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Featured Publication

The Human Side of Disaster
by Thomas Drabek
CRC Press
ISBN: 9781439808641

Drabek scientifically evaluates human responses to disasters, informing emergency managers and response teams and teaching them how to anticipate human behavior in a crisis.

This book contains four scenarios—based on interviews and real events—that introduce the human side of disaster and examine how preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation affect outcomes. Chapters provide insight that can be applied to events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods, as well as man-made threats—including industrial accidents and acts of terrorism.

The book demonstrates how traditional warning methods and high-tech systems can work together to improve communication, evacuation, and reconstruction. The human element in disasters is highlighted, as well as how to use that element as part of a planned disaster response.

Natural Hazards Center Library

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Katrina Resource Page

The Center created a Web page that compiles a list of useful resources examining the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Good news! The Natural Hazards Library collection is in the process of migrating to a new catalog system that will provide greater access to our holdings—including the ability to share full-text documents online and to loan our print resources using the inter-library loan system. 

While were in the process of transferring our records, items added to the collection after May 11, 2011, won't be available online. Please keep an eye out for news of when our new catalog goes live. If you have any questions about locating resources, please contact Wanda Headley at Wanda.Headley@Colorado.Edu.

The Natural Hazards Center Library is a singular collection of hazards resources that focus on how society copes with natural hazards and catastrophic events. Our nonlending library houses a wide spectrum of information for both researchers and practitioners. Regardless of discipline, this extensive collection will provide practical, applied, and academic support to those in need of disaster knowledge.

HazLit, the library's searchable online database, allows users to search the holdings and identify the publications they need. In addition to this online service, for a fee, the Natural Hazards Center can conduct extensive custom searches of its library collection. Feel free to ask us hazards-related questions too— we're happy to guide your research or put you in touch with people or institutions that may have the answers you need.