1st Edition

Toward Resilient Communities Examining the Impacts of Local Governments in Disasters

By Christopher L. Atkinson Copyright 2014
224 Pages
by Routledge

222 Pages
by Routledge

222 Pages
by Routledge

In June 2011, the city of Minot, North Dakota sustained the greatest flood in its history. Rather than buckling under the immense weight of the flood on a personal and community level, government, civic groups, and citizens began to immediately assess and address the event’s impacts. Why did the disaster in Minot lead to government and community resilience, whereas during Hurricane Katrina, the... Read more

Preface. 1. Local Government Impacts on Resilience in Disaster. 2. Resilience, Vulnerability, and Neo-institutionalism. 3. Local Government Institutions in Disaster: Context and Complexity. 4. Public Procurement and Economic Development at the Local Level. 5. The New Orleans Region and Hurricane Katrina. 6. Palm Beach County and Hurricane Wilma. 7. Minot, North Dakota and the Mouse River Flood. 8. Toward Resilient Communities: Coming to Terms with the Threat.

Biography

Christopher L. Atkinson has taught courses in the School of Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida. He received his PhD from Florida Atlantic University. His research interests include public management and policy studies, neo-institutionalism, regulation, and emergency management.

“Community disaster resilience recently has been utilized frequently and become a relevant framework for scholars and practitioners in the field of disaster management. This book contributes to the growing literature on community resilience with a specific emphasis on resiliency of business community in relation to local governance. The book not only provides theoretical perspectives on resilience but also offer practical insight for professionals in the field.”
—Naim Kapucu, University of Central Florida

“Understanding business disaster planning is an important topic not only to small, medium, and large companies, but also to local government officials.  This text gives prime examples of the impact of planning on the community as a whole.”
—Stacey Mann, Jacksonville State University