Natural Disasters: A Reference Handbook

by David E. Newton

Overview

This book provides a detailed introduction to natural disasters and the ways in which they have had and continue to have, profound effects on human society.

Natural Disasters: A Reference Handbook surveys the impact of these events on human civilization. The opening chapter provides a general history and background of the major types of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, severe storms, and forest fires. The information presented in this introduction allows the reader to better understand current issues, problems, and solutions related to natural disasters discussed in subsequent chapters.

The book covers the role of natural disasters in human life from earliest recorded history (and, to some extent, even earlier) to the present day. It provides an extensive variety of resources that encourage readers to learn more about the topics discussed. The book is intended for readers in the late middle school to high school age range, as well as adults who may have a special interest in the subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440867613
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/14/2019
Series:	Contemporary World Issues
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.35(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

David E. Newton holds a BA in chemistry, an MA in education from the University of Michigan, and an EdD in science education from Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

1 Background and History 3

Natural Disasters in Human History 4

Earthquakes 6

Significant Earthquakes in History 6

Important Earthquakes in U.S. History 9

Tsunamis 13

Volcanic Eruptions 15

Significant Volcanic Eruptions in History 17

Volcanic Eruptions in the United States 20

Extreme Weather 22

Tornadoes 25

Hurricanes 26

Typhoons and Cyclones 30

Floods 32

Floods in Recorded History 33

Floods in the United States 35

Forest Fires 36

Other Types of Natural Disasters 39

Mass Wasting 40

Drought and Famine 41

Limnic Eruptions 43

Sinkholes 44

The Genesis of Natural Disasters 46

Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions 46

Facts about Earthquakes 47

The Genesis of Earthquakes 50

The Genesis of Severe Storms 54

Tornadoes 54

Hurricanes 55

References 56

2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions 73

The Impact of Human Activities on Natural Disasters 73

Earthquakes 73

Problems 74

Solutions 79

Sinkholes 85

Landslides 86

Problems 86

Solutions 87

Forest Fires 89

Problems 89

Solutions 90

Floods 92

Problems 92

Solutions 93

Drought 96

Problems 96

Solutions 99

Extreme Weather and Climate Change 104

Climate Change 104

Extreme Weather 107

Other Natural Disasters 109

Preparation and Recovery 112

Warning Systems 112

Recovery 113

Conclusion 116

References 116

3 Perspectives 137

Who Is Pele: A Native Hawaiian Perspective Wendy Awai-Dakroub 137

Unnatural Disasters Trudy E. Bell 139

Understanding the Communication Gaps between Disaster Prediction and Public Response Sean Ernst 143

Red Tide: The Insidious Killer ChrisAnn Silver Esformes 146

The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Madeline Clark Frank 149

After the Disaster: What Are the Next Steps? Eloise Merrifield 152

Pele Says Hello Chloe Olewitz 155

Some Confessions of a Lifelong Storm Chaser Lane Ponsart 158

4 Profiles 163

American Red Cross 163

Americares 165

Disaster Research Center (University of Delaware) 166

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute 168

Federal Emergency Management Agency 169

Tetsuya Fujita (1920-1998) 173

Landslides Hazards Program 175

Giuseppe Mercalli (1850-1914) 176

National Integrated Drought Information System 178

Natural Hazards Center (University of Colorado) 180

Christopher G. Newhall (1948-) 181

Office of Wildland Fire 183

Charles R Richter (1900-1985) 183

Seismological Society of America 186

Stephen Self (1946-) 188

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 189

Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) 191

World Weather Attribution 195

Zhang Heng (78-139 ce) 196

Reference 198

5 Data and Documents 201

Data 201

Table 5.1 Deadliest Tornadoes in U.S. History 201

Table 5.2 Costliest Tornadoes in U.S. History since 1950 202

Table 5.3 Highest-Recorded Tsunami Water Height (meters) 203

Table 5.4 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Summary Stats, 2017 204

Table 5.5 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Summary Stats, 1980-2017 204

Table 5.6 Recent Changes in Earthquake Activity in Selected States 205

Table 5.7 Seventy-Eight-Year List of Severe Weather Fatalities 206

Documents 208

Albers v. County of Los Angeles (1965) 208

Landslide Loss Reduction (1989) 211

Florida Statute 501.160 (1993) 216

Floodplain Management Strategies (2005) 218

California Constitution (Article 1, Section 19) (2008) 220

Alfredo Mejia v. Citizens Property Insurance Corp (2014) 221

Ladra v. New Dominion, LLC (2015) 223

Earthquake Safety Checklist (2017) 226

Assembly Bills 1857 and 2681 (California) (2018) 229

International Tsunami Warning System (2018) 233

National Landslide Preparedness Act (2017-2018) 237

Measurement Scales (current) 239

Summary of the California Emergency Services Act (2018) 244

6 Resources 247

Introduction 247

Books 248

Journals and Articles 259

Reports 273

Internet 280

Books on Specific Natural Disasters 292

7 Chronology 295

Glossary 315

Index 325

About the Author 339

Editorial Reviews

12/01/2019

Gr 6–10—Complementing the overview of humanity's generally destructive relationship with the natural world in Leslie A. Duram's Environmental Geography: People and the Environment, this entry in the series focuses on nature's equally, or at least potentially, destructive ways. Opening with a survey of representative disasters in human history through mid-2018, ranging from earthquakes to gaseous "limnic" eruptions and sinkholes, Newton explores their causes, the results, and possible strategies for coping with them in the future. Then, after eight essays by other researchers or specialists based on personal experiences and quick profiles of significant figures and organizations, he presents "data and documents" that include the "deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history" and other tables, a selection of 13 legal opinions and government publications, and a substantial gathering of annotated print and web resources. He caps all of this with a time line that begins 440 million years ago and ends in 2018 with a federal report on what to do when (not if) a giant meteorite again strikes Earth. There is more than enough current information here to compensate for the lack of illustrations (aside from one murky view of modern Pompeii), and to qualify as a valuable update for older reference titles such as Robert Carmichael's Notable Natural Disasters or Lesli J. Favor's Natural Disasters. VERDICT As an up-to-date, if utilitarian, resource on a perennially popular topic, this merits consideration for midsize and larger middle and high school collections.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York

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