerns have been raised as to the adequacy of the base map information available to support floodplain map modernization. Elevation Data for Floodplain Mapping shows that there is sufficient two-dimensional base map imagery to meet FEMA's flood map modernization goals, but that the three-dimensional base elevation data that are needed to determine whether a building should have flood insurance are not adequate. This book makes recommendations for a new national digital elevation data collection program to redress the inadequacy. Policy makers; property insurance professionals; federal, local, and state governments; and others concerned with natural disaster prevention and preparedness will find this book of interest.
GIS for Homeland Security
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GIS for Homeland Security provides general overviews on how GIS is used for gathering and analyzing intelligence, protecting critical infrastructure, responding to complex emergencies, preparing for disease outbreaks and bioterrorism, securing complex events, and simulating disasters. A final chapter looks ahead at the growing role of GIS in homeland security. Each chapter includes three case studies that illuminate the topic with specific real-world examples. Key GIS players are profiled.
World Atlas of Natural Hazards
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In the opening year of the new millennium, an astonishing one in every thirty people on the planet were affected by floods, storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other natural phenomena. Rapid-onset geophysical hazards (natural hazards or geohazards) have always exacted a devastating toll on society, both in terms of damage to property and infrastructure and loss of life. During the last millennium it is estimated that over 12 million deaths resulted from over one hundred thousand natural catastrophes triggered by geohazards. In the 20th century alone, the numbers of lives lost may be as high as 3.5 million, and there is little sign, at present, of the situation improving. In fact, the last three decades have seen a dramatic and worrying escalation, both in the numbers of natural catastrophes caused by geohazards, and in the accompanying economic and insured losses. This is partly due to the increasing concentration of both people and wealth in regions of high vulnerability, but the situation is exacerbated by extreme events associated with climate change and by direct human action such as deforestation and urbanisation. The World Atlas of Natural Hazards presents an authoritative yet accessible picture of the perils our planet and our society currently face and a view of the range and scale of threats that may be expected in the new century and beyond. The atlas incorporates a narrative that is driven by maps, images and graphics to paint portraits of natural hazards in space and time, the manner in which they impinge upon our society, and what we can do to avoid, mitigate, or manage their worst excesses. New research that sheds light on processes and mechanisms is addressed, along with established and innovative methodologies designed to limit the impact of natural hazards and reduce associated risk. The book opens with an introduction to the historical development of hazard and risk mapping and closes with a sober assessment of prospects for the future.
The impact of geology on the United States : a reference guide to benefits and hazards
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Everything we see in our landscapes today was created by geological actions, all of them accompanied by earthquakes and volcanism. This thorough examination of the geology of the United States and its impact on people's lives explores the processes that shape the land surfaces of the United States. These processes act over long periods of time and are affected by such factors as wind, rain, and temperature. Readers will discover how they frequently catch us by surprise when unexpected events occur, as well as how we often ignore signals that indicate repeat disasters. The hazards associated with geological processes are a continuing concern, but readers will also discover the benefits of many of these so-called natural disasters. Geologic regions define the framework for the book. Gunn provides readers with an accessible overview of geology, defining such concepts as erosion and deposition and discussing such factors as the different kinds of rocks found in the earth's crust. He also explores the concept of plate tectonics in detail. Representative states have been selected to illustrate hazards and geologic features found over large areas, and students can discover those areas that are the most dangerous in which to live. Students are encouraged to draw on the resources provided for further in-depth study of the fascinating topics introduced and discussed.
Cartographies of danger : mapping hazards in America
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No place is perfectly safe, but some places are more dangerous than others. Whether we live on a floodplain or in "Tornado Alley," near a nuclear facility or in a neighborhood poorly lit at night, we all co-exist uneasily with natural and man-made hazards. As Mark Monmonier shows in this entertaining and immensely informative book, maps can tell us a lot about where we can anticipate certain hazards, but they can also be dangerously misleading. California, for example, takes earthquakes seriously, with a comprehensive program of seismic mapping, whereas Washington has been comparatively lax about earthquakes in Puget Sound. But as the Northridge earthquake in January 1994 demonstrated all too clearly to Californians, even reliable seismic-hazard maps can deceive anyone who misinterprets "known fault-lines" as the only places vulnerable to earthquakes. Important as it is to predict and prepare for catastrophic natural hazards, more subtle and persistent phenomena such as pollution and crime also pose serious dangers that we have to cope with on a daily basis. Hazard-zone maps highlight these more insidious hazards and raise awareness about them among planners, local officials, and the public. With the help of many maps illustrating examples from all corners of the United States, Monmonier demonstrates how hazard mapping reflects not just scientific understanding of hazards but also perceptions of risk and how risk can be reduced. Whether you live on a faultline or a coastline, near a toxic waste dump or an EMF-generating power line, you ignore this book's plain-language advice on geographic hazards and how to avoid them at your own peril. "No one should buy a home, rent an apartment, or even drink the local water without having read this fascinating cartographic alert on the dangers that lurk in our everyday lives. . . . Who has not asked where it is safe to live? Cartographies of Danger provides the answer."--H. J. de Blij, NBC News "Even if you're not interested in maps, you're almost certainly interested in hazards. And this book is one of the best places I've seen to learn about them in a highly entertaining and informative fashion."--John Casti, New Scientist
The Citizens' guide to geologic hazards : a guide to understanding geologic hazards, including asbestos, radon, swelling soils, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, subsidence, floods, and coastal hazards
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Working Beyond Borders: GIS for Geospatial Collaboration
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In today's world, organizations face a multitude of problems that require an unprecedented need for tools to share information and work better together. In Working Beyond Borders: GIS for Geospatial Collaboration, see how government, industries, and others, are using location intelligence and GIS to interconnect people across jurisdictions and sectors, to respond to some of our most critical issues, such as climate change, sustainable development, racial equity, emergency management, conservation, and public health and safety. Readers will also see how organizations are integrating geospatial infrastructure to improve efficiency, drive innovation, and empower every day decision-making in communities around the world. Edited by Jill Saligoe-Simmel and Maria Jordan Applying GIS The Applying GIS series explains how to become a spatial thinker with ideas and strategies for building location intelligence into your profession, industry, or discipline. Each book is divided into relevant topic areas that include real-life case studies that will inspire new ways to solve complex problems.
