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Objectives: This article provides an overview of how the interdisciplinary field of disaster studies contributes to the social sciences. Methods: The following themes are explored in relation to the articles contained in the special issue: disasters are social and political phenomena that generate policy change, disasters reflect and affect democratic governance, and disasters reveal shared experience and collective identity. Results: Disaster studies bridge the social sciences theoretically and methodologically. Given the scope of disaster impacts—across social, political, economic, ecological, and infrastructure spheres—and the policy response they garner involving public, private, and civic actors, they offer a lens by which to see society and politics in a way that no other critical events can. Conclusion: Disaster studies offer important applications of social science theories and concepts that expand the field, broaden our reach as social scientists, and deepen our understanding of fundamental social processes and behaviors in meaningful ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine if state governments utilize rainy day funds (RDFs) for political purposes in the aftermath of disasters rather than their intended purpose of combating state cyclical economic downturns. Methods: This research draws from multiple state‐level data sources to construct a panel data set from 1992 to 2010. Results: Disaster damage, relief funds, and politics all influence the usage of states' RDFs. We also find that the RDF balance is lower when disaster damages increase, when it is an election year, and the same party holds party control of the governor and legislature. Conclusion: The findings of this empirical research are consistent with the literature about the importance state‐level politics plays in the use of state stabilization funds intended for cyclical economic downturns as opposed to providing more politically expedient disaster relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan's Great Kantō Earthquake of 1 September 1923 devastated the area around Tokyo and the country's main port of Yokohama. This article uses the earthquake as a case study to inform our understanding of the economics of disasters and the history of market integration. It seeks to test two main assumptions: first, that shifting demand and supply curves consequent on a disaster will have some impact on prices; and second, that any local changes in the disaster region are likely to be diffused across a wider geographical area. We make use of a unique monthly wholesale price dataset for a number of cities across Japan, and our analysis suggests three main findings: that price changes in the affected areas immediately following the disaster were in most cases reflected in price changes in Japan's provincial cities; that cities further away from the devastation witnessed smaller price changes than those nearer to the affected area; and that the observed pattern of price changes reflects the regional heterogeneity identified by scholars who have worked on market integration in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Across the globe, the threat from terrorist attacks is rising, which requires a careful assessment of long-term medical support. Based on an 18-month follow-up of the Israeli civilian population following the 2014 war in Gaza, we describe and analyze the medical costs associated with rocket attacks and review the demography of the victims who filed claims for disability compensation. We then propose practical lessons to help health care authorities prepare for future confrontations. Method Using the National Insurance Institute of Israel's (NII) database, we conducted descriptive and comparative analyses using statistical tests (Fisher's Exact Test, chi-square test, and students' t-tests). The costs were updated until March 30, 2016, and are presented in US dollars. We included only civilian expenses in our analysis. Findings We identified 5,189 victims, 3,236 of whom presented with acute stress reactions during the conflict. Eighteen months after the conflict, the victims' total medical costs reached $4.4 million. The NII reimbursed $2,541,053 for associated medical costs and $1,921,792 for associated mental health costs. A total of 709 victims filed claims with the NII for further support, including rehabilitation, medical devices, and disability pensions. Conclusion We found 3 major sources of costs: hospital expenditures, mental health services dedicated to acute stress reactions, and ambulatory follow-up. During the first year, most of the costs were related to hospitalization and support for stress relief. During the second year, ambulatory and rehabilitation costs continued to grow. Public health specialists should consider these major components of costs and their evolution over time to properly advise the medical and social authorities on allocating resources for the medical and nonmedical support of civilian casualties resulting from war or terror. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Following major disasters, purchase avoidance behavior toward products that are caused by stigma often results. For example, after the Tohoku Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, consumers have avoided products from Fukushima. Attempts have been made to diminish this purchase avoidance behavior, but they have been found to be ineffective. The reasons for ineffectiveness of strategies within this context were empirically examined based on matching and mismatching effects of messages. In two studies (Study 1, N = 113; Study 2, N = 364), the effects of affective messages and cognitive messages were compared, and the effectiveness of affective messages was found to be consistently weaker than that of cognitive messages. Message producers often present affective messages with the expectation of observing the matching effect. However, findings suggest that these presentation strategies will fail, and that the mismatching effect should be used instead. The best method of message presentation to reduce purchase avoidance behavior in a disaster area is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the effect of banks' lending capacity on firms' investment. To identify exogenous shocks to loan supply, we utilize the natural experiment provided by Japan's Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in 1995. Using a unique data set that allows us to identify firms and banks in the earthquake-affected areas, we find that the investment ratio of firms located outside the earthquake-affected