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Managing Disasters: The Role of Local Government
Author(s) -
Col JeanneMarie
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2007.00820.x
Subject(s) - local government , hurricane katrina , china , government (linguistics) , key (lock) , information sharing , public administration , emergency management , business , political science , environmental planning , natural disaster , geography , computer security , law , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , meteorology
In major disasters, local communities are often on their own for several hours or days. Local governments can play a key role in taking the initiative to protect their citizens. This essay compares the experience of New Orleans before, during, and after the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina with the performance of Qinglong County, China, during the Tangshan earthquake of 1976. Qinglong County exemplifies local government taking initiative in risk assessment, decision making, operations, information sharing, and communications.