Fieldwork Handbook: a Practical Guide on the Go
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Make your work in the field more efficient and productive with the how-to of location intelligence. A biologist in a rain forest making observations on indigenous frogs, an engineer maintaining utility equipment, or a citizen scientist taking water samples from a creek are all doing fieldwork. Their work is anchored by location. No matter what electronic tools they take into the field, they all take a notebook or a guidebook. As you head into the field along with all your equipment, be sure to include this practical fieldwork guide. Fieldwork Handbook gives you tips, best practices, and activities that make your work in the field more productive and successful. No matter how you use location intelligence in the field, you can up your game with this book and improve your experience. Covering preparation, equipment, workflows, and data, this book will teach you how to Organize and reconcile field data Effectively coordinate and dispatch field resources Refine fieldwork workflows Sync the office with the field Author and Esri product engineer Marika Vertzonis learned about geospatial technology in the field, and she knows what you need to know. This handbook is your friend in the field.
GNSS Monitoring of the Terrestrial Environment: Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Climate Change
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GNSS Monitoring of the Terrestrial Environment: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Climate Change presents the application of GNSS technologies to natural hazards on Earth. The book details the background theory of the GNSS techniques discussed and takes the reader through applications and implementation. Tables comparing GNSS with other geodetic techniques, such as SAR, VLBI, SLR, and conventional geodetic methods such as strainmeters, tiltmeters, and leveling surveys are also included. The book concludes with a chapter bridging both parts, discussing the relationship between earthquakes, volcanism, and climate change. The book is aimed at academics, researchers, and advanced students working in the fields of remote sensing technologies or natural hazards. It is divided into two parts, with the first covering the monitoring of earthquakes, volcanoes, and applications of GNSS signals to better understand earthquakes and volcanism, while the second part covers monitoring climate change with GNSS. Provides a detailed focus on the utility of GNSS technologies for dealing with natural hazards Details theory and applications of GNSS to natural hazards, allowing readers to develop a thorough understanding on the theoretical background as well as practical applications Covers the latest developments in the field, along with future perspectives as GNSS technologies are expected to evolve
The Role of Geospatial Technologies in Landslide Hazard Assessment
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This book is designed to provide a detailed, methodological framework for landslide hazard assessment. The focus is on various dimensions of landslide hazard assessment, including the terminologies used in landslide hazard analysis and landslide inventory systems used globally and their relevance in generating a complete and reliable landslide database for further analysis, supported by global case studies. It includes an overview of the methodological developments in landslide hazard assessment and role of geospatial technologies in landslide studies. Features: Helps readers to understand the technical details of geospatial techniques applied in hazard management. Deals with the practicalities of how to recognise and classify unstable terrain. Covers recent advances in landslide estimation, particularly the automated means of landslide susceptibility estimation. Explores methodological frameworks of landslide hazard assessment. Illustrates case studies from the United States, Europe, and Asia, including demonstrations of different methodologies of landslide susceptibility zonation. This book is aimed at researchers, graduate students, and libraries in geotechnical and environmental engineering.
Remote Sensing of Natural Hazards
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This book presents a comprehensive coverage of remote sensing technology used to gather information on 12 types of natural hazards in the terrestrial sphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. It clarifies in detail how to yield spatial and quantitative data on a natural hazard, including its spatial distribution, severity, causes, and the likelihood of occurrence. The author explains multiple methods of attaining data, describes the pros and cons of each method, and encourages readers to choose the best method applicable to their case. The author offers a practical approach to data analysis using the most appropriate methods and software. 1. Covers all major natural hazards including hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and avalanches. 2. Studies each natural hazard holistically, ranging from spatial extent, severity, impact assessment, causes, and prediction of occurrence. 3. Explains different remotely sensed data and the most appropriate method used. 4. Compares different ways of sensing and clarifies the pros and cons of any selected data or their analysis. 5. Provides ample examples of each aspect of a natural hazard studied augmented with graphic illustrations and quality assurance information. All professionals working in the field of natural hazards, senior undergraduate, and graduate students, will find in-depth approaches and sufficient information to become knowledgeable in the methods of yielding and analyzing data provided with remote sensing technology, ultimately providing a deeper understanding of natural hazards.
