Disaster Circumstances Research Articles

Using the Law to Promote the Mental Health of Older Adults during Disasters

Disasters may disproportionately impact older adults due to sensory deficits, diminished social support networks, financial limitations, and displacement from familiar environments. During and shortly after a disaster, older adults' mental health needs may be overlooked for varied reasons, including concerns about stigma and lack of information about available services. Law can protect the mental health of older adults in disaster and non-disaster circumstances, but it sometimes may frustrate efforts to address older adults' mental health concerns. This article analyzes three areas - Medicare services, staffing shortages, and continuity of prescription medications - in which the law has the potential to promote the mental health of older adults during disasters.

Communities and archaeology under the Soufrière Hills Volcano on Montserrat, West Indies

The volcanically devastated landscape of Montserrat and its social fabric comprise what Maria calls a “traumascape”—a site of tragedy and catastrophe that is also a place of coping and resilience. How Montserratians engage with trauma is evident in how they remember their recent and historical pasts, and in how they are reinventing aspects of their heritage in order to sustain a distinctly Montserratian identity for the future. Such a process of coping presents challenges for conducting archaeology in collaboration with the community. In this article, we describe the experiences of a recently established project on the island (Survey and Landscape Archaeology on Montserrat) and discuss the potential for, and the obstacles involved in, developing longer-term, sustainable forms of collaboration between archaeologists and local Montserratian communities when facing the unusual circumstances of volcanic disaster and hazard.

Management of Crush Victims in Mass Disasters

Crush syndrome is the second most common cause of death after earthquakes (the first most common is direct trauma). Many logistic problems with the treatment of patients with crush syndrome are due to chaotic disaster circumstances; consequently, medical and logistic recommendations on the treatment of crush victims are needed. In a joint initiative of the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force of the International Society of Nephrology and European Renal Best Practice, a work group of nephrologists, intensivists, surgeons, and logisticians with disaster experience or experts in guideline preparation collaborated to provide comprehensive information and recommendations on the management of crush casualties considering their occurrence with "epidemic" dimensions after mass disasters. The result is the monograph "Recommendations for the Management of Crush Victims in Mass Disasters", which may help provide effective health care to disaster victims with renal problems. This article discusses medical and logistic principles of the treatment of crush victims, both at the disaster field and on admission to hospitals, and guidance is described. The importance of early fluid administration even before extrication of the victims and avoidance of potassium-containing solutions during the treatment of crush victims is underlined. Also, the logistic problems in treating crush casualties are emphasized. The most important aspects of the recently published recommendations are highlighted.

Strategic uses of Lessons for Building Collaborative Emergency Management System: Comparative Analysis of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Gustav Response Systems

This study examined whether there are empirical evidences of organizational learning in the U.S. emergency response system and how the strategic uses of lessons enabled organizations to upgrade system’s capabilities and interaction structure to respond to major disasters. For this, this study conducted comparative analysis of Hurricane Katrina and Gustav response systems and analyzed data from semi-structured interviews with the managers of 36 leading organizations that actively participated in both response systems. To address challenges from complex and uncertain circumstances of disasters, organizations need to collaborate and their joint operations should be nicely coordinated. The findings of this paper reveal that, through effective communications, organizations could secure timely, accurate, and valid information and create a common knowledge base that is critical for collaborative response to disasters. In addition, organizational capacity to detect, process, and transmit information could increase through appropriate training and retention programs. Importantly, the collective capacity of organizations to collaborate in coherent ways could be strengthened through the development of organizational culture that facilitates face-to-face interaction.

