Research Counts

Early this year, a human—using a systems interface—mistakenly sent a false alert warning of an incoming missile threat. Here's why we should focus on the error, and not the human.

Although hazards may be natural, we've long known that the disaster aspect is human-caused. This edition of Research Counts examines how a seemingly innocuous turn of phrase impacts how the public thinks about disasters.

The needs and experiences of those who are homeless during disasters can be very different from other populations, yet often emergency planning doesn't account for their specific needs. A recently released toolkit will make it easier to address that gap.

Libraries play a central role in many communities; but when it comes to participating in disaster response, managerial outlooks might make all the difference.

Stronger building codes might be seen as costly, but for communities with the will to enact them, they save money in the long term.

In this piece, Kai Erikson reminds us that lessons from Katrina are enduring and that the harm and suffering from the most recent disasters will trace a similar trajectory if we do not address the social injustices that existed long before the shock.

In the rush to help people recover after disasters, inequitable systems are often put into place that promote injustice and discrimination. This piece examines how that happened after Hurricane Katrina—and how it's likely to happen again following Maria.

Months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is far from recovery and in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. This piece looks at how U.S. territorial status has led to mounting woes before and after the storm that affect the welfare of its residents.

Helping policymakers understand the true stakes of disaster decision making is one way to really make sure research counts, and this transcript on housing considerations following Hurricane Harvey is one example.

As emergency officials attempt to allocate scarce resources following disasters, systematic measurements of social vulnerability—such as the Social Vulnerability Index—can assure help goes to those who need it most.