Remote Sensing Analysis of Geologic Hazards
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In recent decades, classical survey approaches have evolved and with the advent of new technologies and platforms, remote sensing systems have become popular and widely used in geosciences. Contactless devices are not invasive and allow for measuring without accessing the investigated area. This is an excellent advantage as earth surface processes often occur in remote areas and can be potentially dangerous or difficult to access. Satellite remote sensing offers the possibility of using multi-band high-resolution data over large areas. Therefore, it can be of great support for natural risk monitoring and analysis at a regional scale. On the other hand, terrestrial systems feature high spatial and temporal resolutions, which can assist in observing the evolution of fast and potentially dangerous phenomena. Therefore, proximal sensing systems are of great value for risk assessment and early warning procedures of natural hazards. This book focuses on recent and upcoming advances in the remote and proximal sensing monitoring of geologic hazards, warning procedures, and new data-processing techniques.
Dealing with disasters : GIS for emergency management
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Discover a modern approach to understanding threats and hazards that are more complex, costly, and devastating than ever before. Agencies around the world rely on geographic information systems (GIS) every day to plan for and mitigate complicated threats and hazards and coordinate emergency response and recovery efforts. Location intelligence provides the kind of deep, real-time data insights needed for managers, directors, and other decision-makers to analyze risk, gain situational awareness, and manage tomorrow's emergencies. Dealing with Disasters: GIS for Emergency Management explores a collection of real-life case studies about emergency management agencies successfully using GIS for real and potential hazards. Chapters are laid out to explore three primary areas of disaster management: Preparedness: To effectively reduce risks, emergency management professionals must incorporate real-time data, big data, and other critical data feeds into their analysis. Learn how organizations spanning from Arizona to Taiwan use data-driven insights to effectively prepare for worst-case scenarios. Response: Emergency management professionals must become more agile and informed at all points during response efforts. Find out how the US National Park Service, the Puerto Rico Emergency Operations Center, and others have successfully responded to growing threats that require agility and effective communication to save lives and property. Recovery: Recovery efforts can take years, and it's critical to avoid missteps that delay progress. See how tools like drones help refugees; imagery helps insurance companies; and maps help post-tornado efforts while aiding in prioritizing work and delivering on every recovery dollar invested in a community. Each of the three themed parts also includes a "how to get started" section that provides ideas, strategies, tools, and actions to help jump-start your own use of GIS for emergency management, and an index organized by disaster type allows you to quickly learn or refresh yourself on GIS implementation. A collection of online resources, including additional stories, videos, new ideas and concepts, and downloadable tools and content, complements this book. Use Dealing with Disasters: GIS for Emergency Management as a guide for strategizing against and surviving the emergencies that befall communities. Introduction by Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland, former mayor of Baltimore, and author of Smarter Government: How to Govern for Results in the Information Age (Esri Press, 2019).
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Disaster Management
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Now in its second edition, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Disaster Management has been completely updated to take account of new developments in the field. Using a hands-on approach grounded in relevant GIS and disaster management theory and practice, this textbook continues the tradition of the benchmark first edition, providing coverage of GIS fundamentals applied to disaster management. Real-life case studies demonstrate GIS concepts and their applicability to the full disaster management cycle. The learning-by-example approach helps readers see how GIS for disaster management operates at local, state, national, and international scales through government, the private sector, non‐governmental organizations, and volunteer groups. New in the second edition: a chapter on allied technologies that includes remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), indoor navigation, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); thirteen new technical exercises that supplement theoretical and practical chapter discussions and fully reinforce concepts learned; enhanced boxed text and other pedagogical features to give readers even more practical advice; examination of new forms of world‐wide disaster faced by society; discussion of new commercial and open-source GIS technology and techniques such as machine learning and the Internet of Things; new interviews with subject-matter and industry experts on GIS for disaster management in the US and abroad; new career advice on getting a first job in the industry. Learned yet accessible, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Disaster Management continues to be a valuable teaching tool for undergraduate and graduate instructors in the disaster management and GIS fields, as well as disaster management and humanitarian professionals. Please visit http://gisfordisastermanagement.com to view supplemental material such as slides and hands-on exercise video walkthroughs. This companion website offers valuable hands-on experience applying concepts to practice.