What We Know about Demand Surge: Brief Summary

Demand surge is a process resulting in a higher cost to repair building damage after large disasters than to repair the same damage after a small disaster; this higher cost can be an additional 20% or more. It is of interest to insurers, regulators, property owners, and others. Despite its importance, demand surge has no standard definition or generally accepted predictive theory of its mechanisms and quantitative effects. By studying the circumstances of natural disasters that did and did not cause demand surge, common explanatory themes emerge from these historical events that may describe why and how much losses increase in some disasters. The themes are: total amount of repair work; timing of reconstruction; costs of materials, labor, and equipment; contractor overhead and profit; the general economic situation; insurance claims handling; and decisions of an insurance company. The development of these themes will aid in constructing a mechanistic, empirically supported approach to modeling demand surge. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000028. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Risk management; Insurance; Natural disasters; Buildings; Rehabilitation. Author keywords: Demand surge; Natural disasters; Damage; Insurance.

On Floods and Photo Ops: How Herbert Hoover and George W. Bush Exploited Catastrophes (review)

Reviewed by: On Floods and Photo Ops: How Herbert Hoover and George W. Bush Exploited Catastrophes Diane S. Hope On Floods and Photo Ops: How Herbert Hoover and George W. Bush Exploited Catastrophes. By Paul Martin Lester. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2010; pp. xviii + 240. $50.00 cloth. Paul Lester's comparison of two photographs of "mutual banality" (xxiii) separated by "almost seventy-eight years and only 200 miles" (201) provides a productive analysis for the student and general reader interested in the links between politics and photography. The first photo shows Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover and Secretary of War Dwight Davis posing with children at a "refugee" camp in Natchez, Mississippi, during the Great Flood of 1927 (158); the second depicts President George W. Bush with children and teachers at the reopening of an elementary school in DeLisle, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (193). Neither image is dramatic; neither records an event of genuine significance nor provides new information about either of the two catastrophic floods. Nevertheless, Lester's analysis contributes much to our understanding of the photo op as political rhetoric. The text begins with "Prologue: Discoveries," which will be especially helpful for young scholars. It offers a step-by-step primer on how and why the author came to research and write this book, describes Lester's purpose to "compare political photography and catastrophes through two points in time" (xi), and takes readers through his search for images, one to be focused on George W. Bush and Katrina, and another of a different politician photographed during a similar catastrophe at an earlier period in history. The result is Lester's comparison of the history and circumstances that surrounded the Hoover and Bush photo ops. Through navigational metaphors of rivers, streams, tributaries, and currents, the prologue concludes with the forewarning that Lester's research has carried him to unforeseen subjects and [End Page 745] unanticipated associations—an apt description of the book's major strengths and occasional weaknesses. Chapter 1, "Analysis: Ways of Seeing and Studying Images," offers a brief review of the basics of visual analysis, citing visual culture scholars, photographers, rhetorical critics, and visual communication texts. The review is useful and illustrated with examples from photography and painting. Chapter 2, "Publicity: The Photo Op as Political Tool," surveys the history of political image making with a focus on images made during catastrophes. For example, included are images of Senator Prescott Bush surveying flood damage in Waterbury, Connecticut, after the floods of 1955 caused by the twin hurricanes of Connie and Diane that claimed 184 lives, along with another image of President Eisenhower apparently looking at the damage from his aircraft window. As Lester points out, "the photo op [of Eisenhower] is misleading. The skies were so cloudy the inundated ground below could not be seen from the air" (27). The chapter also includes images of President Johnson in Air Force One observing the damage caused by Hurricane Betsy in 1965; a picture of Hoover's campaign truck, with "Why we should vote for Herbert Hoover—Told in Talking Motion Pictures" painted in large print on the side (52); and images of George W. Bush in front of Ground Zero (61). Lester concludes this section with an informative analysis of the players and circumstances of Bush's infamous PR disaster, his "Mission Accomplished" speech on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln (67). Chapters 3 through 6 are unusual in structure and style, presenting readers with tidbits of information that appear to be far-flung digressions from the subject. Yet the accumulated references provide a multilayered context for assessing the complex meanings of each of the two photographs. For example, Chapter 3, "Floods: When Water Defeats Land," opens with a brief summary of Frank Herbert's "1965 classic science fiction novel, Dune" (70) before segueing into the emergence of "ecology as a popular idea in the mass media" (71) and a discussion of the 1968 photograph of Earth taken by Astronaut William Anders (71). Lester justifies his wide approach: The 1969 Life cover of earth also highlights the three forms of water: as a vapor—the massive swirling cloud systems; as a solid—the...