areas but having a main bank inside the areas was significantly smaller than that of firms located outside the areas and having a main bank outside the areas. Our findings suggest that loan supply shocks affect firm investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons living in communities with limited resources are at heightened risk of posttraumatic stress (PTS) after disasters, especially if they were highly exposed. The support deterrence desistence model and the conservation of resources theory suggest that this risk might increase in the longer-term aftermath of disasters. In the present study, we aimed to test this hypothesis. Two population-based samples of New York City residents in communities affected by Hurricane Sandy were surveyed at either 13-16 months (Time 1; n = 421) or 25-28 months (Time 2; n = 420) postdisaster. Participants reported on their exposure to disaster-related stressors and PTS. The percentage of residents who were unemployed in participants' census tracts was collected from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey. Multilevel models found that disaster-related stressors were more strongly associated with PTS for participants living in communities with high unemployment, but only at Time 2 (Est. = .58, SE = .21, p = .006). Mapping of community unemployment and disaster-related stressors suggested that communities in southern Brooklyn and Queens, and northeastern Staten Island were at particularly high risk for PTS at Time 2. The results suggest the need for ongoing support to economically disadvantaged communities in which residents have endured disaster-related stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in estimating the costs and benefits of climate change policies are a welcome development, but a full-scale cost/benefit analysis that seeks to reduce complex value trade-offs to a single metric of net benefit maximization hides many important public policy issues, especially for disasters and catastrophes that are large, discontinuous, irreversible and uncertain. States should obtain public input on such policies. These policies involve value trade-offs that can be informed by technocratic estimates of costs, benefits and risk. However, such analyses cannot, in principle, be reduced to a single recommendation that 'maximizes net benefits'. Politicians must make value trade-offs informed both by technocrats and by public input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses recent examples of natural disasters from Southeast Asia to illustrate some important arguments discussed in the literature on natural disasters and the economy. First, the severity of the consequences of disasters depends not only on the natural hazards, but also on societal factors. Second, the effects of the disasters on physical and human capital could go far beyond the directly observable loss of properties and lives. Third, disasters could have positive long-term consequences if they lead to a change in the total factor productivity of the economy. Fourth, the effects of disasters could spread beyond the country of origin, naturally and economically. Finally, assistance from the government provides implicit insurance that could crowd out private insurance, but the failures of the government in dealing with recent catastrophic disasters may help reduce the extent of this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the shift from vulnerability to political responsiveness in presidential and gubernatorial disaster decisions in the United States from 1953-2009 (President Dwight D. Eisenhower to President Barack Obama) using annual request, declaration, and approval data from multiple sources. It makes three key conclusions: first, the 1988 Stafford Act expanded federal coverage to all categories of disasters, added a significant range of individual types of assistance, and provided extensive funding for recovery planning. Second, the election effects on disaster decisions increased over time whereas the impact of social and economic vulnerability (measured by scope of disaster) declined. Third, the changes affected governors more than presidents, and the choices of governors drove those of presidents. The analysis underscores the increasingly political nature of the disaster decision-making process, as well as the difficulty in emphasising mitigation and preparedness as intensively as response and recovery. Proactive intervention yields fewer political rewards than responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters produce winners and losers. This paper evaluates such winners and losers in a spatial context. The hypothesis is that, because of severe damage to the core disaster area and the constraints associated with the cost of transportation, economic demand would shift to the immediate edge of the disaster zone where either minor or no damage is observed. Empirical analysis of growth patterns in counties/parishes in the states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi in the United States after Hurricane Katrina (August 2005) verified the spatial demand shift hypothesis. The study found that the post-Katrina core disaster area became a 'doughnut hole' of low income and employment growth, surrounded by a ring of high growth counties/parishes on the edge of the hole. The short-run adjustment in growth rates may have altered permanently the spatial distribution of employment and income both at the core and in the areas at the edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's tightly connected global economy, traditional management practices that rely on 'steady-state' conditions are challenged by chaotic external pressures and turbulent change. Just in the last few years, the world has experienced a string of catastrophic events, including a global economic meltdown, a volcanic eruption in Iceland, an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a disastrous tsunami and power blackout in Japan, and political upheavals in Africa and the Middle East. Managing the risk of an uncertain future is a challenge that requires resilience-the ability to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of turbulent change. This research develops a measurement tool titled the Supply Chain Resilience Assessment and Management (SCRAM™). Data gathered from seven global manufacturing and service firms are used to validate SCRAM™, using qualitative methodology with 1,369 empirical items from focus groups reviewing 14 recent disruptions. Critical linkages are uncovered between the inherent vulnerability factors and controllable capability factors. Through mixed-method triangulation, this research identified 311 specific linkages that can be used to guide a resilience improvement process. Pilot testing suggests a correlation between increased resilience and improved supply chain performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf, many of those affected are still trying to recover economic damages caused by the horrific widespread accident. Those damaged include fishermen, property owners, hoteliers, and restaurateurs, just to name a few. And there are many, many thousands of them. Lots of victims have filed lawsuits against BP, Transocean, and Halliburton. There are hundreds of federal cases, representing over 100,000 plaintiffs. Others have filed claims with the BP-sponsored Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF). But what are the best options for businesses damaged by the disaster? This article examines the current status of GCCF payments and litigation. It also explores the advantages and disadvantages of each option. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on survey data collected from chief administrative officers (CAOs) from the largest US cities, this paper analyzes the role of CAO risk perception. Several major questions are asked. How valid are the perceptions of CAOs regarding the level of risks posed to their cities by natural disasters? Do differences in perceptions vary based upon how threatened CAOs say they feel? Do differences in management activities, public procedures, and political concerns result as a consequence of how threatened CAOs say they feel? Do perceptions of threat align with objective vulnerability characteristics? The findings show that there is misperception of risk among CAOs. Risk perceptions influence perceptions as well as management activities, public procedures, and political concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors contributing to business recovery 6-8 months after Hurricane Katrina were examined. Managers from 183 surviving organizations in the Greater New Orleans area rated the levels of storm preparation, amount of storm damage, severity of storm-related problems and organizational performance. Factors under management's control such as having an emergency response plan, storm preparation and effective staff communication had no real impact on organizational performance. Significant predictors with a negative impact on organizational performance included variables such as storm damage and post-disaster problems. Complications arising from extreme population dislocation, specifically loss of customer base and staffing issues, had the greatest impact on organizational performance. The implications for disaster preparation and management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at politics and economic conditions in Japan following the 2011 earthquake and the tsunami and nuclear disasters that ensued. It notes there is a received idea that crises are good for Japan in the long run as they stimulate the country to renew itself. The author analyzes this possibility with respect to the 2011 crises. She discusses the revival of debate over the country's reliance on nuclear power, the economic effects of all of the necessary reconstruction, and the possibility that Japanese industry will become more productive and more integrated with the world economy.

Rainfall-triggered landslides present a major hazard to unplanned communities in tropical developing countries. We describe the MoSSaiC methodology (Management of Slope Stability in Communities) and show that landslide hazard can be reduced if tackled at the appropriate spatial and institutional scales. Stakeholder engagement - from communities to governments and funding agencies - has enabled the implementation of 'on the ground' construction to effectively reduce landslide hazard. Specifically, a cross-agency management team liaised closely with the local social intervention fund, community project committees and individual residents to map the highly localized landside triggers and to design and build appropriate mitigation measures. Institutional, political and financial cycles can potentially act to destabilize such community-based development initiatives. However, implementation of this approach in the Caribbean is shown to have reduced landslide hazard, whilst simultaneously gaining significant support from all stakeholders. The methodology outlined is an innovative and effective alternative to conventional 'top-down' landslide risk reduction approaches. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential increase in the demand of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the U.S. despite the worsening limited sources due to the reduced Canadian imports and the damage caused by natural disasters in 2005. It notes that the increase in consumption of natural gas is expected to grow at an annual leverage rate of nearly 2%. One solution being developed that can accommodate expected market growth is the use of LNG. It has been said that LNG is a good alternative due to its abundant resources and it appears to be an economic and workable supply option. In the North American market, LNG has become increasingly competitive as a supply alternative as the cost along the entire value chain is reduced by technology and economic improvements.

The bulk of developing countries' populations and poor depend on agriculture for food and income. While rural economies and people are generally the most severely affected by natural disasters, little is known about how disasters and subsequent relief activities affect agricultural markets with differing levels of development. The article adresses this gap, drawing evidence from bean seed markets in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch. Case studies are used to address hypotheses about a disaster's effects on supply and demand in seed markets, farmers' responses and the performance of relief interventions in markets showing differing levels of development. The results show the importance of tailoring relief interventions to the markets that they will affect and to the specific effects of a disaster; the potential to use local and emerging seed distribution channels in a relief intervention; and opportunities for relief activities to strengthen community seed systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demonstrates the use of catastrophe theory in dynamic urban economic analysis. Theory on bifurcation and structural stability for alternative reforms of discounted revenues criterion; Stability of multiple system and individual equilibria; Effects of alternative lot size neighborhoods on slum competitive equilibria.