Tsunamis : Geology, Hazards and Risks
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This Special Publication examines tsunami hazard and risk, with particular focus on using the geological record. With Earth's growing population clustered increasingly on coastlines, tsunami hazards are of concern worldwide. The papers explore the sedimentological and dynamic traces of recent and prehistoric tsunamis globally - from Europe to the Pacific - as well as looking at historic records and how the information can be used to characterise the scale of impacts and areas that are most susceptible to tsunami hazards. Armed with this information, scientists can begin to quantify risks, both to populations and in economic terms. This volume is aimed both at scientists working in this field and at a wider community, interested in tsunami science and natural hazard assessment.
Plate Boundaries and Natural Hazards
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The beginning of the new millennium has been particularly devastating in terms of natural disasters associated with tectonic plate boundaries, such as earthquakes in Sumatra, Chile, Japan, Tahiti, and Nepal; the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean tsunamis; and volcanoes in Indonesia, Chile, Iceland that have produced large quantities of ash causing major disruption to aviation. In total, half a million people were killed by such natural disasters. These recurring events have increased our awareness of the destructive power of natural hazards and the major risks associated with them. While we have come a long way in the search for understanding such natural phenomena, and although our knowledge of Earth dynamics and plate tectonics has improved enormously, there are still fundamental uncertainties in our understanding of natural hazards. Increased understanding is crucial to improve our capacity for hazard prediction and mitigation. Volume highlights include: Main concepts associated with tectonic plate boundaries Novel studies on boundary-related natural hazards Fundamental concepts that improve hazard prediction and mitigation Plate Boundaries and Natural Hazards will be a valuable resource for scientists and students in the fields of geophysics, geochemistry, plate tectonics, natural hazards, and climate science. Read an interview with the editors to find out more: https://eos.org/editors-vox/plate-boundaries-and-natural-hazards
World Atlas of Natural Disaster Risk
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This is the first English-language atlas to systematically introduce the environment, hazard, vulnerability and risk mapping for 11 natural disasters, i.e. earthquake, volcano, landslide, flood, storm surge, sand-dust storm, tropical cyclone, heat wave, cold wave, drought and wildfire, and risk mapping for multi-hazard disaster in the world. The above 11 hazards are assessed and mapped at grid unit, comparable-geographic unit and national unit, and the multi-hazard is assessed and mapped at grid unit and national unit. The expected annual mortality and/or affected population risks and expected annual economic loss and/or affected property risk of 11 hazards and multi-hazard of the world at national level are unprecedentedly derived and ranked. The atlas can be a good reference for researchers and students in the field of natural disaster risk management and risk governance, and enterpriser and risk manager as well to understand the global natural disaster risk. Prof. Peijun Shi works at Beijing Normal University, China; Prof. Roger Kasperson works at Clark University, USA.
The Geographical Dimensions of Terrorism
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Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- List of Issue Boxes -- Acknowledgments -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 The Changing Landscape of Fear -- Chapter 2 Societal Responses to Threats -- Introduction -- 2.1 Public Health, Law Enforcement, and Hazards Management -- 2.2 Urban Vulnerability to Terrorism as Hazard -- 2.3 Emergency Preparedness and Response- Lessons Learned from 9/11 -- 2.4 Transborder Disaster Management -- Chapter 3 Understanding the Root Causes of Terrorism -- Introduction -- 3.1 The Space of Terror -- 3.2 Geographies of Inclusion/Exclusion -- 3.3 Drug Production, Commerce, and Terrorism -- 3.4 Insurrections -- Chapter 4 Geospatial Data and Technologies in Times of Crises -- Introduction -- 4.1 The Need for a National Spatial Data Infrastructure -- 4.2 Remote Sensing Imagery for Emergency Management -- 4.3 Geospatial Data in Emergencies -- 4.4 Data Modeling for Emergencies -- 4.5 Intelligent Emergency Response Systems -- 4.6 Geographic Management Systems for Homeland Security -- Chapter 5 Vulnerability of Lifelines, the Built Environment, and People -- Introduction -- 5.1 Critical Infrastructure -- 5.2 Energy Systems and Infrastructures -- 5.3 Transportation and Communication Lifelines Disruption -- 5.4 Economic Assessment of Unexpected Events -- 5.5 Estimating Populations at Risk -- 5.6 Recreating Secure Spaces -- Chapter 6 Bioterrorism -- Introduction -- 6.1 Understanding Biological Warfare -- 6.2 Bioweaponry and Agroterrorism -- 6.3 Spatial Surveillance of and Response to Biological Threats -- Chapter 7 Building a Safer but Open Society -- Introduction -- 7.1 Openness versus Security of Geographic Information -- 7.2 GeoSecurity -- Chapter 8 A Research and Action Agenda -- Epilogue -- Notes -- References -- Contributors -- Index.
Tsunami : The Underrated Hazard
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It is a comprehensive and well illustrated textbook on all aspects of tsunami. I don't think there is any other book on the topic published. As one bookseller said after the Indian Ocean tsunami event, "I would have just filled my front window with copies and they would have walked out the store." This statement was just as relevant after the Japanese tsunami of 2011 and will be as relevant when the next large tsunami event happens, sooner rather than later. The book can be used by a student or layperson to gain encyclopedic knowledge about tsunami.
