Disaster Research 227

An Editorial from Weatherzine: Will We Learn the Lessons of Grand Forks?

Unless you have been spending time on Space Station Mir or some other news vacuum, the April 1997 flooding in North Dakota and its subsequent political impacts have been hard to miss. However, in spite of all the media attention, we risk letting the most important lessons of the Grand Forks disaster evaporate into history.

About two months ago, communities in the Red River of the North basin, which flows north into Canada along the North Dakota/Minnesota border, experienced record flooding. Record flooding was also experienced in other parts of Minnesota. The most extreme societal impacts occurred in the neighboring towns of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, where significant portions of the two communities was submerged under flood waters. Preliminary damage estimates total more than $1 billion.

We have much to learn from the experiences of those in Grand Forks - about topics such as flood insurance, forecasting, flood-fighting, inter- and intra-governmental coordination, the media, disaster relief, etc. It would make sense to conclude that the lessons of this particular case can go a long way toward improving societal responses to floods in the Red River basin and elsewhere. Yet, it seems that in the recent past, lessons drawn from flood events are not particularly well-incorporated into local, state, or national flood policy. How else can we explain the fact that essentially the same causes account for flood disasters that we have seen over the past five years?

A study of the Great Flood of 1993 (S. Changnon, ed., The Great Flood of 1993: Causes, Impacts, and Responses, Westview Press, Boulder, CO) came to much the same conclusions, stating that "thoughtful past recommendations of how to attain flood mitigation have not been adequately implemented."

The Grand Forks disaster will be closely examined by various federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and physical and social scientists. Within about a year, there will be numerous reports, reviews, and studies that distill important lessons from the event. An unanswered question is to what extent the lessons drawn from Grand Forks will be incorporated into the process of flood policies in the Red River basin and beyond.

One "meta-lesson" that should be drawn from the recent spate of flood disasters of the 1990s is that to improve our state, local, and national flood policies, it is not enough to draw lessons from them; those lessons must be incorporated into actual decision making.

UND Center to Aid Community and Examine Effects of Red River Floods

The purpose of the Center for Community Redevelopment and Research, Department of Sociology, University of North Dakota, is to provide a point of focus for community redevelopment and research efforts in the Grand Forks community. The hallmark of our approach, as exemplified in the Grand Forks Business Emergency Census, is to combine the strengths of traditional university-based research with direct outreach and intervention to address social problems and community needs in the aftermath of the disasters that struck Grand Forks in the spring of 1997. The idea behind the center is to use the expertise and resources of the university to the benefit of the community and in the process develop research and learning opportunities and directions for faculty and students. We are, therefore, actively looking to develop working relationships and partnerships with community organizations and groups to generate the resources and research to define and address social problems.

Award to Spotlight Community Hazard Mitigation (But Who Will Win?)

Local government actions to protect citizens from natural hazards will be the highlight of the 1997 Community Spotlight Award jointly presented by the Insurance Institute for Property Loss Reduction (IIPLR) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The award was created to annually recognize one or more local jurisdictions for exemplary community achievement in hazard mitigation to protect people, homes, and businesses. It recognizes achievement in minimizing human and property loss from natural hazards and was developed in order to highlight and foster innovative, practical, cost-effective natural hazard mitigation activities. The award recipient will be honored at the 1997 ICMA Annual Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on September 14-17, 1997, and may be recognized in future ICMA and IIPLR publications.

The Insurance Institute for Property Loss Reduction was created by the insurance industry to address natural hazard mitigation issues and promote loss mitigation strategies. ICMA's Disaster Resistant Communities Program works in partnership with IIPLR and other organizations to integrate mitigation into local government decision making and make communities safer and more sustainable.

International Hurricane Center Offers Certificate Program and Courses

The International Hurricane Center, Florida International University now offers an Emergency Management and Hazard Mitigation Certificate Program - continuing education to meet the needs and interests of professionals in many fields who could benefit from the flexible format and extended schedule of such a program. The first seminar of the series "Our Communities and Hazards" was offered in May. Other seminars include (dates tentative):

• Vulnerability Analysis, July 25-26, 1997.
• Principles of Emergency Management, September 19-20, 1997
• Principles of Hazard Mitigation, November 14-15, 1997
• The Practice of Hazard Mitigation, January 16-17, 1998
• Technology in Emergency Management and Hazard Mitigation, March 15-16, 1998
• The Sociology of Disasters; Laws and Regulations in Disasters, May 15-16, 1998

Help Wanted

The Mitchell Group, Inc., an institutional contractor for USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), is seeking candidates for the position of Information Specialist. The incumbent will write and edit situation reports, briefing memoranda, and other internal and external U.S. government documents that report on the activities of OFDA emergency relief programs. Requirements include strong writing, editing, communication, and computer skills; fluency in French; and a Master's degree. Preferred candidates will possess developing country experience and a current USG clearance. Competitive salary and benefits. This position is restricted to U.S. citizens. Closing date is 7/7/97. Send resumes to: Joanne Welsh, USAID/OFDA, 1262A NS, Washington, DC 20523-0008; fax: (202) 647-5269.

SCEC Seeks Visitors

The Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) has issued a call for applications for its 1997-1999 Post-Doctoral Fellowship/Visitors Program. SCEC is a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center pursuing research regarding the scientific basis of earthquake hazard estimation. SCEC principal institutions include Caltech, Columbia, UCLA, UC-San Diego, UC-Santa Barbara, USC, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

World Disaster Reduction Day Update

[We recently received additional information from the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) Secretariat about World Disaster Reduction Day 1997. The focus, events, and resources available from the Secretariat have been modified - see below.]

October 8 - World Disaster Reduction Day 1997
Water - Too Much...Too Little: The Leading Cause of Natural Disasters

Without water, life is not possible. Yet too much water is dangerous and too little water can be devastating. Indeed, these two extremes are two of the more common features of natural disasters. Coastal and river floods, for example, are the most frequent natural disasters and are increasing more rapidly than any other disasters. At the same time, drought still affects more people than any other disaster. As a consequence, the International Decade for Natural Hazards Reduction (IDNDR) World Disaster Reduction Day 1997 is dedicated to examining the relationships between water, disasters, and development, as well as demonstrating the steps that individuals, communities, and nations can take to reduce hardship due to floods and drought.

Some people believe that natural disasters, including floods, cyclones, and drought, are "acts of God," but human agency is clearly at work as well. Floods, for example, are not uniquely determined by storm tides, heavy rains, or melting snows. The increase in floods worldwide can also be seen as a result of environmentally damaging development practices or overdevelopment in coastal zones and along river corridors, where human habitation is obviously dangerous. In addition, widespread development has simply decreased the amount of land and wetland available to absorb precipitation and runoff.

Similarly, drought is clearly not merely the result of too little rain. Overgrazing, deforestation, poor water and soil management, all contribute to drought, as do social and economic circumstances that circumscribe and define the lives of people in drought-prone areas.

Just as clearly, reducing the social and economic impacts of floods and drought is possible if disaster mitigation is linked to development. Vulnerability to hazards is the result of human decisions and policies that could have been made differently, that can be altered, and that can be approached differently in the future.

Web Items

Back Issues of the Natural Hazards Observer Available

We recently received a note from a long-time reader of the "Natural Hazards Observer" - the Hazard Center's printed newsletter. He has most issues of the newsletter dating back to the early 1980s and is willing to donate them to anyone (or any agency) who might want them. If you are that person, contact Jerry Stinson, 18440 146th Avenue, N.E., Woodinville, WA 98072; (425) 402-3792.

WWW Workshop on the Impact of Climate Change on the Southwestern U.S. Coming Up

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