Recurrent Medical Response Problems during Five Recent Disasters in the Netherlands

The aim of this qualitative, retrospective review is to identify and analyze the occurrence of recurrent problems in 20 processes that cover all relevant aspects of disaster health during the response phase. Consequently, an attempt is made to determine if there are generic themes of coherences in these problems. Eight after-action reports of five consecutive disasters in the Netherlands, between 1996 and 2005, were integrally analyzed in a structured manner. The analysis was confined to processes from the start of the event up to and including the initial stages of hospital admission. Problems during all five disasters arose with eight processes: (1) submission of information to the ambulance dispatch center (ADC); (2) provision of information by the ADC to disaster response personnel; (3) scaling-up of prehospital response; (4) communication; (5) logistics; (6) registration; (7) multidisciplinary cooperation; and (8) preparation. Three generic themes of coherence were identified: (1) processes in which exchange of information among medical personal plays a major role are more likely to be affected by problems than processes in which this is less relevant; (2) processes in which disaster circumstances differ from day-to-day health care, or do not figure in day-to-day health care, are more likely to give rise to problems than processes that remain essentially similar; and (3) the existence of a protocol or disaster plan governing a process does not prevent problems. The method used enables a systematic analysis of the problems in health-related processes following five consecutive disasters. The analysis confirms that the majority of problems are repeated. The identified themes of coherences are in agreement with case reports and expert opinions. They are now supported with a higher level of evidence.

Damage due to 2004 Niigata-ken Chuetsu Earthquake Focused on Snow Fence and Snow Melting Pipe-line from Slope Failure

Snow melting, snowfalls or precipitation will be concerned with geotechnical subjects such as foundation engineering or road management from the point of view of urban planning or Sabo. 2004 Niigata-ken Chuetsu Earthquake rendered relatives scrutinize slope stability, but disclosed lack in evaluation of extent damage considering snow period. In this paper, the authors analyzed disaster circumstances on snow prevention facilities clue to earthquake and winter weather based on field survey or soil testing. This paper clarified and segmented as follows, 1) Results of damaged fence for avalanche control near epicenter where are involved Yamakoshi Village, considering geo-morphological properties, and 2) Assessment of road management including disaster mitigation from acquired extent of fracture for snow melting pipe-line and delayed snow removal operation due to earthquake damage. Ultimately, we peered measures for rehabilitation from national or municipal governments in order to promote collaboration between interdisciplinary experts. These methods are suitable level of mitigation under shrinkage budget through real-time trends in Niigata Prefecture.

Management of multiple burn casualties from the Volendam disaster in the emergency departments of general hospitals

To establish the level of medical care provided in the emergency department of general hospitals to the victims of the Volendam café fire on 1 January 2001. A retrospective review was done based on a standardized chart, for all victims seen at the emergency departments of 19 hospitals. Diagnostic findings and logistic aspects were inventoried. Treatment described in the Emergency Management of Severe Burns protocol was used as a gold standard against which the care provided to the victims was assessed. Data from 233 patients were included in the analysis. The documentation rate was low. Suspected inhalation injury and burns were the most frequently documented diagnoses. Most patients with suspected inhalation injury, for whom treatment records were available, received oxygen therapy (81%). Intubation was performed in 43% of patients with suspected inhalation injury and 14% of the remaining patients required intubation after admission to the intensive care unit. Most patients with circulatory problems (83%) and/or more than 15% of total body surface area burned (97%), for whom treatment records were available, received intravenous lines. Pain treatment seemed to have had low priority. Two patients (3%) were re-admitted after having been released earlier from the emergency department. Treatment and triage of the burn casualties after the Volendam café fire was adequate. The documentation rate was low. Not all steps in diagnosis and treatment may be of equal importance in disaster circumstances.