Wildfire Hazards, Risks, and Disasters
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More than 90% of wildfires are caused by human activity, but other causes include lighting, drought, wind and changing weather conditions, underground coal fires, and even volcanic activity. Wildfire Hazards, Risks, and Disasters, one of nine volumes in the Elsevier Hazards and Disasters series, provides a close and detailed examination of wildfires and measures for more thorough and accurate monitoring, prediction, preparedness, and prevention. It takes a geo-scientific and environmental approach to the topic while also discussing the impacts of human-induced causes such as deforestation, debris burning and arson--underscoring the multi-disciplinary nature of the topic. It presents several international case studies that discuss the historical, social, cultural and ecological aspects of wildfire risk management in countries with a long history of dealing with this hazard (e.g., USA, Australia) and in countries (e.g., Taiwan) where wildfire hazards represent a new and growing threat to the social and ecological landscape. Puts the contributions of environmental scientists, social scientists, climatologists, and geoscientists at your fingertips Arms you with the latest research on causality, social and societal impacts, economic impacts, and the multi-dimensional nature of wildfire mitigation, preparedness, and recovery Features a broad range of tables, figures, diagrams, illustrations, and photographs to aid in the retention of key concepts Discusses steps for prevention and mitigation of wildfires, one of the most expensive and complex geo-hazards in the world.
Urban risk assessments : understanding disaster and climate risk in cities
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This book presents a framework, the Urban Risk Assessment, for assessing disaster and climate risk in cities which is intended to assist in decision-making, urban planning, and designing risk management programs. The approach seeks to strengthen coherence and consensus within and across cities in understanding and planning for risk from natural disasters and climate change. The target audience for this book includes policy makers, urban practitioners and technical staff, and international organizations. The Urban Risk Assessment is a flexible approach based on three reinforcing pillars that collectively contribute to the understanding of urban risk: a hazard impact assessment, an institutional assessment, and a socioeconomic assessment. The URA is designed to allow flexibility in how it is applied dependent on available financial resources, available data relating to hazards and its population, and institutional capacity of a given city. Based on the identified needs and priorities, city governments can select the most appropriate level of risk assessment. Chapters 1 and 2 of the book are aimed at policy makers with information on why and how to invest in measures that strengthen the understanding of urban risk; Chapter 1 provides background information on the growing importance of disaster and climate risk management strategies at the city level and Chapter 2 provides guidance on how to operationalize and mainstream the Urban Risk Assessment with ongoing urban management and development activities. Chapters 3 and 4 are aimed at practitioners, and provide details on the conceptual approach, components, uses, and monitoring requirements for carrying out an Urban Risk Assessment.
Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards
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Few subjects have caught the attention of the entire world as much as those dealing with natural hazards. The first decade of this new millennium provides a litany of tragic examples of various hazards that turned into disasters affecting millions of individuals around the globe. The human losses (some 225,000 people) associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the economic costs (approximately 200 billion USD) of the 2011 Tohoku Japan earthquake, tsunami and reactor event, and the collective social impacts of human tragedies experienced during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 all provide repetitive reminders that we humans are temporary guests occupying a very active and angry planet. Any examples may have been cited here to stress the point that natural events on Earth may, and often do, lead to disasters and catastrophes when humans place themselves into situations of high risk. Few subjects share the true interdisciplinary dependency that characterizes the field of natural hazards. From geology and geophysics to engineering and emergency response to social psychology and economics, the study of natural hazards draws input from an impressive suite of unique and previously independent specializations. Natural hazards provide a common platform to reduce disciplinary boundaries and facilitate a beneficial synergy in the provision of timely and useful information and action on this critical subject matter. As social norms change regarding the concept of acceptable risk and human migration leads to an explosion in the number of megacities, coastal over-crowding and unmanaged habitation in precarious environments such as mountainous slopes, the vulnerability of people and their susceptibility to natural hazards increases dramatically. Coupled with the concerns of changing climates, escalating recovery costs, a growing divergence between more developed and less developed countries, the subject of natural hazards remains on the forefront of issues that affect all people, nations, and environments all the time. This treatise provides a compendium of critical, timely and very detailed information and essential facts regarding the basic attributes of natural hazards and concomitant disasters. The Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards effectively captures and integrates contributions from an international portfolio of almost 300 specialists whose range of expertise addresses over 330 topics pertinent to the field of natural hazards. Disciplinary barriers are overcome in this comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. Clear illustrations and numerous color images enhance the primary aim to communicate and educate. The inclusion of a series of unique "classic case study" events interspersed throughout the volume provides tangible examples linking concepts, issues, outcomes and solutions. These case studies illustrate different but notable recent, historic and prehistoric events that have shaped the world as we now know it. They provide excellent focal points linking the remaining terms in the volume to the primary field of study. This Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards will remain a standard reference of choice for many years.
