Overcoming Inertia - Community and Regional Resilience Institute (CARRI)

submitted by Tom McGinn

June 2012 CARRI News - By Warren Edwards, Executive Director, CARRI

The extreme weather and natural disasters of 2011 and this month’s wild fires in the west and flooding in Florida provide compelling indications of the range of catastrophes that American communities are facing with growing frequency and intensity.  Floods, fires, earthquakes and tsunami combined to produce the greatest economic costs of natural disaster to the world’s economy to date.  Add to the risk of natural disaster the real potential for human-caused disaster ranging from acts of terrorism to industrial and transportation accidents, economic crises, and the threat of large scale health events and pandemic and there is much that should be keeping elected officials and emergency planners awake at night.  Despite this evidence, too many Americans are complacent or have unrealistic expectations of government services and government response during disasters.  The inherent resilience of America is severely stressed.  There is an urgent need for the nation to better anticipate acute disruption, and through aggressive, adaptive planning, limit impacts, respond quickly and effectively and recover rapidly and fully.

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http://www.resilientus.org/