Evaluation on the Capacity of Emergency Transportation by River Systems under Disaster Circumstances with Multi-Agent Simulation

River systems are expected to have a great potential to transport cargoes especially under disaster conditions. In Hanshin Earthquake disaster occurred in 1995, ship transport of relief goods by rivers worked effectively. Furthermore the alternative routes other than transportation on land under disaster circumstances are required strongly. The ship transport of relief goods by rivers meets with this requirement.This paper describes a way to estimate the capacity of ship transportation by rivers with multi-agent simulation. Simulation results clarify the structure of bottlenecks that restrict the amount of transportation under disaster circumstances described in this paper. Firstly the supplying capacity, such as loading speed to vessels, is most important factor. Secondary the receiving capacity at a birth of suffering areas becomes important. If the capacity of both receiving and supplying is sufficient, the number of ships results in shortness.

Critical Incidents in emergency relief work

The ethos of technical assistance in emergency relief work has emphasised the importance of recruiting people with appropriate professional and technical skills to work under the difficult circumstances of disasters. The authors used the Critical Incident Technique to assess jobrelated skills that were seen to be crucial for the achievement of the objectives towards which emergency relief personnel were working. Fifteen Irish nurses, working predominantly in refugee camps, identified over 60 different work objectives and 54 distinct job-related skills. It is argued that greater account should be taken of the variety of objectives which motivates such fieldworkers. The job-related skills identified were primarily process- rather than outcome-oriented skills, and the authors hold that a greater emphasis should be placed on the development of fluid as opposed to crystallised skills. The possibilities of using the Critical Incident Technique as a mechanism for feeding back authentic field experience and operationalising effective process skills are discussed.

Repatriation – the toughest assignment of all

Examines the need for HR departments to have a clear policy on repatriation, especially at times of restructuring and redundancy and the need to retain valuable staff on return. Considers the physical, psychological and emotional effects of “reverse culture shock”, the often unrealistic expectations of returnees and their families and suggests coping strategies, including assistance to the accompanying spouse and children, that can be implemented by both employers and employees. Outlines the possible content of a repatriation programme, stressing the need to tailor it to the needs of employees and their families. Comments on the heightened circumstances of natural disasters and political unrest that can cause rapid repatriation.

The Fatal Knot: The Guerrilla War in Navarre and the Defeat of Napoleon in Spain.

John Tone recounts the dramatic story of how, between 1808 and 1814, Spanish peasants created and sustained the world's first guerrilla insurgency movement, thereby playing a major role in Napoleon's defeat in the Peninsula War. Focusing on the army of Francisco Mina, Tone offers new insights into the origins, motives, and successes of these first guerrilla forces by interpreting the conflict from the long-ignored perspective of the guerrillas themselves. Only months after Napoleon's invasion in 1807, Spain seemed ready to fall: its rulers were in prison or in exile, its armies were in complete disarray, and Madrid had been occupied. However, the Spanish people themselves, particularly the peasants of Navarre, proved unexpectedly resilient. In response to impending defeat, they formed makeshift governing juntas, raised new armies, and initiated a new kind of people's war of national liberation that came to be known as guerrilla warfare. Key to the peasants' success, says Tone, was the fact that they possessed both the material means and the motives to resist. The guerrillas were neither bandits nor selfless patriots but landowning peasants who fought to protect the old regime in Navarre and their established position within it. from the book: That unfortunate war destroyed me; it divided my forces, multiplied my obligations, undermined my morale. . . . All the circumstances of my disasters are bound up in that fatal knot.--Napoleon Bonaparte on the Spanish war