Mapping Vulnerability : Disasters, Development and People
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Raging floods, massive storms and cataclysmic earthquakes: every year up to 340 million people are affected by these and other disasters, which cause loss of life and damage to personal property, agriculture, and infrastructure. So what can be done? The key to understanding the causes of disasters and mitigating their impacts is the concept of 'vulnerability'.Mapping Vulnerability analyses 'vulnerability' as a concept central to the way we understand disasters and their magnitude and impact. Written and edited by a distinguished group of disaster scholars and practitioners, this book is a counterbalance to those technocratic approaches that limit themselves to simply looking at disasters as natural phenomena. Through the notion of vulnerability, the authors stress the importance of social processes and human-environmental interactions as causal agents in the making of disasters. They critically examine what renders communities unsafe - a condition, they argue, that depends primarily on the relative position of advantage or disadvantage that a particular group occupies within a society's social order. The book also looks at vulnerability in terms of its relationship to development and its impact on policy and people's lives, through consideration of selected case studies drawn from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Mapping Vulnerability is essential reading for academics, students, policymakers and practitioners in disaster studies, geography, development studies, economics, environmental studies and sociology.
Tennessee Tragedies: Natural, Technological, and Societal Disasters in the Volunteer State
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A one-of-a-kind reference book, Tennessee Tragedies examines a wide variety of disasters that have occurred in the Volunteer State over the past several centuries. Intended for both general readers and emergency management professionals, it covers natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes; technological events such as explosions, transportation wrecks, and structure fires; and societal incidents including labor strikes, political violence, lynchings, and other hate crimes. At the center of the book are descriptive accounts of 150 of the state's most severe events. These range from smallpox epidemics in the eighteenth century to the epic floods of 1936-37, from the Sultana riverboat disaster of 1865 (the worst inland marine accident in U.S. history) to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Included as well are stories of plane crashes, train wrecks, droughts, economic panics, and race riots. An extensive chronology provides further details on more than 900 incidents, the most complete listing ever compiled for a single state. The book's introduction examines topics that include our fascination with such tragedies; major causes of death, injury, and destruction; and the daunting problems of producing accurate accountings of a disaster's effects, whether in numbers of dead and injured or of economic impact. Among the other features are a comprehensive glossary that defines various technical terms and concepts and tables illustrating earthquake, drought, disease, and tornado intensity scales. A work of great historical interest that brings together for the first time an impressive array of information,Tennessee Tragedies will prove exceptionally useful for those who must respond to inevitable future disasters.
Coastal Hazards
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This book covers the gamut of coastal hazards that result from short-term low-frequency events and have high-magnitude and far-reaching impacts on coastal zones the world over. Much of the world's population now lives in low-lying coastal zones that are inherently vulnerable to natural hazards such as flooding from hurricanes, tropical storms and northeastern storm surges; shoreline (beach and dune) erosion; cliff and bluff failures; and saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers used for drinking water supplies. In addition to the usual range of hydrometeorological disasters in coastal zones, this book covers tsunami impacts and warning systems as well as global perspectives of sea-level rise impacts and human perceptions of potential vulnerabilities resulting from rip currents that cause many drownings each year on beaches. Today, the use of numerical models that help predict vulnerabilities and provide a basis for shore protection measures is important in modern scientific and engineering systems. Final considerations focus on human actions in the form of the urbanization and industrialization of the coast, shore protection measures, and indicate how environmental degradation around coastal conurbations exacerbates the potential for unwanted impacts. Strategies for environmental management in coastal zones, from low-lying wetlands to high cliffs and rocky promontories, are highlighted as a means of living in harmony with Nature and not trying to conquer it.
Catastrophes! : earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and other earth-shattering disasters
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Devastating natural disasters have profoundly shaped human history, leaving us with a respect for the mighty power of the earth--and a humbling view of our future. Paleontologist and geologist Donald R. Prothero tells the harrowing human stories behind these catastrophic events. Prothero describes in gripping detail some of the most important natural disasters in history: * the New Madrid, Missouri, earthquakes of 1811-1812 that caused church bells to ring in Boston * the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people * the massive volcanic eruptions of Krakatau, Mount Tambora, Mount Vesuvius, Mount St. Helens, and Nevado del Ruiz His clear and straightforward explanations of the forces that caused these disasters accompany gut-wrenching accounts of terrifying human experiences and a staggering loss of human life. Floods that wash out whole regions, earthquakes that level a single country, hurricanes that destroy everything in their path--all are here to remind us of how little control we have over the natural world. Dramatic photographs and eyewitness accounts recall the devastation wrought by these events, and the people--both heroes and fools--that are caught up in the earth's relentless forces. Eerie, fascinating, and often moving, these tales of geologic history and human fortitude and folly will stay with you long after you put the book down.
