E-Book Overview
Barrier islands. Flood plains. Earthquake faults. Sometimes the environment poses threats to our well being, yet many of us continue to choose to live in risky or dangerous places. And on top of the knowns-rdquo; are the other, more hidden hazards related to environmental contamination that pose equally serious threats to our health and well being.But where are these places and what types of hazards are found there? American Hazardscapes examines the risks associated with living and owning property in diverse regions across the United States, offering dual perspectives: that of the geographer and that of the social science hazards researcher. The book summarizes what we already know about regional patterns of hazard events and losses during the previous three decades and goes further to shed light on the nature of the events themselves and their impact on society.Written for the relocating citizen and the policy maker alike, American Hazardscapes presents a regional ecology of disaster-prone or disaster-resistant states. It also offers thoughts on what local, state, and federal managers need to do to meet the challenge of reducing hazard losses in the next century.
E-Book Content
American Hazardscapes The Regionalization of Hazards and Disasters Susan L. Cutter, Editor JOSEPH HENRY PRESS Washington, D.C. JOSEPH HENRY PRESS • 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. • Washington, D.C. 20418 The Joseph Henry Press, an imprint of the National Academy Press, was created with the goal of making books on science, technology, and health more widely available to professionals and the public. Joseph Henry was one of the founders of the National Academy of Sciences and a leader in early American science. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data American hazardscapes : the regionalization of hazards and disasters / edited by Susan L. Cutter. p. cm.—(Natural