Rural places and the circumstances of acute chemical disasters

This paper examines the nature and pattern of acute chemical airborne disasters in rural areas of four U.S. states: Alabama, Georgia, Iowa and New York. It is argued that these unplanned or uncontrolled airborne releases of hazardous chemicals are more than isolated engineering malfunctions. They can be alternatively understood as reflections of the social, economic and political contexts in which they occur. The objective of the paper is to investigate the links between the pattern of incidents ( n = 262), the amount of hazardous materials locally present and the capability of local emergency preparedness in rural counties of the four states ( n = 307). Discriminant analysis is used to examine the relationship between 33 country risk-related and preparedness variables and incident frequency. The discussion focuses on a sub-set of “outlier” counties: those with fewer incidents than expected and those with more incidents than expected based on their risk-related and preparedness characteristics. The results show a close positive relationship between the number of incidents and the amount of hazardous materials and preparedness. Strongest association is found between the number of incidents and chemical manufacturing or processing facilities. Differences between the two groups of outliers in Alabama and Georgia were based on economic and demographic conditions; differences in Iowa were based on adjacency to metropolitan areas. The findings illustrate the usefulness of contextual analysis in examining the restructuring of rural life and the capacity of fiscally and socially stressed rural communities to respond to environmental change.

移動ロボット用ＣＯ２レーザレーダ３次元視覚センサ

We have developed a CO2 laser radar for the robotic vision. The amplitude of a CO2 laser beam is modulated sinusoidally with an electro-optic modulator (EOM) . The distance is measured as the phase difference of the modulation between the detected return light from the target and the reference signal. The range image is obtained when the laser beam is scanned in two directions. The frequency of modulation of 5 MHz, 15 MHz, and 40 MHz are examined. The good result of the resolution of 3 cm is achieved at the modulation frequency of 40 MHz. Moreover, the range images through the simulated disaster circumstances have been obtained, which demonstrated the good transparency of the CO2 laser.

The Near Disaster at Three Mile Island

On March 28, 1979, a serious reactor accident occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harris-burg, Pennsylvania (USA). Pregnant women and families with pre-school age children were asked to evacuate a five mile area around the plant. Evacuation plans were developed for a twenty mile radius, although no such evacuation occurred. Telephone surveys of adults and a questionnaire survey of high school students living near Three Mile Island were carried out from May, 1979, to January, 1980. The data collected show that living near the plant (absolute or perceived proximity), younger age and lower grade level of the adolescent respondent, presence of pre-school age child in the home, lower parent's or adult's education, and evacuation of all or part of the family were all associated with a stronger negative affective response to the accident and with the likelihood of having evacuated the area. The behavior of individuals and families following the Three Mile Island accident parallel those occurring in an actual disaster, and extend the theoretical framework of Kinston and Rosser to include the circumstances of potential disasters.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOLLOWING THE ANDHRA PRADESH CYCLONE, 1977

It should be clearly understood that this report was written primarily to record the process and observations made in the production of specific educational materials. The conclusions are not definitive. The sampling used for the testing of the drawings was small (approximately 501; was not furry representative of the general population;and, because of the disaster circumstances under which the sampling was made, did not clearly isolate the variables or systematically examine all the options. The comments contained herein should be understood as observations of the staff associated with the project.

Anaesthesia for mass casualties. Another possible solution for disaster circumstances.

