Natural disasters: a framework for research and teaching.

Natural disasters are defined in this paper by relating the impact of extreme geophysical events to patterns of human vulnerability. Hazard perception is shown to be a factor that limits the mitigation of risk. The historical development of disaster studies is traced and five different schools of thought are identified.

Preserving the Identity of Small Settlements during Post-Disaster Reconstruction in Italy(1).

The nature of small, historic settlements in Apennine Italy is described and options for reconstructing them are discussed. Villages and towns are disproportionately vulnerable to damage by even small earthquakes, which can cause substantial changes to their distinctive character. Responses to such events are outlined, including various strategies of evacuation and the process of developing standardized methods for post-disaster architectural survey.

Valtellina landslide and flood emergency, northern Italy, 1987.

This report describes the progress of the landslide and flood emergency that occurred in Valtellina, in the northern Italian Alps, during July and August 1987. For the authorities, the critical problem was one of controlling the rise of a large lake impounded on the River Adda by landslide debris that threatened to breach catastrophically, releasing a major floodwave. Several lessons can be learned from the way in which the emergency was managed.

Death and injury in earthquakes.

The assumption that the ratio of mortality to morbidity will approximate 1:3 in earthquake disasters is investigated. When it occurs, a 1:3 ratio is most likely to coincide with a Richter magnitude in the range 6.5-7.