Encyclopedia of Disaster Relief
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Billions of dollars and millions of people are involved in disaster relief, yet catastrophes around the world continue to take an enormous toll in human lives and treasure. Some disaster-relief efforts are more successful than others, with national governments playing a pivotal role. The response to the tsunami of 2004 can be cited among focused international efforts, while the relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina can be cited as more problematic. The international community is watching as China copes in new ways with the recent earthquake in Sichuan province and as relief efforts continue for earthquake victims in Haiti. This encyclopedia covers the response to disasters, from governments to NGOs, from charities to politics, from refugees to health, and from economics to international relations. Entries cover issues in both historical and contemporary context, with information on disaster relief around the world. The volumes include information relevant to students of sociology, national security, economics, health sciences, political science, emergency preparedness, history, agriculture, and many other subjects. The goal is to help readers appreciate the importance of the effects, responsibilities, and ethics of disaster relief, and to initiate educational discussion brought forth by the specific cultural, scientific, and topical articles contained within the work. Including 425 signed entries in a two-volume set presented in A-to-Z format, and drawing contributors from varied academic disciplines, this encyclopedia examines disaster response and relief in a manner that is authoritative yet accessible, jargon-free, and balanced to help readers better understand issues from varied perspectives.
GIS in Hospital and Healthcare Emergency Management
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Although many books have been published on the application of GIS in emergency management and disaster response, this is the first one to bring together a comprehensive discussion of the critical role GIS plays in hospital and healthcare emergency management and disaster response. Illustrating a wide range of practical applications, GIS in Hospital
Mapping the Zone: Improving Flood Map Accuracy
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps portray the height and extent to which flooding is expected to occur, and they form the basis for setting flood insurance premiums and regulating development in the floodplain. As such, they are an important tool for individuals, businesses, communities, and government agencies to understand and deal with flood hazard and flood risk. Improving map accuracy is therefore not an academic question--better maps help everyone. Making and maintaining an accurate flood map is neither simple nor inexpensive. Even after an investment of more than $1 billion to take flood maps into the digital world, only 21 percent of the population has maps that meet or exceed national flood hazard data quality thresholds. Even when floodplains are mapped with high accuracy, land development and natural changes to the landscape or hydrologic systems create the need for continuous map maintenance and updates. Mapping the Zone examines the factors that affect flood map accuracy, assesses the benefits and costs of more accurate flood maps, and recommends ways to improve flood mapping, communication, and management of flood-related data.
After Ike : aerial views from the no-fly zone
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The day after Hurricane Ike made U.S. landfall at Galveston, Texas, photographer Bryan Carlile was in a helicopter, working a service contract as a first responder. He took with him a native Texan's good memories of the Gulf Coast but brought back images that tell the sobering story of this massive and historic storm. After Ike includes more than one hundred aerial photographs Carlile took of the hurricane's grim aftermath accompanied by Carlile's eyewitness captions. In some places, Carlile is able to show images from "before Ike" that bring home the magnitude of the changes wrought to both natural and human habitats. In a thoughtful, personal essay, Andrew Sansom, who was raised on the Texas coast, reflects on the realities of living in "Hurricane Alley."
Geospatial Techniques in Urban Hazard and Disaster Analysis
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This book is the second in a series that examines how geographic information te- nologies (GIT) are being implemented to improve our understanding of a variety of hazard and disaster situations. The main types of technologies covered under the umbrella of GIT, as used in this volume, are geographic information systems, remote sensing (not including ground-penetrating or underwater systems), and global po- tioning systems. Our focus is on urban areas, broadly de ned in order to encompass rapidly growing and densely populated areas that may not be considered "urban" in the conventional sense. The material presented here is also unabashedly applied - our goal is to provide GIT tools to those seeking more ef cient ways to respond to, recover from, mitigate, prevent, and/or model hazard and disaster events in urban settings. Therefore, this book was created not only with our colleagues in the academic world in mind, but also for hazards professionals and practitioners. We also believe graduate students will nd the material presented here of interest, as may upper division undergraduate students.
GIS for Earthquakes
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Emergency management professionals are responsible for assessing risks and hazards and
identifying potential emergencies and disasters. Emergency operations personnel recommend
appropriate prevention or mitigation strategies that can reduce the impact of potential
emergencies.
Large, complex emergencies such as earthquakes often affect multiple departments or multiple
agencies and require data to be collected and assembled from a variety of locations quickly
under adverse conditions. Part of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) role is to understand
the details of the emergency, order the required response resources, coordinate with adjoining
agencies, and determine the immediate actions necessary to contain the incident.
Mapping hazardous terrain using remote sensing
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The dangers that we face from geohazards appear to be getting worse, especially with the impact of increasing population and global climate change. This collection of papers illustrates how remote sensing technologies - measuring, mapping and monitoring the Earths surface from aircraft or satellites - can help us to rapidly detect and better manage geohazards. The hazardous terrains examined include areas of landslides, flooding, erosion, contaminated land, shrink-swell clays, subsidence, seismic activity and volcanic landforms. Key aspects of remote sensing are introduced, making this a book that can easily be read by those who are unfamiliar with remote sensing. The featured remote sensing systems include aerial photography and photogrammetry, thermal scanning, hyperspectral sensors, airborne laser altimetry (LiDAR), radar interferometry and multispectral satellites (Landsat, ASTER). Related technologies and methodologies, such as the processing of Digital Elevation Models and data analysis using Geographical Information Systems, are also discussed.
