Deconstructing Disaster

Abstract

Over time, we have grown increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters. Each decade, economic losses from such disasters more than double as people continue to build homes, businesses, and other physical infrastructure in hazardous places. Yet public policy has thus far failed to address the unique problems posed by natural disasters. This Article takes a first step toward improving public policy by offering a paradigm for understanding its failures, suggesting that three categories of obstacles obstruct sensible government regulation. Drawing from philosophy, cognitive psychology, history, anthropology, and political science, this Article identifies and analyzes three categories of obstacles to disaster policy-symbolic obstacles, cognitive obstacles, and structural obstacles. The way we talk about natural disaster, the way we think about the risks of building in hazardous places, and structural aspects of American political institutions all favor development over restraint. Indeed, these forces have such strength that in most circumstances society automatically

What drives households to buy flood insurance? New evidence from Georgia

“…Croson and Sundali (2005) find evidence of the gambler's fallacy in their laboratory research in casinos. In the context of natural disasters, a recent review article by Pidot (2013) shows that individuals recently struck by hurricanes think that the hurricane was a once in a lifetime event, not to happen again. Based on the opposing predictions of the availability heuristic and the gambler's fallacy, we are agnostic about the sign of the relationship between past flood damage and demand for flood insurance.…”

Case Study on Hurricane Sandy Survivors Experience

“…One area of disaster risk management is concerned with limiting the construction of homes in areas at high risk for disasters, as a means for managing the risks imminent disasters present. Scholars have recognized the role people play in the transformation of natural events into disasters (Pidot, 2013).…”

The Economics of Disaster Relief

“…Helpless, uninsured victims are more vulnerable to disasters and therefore require more ex post aid, which in turn makes the disaster more salient and politicians more eager to stage a rescue. This negative spiral results in a less‐safe environment and higher death tolls (Pidot ). There are some (isolated) voices who call for different solutions (see, for instance, Farber ).…”

“…The same story can be told of hurricane Irene, which, a few years later, destroyed homes, businesses, and roads, and caused over $15 billion in damage. The flood had these disastrous effects because of unregulated human activities, such as the armoring of the rivers, the hardening of flood plains, and the development of watersheds (Pidot ).…”