AnaesthesiaVolume 22, Issue 1 p. 29-36 Free Access Anæsthesia for mass casualties Another possible solution for disaster circumstances L. ADLER md , L. ADLER md Research Assistant, Department of Anæthetics University of DurhamSearch for more papers by this authorJ.S. INKSTER mb, chb, ffarcs, J.S. INKSTER mb, chb, ffarcs Consultant Anæshetist, Royal Victoria Infirmary Newcastle upon TyneSearch for more papers by this author L. ADLER md , L. ADLER md Research Assistant, Department of Anæthetics University of DurhamSearch for more papers by this authorJ.S. INKSTER mb, chb, ffarcs, J.S. INKSTER mb, chb, ffarcs Consultant Anæshetist, Royal Victoria Infirmary Newcastle upon TyneSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1967 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2044.1967.tb02692.xCitations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL References 1 TRAER, J.R. (1862). Surgical, medical and obstetrical instruments in the International Exhibition of 1862. Med. Times Gaz., ii, 148. 2 COOPER, E.A. and PASK, E.A. (1960). A bag for measuring respiratory volumes. Lancet, i, 369. 3 SOPER, R.L. (1959). Anæsthesia for major disasters. Proc. R. Soc. Med., 52, 239. 4 STEPHENS, K.F. (1959). The likely role of the anæsthetist and of anæsthesia in the early surgical treatment of mass casualties. Proc. R. Soc. Med., 52, 241. 5 STEPHENS, K.F. and BOURNE, J.G. (1960). Anæsthesia for mass casualties. Lancet, ii, 481. 6 O'CONNOR, A.P. (1961). Anæsthesia in nuclear warfare. Ir. J. med. Sci., 421, 1. 7 STEPHENS, K.F. (1965). Transportable apparatus for halothane anæsthesia. Br. J. Anaesth., 37, 67. 8 NUNN, J.F. (1961). Portable anæshetic apparatus for use in the Antarctic. Br. med. J., i, 1139. 9 PANTELIC, D., VAJS, E. (1965). Effect of halothane anæsthesia on Survival of dogs subjected to controlled posthaemorrhagic hypotension followed by retransfusion. Br. J. Anaesth., 37, 388. 10 FRREEMAN, J. (1962). Survival of bled dogs after halothane and ether anæsthesia. Br. J. Anaesth., 34, 832. Citing Literature Volume22, Issue1January 1967Pages 29-36 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Acute Radiation Injuries in Disaster Situations

The treatment of radiation injuries in a disaster situation is discussed. It is pointed out that no new symptoms or signs are present that have not been observed in ordinary clinical practice. This is not a mystery disease. Little can be done for patients in the immediate period after exposure, except for reassurance, sedation, and, possibly, minimal fluid replacement. Patients who show radiation-induced skin erythema or conjunctivitis durmg the prodromal period usually will not survive under austere disaster circumstances. A drop in the absolute lymphocyte count to very low levels during the first few days after exposure mittee is summarized briefly. In the annex, the reports of Data are presented on radioactivity in samples of air, precipitation, food, milk, and raw surface waters collected fallout in Utah, and Sr90 in animal feeds from 1960 through 1962. Nuclear detonations announced during Nov. are listed.

Diet of Infants and Children in Disaster

Plans are proposed for feeding infants and children in case of thermonuclear attack. Plans can be made on every level from the national down through the individual family, the family being a most important link in the chain. The goal would be to have the nutritional needs of the infant uninterrupted. It is mandatory that each family with an infant under one year of age stock at least a 2-week supply of food for the baby, including milk (liquid or dry) and other foods (canned) normally used in infant feeding. Water, at least 2 qt/day, should be provided on the same basis. The possibility of not being able to sterilize water by the usual methods makes the use of iodine or chlorine practical and necessary. Sterilization methods are described, including use of purification tablets, iodine (ordinary household tincture, 6 drops/qt of clear water or l0 drops for cloudy water) and chlorination (achieved by adding 10 drops of any ordinary household bleaching solution containing sodium hypochlorite/ gal of water). Materials necessary for one of these methods of sterilization should be included with the other store of supplies. Although radioactive contamination of food and water after nuclear attack will be a seriousmore » concern, food in sealed, unbroken packages, cans, or jars will be safe for consumption if the exterior of the container is wiped or washed. Much radioactive contamination in water may be removed by simply allowing the water to settle and then straining it through a paper towel or a finemesh cloth. Breast feeding under disaster circumstances would be desirable. The daily basic nutritional needs of infants toward which emergency food plans should strive to provide are tabulated. Minimum requirements are about 2/3 of basic requirements and could prevent real disaster from the nutritional viewpoint in infants. If essential nutrients are obtained from such foods as milk, cereal, and potatoes, other vitamins and minerals should be supplied in quantities to meet minimum requirements. For prolonged emergencies (>30 days), vitamin C will become an important factor. (BBB)« less