Successful response starts with a map : improving geospatial support for disaster management
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In the past few years the United States has experienced a series of disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which have severely taxed and in many cases overwhelmed responding agencies. In all aspects of emergency management, geospatial data and tools have the potential to help save lives, limit damage, and reduce the costs of dealing with emergencies. Great strides have been made in the past four decades in the development of geospatial data and tools that describe locations of objects on the Earth's surface and make it possible for anyone with access to the Internet to witness the magnitude of a disaster. However, the effectiveness of any technology is as much about the human systems in which it is embedded as about the technology itself. Successful Response Starts with a Map assesses the status of the use of geospatial data, tools, and infrastructure in disaster management, and recommends ways to increase and improve their use. This book explores emergency planning and response; how geospatial data and tools are currently being used in this field; the current policies that govern their use; various issues related to data accessibility and security; training; and funding. Successful Response Starts with a Map recommends significant investments be made in training of personnel, coordination among agencies, sharing of data and tools, planning and preparedness, and the tools themselves.
Elevation Data for Floodplain Mapping
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Floodplain maps serve as the basis for determining whether homes or buildings require flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Approximately $650 billion in insured assets are now covered under the program. FEMA is modernizing floodplain maps to better serve the program. However, concerns have been raised as to the adequacy of the base map information available to support floodplain map modernization. Elevation Data for Floodplain Mapping shows that there is sufficient two-dimensional base map imagery to meet FEMA's flood map modernization goals, but that the three-dimensional base elevation data that are needed to determine whether a building should have flood insurance are not adequate. This book makes recommendations for a new national digital elevation data collection program to redress the inadequacy. Policy makers; property insurance professionals; federal, local, and state governments; and others concerned with natural disaster prevention and preparedness will find this book of interest.
Philip's Guide to Global Hazards
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Guide to Global Hazards is a pocket-sized reference to the many and various threats to life on Earth from disasters that threaten large regions or the whole globe. It will be useful to geography and social studies students and to all readers interested inpolitics, current affairs and the environment.The book discusses the many hazards that face us, taking each in turn: earthquakes, volcanoes, weather (including hurricanes and tornadoes), snow and ice, floods, tidal waves and tsunamis, forest fires, drought and famine, epidemic disease, pollution and habitat loss, climate change (including El Nio and global warming), and cosmic disasters (such as meteor strikes).Each section describes the phenomenon, with clear text and high-quality artworks and photography, and gives case-histories of some of the world's most terrifying and destructive cataclysms, focusing on both the human and the geophysical aspects of these tragedies. There is much emphasis on the future and the very real threats to the lives and well-being of not just individuals and communities but humanity as a whole. Areas prone to particular hazards (such as earthquake zones, volcanic regions, flood zones) are illustrated and mapped.The book is researched and written by specialists in environmental, geological and life sciences.Main map scale:
Cartographies of danger : mapping hazards in America
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No place is perfectly safe, but some places are more dangerous than others. Whether we live on a floodplain or in "Tornado Alley," near a nuclear facility or in a neighborhood poorly lit at night, we all co-exist uneasily with natural and man-made hazards. As Mark Monmonier shows in this entertaining and immensely informative book, maps can tell us a lot about where we can anticipate certain hazards, but they can also be dangerously misleading. California, for example, takes earthquakes seriously, with a comprehensive program of seismic mapping, whereas Washington has been comparatively lax about earthquakes in Puget Sound. But as the Northridge earthquake in January 1994 demonstrated all too clearly to Californians, even reliable seismic-hazard maps can deceive anyone who misinterprets "known fault-lines" as the only places vulnerable to earthquakes. Important as it is to predict and prepare for catastrophic natural hazards, more subtle and persistent phenomena such as pollution and crime also pose serious dangers that we have to cope with on a daily basis. Hazard-zone maps highlight these more insidious hazards and raise awareness about them among planners, local officials, and the public. With the help of many maps illustrating examples from all corners of the United States, Monmonier demonstrates how hazard mapping reflects not just scientific understanding of hazards but also perceptions of risk and how risk can be reduced. Whether you live on a faultline or a coastline, near a toxic waste dump or an EMF-generating power line, you ignore this book's plain-language advice on geographic hazards and how to avoid them at your own peril. "No one should buy a home, rent an apartment, or even drink the local water without having read this fascinating cartographic alert on the dangers that lurk in our everyday lives. . . . Who has not asked where it is safe to live? Cartographies of Danger provides the answer."--H. J. de Blij, NBC News "Even if you're not interested in maps, you're almost certainly interested in hazards. And this book is one of the best places I've seen to learn about them in a highly entertaining and informative fashion."--John Casti, New Scientist
